Help with a Math Formula

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Kingair

It's changing here to but it's gonna take a while . . . Obama care . . . . a lot of people hate it . . .

But that's a personal thing

I rather have a health insurance . . . .

Here they charge you the price of a really nice car to get hospitalized . . . going from a Ford F150 to a Ferrari 458 . . . . so who can afford this privately . . . ?

Tell me about it.

4 days in a hospital in Boca, $54,000 bill.

[Runnin' Rebel]

Most resturants in Brasil include the tip on the check. I don't have a problem with that cause it's a cultural thing. I don't have an issue with the tip as long as as the service is commensurate. I don't remember in Europe or the UK because it's been a while since I've been there.

What bothered me here, (Las Vegas) is the practice that all corporate events that hold their meetings at the hotel with receptions or dinner is the 23%. They call it a service charge and the hotel locks up almost 7.5% of the gratuity on top of the 85.00 they charge for the chicken dinner.

I think they should disclose this, most people think the staff receives the full amount.

Union food servers working here make about 15.00 per hour plus gratuities

[powerfunk]

Whoa, "restaurant gratuity?" Never heard of that. That sounds shady. The servers should get all of anything called "gratuity" in my book...

[Runnin' Rebel]

Originally Posted by bayerische

Imagine that.

I'll try and suggest a 2,50 euro salary once I get into work today. Let's see how that floats.

Chef's make quite good money though in the US?

Executive Chefs make good money until you break it down by how many hours they work, 15 hour days are common. A lot of the servers make close to what the chef makes unless the chef is the owner and has people working under him.

Once you train your chefs, Sous Chef and Chef Tournant you mainly handle payroll, purchasing product and sit back and collect the money

[77T]

Originally Posted by Runnin' Rebel

What bothered me here, (Las Vegas) is the practice that all corporate events that hold their meetings at the hotel with receptions or dinner is the 23%. They call it a service charge and the hotel locks up almost 7.5% of the gratuity on top of the 85.00 they charge for the chicken dinner.

The practice is based on the "lost opportunity" costs when supplying a fixed price sitting. There are costs that are fixed and then the variable costs. Each expense dollar for a banquet is expected to earn a commensurate profit that the same dollar would have earned at any of the other open restaurants.

I've hosted receptions/banquets at upscale hotels around US and the contracts always had a fixed surcharge for service. And it was above and beyond the food/beverage price. It's not just LV.

The thing that grates on many excellent servers' nerves is that they have no way to increase their earnings during a banquet - each gets a fixed amount whether they provide great service or poor service. The upside is they also don't get penalized in the tip for poor recipe execution by the chef

[daveathall]

I'm sort of confused here fellas, forget about corporate for a minute, when me and my wife go out for a meal if the bill was £100 or there about I give the waiter/waitress £10 (10%). What would be an acceptable tip in the US please?

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I'm sort of confused here fellas, forget about corporate for a minute, when me and my wife go out for a meal if the bill was £100 or there about I give the waiter/waitress £10 (10%). What would be an acceptable tip in the US please?

No!

I tip in Europe about 10%, if the food and service is good.

But I think it's different for me, since I'm a restaurant owner but have worked my way up from dishwasher!

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I'm sort of confused here fellas, forget about corporate for a minute, when me and my wife go out for a meal if the bill was £100 or there about I give the waiter/waitress £10 (10%). What would be an acceptable tip in the US please?

Here is a minimum 15 % going to 25 %

[locutus49]

In America, 20% of the total bill (although some argue you should not pay a tip on taxes, and only pay a percentage of the non-taxed portion. To me that is nit-picking). I leave 20% minimum of total bill BUT if the bill is for a large party, some restaurants include a gratuity (tip) of 18% so I don't tip on top of that unless service was exceptional.

I should add that a most of the restaurants we go to we are regulars, so we are pretty generous in tipping. We can afford it and these waiters work hard.

Originally Posted by daveathall

I'm sort of confused here fellas, forget about corporate for a minute, when me and my wife go out for a meal if the bill was £100 or there about I give the waiter/waitress £10 (10%). What would be an acceptable tip in the US please?

[Andad]

....into the wind.

[Runnin' Rebel]

I bring my own wine and pay the 20 for corkage. I'm not paying 700 for a similar 200 dollar bottle I have at home. Don't bring a wine that they carry on their wine list. It's kinda rude.

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by locutus49

In America, 20% of the total bill (although some argue you should not pay a tip on taxes, and only pay a percentage of the non-taxed portion. To me that is nit-picking). I leave 20% minimum of total bill BUT if the bill is for a large party, some restaurants include a gratuity (tip) of 18% so I don't tip on top of that unless service was exceptional.

I should add that a most of the restaurants we go to we are regulars, so we are pretty generous in tipping. We can afford it and these waiters work hard.

Agree with you, except for large parties 22-25% tax included. JMHO


Mark, sorry for the "cute" comment, that came off as combative and I didn't mean it that way, forgive me.

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by bayerische

No!

I tip in Europe about 10%, if the food and service is good.

But I think it's different for me, since I'm a restaurant owner but have worked my way up from dishwasher!

What is the "No!" for Andreas?

Also, I don't think anything should be different as regards tips, if we both go to the same restaurant, both receive the same service, why should you tip different from me? I tip at 10%.

[locutus49]

On tipping in America, several years ago I watched Oprah (when she had her show) and she had on about 8 waitresses (and one male waiter) who talked about tipping. Here is the summary of their input:

Non-Americans are bad tippers. Some leave no tip. (probably because they don't know they should).

Women are bad tippers in general. Ex-waitresses usually tip well. Many women use a tip card to calculate to the exact penny a 15% tip.

White males are the best tippers. By far.

When there are large groups, over 6 people, customers leave low tips, thinking no one will know. Waiters hate serving large groups because it is a lot of work for low reward.

Nota bene: I'm not saying this is right or not, or even true, just reporting on the opinions of actually waitresses.

[ksh977]

G = Gross revenue (1000.00 in your example)
T = Total gratuity (211.37 in your example)

*********************************************

T = G x (1 - 0.081)
Food Server total gratuity = T x 0.18 x 0.86
Restaurant total gratuity = T x (0.05 + 0.18 x 0.14)

*********************************************

Or if you prefer raw percentages:
T = G x (100 - 8.1)/100
Food Server total gratuity = T x 18/100 x 86/100
Restaurant total gratuity = T x (5/100 + 18/100 x 14/100)

*********************************************

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Runnin' Rebel

I bring my own wine and pay the 20 for corkage. I'm not paying 700 for a similar 200 dollar bottle I have at home. Don't bring a wine that they carry on their wine list. It's kinda rude.

Can you bring a steak and pay 20 steakage?

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by daveathall

What is the "No!" for Andreas?

Also, I don't think anything should be different as regards tips, if we both go to the same restaurant, both receive the same service, why should you tip different from me? I tip at 10%.

The no is for, it wouldn't be acceptable with a 10% tip in the US. Not in your waiters eyes anyway...

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Can you bring a steak and pay 20 steakage?

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by locutus49

On tipping in America, several years ago I watched Oprah (when she had her show) and she had on about 8 waitresses (and one male waiter) who talked about tipping. Here is the summary of their input:

Non-Americans are bad tippers. Some leave no tip. (probably because they don't know they should).

Women are bad tippers in general. Ex-waitresses usually tip well. Many women use a tip card to calculate to the exact penny a 15% tip.

White males are the best tippers. By far.

When there are large groups, over 6 people, customers leave low tips, thinking no one will know. Waiters hate serving large groups because it is a lot of work for low reward.

Nota bene: I'm not saying this is right or not, or even true, just reporting on the opinions of actually waitresses.

Although there is little tipping in Finland, I would say that sounds about right. From what I see at my place.

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by bayerische

The no is for, it wouldn't be acceptable with a 10% tip in the US. Not in your waiters eyes anyway...

That wasn't my question, you must have read it wrong, but I see what you mean, I didn't think it would have been acceptable either.

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by daveathall

That wasn't my question, you must have read it wrong, but I see what you mean, I didn't think it would have been acceptable either.

Sorry Dave, I read your text wrong, I read "would that be an acceptable tip.

[this guy]

I always tip well.

Anybody else notice that it was a 1000k dinner bill? One million? One heck of a meal!

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by this guy

I always tip well.

Anybody else notice that it was a 1000k dinner bill? One million? One heck of a meal!

I did . . . so I was thinking that tipping wouldn't be a problem . . .

[77T]

Tipping to me is like a sales commission - IMHO it is best to gross it up into the budget you envision for the night. Remember that tips also apply to bartenders, valets, lounge stewards, etc. I have quite often had >$1000 dinner bill but also noted later that my total gratuities approached 35% when all was said and done.

It's just the cost of making a pleasant evening.

[77T]

I do like the restaurants that post a cheat sheet at the bottom of the CC slip. It shows $ amount for several tip % options.

[Runnin' Rebel]

Originally Posted by 77t

i do like the restaurants that post a cheat sheet at the bottom of the cc slip. It shows $ amount for several tip % options.

+1

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by 77T

I do like the restaurants that post a cheat sheet at the bottom of the CC slip. It shows $ amount for several tip % options.

X 2 . . . really easy ;)

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by 77T

I do like the restaurants that post a cheat sheet at the bottom of the CC slip. It shows $ amount for several tip % options.

Yeah I like that feature too! After a bottle of wine, a few beers, a bourbon etc... It schometimesch is diffikulth tho doo tsche matttsche.

[Gagebuilder]

T.I.P. - To Insure Promptness

So, here in MI, servers are paid $2.65 an hour. That's it. And a tip credit of $4.75 per hour. I think that means that the Feds expect staff to make $4.75 per hour in tips and servers must claim the $4.75 an hour as income, for tax purposes, even if they make less. Of course, nobody claims more if they make more.

The feds. would love to get rid of tipping - they would get to claim every earned dollar that way.

I tend to go to the same restaurants, so I tip - what many would say - as too much. But, I get great service, time and time again.

Example, I have Steak Fajitas and a Coke regularly at my favorite Mexican Restaurant - Bill, with 6% sales tax, $15.11 - I'll drop a $20 on the table. If I happen to have 11 cents, I'll leave that, too. I get no hassles - treat me like the owner. I can get more chips, salsa, or soda in seconds. You get what you pay for.

I only eat out once, maybe twice a week, and they aren't huge bills. I can afford a couple extra bucks for top notch service over average to good service.

6 months old.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by bayerische

Yeah I like that feature too! After a bottle of wine, a few beers, a bourbon etc... It schometimesch is diffikulth tho doo tsche matttsche.

I think I have been there on a couple of occasions.