Tipping culture has become more common in today’s society than ever before and the line on when it’s appropriate to tip (and when it’s not appropriate) has become blurred. It seems in many places not only servers are expecting tips. Fast food workers and machines also asking for and expecting tips from customers.
When tips are left for service workers, most of the time they don’t fully receive that tip. Instead “tip share” takes place, which means that their tip is split between front and back of house workers (such as dish washers, hosts, etc.) before the server receives whatever’s left over.
This tip share often has an affect on everyone’s work ethic in the restaurant. They understand that with tip share being in place means that they need to help the rotation go smoothly and quickly so that servers are able to maximize the potential money they are able to earn.
“Tip share does affect my work ethic,” junior busser Cooper Wolocko said. “Many of my co-workers are heavily affected by tips due to them being waiters. So if tips are good for the day, it pushes me to want to work harder because I know that I will also be getting a part of their tips.”
This reliance on tips has become more and more of a focus in the restaurant workplace. Some people disagree with this new tip culture and the increased reliance on them. Guidelines and suggestions on how much to tip and when it’s appropriate to are available online, but the suggestions often vary. Some people disagree with the way tips are being pushed on the consumers.
“I think tipping is only appropriate for waiters,” senior Diego Medina said. “They deserve every cent they get because they are taking the time to make your experience better at the restaurant. On the contrary, when it’s a machine (self service checkouts) I do not think it’s appropriate. When it’s a machine, I feel like it’s just the company trying to make a few extra bucks.”
Some complain that having these electronic pay stations in everyday workplaces that automatically ask for a tip pressures the consumer into feeling that they need to tip. This process leaves a bad taste in the consumer’s mouth.
Although some may not feel the need to give a tip to an employee doing minimum work, it has become a necessity for these employees because not only is that tip making up the majority of their pay but it trickles down to other positions in the restaurant through tip share. Many jobs in the restaurant are reliant on the consumer’s tip.
“Working through tip shares encourages me to work better,” senior host Colton Smith said. “My work ethic improves. I want to help my waiters and make sure they have clean tables and will be able to serve properly. They need to have a nice environment to work in so they can have the best service, which results in good tip share for me at the end of the day.”