If companies are producing record profits, the economy is recovering nicely, CEOs are making record growth, but median salaries are stagnant, then why is tipping still such an integral part of our society? I was reading this article about tipping, and while I categorize myself as a good tipper as well (having worked in food service for a while after my school days), I am now beginning to wonder why we are offsetting salaries for tips when were in an environment of such wealth growth at the top, but lack of growth for the rest of us. If you are making $40k/yr (the median salary in the nation) why are you tipping a bellboy who should be paid more by the hotel who is making record profits and has 100 locations? Socially, we feel inclined to tip so that we dont seem like a jackass. We also sometimes do it to reward hard work. But, ultimately this should be the job of the employer at say, bonus time, or as incentive to retain an employee who is not underperforming. And the customer should always be getting good service regardless of tip size. Imagine, as a business owner, that your employees are not performing well just because the clientele isnt tipping boisterously. Youd be furious, wouldnt you? Now I certainly feel that employers should be paying living wages, so that the burden for the remaining wage isnt on the customer directly, but somehow employers have an edge over this. They announce a job opening at a particular salary with a promise of tips. The employee needs to take it or leave it. But as customers we have more control over this issue, however touchy the subject might be socially. In the short run, it hurts the employee to undertip (unless it was rightly done due to underperformance). In the long run, it might reseat the responsibility back on the employer. Unfortunately, wed all need to simultaneously do this for it to ever be effective; otherwise we are individually just self-righteous jackasses. It angers me that companies arent taking responsibility for this. But for now Ill keep tipping well as long as I can afford it and the service stays excellent.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 23:06:32 +0000
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