Tabletop Tablets Are Putting Waiters’ Jobs at Risk

I'm nearly 50 years old and do not remember a time when tipping wasn't a thing , much less a couple of decades ago. The only place I am aware of within 30 miles of me that have these are Chili's (maybe a Buffalo Wild Wings also). Like was said above, I turn them face down or sit them in the floor as I'd rather have human interaction. The service would have to be terrible for me not to leave a tip. There are a few places we frequent and I'd stop going if they put those damned things on the table.

Lol, the only tipping that ever bugged me a little were desk and bathroom attendants at gentleman's clubs :)
 
Mut1ny said:
It's a human thing. I want to pay for my food and not pay someone's salary when that's the businesses job. It's not a "thing" ANYWHERE ELSE. Also, my parents have told me that this whole "tip to pay for your servers rent" wasn't a thing a couple decades back like it is now.



I care for businesses paying people a living wage and not having their employees hope the customers pay THEM enough to get by.



This isn't true and is just propaganda pushed by food industry businesses so they don't have to start paying their employees. You think that small dish of frozen mozzarella sticks with canned marinara is worth $8.99? Having worked in restaurants and clubs and bars my whole life I can tell you this...any successful one would have NO PROBLEM paying their employees a decent wage. None.



I might have to pay my bill but I don't have to leave a tip.



This is true of any business. There are also plenty of fast food places I've been to that are totally professional and nice. Just as there have been some that were crap...this is true of any sit down restaurant as well.



Don't hire shitty employees. You act like EVERY OTHER JOB is garbage service because they don't get tipped. Waiting a table is no different than any other service job, if the person doing it sucks because tipping dies then get someone that isn't a scumbag.



This is true of any job.
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Am I right in assuming you only dine at no tip living wage restaurants (or fast food/deli/gas stations)? I have heard this is actually a thing, haven't been to one yet though.

If so, awesome!

If you don't and you don't tip, you are the a-hole. Punishing the servers by not tipping for good service certainly isn't going to tell the restaurant your desire as a consumer. Maybe if enough servers are shafted and there is a waiter shortage... but come on... That excuse would just be a lie to make you feel ok being an a-hole (if you don't tip at those places where expected).

If you truly believe what you just said... I hope you only dine at restaurants that are no-tip.
 
The game is rigged by the man. Only way to win is not to play. Don't touch the computer thingy.

ps - please tip your wait staff. And pizza guys.
 
Krenum said:
To anyone here that thinks "Waiting tables is easy". 1. have never waited tables. 2. Have never waited tables after the church lunch rush.

I once wiped baby shit out of a stroller thinking it was Taco meat. It was not. But the parents I guess felt bad and came back to give me a $20 dollar tip.
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Damn, that’s pretty shitty.
 
See the thing is the waiters get paid either way. None I've seen are exceptional and none work harder than other minimum wage jobs. Maybe I was good at it but it was never a HARD job for me. I'd rather wait all damn day then do some of the shit jobs I've had.

I don't tip. Hate all you want but I pay for my food and gtfo. They're still making more than others that have harder jobs (like the cooks in the back) and aren't special.

Not making it by as a waiter then get a different job. Its not my fault if you're put out because you don't want to get a steady job. Call me asshole all you want, I don't care. All you others can leave fatter tips if you want.
 
Mut1ny said:
I don't tip. Hate all you want but I pay for my food and gtfo. They're still making more than others that have harder jobs (like the cooks in the back) and aren't special.
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Most well established eateries have a system where whatever the waiters / waitresses / host's make during their shift is divided up between the rest of the staff at the end of the day through a percentage (or atleast that was the way when I worked for tips), so by you not tipping you're putting out the cooks too.
 
Axehandler said:
<Sarcasm> GOOD IDEA!!! let's make sure those Waiters and Waitresses are only paid 3.50$ an hour ... you not tipping will show those waiters! and the business will care less!
</Sarcasm>

I might not like the TIPPING.. but punishing the employee for the Business decision achieves NOTHING.
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Some states have a sub-minimum wage (like your $3.50 example) for people like waters who get tips.
They also have a law that requires that the employee make at least minimum wage (so if there where no tips, the restaurant would have to make up the difference.)

However, many states require the minimum wage to be paid BEFORE tips are counted. Some of these states have a $15 minimum wage. That's $31,000 a year plus tips that could easily double that.

My first computer job out of college only paid me $15,000 year. It took a couple years to hit $30,000, and nobody ever gave me tips.
It was many more years before I finally hit $60,000

Why should a job that doesn't even require a high school diploma pay someone $60,000 a year (including tips)?

No wonder restaurants have gotten so expensive.
That's also the reason we almost never go out to dinner any more.
If it's a special occasion, we usually go out for lunch as it's much more affordable.
 
nutzo said:
Some states have a sub-minimum wage (like your $3.50 example) for people like waters who get tips.
They also have a law that requires that the employee make at least minimum wage (so if there where no tips, the restaurant would have to make up the difference.)

However, many states require the minimum wage to be paid BEFORE tips are counted. Some of these states have a $15 minimum wage. That's $31,000 a year plus tips that could easily double that.

My first computer job out of college only paid me $15,000 year. It took a couple years to hit $30,000, and nobody ever gave me tips.
It was many more years before I finally hit $60,000

Why should a job that doesn't even require a high school diploma pay someone $60,000 a year (including tips)?

No wonder restaurants have gotten so expensive.
That's also the reason we almost never go out to dinner any more.
If it's a special occasion, we usually go out for lunch as it's much more affordable.
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Agreed

Going out to eat is a waste of money and lazy. Stay home with the family, cook the groceries you already bought and tip yourself.
Very rare I eat at a sit down restaurant. I do tip but that’s like once every 4-6 months.
 
Tiberian said:
Because the machines are made by Humans. :)
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Yeah, by much fewer, and higher educated humans than waiters. No offence to waiters, but I don't think that job is meaningful or the height of acheivement. But if someone still wants to be a waiter for fun, I don't want to ban them. But I doubnt most do it as a life choice rather than a necessity to make a living. Our technological capability is avaialable to free humans from most jobs, and from working for a living.

The only thing stopping us from doing that is our customs and archaic self imposed rules of conduct. Butthurt old people with the mindset of "We had to work hard for that, why should millenials get it for free?" Because times change, and we can't live in the past to make you feel better about yourself.
 
Yeah, we eat at this one Chinese restaurant that we sorta kinda like ... but the waitresses hover around the tables for a tip after everything is done and I just ignore them but it's super annoying.

I've eating there many times and never ever leave a tip. Leave a tip for what? Because they brought me a glass of water?
tangoseal said:
Yeah I would never tip one. They dont do any work and how is a tablet gonna feed its kids with your tip?
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Not my responsibility but that's a great question for all the owners of these establishments that rely on cheap almost criminal labor. How about you and I collaborate on a letter, you know, something we can work together on, share our thoughts and put those feelings to paper. Then, will mail those letters out. Dozes of letters if you want.

If you think you're going to guilt me into tipping. Guess again. In fact, the next time I'm about to leave a tip .. I will cut the tip in half in honor of you and you alone. I will think back to your reply on this night and slowly form a very deliberate Grinch-like smile. And yes, I will actually be doing this. You will be the sole reason a kid goes hungry somewhere in Kansas City in the coming days.
 
pcgeekesq said:
So you prefer your sex doll to a real human.
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The only way you can categorize sex as work is if you're used to paying for it.

And sure, I'd prefer if we had androids rather than human sex slaves.
 
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Mut1ny said:
It's a human thing. I want to pay for my food and not pay someone's salary when that's the businesses job. It's not a "thing" ANYWHERE ELSE. Also, my parents have told me that this whole "tip to pay for your servers rent" wasn't a thing a couple decades back like it is now.



I care for businesses paying people a living wage and not having their employees hope the customers pay THEM enough to get by.



This isn't true and is just propaganda pushed by food industry businesses so they don't have to start paying their employees. You think that small dish of frozen mozzarella sticks with canned marinara is worth $8.99? Having worked in restaurants and clubs and bars my whole life I can tell you this...any successful one would have NO PROBLEM paying their employees a decent wage. None.



I might have to pay my bill but I don't have to leave a tip.



This is true of any business. There are also plenty of fast food places I've been to that are totally professional and nice. Just as there have been some that were crap...this is true of any sit down restaurant as well.



Don't hire shitty employees. You act like EVERY OTHER JOB is garbage service because they don't get tipped. Waiting a table is no different than any other service job, if the person doing it sucks because tipping dies then get someone that isn't a scumbag.



This is true of any job.
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I'll add retail to your list of things to use as examples. Where commission is common, but often destructive to quality service, you get attention sure, but it's all to try and con you into upsells and shit that doesn't best suit your needs because it actually pays them better commission, etc. It's also a dying trend.
 
SixFootDuo said:
If you think you're going to guilt me into tipping. Guess again. In fact, the next time I'm about to leave a tip .. I will cut the tip in half in honor of you and you alone. I will think back to your reply on this night and slowly form a very deliberate Grinch-like smile. And yes, I will actually be doing this. You will be the sole reason a kid goes hungry somewhere in Kansas City in the coming days.
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Anyways - it's interesting to read about this and I know that anything less than perfect isn't perfect score which is a really good way to screw up employees' advancements and whatnot. My ex-wife was a hostess and then she became a server for couple of years. She would make some good bucks for several nights of work - bringing in home some serious dough just cause... tips, it's pretty insane but she hated the job anyways and she would complain about how Red Robin handled its pool / cash tips / etc as it seemed to be stacked against some workers than others.

Anyways - I never have liked the devices. Most of the time, I would prefer in-person interactions. It's far more representative of what services I can expect from the establishments over what a machine could ever hope to tell me. Although neither are indications of the quality of the food.
 
Krenum said:
First mistake. Last time I went their my other half got sick. I swear their hamburger patties are frozen. That place is disgusting.
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The one in Bellingham, WA wasn't bad. Don't know about the one here where I moved. Though I honestly went mostly for the bottomless steakfries.
 
I used to sell cars around 10 years ago and we had a similar scoring system.
4 stars was 50%, 5 stars 100% so a 4 star rating would really drag our score down.

I would actually tell people that and ask them to give me/us 5/5 if they tough we did an overall good job while understanding that there is always place for improvements.
It worked pretty well for me but I doubt it'd work as well in a restaurant ...

If my score was high enough that could mean a bonus, too low could mean a 4% bonus too ;)
 
People who get "wronged" (like someone not filling their water glass RIGHT NOW) are irrational and emotional. They absolutely would use those kiosks as a tool to get their server fired at even the slightest of "infractions". Anyone who disagrees has not worked in the service industry.

As for those of you who took this opportunity, without RingTFA, to bitch about having to tip servers please stay home and make your own food or exclusively eat fast food. The tipping system is fucked and making customers pay the servers wages is wrong to the extreme but that is the system we live under. Serving is a difficult and stressful job. Working in the service industry breaks people permanently. The stress of it pushes people into alcohol and drugs. Going out to eat and not tipping your server isn't declaring anything to anyone but the fact that you are an asshole, full stop. If you want to make a statement talk to the restaurant owner. Here in Wisconsin the rate for servers is $2.33 an hour. Two. Thirty. Three. They don't get tipped for the hours of time spent setting up and closing down. They don't get tipped if the owner is an asshole and drives customers away or keeps food way past its date to save money (way more common than you would think). They don't get tipped when half the underpaid kitchen staff doesn't show up because they are hungover and the food doesn't get out. But mostly, they don't get tipped because some cheap asshole wants to justify their cheapness with some bullshit rationale.
 
Mut1ny said:
...Maybe I was good at it but it was never a HARD job for me.... They're still making more than others that have harder jobs (like the cooks in the back) and aren't special...
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You were a waiter, yet you are apparently unaware that at most restaurants the cooks get part of the tips left at the table? Sounds like someone is feeding us a steaming pile.
 
painintheworld said:
I'm nearly 50 years old and do not remember a time when tipping wasn't a thing , much less a couple of decades ago. The only place I am aware of within 30 miles of me that have these are Chili's (maybe a Buffalo Wild Wings also). Like was said above, I turn them face down or sit them in the floor as I'd rather have human interaction. The service would have to be terrible for me not to leave a tip. There are a few places we frequent and I'd stop going if they put those damned things on the table.
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I was at a place with these, I think it was a Chili's, and I had placed the stupid thing screen down. I don't need more moving-picture-screens distracting me while I am trying to have a dinner conversation.
I ordered a drink or dessert or something and the waiter picked up the doodad and placed my order at the table with the device that I could have placed it myself with... /sigh.
 
Whenever I see a restaurant with one of these things at the table, that restaurant immediately gets added to the "will never return to this place again" list as I shove it to the side. I go out to eat to take a load off and have someone else do the work for me. If I have to learn their OS and do the waiter's job for the restaurant without a significant discount, it removes half the reason I went out to eat in the first place.
 
I hate using the tablets to the point where I boycott restaurants that use them. 1) The tablets are always filthy 2) It says a lot about the establishment, how it treats it's workers, and that they're more interested in making a buck than serving good food at a place with good atmosphere. 3) I'm paying you extra money because I want to be waited on, I don't want to poke through your confusing layout to find what I want all while being assaulted with ads.

Thanks but no thanks.
 
I think the ziosks are annoying. A few places have them to pay, which I use and do the survey on, and I'm fair (if my food was cooked wrong, that wasn't my waiter's problem.) One thing that I don't like about all these places putting touch screens everywhere is now I have to wash my hands again after using them. At McDonalds I've gotten used to using my knuckle to order. It's not like they're going to regularly clean and sanitize these things.
 
Mut1ny said:
Plus, yeah, I feel like they get paid too much as well due to tipping. Cooks in the back get paid $7.50 an hour minimum wage but the 20 year old bringing people the food sometimes make upwards of $20-30 an hour, seriously. Here in Oregon wait staff gets paid $11.25 an hour minimum wage PLUS tips...they make easily $20 an hour AT LEAST. That's fucking ridiculous for the job it is.
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Really? Admittedly it was quite a while ago, but when I worked in food service, the waiter split up their tips for the night giving ~20-40% to the kitchen staff and ~10-20% to the busboys. Is it not this way anymore?
 
SixFootDuo said:
You will be the sole reason a kid goes hungry somewhere in Kansas City in the coming days.
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You sound exactly like a cartoon villain. "Give me what I want, Mr. Bond, or I will set off a bomb that destroys Budapest and you will be responsible."

No, dipstick, the responsibility for being a jerk lies 100% with you and you alone.
 
arnemetis said:
all these places putting touch screens everywhere is now I have to wash my hands again after using them.
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People have been complaining about that at McDonald's since they brought out the kiosks. I use my knuckles too, usually. If you were going to frequent those places, it just occurred to me, it might be worth dropping $5 on a cheap stylus and using that.
 
nutzo said:
However, many states require the minimum wage to be paid BEFORE tips are counted. Some of these states have a $15 minimum wage. That's $31,000 a year plus tips that could easily double that.
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Or they don't get 40 hrs a week, and their scheduling is inconsistent.

Make sure they have paid days off for illness. Or even for their kids. Two days to be safe. Customers will be healthier.
 
SixFootDuo said:
Yeah, we eat at this one Chinese restaurant that we sorta kinda like ... but the waitresses hover around the tables for a tip after everything is done and I just ignore them but it's super annoying.

I've eating there many times and never ever leave a tip. Leave a tip for what? Because they brought me a glass of water?



Not my responsibility but that's a great question for all the owners of these establishments that rely on cheap almost criminal labor. How about you and I collaborate on a letter, you know, something we can work together on, share our thoughts and put those feelings to paper. Then, will mail those letters out. Dozes of letters if you want.

If you think you're going to guilt me into tipping. Guess again. In fact, the next time I'm about to leave a tip .. I will cut the tip in half in honor of you and you alone. I will think back to your reply on this night and slowly form a very deliberate Grinch-like smile. And yes, I will actually be doing this. You will be the sole reason a kid goes hungry somewhere in Kansas City in the coming days.
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You're a shit person, hth. We're not the ones not tipping. How about YOU write the owners a letter since tipping offends you so badly. Which, it actually doesn't. You're just a cheap fuck and try to play that off as some sort of virtue. Fuck off.
 
My problem with tipping is the generally agree'd upon % for just doing your job keeps going up while service keeps getting shittier.
 
1_rick said:
People have been complaining about that at McDonald's since they brought out the kiosks. I use my knuckles too, usually. If you were going to frequent those places, it just occurred to me, it might be worth dropping $5 on a cheap stylus and using that.
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Even better, they should offer an app that connects via WiFi while you are in the restaurant, so you can order from your cell phone.
That way they don't need as many kiosks, you don't need to stand in line, and you don't need to worry about how dirt their screens are.
 
nutzo said:
Even better, they should offer an app
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Honestly, I am at the point where seemingly every damn place wants me to get their app, just for that.

No. I don't need 83 frigging apps for newspapers, that only exist so they can keep me from blocking the full-page autoplay ads they put on their page, or an endless succession of apps for restaurants I don't eat at all that often, so that ANOTHER bunch of marketing weasels can spam the crap out of me with "Hey, Rick, you haven't been to Burger King in a week, come on down!"
 
I guess I'll start caring about employee surveys when there's equal concern that these same people can leave Google and Yelp reviews for those businesses, which are significantly more damaging. It's not like your server score at Chili's is going to haunt you down the road at Applebees.
 
DrinksPurell said:
I guess I'll start caring about employee surveys when there's equal concern that these same people can leave Google and Yelp reviews for those businesses, which are significantly more damaging. It's not like your server score at Chili's is going to haunt you down the road at Applebees.
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The reason I never joined Yelp to leave a review is because when I attempted to sign up they wanted complete access to my contacts. That's just crazy.
 
Gweenz said:
People who get "wronged" (like someone not filling their water glass RIGHT NOW) are irrational and emotional. They absolutely would use those kiosks as a tool to get their server fired at even the slightest of "infractions". Anyone who disagrees has not worked in the service industry.

As for those of you who took this opportunity, without RingTFA, to bitch about having to tip servers please stay home and make your own food or exclusively eat fast food. The tipping system is fucked and making customers pay the servers wages is wrong to the extreme but that is the system we live under. Serving is a difficult and stressful job. Working in the service industry breaks people permanently. The stress of it pushes people into alcohol and drugs. Going out to eat and not tipping your server isn't declaring anything to anyone but the fact that you are an asshole, full stop. If you want to make a statement talk to the restaurant owner. Here in Wisconsin the rate for servers is $2.33 an hour. Two. Thirty. Three. They don't get tipped for the hours of time spent setting up and closing down. They don't get tipped if the owner is an asshole and drives customers away or keeps food way past its date to save money (way more common than you would think). They don't get tipped when half the underpaid kitchen staff doesn't show up because they are hungover and the food doesn't get out. But mostly, they don't get tipped because some cheap asshole wants to justify their cheapness with some bullshit rationale.
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And yet they still will receive minimum wage per the law. No one is forcing them to have a serving job. They chose this profession for the chance of a better wage. This is the reason it is more coveted than say a fast food job. I'm sure some will make the argument that's the best job they can get. Ok, but how is that anyone else's problem but their own? Is it the business owners fault for creating the job? They did not force anyone to apply for the job but when they did I'm sure they signed something, before ever starting the job, stating what the wage would be. The job will only be there as long as it is profitable for the owner. If the minimum wage jumps to $15, or whatever people are asking for now, and causes the business models to become unprofitable do you believe these owners are going to keep going out of the goodness of their hearts to provide jobs? I doubt it.
 
From what I have seen. Wait staff like the tipping system. So say what you want about them making a living but all the ones I know choose tips over a living wage any day. So clearly they must believe they make more money off of tips then they would if they were paid an hourly rate.
The same goes for owners, everyone I know likes the tipping system. The current tipping system encourages the wait staff to sell more food and drinks since tips are 20%, higher bill means higher tip. It also makes the cost of your food look lower since it reduces the advertised price over the out the door price. Win win for the owners.

I couldn't care less I am able to tell what the price will be cause I can quickly make that calculation. But some people cant, probably the same people who fall for fake sale prices on products at the mall. You know when the MSRP is crossed off with a red slash done by a printer right from the factory lol.

Between those 2 factors I don't see any reason tipping would change in the USA for a very long time the consumers aren't even in the equation.
 
Gosh, I need new glasses. I thought that said "Walter's job".

Two beers is all it takes, no wait , make that six.
 
Mut1ny said:
Good, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm sick of this tipping bullshit that's being forced on us. It should be the employers paying their employee's, not me. I'm not a rich man so when I go out and spend $50 on dinner for the girl and me I don't like that I HAVE to leave an additional ~$10 just because some dude or chick refilled our drinks a couple times (maybe) and brought me my food.

Oh wow...such a hard job. Yes, I was a waiter a few years ago, it's seriously easy as fuck.

I just feel that if other service jobs, like, all the rest, don't require tipping then why the fuck should waiting? Every other restaurant, fast food, other countries other than the US, etc don't have tipping yet seem to *gasp* get along just fine.

Plus, yeah, I feel like they get paid too much as well due to tipping. Cooks in the back get paid $7.50 an hour minimum wage but the 20 year old bringing people the food sometimes make upwards of $20-30 an hour, seriously. Here in Oregon wait staff gets paid $11.25 an hour minimum wage PLUS tips...they make easily $20 an hour AT LEAST. That's fucking ridiculous for the job it is.

I honestly don't tip or tip very little. If that affects you then get a different job that doesn't REQUIRE me to pay you. Doesn't guilt people that just want to have a meal they didn't cook to pay more on top of the already over priced food costs.

Meh, I could rant on and on. At the end of the day, I've done the job...it's not hard...and it's not one that should pay as well as it does because businesses want to be cheap. No other job in America operates this way and I see no reason why waiting should be this golden child that gets treated like something special when it's just simply fucking not.
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I don't love that we have this system honestly, but I make a fairly decent amount of money and their job sucks and I don't mind giving them a good tip given that situation. If I was making 15.00 per hour I may feel differently but for me to have someone serve me like they are some kind of serf, I would not want that job and I want to give them at least 25 percent. Most of the people that I have had wait my table have been really nice and not at all rude or annoying. Good servers make the experience a lot more fun and they help you with little things like adjustments and stuff that the menu doesn't contain. They make sure your malt has less of this or that or you get more rice or whatever.

My wife is a great example, she's a meat and potatoes type, thin as a rail but she eats nothing healthy. If it's rice she wants a potato. She even likes Milk and has ice in it. These are the things they do for you.

I don't hold anything against you for how you feel but I am just passing on my flip side of why I like them and don't think they are worthless at all. I don't think I could do that job to be honest.
 
rudy said:
From what I have seen. Wait staff like the tipping system. So say what you want about them making a living but all the ones I know choose tips over a living wage any day. So clearly they must believe they make more money off of tips then they would if they were paid an hourly rate.
The same goes for owners, everyone I know likes the tipping system. The current tipping system encourages the wait staff to sell more food and drinks since tips are 20%, higher bill means higher tip. It also makes the cost of your food look lower since it reduces the advertised price over the out the door price. Win win for the owners.

I couldn't care less I am able to tell what the price will be cause I can quickly make that calculation. But some people cant, probably the same people who fall for fake sale prices on products at the mall. You know when the MSRP is crossed off with a red slash done by a printer right from the factory lol.

Between those 2 factors I don't see any reason tipping would change in the USA for a very long time the consumers aren't even in the equation.
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I've heard that a) they make more and b) They report less. Win win.
 
You don't have to be rich to tip. Jesus, gotta love those hating having to tip waiters. Tip what you can, no one is saying tip 20% each time. Tip according to the service you got. If the waiter went out of their way to make sure you had a great experience tip high.
 
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