Winston wrote: ↑June 13th, 2020, 10:25 pm
I heard that minimum wage doesn't apply to waiters, and that restaurant owners can get away with paying less than minimum wage, or almost nothing per hour, because they expect them to get tips from customers. That's kind of stupid. It should be optional not forced.
Tipping in USA is an annoyance - I do not know about any other country where tipping is so obtrusive.
I even heard from US-citizens, that there are restaurants in a prime location with plenty of guests, that the waiter is working not only without salary, but he pays a 'fee' a kickback every working day to the restaurant owner that he is allowed to work there because those guests give high tips.
True or not, I don't know.
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This is indeed much better here in Japan, it is said that prices in general are more expensive compared to the USA - however in the States, everybody doing any service like delivery man, taxi driver, waiter, barber, porter in a hotel, car wash/gas station etc. expects a tip and if not given he or she will get rather aggressive towards you.
I found that In USA for small services, such tips and sometimes surcharges (like small printed 'cover fee' 'late night surcharge' or taxes etc) might increase the regular price by 25 percent. Nothing is inclusive....always add something to the basic price.
In Japan, prices for any customer have to be inclusive, salaries are regulated. In the Japanese mindset tips are not only not expected - we don't have such a custom here - but they are even considered to be a kind of insult, a give-away from a rich person towards a poor person.
Do not offer any tip while you are in Japan. Upper class hotel management even offers regular training and advice to their staff how they should react when tips are offered to them by foreign visitors (especially those who welcome visitors from USA)
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Other Asian countries where hotel staff receive really poor wages like in Philippines tips are gratefully accepted by waiters and room maids etc. but in no way expected and nobody would dare to demand a tip from a hotel guest.
I also hate when they try to make the excuse that restaurant food prices would be higher if there weren't tipping. That doesn't hold water. How come in other countries where tipping is optional or non-existent, the waiters don't need to be tipped and the restaurant prices are not raised without tips? So that stupid American argument holds no water.
I also don't get why people tip taxi drivers in America. The metered fare is already too high. Do you have to tip Grab drivers and Uber drivers too?...
I agree with you, but this is the way it works in the States. No idea how to change that.
The weak point is with the working contract - there should be a salary per hour etc. and also with prices on the menu and the bill. To mention 'tips' on the invoice should be void and outlawed. But how to change this behavior? People in the States are obviously accustomed to it, and do not really feel disturbed about it.
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In Europe, to work like in USA only for tips is illegal for sure, employees have to be reported for health insurance and income tax. Tips are never mentioned on a restaurant bill - but many customers do not accept small change from the waiter when paying the bill and let it on the table - it is often collected by the staff in a tip-box and later on counted and distributed to all employees.
In my native country, Austria (EU) in some well-known sightseeing places, I remember there was also some research done checking out staff of some hotels, restaurants and other service related companies how they treat local and foreign visitors who give tips and those who don't and no difference has been found - staff was doing exactly the same service as instructed and expected - with and without tips.