An anthology of writers on the subject of tipping. READERS WILL DISCOVER:
HOW TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL TIPPING PERSONA
Tipping experiences are irreversible. Once they occur, they help shape future tips. The author provides several situations that have shaped his tipping persona: the single bill for a group, the service charge, discovering God's way of handling money, and gaming.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL ACROSS TOWN, THROUGHOUT THE USA, OR FOREIGN COUNTRIES, YOU WILL ENCOUNTER A MULTITUDE OF TIPPING SITUATIONS
Your service expectations will be challenged by a variety of service workers, leaving you to decide who, when and how much to tip.
HOW TO DEAL WITH TIPPING AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
Foreign currencies, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the foreign currency, service worker expectations in foreign facilities, and government tipping restrictions in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific and Asia, North America, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
LEGAL ASPECTS OF TIPPING
The US Department of Labor is revising Federal Regulations, IRS is investigating Hotel Workers Unreported pay, Supreme Court is hearing S.F. Italian restaurant case, Form 4070 Employees Report of Tips to Employer, and Form 4070A Employees Daily Record of Tips
THERE IS NO LAW THAT REQUIRES CUSTOMERS TO TIP SERVICE WORKERS, SO WHY TIP?
The author spent four months traveling across the US interviewing service workers and their employers. Chapter 5 provides the employee focus on tipping and its relationship to the service workers' standard of living.
FOR MANY OF US THE ISSUE IS WHO TO TIP, WHEN AND HOW MUCH
A great deal of tipping depends on the consumer expectations of service. If the consumer is quite demanding and requires special requests, a higher tip percentage should be considered. Otherwise, start at 10% and go up from there depending on the quality of service.
WHY SERVERS CHOOSE THIS LINE OF WORK
The focus on why service workers choose this line of work varies from worker to worker: service is a good job; the income can provide for a certain standard of living; the income can underwrite the cost of books and tuition at a school; it is the major entry level job in the business world; single mothers have to earn their own way; they find customers interesting, especially children of regular customers.
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE TIP IS 14.4%
Consumers leave cash tips at the table when they leave, or add the amount of the tip to a charge card. Some establishments have the computer estimate the amount of the tip at 15, 18 and 20% as a service to the consumer who makes the ultimate tip decision. IRS indicates that upon audit, tips on credit cards are accurately reported whereas cash tips are underreported.
THE AUTHOR USES A MINIMUM TIP OF 10% FOR ANY SERVICE, WHETHER THE SERVICE IS GOOD OR BAD
The author would rather give a minimum tip of 10% just for having the server get out of bed and report for work. Otherwise he would have to bus the table, set it up, order the food, carry it to the table, calculate the charges, all of which he doesn't want to do. Or, carry luggage to a hotel. Or, carry a recliner from the second floor when moving. Or, create a new hairdo. One tips for this individual service.
THE TIP PERCENTAGE CAN GO UP AS SERVERS PROVIDE KNOWLEDGEABLE, ATTENTIVE, FRIENDLY SERVICE AND PROVIDE FOR SPECIAL REQUESTS
A chart is provided to assist the reader to set priorities for different percentages of tips.
WHY SERVICE WORKERS SEEK TIPS TO AUGMENT MINIMUM WAGES WHICH CAN BE AS LOW AS $2.13 PER HOUR.
2 to 4 million service workers work for nothing. The author finds that to be un-American. If one works, one should be fairly compensated for one's work, according to the author. However when asked the question "If you had the choice of being paid $12 to $15 per hour and no tips, vs. a minimum wage and tips, which would you prefer?" 92% of those