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Should employers be allowed to pay tipped employees less than minimum wage?

Should employers be allowed to pay tipped employees less than minimum wage?

  • Yes

    Votes: 22 41.5%

  • No

    Votes: 31 58.5%

  • Don't know

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    53

:rofl :rofl

(I remember you on a thread or two I posted mentioning your "economical ways." Now I understand. :rofl !!!
 

I don't buy that. Many people work without being tipped, and give excellent service. And it doesn't mean tips will stop. Some will still tip.
 
MaggieD said:
:rofl :rofl

(I remember you on a thread or two I posted mentioning your "economical ways." Now I understand. :rofl !!!
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Well, is soup, salad, and breadsticks not a delicious, well-rounded, and even potentially healthy meal (depending on how much salad/breadsticks you eat, and the type of soup)? Can't beat that with a stick.

I pride myself on only dating low-maintenance women...and nothing said "high-maintenance" like steak and lobster - especially on a first date.
 
As a restaurant owner,I have no problem paying my employees minimum wage as long as people here have no problem paying a dollar or two more per dish.I don't get my ingredients for free.I offered to pay my waiters and server minimum wage,but since they average out to $500-600 a week on tips,I guess they don't want to take a pay cut.
 
Boo Radley said:
I don't buy that. Many people work without being tipped, and give excellent service. And it doesn't mean tips will stop. Some will still tip.
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I agree with this, but I believe the entitlement mentality has encroached so completely in some industries (i.e.: food service, especially) that now some actually use it as an excuse to purposely give bad service. It didn't used to be this way.

I used to ask the question: What's next? Do I tip the toll taker at the toll booth for taking my money when I cross the toll bridge?
 

A dispute like that is a matter for the courts, not the police.

There is always a standard implied whenever you purchase any good or service. "Good" is subjective and that's why disputes like that are handled by the courts. People are constantly suing one another because things they bought didn't live up to the implied standard.
 

As a former restaurant owner I understand... to a point. There are a handful of states that do not allow wages less than minimum wage, and menu prices in those states aren't any higher (on average) than in states that do pay lower wages.

To your point, though, I would actually be happier if I could pay a few dollars more then not have to bribe the server for good service. It would be worth it to me and make my overall dining experience much more enjoyable.
 

Personally, I would pay several dollars more to dine in a restaurant with a professional waiting staff who take pride in their job. Waiters seem to personify the "good enough" mentality these days.
 

Just requires retraining.
 

Reporting tips and the less than minimum wage are both sort of honor systems and we know how that works. I voted yes and think that as long as the playing field is level, each of us is well served by the system. There are always exceptions.
 

Like I said,I put the offer on the table (all my employees get bennies,by the way) and it was rejected by the waiters.
My restaurants check averages are int the $45 per customer range.Which is pretty good for casual fine dining.If either of you don't mind paying $50 a plate,I have no problem selling it to you.



Dapper Andy said:
Personally, I would pay several dollars more to dine in a restaurant with a professional waiting staff who take pride in their job. Waiters seem to personify the "good enough" mentality these days.
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I believe you. Earlier in the thread I talked about how, as much as servers complain about the day-to-day inconsistency of their tips, they always balk when higher wages / less tips is proposed. For all their complaining, they know they'd lose out in the long run.
 
How would that be a pay cut? You can pay them minimum wage, or anything above the tip credit wage if you want, and that has nothing to do with tips. A few states don't allow tip credit and the wait staff receive at least min wage and still get tips.

Or were you suggesting a no tip policy and pay min wage. (which makes no business sense).
 
DaveFagan said:
Reporting tips and the less than minimum wage are both sort of honor systems and we know how that works. I voted yes and think that as long as the playing field is level, each of us is well served by the system. There are always exceptions.
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Good luck with getting that past the NRA (National Restaurants Association) and state/city Restaurant Associations.
The states where my company operates have RA's that aren't to keen on raising on wages in this economy,and a lot of waiters in high end restaurants aren't to keen on it either.
 
Why don't you ask my waiters?
I offered, they rejected,end of story.
 

Thank you.We both know that experience trumps ideology. You've been in the business (a lot of these people here haven't) so you know the realities of owning and operating a restaurant.We both know it isn't easy,and you probably popped antacids like Tic-Tacs like I do.
 

It can be exciting, and there were some aspects I was good with, but I really didn't like it in an overall sense. People don't seem to understand that it is a high-stress occupation. I'm more of an introvert and a office 9-to-5 kind of person, so what I do now better suits my personality.
 
ecofarm said:
Ahh, let it flow, young one. The republican side of the force is strong in you, it must be nurtured.
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Nah that's still using the social democratic side.
 
Verthaine said:
Why don't you ask my waiters?
I offered, they rejected,end of story.
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Why didn't you ask your waiters? It makes no sense that min wage plus tips could be considered a pay cut from less than min wage plus tips. It would completely stupid and irrational to oppose it.

Of course it doesn't make sense to offer them a pay raise when you didn't 't need to either
 
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pinqy said:
Why didn't you ask your waiters?
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I did,and they gave me their reason.It was good enough for me.
pinqy said:
It makes no sense that min wage plus tips could be considered a pay cut from less than min wage plus tips. It would completely stupid and irrational to oppose it.
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It also makes no business sense to raise my dish prices and drive away loyal big spending longtime costumers.
I tried that once,and it didn't work out,and that was when the economy was booming.
Is our economy booming today?
And you know what makes sense in the restaurant business how?
How many years have you owned a restaurant?
I've been in the business for over 30 years,20 of those years owning a restaurant.
I think I know what I'm doing by now.
pinqy said:
Of course it doesn't make sense to offer them a pay raise when you didn't 't need to either
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For the waiters to make what they make on average a week on tips,I'd have to raise their pay beyond minimum wage.
If I raise my dish prices,people will tip less, )if they don't eat out somewhere less expensive)and minimum wage will not cover the money they are used to.
 
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