Viewpoints Industry has noticed an important shift of
attitude in the restaurant industry.
Tipping is a strange tradition, with different guidelines from one
region to another. On the surface, it
seems to be a tax on diners which subsidizes already-wealthy restaurant
owners. They get away with paying their
employees much less than the accepted minimum wage on the assumption that the
bulk of the wait staff's income will be garnered from the generosity -- or the
desire to impress -- of individual customers.
And some restaurants grab a portion of all the tips that come in during
the evening. But in the long run, tipping
causes a lot of friction between waiters and diners that affects return business
at a level above mere menu and ambiance.
Viewpoints Industry notes that tipping could be the cause
of considerable unrest at restaurants.
The Viewpoints Industry TV show reports that the solution
for some restaurants is to include a 20% gratuity on the final bill. This can be problematic. Many high-end restaurants have done this in
the past, with the result that some customers, especially after a few drinks,
will not notice the additional item on the bill and automatically add another
tip on top of that. There is also the
question of tipping being voluntary and at the discretion of the customer. Tipping has somehow evolved from a reward for
good service to a mandatory fee along the lines of a fixed percentage, no
matter how good, bad or dismal the service has been. Of course, how voluntary is it when social
pressures dictate a predetermined amount?
Wouldn't the proper thing be for the restaurant industry to simply ban
tipping altogether and raise the menu prices to reflect a decent living wage
for the staff? It would then become like
shopping in any other kind of store: you
pay for what you get.
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