When the meal is great but the server isn't...do you ever go back?

[thomas998]

Where did you possibly get the idea that management pays waiters to make up for them not making minimum wage? Please provide a specific example. As a person who worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years, I never saw that happen once.

It is a federal law. If you worked somewhere that it didn't happen then they were breaking the law. It has been that way for years and year.
From the government website:

"
What is the minimum wage for workers who receive tips?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the Federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the Federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the Federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.

Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the Federal and state wage laws, the employee is entitled to the provisions which provides the greater benefits.

"

It is one of those things that more people should be aware of but for whatever reason most people don't understand it and continue to tip assuming that its the only way the waiter will be paid... not getting minimum wage is a myth, probably perpetuated by the word of mouth from bad waiters that want to guilt people into enabling their bad customer service.

 

[BuddyThomas]

It is a federal law. If you worked somewhere that it didn't happen then they were breaking the law. It has been that way for years and year.
From the government website:

"
What is the minimum wage for workers who receive tips?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the Federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the Federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the Federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.

Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the Federal and state wage laws, the employee is entitled to the provisions which provides the greater benefits.

"

It is one of those things that more people should be aware of but for whatever reason most people don't understand it and continue to tip assuming that its the only way the waiter will be paid... not getting minimum wage is a myth, probably perpetuated by the word of mouth from bad waiters that want to guilt people into enabling their bad customer service.

If you seriously think that restaurants are adhering to this law, you have never waited on a table in your life, and I have a few bridges to sell you in Neverland.

 

[Andrew C]

If you seriously think that restaurants are adhering to this law, you have never waited on a table in your life, and I have a few bridges to sell you in Neverland.

Umm this is the law. Same in the hospitality industry. For example, bellmen have to report their tips and if their total wages including tips do not get them to minimum wage, employer covers this.

Of course, if youre a good bellman, or a good restaurant server, your wages and tips should be above minimum wage.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Umm this is the law. Same in the hospitality industry. For example, bellmen have to report their tips and if their total wages including tips do not get them to minimum wage, employer covers this.

Of course, if youre a good bellman, or a good restaurant server, your wages and tips should be above minimum wage.

Have you worked in the service industry? If you have, you might know that this law is not necessarily, or ever, followed. It has never been followed in my experience, and I have worked everywhere from Red Lobster to Planet Hollywood, to non-chain restaurants.

 

[francism]

The confusion might be that the restaurants tally up all tips for a given pay period, so it's possible to have a horribly slow shift on a Thursday night and make less than minimum wage in tips but then have excellent shifts on Friday and Saturday nights to 'make up for it'.

Since businesses only have to tally tips at the end of a pay period, most servers will end up making at least minimum wage over the total hours that they worked, even though they might have had an awful shift (or a few awful shifts) during that particular pay period. Places where servers don't make at least minimum wage in tips over the course of a week are few and far between and a sure sign that their employer is likely in a position to fail.

 

[thomas998]

If you seriously think that restaurants are adhering to this law, you have never waited on a table in your life, and I have a few bridges to sell you in Neverland.

If you failed to know the law when you waited tables that's not my problem. Now you know what it is and if you wait tables you know what you are entitled to... I assume this post was your attempt at saying, "thank you" for providing you with some knowledge that could help you in the future... To that I say, "you're welcome."

 

[thomas998]

I have been known to leave a penny as a tip

I have done the same when service is incredibly bad. That way there is no doubt in the server's mind that he/she did a absolutely horrible job, because if you leave nothing it allows the bad server to just assume you are someone that doesn't tip... but a single penny sends a clear message.

 

[thomas998]

I have always said that great service can make up for ok to bad food, but great food can not make up enough for bad service. Nothing ruins a night like bad service. I will go back if I feel the manager tried, but if they appear to not care forget it.

Not sure I understand the logic in that... So you would go to a place that has food that is bad just because the service is great? You do realize that when you are paying the check you are paying for the food, it is really bad food why would you continue to go back?

 

[disney4life2008]

Again, make sure you never, ever return to that restaurant. Seriously. For your own sake. A waiter never forgets a tip like that or the person who left it. We have a very cheap friend who always brags about stiffing waiters. Come to think of it, why am I this person's friend? Hmmm. Need to rethink that. But anyway, we always hear these stories about him leaving pennies and dimes as tips and we just wonder how many gallons of spit he has eaten in his lifetime.

Luckily, I have encountered bad service in places where the chances of me returning is severely low. However, in places where I am likely to return and the server is bad (this applies more so to buffets or chilis type places), I will tip the minimum. On the flip, I have been know to tip very high for amazing service but that is few and far between.

 

[disney4life2008]

Not sure I understand the logic in that... So you would go to a place that has food that is bad just because the service is great? You do realize that when you are paying the check you are paying for the food, it is really bad food why would you continue to go back?

Applying this logic to Disney restaurants, most on here would apply this logic. Most will scream to the highest mountain top how amazing the service is at a TS spot at the world but continue to return, despite the food being bad.

 

[thomas998]

Applying this logic to Disney restaurants, most on here would apply this logic. Most will scream to the highest mountain top how amazing the service is at a TS spot at the world but continue to return, despite the food being bad.

I guess its in Disney's best interest to have lots of restaurants around, because when I go if the food isn't really good the last time I don't go back. Only go back to a few places with so-so food because they are character meals and paying extra for the costumed characters coming to my table saves me a couple of hours of standing in line somewhere else.... Though sadly I've found few Disney places without the character aspect that are good enough to warrant a return based on taste alone.... The elephant in the room that no one around here seems willing to mention is that overall the food at Disney is really not that good, only slightly above institutional level food in most instances. If I were not an optimist I would probably write off all the Disney restaurant based on guilt by association, but I'll keep dabling with new ones in the hope that I'll find the hidden gem.

 

[French Quarter]

The elephant in the room that no one around here seems willing to mention is that overall the food at Disney is really not that good, only slightly above institutional level food in most instances. If I were not an optimist I would probably write off all the Disney restaurant based on guilt by association, but I'll keep dabling with new ones in the hope that I'll find the hidden gem.

That is a matter of opinion, of course. I actually really love the food and the experience of the Disney restaurants. I've had some fabulous meals there and most have been wonderful. So, I have to disagree with your assessment.

 

[French Quarter]

The conversation about the employer having to make up for missing tips is not really relevant at Disney. I can't imagine that the servers there aren't making at least minimum.

 

[Hockey89]

The elephant in the room that no one around here seems willing to mention is that overall the food at Disney is really not that good, only slightly above institutional level food in most instances. .

Having eaten at almost every three Michelin Star Restaurant in the country, I will have to degree with "institutional level food"... Just wrong and can't be defended. V&A is as good as almost anything place in the country. There is plenty of signature restaurants that have very good food.

 

[thomas998]

Having eaten at almost every three Michelin Star Restaurant in the country, I will have to degree with "institutional level food"... Just wrong and can't be defended. V&A is as good as almost anything place in the country. There is plenty of signature restaurants that have very good food.

I will accept that you can believe V&A is very good... I can't comment on that place because as I said I'm slowly slogging through the myriad of places to eat a couple at a time each trip. I know I'll never do V&A simply because their menu wreaks of the pretentious chi-chi aires that I find distasteful in all of the Michelin restaurants you seem to favor. Don't get me wrong, I've had to eat at some of those Michelin restaurant for business in the past... the food was good, but when you factored in the price you paid for what you got it I felt guilty for the companies picking up the tab.

However I am curious as to how you know with such certainty that the places I have eaten at are somehow above institutional level food... Considering there are over 300 places to eat at Disney and I doubt you've eat at all of them.... How do you know my opinion is less accurate than your own? Are you moonlighting as Carnac the Magnificent or simply upset that someone else doesn't want to help you justify your preferences? I'm quite comfortable accepting your opinion that a place is great or utter garbage, after all it is your opinion and your welcome to it... You on the other hand appear to think you can judge an opinion as being right or wrong - suffice it to say, you aren't Carnac.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I have done the same when service is incredibly bad. That way there is no doubt in the server's mind that he/she did a absolutely horrible job, because if you leave nothing it allows the bad server to just assume you are someone that doesn't tip... but a single penny sends a clear message.

Yes it sends a clear message that an obnoxious disgusting pig just ate here.

 

[BuddyThomas]

If you failed to know the law when you waited tables that's not my problem. Now you know what it is and if you wait tables you know what you are entitled to... I assume this post was your attempt at saying, "thank you" for providing you with some knowledge that could help you in the future... To that I say, "you're welcome."

LOL, I was not thanking you for anything, I was attempting to give you a reality check, but that just went flying right over your little head.

No restaurant that I've ever worked for has ever "made up for lack of tips". I've asked numerous friends in the service industry and it just does not happen. Quite the contrary.

A Times Square restaurant that I worked at years ago had a notorious lunch shift that was always packed with non tipping foreign tourists. Waiters who worked that shift were stiffed royally, and constantly, to the point where it was not unusual for servers to actually have to PAY to work that shift, leaving with negative dollars. Why? Because when you are stiffed, you still have to tip out busboy, bartender, food runner, and sometimes the host OFF SALES, not off tips you received. If your lunch shift was dominated by a giant table of Japanese tourists who rang up a $600 check and stiffed you (this was before the days of auto gratuity for large parties), guess what? Not only are you not making any money from that shift, you are PAYING to work that shift.

This has been confirmed on here on various tipping threads by multiple individuals.

Luckily for me, my waiter days are long behind me so I don't have to worry about waiting on little piggys who think it is oh so witty and lesson-teaching to leave pennies or dimes and I don't have to worry about going to prison for following them to the parking lot and inserting said coins into a slot where the sun doesn't shine.

 

[Andrew C]

LOL, I was not thanking you for anything, I was attempting to give you a reality check, but that just went flying right over your little head.

No restaurant that I've ever worked for has ever "made up for lack of tips". I've asked numerous friends in the service industry and it just does not happen. Quite the contrary.

A Times Square restaurant that I worked at years ago had a notorious lunch shift that was always packed with non tipping foreign tourists. Waiters who worked that shift were stiffed royally, and constantly, to the point where it was not unusual for servers to actually have to PAY to work that shift, leaving with negative dollars. Why? Because when you are stiffed, you still have to tip out busboy, bartender, food runner, and sometimes the host OFF SALES, not off tips you received. If your lunch shift was dominated by a giant table of Japanese tourists who rang up a $600 check and stiffed you (this was before the days of auto gratuity for large parties), guess what? Not only are you not making any money from that shift, you are PAYING to work that shift.

This has been confirmed on here on various tipping threads by multiple individuals.

Luckily for me, my waiter days are long behind me so I don't have to worry about waiting on little piggys who think it is oh so witty and lesson-teaching to leave pennies or dimes and I don't have to worry about going to prison for following them to the parking lot and inserting said coins into a slot where the sun doesn't shine.

Is your real name David?

 

[BuddyThomas]

Is your real name David?

Errrr, no. I don't get it. My real name is my screen name and can be verified. Who's this David?

 

[French Quarter]

Is your real name David?