A couple of years ago, my wife and I went to Shenanigans and had a bad experience with a bartender. We sat down at the bar to have some drinks and it turned out they had specials that night for $1.00 well drinks before 12am. After the first round of drinks, I ordered a 2nd round. As we drank our cocktails my wife asked me if they knew how to make a traditional drink in Mexico called called Medias de Seda. I leaned towards the bartender and asked “Hey, do you know how to make a Medias de Seda?” and the bartender grabs her little tip jar and somewhat slams it in front of my wife and I and yells “I CAN MAKE ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO MAKE, BUT YOU HAVE TO TIP!” My wife and I looked at each other, like what the hell just happened? I mean sure I didn’t tip after the first round, but I had a tab open and normally if I am going to tip, I do so in the very end when I get my receipt. My wife started restraining me since she already knew what was going to happen, and as all of you know already , I’m not one to hold back. I asked for my receipt and it was about $4.00 in total, I figured give or take a 20% gratuity is appreciated so I happened to have some spare change in my pocket and took out 3 quarters and a nickel ($0.80) and left it on the counter and called the Bartender and said “YOU WANTED YOUR TIP, HERE IT IS” and slid the change in front of her face to which she replied “I don’t need your change” and left the money on the counter. I couldn’t leave without making a statement so I said out loud “PUES QUIEN TE ENTIENDE, QUIERES TIP Y LUEGO TE LO DAN Y NO LO QUIERES, THAT IS 20% TIP RIGHT THERE” and took off, the look on her face was priceless.
So this leads to a bigger question, why do we have to tip? I have my full time job working at home doing technical support, but on occasion I do side jobs and fix computers for people and when I charge them, I don’t expect a tip or should the customer tip me also? After all a bartender is performing a service in filling your drink the same way I am performing a service in fixing your computer, so shouldn’t I get tips too? My work requires more knowledge and years of experience to take care of an issue as opposed to a bartender just opening my beer and serving it to me, but of course mixed drinks require extra liquors and know how in mixing them but this is why they cost more in the first place.
Tipping originated somewhere in England during the late 1700s and there was a jar typically with the wording “To insure promptitude” or TiP. People who tipped received faster service than those who didn’t tip. The practice then spread through out Europe and wealthy Americans who were visiting saw this and took the custom back home. Now a days we have grown accustomed to tipping our food delivery drivers, our barbers, valet drivers, taxi cab drivers, even when you have to go to the restroom and urinate you have to tip the guy at some bars just to open the faucet … list goes on.
The U.S. Department of Labor only requires employers to pay tipped employees the minimum of minimums at $2.13 per hour and the rest of their wages being paid by the patrons. If the employee’s tips combined with the employer’s direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. When you go to Whataburger, at least the ones I’ve been to in Brownsville you order a meal and get a number and sit down and place that number on you’re table, when you’re food is ready a person drops off the food, hands you napkins, and asks you if you want ketchup or salt & pepper but they don’t get tips as going to a restaurant and ordering, although they did the same thing and served your food to the table.
I think personally employers should just pay their employees a good wage so that tipping isn’t necessary and make the customers feel uncomfortable when doing so, because let’s be honest why should you pay more when you really don’t have to? I know many friends in the food and service industry and will probably tell me I’m dumb but that is what I think so, I’ll take the heat for it. Let me know your opinion.
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