There’s quite a bit of difference in those categories. For a gas attendant (not many of those left any more), you paid for their service by the increase in the price of gas — ie you’re paying more for having to use an attendant rather than doing it yourself. A shoe salesperson will typically make a commission (in the higher end stores) on what they sell, or, again, you’re paying a higher price for a shoe you purchase in a store than if you purchase it online.
A restaurant server, however, has a lower wage than these. Their salary is comprised of tips (commission) and a base salary, which is usually quite low. Yes, it is a service, but if you don’t want to go and get your own food (like in a buffet), fill your own drinks, clean away your empty plates, and do everything a server does, than you are expected to help pay for these. The restaurants are trying to keep their prices down on the menu by not giving a server a higher salary.
This is how it is in the US, Europe (at least the countries I’ve been to), tipping is not expected, but it is welcomed. The menu prices (again, only in my experience) seem to be a bit higher than in the US for the same kind of meal. However, if you do tip, I find the servers will be very thankful for the extra amount. When I tipped a bartender in Finland on my first trip there the guy remembered me when I came back several months later and knew what beer I wanted as if I were a regular visitor.
Servers here in the US some times I feel (again, only my opinion) because they are expected to get tips, may not be as thankful for what they have received and worry about what they didn’t get. Again, this only applies to SOME servers, certainly not to ALL servers.
And people today certainly don’t always make it easy for servers. When we, as customers, come in with attitudes and treat the server disrespectfully and with disdain, or like they are not worthy, we are just as guilty as the server who gives lousy service.
My mother-in-law thinks a god tip is $5, regardless of the bill. They eat at a small restaurant for breakfast and lunch every day and she never leaves more than $2. Think how much spit they’ve probably eaten! Once she took one of my sons out, and the bill was near $70. She left a five, and my son, who was probably 11 at the time, shamed her into at least leaving 15 per cent. And she’s the type who’s always “Is our table ready yet?” “How much longer until our meals come?”
johnjohanna08 about 5 years ago
There’s quite a bit of difference in those categories. For a gas attendant (not many of those left any more), you paid for their service by the increase in the price of gas — ie you’re paying more for having to use an attendant rather than doing it yourself. A shoe salesperson will typically make a commission (in the higher end stores) on what they sell, or, again, you’re paying a higher price for a shoe you purchase in a store than if you purchase it online.
A restaurant server, however, has a lower wage than these. Their salary is comprised of tips (commission) and a base salary, which is usually quite low. Yes, it is a service, but if you don’t want to go and get your own food (like in a buffet), fill your own drinks, clean away your empty plates, and do everything a server does, than you are expected to help pay for these. The restaurants are trying to keep their prices down on the menu by not giving a server a higher salary.
This is how it is in the US, Europe (at least the countries I’ve been to), tipping is not expected, but it is welcomed. The menu prices (again, only in my experience) seem to be a bit higher than in the US for the same kind of meal. However, if you do tip, I find the servers will be very thankful for the extra amount. When I tipped a bartender in Finland on my first trip there the guy remembered me when I came back several months later and knew what beer I wanted as if I were a regular visitor.
Servers here in the US some times I feel (again, only my opinion) because they are expected to get tips, may not be as thankful for what they have received and worry about what they didn’t get. Again, this only applies to SOME servers, certainly not to ALL servers.
And people today certainly don’t always make it easy for servers. When we, as customers, come in with attitudes and treat the server disrespectfully and with disdain, or like they are not worthy, we are just as guilty as the server who gives lousy service.
tcayer about 5 years ago
My mother-in-law thinks a god tip is $5, regardless of the bill. They eat at a small restaurant for breakfast and lunch every day and she never leaves more than $2. Think how much spit they’ve probably eaten! Once she took one of my sons out, and the bill was near $70. She left a five, and my son, who was probably 11 at the time, shamed her into at least leaving 15 per cent. And she’s the type who’s always “Is our table ready yet?” “How much longer until our meals come?”