why dont a majority of minorities tip?

Question

i am a waitress at a restaurant where a variety of different races eat. I give everyone equaly great service. In my 3 year experience im wondering why minorities dont tip? Including deaf people. I know theres a stereotype and its only enforcing it when most of them prove it right.

you might think im prejiduce but even the minority waitresses dont want to wait on minorities and we all talk and know. Is enyone else out there a server who has noticed this or are there people who dont tip? i would like to know why. It is a service, and most compitant people know that waitress make their money from tips. to me its a sign of class and respect for the person who took orders from you for an hour.

Answer 1

My 2 sisters have been servers for years and they have noticed the same thing. Certain people make you jump through hoops, sending food back multiple times, complaining to get a free meal, complaining about everything. You walk through fire for these people and they STILL don't leave a tip. If they do, it's change in the bottom of a wet glass or some other insulting thing like that. Now, I am not at all racist. I know that people of all races, genders, etc can be this way. My sisters have both said that certain minorities are the absolute WORST tippers, and right behind them, people coming in to eat after church. All that said, I have never been a server, so I don't know about any of this personally, I'm just giving you the side of 2 servers with over 20 years combined experience.

Answer 2

I can only give you an opinion from traveling around the world. Some minorities, for example Taiwanese probably don't tip because in Taiwan nobody tips anyone. Other minorities don't tip because they think that if you're not stinking rich, you at least have lot more money than they do.

When I lived in the States (and working for the gov't), I was allowed 10% tip. I usually paid 15% plus/minus effort of the waitress. With good service it went to 20%, and when the waitresses ignored you, it dropped to 1c - just to show that I didn't forget.

Now I live in a poor country, and when I get good service, I tip half a day's wages & I'm remembered. (at $3 a day, that's not much for me, at least)

Answer 3

I agree with you. I hate to say it, b/c it makes me feel like a racist person when I'm not, but I can't deny the truth. As a server, I have bent over backwards for certain minorities and haven't received a tip. I disagree that a tip is something that should not be expected. Tipping is proper etiquette, if someone is serving you food, getting your drinks and picking up your dirty used dishes and napkins, then you should tip.

With that said, I sometimes wonder if minorities are bias towards me b/c I am white. I wonder if they give me a hard time, b/c they feel like I absolutely have to serve them without complaint.

A few weeks ago, I waited on a table of minorities. There food took a long time, which was not my fault. I don't cook the food. When the food finally came out, it was cold. I did not run it, because I happen to be with another table at the moment. When I was done they called me over and complained. Fair enough; however, they then preceded to tell one of my co-workers who happens to be a minority that I won't be getting a tip, b/c the food took too long and it was cold. I ended up with $1, there bill was $65.

Answer 4

Good topic! My friend was a pizza delivery guy for a few years in Toronto. He made big tips in Toronto. We moved to Vancouver (which the majority is Chinese, indian) and he hardly made any tips, he said these two cultures are very very cheap. They would give him 3 pennies or a nickel back! Whites were the only good tippers there! He was so angry when he would get off work because in Toronto if there was a big football game he could make up to 400 on tips in one night!

Answer 5

I completely understand you questions and curiousity. The answers you have received so far want to treat this as a racial issue, and it is by far not that. I delivered pizzas (hey, it got me through college!) for 4 years in many different areas of where I live. I delivered to ghettos, trailer parks, middle class, and the wealthy. In my experience the best tippers in the group was your middle-class or working class. They understand what it is like to work hard for your money and appreciate your service. The rich are probabaly the worst tippers because they have an attitude that they know they are supposed to tip, but look down at what you do and choose not to. As for your question about minorities, in my opinion, it is a cultural issue. I have spoken with minority friends and co-workers about this very issue, and I have heard over and over again that they didn't even know the rules for tipping until they either worked for tips or learned about it later in life. This is not a racial issue, but a cultural issue. I would still rather serve and not receive a tip from someone who didn't know than someone who knew and could afford to, but didn't.

Answer 6

A tip should not be expected. The point of a tip is to reward a person for exceptional work. A customer should not be forced to supplant your income. But of course, the sad part is that if restaurants actually paid decent wages, then servers wouldn't be so dependent on those handouts. It's a sad situation.

My guess, could probably be a cultural thing. Many European and Asian cultures for example, traditionally do not tip, especially Europeans because over there the gratuity is already included in the bill and they expect you'll be compensated fairly.

Answer 7

well i have been a waiter now for 12 yrs and have waited on all walks of life and you can interpret people in many ways.
from older to younger, race , and ethnicity but it has a lot to due with how they are brought up and raised however certain countries like europe, canada, russia, will tip low because in their country, waiters get a high wage but if you wait on people from japan, china, or any country that deal with a great deal of tourism than they are essentially taught something about the customs associated with industry in the other countries. as for the ones in this country well lets say they probably grew up without much and have that sense to keep as much as they can no matter what and they still expect great service no matter what. but thats the way it is. don't judge merly on appearance or race because i have ran into a few suprises before. dan

Answer 8

Could be this person is just cheap, a ahole, or doesnt have the money to tip. But, if they have the money to eat out at a resteraunt, why dont they have the money to give at least a $1 tip.

Answer 9

As a person of beautiful color I can only share with you that alot of people of color dont tip because we work hard and want even better service while dining. Put simple sometimes we feel like you chose to make 213 per hour or whatever not us. And basicly we can probably detect if youre wondering about your tip. My sugggestin to you is to not worry about your tip but about yor service. " People" just dont tip I've been a server myself and i did not like not being tipped and I served for rich people doing banquets. We tip trust me. We also deduct for poor,nonchalnt service, and critically.

Answer 10

teenagers don't get a whole lot of money as adults do since they have to go to school and go to work and they have so many hours at work (about 20 hours a week or so) and and most don't really know how much they should generally tip - 10%, 15%, $2.00?