Restaurants are not the only place where a percentage of the sale goes to the person taking the order.
Most of the time, if you buy a product or service, and there is a person in the loop taking your order, that person is getting paid a percentage. And its not based on how many hours they work, but on how big the bill is. Many many businesses and industries work that way. Everyone in the world is not paid by the hour or on salary.
In other businesses we would call it an incentive or a bonus or a commission and bury the cost in the price of the product or service. But restaurants call it a TIP and customers pay it directly and control the amount
A TIP is viewed as an entirely different thing than a sales commission. But at the end of the day its the same result. The employees is getting a low base and a percentage of the restaurant's revenue associated with their effort.
Its not like tipping a hotel Ballman or a Valet where you tip based on how many bags they carry, or that they brought you your undamaged car promptly. Its instead a percentage of the bill. So it is really a TIP? I would say its just a sales commission in Sheep's clothing. Which is fine.
The other thing about restaurants is that many view waiting tables as a menial position or a job for kids and therefore not deserving of a high rate of pay. The thought is that Server should be paid a "living wage" maybe a few bucks above the minimum and by the hour. The fact that they asked me if a want a cocktail and told me the special doesn't make them a salesperson. To that I would say you control the TIP amount. It is only social pressure that is pushing it higher. You have that power in a restaurant, which you don't in other businesses.
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