Tipping in Restaurants?

Question

My niece is a single mother and she works as a waitress at a restaurant. Occassionally she has to serve members of a certain religious group who just don't tip. (I don't want to name the religion, because it really doesn't matter.) It doesn't matter how good the service is. They do not tip. They can afford to tip, because they order expensive items on the menu. (I believe my niece really loses money when she waits on these people because the IRS assumes that she received a tip, even though she didn't.) Is there anything that the restaurant can do about this? Thank you.

Answer 1

This is a question I think about alot, "tipping". I can understand your frustration but as of yet tipping is not governed by law, and if we are interested in making sure the American culinary service professional are not shorted out of tips maybe tipping should be law. I believe we are stewards of money and it is our own decision where and when it is appropriete to spend it. I really believe it is with in your nieces power to control her own destiny so if this is bothering her she may want to work for a fine dinning establishment. People who pay hundreds of dollars for dinner like tipping well, for the most part.

Answer 2

Nothing they can do, unfortunately.  Some restaurants have 15-20% tips automatically included in the bill, but these are often for parties of 6-8 people at least.

I have worked at both restaurants that have tips included with large parties and ones where a tip is never included in the bill, no matter how large the party.

I waitressed at a place where the same group came in at least once a month and rarely tipped.  There's nothing we could do except for wish another server would get their table!

I wish everyone could be a server at least once, then they'd understand how important tipping is.  About 3/4 of what I made was tips.  The base wage is c**p.

Answer 3

Yes.There is.It is called gratuity and it is stated in the menu that there will be a certain amount added to their bill for the server.Any restaurant can have gratuity but unless the customer is aware of it and it is stated in the menu ,it is not considered "part of the bill".All 5 star restaurants and resorts are gratuity and a corporation or franchise of any restaurant ,if the owner approves, can be a gratuity establishment.It is wrong of people to get good service and not tip for it.I am a waitress and have been for many years and there is a certain group of people that do not tip at all and it is wrong because they always say that  they dont believe in tipping.But let me say on the other hand that there are the people who tip very ,very nice and if your neice is ever claiming more of a percentage then she is earning then she needs to go else where because she should always make way more then the 10% she claims on her tip report. .Good luck .

Answer 4

At my restraunt, we have the option of adding an 18% gratuity onto the check. I have done it a few times because i had a customer who comes in all the time and no matter what he and his family order, he only gives a dollar for a tip. I think that you can add gratuity at any restraunt, you just have to ask your manager. tell her that i'm really sorry for her. I'm a waitress, and i know how much that sucks. It is a hard, stressful job, and people think that us servers are just getting free money. NOT SO!!

Answer 5

The IRS use a mathematical equation that averages out the expected rate of tipping. That means that they expect some not to tip, and some to tip. I don't think she would be missing out due to tax too much if at all.

Answer 6

Is it the religious group that leaves religious pamphlets instead?  What a great way to preach to others... won't leave a tip, but will leave religious material.  

Nothing she can do unless they come in a large group where she can grat the table.  BUT... as a former server, you get around people like that by giving them sub-par service.  If I knew a person was a very bad tipper, I would give them just enough service where I would not get in trouble with my employer, but I would not give them the service I give everyone else.  Why work my butt off for someone who won't pay me when the table sitting next to them will tip?  What I am saying is that if they want me to remember to bring them a straw and not have to ask me 10 times, they better be tipping.  And yes, she will lose money waiting on them because of tipout.  Most restaurants take a percentage of the servers tip to tip out the busser, hostess, and bartender.