Question for Waiters & Waitresses

[Merriweather]

Or is it more correct to just say Waitstaff or some other term nowadays?

My first question is - Mods, am I in the right place? Plese transport if necessary.

Ok, simple question - do you prefer tips left in cash on the table, or added onto the credit card slip, or does it not matter?

We have heard, from various people at various times, of restaurants that aren't so good at giving waiters their tips from credit card receipts, about bus boys or even other customers taking money off tables meant for a waiter, and about either credit tips or cash tips (but only one or the other) having to be divided up evenly between all, so the person who gave you the great service doesn't get the whole tip.

So, what is the preferred method, or does it even matter most of the time? If it makes any difference, we do live in a state where waiters are paid full minimum wage. Oh, and I'm not talking top-of-the line ritzy, just casual dining (think Applebee's or Chili's, though we usually go to locally owned places of about that level).

Would love to hear from as many as possible. I admit, we aren't going out for meals right now at all, so figured it's a good time to gather info. OT - Hubby was laid off quite a while back, things are much more than tight, and getting worse, I believe strongly in positive energies of any sort, so please feel free to send positive thoughts, energies, prayers, chants, spells or sacrifice a chicken on our behalf (rubber chickens only, of course). We do hope to actually be able to use this info again one of these days

Thank you all for any help, we tip as much as we can afford (or don't go out) but not as much as we'd like to, and would be upset to find our tips hadn't gotten to the proper person because of how we left the tip.

[HYHYBT]

I'd expect the main differences would be that it's possible (not likely, but possible) for a cash tip to be stolen by another customer, and that it would be easier to get away with underreporting cash.

[csquared]

Very good question. I am not wait staff, but I have had this conversation with several wait staff myself. I have gotten varied replies. The majority that I have asked, preferred cash.

My advise... If you have a favorite place and keep getting the same staff, ask what they would prefer.

[morgana]

If I have any qualms about the staff not getting their tips for some reason, I make every effort to put the cash tip *directly* in their hands.

And may I sacrifice the rotisserie chicken I got from the grocery store last night? As an alternative to the rubber chicken I don't have?

[emax4]

Great question. I've often wondered about this myself. I tend not to carry a lot of cash on me and prefer to leave the tip on the credit card, but when they don't see a tip on the table I wonder if they believe that I wasn't happy with the service.

[bhskittykatt]

I usually pay by CC, but I've heard that many prefer cash. A former CW who worked at a bar said she liked being able to have some cash in her pocket at the end of the day.

Or is it more correct to just say Waitstaff or some other term nowadays?

They are the Food Bringers.

[Slave to the Phone]

When I was doing my stint in pizza land, the drivers all liked cash better than CC tips. Last Christmas, I went to get my hair cut at one of those mega places and my stylist came around the counter to hug me because I put the payment on my card and handed her cash.

So...I always give cash tips. As a smoker, I will eat/drink outside if possible. When that happens, I always hand the tip to the waitress personally, but if I'm inside, I will leave it on the table.

[Kiwi]

I always try to tip in cash if I have it on me. Just from friends who have been servers around here who have been ripped off by employers

[Racket_Man]

There are two sides of this question: shady and honest. and it depends on how the establishment handles CCs and tips. also bear in mind that places like Applebees and Chilis do have some sort of "tip-out" requirement for their servers

first off assume that a store automatically records and totals ALL tips given on a CC for each of its servers, bartenders, and others who get tipped out. this makes it eaiser for them and the govenment (the IRS) to insure "proper" tip claims. with computerised POS systems AND the big push for the government to get "all that is due them in taxes" AND enough IRS auditing of tipped employee and employers, it is important that all things be recorded.

Now to those of you who do not know that tiping out is here is a brief description. Tipping out is the "forced" practise of people other than your sever receiving part of the tip that you leave for your server. This includes bartenders, food runners, buspersons, etc. a small percentage of a servers total tips on a shift say 1% will be shared with the bartender for drinks, say another 1% will go to the food runner, etc.

For nice round numbers use this example: a server makes $100 in tips but only walks away with $90 - $94 because of the tipout requirement BUT has to claim that $100 in tips. but the others also have to claim the tipout tips as income.

now the honest side. techincally ALL tips need to claimed and reported both CC and cash. This also lends itself to keeping current as to what percentage of sales are reported as tips for each server AND the business as a whole. The IRS uses this as a "guide" when auditing busniesses and individuals for underreporting income.

The more shady side is: well technically all tips need to be reported but cash can be "hidden" as there is not a "record" of how much in tips were in cash. so if a server (or for that matter anyone who receives tips under the law) wishes to "under-report tips" cash is their friend.

[AccountingDrone]

We have been known to put the 'official' tip of 15% on the CC, and then add cash for extremely excellent service. When we do that, we prefer to give the cash part directly into our server's hands with our thanks for the service. Well, there have been a couple of times when we had an issue with the food, and tipped our server in cash and put nothing on the CC, and asked to speak with a manager about the food - but that is passing rare.

[Peppergirl]

Hey guys - great thread!

Just a note, though: Please keep this away from our thoughts and opinions on tipping practices.

So far, so good. Unfortunately, history has told us that tipping threads tend to get heated, so I wanted to drop a note and keep it from going that direction.

Carry on!

Thanks!

[Seshat]

Side note, to help avoid the 'why is tipping required' thread drift:

In the USA, many service employees are paid much less than minimum wage by their employer, and are expected to make it up in tips. So they may be paid $2/hour when minimum wage is $10/hour; and it's expected that the customers add 10% to 15% or even 20% of the bill as a tip.

In many other countries, service employees are paid a proper wage by their employer, and a tip is simply a monetary expression of thanks for a particularly good job.

Whether one system is 'better' or not, whether one system is 'right' or 'valid' or 'appropriate', is an issue for fratching.

This thread deals with what exists, not what 'should be'. Cool?

[Solumina]

Some places cash out credit tips at the end of a person's shift but at others those credit tips aren't received until payday/the end of the week/whenever. My friends who have worked at the first type of place don't seem to have a preference but in places where you have to wait for credit tips they almost always prefer cash.

[Merriweather]

Thanks to all who have posted, seems to be leaning towards cash being better/preferred by most people, will try to go that way when, karma willing, things get a bit back to normal around here and we can actually go out again.

Some of the info has been very interesting, it's good to know how things are done in various places, both the "on the up and up" practices and the "not so legit" practices as well. We all know things are not always done by the book, and that staff do sometimes get screwed over by their employers, so it's good to learn of these practices, so we (the customers) can do what we can to even the playing field a bit.

Thanks to mods for keeping an eye on what could be a volatile subject, and for allowing posts giving info that is good to know, but could cause dissent, and thanks to everyone for "not going there" as they say.

Oh, and for the record, a rotisserie chicken would be just fine for sacrifice, how could the gods not accept such a delicious offering (especially one from Costco, IMO, those are the absolute best, yum).

[Teysa]

I usually tip cash too. Although, I'm in the same boat you are right now Merriweather. Fast food is out of the question right now, much less going out to a sit down restaurant.

I'll keep you and my husband in my prayers. That he gets an even better job than before and that things start looking up for the both of you.