Now that servers make 15$ what has changed.

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by Dean2

So Shane, you asked what my version of good service is, what is the level I think worth tipping for, here is a short form of it.

My definition of good service;
Hostess seats you, gives you menu and tells you the name of your Server.

Table is set, clean and chairs are clean also. Rug and floor are free of dropped food.

Server shows up with name tag, water and introduces themselves. The server is well dressed in clean clothes, bathed daily, hair combed with clean hands and no dirt under their nails. (Watch your servers closely and you will be amazed how many have dirty hands and unwashed clothes). Takes drink orders if you are ready.

Comes back when you have closed the menus to take orders – does not keep popping back while menus are ignored and customers are talking, or menu is still open being reviewed, to see if you are ready to order.

NEVER interrupts a customer conversation. Waits until addressed to speak.

Serves from the right and removes from the left. Does not reach across a customer to serve the person beside them unless people are seated in a booth. Then excuses themselves for reaching across in front of customer.

Ensures appropriate condiments, salt, pepper, hot sauce, ketchup etc and utensils are on the table prior to the meal arriving.

NEVER handles the silver ware by the food end, nor glasses and cups by the rim or interior. Ensures glasses and silver ware are clean before they go on the table.

Remembers who ordered what and serves it to the right person.

Returns within a couple of minutes to check on food, additional requirements. Notices if steaks are not as ordered or other deficiencies in the meal. Proactively deals with issues in a friendly and helpful way. Does not serve meals that are clearly wrong before they even leave the kitchen.

Keeps a close eye on the table to replenish water, coffee or check for more drinks. I don’t need to flag them to get another beer or a coffee refill.

Is there when you need them without you having to flag them and virtually invisible to the table while they are serving. However, they are actively looking around so they are easy to catch their eye if required.

Clears the dishes when diners are done but does not rush them.

Provides desert and after dinner drinks menu.

Does not provide the bill until it is requested or it is obvious guests are ready to leave.

They are NOT part of the dining experience, only a facilitator.

Most wait staff fall far short of meeting even half the level of good service. Taking the order, dropping the plate in front of me and collecting the bill is not good service, it is just barely doing your job.

WOW...You have this down to a tee.....Exactly what I am looking for when dining out

[Dean2]

Sorry guys but I started this thread and it isn't about whether the new min wage is right or wrong. It is intended to be about what has changed in restaurants as the wage goes up. Is servixe better, have prices gone up, is food quality improving, have restaurants closed or cut back on staff.

What REAL differences are we seeing as servers and all restaurant staff are paid sigbificantly more than they were. Are people increasing their expectations and definition of the quality of service that warrants a tip. Do restaurant prices have to rise to Norway levels before people think the bill is already enough for what they got?

[kevinhits]

Here is my opinion...A few at the start of this thread did not have a clue what the minimum wage was a year ago, what it is now and what it is going to be....the world is not falling right now because of $12.20 min wage...even though some of you think it is now....NO....we are hitting $13.60 in the fall and will start hurting more. NOW, wait another year and we are at $15.00 min wage...not to pick on A&W but it was easy.....2 years ago a Teen or Mozza burger was $4.75.....6 months ago, it is $5.95 and think it has gone over $6.00 now...

Wait for the next minimum wages to go up yet.....

Anyone that thinks this is a good thing better shake their heads cause it is going to get alot worse.....

I am out

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by kevinhits

Here is my opinion...A few at the start of this thread did not have a clue what the minimum wage was a year ago, what it is now and what it is going to be....the world is not falling right now because of $12.20 min wage...even though some of you think it is now....NO....we are hitting $13.60 in the fall and will start hurting more. NOW, wait another year and we are at $15.00 min wage...not to pick on A&W but it was easy.....2 years ago a Teen or Mozza burger was $4.75.....6 months ago, it is $5.95 and think it has gone over $6.00 now...

Wait for the next minimum wages to go up yet.....

Anyone that thinks this is a good thing better shake their heads cause it is going to get alot worse.....

I am out

I think it is good for those that are working at A&W to be actually be able to make a good wage. As far as the teens and mozza burgers going up? It's no biggie. They were not worth $4.75 so why would one pay $6.00? For those who actually like them they will pay the price the same as smokers paid the price for smokes when they went up.

If good restaurants charge a bit more, I will just dine out a bit less and I will continue to tip for good service.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

I think it is good for those that are working at A&W to be actually be able to make a good wage. As far as the teens and mozza burgers going up? It's no biggie. They were not worth $4.75 so why would one pay $6.00? For those who actually like them they will pay the price the same as smokers paid the price for smokes when they went up.

If good restaurants charge a bit more, I will just dine out a bit less and I will continue to tip for good service.

So, the workers are making a good wage but the majority of the people say that as prices increase they will eat out less and therefore the servers tips will be less...and how many staff will the owner require to stand around and wait for the customers that do actually come in?

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by kevinhits

WOW...You have this down to a tee.....Exactly what I am looking for when dining out

It was exactly how I was trained when I started working as a server and God help you if the manager cuaght you not doing every bit of it right. on top of that you had beeter be smiling and friendly at all times
If you missed any of that: Two strikes and you were gone.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by hal53

So, the workers are making a good wage but the majority of the people say that as prices increase they will eat out less and therefore the servers tips will be less...and how many staff will the owner require to stand around and wait for the customers that do actually come in?

Also Kind of funny how people think getting say a 20% wage increase when products will increase by 20% or more and think somehow they are ahead....

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by rugatika

Yes, just because businesses are able to adapt to socialist policies it must mean they are "good" policies. Wrong.

And you are correct to put quotation marks around the word "conservatives" when they enact and support socialist policies...because those are of course, anything but conservative.

Cut it any way you guys like it, but socialism has been shown over and over, the world over to be bad policy. Sometimes it destroys a country immediately, and sometimes it takes decades.

Why not clamour for government to set price controls for maximum wages as well? Maybe just implement an average wage for everyone? And why stop there? A government that can dictate how much a person can charge for their labour should surely be able to dictate how much a person can charge for a product.

$15/hr isn't even a living wage. Why not make it $20 or $25/hr if all it's going to do is weed out the "bad" businessmen?

Wrong again. Might not live up to the far right ideals but was still conservatives that kept it going.

See how long this country would last without some socialism. That will accomplish the same thing. Name some countries that have no socialism that have survived. Even the States have varying degrees of socialism.

The rest of your post is ridiculous.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by kevinhits

Here is my opinion...A few at the start of this thread did not have a clue what the minimum wage was a year ago, what it is now and what it is going to be....the world is not falling right now because of $12.20 min wage...even though some of you think it is now....NO....we are hitting $13.60 in the fall and will start hurting more. NOW, wait another year and we are at $15.00 min wage...not to pick on A&W but it was easy.....2 years ago a Teen or Mozza burger was $4.75.....6 months ago, it is $5.95 and think it has gone over $6.00 now...

Wait for the next minimum wages to go up yet.....

Anyone that thinks this is a good thing better shake their heads cause it is going to get alot worse.....

I am out

Those price increases probably have less to do about the minimum wage than you think. Transportation costs, and refrigeration costs, and heating the water, and running the deep fryer, buying the oil for the fryer....these have all gone up due to increased energy costs. And in Calgary we've got increased business taxes...hugely increased by the way. No sir this ain't much to do with minimum wages.

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by hal53

So, the workers are making a good wage but the majority of the people say that as prices increase they will eat out less and therefore the servers tips will be less...and how many staff will the owner require to stand around and wait for the customers that do actually come in?

No I said I would dine out less but have no idea what the majority will do and I have no idea how many will be standing around waiting for me to never come

I think an employer should pay a wage that does not depend on tips to be enough. I think that a business person should not expect customers to help pay his staff for providing good service. I think the business person should pay for and expect those serving to provide good service.

I think the business owner should be responsible for product and delivery and in no way expect his customer to pay extra.

[guywiththemule]

Originally Posted by rugatika

Yes, just because businesses are able to adapt to socialist policies it must mean they are "good" policies. Wrong.

And you are correct to put quotation marks around the word "conservatives" when they enact and support socialist policies...because those are of course, anything but conservative.

Cut it any way you guys like it, but socialism has been shown over and over, the world over to be bad policy. Sometimes it destroys a country immediately, and sometimes it takes decades.

Why not clamour for government to set price controls for maximum wages as well? Maybe just implement an average wage for everyone? And why stop there? A government that can dictate how much a person can charge for their labour should surely be able to dictate how much a person can charge for a product.

$15/hr isn't even a living wage. Why not make it $20 or $25/hr if all it's going to do is weed out the "bad" businessmen?

Spot-on Rug ! But the weak,lazy,unmotivated and "please help me" types will always demand and expect "goberment help" to climb to their self-entitled "expectations" ! Reality is not a factor in their thinking.

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Those price increases probably have less to do about the minimum wage than you think. Transportation costs, and refrigeration costs, and heating the water, and running the deep fryer, buying the oil for the fryer....these have all gone up due to increased energy costs. And in Calgary we've got increased business taxes...hugely increased by the way. No sir this ain't much to do with minimum wages.

Sorry, but the operating costs go up every year by a percentage....We can eat the utitities and transportation costs but when you are raising minimum wage basically $3.00/hr within 3 or less years is gonna hurt. This is not directed at you but anyone that has never owned a business and spouts off like they know a thing or two can shut their traps....You have no clue in running a business whether small or large!

Absolutely everything going forward is going to do with the minimum wage....and if you think not, you are really delusional....

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by Dean2

It was exactly how I was trained when I started working as a server and God help you if the manager cuaght you not doing every bit of it right. on top of that you had beeter be smiling and friendly at all times
If you missed any of that: Two strikes and you were gone.

I would tip you at least 10%...JK

[79ford]

Originally Posted by rugatika

Because there is something inherently ugly about government controlling every aspect of the lives of contributing members of society. Granted...it's something most sheep are used to and it doesn't bother them in the least to auction off the last bits of freedom in this country. (especially when it's other people's freedom)

If government knows how to run businesses so well, then let them compete with private business owners. Maybe you feel the NDP should be running restaurants, retail and grocery stores, but I don't.

I think we would have to scrap the foreign worker deal and see where wages go.... we got 80 000 foreign workers in alberta doing mostly minimum wage jobs.

A government foreign worker program to fill the low paid jobs no one wants because they pay too little and have better paying jobs to go to.

The minimum wage is probably artifcially low because of government programs to help business fill cheap labour needs.

The foreign worker program should be scrapped and let the market decide who can get employees without a government program.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by 79ford

I think we would have to scrap the foreign worker deal and see where wages go.... we got 80 000 foreign workers in alberta doing mostly minimum wage jobs.

A government foreign worker program to fill the low paid jobs no one wants because they pay too little and have better paying jobs to go to.

The minimum wage is probably artifcially low because of government programs to help business fill cheap labour needs.

The foreign worker program should be scrapped and let the market decide who can get employees without a government program.

This, they never talk about.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Those price increases probably have less to do about the minimum wage than you think. Transportation costs, and refrigeration costs, and heating the water, and running the deep fryer, buying the oil for the fryer....these have all gone up due to increased energy costs. And in Calgary we've got increased business taxes...hugely increased by the way. No sir this ain't much to do with minimum wages.

Not to mention the USD/CAD difference.

[rugatika]

Originally Posted by 79ford

I think we would have to scrap the foreign worker deal and see where wages go.... we got 80 000 foreign workers in alberta doing mostly minimum wage jobs.

A government foreign worker program to fill the low paid jobs no one wants because they pay too little and have better paying jobs to go to.

The minimum wage is probably artifcially low because of government programs to help business fill cheap labour needs.

The foreign worker program should be scrapped and let the market decide who can get employees without a government program.

I totally agree with you on this.

[tri777]

In my travels, the entire restaurant waitress experience is way, WAY the h8ll down!!
The worst for me so far this year was at Pizza Hut not to long ago where my waitress could not stop hacking her lungs out. Wasn't her fault, but what a appetite remover!!

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by hal53

So, the workers are making a good wage but the majority of the people say that as prices increase they will eat out less and therefore the servers tips will be less...and how many staff will the owner require to stand around and wait for the customers that do actually come in?

Have you actually found this to be the case?
I haven't...and I eat out far more than I should. Having a full time job and two teenage boys at home (no spouse) there often isn't time to cook meals at home.
We frequent a number of local eateries that provide wholesome food at prices not much higher than what you pay at a fast food joint. I've spoken about this very issue to two of the owners...they both say they have not noticed a decrease in business in the last year.
As well, whenever I drive past the McDonald and the Tims in my neighborhood, the drive thru lines are just as busy as they ever were.
To answer the original question...still tip the same.
15-20% for good service.
Have no trouble not leaving a tip if the service is bad. Bad to me means rude or indifferent. If things are slow, or something forgotten but the person is pleasant and trying they still get a tip.
I can guarantee that no one here never legitimately screws up at their job even though they are trying their best.

[RavYak]

I have worked as a waiter and I never tip for the sake of tipping, to me a tip is something that is earned by a waiter/waitress for making my meal a pleasant experience. If a server only takes a few moments to take my order, bring food and cheque then what did they do to earn a tip? I might still give them a buck or two but don't expect a big tip for doing half your job. If they are courteous and punctual, check on food, top up drinks and clean up dirty dishes etc then that is when a server has earned a tip in my books.

One other way I differ from a lot of people is that I don't tip based on my meal value. A tip is for the service and whether they brought me a hamburger or t-bone steak is for the most part irrelevant. That said if I am ordering a fancy meal from you then I am willing to tip more but I also expect the service to be a higher standard. I am already paying big bucks for a meal and if I wasn't happy with the service I will give only a small tip or even no tip and save myself a few bucks.

The waiters/waitresses working at the cheap restaurants are the ones that really need the tips and if they do a good job I will often give them a lot more % wise then I would ever give a more expensive place.

[79ford]

Originally Posted by rugatika

I totally agree with you on this.

I bet you the wage problem would probably fix itself if the foreign worker programs were scrapped.

Businesses complained wages would be too high trying to compete for canadian workers and needed foreign workers to work for minimum wage instead.... now they are complaining that minimum wage is going up.

It really kinda sounds like they just want cheap wages. their foreign labour is getting more expensive..... most of these jobs are still held by foreign labour program workers.

[sns2]

Dean, you've given us all a thorough definition of what deserves a tip. Rare is the wait staff in Canada that meets that level of service.

[rugatika]

Originally Posted by 79ford

I bet you the wage problem would probably fix itself if the foreign worker programs were scrapped.

It very likely would. But this is what happens when the government starts meddling in things it knows nothing about. It does one thing somewhere, and causes a problem somewhere else they need to "fix". In the end they're just creating inefficiencies in the market and charging a large "middleman" fee to screw things up.

This is why you never hear anyone say: "Wow, that government run agency is a model of efficiency and wise use of tax dollars!"

Apologies to Dean2 for the sidetrack. Back to scheduled programming.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by rugatika

It very likely would. But this is what happens when the government starts meddling in things it knows nothing about. It does one thing somewhere, and causes a problem somewhere else they need to "fix". In the end they're just creating inefficiencies in the market and charging a large "middleman" fee to screw things up.

This is why you never hear anyone say: "Wow, that government run agency is a model of efficiency and wise use of tax dollars!"

Apologies to Dean2 for the sidetrack. Back to scheduled programming.

"Meddling in things it knows nothing about"?
Wow, sounds like you need your own island Nation to command.

Government also does things to protect some from others. And to try and help others. Must be a concept that is lost on the far right.

Even in the US they have minimum wages.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by rugatika

It very likely would. But this is what happens when the government starts meddling in things it knows nothing about. It does one thing somewhere, and causes a problem somewhere else they need to "fix". In the end they're just creating inefficiencies in the market and charging a large "middleman" fee to screw things up.

This is why you never hear anyone say: "Wow, that government run agency is a model of efficiency and wise use of tax dollars!"

Apologies to Dean2 for the sidetrack. Back to scheduled programming.

"Meddling in things it knows nothing about"?
Wow, sounds like you need your own island Nation to command.

Government also does things to protect some people from others. And to try and help others. Must be a concept that is lost on the far right.

Even in the US they have minimum wages.

edit: I give up, will try to stay out of these threads.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by kevinhits

Sorry, but the operating costs go up every year by a percentage....We can eat the utitities and transportation costs but when you are raising minimum wage basically $3.00/hr within 3 or less years is gonna hurt. This is not directed at you but anyone that has never owned a business and spouts off like they know a thing or two can shut their traps....You have no clue in running a business whether small or large!

Absolutely everything going forward is going to do with the minimum wage....and if you think not, you are really delusional....

And if you think that you know anything about the restaurant business...you're delusional.

[260 Rem]

Originally Posted by huntsfurfish

"Meddling in things it knows nothing about"?
Wow, sounds like you need your own island Nation to command.

Government also does things to protect some people from others. And to try and help others. Must be a concept that is lost on the far right.

Even in the US they have minimum wages.

edit: I give up, will try to stay out of these threads.

Don't give up ...continue to post the truth.

[Mackinaw]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Plus throw in the tips at lets say $50-$200 per day, average $125 or so, plus nobody that gets cash tips claims them as income so there is another $28,000 tax free (on average) based on a 225 day work year. All of a sudden you are at $60,000 per year.

Again I reiterate that pay should be based on value of service, not 'show your stuff and live on tips' as per so many scumbag bars and restaurants.

And that 60,000 per year still is not enought for putting up with the scumbags that come into the bars and restaurants and think the waitress is their own little serving wench that they can treat ,say or grab anyway they want. Give it a try see if you think their over payed.

Mack

[Newview01]

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

And that 60,000 per year still is not enought for putting up with the scumbags that come into the bars and restaurants and think the waitress is their own little serving wench that they can treat ,say or grab anyway they want. Give it a try see if you think their over payed.

Mack

Good thing the servers are not forced to work as a server. There are more profitable careers anyways.

[sns2]

What I find interesting is that a group of members loudly and consistently make it seem that there is a single way to govern that is inherently right, and anyone who takes a position not aligned to them is stupid, naive, and not of equal value.