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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday February 06 2018, @02:16PM   Printer-friendly
from the no-tipping-allowed dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow9228

Back in December, we reported on the Trump administration's proposed changes to tip-pooling regulations that would allow employers to pocket servers' tips as long as the employees continue to make minimum wage. That's right: Employers could take servers' tips and just dole out the minimum wage. But wait, it gets worse!

Turns out, the Department Of Labor knew how crappy this would make life for restaurant employees. This Bloomberg Law article, citing sources within the agency, reveals that the Department Of Labor knowingly buried its own data that showed restaurant workers would lose billions of dollars in gratuities under the new proposal.

Source: https://thetakeout.com/proposed-tip-pooling-law-is-so-bad-for-workers-the-gove-1822664111


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Tuesday February 06 2018, @08:12PM (5 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday February 06 2018, @08:12PM (#634066) Journal

    when you talk to me like a gameshow host, flirt with me, and laugh hysterically at every fucking thing I say

    Say... what? Is this indeed what's expected from the "successful tip receiver" waiting staff in US?

    Good God, thanks for not being subjected to such a treatment; irrespective of my order status, I'd leave the place like a rocket after the first 3 minutes. I can't stand pushy waiters interrupting me every 3 minutes to ask if I'm alright or... stuff.
    You wait for me to signal you that I need your services and, if you want a tip, I'll have your attention in a very short time; a nod as "I saw you, coming ASAP" will buy you 1-2 minutes of my patience when you are engaged in some other things, but certainly not 1-2 minutes flirting with another customer.

    Even the minor matter of having my glass refilled, I like my wine glass stay emptied until I'm feeling like having another one; and then I'm perfectly capable of filling it myself, as much as I think is necessary and when I think is time. If you, the waiter, insist filling it immediately after I emptied it, I'll start to think you just can't wait to see me done and be gone; guess how much I'll be willing to tip you?

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday February 06 2018, @08:44PM (2 children)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Tuesday February 06 2018, @08:44PM (#634086) Journal

    Say... what? Is this indeed what's expected from the "successful tip receiver" waiting staff in US?

    Not in my experience.

    What I expect is a friendly person who smiles at me and makes me feel welcome to eat at that place. Unlike your experience, I do expect wait staff to check in with me anytime my glass is empty - I expect them to be observant and ask me if I want a refill or not. If I say no I expect them to remember that choice. I expect wait staff to check if I need anything about five minutes after food delivery (was there a condiment I needed), and anytime I try to catch their eye - which with good staff does not happen because they've already anticipated my need. I'll put down extra money if they check in after I've placed my order and before food delivery or after post-delivery check and pre-final visit before check.

    I don't expect, nor want, conversation, flirtation, or anything other than a respectful attitude, pleasant demeanor, and awareness of my needs as a customer before I have to ask. I ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company at Navy Pier and at some point (don't remember when,) the waitress came over and played Forrest Gump trivia with us - it was interesting, but not really expected and did keep me from visiting with those I was dining with. But it was also clearly something the management expected staff to do, I believe.

    Conversely, anyone who acted the way you've described without my saying so (doesn't check in unless I ask) would have a diminished tip. I can count the number of times I haven't tipped in the last ten years on one hand - I think it is three out of

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    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by melikamp on Tuesday February 06 2018, @11:38PM (1 child)

      by melikamp (1886) on Tuesday February 06 2018, @11:38PM (#634182) Journal

      You people, c0lo & #6553, you are both right! Every patron has slightly different expectations about table servce, and the job of a competent server is to fulfil those expectations without sacrificing the overall quality of service for everyone else. When I took an issue with TMB's little fart-rant, it was the specific suggestion that a competent waiter won't go tipless because of a pay cut. On the contrary, competent waiters are fighting tooth-and-nail, as we type here, over some of the most desired positions in tipless restaurants in New York and elsewhere, and I am sure that at least some of them do take this pay cut with a sigh of relief.

      Because you see, people, servers also have expectations (a novel idea for USA, but here we go). A competent high-end server, in particular, is a professional with 10+ years of experience in mind-reading and meeting your every food-related need, all while working on 100 other mini-projects around the floor. Servers like that take pride in their work, and they expect to be paid for their time, period, because they do a fucking great job day in and day out. If you don't like their personal style, or find that the experience is overpriced, you are free to go to a different restaurant, mmmok? So when you do come to their restaurant, they expect you to be polite, and they expect you to be buying food, booze, and table service, the end. They do not expect to be harrased, sexually or otherwise; they do not expect their pay to be held hostage over some random fantasy, or be conditioned by your mood. They are trying to serve you well, regardless of how much or little you expect, or how great or shitty you may feel that day, and they expect to be paid.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 07 2018, @11:18AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 07 2018, @11:18AM (#634368)

        they do not expect their pay to be held hostage over some random fantasy, or be conditioned by your mood.

        This.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday February 07 2018, @01:40AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday February 07 2018, @01:40AM (#634241) Journal

    Is this indeed what's expected from the "successful tip receiver" waiting staff in US?

    Depends on the class or classlessness of the establishment. A so-called "Gentlmen's club" can be expected to float at this position - right at the top of the septic tank. More generally, no. The average diner expects good wait service, maybe a smile, a little chatting possibly. The flirty waitress doesn't last very long at a nicer restaurant, really. Hooter's would be about as high as the flirts are going to feel comfortable, for any length of time. From there, they might move on to a dive (low class bar) or a strip club.

    We have some of everything. You can find the worst of the worst, in any state. And, you can find real professional wait staff in any state. It all depends on what you're looking for.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by canopic jug on Wednesday February 07 2018, @09:29AM

    by canopic jug (3949) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday February 07 2018, @09:29AM (#634344) Journal

    You wait for me to signal you that I need your services and, if you want a tip, I'll have your attention in a very short time; a nod as "I saw you, coming ASAP" will buy you 1-2 minutes of my patience when you are engaged in some other things, but certainly not 1-2 minutes flirting with another customer.

    We stopped visiting one pub for a while until the American waitress went away. Unlike the local wait staff she was chatty but said nothing. Unlike the local wait staff she was never around when something was needed. However, when there was clearly no need for anything, she was constantly hovering around asking how service was. Lastly, she did not fill up the beers completely. Also, the local staff were well trained professionals, having gone to vocational school. I gather in the US it is make-it-up-as-you-go-along that is the standard.

    Like many things over there, the food service industry in the US is in dire need of a rebuild. Paying proper wages, including benefits, to all staff is part of that. I don't see why as a restaurant patron I should be subsidizing the owner's dodgy practices and general stinginess. The whole thing about tipping for better service is bullshit anyway when most servers make up their mind about you before even coming to the table, creating a self-reinforcing prophesy regarding the good or bad tip they eventually get. Yes, you can game that. I have. I'd rather not, though. I'd rather just come in with my group and get the service we pay for. or just not come back next time.

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