Rachael Ray's $40 a day and her tipping!!!

[Tiffer]

I always leave at least 20% and that's on the total bill, tax included. I'll even toss $1.00 into the tip jar at Dunkin Donuts if I only get a cup of coffee. It's probably why I'm broke all the time .

This ounds like me! I do draw the line at a expensive botle of wine. I am not tipping another 20% on a bottle of wine that is $14.99 in Costco and $64 in the restaurant!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Restaurants could pay the servers more per hour and tell their patrons tipping is not expected as the servers were now being paid a set amount per hour. But then, they would just raise the menu prices or roll the cost to them into something else that the customer would have to pay for . I don't see any reasonable solution as the restaurants don't want to have to pay the servers and keep the menu prices the same and a lot of restaurant customers think tipping has gotten out of hand. I was a server at several different restaurants when I graduated high school never making more than $2.15 an hour, but out of all of the jobs I have had (and I've had A LOT) it is by the far the hardest job I ever had, not so much the work but dealing with the customers.

 

[shortbun]

... I was a server at several different restaurants when I graduated high school never making more than $2.15 an hour, but out of all of the jobs I have had (and I've had A LOT) it is by the far the hardest job I ever had, not so much the work but dealing with the customers.

Hardest job I've ever had too, Neverland. I've cleaned toilets,I've been a travel agent to prima dona executives(really, I do NOT control the weather nor am I responsible for your drug addicted wife finding you with your mistress), I now drive an inner city urban school bus(found a knife on my bus last week, a big one). I would NEVER go back to waiting tables unless it was a last resort. People are pigs in restaurants. Drunks, arrogants, obssessive compulsives and on and on; none of them tip well and all that for getting paid below minimum wage. Oh, and those of you who thing you are easy to wait on... usually are not. Have I told you about the man who tried to carry me out of the restaurant, he was drunk. My manager had to call the police. No tip from that guy either. He threw me over his shoulder. Memories.

 

[Poohbear123]

Steak and Shake, the bill was $17.55 and I left $2.50 was that enough?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have one of her books and she says she leaves the industry standard (10-15% I think). She says she would love to leave more, but that isn't the standard and until it is raised...for the show that is what she will leave.

IRL she leaves more.

 

[MzDiz]

If the menu prices are going up, then their tip would go up too, no matter what the % is. If I tip 10% on a $10 meal thats $1. If the meal is now $15 then I now get $1.50. A percentage is a percentage.

Sure, a percentage is a percentage, but if you're still making $2.52 an hour, and factoring in inflation, you're making less if the tip rate stays at 10%

 

[MrsPete]

Ah, but here's why - server minimum wage hasn't changed in that time. When I had my first waitressing job almost 18 years ago, the server minimum wage was 2.52 an hour. Know what it is now? 2.52 an hour. However, the prices on the menu are going up. So if a server is paying taxes based on total sales, they are making less than they were 20 years ago by keeping the tip at 10%.
So while it's not your responsibility to make sure someone's wages are adequate, that's the reason why 20% has become almost standard. It's a problem the restaurant industry really needs to deal with.

Nope. That excuse doesn't hold water -- tips are based upon percentages, not server's wage. Consider:

Let's suppose that a steak in 1980 cost $10. A 10% tip would've been $1, a 15% tip would've been $1.50, and a 20% tip would've been $2.

If that steak rose to $15 in 1990, the tip would automatically increase as well: A 10% tip would now be $1.50, a 15% tip would now be $2.25, and a 20% tip would now be $3.

If by 2006 that same steak increased to $20, the tip would be doubled to $2, $3, and $4 respectively.

So the wait staff's tips have increased in proportion to the menu. For all practical purposes, they are a separate issue from that of the wait staff wage.

I haven't waited tables in 20 years, but I rarely ever "came up short" on my tips, and I often made really big money (for a non-professional job).

 

[MrsPete]

Sure, a percentage is a percentage, but if you're still making $2.52 an hour, and factoring in inflation, you're making less if the tip rate stays at 10%

No, you're not grasping the idea of a percentage.

 

[MzDiz]

No, you're not grasping the idea of a percentage.

And you're completely missing my point. But thanks for letting me know that I don't understand percentages!

 

[MzDiz]

Nope. That excuse doesn't hold water -- tips are based upon percentages, not server's wage. Consider:

Let's suppose that a steak in 1980 cost $10. A 10% tip would've been $1, a 15% tip would've been $1.50, and a 20% tip would've been $2.

If that steak rose to $15 in 1990, the tip would automatically increase as well: A 10% tip would now be $1.50, a 15% tip would now be $2.25, and a 20% tip would now be $3.

If by 2006 that same steak increased to $20, the tip would be doubled to $2, $3, and $4 respectively.

So the wait staff's tips have increased in proportion to the menu. For all practical purposes, they are a separate issue from that of the wait staff wage.

I haven't waited tables in 20 years, but I rarely ever "came up short" on my tips, and I often made really big money (for a non-professional job).

This is amusing, you really have no idea what I was talking about. Thanks for the math though.

 

[CarolA]

She's not even paying for the meal per se so she is not really leaving that tip. What she is doing is showing how it could be done on $40.00 a day including a baisc minimum of a 15 % tip. I'm sure the places she eats at get well paid for their troubles. It must be very disrupting to have her whole crew and cameras all over the place.

They don't get paid and they LOVE to have her... I have a friend whose resturant was on the show.... Worth it's weight in GOLD (I never asked if Rachel really paid, but he would have paid her! Plus even if his server didn't get a big tip, the server's family loved seeing him on TV which is good for something!)

 

[babytrees]

I watchin $40 a day, and I can't believe how low she tips! I know she is on a budget and her lunch only cost $9, but she only left $1.35 tip! I can't believe anyone would leave under $2!!!!! I hope she or her crew gives the server more when they leave that isn't apart of her $40 budget!

Anyone else think that's low?

I've seen her leave a smaller tip on a bigger bill....15% just doesn't seem right. My mom's motto is it's $2 and nothing less.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I always leave at least 20% and that's on the total bill, tax included. I'll even toss $1.00 into the tip jar at Dunkin Donuts if I only get a cup of coffee. It's probably why I'm broke all the time .

I do that too..... but it pays off once in a while. Sometimes, if I go in right before closing, and they recognize me, I walk out with about $25 - $50 of stuff they were just going to throw away, but is still reaally fresh. So, I "feed" the neighbors!