After working in a restaurant the past couple months as a hostess, I have witnessed many struggles that servers have to deal with on a daily basis. Servers only get paid a little more than 2 dollars an hour, so their whole paycheck depends on how they do in tips. Basically, how servers feed their family depends on the generosity of their customers. Surprisingly, "millennials" are not the worst tippers of the group. Usually, the worst tippers are actually the older generation of baby boomers. After seeing a tweet from a very uninformed customer stating how people shouldn't tip, I thought I would address why you should.
1. Servers only make $2.13 an hour
Servers can actually lose money if you don't tip.
2. Servers have to tip out bussers, food runners, and sometimes even hostesses
After giving a large portion money they make to the rest of the staff, servers have very little left for themselves. Without tips, this number can even be in the negatives.
3. When you don’t tip, you look like a jerk
If you don't want to tip for any other reason, do it for yourself. Everyone in the restaurant will think you're a jerk if you stiff a server.
4. Pay it forward
Another reason to tip... good karma. Even if you don't like your server, being a good person is always something you should do. Tip anyways.
5. Servers’ jobs can be extremely difficult and stressful
Sometimes when there are no food runners or bussers to clean off tables, servers have to do these extra jobs in addition to taking food and drink orders, figuring out checks and bills, and occasionally being yelled at by customers. If you think your server isn't doing a good job, remember how busy they are.
Yes, tipping is not mandatory. It is not required by law nor is it included in the bill (unless you are a part of a large party). Yes, people don't tip in Europe, and I'm sure there are other reasons people think tipping is unnecessary. However, we are in America where servers make the majority of their money from the goodness of their customers. Remember these 5 points next time you visit a restaurant, and maybe you could even spare a few extra dollars to make your server's day.
