After having experience as a waitress and catching wind of the new idea to eliminate tipping, I was conflicted. The best part of my serving days was the excitement I felt when I opened my book to see the extra money I made that evening. The more cash I had in my book, the better I felt about my service. However, there is a flaw in this system. Not only is the tipping revenue not dispersed evenly throughout the restaurant, but you are not guaranteed this extra money. Instead, if the restaurant has a slow day with minimal customers, you as a server feel the effects. So what if this system were to change entirely? Restaurants across the nation are experimenting with increasing restaurant prices and paying servers an hourly rate.
The New York Times decided to take a look at specific restaurant owners that have implemented this system already. On August 24, they reported that at Ivar’s (a restaurant located in Seattle), eliminating tipping has been a success, said Mr. Donegan, the chief executive — thanks in part to the summer tourist season and a booming economy. "Since the policy went into effect four months ago, wages have risen between $3 to $12 an hour," he said, "with the lowest-paid worker earning $15 an hour. Everyone, including part-timers, has health insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan."
Still, making this change has some negative effects. Across the globe, we have become accustomed to tipping for our service, and this is part of our "psyche," especially as Americans. Many individuals look into the restaurant industry for work solely because they have the opportunity to make tips, especially at more expensive institutions: the bigger the bill, the bigger the tip. However, it's important to highlight how secure the no tip system would be for servers. Gone would be the days of suffering the effects of an empty restaurant, and instead you would be guaranteed to make good money.
Although making a change like this would take a significant amount of time for the service industry, I think they are on the right track. From past experience, I understand the excitement of a big tip, but I would appreciate knowing I have a stable income even more.
