Sheldon wrote:

> Who decides what's a proper wage? With your system there is no
> incentive for service occupations to do a lick more than they can get
> away with... I've been to parts of europe where tipping was not the
> norm, decent service was non-existant, not to mention rude, did I say
> *rude*.

I have been to places in US and Canada where tips are expected and service was
slow, sloppy and sometimes rude. I have been to places in Europe where tips
are not expected, service usually being included in the price, and the service
was excellent. So many of us are so intimidated about tipping that we leave
at least 15% even if service was rotten, more if it was acceptable. In those
parts of Europe where service is included, it is still in the waiter's
interest to bring food quickly and to push more food and drink sales. I just
don't buy the argument that tipping ensures better service.

> In the US an ambitious hard working wait person can earn a
> very good living, on par with white collar salaries, often much better.
> On the other hand those who are lazy barely earn minimum wage and
> typically don't last very long. As an example, I have a cousin who is
> an OR RN, she worked at a notable University teaching hospital on Lung
> Guyland. After about ten years on the job she was grossing about
> $55,000/yr. Finally she had it waiting on sick people... and being
> abused by MDs, doctor's personalities are the pits. In her thirties
> she decided to go back to her old occupation that put her through
> nursing school, waitressing. She doubled her net pay the first year
> and cut the stress factor to near zero. Lung Guyland has tons of very
> fine restaurants, prices are high with tipping to match. No, you are
> not going to earn a whole lot waiting tables at some family style
> chain, and certainly not running meat loaf and pork chops at the local
> greazy spoon diner... but at the better caliber restaurants a wait
> person who knows their potatoes and is willing to hustle butt can earn
> a remarkable amount of money.
>
> I'd much rather tip and receive first rate professional service, where
> the service industry has a built in incentive to excel. Your no
> tipping system encourages sevice industry people to provide as little
> as they can get away with, lowers all service to the level of the
> lowest possible denominator... you'd probably opt to serve yourselves
> to save a few pennies... even offer to wash your own dishes if they
> took 50¢ off your tab... you may as well stay home.
>
> Sheldon