Re: Why do blacks not tip?

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003, Bob LeChevalier wrote:

> Chico <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >> Duh.  Key word there "subsidized housing".  If they had lots of money,
> >> they might tip.  Without lots of money, they pay no more than they are
> >> required to pay.
> >
> >They are parasites.
>
> All of us are parasites, living off of the good will of others.
>
> >If they are lacking money, they should be buying
> >$13 worth of groceries instead of a $13 pizza from Domino's.
>
> Perhaps.  Pizza has a reasonably good balance of nutritional values,
> and take out spares them the time needed to shop and prepare food,
> time that a single parent may not have.
>
> >They are
> >leeching from the delivery driver just as they are leeching from the
> >taxpayers.
>
> Dominos offers "free delivery" the last I heard.  Maybe they, like
> others, think that something that is advertised as "free" should BE
> free.  Dominos has added more than 15% to its prices to cover the cost
> of delivery; THEY should pay you (and they do).  It isn't like you are
> really delivering the pizza with the intent of serving the customer -
> you are merely doing it to make money.

Black/white aside, much of that money comes from the tips. And
having an inside, I can tell you that in some places, drivers keep
track of who tips and who doesn't... and those on the stiff list
wait the longest for their pizzas.

It is an absolute rule in our house -- if we don't have the money
on hand to include a tip, we don't order pizza unless we go get it
ourselves. I was a waitress depending on tips for my main income
too long to stiff service people. Even in college I knew
to tip because my parents taught me. And my kids know the rules
today. Not too long ago at all I overheard my daughter and her
friends trying to scrounge up enough money to call for a pizza.
When they reached the magic amount my daughter spoke up, "But
we need more for a tip!"


> Personally, I think that the whole culture of tipping should be
> discarded.  If it is expected, then it isn't really a tip, and should
> be part of the price of the meal - let the restaurant pay you and this
> makes sure that Uncle Sam gets his share (which he probably doesn't
> otherwise).

Well, I'd have been happy to do away with the custom tho I don't
see it as automatic. When I tip, I generally base that tip on the
service received. My starting point is 15%. I go up or down from
there. But as I said, I'd have been happy to do away with it --
providing my employer paid me a comparable wage. Unfortunately,
that would price most people out of the ability to dine out and
greatly reduce the number waiter/waitress jobs available.


> If someone delivers SUPERIOR service, a generous tip is in order, and
> then a tip would be a compliment.  But for everyday service, tips
> should be neither necessary nor expected, but the employer should pay
> properly for the employees services.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't have the power to change that culture.
>
> Nowadays, not being poor, I tend to tip generously, but try to avoid
> deliveries and such where a tip is expected.  But when I do, if you
> deliver my pizza slow, or otherwise render substandard personal
> service, expect a one penny tip from me because your service wasn't
> worth two cents.

Tipped personnel pay taxes on a minimum of 8% of their sales whether
they receive that money or not. In high end joints, they'll up that
figure. The last few years I waitressed I never received a pay check.
I owed so much in taxes each pay period that I wrote a check to my
employer. Anyway, knowing this, my method for poor service is a bit
different. Again, I start at 15% for good service. 20% is my standard
for excellent service (tho I've been known to leave more). 8% is my
standard for mediocre service. If service is so bad that I am compelled to
leave nothing I require myself to tell someone why because service that
bad is worthy of complaint. Otherwise, the diner just looks cheap. I
want them to know why I did what I did.