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I know it's a cultural thing but in the UK a tip really is considered optional - there is no pressure from staff and they tend to be genuinely grateful when you do tip. The way I see it I wouldn't pay a tip for a meal at a McDonald's or Subway so unless I'm getting much better service I'll pay the face value. If a meal isn't satisfactory you're actually legally entitled not to pay for it or ask for a discount, though few people enforce this right.

Tipping should be an optional extra, not a mandatory minimum. The idea of applying it automatically to a bill is disgusting to me. However, I appreciate that things are different in the US - there tips are generally considered an obligation and for a pastor?of all people?to turn it down is pretty sleazy, especially when they seem to be bitter about paying money to God.

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Do you get paid full pay for your job? Most of the service type industry, restaurants, bars, delivery type jobs, ect... don't pay their workers minimum wage, they include the tips as part of that wage. Many of those places even pool the tips or share them with say the bus boy or kitchen help, which cuts more into someone's daily wage even more. So instead of just tip based on someone being hot or not, tip knowing that it's the right thing to do.

Doesn't that defeat the whole idea of "Minimum Wage"? There shouldn't be any technicalities to get around it. You should pay people the required legal minimum or above. Any Tips they receive along the way for excellent work should be because the customer feels they deserve it should be a bonus.

I know it's a cultural thing but in the UK a tip really is considered optional - there is no pressure from staff and they tend to be genuinely grateful when you do tip. The way I see it I wouldn't pay a tip for a meal at a McDonald's or Subway so unless I'm getting much better service I'll pay the face value. If a meal isn't satisfactory you're actually legally entitled not to pay for it or ask for a discount, though few people enforce this right.

Tipping should be an optional extra, not a mandatory minimum. The idea of applying it automatically to a bill is disgusting to me. However, I appreciate that things are different in the US - there tips are generally considered an obligation and for a pastor?of all people?to turn it down is pretty sleazy, especially when they seem to be bitter about paying money to God.

Thats because here in the UK they will make Minimum Wage or more. Minimum Wage is a flat law, there are no technicalities to get around it. The staff are paid for their services by the company, who get their money from the customers. Customers shouldn't have to make up their servers wages.

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You don't understand double standards huh?

Christianity is built upon helping the helpless, charity, giving to the poor, and essentially being selfless. This Christian ressembled none of those traits, but still flaunted that she was a "preacher".

If a chinese person only left 10% of a tip because that is what their culture does, they would be following what they believed. Christians believe 1 thing, then act a totally different way.

Learn the difference.

I agree with what you're saying. Like I said, I am not defending the person in the story. I'm merely pointing out the fact that, the moment anything religion is put in, anti-religious activists on this forum will immediately flaunt how much they hate it and everyone who believes differently. This is specifically in reference to the post I quoted. Why point out that 1 person who doesn't want to pay a "mandatory tip" (Ironic much) than millions of Christians around the world who give to charity, help the helpless, etc and say they hate all the people? Learn the difference -- and the context.

Either way, back on topic, as much as I hate tipping etiquette, I just treat it as a fee when I eat out. I feel rude if I tip less than required so I don't tip any more or any less than 15% regardless of service :s I have no idea why this person likes to say she is a pastor, etc, if I were her I'd just say I don't want to tip more than 10% and 18% mandatory is unacceptable, stand up, pay 10% and leave (Or just pay the full 18% and never come back).

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The people that don't make much money at their job chose that job, therefore the best "tip", is get a better job.

Same thing goes for me, I've always worked my @ss off for what I make and have envied those who make more and work less, but it's my fault for choosing to do what I do.

Problem solved. :no: :no:

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Doesn't that defeat the whole idea of "Minimum Wage"? There shouldn't be any technicalities to get around it. You should pay people the required legal minimum or above. Any Tips they receive along the way for excellent work should be because the customer feels they deserve it should be a bonus.

What should be and what is are not one in the same.

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If you read the article, the waitress who posted the receipt did so without revealing who the customer was or the waitress who served her. The only thing that MIGHT be considered revealing is the signature, but as the picture showed and she explained, it was too illegible to be of any use. No one found out who the customer was or anything.

Complete speculation. Any reasonable person would have considered this person's signature to be personally identifiable information because it is a stylized rendition of their name, as opposed to some people who simply write a cross or line.

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As someone who used to go to church, I can say that the whole "give 10%" thing is actually supposed to be 10% of your entire income that you would give to the church (god). In this case, we're talking about 18% of the cost of a single meal. So, the pastor obviously does not understand math, nor the point behind the percentages. That being said, mandatory tips are a stupid idea, IMO.

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It really is a cultural thing. I deal with people from all over the world and it really is only the Americans who tip well.

With the rest you have to be really lucky to get a tip.

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I say put a pair of dice on the table and if your so inclined to give a tip have the waiter or waitress roll the dice at the time the bill is presented. Each point is a percentage of the bill.

It pi**es me off when they automatically add a tip because of more then x amount in the party. Once it get to that point it is no longer a tip.

I noticed where I live at certain restaurants if you add a tip, and use your debit card, only the actual meal shows up on your account.

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I noticed where I live at certain restaurants if you add a tip, and use your debit card, only the actual meal shows up on your account.

Only while the transaction is still processing, which takes about 3 days. Once that is done the final amount is updated to include the tip.

The way it works is that the restaurant swipes your card to get you the bill. So BOA (for example) removes $10 from your account. Now when you add a $2 tip, your waiter goes back and modifies the purchase to include the tip (so your final bill is $12) but they don't swipe your card again because if they did you'd get charged twice. That modification only shows up once the transaction has cleared.

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was sitting here thinking, and it just occurred to me. Ask yourself, what are we tipping for? I feel everyone's answer is "good service" right? Well... when a waitress waiter is hired, are they hired for crappy service? isn't it implied they are hired for good service? why are patrons taxed extra to pay for something the worker should be doing anyways? Are the owners/managers ok with them NOT doing a good job?

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was sitting here thinking, and it just occurred to me. Ask yourself, what are we tipping for? I feel everyone's answer is "good service" right? Well... when a waitress waiter is hired, are they hired for crappy service? isn't it implied they are hired for good service? why are patrons taxed extra to pay for something the worker should be doing anyways? Are the owners/managers ok with them NOT doing a good job?

you tip because servers dont make any money otherwise. when i was a server i was making 2.50/hr so i needed my tips....that just the law in the states. if you guys want it to change then lobby your congressional reps.

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Most servers make a very low hourly wage, usually something like 25%-35% of minimum wage. They rely on that 20% tip to make a decent wage.

Most restaurants couldn't pay their servers what they make with tips, or they'd go out of business.

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Applebee?s fires waitress for exposing pastor?s ?give God 10%? no-tip receipt

A waitress says she was fired from her job at Applebee?s after posting a note from a pastor who refused to tip, writing that ?I give God 10% Why do you get 18.?

The waitress, who identified herself only as Chelsea, told The Consumerist that she originally posted the photo on the atheist section of social media website Reddit as a ?lighthearted joke.?

?I thought the note was insulting, but it was also comical,? she explained. ?I posted it to Reddit because I thought other users would find it entertaining.?

Source

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I guess her employers didn't find it as amusing as she did. She should have thought about that before she posted the note online.

So customers are allowed to complain but the employees ain't? I think this falls under freedom of speech.

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I tip at 15-20% when the service meets my expectations - properly prepared, good, hot food, and good, professional, attentive service. If not, I let the server know in a respectful way my disappointment and leave a lower tip. The very few times that has happened the server apologized.

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So customers are allowed to complain but the employees ain't? I think this falls under freedom of speech.

That's exactly the way it works. Welcome to the real world.

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That's exactly the way it works. Welcome to the real world.

except it's not the way it should work and just goes to show all the more how are system in the US is broken
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That's exactly the way it works. Welcome to the real world.

No No it doesn't, You don't act up in front of the customer, I've worked in retail. The rule is just don't get upset at the customer visibly or act up in front of the customer. So your misconception is not the real world.

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