The business model of some restaurants here, contributes to high turnover. I posted somewhere else in ToTV about this. If you enjoy the food, and want the place to succeed, and want the employees to be glad to work there and express that via excellent customer service, then tip them separately with cash. You don't have to overtip them. You can still do the ACTUAL standard (not the artificially inflated standard created by egotistical men who think flaunting their wealth gets dates)...
15% = did their job correctly, gave the minimal expected customer service. Passed the buck immediately to management on any/all challenges.
18% = did their job well, and gave an attentive, positive experience to their customers. Attempted to handle challenges politely and professionally - escalated only if the customer was still dissatisfied.
20% = was outstanding in every way, especially if they overcame challenges in a positive manner without needing to involve management.
If they were anything less than 15% then tip nothing, and tell the manager why.
But tip in CASH. Reason:
Many of these places require that employees pool their tips. If you pay by credit card, they never see the tip until their paycheck 1-2 weeks later. And they don't get to do the tallying themselves. They get whatever the manager tells them they got, there's no accountability. The AVERAGE pay for wait staff is $10 per hour INCLUDING tips - because Florida law allows the restaurant owner to pay LESS than minimum wage, and then add the tips on top of it. As long as that total comes to $10 or more, the restaurant owner can just pay the minimum. If it is under $10 they have to add to it until it becomes $10.
Imagine your ACTUAL earnings in tips was $100 for one shift, and you worked 5 hours. You earned $20/hour on top of your minimum wage. YOU earned that money. But the restaurant owner takes the $100 and splits it between all employees. The only people who the owner can pay less than minimum, are the ones who are expected to earn the tips. The bus boys, cooks, hostess - they all earn minimum wage because they don't receive tips from customers.
But the manager will split YOUR $100 among all those other people. If you're lucky you'll get $20 of that $100 that you earned.
If you pay the wait staff directly, in cash, they can pocket the whole thing. They earned it, it's theirs. That makes for happier wait staff who are sincerely glad that YOU (as opposed to anyone else) came in. YOU will be treated better next time. It's more likely the turn-around in the place will be less, the standard of care they provide to their customers will be higher, their overall satisfaction with the job will be higher, and the restaurant will prosper more.
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