Ugh! I had to get up and go to work today and make sandwiches for 230 box lunches. It only took Christa and I 4 1/2 hours to "get er done" and have it delivered by 11:30. It wouldn't have been so bad if my boss didn't have the heater cranked up throughout the entire cafe. You know it's one thing to have it going in the dining area, but turn it off in the workers area where we are having to deal with ovens, grills and heaters plus running around! You can always put clothes on, but I believe taking them off in a nice cafe wouldn't go over so well!!!
This order I had today consisted of 230 boxes with chips, cookie and sandwich that my assistant (Christa) and I had to do and the total cost was $2300. I even included extra box lunches along with extra cookies and chips for the "just in case" factor! After we delivered and put out all the boxes on tables the customer signed the bill and left a $25 tip. It was a real "bummer" to look at the tip amount and see how little it was (1%) after all the work we'd just done. I do get paid hourly but one of my incentives is receiving tips so when a customer doesn't leave one or leaves less than 10% all the hard work that goes into the preparation and care of the order seems unappreciated. Because I do work for tips, when I go out and eat, have pizza delivered or even at Sonic, I always leave 10-20% to show my gratitude!
Which leads me to the question, "How much tip should be left on the bill?" Are people just uneducated on tipping or just inconsiderate?
So, to better answer these questions and set the public straight, I turned to my best friend when it comes to etiquette, Emily Post's Etiquette; A guide to Modern Manners. Below is Emily's guide to tipping:
Tipping, whether we like it or not, is here to stay. It would, of course, be ideal if everyone who offered a service of any kind were paid so well that he or she did not need to depend on tips, but this, unfortunately, is not the case. Therefore we must remember that many, many people are dependent on a "reward" for good service, in addition to their regular salaries. I do believe firmly, however, that the tip should be merited. Where service is bad and the personnel is deliberately rude, inattentive, or careless, the amount should be reduced. If it is bad enough, no tip should be left at all, and you should bring the situation to the attention of the manager. If everyone continues to tip at the same rate, regardless of the effort made to please, there is no incentive to make any extra effort at all. We are all at the mercy of the "system," but by rewarding good service more generously and withholding a gratuity when the service is bad, we can help to make tipping acceptable.
In Restaurants: It is difficult to give definite rules for tipping, because it depends upon where you go and the service that is given you. That is, if you patronize luxurious restaurants, or if you have special requirements or are difficult to please, greater "compensation" is expected than if you choose simpler restaurants and receive less service. 15% gratuity is standard but higher for extraordinarily good service.
Let's all remember those hard workers whether it be caterers, waiters/waitresses, hairdressers, masseuse/masseurs, etc. that do a service for us that WE DON'T want to do ourselves and take care of them!
Way to go Cowboys...Headed to the Super Bowl!!!
As much as I hate to see the total of my bill after the tip, I always do so. I usually give 20% or close to it because I do like to reward people who work hard and are pleasant. I have not,fortunately,had too many bad waiters.If they are just ok I usually give 15%.I guess people don't stop and think about the person because we tend to just think about ourselves and worry about our finances but it is really not fair to that person.Maybe some people just don't understand how it works so thanks!
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't get compensated for your hard work.I have felt like that with most of my jobs and it brings you down.I have to lean on this scripture when I feel like that.Ephesians 6:5-9 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do.I am not trying to get all preachy because everyone likes to be appreciated and acknowledged but it helps me not get bitter and realize what I have in store.