The government taxes servers based on the sales they accrued during their shift. The government takes the total sales from each servers sales report, ASSUMES they make 18% and then taxes them based on that assumption. Most servers make in the 2-3$ range am hour, and by the time they pay taxes on their sales/tips, they usually don't have a check left over. In addition, most end up owing the government at the end of the year. Its actually very easy for the government to track. So trust me, servers are doing their part when it comes to paying taxes.

Do yourself and your server/bartender a favor and tip. Many of these people are young, uneducated people who are trying to finance their way through school, or a single mother who is just trying to feed her kids. Serving also lays a foundation and build skills, such as working with others, customer service, and public speaking, that can be used to excel in all other fields of work.I tip even when the service isn't great, mostly cuz karma is a mofo,and because I appreciate the fact these kids are out hustling and grinding to get by instead of sitting on their behinds.

Quit being cheap mofo's and tip 20%, and know that you made a difference in someones life, probably put food on the table of some kid or clothes on his/her back, or helped pay for a textbook for some kid who can't get financial aid.

God = not a real thing
Thigpen = TOO REAL FOR THE WORLD TO FULLY COMPREHEND

If he's sheltered, it's probably because of his religious upbringing, so...

Why is it that this attitude is reserved for wait staff? I've never really understood that. Do you go into a book store, and feel obligated to be extra nice to the lady behind the counter because she might be a debt-riddled college student? How about a gas station attendant? Do you ever feel obligated to give them a tip because they might be financially insecure? You could make a difference in that gas station attendant's life too. How about those grocery clerks that might be trying to feed their kids? Bank tellers? Construction workers?

Those jobs are all filled by single mothers and college students too. Why don't we make any effort to make a financial difference in their lives?

Restaurants could easily find a better way to ensure that their employees receive consistent income. But instead, we're given a sob story about how poorly waitstaff has it, and why we should tip better.

I'm catholic and yes for a party like that you should give tips.

The Pastor's portion was a rather large percentage of the total bill, telling.

it's just how the restaurant business is. It's structured so that money from tips pays all front of house employees and the owner of the restaurant only has to pay them $2 per hour. Don't like it? then don't support this type of business.

Servers only make about 2/3 of the tips they do get too. The money starts with the Servers and filters down to the bus boys.

Depending on the restaurant and the tip out policies, some restaurants make you tip out the bar based on 3% of sales and expo's and bus boys get 2% of sales. Or more at some places and some places don't pay hosts either and they are compensated by the servers too.

So if a server makes $200 in tips on $1000 in sales.

3% to bar = $30
2% to expos = $20
2% to bussers = $20

then the server goes home with $130.

It depends on the company though, the tip out structures might be a little more or less at other places but that's about the norm.

Yeah, that was how it worked at the TGI Fridays I used to work at back in the day. It really sucked for the support staff (bussers, hosts, food runners) because they just got paid like shit when all was said and done. They paid the cooks pretty well though, from what I saw. I knew one guy that only worked there for a year or so and was making $12 an hour. They had guys in that kitchen that had been there for 15 years; but I don't know how much they were making. They were all Haitian and Mexican back there. No American would ever last longer than a couple months or so..

But back to your post, I could never truly feel sorry for the servers at my store. If you were in a good section and working a closing shift, you'd walk out with $300 easy. Shit, you'd make $100 in a shitty section getting cut first. That store was busy as **** though. It was right next to Disney World so in the summer months it got absolutely ****ing ridiculous. They used to say it was the busiest Fridays in the country.

Ok, so take that 18% and instead of hoping the patrons leave that as a consistent tip, and give it straight to the wait staff. Ok they get an 18% lift in income, so now they make $3.54/hr instead of $3.00 for that table. Now guess what, the bus staff, host staff, and bar staff don't get tips either, so now they need 18% per check. so how many tables at one time to get 18% from each to make a decent wage?

Your food cost will skyrocket, and still these folks won't make much money.

The ironic thing is that he gives the church 10% of his income which, in turn, is used to pay his wages.

If he's as big a doucher as it is suggested, he probably should hold on to that because I'm sure his offering plate isn't exactly overflowing.

well of course you can. But some companies, like successful ones, stick to policy at all times.

First off, let me say I have no problem with tipping. I dont fall into the stereotypical black man that doesnt tip category...I tip well. But I'm tired of hearing about waiters and waitresses not making shit. Ive dated several waitresses in my day and all of them made more money than me with no education than I do with a college degree. And they ALL cheated on their taxes by only reporting about half.

My tips are between 18-30%, depending on the service. There are times when I didn't think the server was worth the 18%, but I put my money down anyway. Most of those folks depend on tips and, in many places, have to split their tips with the busmen, cooks, and bartender.
But I guess what chaps my cheeks more than anything else is the 2-pronged holier than thou approach of the patron. First of all, I don't give a damn that you give your God 10%. A lot of people do that and don't have to toot their horn about it. Secondly, why did he have to sign his name "Pastor"? Did he expect that to give him a pass on tipping? That term, at least in my mind, brings up an image of some Bible-thumping redneck that went to Bob Jones U or some equally repressed institution. The term "pastor" is normally used by a parishoner to describe his or her spritual leader. It's not a term you bestow on yourself. I gotta tell you, if this was my pastor and I saw that kind of rudeness, I'd be looking for another church before I left the table.

Yep, that is how I do it too. I get tired of people using the inflation excuse too because your tip already accounts for inflation.

Yeah, I am no fan of the auto tip for large parties because if the waiter gives you shitty service you can't do anything about it.