Restaurant - Service Charge

But if you got top notch service in a budget place and tipped 15% but got average service in a fancy place and tipped 10% then the staff in the latter place will still get more. Seems unfair.
 
I know. I use that as a rule of thumb, rather than adhering to it strictly. Also, my expactations are higher in a fancy place, so the service has to be better to be good. Given exactly the same service in the two, I might consider that I'd got really good service in the cheaper place, while I would only rate it average in the fancy place. I hope that makes sense.
 

Yes. If you receive "greasy spoon" service in a top notch restaurant, you'll complain, and hold back a tip. If you receive it in a greasy spoon, you'll probably tip (I will anyway).

If you get top notch restaurant service in a greasy spoon, you'll tip generously, and you'll tell all your friends.
 
ronan_d_john said:
My attitude, different from yours, is that the more I pay for something, the better service I expect. Again, we'll have to agree to disagree on outlooks here.
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No, our attitudes are actually the same on service. If I get crappy service, I tip accordingly. But I guess it (the differences we have) depends on how the actual price of the meal is calculated. In a 'high price' restaurant, there may be many things other than the cost of service that are causing the higher prices (better food, better presentation, more varied menu, higher rents, higher fit out costs, more tables=more staff, higher rates? etc.), the restauranter may not necessarily be paying his staff any more (I'm not disagreeing that many restauranters will say that staff costs are a high % of turnover, but all restaurants are obligated to pay minmium wage, and there is no guarantee that staff in higher priced restaurants receive higher wages on an individual basis).

If I get crappy food, I refuse to pay for it. This hits the restauranter rather than the waiter (who is responsible for the service, not the food). If staff are rude, obviously no tip, and I would take it up with the owner/manager with a view of getting the cost of the meal looked at.

Tipping is for good (or adequate I guess) service. Rest assured that I don't tip for the sake of it.

And like I said, I don't really distinguish between service in different restaurants (whether 'greasy spoon' or otherwise), other than maybe better trained staff in higher priced restaurants, but I don't place a premium on this. I value attentive, efficient and reasonably friendly staff, wherever I go, regardless of surroundings (greasy or otherwise).
 
In the USA waiters are taxed on their estimated tips which are a % of the food they sell. They are taxed if they get a tip or not. If people don't tip they are costing them money and would be better off not serving them.
 
Doesn't the same Tax situation exist in Ireland?
I was under the impression that it was done on an estimate in the same way?

-Rd
 
daltonr said:
Doesn't the same Tax situation exist in Ireland?
I was under the impression that it was done on an estimate in the same way?

-Rd
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Not in my experience, but I don't know what the current situation is.
 
daltonr said:
Doesn't the same Tax situation exist in Ireland?
I was under the impression that it was done on an estimate in the same way?

-Rd
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From [broken link removed]

 
someone in white coats should take them away if they did
 
Yeah - tax evasion is always such a side-splittingly funny topic, ain't it?

Is there just the vaguest possibility that Revenue are aware that people employed in restaurants might be getting some tips as income and would start chasing for their fair share? Are the tax-scamming waiters going to cry foul if Revenue start chasing them in 5 years time for tax due plus interest plus penalties?
 
CCOVICH said:
Why not crack down now? Why wait 5 years?
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I'd be expecting Revenue to focus their resources on where they get the most bang-per-buck, and I'd be very surprised if waiters tips were top of their list.

But the real issue is why don't the waiting staff obey the same laws as the rest of us?
 

Hi mate

While I can appreciate that its not directly your fault, if the coffee is expensive .. bottom line is, your working for your employer not the customers, so the employer is the one to be responsible for paying you. Any tips should be a "bonus" and not counted on as part of your weekly wage

Glad your out of the business now, its not the most rewarding & sadly, probably goes unappreciated when one does a good job too




Regarding the matter of cash tips being declared by waiting staff, in their annual tax retuns ... I'm sure every single person in the waiting business declare their full & due taxes, just like the rest of Ireland ..... well, "nearly" sure



Out of interest, when people here speak of a tip in percentage terms, do they mean just the percentage of food, or food & drink ? (I've seen both practiced, generally tend do use total bill myself but then wonder if Im giving away too much of my hard earned I must confess ..... you see, I don't get cash tips in my job, so in my mind, I have to multiply everything I hand out by 2 to get a better idea of what the tip is actually costing me )





Cheers

G>
http://www.rpoints.com/newbie
 

To be honest, I never counted on tips, and did indeed see them as a bonus. But people who witheld my tip on the basis of something I couldn't control and told me this, I didn't appreciate.

Garrettod said:
Glad your out of the business now, its not the most rewarding & sadly, probably goes unappreciated when one does a good job too
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I didn't mind it that much actually. I didn't have much choice at the time either, jobs weren't that easy to come by. I have to say that I preferred working in America. I would recommend that everyone should work in the service industry at least once in their life, I think you learn a lot.
 
Hi

Fully appreciate your comments, particularly with regards to jobs being hard to find (the early '90s rings a bell for me personally )

Agree also regarding the comment on people trying out working in the service industry, although in personal experience I've related it more to customer service type positions in larger organisations ... also thankless

Regards


G>
http://www.rpoints.com/newbie
 
There world has turned really topsy-turvey if the Revenue rules are that tips be declared by those working in the service industry. I fully endorse CCovitch's remark that everyone should work in this way once in their lives; it is really the place to learn about unvarnished human nature - the wealthier the client the more likely they are to be difficult and tight-wad.

Remembering one such student 'stint' of 3 months working as a chambermaid in an Amsterdam hotel. At 7.00am each morning I'd clock-in to find the trolley I'd loaded up at the end of yesterday's shift with fresh towels, linen, soaps and cleaning cloths etc. for a 'quick start' to cover the allotted number of rooms had been 'appropriated' by someone who hadn't stocked a trolley the day before and wasn't going to today either!! At 3.00pm collapsing out of the place (often by way of physical body-search by hotel security to make sure you hadn't pocketed any guest valuables!!) to go home to an exhausted sleep.

A guilder coin under the pillow was very gratifying. Being left a 5 guilder note was a very very big day. The pay and conditions were risible. It was usually airline cabin-crew members - who knew what it was like to 'serve' - left tips for us chamber-staff. The wealthy who occupied the bigger expensive suites just left mess, mess and more mess! The suggestion that waiting staff or serving staff should have to pay tax on tips is a sign of how mercenary the modern world has become. However since that's the way it is, and will probably bring the 'gratuity' system to an end forcing (as DaltonR suggests) employers to pay proper wages.
 
Marie said:
There world has turned really topsy-turvey if the Revenue rules are that tips be declared by those working in the service industry.
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Why? It's earned income so should be treated like income earned by any other worker.
 
Isn't that the point which is being made here? 'Tips' are 'gratuity'....to do with appreciation, gratitude - additional to the capitalist exchange!

btw regarding the American system, I had a long conversation with a lovely waiter in a high-class Boston restaurant who told me they worked for the tips which were higher than the sort of 'retainer' the restaurant paid them and essentially they were individually self-employed. So - there are different systems in operation in different contexts.
 
Marie said:
Isn't that the point which is being made here? 'Tips' are 'gratuity'....to do with appreciation, gratitude - additional to the capitalist exchange!
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You mean that they should be assessable for gift tax rather than income tax?
 
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