Do you get to keep your tips?
Question for all you servers/bartenders/counter staff- Ever since Covid shutdowns in 2020 we’ve been focused on tipping people a lot more, typically 50-100% of a tab. We’ve wanted to try to put some extra cash in the pockets of those who are working so hard to keep our tourists happy (satisfied?) and are fighting increasing rent costs and general COL. And of course we want to show appreciation to the person that’s worked to put our meal and drinks in front of us too. But I’ve read in a few places recently that some restaurants in our fine town are now pooling tips and using them to pay out BOH staff, etc (which I fully believe they deserve more pay too) - am I reading this right? So now I wonder, if I tip generously, do you actually get to keep it? Or am I just providing extra operating cash that a restaurant manager/owner is using to offset their bottom line of paying their staff a fair wage? I really don’t want to drag any specific businesses here, just more get a sense of what’s happening when we tip someone generously. I wonder if we would actually be better helping others in our community by donating that money to a local charity or something instead (which we also do but with tips it’s nice to know you’re giving it to that person). Advice? Is there a better way to show staff our appreciation?
Posted Mar 27, 2022, 10:56 PM UTC
This isn't happening everywhere. I am beyond thankful for the generosity locals have shown me these last couple of years. I would have drown without it.
I've been at my spot for several years. Had they demanded we switch to this system I would have walked out immediately.
I say this just reassure you that not all of your favorite local spots are crooked. Some restaurant owners fought really hard to protect their people and see their staff through the madness.
Where I work, we adapted through every phase. Our management worked hard to make sure employees and customers felt safe and comfortable. We saw a lot of changes, and some of those changes were HUGE. Through all that, ownership and management fought hard for us.
Don't give up on the workforce either. Sure, this is happening in a couple places, but those servers are probably planning their way out. Whatever they can manage to salvage away in the meantime is still helpful.
As a local server, I'll take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of you who helped the independent restaurant industry get through. You guys made sure I was able to buy groceries, and pay for parking downtown while I work.
Yeah, I'd never work in a pooled environment. There's been more than enough people I've worked with that did the bare minimum, and I wouldn't be happy with giving them a share of my hard work.
I haven't lived in Asheville in a very long time but I'll assume the fed. min wage for servers is still something dumb AF like 2.13/hr (that's what it was when I lived and worked in AVL back in the day) so tips were crucial to my survival. I live in Portland now and the pandemic has caused a lot of business owners to stop and rethink how they do things. A local restaraunt moved away from traditional "serving" to a new model. There are still servers, but no single server is assigned to you (sections). One person will seat you, another face will take drink orders and make suggestion, a different face will check in for food orders, so on and so forth. They all take part in food running and table clearing. They all work in unison touching every table like a hive mind. It's actually brilliant to witness how efficient it really is. In stead of tips (which we're still allowed to leave in cash if we want) they started a "service fee" which is 22% of every bill - and that money is then pumped into an account that funds decent USABLE health insurance for each and every employee at no cost to the employee, AND allows them to pay employees 25/hour. I don't know the ins and outs, but it was successful enough that other restaraunts are now exploring the same model. Not sure why I'm posting this here - maybe in hopes a restaraunt owner in AVL will see it, and wonder what restaraunt is doing this. It's called Kachka and now that I've actually looked at their website, there is a link that explains how and why they're able to do this. Hopefully this catches on nation wide.
I'd be more open to a situation like that, but the models I've seen is where people are assigned sections, and the tips are pulled either per shift, day, or week, then divided by number of hours worked. And in those situations the server is paid the minimum per hour, then whatever is on top of that. That's where the distrust comes in, not only from coworkers who you may think aren't pulling their weight, pocketing tips, or taking extra time to do side work, etc etc, you also have to contend with management and how they handle the money. I've worked in at least two places where managers got caught stealing money from support staff, either bar-backs or bussers, which is dirt dog, and I'm convinced it happens a lot more than that. It has happened to me as a bartender for special events and other things, but I was never able to prove because I wasn't there to count the money. Either way, it only takes a few bad experiences and then there's doubt therefore no trust, going into these things. My SO worked a day that wine bar downtown, and found out the bar manager takes a cut of the pooled tips, and she noped-the-fuck-out of there on her first day.
And this is what we wonder about - if tips are being taken inappropriately by managers on up for profit or just to get them some extra cash personally. And I can see the point about resentment in the staff if others aren’t pulling their weight but still get the same share.
I would go for this. I prefer the transparency of knowing how I’m supporting staff vs the unsettling thought that our tips are being used to increase profits for the restaurant owner.