Why do people expect to get extra money for doing their job? (tips)?

Question

I don't see why people expect to be tipped. If you are already being paid to do a job, why should other people give you extra money?

I understand in SOME circumstances tips are appropriate, but it has become expected that you will tip, and sometimes, like at restaurants, tips are even added as part of the bill. Why is this? Why should someone like a waiter get extra money for doing their job, when someone like an assembly-line worker does not?

Answer 1

An assembly line worker doesn't have as intimate a contact with the customer as a waiter. The practice goes back many generations and is actually a off-shoot of tipping pole dancers at strip clubs. It all began because many people enjoy giving money to someone for a service intimately rendered.

Answer 2

B/c it is service oriented.  You do realize that poor waitress isn't earning min wage.  She's earning about $2 an hour.  So yeah she really does count on tips as the majority of her income.  The restaurant really isn't paying her to do a job.

Tips have started being added b/c some large groups come in (especially Sunday after church) and run you ragged, getting you to spend all your energy on them, and the group leaves them $1.  They just worked for an hour and a half on you and your whole family.  You think that was only worth $4.  How crappy.

An assembly line worker, on the other hand, is earning about $10 or more an hour.  They have unions to protect them so they aren't getting screwed by their boss.

Answer 3

Because a waitress or Waiter only make about 1/4 of what an assembly-line worker makes, their big money comes from tips. That's why most of them try to bust their *** for you and give you such great service. While an assembly-line worker is going to do just an OK job because they will be paid the same if they do a good job or a bad job. So if an assembly line worker was working as a waitress, they would write down your order, caring less as to weather it was right or not. They wouldn't be back to fill up your empty water glass, wine glass, beer glass or coffee They wouldn't care how they served you the meal. I doubt you would want to tip a person like that. See what I mean? I'm sure you do,

Answer 4

I can understand waitress tips- what I don't understand is tipping cashiers and other positions who gat paid as much as anyone else in those types of positions.  I get totally offended when cashiers get snotty about me not throwing MY hard earned change in their tip jar.  I mean, why should I give them my money?  What the h**l did they do for me?  They are working for their hourly wages just like I am.  Maybe I'll start carrying a tip jar around with me and set in down in their faces every time I make a purchase.  Why don't they tip me???

Answer 5

I knowwwwwwwww!! I hate tipping people. And people always give me bullshit answers liek "they don't get paid enough" wtf? get a better job then dumbass. And I hate how people call me a ***** when I don't tip someone when they don't do a real good job.

Answer 6

Dear Tyler,

Do not "go out to eat" until you mature a little more.  Stay home and eat your mac & cheese or swing by the McDonald's for the value menu.

And, in 7 to 10 years, when you're finally ready, it's 15 to 20 percent for standard service Tyler, or GTFO!

Answer 7

in most cases, such as working at a restaurant, the waiters and waitresses depend on tips for their income, because they don't get paid minimum wage like other businesses. at the most, restaurants will pay their waiters $2 or $3 per hour... and the rest goes to tips.

someone who works at an assembly line or something that you suggest do get at least minimum wage, but think about it- can someone really rely on minimum wage to pay for all their bills (even if they saved and have more than one job?)

in other places, there will be a sign that says - "no tips" or there wouldn't be a tip jar at the cashier...

tips are a sign of saying "good job", but also, it's a sign of respect to the waiter or whoever. if they're not getting tipped, that means that they didn't get a decent job, or it's a reflection on the person who didn't tip saying "i don't respect those who serve..."

Answer 8

To add to what phantom said, I read somewhere that hte IRS actually calculates a server's wages by adding in 15% in addition to the $2 an hour or whatever that they're making (I don't really understand how they do that math; how does the IRS know how many customers you've waited on?), but somehow the govt is calculating in that they're being tipped at 15%.  If you don't make up that 15% in tips, you're actually losing money on your taxes.  So that's why servers get a bit miffed when they get lousy tips.  Yeah, I think the employers ought to pay them better to begin with, but that's the way it is.

Answer 9

Umm.. someone started giving tips, then people copied him, and they got used to it, and now they cant stop taking tips! xD