News getting it right

[Gurndigarn]

I still think restaurants should just pay a fucking living wage so that wait staff doesn't have to pray for tips.

AMEN! I rarely go to resturaunts because of this. I don't like near-mandatory tipping-- it feels too much like extortion-- but I don't want to screw over staff who are just trying to make a living, either. So I don't eat out at places that expect tips, except maybe once per year or so. (Or when I'm on company business-- I have no problem with them paying tips.)

[Andara Bledin]

I still think restaurants should just pay a fucking living wage so that wait staff doesn't have to pray for tips.

(say it with me everybody) Because that would make sense.

That mentality has always annoyed me - the way I look at it, the tip should be factored in when determining if I can afford a meal. If I don't have enough cash on me for a decent tip, or I don't have the CC with me, I will go somewhere like Subway where tipping is not required.

*nods* You bet! There's no way I would ever not tip someone delivering food to my lazy ass that doesn't want to set foot outside 'cause the weather sucks or I don't want to take time away from my forum/game/what have you.

What is it about those that make the least are the ones that are the most generous, and does that make sense to anyone?

Two things:
1. Poor people know what it's like to be poor and generally don't want to be the cause of that for others, and also often don't want to be seen as acting like charity cases.
2. Many times, rich people get that way by being penny pinching bastards who are not above starting fights in restaurants so that they can be thrown out without having to actually pay for their meals. (had a friend in high school who's father would do this, and she hated ever being around him)

^-.-^

[powerboy]

I still think restaurants should just pay a fucking living wage so that wait staff doesn't have to pray for tips.

Amen to that.

[Shangri-laschild]

I didn't get to see the article, but, I read about one on a local station's message board. If you don't mind me asking, what Illinois station was it (just in case I saw the same article)?

It was just the local town news(Champaign/Urbana). WCIA maybe? Not sure. It wasn't a very long piece so I don't know that it's going to go any further but here's to hoping. You're only about 45 minutes away though so you never know.

[protege]

Sometimes, you can literally get tips out of people because of your appearance. The first few years I had the paper route, my delivery vehicle of choice was a beat-up Radio-Flyer wagon. When I first started the route, I'd picked that thing up thoroughly used, but in good shape. I'd had it repainted, fitted with wooden stakes, etc. It didn't look too bad, until the old paint started peeling off.

That's when it started getting ugly. It had developed a serious case of tinworm (aka rust), and I was more concerned about keeping it together rather than its appearance. Any damage was ground off and covered with whatever cheap spray paint I could find. The vehicle was still green...but also orange, silver, light blue...

And yes, when it started falling apart, I saw my tips go up. Needless to say, I kept that heap held together with duct tape and bailing wire as long as I could...before it finally fell apart in '89. Somehow, my tips didn't go down after it got replaced

[daleduke17]

It was just the local town news(Champaign/Urbana). WCIA maybe? Not sure. It wasn't a very long piece so I don't know that it's going to go any further but here's to hoping. You're only about 45 minutes away though so you never know.

Yep, I read that on their message board. I think I have a link to it in "Check It Out".

[Shangri-laschild]

Yep, I read that on their message board. I think I have a link to it in "Check It Out".

You would be correct.

[Rapscallion]

The argument about whether or not places should pay a higher minimum is Fratching material, folks. Let's stick to dealing with instances of sucky tippers.

Rapscallion

[Shangri-laschild]

The argument about whether or not places should pay a higher minimum is Fratching material, folks. Let's stick to dealing with instances of sucky tippers.

Rapscallion

Thanks for the reminder.

[Rine]

Okay, this might be a little OT, but people have mentioned tipping their newspaper people...

Is this common practice? My newspaper gets delivered at about 4 or 5 in the morning, when no one is awake. Basically, some guy drives around and throws newspapers out onto the driveway. Or is tipping newpaper folks reserved for the ones that actually walk/bike to deliver?

On topic...I always tip very well and only eat out when I can afford to tip well. I like tipping well and it's always nice to hear "it's the so and so Family" when I order out from our local pizza place. Always get great food from them and apparently, drivers fight over who gets to come out to my house. Sadly, my family's cut back on ordering pizza because we can't afford things like that much these days.

If you can't afford a decent tip for decent service, don't eat out, is what I think.

[Racket_Man]

Ya know, that 'times are tight' BS excuse pisses me off.

I used to order pizza 3 times a month. MY solution to the gas crunch was to cut down to 1-2 times a month, and still tip well.

Ordered 25.00 worth of pizza last night for me, my son and my friend and tipped 8.00 because it was pissing buckets.

I am by NO MEANS well off. I'm a single mom who works really hard to live very modestly. If I can do it, anyone can...so it really irks me when I hear people give that lame-ass excuse about having to cut back and doing it at the expense of someone else.

I order from the same place all the time and my order is ALWAYS at my door in 20 minutes, even when they are quoting 40-50 minutes in bad weather.

The old adage is true: Treat people like you wish to be treated.

I tip well, I receive extra-good service. That's the way it should be.

Shitty tippers and stiffers deserve to have the BARE minimum. And if my order gets to my house before theirs does and it's hotter, hmmmm - whose fault is that?

you will be VERY surprised at how MANY people think delivery drivers have no memory (the stereotypical stoner/looser/druggie high school dropout uneducated moron) or do not talk with other drivers in the store.

I have people who order on a regular basis and we all groan that one of us gets "STUCK" delivering to this serial stiffer and this is no $10 order but $30 or $40 order every time. sometimes it depends on who answers the door and pays for the order. there are several houses that if the wife pay you get stiffed but if the husband pays your get like 4 or 5 dollars

there are orders like yours Pepper that are fought over almost to the point of snaking and poaching (not that I WOULD do that of course LOL).

my problem is I want to earn as much money as some of these people to be able to order delivery pizza/wings/etc 4 and 5 nights a week (again not a $10 order but $25 or more) and have their stove looking like the day they moved in to the apt ie clean polished and looking unused.

yeah I know times are tough but I STILL have to pay my rent/gas/phone/ expensive commercial car insurance/buy food (both mine and my dogs/repair and maintain my car esp after I abuse it delivering and the stiffers comment means nothing to me. just pisses me off to no end

[Jack7957]

My newspaper gets delivered at about 4 or 5 in the morning, when no one is awake. Basically, some guy drives around and throws newspapers out onto the driveway. Or is tipping newpaper folks reserved for the ones that actually walk/bike to deliver?

I tip because the guy I have currently does drive/walk. Several people on my street get the paper, so he drives to about the middle house, gathers up his papers, then walks from house to house. Since he pitches onto my porch where it'll be covered, I feel that deserves a $50 tip at Christmas.

Where I lived previously, whoever delivered just pitched it towards my front door. Several times during the winter I'd have to call because I 'thought' the paper wasn't delivered. In the spring once the snow melted, I found the missing deliveries where they missed the front door completely.

[traylk]

What is it about those that make the least are the ones that are the most generous, and does that make sense to anyone?

Cuz we actually understand that the person serving us is trying to make a living.

I was at IHOP last week and had the best server ever. He was nice, funny, fast and made sure everything was right(like my burnt bacon....I know, I know but it's how I like it). Our bill was $27 I gave him a $15 tip because he was so great. I order in a lot for me and my employees at TB a lot so I always tip the driver $5 - $10 depending on the order. Or occasionally I'll give them some food in return (usually the Papa John's guy...since he comes thru after work everynight anyway).

[Bank Lady]

I'm a big believer (like many of you) that if you can't afford to tip you shouldn't be going out to eat or ordering delivery. Unfortunately I can't go out with a couple I'm friends with anymore because of their outlook on tipping.

The wife has an equation she uses to figure the tip. It basically boils down to her starting with a set amount (approx 10-12% of the bill) and decreasing it for every mistake. Mistakes include letting the pop go below half-full. The worst part is she's entirely unapologetic about it. She knows she's a bad tipper, but she's such a SC that she doesn't care.

The last time we went out she ordered additional food to-go, but could only manage $1 for a tip. I was so embarrassed. I left a 30% tip just to make up for it and haven't gone out with them since.