Wait staff paid directly by customers is different from payments processed opaquely by the employer. Consider if a server got paid tips based only on the number of customer smiles detected by the restaurant security cameras.
Tip amounts have always been about how much the customer enjoyed the service, hence the 10-25% tip ranges.
Customers have opaque expectations for service and pay their server based on the server’s gender, race, and age as well as quality of service that the server doesn’t even have control over (like if the kitchen was backed up).
A system counting smiles is basically what we currently have: instead of signaling with a smile, they signal with a tip amount.
Now there is pre-tipping, tipping for no discernible service, fake tip jars in places that aren't licensed for it, etc.
More people are becoming aware that, in the US anyway, the wage is reduced commensurate with expected tips, and so customers are more or less obligated to supplement wages, and avoid offending servers, unless we don't want to be served at all.
itake|1 year ago
Customers have opaque expectations for service and pay their server based on the server’s gender, race, and age as well as quality of service that the server doesn’t even have control over (like if the kitchen was backed up).
A system counting smiles is basically what we currently have: instead of signaling with a smile, they signal with a tip amount.
freejazz|1 year ago
AStonesThrow|1 year ago
Now there is pre-tipping, tipping for no discernible service, fake tip jars in places that aren't licensed for it, etc.
More people are becoming aware that, in the US anyway, the wage is reduced commensurate with expected tips, and so customers are more or less obligated to supplement wages, and avoid offending servers, unless we don't want to be served at all.