O/T tip sharing Am I the crazy one?
My niece has a job as a hostess at Texas Roadhouse. She makes 'significantly'(I do not know how much more) more than the waitstaff. However, at the end of each night waitstaff, bus boys, and hosts all get a cut of all tips made that night. I was livid when the in laws were all talking about it.
IMO this is saying that the waitstaff-the LOWEST paid employees there-have to pay to work. Like a stripper does in a club. In laws say I am nuts that this system makes everyone hustle more and give great service all the way around. I say no. I tip the waitstaff for getting me the correct food when every freaking person wants it some special way. They refill my drinks, take away dirty dishes, smile. I feel like I have way more interaction with the waitstaff and their service makes or breaks my visit. I wouldn't be upset if the busboy was sullen or the hostess didn't smile.
My in laws think I am now anti niece and a crazy, liberal hippie for this. What say you steppers?
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Comments
Agree. I have tipped out the
Agree.
I have tipped out the hostess. But I know they dont make "that" much. I think your niece may be exaggerating a bit.
Wouldnt everyone want to be a hostess compared to a server then?
As a bartender, the wait
As a bartender, the wait staff would give me a share of the tips because I made the cocktails they served. The hostess?? Oh HELLNO. She got her hourly wages. Period. Dot.
I had to tip the salad bar
I had to tip the salad bar person when I worked at Ruby Tuesday in college!
Your setup sounds much better
Your setup sounds much better than most and ideal. :jawdrop:
As a bartender, the wait
As a bartender, the wait staff would give me a share of the tips because I made the cocktails they served. The hostess?? Oh HELLNO. She got her hourly wages. Period. Dot.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is how it works here. My kids put themselves through college as wait staff and bartending at one certain reasturant here in Texas. The wait staff tip out to the cooks and the bar tender. (it does not amount to much.
My kids made AMAZING money as servers. WELL over minimum wage on tips. Sometimes 300 a night. The host was usually a 16 year old girl that ALWAYS made minimum wage and is just waiting til she is 18 so she can become a server and make the big bucks.
I would bet you anything that she is WAAAAAY over playing how much money she makes. lol
I used to be a server and I
I used to be a server and I have to say the system for paying waitstaff is severely antiquated.
I was paid about 3$ an hour because the government assumes everyone I serve will tip me enough that at the end of the day it will equal out to minimum wage or better. Ha! What a load of crap. I worked at a higher end bistro and I can't tell you how many older people didn't tip at all or tipped less than the "assumed amount needed (15%-20%). Not to mention the rich younger kids that came in on Daddy's card and didn't tip at all. Now I know most people believe that tipping should be based off of service BUT most don't realize that if they tip servers less than 15% (no matter how awful they were) then it costs the server to wait on them. Of course some people will say "good they sucked" but then you have to keep in mind that what you leave or lack there of effects the bus boys who cleaned up your waists, the hostess who seated you and the bartender who made your specialty drinks. You're taking their money too and they didn't screw up.
It's rough as a server and people like to say that "well it's the job they chose"..,well not many jobs can accomadate a schedule of a single working mom who's also going to school full time (not me, but most of my female coworkers) or students or military reserve personnel. I've only met one person who "chose" the serving life and she was a recovering addict who was also a trust fund baby just trying to keep herself out of trouble. It's usually the schedule they like, not the money that makes them take on serving.
I work in fine dining and we
I work in fine dining and we tip our hosts. My SIL was a host in a fine dining restaurant and she was tipped as well. But in both cases the hosts do way more than just seat people like at Texas Roadhouse. I have worked in corporate places where that's all they do and we didn't tip them. But in smaller, non-corporate places like mine, the hosts help the waitstaff a lot and deserve the extra. As far as making more as a host, that is probably true. In some states, restaurants pay about $2/hour to tipped employees because tips are supposed to bring them up to minimum wage. Any other restaurant employee that is not tipped by the patrons makes at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
My BFF has been a server
My BFF has been a server since HS. We are now in our 40s. She has always had to tip out. She recently had to tip out for a bus boy that had already left and did not even have to clean the last 3 tables in her section. She also had to tip out for the runners that bring the food to the tables but they were already sent home also. She took care of her last 3 tables 100% by herself and still had to tip out on those 3 tables.
There is no way to account for cash tips. Tips can only be calculated when paid by CC or gift card. No one can really say what the servers actually make unless every dime is accounted for and it is not. I also do not think it is right to tip out hostesses or bus staff. I totally think the bartenders should be tipped out if your table ordered alcoholic drinks.
I do believe the servers and bartenders do the majority of the hard labor. Hostesses roll silver, seat according to what server is next or what server they like most. Hostesses can make your life hell as a server. I do not believe they do enough to get someone else's tips.