Did you know that in Pennsylvania, the minimum wage for the service industry is $2.83 per hour? That is less than half the state's minimum wage. Many servers rely on your tips to put themselves through college, to support their families, or to simply make a living.
Now, the proper tipping etiquette in the United States ranges from 15-20 percent, but in other countries in Europe, for example, people tend to tip anywhere between 10 percent or even pocket change. And if you ever go to Japan, know that tipping is actually frowned upon. To me, if you go out to eat, you should (almost) always tip your server.
Servers put a lot of work into making sure you enjoy your time out. We make sure to greet you and ask how you’re doing even if nobody asks us. We listen thoughtfully to your order and answer questions even if your order is off-the-wall. We make sure you receive food, drinks, and service in a timely manner even if the kitchen is slammed with orders. We make sure your food is prepared carefully if you have allergies so you don’t leave with hives. We make sure you are served to the best of our ability.
And at the end of a visit, servers hope for a 20 percent tip. We deserve it. A lot of work goes into the setup and break down of the restaurant. And in between the setup and break down of the restaurant, a lot can happen in a shift; but servers (almost) always earn it.
As someone who has worked in the service industry for four years, I know for a fact serving is not for the faint-hearted or the overly sensitive. I’ve had customers snap their fingers at me to request a drink order, I’ve had customers send back every drink the bartender made for them claiming each was wrong, I’ve had customers order well done burgers ten minutes before the kitchen closes, I’ve had customers yell at me when their credit card was declined, and I’ve had customers tip me with only a Wawa coupon. And you know what I did every time, I smiled as best I could and tried to alleviate the situation. Even if my feet were on fire, I hadn’t eaten since my double shift started, and my section was just sat three more times, we serve as best we can.
But many people don’t know what goes on at the end of the shift. When servers count out their tips, most restaurants pool money. Out of the 20 percent tip you gave me, 7.5 percent of it goes to the bussers, another 7.5 percent goes to the bartender, and 20 percent of what you tipped me goes to the food runner. This differs depending upon the restaurant, but servers still share their tips with the other workers who make sure you enjoy your experience all the way from drinks to dessert. Keep that in mind next time you want to stiff your server.
Remember that it is not your server’s fault if your dinner came out incorrectly, so don’t take it out on them. Remember that even if you asked for your drink ten minutes ago, your server may have eight other tables to wait on too. And especially keep in mind that if you don’t have enough money to tip, then frankly, you shouldn’t be going out to eat at all.
Of course, there are exceptions to this outlook of 20 percent tipping 100 percent of the time. However, it’s not too often that dining out turns into a burnt-to-a-crisp meal, disgustingly watered down drinks, and an inconsiderate server—or something along those lines that would warrant less.
$2.83 is not a living wage. When you tip your server 20 percent, you are helping them pay for their daughter’s braces, that last bit of tuition that wasn’t covered by loans, or even simply contributing to a grocery bill. There’s (almost) never a reason to not tip your server 20 percent, and after working in this industry, I know that smile a server gets when they receive more than that. It’s a nice feeling that I’m more than happy to relay to someone else in my slip resistant, work shoes.
