Tipping Etiquette

Do you memorize waiter's names? Do I need to tell the waiter how I am doing?

Chai Tea, I believe trying to equate "easiness" of jobs to pay is a whole new topic. As children, all my brothers and I had to find summer jobs which meant working on farms and harvesting fruits - anything that grew on trees or on the ground. That was "hard" work that barely paid what we consider minimum wage today. After college, I sat at desks most of the time and earned a decent income, and I enjoyed my work. LOL

Chai - that is just waaaay too deep for this conversation.

Really though some good thoughts.

Chai Tea, This sentence in your last post struck me as needing for me to reply. Quote: One thing in my mind that stands out about the bad words for cheap is that I get the picture of a person who spends way too much time trying to figure out how to save a relatively small amount of money. So small that it really doesn't enhance the spenders life in any way, just another small amount that won't improve any quality of life....

I remember reading an article about this very issue some decades ago, and I'm not sure it still holds true today. It was found that people with a college education usually take more time to spend the big bucks, and those without college education spend more time deciding what clothes to buy over the purchase of higher priced items such as a car or home appliance.

I've always told our sons to buy quality, because they last longer for the buck. As children, we were forced to buy Gallen Kamp shoes, because they were all we could "afford." We had to insert cardboard when they grew holes on the soles. Later on in life, I worked for Florsheim Shoe Company, one of the premier shoe companies in the US (until they went bankrupt several years ago). What a difference! I still have many Florsheim shoes in my closet that still looks brand new after over 30 years. Our older son has purchased two Armani suits, and I've never owned one.

I've always told our sons to buy quality, because they last longer for the buck

Mame wrote:

cyphercat wrote:

Mame wrote:

You are only required to be polite, cheerful, and make sure they got the right order.

I still say if you think that was all that was required of you, you weren't a very good server.

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The rest of your comments are similar in vein to jpinmilwaukee's - ill-informed assumptions.

I didn't assume anything, I gave some suggestions as to what else might explain why you seem to have had a particularly easy-peasey experience as a server. I really wasn't being sarcastic either, I thought perhaps you didn't work at a very busy restaurant-- also you mentioned that American tourists were the more difficult customers, and I was thinking perhaps it actually is easier to deal with customers in Canada, if people there really tend to be politer? Don't anyone jump on me for generalizing about Canadians, it's just a thought in response to it being noted that Americans are obnoxious to wait on.

Maybe some people can multi-task easier than others - I've never understood why a server bringing some water to one table can't nip over to another one and check on things, then on the way to the kitchen, give another new table some menus and say that you'd be right with them - some people can only do one thing at a time. If you know the menu, the prices, the vagaries of the cook that day, what's the problem? I loved it when I was doing it. I'd do it again if I didn't live in such an expensive city and was willing to work nights.

And I wasn't trying to bash Americans. I am very fond of my American relatives and friends; I also said I'd seen some rude Canadians. I think Americans do tend to be a bit more vocal and to be frank, the servings are usually the issue. American restaurants serve huge portions compared to the rest of the world. I could never eat an entire breakfast at one of your Applebee's or family restaurants.

Neither can I can eat the large portions - and I am American. Many end up bringing half home.

However, at the finer restaurants in the US - you do not have the large portions - you have higher quality food - but significantly less in size of portions.

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I've always told our sons to buy quality, because they last longer for the buck

Excellent advice. Buy USA!

I emailed my sister yesterday and asked her this:

Would you rather get paid a lower hourly wage and make tips or a higher hourly wage and no (or at least less) tips?...

Linkat wrote: Neither can I can eat the large portions - and I am American. Many end up bringing half home.

When my wife and I go out for breakfast, we order one omlette, and split it. Even then, we have left-overs. For lunch and dinner, my wife will get a box to bring home what she doesn't eat all of it, but I don't usually bring food home from the restaurant, because it just sits in the refrig, and end up throwing it out. My wife will eat the leftovers a couple hours later while watching tv.