Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Did you know....

that TIP stands for "To Insure Promptness"? Some people don't know that. I can think of 4 groups just off the top of my head that don't know that. All are recognizable by career with the exception of one. The one exception is Europeans. But, I can't really blame them because they just don't know. In Europe, people that wait tables & bartend are given nice hourly wages. Alot of things are taken into consideration. The persons experience, the level of service they are expected to give (French vs. slinging hash, 5-star vs. 1-star, etc.), net income of the restaurant they work in; it gets pretty complicated. Here in America, waitstaff & bartenders make anywhere from $2.13 to maybe $7.00/hour. It gets a little fuzzy with bartenders because sometimes a place will offer up a higher hourly to steal you away from another place. In either case; you can't live on it. You depend on your TIPs to make your choice of career viable.

With that said, Europeans don't TIP in Europe because it's not expected. Waitstaff & Bartenders are being paid hourly to be Waitstaff & Bartenders. The same as Secretaries are paid to be Secretaries & Bus Drivers are paid to be Bus Drivers. Whereas in America, we are paid just enough to cover our taxes & everything else is up to us. I've always said that being a good Bartender is 10% drink knowledge & 90% being able to BS, flirt, & know what someones needs are before THEY know what their needs are. And I think we strive harder (in America) because we depend on our TIPs to pay our bills. If you come across a surly waiter or bartender; that person clearly lives with their parents & they just don't care.

When I travel to another country; I read up. I read up on the day-to-day customs mainly because I don't want to offend anyone. I always want to know what the TIPping custom is. Some places you don't TIP at all; some look at 5% as a very nice gesture; and some think that 10% is you just showing off because you're that rich American (lol). Personally, I always TIP wherever I am just because I can't NOT TIP. And it usually leads to resort employees following me around offering fresh towels & mints in the middle of the afternoon.

So, it really pissed me off today when some British chippy & her mother on vacation run my ass off for 3 hours & then TIP me $5.00 on a $97.00 tab. A $97.00 tab would normally bring me $25.00. Factor in the 3 hours they ran me: $30 - $35. I couldn't believe it. I even took the CC voucher back to her (because I honestly couldn't tell with all the drunken pen marks on the voucher) & asked if that was 15 or 5? She told me, "That's a 5. Thank you SO much for your service! You were wonderful!". Obviously someone that didn't read up before she went on vacation.

And I don't mean to sound bitter. I'm sure in her mind she was being gracious by leaving any TIP at all. But, damn! I catered to them like they were dual-QUEENS! Of England!

_____________________

Now that I'm on my soap-box; I'll just go all out. Ya know what really gets to me? These people that are Anti-Tipping. Oprah did a whole show on it. People that believe that "We" have chosen our lot in life by choosing a career where we "take food & drink from point A to point B" and expect to get paid for it. They're not having any of that. They want to pay for the food & drink & that's all.

So, I'll ask you: If you're in a very nice restaurant paying about $35 per entree, $15 per drink; don't you have appreciation for the person serving you? The person that can tell you the difference between Crab Sofrito & Dill Buerre Blanc? The person that can help you wade through that 100 bottle wine list? You take away TIPs; the only thing that server/bartender is going to be able to tell you is whether or not you should get the Egg-Mcmuffin or Sausage Biscuit. And that's not to undermine said restaurant. I have a #3 with a Coke every morning. But, what kind of experience do you want for your money? I can tell you the difference between every French description you can throw at me. I can tell you which wine goes best with that Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout. I can tell you which vineyard won for "Best Chardonnay" this year. You take away my TIPs; I'll most certainly find another career.

_________________

Are you exhausted? I am. But, DAMN; that felt good. Send me a bill.

_________________

Tomorrow is St. Pat's! And the start of the NCAA Tournament! I won't know my name by 2:00pm. I need a pep talk for how busy I'm going to be tomorrow.

peace

Comments:
what confuses me is when you get complimentary stuff. i've come to just put 15-20 pct on the "real" value of the comp meal but for a few times in the beginning i was shy about doing that.

also there's a stp.com or shitty tipper database. :P

ps-- didnt angie get voted off survivor last nite?
 
I have several rules about tipping. At least one dollar for every drink ordered when sitting at a bar. I always give at lest three dollars to a waiter or waitress if it is under ten, five or more if it is near twenty.

But the bar thing is not just courtesy, hell I never get snubbed by a bartender and they will ask me if I want another drink when they notice by beer or drink is about empty. It always works both ways.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?