There is a lot there, but i am not going to waste time debating the reasons to tip with you. The point is, without tips these folks get below minimum wage. It isn't just crap pay, it is below minumum wage unless they get tips. And other jobs getting terrible wages isn't an excuse not to tip.
sure it is, it disputes the idea that YOUR pay is what determains tips, and makes it YOUR ACTOINS
and the 12-13 dollars was an average for good restaurants. And yes, in mass, that is okay it doesn't go very far if you have a family. Plent of people wait tables and barely hit the minimum wage mark (some don't even hit it). It all depends on where you are working. And lots of struggling parents count on tipping to get that to pay the bills.
And that sucks, I feel for them, but that doesn't equal I should give them money for nothing...
regading macy's, that is still above minimum wage, and you can get raises or promotion (my sister works at a department store and sales commission is huge for her being able to cover costs).
I wasn't on commison, and for the record neaither were any of the other TEN PEOPLE IN MY TRAINING CLASS... we were on our feet working every bit as hard as waitstaff, and had 0 chance of making more then min wage but were making min wage... Yes the server could work for $2 an hour, but if they do well they make much more... no matter how well I worked I was capped.
by the way since you brought up commission, most people give commission people a hard time, they only get paid at allif they sell. I had that job too. Try working a week with 0 income because no one bough tanything, and worse instead of a thank you tip you got called names, hung up on and where told to stop bugging you.
A big reason I dislike 'mandatory tipping' is because it is always shoved down our throats 'they make so little' but so do other people.
1st min wage... it's a joke. Here in my state even a crappy run down slum is $600-$800 a month... nothing included, add $100 a month in electric, another $120 for cable/internet/phone... half a tank of gas a week is $120 a month. Even if your really cheap and only spend $65 a week on grocery's that $260 a month, so with no car payment, no insurance and no going out and never replacing clothing you are at $1,200- $1,500 a month.
Lets say you work 40 hours, at $10 an hour that is $1,200 Before taxes... and again the min wage in my stat is $8 and change.
2nd there is a amount of BS involved in being asked for something. If I tip a good server, and a bad server equaly then it isn't a tip, it is a bill.
3rd It is abratry that it is set at 15% or 20%, if I order a $35 steak is it harder for her to get it to me then a $9 cheese burger? What if I order a Beer $7 then a second beer $7 or get a Soda with refills $2.50 why tip $5.25 on the stake and $1.35 for the burger... it is the same work? Worse If I drink the 2 beers that is $14 so tip $2.10 for two trips, but 5 refills of the soda is $0.40?? Lets take my fav example. I go to fridays and order a 2 for $12, and water I get an appatiser of fried mozzerella, and drink a whole glass of water with it, then I get my burger and drink a glass with it. Me and my friends hang out for a bit and I drink another. So 3 trips for drinks, a trip with an appatiser, a trip with the burger and most likely a trip to bring me mustard for the burger... $12 + $1.80 tip, I round up and give $14 keep the change no one bats an eyelash. However if I order a Steak (14.95) and salad (4.95) and a Beer that I will nurse the whole meal (6.95) she is doing LESS work for my meal, and my meal is $26.85 if I tip the same $2 that is considered rude... why, was the steak order so much harder? But now I am supposed to tip $4.03 brining it up to $30.88. Now if I round it down to $30 is that still rude? Or do you think I should pay $31??