Why are we expected to tip our waiter/waitress, delivery person, etc?

Question

Yes I know they are waiting on us, but isn't that what their whole job is about? And I know that they dont make very much salary wise but why is it we are the ones who are expected to make up the difference their employer doesn't compensate them for?
I DO give tips but this is just something that I've always wondered about... People who work in factories & such don't make much either, but they don't expect everyone who buys the product to individually give them a few bucks for their part, ya know?

Shaggy...enjoy your report; you definately have no business answering questions in this catagory

Answer 1

I don't get it either, I mean I know we are tipping them for providing the service but if you are going to say that then why don't we just tip everyone who provides a service. My gynocologist provides a service but I would never pass him a couple buck with a "thanks for the gentle touch". Or maybe we should change how we do business so that everyone just gets what we think the service is worth. Next time you go to get your oil changed just give them a couple bucks when it takes forever. Wouldn't that be nice. But unfortunatly that is not how things work instead we have to pay 40 bucks for dinner and then pay an additional 5-10 bucks to the person who brought it from the kitchen to our table. God bless them!!!

Answer 2

As mentioned before, servers only make about 2-3 dollars an hour. Unfortunately, taxes are then deducted from that wage. So we rarely get a paycheck or more than 3-5 dollars.

If restaurants were to pay the servers minimum wage, the price of food would be outrageous. So when a table decides not to tip you, you lose money on that table. You pay taxes and have to pay the restaurant back for every table so in turn you paid to serve them.

That's why.

Answer 3

Well, at one time, it was to show appreciation for a job well done ... but now, like so many other things, it has turned into a means of survival. Many states (fortunately CA is not among them), allow "tipped" employees to receive a reduced minimum wage. This means that the customer is subsidizing the employee pay for the owners. And what's worse: The employee who provided the exemplary service for the tip is now expected to share that tip with other employees - who have made no impression on the customer.
It is theoretically possible to come to work and lose money as a waiter/waitress.

Answer 4

I was wondering the same thing recently about tipping the mailman/mailwoman. In my area being a mail carrier is a highly paid, unionized position with many benefits. It is a coveted position. Why should I tip a mail carrier who makes $25/hour? I always thought tips should go to low-paid people like waitresses. In Ontario there is minimum wage and then there is waitperson minimum wage. The two are different because the latter is supplemented through tipping. Supposedly, restaurant owners claim that tipping helps keep their food prices down because they don't have to pad the prices so they can pay high staff costs.

Answer 5

waittresses/waiters don't make minimum wage in this country. last i checked, they only get paid like $2.50 or $3.00 an hour because employers figure they'll get tipped and it'll all work out. So your tips are actually relied upon by your servers. This is not true in all countries. The concept is that it creates you getting service with a smile because there is incentive for servers to be pleasant to you. Serving is a tough, tough job to do with a smile all of the time. People can be really abusive and inhuman to people they think are there just to serve them. As for delivery people, there is also incentive for them to get your stuff there quickly and in one piece. They also do not get paid well, and deserve to get a little something extra for delivering your food or whatever in the cold snow and rain, especially if they're pleasant to you. It's a luxury and a convenience for us to be catered to.

Answer 6

Because they only make $2.30 an hour which is taxed, and the rest is based on tips. Would you work for that? People in factories etc still make atleast minimum wage not a whole hell of alot of money but more than your wait staff.

Answer 7

Wait staff are only paid around $2.15 per hour because they are expected to make tips. The customer is paying for service provided, not just the food on the plate, but the order taking, the drink refilling, etc. Wait staff who do not make tips are usually fired for being rotten wait staff. There is a special tax form they are expected to file with their income tax, declaring the amount of tips they receive.

Answer 8

because in many states service employees make less than eighty dollars a week from the employer.less than even a minimum wage factory worker.i have worked in the past as a bartender and i can honestly tell you i could not have survived without tips.i dont believe in tipping for really bad service though. but remember not everything is within your servers control.

Answer 9

Their minimum wage is usually VERY VERY small. I think it was like $2.15 10 years ago.

If you didn't tip, the restaurant would have to raise their prices astronomically to make sure that everyone made minimum wage. And then...you'd have really sucky waiters making the same as the ones who made your night wonderful because of their extraordinary service.

Answer 10

real simple give her a tip or you will pay more for food-no one could live on that pay so no tips no waitress no service-the owner would than have to raise hie prices so he could pay more money to them so you would have service-as far as factory work if they were paid a waitress salary nothing would ever be made-old hippie here