Raising Minimum Wage in Food Service

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I lived in Germany for 3 years. The servers get full salaries like the other employees, and you don't really tip. You just round up the bill to the next Euro.

 

My wife lived in Wales for a year. I was surprised at the lack of tipping when I went over to visit her, and even questioned one of her coworkers about it when we went out to dinner together. Her response was essentially exactly what you said: the servers are paid much more fairly here than in the United States, so there is no need to tip them all that graciously at the end of your meal unless they have gone particularly "above and beyond".

[Justafan2]

My wife lived in Wales for a year. I was surprised at the lack of tipping when I went over to visit her, and even questioned one of her coworkers about it when we went out to dinner together. Her response was essentially exactly what you said: the servers are paid much more fairly here than in the United States, so there is no need to tip them all that graciously at the end of your meal unless they have gone particularly "above and beyond".

 

The first day I got there, I didn't know the rule and just assumed I was supposed to tip the way we do here in the States. When I gave the server the equivalent of $20, she looked and me and smiled. Then she gave it back to me and informed me the way things are there.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

The first day I got there, I didn't know the rule and just assumed I was supposed to tip the way we do here in the States. When I gave the server the equivalent of $20, she looked and me and smiled. Then she gave it back to me and informed me the way things are there.

 

Wow.....did you tip her for the advice? Haha

[Justafan2]

Wow.....did you tip her for the advice? Haha

 

Sure did. She saved me a lot of money. I was amazed that she actually gave it back to me. Very appreciative.

[BigVMan23]

My wife lived in Wales for a year. I was surprised at the lack of tipping when I went over to visit her, and even questioned one of her coworkers about it when we went out to dinner together. Her response was essentially exactly what you said: the servers are paid much more fairly here than in the United States, so there is no need to tip them all that graciously at the end of your meal unless they have gone particularly "above and beyond".

 

Problem is though, at least what I have been told, is that servers in those areas for the most part DON'T go "above and beyond" and in fact the service can be quite...lacking. Again, I have not been over to that part of the world, but have been told this by people that have.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Problem is though, at least what I have been told, is that servers in those areas for the most part DON'T go "above and beyond" and in fact the service can be quite...lacking. Again, I have not been over to that part of the world, but have been told this by people that have.

 

Well one thing, at least in the UK, is that there are two classes of sit-down restaurants. There are the order at the bar and the food is delivered to your table restaurants (which represent the vast majority of sit-down restaurants), and then there are the server coming to your table and taking care of everything restaurants.

 

The restaurants where you order at the bar are able to reduce staff, thereby reducing overhead and enabling them to offer more money to their workers without having to up food prices. They can manage with only one or two server/bussers taking food orders out to tables and clearing/setting tables once patrons have left. Also, since most of the UK (and Europe) is a barren landscape of no free refills on drinks, you thereby have to go back up to the bar to order another drink. That being the case, I guess you COULD say that the service is "lacking", but really only because at those restaurants, the job description of a server is something all together different than what it is in the United States.

 

I did have the opportunity to go to several of the nicer "server coming to your table" restaurants in Wales/England, and I can say that there, my experience of servers being attentive, helpful, or going above and beyond was essentially the same as it is here in the US.

[Voice of Reason]

I am a good tipper. Servers making regular minimum wage would definitely change the way I tip.

[MJAlltheWay24]

I lived in Germany for 3 years. The servers get full salaries like the other employees, and you don't really tip. You just round up the bill to the next Euro.

 

That's pretty much the way it is in all of European countries I've been to.

 

You round it up to the nearest euro, if it was particularly good you might leave an extra Euro or two. At no time would you tip the way we do here.

 

I guess that would explain why we think that foreigners are notoriously bad tippers.

[Justafan2]

Problem is though, at least what I have been told, is that servers in those areas for the most part DON'T go "above and beyond" and in fact the service can be quite...lacking. Again, I have not been over to that part of the world, but have been told this by people that have.

 

That wasn't my experience at all. I traveled all over Germany, went to Paris, Mallorca, Austria, and Spain. Everywhere I ate, I was treated just like I am here. The only difference was just the language barrier sometimes, but most of the time they spoke English. I enjoyed it.

[Dlbdonn]

I am a good tipper. Servers making regular minimum wage would definitely change the way I tip.

Why minimum wage still sucks

[tcjkbt]

If servers make mimimum wage, at least that income will be reported on income tax returns, as wages, I assume. I wonder what percentage of tip income is reported now. If the bill is paid for by a credit card and the tip is itemized on it, then is the tip reported by the employer (not W-2 but 1099)? I can't help but believe that a lot servers and bartenders skate on their fair share of income taxes.

[LIPTON BASH]

If servers make mimimum wage, at least that income will be reported on income tax returns, as wages, I assume. I wonder what percentage of tip income is reported now. If the bill is paid for by a credit card and the tip is itemized on it, then is the tip reported by the employer (not W-2 but 1099)? I can't help but believe that a lot servers and bartenders skate on their fair share of income taxes.

 

I believe rule is something like 10% of receipts , or total of credit card tips whichever is greater. ( percentage could be wrong) That is why servers/bartenders prefer large cash tips.