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Gary Giem of Denver writes:

I have a tip for Miss Rankin and all the other “servers” in this world.
No one asked you to become a wait person. You knew going in the base salary was a joke. One waits tables for the tips. But, hold it just one minute.
The tip is for service received. It is not, and I repeat, NOT part of the check and remains up to the discretion of the customer. Certainly not the server. To expect a good tip (20 per-cent) one must deliver excellent service.
No mistakes. That is the drill, plain and simple. Forgetfulness, sloppy timing and attitude all diminish what the tip will eventually be. No guarantees. For Miss Rankin from Arvada, or any other server to assume that the tip is “guaranteed” is nonsense. Her attitude is astonishing. But in this day of demanded instant gratification who can wonder that she doesn’t feel obligated to work for the money. We must all take note that she is doing us a favor to deliver the food, hot, cold or otherwise and she is under no obligation to do anything else, if that. After all, she only makes a couple of bucks an hour. Right! I was a waiter many times and I know what the money can be.
But only if the service warrants. That’s the tip, baby. It is work. Get a new grip on your tray, stop complaining and start hustling with a big smile.
Otherwise, your empty pockets are your own doing.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Gary, I hope the letter writer drops a pot of hot coffee in your lap, after all you knew the risks of dining out before you went in the restaurant, right?

I bet you would be the first to sue if an oops happened to you in your favorite cafe. I also bet that you have to eat at different places because your wonderful attitude it legend and you get little or no service from those who have long memories.

Eat at buffets and stop complaining.

A relative of mine can`t get a cup of water if he is on fire in any of the places he frequented. All the people remember how he searched for a reason not to tip.

Let your mom read your letter, didn`t she teach you any manners or how to talk to people?

From the restaurant owners to Sharon: many thanks for subsidizing our business. If it weren't for suckers like you, we might have to start putting money into wages instead of our bank accounts. You take care of our employees, and we'll take care of ourselves. We'll let you know when we'll be expecting 25% rather than the measly 20% we raised your "gratuity" to a while back from the 15% which replaced the 10% we started with years ago. It just wouldn't be right to increase the amount you pay for the meal without also increasing the percentage we expect from you in tips, despite those selfish people who consider that a kind of double dipping. The nice thing about your giving us money instead of paying it to us is that we don't have to count it as income; instead, it's income to the poor slobs who work for us. We feel quite proud that we are giving Americans the opportunity to be generous by paying substandard wages. Remember, you're not making just the employees happy, you're making us happy. Why else do you think we call you suckers Santa Claus when we talk among ourselves?

WOW, truth hits upon a valid point but does not follow through. Instead he goes after the buisness. Every one knows that being a waitress or waiter or bus boy is not an easy or good living if you do not hussle. So knowing this why would you want to do this job? Well because if you do your job well, and enthusiastic you are rewarded. The epitomy of reward for hard work. For those who think by just being there is enough for a reward ..... hello welcome to reality.

I tip those who perform thier job well. Just like at work. You reward those who produce with bonuses and acknowledgement. Those who do not perform and expect bonuses live in the liberal utopia that is none existant. If the waitress or waiter has to be waved down to refill water or bring more chips, shows a disinterests because the customer interrupted thier b.s. session over in the corner with other employees. Well sorry no tip.

Truth, who pissed in your cornflakes and served them to you cold.

Restaurants fail at an alarming rate because of the nature of the business. Keeping perishable foods around till they can`t be used, over or under staffing, constant rise in prices paid for items that can`t be sold any higher.

I would love restaurants to pay minimum wage and do away with tipping, but in the real world that is not economically feasible.

You used to be such a nice poster, what in the world happened to you?

Sharon, "Truth, who pissed in your cornflakes and served them to you cold."

Darn, Sharon, I was hoping you would think it was lemonade.

Incidentally, I'll let you in on a little secret that most everybody but you knows. The reason restaurants close is generally for the same reason the corner stores closed. They can't compete with the chains. One reason for that is that the chains have people like you subsidizing them. Remember, you heard it here first. Chain restaurants are expanding, not shrinking. Except for the mistakes, you did a nice post.

Next time, smell the cornflakes before you eat them.

Truth, alcohol keeps most restaurants from going broke. Independent restaurants that don`t serve drinks had better be part of a chain to help spread the cost of advertising.

Never eat at chains, they would break my teeth.

Sharon B. said:

"You used to be such a nice poster, what in the world happened to you?"

Since when has Truth been a nice poster? Perhaps, you only felt he was nice because you agreed with him.

Do we tip a hairdresser or barber for good
or bad service?

Is it WAITING for a tip?
Or is it Working for a tip?

Sharon B. I gotta give you an AMEN on your responses.

AMEN!

Just love the lame exuses from cheep f****

John II, Truth seems to have changed. Not his opinions but how he writes. Of course I love posters who agree with me, but Truth seems schizo lately, I think someone with a different style of writing is using his name.

You should eat out with my cheap relative who starts his bad-bad radar working the minute he enters a restaurant. He is looking for anything to justify a smaller tip.

Unbeknown to him, his mother carried extra tip money to leave under her plate. I did the same thing and one night I think we tipped a girl about 50% of the meal. Her tip, my tip and his paltry tip together must have made her night.

I found it verry interesting who did and who DIDN'T give tips. used to go to million dollar homes and get stiffed yet I could go into a housing project and get paid very well

tj, you can`t buy class.

Sharon B., your comments made me laugh, no one can beat you on this forum with the wry gems you're consistently able to deliver...but I gotta say, I'm with Truth on this issue.

Remember folks, his position isn't anti-servers, it's anti-subsidizing a wealthy industry that CAN afford to pay a living wage, but would have you think they can't.

Just for that mytwosense, I'm promoting you to mythreesense.

Gary said "it`s work baby" do you think he meant that for his boyfriend, or does he think all servers are women.

How do we go about getting the restaurants that don`t serve alcohol to pay higher salaries?

That would be my dream world, but until its all buffets all the time, we are stuck with the current situation.

Thanks for the kind words. I was born during the Chinese year of the horse and it is said horses bring laughter.

Sharon B., maybe if restaurant employees organized a union, they'd finally see a living wage and even benefits.

(And now I await the shrieks of protest at the very mention of the word "union" from some of those who were previously defending servers...)

mytwosense, every where the servers have unions they do much better.

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