2008 Woodie Awards
Tipping etiquette
Lauren Beley
Issue date: 11/13/06 Section: Forum
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College students are notoriously known for being broke. During my junior year of school I decided to get a part-time job to earn some cash, for journalism doesn't quite pay the bills while working for The Quad. I decided to start serving because I heard that the money was good from friends in the restaurant business. I figured it couldn't be too hard, and servers are always making a lot of money, right?
I quickly learned that isn't always the case. I got a job at a chain restaurant the summer before my junior year, which many students from WCU dine at. Now for those of you reading this article that have never worked in a restaurant, let me let you in on some inside information.
Servers make $2.83 an hour (that is the rate at my chain restaurant; the amount may vary per restaurant). And we have taxes taken out of that hourly wage, because we have to claim our tips. So, we live on the tips that we make every night. I am not running around, busting my ass, for $2.83 an hour. I work for my tips and that is my main source of income from working. Scratch that, tips are my income from working as a server.
On the subject of tipping, how much is enough? Now days, good service should be rewarded 18 to 20 percent of the entire amount of the bill. Yes, that means if you spend $50 on dinner you should be giving your server around $10. If you can't cough up the dough, go to a fast food place. And if you receive excellent service, don't be afraid to reward your server with more than a 20 percent tip. Chances are that person worked really hard to make your dining experience a positive one. Kindness and verbal praise is not preferred as a tip by servers.
This past Saturday night I worked a night shift, expecting to earn at least $100 for the night. To my horror, I received 10 percent tips from over half of my tables and I made only slightly above 10 percent of my net sales. At the end of the night, servers have to tip out the host/hostesses and the bartenders. So on top of the lack of tips I was receiving, I had to give away more of the little money I earned for the night.
I quickly learned that isn't always the case. I got a job at a chain restaurant the summer before my junior year, which many students from WCU dine at. Now for those of you reading this article that have never worked in a restaurant, let me let you in on some inside information.
Servers make $2.83 an hour (that is the rate at my chain restaurant; the amount may vary per restaurant). And we have taxes taken out of that hourly wage, because we have to claim our tips. So, we live on the tips that we make every night. I am not running around, busting my ass, for $2.83 an hour. I work for my tips and that is my main source of income from working. Scratch that, tips are my income from working as a server.
On the subject of tipping, how much is enough? Now days, good service should be rewarded 18 to 20 percent of the entire amount of the bill. Yes, that means if you spend $50 on dinner you should be giving your server around $10. If you can't cough up the dough, go to a fast food place. And if you receive excellent service, don't be afraid to reward your server with more than a 20 percent tip. Chances are that person worked really hard to make your dining experience a positive one. Kindness and verbal praise is not preferred as a tip by servers.
This past Saturday night I worked a night shift, expecting to earn at least $100 for the night. To my horror, I received 10 percent tips from over half of my tables and I made only slightly above 10 percent of my net sales. At the end of the night, servers have to tip out the host/hostesses and the bartenders. So on top of the lack of tips I was receiving, I had to give away more of the little money I earned for the night.
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