Reading the Metropolitan policy has me wondering, how common is it for the restaurant to take a tip to the server and divide it amongst the rest of the staff? Cash or card, does it matter? IE are the servers obligated to put cash tips in the pool for everyone else?
I remember waaaay back when I briefly worked at the Heritage House in Tulsa - waiters/waitresses would get tips, some of them would share with the rest of staff, some wouldn't. (this was back when most transactions were cash, and tip was left on table)
They were supposed to share them? Or did some figure out it was good business?
It is a good idea to tip out your bussers, bartenders, and cooks as you rely on them. typically 10% to each. You will turn over faster. The cooks tend to give preference to those who give them some cash compared to those who dont. Lots of servers dont tip out cooks and there is a whole "front of the house vs back of the house" hierarchy. Back when I worked in the industry I was promoted to lead then always made myself a besser when assigning positions. Didn't really have to deal with customers and I always got tipped out.
It was voluntary.
Yes
IIRC, some businesses also have been known to keep portions of credit card tips to 'offset' the CC processing cost associated with the total amount paid.
I do laugh a bit when people talk about the tipping culture as if it's just the way the world works. Many places outside of the US don't function the same way and the system works. And i imagine any place trying to get away from tipping in the US is working against established habits, both in terms of customer expectations and also employee retention.
There are probably a lot of other reasons a place might fail (bad location, bad food, etc) that can be excused by blaming an attempt to move away from tipping, too.
I do laugh a bit when people talk about the tipping culture as if it's just the way the world works. Many places outside of the US don't function the same way and the system works. And i imagine any place trying to get away from tipping in the US is working against established habits, both in terms of customer expectations and also employee retention.
There are probably a lot of other reasons a place might fail (bad location, bad food, etc) that can be excused by blaming an attempt to move away from tipping, too.
It's OSA. If there's a way to blame workers, unions, or decent wages they'll do it.
Just about every restaurant I've been too in other states, which there has been a lot in the last 7 years, have a cash price and a CC price printed out on the bill. Typically, anywhere from 1.75% to 3%.
Other retailers do the same. Hardware stores, etc. Grocery stores are the only place I've not seen that, but one can bet it's coming.
Iirc, wasn’t there a rule from the cc company that fees couldn’t be passed along. I feel it took going to court to end the restriction.
But either way, my point was that tipping $5 doesn’t mean that the intended recipient(s) receive the full amount in some places. The owners take that $5 tipped on a cc payment and reduces it by the cost of the processing fee (or the % of the amount) before it reaches the intended person. Other places don’t do that on cc tips.
But if you give the person cash, the full amount is received, even if you pay the bill on a cc.
The owner isn’t passing the cost to the customer up front, but is taking the fee (or portion there of) out of the tip on the back end.
Similar threads
