Tips for the uninitiated tipper
by Jennifer Sweeney, Outpost Staff
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The New York Strip was a perfect bright pink medium rare. The earthy Merlot that the bartender suggested was an impeccable complement to your feast. Not to mention that three scoop sundae piled high with whipped cream, just the right amount of pecans and a cherry.
The perky server was so witty, attentive and prompt that she's rewarded with a pat on the back. Is six bucks gratuity on a $50 tab really enough to let the struggling student with a car payment and rent due know how much she's appreciated.
Last time I checked both Ann Landers and the American Automobile Association suggested that 15 percent is the basis for judging your tip. Don't restaurant patrons realize that we, as servers and bartenders, work incredibly hard to make sure you have a meal where you don't have to cook, set the table or clean up afterwards? All for a meager $5.15 an hour. Your tips are what pay the bills, not our paycheck.
A waitress counts her day's profit. Photo by Jennifer Sweeney |
Let's figure it out mathematically. But first I have to explain how server pay works. We are taxed by the federal government not only on our hourly minimum wage rate, but also on the total amount of tips the government assumes we earn.
At my restaurant a server on average sells about $300 per shift, and if tipped properly should receive at least $45 by the end of the night. The server is responsible for declaring through the restaurant 15% of their total sales for the shift. That server is taxed on that $45 whether they get it or not.
So, if I work a 20 hour week, I will make $103, which after all those federal (tips included) deduction I have a $36 paycheck. I'm not kidding. Remember I will pay Uncle Sam for your tip even if you don't leave one.
Also, keep in mind that there is more to being a food server than taking an order and handing out plates. It's the most difficult job I've ever held. You need "legs of iron, a memory like a steel trap and the patience of a saint," said an unnamed waitress and student at the University of California at Berkeley.
A fistful of change. Photo by Jennifer Sweeney |
I have cleaned up after sick children, swept up saltines demanded by parents with impatient babies, been insulted by guests who assume I'm waiting tables because I'm too dumb to hold a "real job" and been called "sweetie" more times than deserves recognition. I won't even begin to address the inventory of inane questions that I field on a daily basis like "what's the difference between the hamburger and the cheeseburger?"
Tipping began in 18th century English coffeehouses according to Market Facts, Inc. It originally stood for "To Insure Promptness." Stuffing an extra shilling or two into your server's coffer guaranteed your java was served quick and piping hot. Today, a good tip should also be considered an investment in future service.
Castro Travel Inc.states that "it should be kept in mind that tips are a way of expressing satisfaction. Larger tips should be left for those who provide extraordinarily good service."
So if you really valued the job your server did, remember a pat on the back is not going to cover next semester's tuition. However, 15 to 20 percent will certainly help.
copyright 4/2/98 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost