Tipping etiquette and Jamaica.

[Blake]

Mike...below is a link to an earlier thread about service charge/tipping...it should help clear things up.
http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...ice-charge-tip

Interesting to read about the service charge, makes me not a fan of them because it creates inconsistencies in pay among servers depending on how many overall employees there are.

I get that restaurants need revenue, need to pay their employees, and have overhead; but at the end of the day the margins they have on food/drinks should reflect all of the overhead.

The final bill should be transparent instead of leaving room for interpretation on how much "extra" we need to leave to pay the employees.

There's stimulating the economy by eating out(good) and then there's paying too much for a given service.

[Misti1]

Interesting to read about the service charge, makes me not a fan of them because it creates inconsistencies in pay among servers depending on how many overall employees there are.

I get that restaurants need revenue, need to pay their employees, and have overhead; but at the end of the day the margins they have on food/drinks should reflect all of the overhead.

The final bill should be transparent instead of leaving room for interpretation on how much "extra" we need to leave to pay the employees.

There's stimulating the economy by eating out(good) and then there's paying too much for a given service.

From what I understand that charge on the ticket is Govt. taxes and a fee the kitchen staff negotiated in to law as they are not up front in contact with customers like the servers. Most Americans seeing it will think it is like an automotic tip that we add here in the states and NOT tip the poor server who has waited on them so well. Also I NEVER tip on a credit card. In private conversations with servers I am well assured that the NEVER see that money. I give them their tip in CASH , and as Seveen said, I always put it IN THE HAND THAT FED ME.

[Blake]

they are not up front in contact with customers like the servers.

Unless I'm missing something this is irrelevant.

In the US:
Servers are paid a minimal amount by the restaurant+the majority via tipping
bussers//foodrunners are paid hourly by the restaurant+a portion of the tipout by the server.
bartenders are paid a minimal amount by the restaurant+tips from the bar and a tipout by the server.
Hostesses, cooks, managers are all paid hourly or salary by the restaurant.

Unless Jamaica is drastically different in how the restaurant pays the employees, people shouldn't feel obligated to tip the chef separately, the restaurants should be paying reasonable wages to their staff, unless you're saying that in Jamaica they don't, which then makes me wonder where the restaurants get off charging the same amount as US restaurants AND also add a service charge.

[captaind]

Unless I'm missing something this is irrelevant.

Unless Jamaica is drastically different in how the restaurant pays the employees, people shouldn't feel obligated to tip the chef separately, the restaurants should be paying reasonable wages to their staff, unless you're saying that in Jamaica they don't, which then makes me wonder where the restaurants get off charging the same amount as US restaurants AND also add a service charge.

Things are different!

Most on salary are making less than a babysitter in the States.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto"

[Blake]

Things are different!

Most on salary are making less than a babysitter in the States.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto"

That doesn't put it in perspective, babysitters in the States can actually make a pretty decent amount!

At the end of the day what exactly is the meal paying for in Jamaica if it's so different?

If the prices were a fraction of the price of a US meal your argument about employee pay being so low might hold water.

[captaind]

That doesn't put it in perspective, babysitters in the States can actually make a pretty decent amount!

At the end of the day what exactly is the meal paying for in Jamaica if it's so different?

If the prices were a fraction of the price of a US meal your argument about employee pay being so low might hold water.

After 40 years in Jamaica with a home and two adopted children it's possible that I have a different perspective.

Your perspective is appropriate for you.

[Blake]

After 40 years in Jamaica with a home and two adopted children it's possible that I have a different perspective.

Your perspective is appropriate for you.

How is my perspective different from yours? What is your perspective? That people should be charged twice for service?

Do you really believe restaurants shouldn't pay their employees fairly and charge accordingly?

I run three businesses in the US and we take care of our employees, a lot of business owners don't in the states and their sales inevitably suffer.

Turning to the government to mandate customers pay the employees properly is a cop out for a business owner.