CAP members being offered military discounts: Proper response?

[SarDragon]

I got an up close look at the restaurant business when my daughter worked as a server. She shared all kinds of interesting tidbits about the industry. Also, when I was a teen, I worked in fast food and learned all about customers.

I base my tips on the performance of the server. This includes attitude, efficiency, and general demeanor. I try to be friendly to the wait staff, and generally get good service. Bad service is infrequent, but obvious, and given due attention.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My mother was a waitress up until she became pregnant with me.

I heard many, many stories from her of the kind of Bravo Sierra that waitresses (which in her day were almost exclusively female) had to put up with...everything from rude customers blaming her for something the cook messed up to having to break up fights (some of the places she worked were rather seedy) to men trying to "put hands" on her.

In her later years, she suffered severe lower back pain and had to use a walker due to all the years she spent on her feet carrying trays full of food.

Waitstaff today don't even get minimum wage in most states; hence, they virtually live on their tips.

In most cases, regardless of whether I've got a discount or not for being in CAP, I usually give the waitstaff $5, unless the service was really bad.  I try to give it to them in person, rather than just leaving it at the table.  If the server was male, I usually say, "thanks for good service, don't spend it all in one place," accompanied by a smile and usually a handshake.  If the server was female, I usually say, "that's for being attentive and friendly," accompanied by a smile.

In the vast majority of cases, the waitstaff are usually extremely appreciative when I do that...if it brightens their day, much the better.

[Flying Pig]

Waitstaff today don't even get minimum wage in most states; hence, they virtually live on their tips.

Florida is like that.  Employers can pay food service employees who get tips 50% of minimum wage.  (or close to that.  I don't know that actual number)  When we first moved here my wife looked into it and we both agreed it wasnt even worth the gas to drive to work. I think it was $4.75 an hour and your tips were taxed also. 

[Ned]

I have certainly spent my fair share of time working in the restaurant business at or near the minimum wage level.  But when I started as a busboy at minimum wage, the servers were supposed to pool the tips.  But somehow all I ever got was the pennies and loose change they didn't want to carry around.

Similarly, later as the lead cook on a shift, if my crew did a particuarly good job getting orders out in a timely manner and with a spectacular presentation we somehow never seemed to share in the servers' good fortune.

This isn't really about whether servers are good or bad people; but rather about the pecularly American system that has large corporations and wealthy restauranteurs undercompsenating front of the house staff and expecting the customers to pony up the difference.  Plenty of other countries have high quality restaurants and pay their employees fairly.  If we could figure out how to manage the transition, it would certainly minimize the amount of drama that colors the interaction of tipped and non-tipped personnel in the hosptitality industry.  Little of which inures to the benefit of the customer.

Oh, and the uniforms worn by most front of the house crew are unprofessional and do not allow them to wear insignia denoting professional education and accomplishments.   

[Luis R. Ramos]

Drat! Another good thread derailed by the uniform issue!!!

[posted this with a smile]

[Alaric]

Oh, and the uniforms worn by most front of the house crew are unprofessional and do not allow them to wear insignia denoting professional education and accomplishments.   

You mean the pins that the waitress at TGI Fridays is wearing do not denote professional education and accomplishments ?   

[MacGruff]

This isn't really about whether servers are good or bad people; but rather about the pecularly American system that has large corporations and wealthy restauranteurs undercompsenating front of the house staff and expecting the customers to pony up the difference.  Plenty of other countries have high quality restaurants and pay their employees fairly.  If we could figure out how to manage the transition, it would certainly minimize the amount of drama that colors the interaction of tipped and non-tipped personnel in the hosptitality industry.  Little of which inures to the benefit of the customer.

Oh, and the uniforms worn by most front of the house crew are unprofessional and do not allow them to wear insignia denoting professional education and accomplishments.   

I remember visiting London a few years ago and leaving a tip at a restaurant for my first lunch there. I was shocked when the waitress chased me down in the street and gave me back the tip money telling me that it was unnecessary and included in the price. Much nicer than the U.S.

To make this a mandatory uniform thread, the local grocery store personnel wear nametags with their years of service on them!

[Eclipse]

This isn't really about whether servers are good or bad people; but rather about the pecularly American system that has large corporations and wealthy restauranteurs undercompsenating front of the house staff and expecting the customers to pony up the difference.  Plenty of other countries have high quality restaurants and pay their employees fairly.  If we could figure out how to manage the transition, it would certainly minimize the amount of drama that colors the interaction of tipped and non-tipped personnel in the hosptitality industry.  Little of which inures to the benefit of the customer.

http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2014/06/office_space_t_g_i_friday_s_mike_judge_movie_led_restaurant_chain_to_abandon.html

The problem with the tip / no tip discussion is that a lot of tipped workers are just fine with how it is.
For better or worse, people on salary are forced to pay taxes, those getting tips are free to use their integrity in that regard.

A big part of the issues is the attitude many "professionals" hold and engender in their kids, about service personnel in general
whether you're talking about servers, skycaps, plumbers or the beleaguered IT people, many with a white collar think having a blue collar
makes you "less" - which works great until your terlit don't flush at 2AM, etc.

It's especially prevalent in college kids, who, granted, are kids.   We've always tried to make our kids understand that
servers, etc., deserve the same respect as anyone else, and part of that is dropping the 20% as a matter of course and
not making a big deal about it (and being nice in general).

Those of us who have to travel a lot for work learn(ed) quickly that a smile and respectable tip, but especially the smile
gets doors opened a lot faster and smoother (both figuratively and literally) then pounding a fist or threatening to call a boss.
These people are required to do "x", but are able to do "pretty much anything".  Whether you get "x", or an upgrade
depends a lot on your attitude.

[raivo]

You mean the pins that the waitress at TGI Fridays is wearing do not denote professional education and accomplishments ?   

"We need to talk about your flair."

[MSG Mac]

Before tipping make sure there's not a mandatory tip already on the bill. Also tip in cash, The IRS can't follow it through the restaurant's receipts.

[Alaric]

Before tipping make sure there's not a mandatory tip already on the bill. Also tip in cash, The IRS can't follow it through the restaurant's receipts.

I tip in whatever method I'm paying if the waitstaff do not have the integrity to report, that's on them, I certainly won't abet tax evasion.

[SarDragon]

A certain amount of allocated tips will show up on the server's W-2, usually 8% of the server's business, if the server under-reports tips to the employer.

IRS Publication 531 covers the subject.

[RRLE]

Florida is like that.  Employers can pay food service employees who get tips 50% of minimum wage.  (or close to that.  I don't know that actual number)

Florida's minimum wage for 2015 is $8.05/hr (higher than the federal minimum wage), $5.03/hr for tipped employees, which is ~ 62% of the non-tipped wage. The tipped wage is calculated from dollars off the non-tipped wage, it is not calculated as a percent of the non-tipped wage.

[JC004]

This thread appears to outlived its usefulness?

[Alaric]

This thread appears to outlived its usefulness?

+!

[LTCinSWR]

Before tipping make sure there's not a mandatory tip already on the bill. Also tip in cash, The IRS can't follow it through the restaurant's receipts.

I do the same; I won't add it to a credit/debit card. I tell the server 'I won't get between you and Uncle Sam'.

[abdsp51]

For me I generally tip based on the service being received.  How long it takes for my order to be taken, how long my glass sits empty and the demeanor of the server.  All of those things will generally determine how much I tip a server.  Now the pizza guy will generally get about 3-4 bucks for a tip. 

Now as a CAP member I have received a mil discount while wearing the uniform but I have never asked for it.  If it is given it's accepted graciously but I don't ask.