a tipped response

My last entry (hillary, not tipping is bad karma) is not a slam on Hillary. I would love it if we had a woman president. (Although my preferred woman president is Winona LaDuke.) It's more of a heads up to Senator Clinton and her campaign about compassion and good public relations. A reader commented, "I don't see why people are getting caught up about this, its only a tip for god sake! People make mistakes all the time, and I'm sure she simply forgot to make the tip!"

The waitress from Maid-Rite Anita Esterday when asked by the press said, "You people are really nuts. There's kids dying in the war, the price of oil right now -- there's better things in this world to be thinking about than who served Hillary Clinton at Maid-Rite and who got a tip and who didn't get a tip." She's right, There are important issues that the press should be focusing on than a tip. People are getting caught up in this because they don't like Hillary Clinton or they are people like me, who are or were a waitress/waiter/server/waitron.

Waitressing is a tough job. I've been a busgirl, waitress, cocktail waitress, and bartender. I know from experience what it means to work your ass off for tips. I haven't waitressed or had a tipped job in years but I know getting a tip is important. I never forget to leave a tip. Anyone who has had a tipped job will have this ethic. If you have a tip dependent job you earn minimum wage plus tips. Take into account that there is "non-tipped" work as well. For example; prep work, cleaning, restocking supplied, and break down (end of shift) work. If you work a six-hour shift you might have two hours of non-tipped work. That means you have four hours to make money. It's back breaking work. Waiting on people, attending to what they want, and whatever mood they may happen to be in. Basically putting up with a lot of bullshit. In an article in the New York Times The Waiter You Stiffed Has Not Forgotten one of the interviewees said, "I'd say waiting tables is one of the most stressful jobs you can have, short of being a firefighter or an inner-city police officer...You have no control over anything, but you are responsible for everything. You are always being squeezed by three immutable forces: the customer, the kitchen and the management." Very true.


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average waiter or waitress in the U.S. makes just over $17,000 per year including tips. The federal minimum wage is $5.85. For tipped employees its $2.13. According to The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), "it requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference." I wonder how that process would go - asking your employer to make up the difference of a lack of tips. Do you think you might get fired? hmm. Employers expect their tipped employees will earn tips. If they had to pay the difference they would cry all the way to Washington. Employers are expecting that you will leave a tip.


Looking at the press coverage of Hillary's tip
The U.S. culture is a celebrity culture. If you are a celebrity, which Hillary Clinton is, word gets around if you are a bad tipper. There are websites that expose the tipping practices of celebrities. The website stained apron has celebrity tipping list of good and bad tippers. In Doug Moe's article The Candidates need some tips on how to tip the waitress he says, "THIS ALL started Thursday when a waitress at a diner in Iowa went on National Public Radio and said that Hillary Clinton had failed to leave a tip after eating the diner's "loose meat sandwich" during a campaign stop in early October... The Clinton campaign fired back that they had indeed left a tip -- $100 on a total bill of $157." He goes on to discuss how restaurant etiquette can reveal character. Moe says, "Or if not character -- which is asking a lot where politicians are concerned -- it can at least reveal a candidate who is smart enough to act like he has character. Part of the deal is making sure the service people get tipped." Thinking back to when I was a waitress if there was a celebrity who ate at the restaurant or a large group as soon as they left the wait staff discussed how big or little the tip was. If I was Hillary or someone from her campaign I would have made it clear to the wait staff that a group tip was left. The wait staff is not stupid they know if there was a tip or not. I would have tipped the waitress at the counter separately and left a handwritten note thanking her for her time. Moe talks about Bill Clinton doing just that in 1988. From Bill Clinton's letter to a restaurant employee, "Dear Gus...I enjoyed meeting you and stopping by your restaurant when I went to Madison to speak at the Democratic fundraiser. Thank you for opening early for a group of hungry and thirsty Democrats. I always enjoy going to Wisconsin, and I certainly plan to go to Kosta's again for a meal on a future trip. I hope to see you again." The letter was signed Bill. Getting back to Hillary's tip and the importance of leaving a tip. A tip reflects how you treat someone. It's a cultural norm in America. I wish we didn't need to tip. I wish we had a national healthcare system so everyone had healthcare. I wish that everyone made a livable wage.



Back to the karma issue


In an article at Beliefnet Tipping Etiquette: It's Good Karma and Good Christianity Ken Gross talks about the importance from a Christian religious perspective and the good karma that comes with good tipping. Even if I have had bad service I tip. Hopefully it will make that person's day or life a little better.


If you have never had a tipped job you should try it. Even if it's a seasonal restaurant or bar job for a month. You would gain a new perspective on social communication and social structures. Like I said it's a very tough job but you learn a lot about people. You learn how to handle difficult situations. You learn the importance of how to leave a good tip and how to tip properly. 



And that is why it is important to tip.

check out these articles or websites
Waiting Tables And Still Waiting for a Raise
Drudgery: Gratuity Story Grows Gratuitous
waiter rant
shameless restaurants