We all know the rule—you should tip a waiter somewhere between 15 and 20 percent—but I’m here to tell you why you should always tip 20 percent.
1. They are working really hard
Some people don’t realize how much work goes into being a waiter. You are on your feet all day, and trust me, that is no light matter. I remember my days of working in a restaurant where I would come home with swollen feet after an eight-hour shift. They are trying their hardest to make your experience the most enjoyable they can, and sometimes they may get frazzled and forget to smile or refill your drink, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying. They are dealing with multiple customers at once, as well as the kitchen staff and managers. They are under a lot of stress, but they do care that your order comes out right and you have a good experience.
2. It usually isn’t their fault
So, your order got messed up and you take it out on the waiter. However, what you may not realize is that it is usually not their fault. Often times, the kitchen is the one to mess up, but the waiter is the one who gets blamed. Sometimes, the kitchen staff even blames the waiter, too. They may say that the ticket was too confusing, but the kitchen should ask for clarification before they make the meal. Now, the waiter is getting yelled at from both ends when all she wanted was for you to have a good meal. This puts the waiter under even more stress, and often causes them to get a smaller tip.
3. Their hourly wage isn’t much
What some people don’t know is that the minimum wage for a waiter is much less than the state minimum wage. Since waiters are making tips, they can be paid a smaller hourly wage to make up for the deficit. Oftentimes, this ranges from $2 to $3, but after taxes, waiters are lucky if their paychecks amount to anything over $20. So, when you tip them less than 20 percent, they have even less to live on for the week. That could be the difference between them having a nice home-cooked meal or eating fast food for dinner. For some, this is their only source of income and they aren’t being paid much by the hourly wage. They rely on tips to get by, and it means a lot to them whenever they get a nice tip.
4. Waiters have to tip-out
In this case, most restaurants have their waiters tip-out the hostess and the bartender. Not only are waiters making less than minimum wage, but so are the hostess and bartender making less. They make more than the waiter does, but it still does not amount to minimum wage. To make up for this, the restaurants have their waiters give up a percentage of their tips to be doled out to the hostess and bartenders. So, tipping your waitress less than 20 percent means that not only does the waiter have less to live on, but the hostess and bartender are earning less too. No matter what the waiter makes in tips that night they have to tip-out, so it benefits everyone for you to be a nice tipper.
To those who have never worked in the restaurant industry, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. But to a waiter it means everything. Everyone thinks that they can do what a waiter does, but it is not an easy job. You are constantly under a lot of stress and worked to the bone. However, they do it with a smile on their face so that you may have an enjoyable dining experience. It doesn’t take much to make a waiter’s day, all you need to do is leave a good tip and their job will seem more worthwhile.
