Is tipping basically mandatory?

[acronympathology]

Hi everybody,

I had an experience recently that left me a bit baffled and I wanted some input on the situation.

I am currently 21 and I went to a bar for the first time not too long ago. I am very socially awkward and I am basically a homebody who never does anything fun. However, I am in my senior year of college and I felt like trying new things, so I got together with a female friend and we decided to try going to a bar for the first time together. We felt so nerdy and out of place but I finally decided to go up to the front and order two random drinks for us from the menu. The bartender told us the price and I paid it. A little while later, my friend went up this time to buy two more random drinks for us. Being there felt somewhat anticlimactic, so we decided to just get a third round of drinks and then head out.

We went up to the bar but this time the bartenders basically ignored us and we just kind of stood there for like two minutes waiting to be acknowledged. Finally, the bartender who had made our drinks the other two times came round and only said, "Is something wrong with the service? You have basically stiffed us all night." I did not even know what "stiffed" meant, but my friend told him that we did pay for our drinks and had been paying all along, and then he just brusquely responded, "You haven't tipped us." He looked so hostile and angry when he was addressing us that my friend just timidly gave him five dollars and we left soon afterwards feeling a bit humiliated.

Were we wrong here? I honestly didn't know that you had to tip in a bar and I especially didn't think that you had to do it after every drink. Isn't tipping supposed to be optional anyway? What are the rules for tipping? What people are you supposed to tip? Have you ever had bad experiences with people calling you out for not tipping?

 

[eastofeden]

It was Reagan who made it mandatory for service persons to claim 8% of their total sales to pay tax on..so basically they were paying to serve you.....

It is very annoying to know you are getting an amount due instead of a paycheck at the end of the week. It happened to me a lot in the restaurant so I quit..so did pretty much everyone else. Reagan said the restaurants would compensate us...he was wrong..as usual....

I was a bartender too in a gay bar for 20 years...and I tip very well when I go anywhere. If they are decent I will go up to 25% but at least 20%. If the service is horrible..and I give people a lot of leeway...I still do 10%...very rare though...

I usually go to the same restaurants and the waitpersons treat me very well because they know I tip very well. I like to be treated well.....

Also...if you tip on the first drink...it is usually a way to get the bartender's attention immediately. If not...they will pay attention to other people naturally. Depending on where the bar is ...a lot of them get minimum wage. It is also normal to tip at the end...forget the middle....

 

[zoltanspawn]

Tipping threads are the best.

What a great way to learn about the world as you mature into the year 22!

 

[Rickrock]

I didn't originally tip for drinks but saw some people doing it and often do now. I didn't know and don't understand how they can be taxed on money they don't receive but am aware that they are supposed to pay taxes on tips they do receive.

Also, what about tips for carry out food. I sometimes buy carry out meals at Bob Evans restaurants and pizza places.

 

[nycguydowntown]

Make this real easy. Most of the time tipping is mandatory.

 

[Telstra]

oh i already discussed this on JUB years ago.
Australia don't have a tipping culture. Tipping is like begging basically ....
The business owners should pay to workers properly, so workers don't need to be tipped. End of story.

 

[LilBit]

In Illinois (I'm assuming that's where you were when this happened), minimum wage for tipped workers is $4.95 an hour.

For most tipped workers in the US, their base pay goes entirely to income tax, so the only money they take home is what they earn in tips. If you don't tip, they're basically working for free.

At a bar, if you're paying in cash, it's best to tip with each round you order. Part of the reason is that you may not have the same bartender each time, so it's a good idea to make sure your tip is going to the right bartender. Also, it lets the bartender know that you're not going to stiff them.

 

[eastofeden]

In Illinois (I'm assuming that's where you were when this happened), minimum wage for tipped workers is $4.95 an hour.

For most tipped workers in the US, their base pay goes entirely to income tax, so the only money they take home is what they earn in tips. If you don't tip, they're basically working for free.

At a bar, if you're paying in cash, it's best to tip with each round you order. Part of the reason is that you may not have the same bartender each time, so it's a good idea to make sure your tip is going to the right bartender. Also, it lets the bartender know that you're not going to stiff them.

That is a very good point I forgot. When Reagan did this..even in California...tipped workers got very little pay per hour because it was assumed that we would make up our wages in tips.

That is why we often got an amount due instead of a paycheck..so it became intolerable to wait on anyone who was not only difficult but with no tip..you basically just paid to have the "privilege" of waiting on them...

Ronnie's promise of the industry making it right for us...with his silly phony folksy grin..was bullshit. They didn't. He essentially made service people slaves.

 

[Willie Boy]

Tipping is not mandatory, if it were it would just be included in the price. Employers don't want to pay their employees full wages and expect the customers to make up the difference. Employees expect it mostly because the generosity of the customers is often the only thing that helps them make it through the month.

 

[Telstra]

In Illinois (I'm assuming that's where you were when this happened), minimum wage for tipped workers is $4.95 an hour.

For most tipped workers in the US, their base pay goes entirely to income tax, so the only money they take home is what they earn in tips. If you don't tip, they're basically working for free.

At a bar, if you're paying in cash, it's best to tip with each round you order. Part of the reason is that you may not have the same bartender each time, so it's a good idea to make sure your tip is going to the right bartender. Also, it lets the bartender know that you're not going to stiff them.

They should automatically put the price up including "tips/tax" without the customers saying oh they should tip this or that much.

 

[zoltanspawn]

oh i already discussed this on JUB years ago.

Good to know!

 

[Willie Boy]

For most tipped workers in the US, their base pay goes entirely to income tax, so the only money they take home is what they earn in tips. If you don't tip, they're basically working for free.

Actually, no. Income tax is based on a percentage of an employee's income. Most people making only $4.95 per hour, based on a standard 40 hour work week, would not be earning enough to pay much of anything in taxes as they'd likely not even reach the minimum threshold. Still, they wouldn't make enough pay to cover all of the expenses for the month, not because their pay was taken for taxes but because their employer doesn't pay them enough.

 

[eastofeden]

The thing is...with the cost of everything involved...restaurants have an alarming failure rate in their first year. I don't know the statistic now..but it used to be 90% failure...could be more/less now....

You need to consider food costs...labor costs...atmosphere...you must provide good to excellent food CONSISTENTLY as word of mouth is your best friend or worst enemy..and you need happy employees....

If you are too expensive?...you will fail. Bad service?..you will fail....Bad chef?...you will fail....lukewarm to bad word of mouth..you will fail...

...and even if you get it all right..there are 100 people waiting to take your place and become an even better version of you....

 

[nycguydowntown]

oh i already discussed this on JUB years ago.
Australia don't have a tipping culture. Tipping is like begging basically ....
The business owners should pay to workers properly, so workers don't need to be tipped. End of story.

I'm talking USA or New York city---for waiters bartenders---hotel workers etc--I don't know anything about Australia and if I visit there I'll do the research to find out the rules. Not sure I'd trust your opinion cheap-o lol Just kidding---I'm aware tipping varies from place to place.

 

[BillyT]

When I use to drink I would usually run a tab and pay at the end with a tip. Never had any problem being served.

 

[Latimer]

You need also to remember that the server is sharing his tip with the runners and perhaps even members of the kitchen staff. A little needs to go a long way, which is why even if I'm not pleased with the server, I don't want to shortchange the others and still tip 20%, sometimes more.

 

[Telstra]

I'm talking USA or New York city---for waiters bartenders---hotel workers etc--I don't know anything about Australia and if I visit there I'll do the research to find out the rules. Not sure I'd trust your opinion cheap-o lol Just kidding---I'm aware tipping varies from place to place.

No in Australia, if the price is $10, you pay $10.
If you want to give extra its your choice but you won't get extra service.

 

[Kahaih]

Surely the staff is taking care of more than one or two customers in an hour's time.

How long does it take to mix a drink, put it on a tray, and take it to a table?

 

[kallipolis]

No in Australia, if the price is $10, you pay $10.
If you want to give extra its your choice but you won't get extra service.

The same custom applies here in Greece.

I usually tip the waitress at my favourite Ouzeria for her friendly, and highly professional service.

 

[Telstra]

Just imagine a Taxi driver, his company pay him badly,
Say the trip is $40, when you don't tip after his service, what then ?