Lets say for example a server makes $2.50/hour currently and makes the rest of their pay in tips. Say “living wage” for a job like this would be $12.50/hour.
A server can easilly manage 5 tables/hour at a place such as TGI Fridays with an average total bill/table of ~$25/2 people. The way we currently are supposed to tip (15-20%), we are giving the server $1.90-2.50/person, which would equal out to 10 people served multiplied by $1.9-2.5= $19.50 to $25/hour plus their hourly wage of $2.50, grand total of $22-27.50/hour
To give the server a “living wage” you would have to increase the price by ~$1/plate (again using the 10 customers served/hour), as 10 customers x $1/plate=$10, in addition to their hourly salary of $2.50.
As a consumer, you are actually saving $ by employers paying their workers “living wage” as the way it currently stands for 2 people on a $25 bill, we’re tipping $3.80-$5 for both, whereas if they increased the price of the plate, it would only be $2extra
Marc
{ 7 comments }
good question, but i believe you should get paid depending on the quality of your service hoping to establish and keep the good service in certain restaurants.
I would rather pay more for my meal and not have to worry about tipping at the end, and be comfortable knowing my wait staff was getting paid decently.
I would really like it if that also meant that I got good service from people who actually if not love, at least didn’t **** their jobs, and weren’t their frustrations from the last table stiffing them out on me.
I worked as a waitress, and I lean towards against it. It’s a hellish job, and the thing that makes it worth it is the pocket full o’ cash at the end of the night. With just a regular wage, which would be a small fraction of what you could get working on a moderately busy night, you’d have less reason to be friendly and quick. As it is now, people who are good at the job stick around because they make a killing. This makes for a better restaurant experience for the diners, too. Of course, a better base pay would be nice for slow nights.
But, yeah, my waitressing days are behind me, and I’m willing to keep up with the tipping just so they have a wage that makes up for the crappiness of the job. They would not be paid $12.50 an hour at TGI Friday’s, I can tell you that, and any less is not worth it.
A restaurant lives and dies by the food and service. if you as a server are already getting paid a large sum of money for just showing up, where is you motivation to dive excellent service. if the foos stinks the service stinks and vice versa.
Please realize a good restaurant only profits 10 percent of gross sales annually and that is if nothing breaks down or goes wrong.
stay at home, don’t ever come out to eat, and please…please don’t sit in my section.
Well, many employees don’t make a living wage now. Not just servers. I don’t think anyone should be paid under $12.50 per hour, with the exception of teenagers working part time. But, that’s not going to happen. I always tip and I like that I have a say in how much I tip, depending on the service. But very few servers are so bad they don’t get the 15 – 25 % I leave.
Yes. The servers are employed by the restaurant and it’s their job to pay their salary.