Quote:
Originally Posted by fdpaq0580
My whole point is really about wait service "requirements". In any given restaurant what would basic "C" grade service (what you are already paying the restaurant to provide so that you can enjoy the meal they provide?
What extra can the server do, over and above, to elevate your dining experience to a "B" grade, deserving of a commendation/tip?
What could you imagine a server , given there position in restaurant hierarchy, possibly do to warrant the waitstaff equivalent of a medal of excellence for "exemplary" service over and above the call of duty?
Spilled soup in your lap = D. Apologized = D+
What deserves an "F" ? We won't go there, but I won't be back.
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Very interesting point.
Let's assume you get your way and tipping is done away with. The restaurant raises prices to what is required to pay their servers and you know from the start what you will walk out spending. Let's say the food is great and the service is exceptional and you're happy to pay $120 for the two of you. Excellent, a win for the customer.
Okay, let's say the food is still good but the service is terrible. You wait ten minutes for your beverage and to order your meal and when it comes out it doesn't have the sides you ordered. Are you still happy to pay $120 for the two of you and consider it a win?
The way things are today, with tipping, you have options. The price on the menu would be at least 20% less (maybe more but let's keep things simple). If the service is great you can show your consideration with a 20% tip and walk out of there happy to be paying that same $120. However, if the service is poor then you can withhold part or all of that compensation and walk out paying less. You have options.
In both cases, if the food was bad you could send it back and perhaps walk out without paying anything at all. If you eat it you bought it but you can choose not to eat it. The service is a different story; it isn't likely that you could get to the end of the meal then complain about bad service and receive a discount. By the time the meal was over you have received/consumed/utilized the service but since there is no separate charge for service there is no separate amount to reduce. You wanted a set price for the meal, you ate the meal, now you pay that price whether the service was excellent or terrible.
So what are the elements of the service that warrant a 10%, 15%, or 20% tip? Today, we get to decide that for ourselves. If tipping is done away with, then the question is moot since the employee will be paid the maximum amount regardless of the quality of service he provides. Thinking about it that way, I'm a little more pro-tipping.