Originally Posted by
HarryHolden68
Each to their own. When I go out
1. I do not want to be fawned over
2. I do not want to be the servers new best friend
3. I do not want to share my day with them
4. I do not expect to be patronised with "Perfect... Great choice.... or Great" when I order
I do want them to interact minimally to do the basic task they are charged with. Having the server act like an over excited Labrador puppy wanting to be loved in order to extort wages from me is just excruciating. So uncool as I know the instant i walk out, I am nobody to them. Sucking up to my ego just to get a wage is nothing short of legalised prostitution.
I would tip far more to the server who reads my intentions than I would to one who forces their personality on me and my party.
I've lived in the US my whole 40-ish years and I agree with you. And please, for the love of God, don't let the server sit down casually next to me like they want to snuggle or something, while they take my order (thankfully that's rare)! It's a pleasure to dine out in many other countries where I don't have to deal with all the fake BS that I so often do here at home.
Originally Posted by
Berniecfc
I started coming to the states 30+ years ago. It seemed everywhere I went Service was the top priority, nothing to much trouble, always service with a smile. Happy to leave a tip, rule of thumb was tip twice as much as the Tax. Move the clock forward 15yrs and now I live in the States. It seems the greed culture has taken over, owners squeezing their staff to get the extra Dime out of them. Consequently the good Servers have moved on to other places and now the only ones left are here for a paycheck only, not much pride in their work, let's do as little as possible for a much as we can get and expect a tip for doing it.
US service standards have definitely declined in the past several decades in my opinion. Not just in food service but all around.
Originally Posted by
GUWonder
While federal income tax may not end up due at low income levels in the US, don't be so sure that the tax for contributing to the US social security system doesn't begin from the employee's first employer-reported dollar of income. Employers shifting the cost of labor to the clients via tipping is a systematic problem that suits employers at the expense of the employees, of the customers and especially at the public at large.
Correct, Social Security taxes begin with the first dollar of wages up to the annual wage limit that year. Medicare taxes also begin with the first dollar of wages but there is no annual wage limit.