I figure that I give over $3000 per year in tips

[kraft-t]

Which is pretty much a gift so that businesses don't have to pay their help a living wage.

Don't you wish you had to rely on the generosity of your customers to feed your family?

[Flatland Hillbilly]

No worry's Krafty.... Obongo has created millions of shovel ready jobs....."the good paying jobs"....remember? No one should have to support a family on a waitress job but you just had to have that hope and change.

[Samnospam]

It would be added directly to the price of your meal, and you'd have to pay tax on it to.    

[Husker-J]

You do realize, that it is Federal law, that waiters and waitresses MUST recieve minimum wage, or more, after tips.

So, if no one tipped them, their employer would be required to make up the difference, to at least minimum wage.

On the other hand, any tip income above and beyond, the employee gets to keep.   Also, if a State or municipality has a higher than Federal minimum wage, they get the greater amount.

So, exactly, what are you railing against? 

Here is a link, directly from the Department of Labor:

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees.  An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.

Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employee is entitled to the provisions which provides the greater benefits.

[BA Deere]

There! I said it and Goll darn it the rest of you are thinking it...so grow up!  🙂

Here`s one restaurant that banned tipping, gave their waiteresses a 18% and guess what?  The service got better!    http://qz.com/113597/after-i-banned-tipping-at-my-restaurant-the-service-got-better-and-we-made-more...  

Here`s my problem, most waiters are going to do the best they can, if they do any more they bother me and look like they are pandering for a bigger tip.  I`m a schmuck, I`m gonna give 20% unless the service is worse than I`ve ever had.  If we know the waiter, they are going to get a bigger still tip.

Alot of things come into play, what if the service is great but the food isn`t?  The waiter can`t help that.   Also, I`m at the mercy of the waiter`s experience from their last customer, if it was bad they probably take it out on me.  🙂    But then the customer after me gets the Karma from my generosity. 

So, yah pay the waiters better, ban tipping and make my life a hell of alot simplier  🙂

[bruce MN]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38