I'm mainly reposting this because, since I posted it back in May, I am still receiving comments on it regularly--mainly from frustrated, non-black servers. Turns out that if you've had a bad day on the job at a restaurant and type in "Black People Don't Tip" in google to find some sort of support group this post pops up. So you can imagine some of the feedback in the comments section. Check it out.
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...So it's my last day in Las Vegas. It's about 2:36 PM. Me and my remaining two friends fly out in six hours. We check out of our room and make our way to the taxi line in front of the casino. The plan is to grab some grub, check out some casinos that we haven't been in over the last three days, and lose more money on the Big Six table.
Soooo... what do we want to eat? Some place where we can sit down, watch the game, and have a beer... a place that is nice and classy. A place where we'll receive Grade-A service and where they will appreciate our business. A place that is all of these things, yet delightfully tacky. So we head on over to Hooters... yes, I know.
So we hop in the cab.
"Where can I take you guys?"
"The Hooters over by the MGM Grand"
"You got it, boss!" He quickly weaves through the traffic on The Strip and takes us to the front of the Hooters casino, which is literally about three minutes away. We hop out, pay the fare, and tip him 5 or 6 bucks.
We make our way through the dealer tables and slot machines and find the small line to the restaurant. So there we are, waiting to sit down at the tackiest casino on Las Vegas Blvd. (relatively) and dressed the part. Are we in button-ups, slacks and dress shoes like we usually wear? No! We have on polo shirts, jeans and sneakers. Comfortable, like everyone else in this town.
When we get to the front, a beautiful girl in a tacky uniform looks at us, puts on her fakest smile and asks how many in our party.
"Three."
With the smile on her face, she turns to a pretty Black waitress and says "They're all yours Kristen."
"Gee... Thanks!" she replies sarcastically.
This semi-rubbed us the wrong way, but we let it slide. Besides, this is nothing new. Black people don't tip, right? There's no way she would've guessed that the party consisted of a Regional Territory Manager, a Corporate Marketing Specialist, and a federal-employed Electrical Engineer...but should that matter? She takes us to our bench-styled table and asks for our drink order.
"Water and a Corona... Water and a Heineken... Water with a lemon for now, I'll probably get a beer later."
She's off. So me and my boys sit there and start discussing which casinos we're going to hit afterwards and the money that we have already lost thus far (Thanks for the gambling tips guys... you really came through in the clutch! *cough*).
Fifteen minutes of all this talking has my throat parched. I reach down for my... wait... She's still not back with our drinks? We see our waitress tending to another table and get her attention. We make the universal "I'm thirsty motion" and she walks to the back and emerges with a tray of drinks.
Waitress: "Sorry guys... here you are!" No explanation. "So what will you guys be having?"
Us: "Wings... Fingers and salad... The wing platter."
Waitress: "We're out of coleslaw and baked potatoes for that platter," she says to my boy.
My boy: "Well can you substitute fries?"...
Waitress: "No."
*Awkward silence*
My boy: "Oookay?"
Waitress: "Sooo... you want fries with it?"
My boy: "Can you substitute it?"
Waitress: "No... but I'll work it out."
My boy: "OK."
She's off again. For another 20 minutes, we don't see this chick. We came here to watch the game, so we're looking around to see if we can find her to have the channel changed. She's nowhere to be found, so we flag down the hostess that gave Kristen our table to see if she can change the channel. She did so, reluctantly.
A couple minutes later, a waitress that I haven't seen before comes with my salad. After she walks off I realize there's no silverware on our table. I walk over to the hostess to see where I can get a fork. She looks around for Kristen and then says "Ummm...I guess I'll get it for you."
When she comes back to the table with my fork, Kristen is right behind her.
"Kristen," she says playfully as she looks at us with Hooters-flirty eyes. "Your table is demanding. You should be taking care of these guys." She said it jokingly, but she was serious. We were asking her for too much.
Kristen tells us the food is on the way out. It quickly follows, but not by Kristen, but by the cook and another waitress.
Food was good. No Kristen. Drinks low. No Kristen.
Naturally our conversation shifts from the game to our horrible service. Was she just a bad waitress? Was it because we are young, black males (*Smacks down the ol' race card on the table*)? Was she just having a bad day? The "Gee... thanks" comment she made when she got our table kinda cemented our thoughts on the issue.
When we finally see her, it's with the unsplit bill. "Sorry guys, I just got busy all of a sudden," she said as she looked down to avoid eye contact. She tells us she'll take the bill when we're ready. We ask her to split the bill. She didn't even remember what we had ordered individually so she starts looking over the bill and asking us who had what.
Then she pulls out the ol' patented Hooters "let-me-sit-down-and-let-them-flirt-with-me-so-they-will-give-me-a-good-tip" move. We didn't flirt with her. It was awkward. She went to split it.
When we look the bill over, it looks like she charged my boy extra for fries that she had agreed to substitute. He was going to let it slide, but we tell him that the LEAST she could do was make sure that the bill was right. Besides, she hadn't done anything else.
She comes back, he brings up the discrepancy. She tells him that she told him she couldn't substitute. He reminds her that she did say she "would take care of it" and that she would essentially be charging him full price for half of a meal. Annoyed, she smiled, took his receipt and said she'd see what she could do.
She came back with the correct charges. She thanked us and bounced.
We sat there disgusted and disrespected by the lack of good service and started discussing what we should tip her. So there we are having a Rainbow Coalition meeting in Hooters.
We decided that she had made her mind up about the service she was going to give us when she saw us. Of all of her tables, we were obviously the most neglected. After researching stereotypes about tipping habits, the overwhelming majority of waiters and waitresses hate getting black tables because "we don't tip," according to them. Message board after message board characterizes Blacks as cheap tippers and as chronic complainers (which we do apparently because we want to have a reason to not leave a good tip). I've personally seen good and bad tippers across the board.
So herein lies the dilemma: Do we tip her based on the service she gave, which was worth week-old cow dung, or do we tip her like we would normally tip a decent waitress (I usually do 20-25%)?
If we tip her poorly, we buy into the self-fulfilling stereotype. She will feel justified in giving us bad service and will do the same to the next group of casually dressed young, black males--not realizing that we tipped her poorly for a reason and not because we're black.
If we tip her properly, JUST MAYBE we will get the point across that stereotypes are just that...stereotypes. And maybe she will be more conscious of how she treats Black people in the future. If you can reach just one...
We left 8 bucks. Not the best tip, but definitely more than she deserved.
Has anybody else faced this situation? Should we be forced to think in a group mentality and tip on behalf of an entire race? It's getting old. The more I think about it, the more I realize that acting on behalf of your race does little to change ingrained stereotypes.
Does the stereotype have any merit? What would you have done?
146 comments:
I usually leave a note with the tip. It might sound corny, but it allows me to let off steam w/o losing my religion.
TIP "To Insure Promptness" You should give them part of the tip ahead of time they will be on top of their shit.
The thing about stereotypes is that the more you believe them the more they will come true.
1) My grandfather was a TERRIBLE tipper until my mom got him a card telling him how much he should leave. Before that, dude would seriously leave $2 after taking 10 folks out to eat.
2) Cogdell, do you remember when you and I ate at that Hooters in Jackson, MS during Alpha Regionals?! Our waitress was kind of pitiful looking. I really wanted to minister to her. Seriously. Be like, Girl don't you know you made for more than this!? What you NEED to do is run for Ms. Black & Gold!
3) I would not have tipped your Vegas waitress. I would have tipped the woman who actually served you. I work to hard to be giving people my money on principle.
4) I was in a similar situation at a Uno's in Georgetown, DC with a bunch of Carolina people. We left a poor tip because after serving our food the waitress NEVER came back and we had to flag her down to get the check. We were seriously going to let it go and just leave a poor tip until .... she TOLD ON US!
Man it was me, Deone, one or two other black dudes and nearly 10 black BSM girls. This was back when the BSM had a rack of militant females. THEM WOMEN LET THAT WAITRESS AND HER MANAGER AND THE HOSTESS WHO TRIED TO GET INTO IT HAVE IT! Dude, like we seriously made a scene. Of course there was nothing the manager could do to make us leave more money - and we didn't. But the sad thing is I don't even think they got it. I think some waiters/waitresses think they are OWED a tip. Not with me. Ain't happenin' captain. I work too hard to be treated poorly.
My Brother, first, glad you and your boys had a good time in Lost Wages. I've been to that Hooters, and you are right, it is the worst casino in proximity to the strip. I also ate there but i was with a young lady and the crowd was light so we didn't have the same problems.
My thought is that an average tip is in order but so is a conversation with the server and/or the manager, regardless of the stereotype. In this case, the hostess can back up the bad service. Ultimately, people are going to think what they are going to think. Sometimes, you have to give them more to think about.
great post; I feel your dilemma totally. I hate to perpetuate those sterotypes, so a part of me would have been compelled to give a good tip and attempt to restore the stained image of Blacks tippers or the lack of...lol, but on the flip side...I belive it the merit system...you get what you deserve...so I'd have given her a bad tip and told her why.
I think so many black people are poor tippers from years of being poor...lol, it was hard enough just paying for your food...let alone pay somebody who's ALREADY getting paid (probably more then you) to get your food.
I think at one point in time we have all been victims of poor service. I usually ask to speak to the manager and relay the problem to them. True some managers just ignore what you say but alot of them will actually relay the message to your waitress. I hate to perpetuate the stereotype but why pay her for a job she didn't do.
Gene I kind of like your idea about giving the tip to the hostess who actually got your silverware and maybe then the waitress would have gotten the point.
@moni... I definately know folks that do that. I may have to do that in the future.
@Andrew... I feel you ont he stereotypes coming true if you believe them. But are some stereotypes loosely based on reality?
@Gene... that's real! My sister used to talk about going out with this one guy and going to expensive restaurants. Then at the end, after spending $60 on the meal, he would proudly put a dollar on the table and didn't think twice about it!
I definately remember the Hooters waitress. I wanted to save her, but she prolly didn't wanna be saved.
Very good suggestion on giving the money to the people who did the work. Gotta remember that.
I definately know people go into restaurants and turn from the nicest people to the most difficult assholes you'll ever meet when the service is good. I swear I've seen people turn into Emily from the Exorcist, complete with spinning head and green vomit! They complain the whole time (food not hot enough, then too hot), get free food, get apologized to, and end up refusing to leave a tip. One time I overcompensated on the tip for that person. That shit infuriates me. I can't believe that only black people do that tho.
@sojourner and serialblogger... you're right, people are going to think what they want to think. I'm starting to regret leaving ol' girl a decent tip. We probably should've talked to her or the manager about it. I don't think the decent tip is gonna change her outlook. She'll just look at us as the RARE exception and keep doing what she does.
@Justme... that's real! I think people that rarely go out to eat due to lack of finances don't leave good tips because 1) they can't afford to or 2) figure that the meal cost enough and that they should be happy they got something...
I guess I'm conscious of leaving good tips because my ex-girlfriend was a waitress for a while and would come home crying some nights from working her ass off and getting cheated out of tips (from all races). Some people would have parties of 20 and leave $2. One group of girls (and Gene knows these BSM girls) left her a nasty note and a penny because the COOK didn't get the order right. And some people use cards and round up the change to the nearest dollar for the tip.
On top of that, they only make like $1.50 - $2.50/ hour plus tips. So tips are essentially how they make their rent money. Then out of that tip money, they have to split it with the hostesses (who usually gives the waiters who give them the best portions of their tip money the parties who fit the bill of "good tippers") and the people who bus the tables.
hey dude...that's funny about the women who left the note and the penny...that's right, they need to know when they've done wrong. Once my and my girlfriend was SOOO mad, we rounded up all the change we had and pretty much paid about $5 of the bill in change with NO tip...LOL. (don't ask why we even had that much change).
And I so feel you about your ex working hard and getting nothing...for that reason alone I tip...my mother worked in a hotel as a cleaning lady and really looked forward to the tips.
Stereotypes are based on reality, so if you don't like the stereotypes of your particular nationality then don't be stereotypical and maybe you will change a persons mind or two
Whatever, man. You can't change people's minds. They change their own minds. If someone is ignorant enough to think something about all black people, that's their ignorance.
Brandon -
That "she don't wanna be saved" line made me laugh out loud! There's a movie, book or song in her story somewhere.
I second gene's comment...ignorance it bliss in the mind of the ignorant.
Why in the hell should someone alter their behavior so that someone else can think differently about them?! LOL! F* THEM!
Since I'm young.. and black.. I always have this problem... Me.. being the rude person that I am.. will leave a note. I always leave a tip though... but I always make sure they know that they could have had a lot more if they didn't suck. My friend's boyfriend always starts with a $20 tip.. even if the food is going to be $20.. and everytime they mess up.. he takes a dollar away.. but i get tired of having to be faced with the self-fulfilling prophecy all the time too
I generally give 15-20% and that would be for everyone regardless of service...if it's good service then I go above that.
I went in to Taco Bell today and there was a tip jar... ummm, they got Nay-thang! So yea, today this black chick didn't tip...lol
I have gone out with dudes that didn't tip...that was generally the first and last date though....
Other than that, my friends all tip...and my family.
I'd bet there are quiet a few "other" ppl that don't tip besides just black ppl.
HELL YES i have faced this. the minute i notice that a waiter is NOT giving us superb service, I automatically think, "they think black people don't tip" SIGH. but oh well. i'm a 20%er at all times so whatever! great post
You know what that Gee Thanks comment would have alarmed me as well but when she tripped with the drinks a) would have made me talk to the manager b) get the hell out of there c) contact a region/district manager if I feel the store manager is not handling things he way I like.
I have been there before & my actions usually result in a gift card for poor service & inconvenience.
When I am out at a full service restaurant, I expect nothing but the best & if I don't get it, the server will definitely pay.
Bygbaby
Odd but true - the poor service I normally receive (slowness, inattentive, "flat" attitude) is from black waiters/waitresses. They are normally the ones that perpetuate the stereotype, by assuming that "we" won't give a good tip. Then, they don't provide good service and guess what happens - that's right, they get a poor tip.
Normally, white servers are great. Maybe they are being fake, but it's true (white women, especially).
But about your experience at Hooters - I've learned that the sooner you discuss your service issues with the manager or even your server, the better off you'll all be. Had you told her that you didn't appreciate having to wait 15 minutes to quench your thirst, she may have gotten her "act-right on" a little earlier.
Don't worry about what you think someone might be thinking about you. You - we, black folk - need to speak up for ourselves. Nicely of course *wink*. The more we start demanding equal/quality service, the more these server-people will get the message.
I would have told the B* from jump - "Please don't make me wait for my food or a re-fill on my drinks. And I hope you weren't stereotyping me as a bad tipper with that 'Gee, thanks' comment". She may have given you the blank stare, but I GUAR-RUN-TEE it, she would have gotten herself together immediately.
As a former cook, I would not advise people to get too smart or show hostility with the person handling your food. At least not until after you receive your food. Trust me on this, I've seen some things done.
As far as tipping that waitress, she would have gotten the normal 20%, but I would have definitely left her a note. Brandon made a good point about these waitresses only making a couple of dollars per hour. Took me like ten years to get my friends to understand this.
Well, when I try to "battle the sterotype" I begin by behaving as nicely and politely as I can. I have been treated as badly as you guys in that Hooters, but I defenitely left a less than 15% tip (yeah Im old, I sometimes get stuck on 15, hehehe).
And I always tip the server - even when Ive found live bugs and hair in my food!
LOL
I think the reason Black folks dont tip (well, one reason) is that they dont understand the restaurant industry. They dont realize that servers dont make minimum wage and are depending on tips to earn a decent living.
L
Great post - I've been thinking about this a lot lately, because recently, after two straight summers of waiting tables, I had an experience that really changed my attitude about waiting on black people.
I like to think I have an unusually easygoing personality, which helped me wait on black people because I would always, always remain optimistic. I'd argue with my boyfriend that not ALL black people are bad tippers, although I'd personally never met a good one. That didn't mean they didn't exist, right? So I'd give every black table the same attentive service that I'd give a white table. So they'd take advantage of that: so what? They might give me a decent tip, right? right?
Wrong.
Still, I remained optimistic. A good black tipper was out there and I'd find him or her eventually.
Last week a nice car with rims pulled into the parking lot: as we have outdoor seating, I saw it. I saw a black man and two black women step out. Bling everywhere. When they sat down, the man was practically waving his money in my face as I rushed to get them their three drinks apice: water, coke, and cocktails. three each, each to be refilled at a different time. Luckily, they were my only table at the time, so I was free to give them great service: Extra sauce. More bread. To-go containers, glasses of ice, shirley temples. Everything they could imagine to demand of me, they did, and I hopped to get that ready. At the end of the meal, their $120 bill was matched with a $4 tip. No joke.
My anger was enough for me to wonder if it was enough to really make me a racist. I searched the depths of my mind to rationalize why people could do this to other people - and in the end, I thought it could only be ignorance.
My big problem was my question: what can we do about this? If I come out and ask black people directly, I'll get defensive, angry answers, accusing me of being a bad server and a racist, both of which would be untrue. We can't count on the restaurants themselves to do anything, they're more interested in pleasing the guest to the point of licking the bottom of customer's shoes.
I'm glad we have the internet so I can hide my white face as I post this request: Please, if you have a racial stereotype, change it. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Waiting tables is a unique job because it is one that totally relies on the decency of other people. You have to optimistic about people. Don't kill that for your server.
Ok, I have been a server for MANY years. Now I know that not all black people are bad tippers. Some actually leave better than they should because they feel like they have to make up for all the bad tippers. Unfortunately for the most part MANY blacks where I am from ARE the typical steryotype. Its not about how much money they have, they know what they are doing. Today I had a table of six black men and women that ordered about $320 worth of food. They had lobster tail, filet mingon and shots of patron. I truly feel that I gave them really good service. When I gave them the bill the head man gave me a book with a crap load of wadded up small bills, mostly ones. He laupghed and said the rest "is all mine". When he said that I knew I was doomed. Sure enough he not only didnt leave a tip but rounded down about 15 cents. Its times like this that give servers the steryotype. We can't help it. It happens soooo much its engrained in your mind. I actually had to pay about $5 to take the table once I payed the bartender tipout.
I happened upon this page randomly, but found the topic interesting. It does go without saying that there are stereotypes on both sides. My one experience that I'll throw into the ring comes from roughly 15 years ago as a college student delivering pizzas to Salem State College (Salem, MA). Without fail, I would get tips that at best were 10% and usually were pennies on the dollar (rounded up to the nearest buck). I had one girl who would order fried wings, make a 3 minute trip from her dorm (past microwave ovens) to say her wings were cold, send me back, and I would come back 15 minutes later, and she'd make the same 3 minute trek downstairs again. I had one regular customer, his name was Eric, I'll never forget his name. He always rouded up to the nearest dollar, and once waited for his 5 cents change - all the while in his expensive, brand new Polo clothes.
My experiences led me to question if some blacks in America feel the need to 'stick it' to people who are not black. I have positive feelings towards black americans, but if you told me to get a job delivering pizza to nobody but black americans at a college, my data says I'd get roughly 90% less than I would delivering to white college students in america. I would conclude you'd actually LOSE money given the cost of gas and vehicle wear/tear.
Sure it sucked for me when I was making $8 an hour and Eric was turning that into $7 an hour - but I've moved along in the world and life is good. Yet somewhere in the world Eric is ordering pizza asking the white delivery boy for his 5 cents change, and the 250-plus obese girl is sending her wings back to be re-heated...those poor, self-tormenting idiots.
I feel bad for for the black americans who endure the stigma of such behavior even though they are not a part of the problem. I also am upset with my co-workers who did those same delivery and used their experiences to reinforce their pre-concieved notions of black americans.
I'm sick at tired of people saying stuff like "Blacks don't tip because you give off the impression that you don't want to wait on them, so they end up leaving you a crappy tip." THAT IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER LIE!!!!!
Tonight I waited on 3 blacks and I WENT OUT OF MY WAY to give them a pleasant dining experience. I was polite and cordial, kept all of their drinks full, and prompt. Before they left they were even complimenting me on my service and how wonderful the food was.
Their check was 126 dollars and some change. They left me TEN DOLLARS. FUCK THAT SHIT! 90% of the time I GET FUCKED OUT OF A DECENT TIP. NINE OUT OF TEN BLACK PEOPLE DO NOT TIP WELL AT ALL. TEN BUCKS AINT GONNA CUT IT ON A 126 DOLLAR CHECK. If they had left me 15% I would have been happy. Instead, they screwed me over with a less than 10% tip. FUCK THEM BITCHES!!!
Out of all the different types of people I have waited on, black people tip the WORST. Even Asian people, or Indian people who weren't raised in the United States tip at least 15%! MOST African AMERICANS tip like shit even though they were brought up here in this country. How pathetic. If you can't afford to tip, stay the fuck at home.
I have served for about six months and realized that no matter how much bending over backwards, cracking jokes, and laughing with Black guests that I do that most of them will leave bad tips. If I give bad service it's more than likely because I'm "in the weeds" (in over your head with tables for those who haven't served). I'm still friendly with everyone and honestly do feel bad when they're not happy. I have just chosen to "take it on the chin" and deal with my $5 on a $185 check, all menu items modified, straws with their white zinfandel, martini, and yuengling and 20 water refills all with extra lemon (just like they drink it at home). There's nothing I can do to change it so I just deal with it until I decide to leave the hospitality industry. All in all, I still love my people.
Anonymous said: "Odd but true - the poor service I normally receive (slowness, inattentive, "flat" attitude) is from black waiters/waitresses"
The reason for that is simple -- white waiters are afraid of being perceived as racist. Black waiters aren't.
Andrew the asshole said "give them part of the tip ahead of time" -- that is a really excellent idea that I've never heard or thought of. I would love to try it out but I'm not sure what I would say. Do you have to explain the whole thing, like "I'm giving you this money as your tip in advance" or do you just slip it to them and expect them to get it?
Finally, I had an experience recently I thought I'd share. I wanted to go out with my girlfriend to watch a football game, but the nearby sports bars were too busy. So we went to a new place that turned out to be predominantly black. It ended up being very nice. However, I had to stifle my laughter when we got the bill and a 15% tip had already been added, for a party of two!
Personally I think all restaurants should automatically add 15% for the tip. There are very few times you should leave less than that, and all of those times are better handled by talking to the manager. Plus you still have the freedom to leave a little extra (another 5% or 10%) if the service was truly great.
When I worked in the service industry, my motto was "people will surprise you". There is a difference between educated people and ignorant people. It is true that most of the black tables I had gave me a hard time, complained and tried to get something for free. I gave excellent service because I knew that this behaviour would be accompanied by their visit. All of the evil, ignorant stereotypes had come true and I was friendy, went out of my way and gave them everythint they wanted. You know if you have a black table they will consume much more of your time than a normal table. Even at a grocery store, black people take longer than white people in line. That is why I quit the service industry. Im in the medical field now thank god.
I was in Las VEGAS last year for my birthday. It was my first time to get a table. It was a table of THIRTY (1/2 guys 1/2 girls). It was the sh!tt!est service I ever got. We didn't even have any black people in our group! It was a mixture of Asians, whites, Hispanics and other ethnicities.
Maybe because I was the one behind it (I'm Asian), the waitress was such a hag.
I made it a point to let the security, porter and manager of the club know not to tip that particular person. On our subsequent times, I've explicitly requested she NOT serve us. I tell each waitress who and they laugh!
One thing I have noticed though...how come I have never seen any tables that have black people in it??? (with the exception of celebrities)
First off, in response to the first post, as a Hooter Girl I know that we are not allowed to substitute fries unless they come with it. Even if we are out of cole slaw and potato salad, fries are still always extra because they cost extra! Secondly, it is common for Hooter's hostesses, or other waitresses to run your food or your drinks. Many hooters do not have hostesses, and definitely not bussers, so each waitress helps out where she can. You all should be ashamed of yourselves for not tipping your waitress just because her peers helped her out, like they are supposed to and required too according to the Hooter's handbook! While another waitress may have brought your food, your waitress was probably running food to one of her peer's tables!
Dear anonymous HOA waitress,
If you would've read the post all the way through you would've seen that we tipped her the same we would've tipped a good waitress (roughly 20%).
Secondly, regardless of the no substitution policy, if a restaurant is out of an item that comes with a meal, it only seems fair that that item be replaced with another. After all, it's not the customer's fault that you ran out regardless of what the handbook says. At the very least, that could have been explained or something else suggested. She simply told me friend "No" and made no effort to suggest an alternative.
Third, I understand that hostesses and other waitresses often run food and drinks for the waiter/waitress, but it's another thing when you have a waitress who is just completely unavailable in a non-busy environment.
I've been to Hooters before and have received good service. I definitely know the difference between good and bad customer service. The service was bad. Period.
"Does the stereotype have any merit? What would you have done?"
Well, I don't have access to the full paper, but check out this study from Cornell University. The top 4 results of the research:
1. Tips from Blacks are, on average, lower than those from Whites;
2. Black-White differences in restaurant tipping are not caused solely by race differences in socio-economic status;
3. Black-White differences in restaurant tipping are evident among the middle-class as well as the lower-class;
4. Black-White differences in restaurant tipping do not disappear when both groups get comparable service;
The most interesting to me are #3 and #4. I hope some of the previous commenters will see this study and realize that the stereotype is not based on racism or ignorance.
I applaud anybody who fights to change negative stereotypes and does not merely say "Well gee you can't battle ignorance, so I'll continue giving low tips!" THAT is ignorant.
I'm a black 20 something female who will not tip anymore. I used to waitress in my late teens and I can say, black people don't tip well. As a black former waitress, I know that black people do not tip well.
Being a waitress and having to deal with customers of all types made me hella tip. I would tip $8 on a $20 ticket, $10 on a $38 ticket, etc...it was ridiculous. But then I would actually observe how some servers would treat me, they had the attitude of "this black bitch isn't going to tip" and I recieved some of the shittiest service. I receive bad service all time but notice I recieve much better service when I am out with my white friends. In closing, I have seriously altered my generous tipping practices. I no longer tip someone because I know how feels to wait tables. I have started tipping on basis of merit. After a few negative experiences with 6 or 7 servers who prejudged me and basically dogged me out and/or ignored me I have went down on my tip...$3 on $30 and I think that's pretty low. One delivery guy tried to charge me a FAKE delivery charge tonight, even after I gave him a $3.32 tip on a $18.68 pizza. I'll be tipping ZERO exclusively by May.
-Classy Black Girl Scorned
This was a situation I wasn't even aware existed until I started serving about 6 months ago. My schools growing up were very racially diverse, so I'd never really given much credit to any racial stereotypes. When I started serving, I heard about the whole "black people don't tip" thing, and really got very annoyed by it. I thought, "Well, it's probably because you're racist and aren't giving them good service." So I made up my mind to give my absolute best to any tables of African Americans who came in, and I have.
It's not a myth. It's also not the rule. I would say that for me, it's about 50/50 as to whether or not I'm going to get an appropriate tip. And you can't judge it solely by service, either (by all means, if I haven't been able to serve a table well, I don't expect a good tip). Some people, though, are absolutely lovely and seem really pleased with their food, the service, everything, and then leave less than 10%, so I don't think it's always a matter of not being satisfied. I think some people really just don't know what proper tipping amounts are, and also that waiters really do make only $2.83 an hour. That's it. Add onto that the fact that taxes are taken out of both that hourly wage AND the reported tips, not to mention that each shift the server generally has to tip out the bar, any bussers, sometimes the host, and sometimes a food runner. So yes, if a person leaves a bad tip, the waiter does actually end up quite literally PAYING their own money for the privilege of waiting on that table for an hour or so. Kinda crappy. So I try to give each table the benefit of the doubt and think that they'll be among the normal tippers, but I guess there IS always a moment of bracing myself to make sure that if they don't tip me, it's not because of lack of service. And that does make me a little upset, more so than the loss of money - that where I once didn't see a difference, I do now.
That being said, I do think that you guys were generous with the Hooters waitress. It's very possible that she got backed up with a problem somewhere, but it's also possible that she just wasn't a very good waitress. Leaving a note on the check works, or speaking to a manager.
Good post man. Should shed some light on the race issue regarding restaurants and tipping. I am a white male and I serve at our local Applebee's which just so happens to lie directly between the "east and the west sides". The east side, generally known for housing lower income families, the west side just the opposite. Problem is, the stereotype follows suit 95% of the time. It's not necessarily whether or not the person is black though, as seems to be your case at the Hooters casino. But rather, how the person appears...or better yet, their image. What this means is that those people coming in wearing their ghetto gear and their pants below their knees, are the people we dont like waiting on; not only are they ill-mannered, but they're rude and inconsiderate. Half of the time, they won't even look us in the eye. I manage to give them good service anyways, but only because I'm trying to maintain their benefit of the doubt. In your case, I would have tipped 20% with a personal conversation before I left. That way she doesn't perpetuate her bad service in light of receiving a good tip. Also, tipping 20% doesn't fulfill that prophecy black people don't tip.
I have many black friends. I have 3 adopted siblings of all different races. I am an educated white male. I am unbiased until proven otherwise, nor am I a racist, that is, I hate nobody based on their blood, skin-color, or looks. But I am a REAList. That being said, there are blacks, and there are niggers. Just like there are whites, and there are scummy white-trash. Now, working in restaurants, I'd say separating whites and blacks into two separate groups, that I get about 150% more tips (per dollar amount per each meal) from whites, asians, etc than from blacks. And no, I do not give them bad service, I actually STRIVE to be better to them. They still bitch and moan about everything and don't tip. Those are what I (and every other non-black, who say this behind closed doors) call a NIGGER. And guess what? The majority of blacks I serve are NIGGERS. I could whistle a tune and bring a $100 bill out on a silver platter and I STILL wouldn't get a cent back in a tip for my efforts. Neither do my co-workers, white/black/or otherwise. I even here this from other blacks...but black people want everything for free, they want stupid shit they don't need over necessities, they have no idea what true hard work is, and they are a drain on society. Do you have it that bad? If you want it you get free food, free healthcare, free housing, free COLLEGE. Fuck, I don't see any other race abusing that shit like the blacks. Oh, and I wanted to add that it was the acts of YOUR race that made me think this way. YOUR race. I wasn't brought up to hate, but the more I get to know your thieving, leeching, dishonest culture, the more I hate it, and that had nothing to do with the color of your skin.
Wow anonymous! (notice how people that post angry messages do so anonymously)... tell me how you REALLY feel.
I don't doubt that you've had bad experiences with "the blacks" in restaurants, but you went from saying you're NOT racist (i.e. you have black friends and don't hate anybody based on skin color) to pretty much hating people based on their skin color by lumping all black people, even me, into one homogeneous culture with things like "...but the more I get to know your thieving, leeching, dishonest culture..."
Look, we all have our "niggers" within our racial groups, as you so eloquently put it. As such, I'll bet that the Boomhower's of the world also don't tip well. This usually boils down to lack of economic opportunities and access to education, which plagues black society disproportionately by percentage, but not necessarily by sheer numbers. That would mean that you'd get MORE bad tips from white people since you serve more white people, and a higher percentage of bad tips from people with black skin.
We could get into a circular debate as to the why, but I'm not interested in attacking one another.
The purpose of this post was to simply tell my story and to address the perception/problem. All I ask is that if you're going to post a comment, please be constructive.
I am the poster from 2 above. I was VERY angry when I made that post, and i came of way too racist. I had my house broken into by a black male the night before, then got treated like SHIT by many black tables last night, with like $1.64 for over $150 worth of food. At $2.13/hr, I am losing money that way, and believe me, I give service with a smile. The fact is, you are right that every race has their "trash". The white trash folks are the same damn way, but I don't see them in nicer restaurants near as much. On the flip side, I see hoards of lower-class black people that come into the many restaurants in question like it's their personal freakin' club house. Disproportionally many of them versus lower-class whites, on a regular basis. It's not just the tipping, many of them don't even eat or get a drink, they just stand around being loud, blocking walking corridors for the servers, staff, and other patrons. The business I am mainly referring to is an upscale chain restaurant, and they have been losing a lot of money since "the blacks started coming in". I know there are many many great black people out there, I do...but the majority of blacks I am exposed to are simply perpetuating a negative stereotype, that sad to say, is a reality more often than not. So I said the word "nigger". Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. Indeed, every race has their "niggers", but when are these people gonna wise up and realize that their actions can hurt other people...and actually give a damn about it?! Even black servers tell me this stuff. It's getting to the point where every worker in the rstaurant, regardless of race or position, wants the place black-free, and that is sad in 2008.
If i have a table, foreigners or blacks(we call them "canadians" where i work)...we just add 18% service charge!!
If i have a table, foreigners or blacks(we call them "canadians" where i work)...we just add 18% service charge!!
Probably the sorest subject with me is black people. I really just cannot stand about 80% of blacks, and when I wait tables I can't stand about 98% of them. I am a college student who grew up with parents who taught me manners and the value of a dollar. Most black people are not raised that way. That is why the black kids at school are always bad, the black people in public are always looked down upon for being so loud and obnoxious, and why everybody makes fun of black people to try to be something they are not. What I mean by that is, we all know you don't have money. Yet all of you have coach bags, dolce and gabbana sunglasses, and an expensive car. But your child will probably not be sent away to a good school and all of the white people's tax dollars will have to fund your kid's education because you thought it was more important to act like something that you are not...important and wealthy. When I am waiting tables, and a black family comes in with their loud mouths and clothing and leaves their knock off sunglasses in the restaurant the entire time they are dining, everybody is disgusted and laughing at you. When I get a black table at work, I just have a talk with myself, tell myself to get them out of there as soon as possible, and know the next round will be better. Sometimes I feel like the hostess is mad at me if I by chance have two black tables at once. But it comes with the job, though it is hard to blow off getting $3 on $85 or even nothing at all. Before I moved to this city, I worked in fine dining for three years and waited on about 3 black people that entire time. In those three years, I never got stiffed and averaged about 23% in tips. Now, it is almost everyday that I get at least one black table, and have gotten stiffed twice-both by black families. I have never gotten more than 11% from blacks, and I am shocked when I even get that much from them. But, what can we do? I guess we just all have to bide our time during that horrible hour at work and get the niggers out so servers and restaurant patrons alike can enjoy the rest of their evening. Blacks, please learn your place. If you're not going to act like us, then don't join us. If you want to learn how to dress and act conservatively, we would be more than happy to accept you people. It's not the color of your skin, it is only the horrible name you have given for yourself in nearly every facet of life.
PS: Please leave your race card at home. You should know by now that you have bad this terrible name for yourself.
I have waited tables in Alabama for over three years. One year at a Catfish place and another two and a half at a Wing joint. The ratio of white and black tables is about equal. Honestly, I have never experienced the "black people don't tip" phenomenon. Of course, I have been stiffed before and get lower than 15% off least one table a night. However, I am stiffed or shorted much more often on my white tables. Some of the best tips I have ever had (from tables that aren't servers) have been from black guests. As a rule, they are more fun than my white tables, too.
The tables I moan about are the Sunday morning church crew. ALL WHITE! They love to treat you as if you are beneath them. I had one lady tell me I shouldn't work on Sunday. I wanted to shout at her say, "Who's gonna wait on your fat ass then?"
Black folks hang out at home with family and eat good, home cooked meals on Sunday.
There are so many things that bug me about waiting tables, none are race specific, except maybe the white protestant thing. The Catholics stay at home because we don't serve alcohol on Sunday. =)
@ anonymous above my comment. How hateful. You should get your rant consistent. You bitch about black people wearing "D & G" sunglasses when they have no money, then you bitch about them leaving knockoffs in your section. You need to chill out and maybe rethink your job choice.
An addition: I made 25,000 last year working 3 nights a week. Those are just the tips I claimed. (SHHH) I am in school and NOTHING legal will pay me like that. I ain't that good looking, so stripping is out of the question. =) I am thankful for EVERY dollar I am given.
(first two posted were condensed and edited for typos, It is kinda late so my brain is slow, but I felt compelled to post.)
Michelle, first off you must be black. From your attitude, it's a given.
Second, if you ever decide to stop working in the "soul food" business and try a higher class restaurant you will see what the people here are talking about. Unfortunately, for you, the choice of where you work attracts lower class whites and blacks from all classes. Hence the results you are seeing in tipping.
Also, Michelle, it's not really a phenomenon. Numerous studies have shown that blacks simply don't tip as well even if they liked the service.
Servers are not stupid people. So if they notice that time and time again a certain group of people are not paying good tips then why in the world should they waste their time going out of their way trying to please these people.
Stereotypes are based in reality. Blacks created this stereotype for themselves.
YES blacks are going to get crappier service from seasoned servers (of all colors) because they know what to expect. If blacks are going to leave a bad tip regardless of the service then what reason do servers have to go out of their way?
Black stereotypes have been around UNCHANGED for over 100 years regarding their behavior. Why don't they make the effort to integrate into modern society.
Educated black people who speak proper English are rare (see: Tiger Woods, Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, etc).
You do not see them wearing grills, over sized clothing, and knock off sunglasses inside a restaurant while eating fried chicken and watermelon with their five half naked children running around screaming.
You will not see them being the loudest, most obnoxious people in the building while putting their feet out in the aisles in an attempt to incite an argument should someone bump into it.
Lastly, but certainly not least, you will not see these people tip poorly!
My personal note to those bad black tippers:
Stop being a self-centered, arrogant, ignorant, pompous, racist, obnoxious, foul mouthed, loud, lazy, confrontational "nigger", for once, and make something of yourself. You were never a slave so please do not act as if the world owes you anything. You and your people created these stereotypes for yourselves and only you can end it.
*sigh* I am a white woman who grew up in state where not half a century ago, white men bombed a church and killed 4 little black girls. That kind of hatred still lingers, though thankfully, doesn't come to violence. I grew up watching the black children at my high school get treated much worse than whites. I saw children removed from public schools because parents didn't want their children around black people. I couldn't have black friends over to the spend the night. In my hometown there was a "white store" and and a "black store" up the hill. This was in the 80s!!!!
I still hear people talk about blacks who "speak so well", and how they have black friends, so they aren't racists. It is a bunch of bull.
Racism, on any level, is wrong. Even if it seems as harmless as saying "black people don't tip." Yes they do. Some don't, but come on, most do. And white people are on welfare, too. I know lots of them.
Let it be.
Michelle,
I am going to go ahead and assume that you are an overweight white woman who can not do any better than getting a black man. We all know your type, you would date a white guy if you could get one, but you unfortunately cannot because you are so fat. It sounds so ignorant, but it is definitely true. I'm sure you speak in ebonics as well and wear apple bottom jeans and a babyphat jacket with a fur hood and gold trim.
Since this type chooses to lower themselves to such standards (or lack thereof), they do not understand that most black people are drains on society. They do not work hard or at all because they are lazy and think something is owed to them. They are always the loudest in a public setting and their kids are always the ones with the worst manners, running around and annoying the other patrons. They always want something, always trying to get something for free, especially when it comes to food or education. Speaking of education,black children could probably get a much better one if their parents did not think it was imperative to spend what little money they do have trying to be something they are not. Spending money for new rims on their brand new Charger or Lexus, buying the newest Jordans, or buying a Coach or Dooney and Bourke bag. All things that are completely unnecessary; and by the way, blacks, you are still not fooling the white people. If you had class, you wouldn't act like you do in public, teachers wouldn't hate your kids, and people wouldn't make fun of you for not speaking correct English.
Please get the hint: racism will never cease for you until you learn to speak and act correctly. Asian people look much different than white people, yet nobody hates them. Why do you think that is? Probably because they speak proper English to the best of their ability, are well-mannered, and understand that education is more important that material things.
For an average black tipper perspective see:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6pi-9LBtxs
For an average black server perspective see:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d53lChuKjo8
This is such an old post, but I had a bad night at work and typed in exactly what you suspected.
To get your point across, leave 25% on a credit card slip, then write exactly how you feel right next to it. My boyfriend and I get shitty service all the time since were young -- but when we get shitty service, it's the silent but deadly way to let a manager know.
It does suck that there's so much stigma attached to being a young black man in a restaurant. Sorry about your night.
If you want good service, at the beginning of your meal, say you used to be a server or something to that effect. It's the magic word.
I am a server and unfortunately it is true. Many times on a tab of 100
I can expect to receive 3-5 dollars.
Yes, I am white but I go out of my way to provide excellent service to these customers so that it will not be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Unfortunately even with amazing service I am lucky to get 10%.
One evening I waited on a table of 4 young black women and after I brought the check I said "thank you" and then proceeded to take care of another table in my section. I could hear them laughing and saying "I'm not tipping that white bitch."
There have been some exceptions and in those occasions I am happy that I did not go to them with a negative attitude expecting nothing.
And yes, there are many that tip poorly. The elderly (a dollar just isn't what it used to be). Wealthy women and teens tip like crap. And any table where there is a man and a woman, if the woman pays the tip is shitty.
And if you are more attractive she is, you're just screwed.
Eh, it's whatever. One day I'll get a real job and use my degree.
Until then I'll just take the good with the bad.
So, I'm a delivery driver, and it is pretty hard to give people better or worse service depending on their skin color. You show up to the house or apartment, smile, take their money for the food. Some black people tip me, but a high percentage don't. I don't think for a second that it is skin color that determines tips. That leaves cultural explanations. Maybe because of many generations of discrimination, like being denied service at restaraunts that would expect tips? Maybe economic factors? Whatever the cause, their is an indisputable correlation between skin color and tips. This does infuriate you when you don't make an hourly wage, and depend 100% on tips, but I realize that past generations had much bigger problems having to do with skin color. I personally despise anyone who doesn't tip, or who tips poorly. That means I end up hating lots of people with black skin. I don't hate black people in general, or white people either. But anyone who doesn't tip should not order food. Cook it yourself. (I make an exception for people who are handicapped, and really old) those people deserve charity.
Ya know, reading this, I realize that you just got bad service.
There's tons of servers that give great service to ALL their tables, black and white and green and yellow, and the black tables still leave shitty tips.
I deal with it on a nightly basis at my job. I give the same service to everyone, and 9 times out of 10, the black tables are going to either stiff me or leave me something like 4 on a hundred. I bust my ass, and I do it with a smile on my face and still get shit on.
Last week, I had a black family and a white family sitting side by side. both had 33 dollar checks. The white family gave me 40 bucks and said to keep the change. A little over 20%. The black table gave me 36 and told me keep the change. Both of them had the same service, both of them were laughing with me and having a good time. Yet the black table gave me 10% and the white gave me 20.
Wonder why we don't like serving black tables now?
RagingServer.com
Ok i am a server and I truly agree with the statement black people don't tip its sad but just true. When i get seated by a black table i just accept that i am not going to get a decent tip i still give them the best service i can equal to anyone else i serve just because it is the right thing to do. Over the past few months of all the black tables i have had i think i have gotten over 15% by like maybe 2 or 3 and I always make at least 20% of my sales because i do a really good job i always communicate with my guests sorry to say but black people just don't tip most common tip 5 dollars on 25 or 30 or 80 or 100 always just 5 dollars
I am sorry you had such terrible, disrespectful service! I have worked as a server on and off for years, between "real jobs", (LOL!!), and I personally have not come across the experience of Black folks tipping any less than any other ethnic group. (I am the whitest white girl on White Girl Lane, btw!!) Could it be...because I approach each and every table in my section with positivity and a smile? Could it be that I don't carry preconceived notions around with me and serve people accordingly? Long ago, I worked at a chain restaurant for quite awhile. For a time, we had a Black hostess, and she and I became friends. Once she asked if I would "mind" waiting on a large group of Black folks who had come in to eat. I said of course I would not "mind". She then told me, "You are the only server here who doesn't hate waiting on Black people." That's pretty sad.
In your instance, I definitely would have had a word with the manager, citing specific examples of poor attitude, service, and ill-advised comments. Personally, I think I might have been "outta there" at the first snarky, "Gee, thanks!"
Come see me at my restaurant...I'll make sure you have good, friendly, prompt service. :)
Get ready to be offended (?), but what it boils down to: lousy tippers are the scum of the earth when you've been on your feet and busting your butt all day, I don't care what color or gender you are. There are two chances for a reprieve in the desperate killing yourself to make an impression and get tipped: Indian tables, and Black tables that ask you for fruit punch. That's it. Indian tables you know for a fact with perhaps a 2% margin of error, are going to leave you 10%. No more, no less. 10% on the dot, and you can treat them accordingly. Not poorly, not neglectfully, but just... 10% strong. Black tables, though, you never know: I've gotten the spare change on huge bills (four bucks on sixty- MORE than once) and sometimes you get 25%, no joke. It is almost impossible to tell which way it's going to go. Overwhelmingly (and I was so frustrated going into the service industry, having grown up defending my own Jewish heritage from the white German descendants roaming Minnesota from accusations of being 'cheap' and 'killing Jesus', etc etc, to be confronted with my own, new born, festering racism), Black tables don't tip, or they tip you trash. Frequently, a Black table will comment about how good the service is, and how much they appreciated it- you can't risk giving bad service for a plethora of reasons but largely, from my end, simple damn pride in the work I'm doing, even if it sucks- and then leave next to nothing. It's not a simple 'Oh, they're Black, I'll ignore them as much as I can' equation for a server. It's a struggle- it's frustrating and sad, to be doing your job the best you can and be rewarded with nothing for it. TO be run around and condescended to, which has never happened to be with a Caucasian or Asian table, but has with Black and Indian tables, and then to be left nothing for your efforts to please and accommodate, sucks. I'm not surprised there are stories out there like this- disappointed in the server, but not surprised.
I agree with the person above me...bad tippers are the scum of the earth no matter what gender, race, etc. you are.
I agree that you should leave a note. However, you should somehow subtley mention that you understand proper tipping standards...otherwise they wont care that you think you received poor service.
Race is a touchy subject in the restaurant business. I've only been stiffed a handful of times, but out of the handful, only once was by a black couple...and they were teenagers (so I think their age was more to do with it).
Still, with black people, I have noticed that they either tip really well...or really poorly. I don't think any of my black customers have ever given me a flat fifteen percent. It's either just above or below ten...Or above or below 20-25%
I don't judge a table by race because most of my amazing tips have come from black people...but I do judge people by the way they talk, even though I suppose I shouldn't. I try not to let me judgement show, of course. Besides, I could get in a lot of trouble if they complained! My restaurant is very strict on customer service. I try to look at things from the customer's point of view. I know as a server that sometimes service is slow because it can't be helped...but as a guest (even now) you can still sometimes find it hard to forgive/overlook. I have to remind myself when eating out that not everything is the server's fault.
Best story, though...These two old white guys actually complained my service was slow...and I've NEVER had a complaint before! They gave me two bucks on their $15 bill. Thing is, my other tables were right nearby, and they could TELL my other tables were holding me up with questions.
So, my other where two Black women were sat, they left me $10 because they felt bad that the old men were being mean to me! I'd never had guests do that for me before...Most people don't notice the other tables around them. What's really funny, though, is that the main stereotype is that black WOMEN (especially in groups) don't tip. What I've found, though, is that when it comes to black tables...I get tipped better if there ISN'T a man present. Conversely, with white tables, I get tipped better if there IS a man with them (white women are HORRIBLE, cheap tippers).
I've delivered pizza. 9 out of 10 whites tip, same with Mexicans. 1 in 10 blacks tip. I made sure they got the pizza hot and I was ALWAYS polite. They still didn't tip. THAT is the truth. The majority of black just don't tip.
I'm a waitress too, I've been a waitress for some years now. I noticed early on that black guests didn't tip me well, even with good service. I used to let this really bother me, and I was starting to develop a really racist attitude for no good reason, but I decided to get over it and try to figure out the reason WHY this was happening. I'm nothing like that Vegas Hooters girl, I am a really good waitress, and I am used to people complimenting me for my great service (Whatever. The economy is bad. I can't find a better job.) Anyway. Having grown up in my own white culture, I am kind to strangers, but I maintain a bit of cold distance, because I was taught that this is respectful. I feel that African Americans see this as outright unfriendliness in some cases. They also expect a lot more out of you as a server. They want to feel you being genuine and going that extra step for them. And who wouldn't? Once I started treating my black guests how they would like to be treated instead of judging people based on their race, I saw 20% tips all around. I'm not kidding.
Also, the other day I hosted a baby shower for a party of African American guests, and they straight out asked me if 10% was a good tip. There are some people who just don't know how it is. As a server you just have to look at averages, and not individuals, and do your best work for everyone regardless.
true-short story.
my name is joey and im a career-waiter for the last 6 years working great high-end restaurants in austin, tx.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE is the majority of them actually dont tip well. I dont know what it is but for some reason black people have a habit of stiffing waiters on tips more often than white or hispanic races. Every restaurant I have worked at has wait-staff that is reluctant to serve black people because they feel that they are going to be stiffed. I would see myself and OTHER wait-staff mad at the host for seating their section with black people. Some would even go as far as bribing a host for a no black people section. Its just very frustrating to know before-hand you are going to get stiffed and end up getting stiffed or almost nothing at all.
BUT,
every once in a while I would get that diamond in the rough, meaning i would get those black people that would actually leave me a good tip and then I would feel so bad for having that hatred for the black-race.
BUT,
almost the very next customer that I got that was black would always stiff me and then it would remind me why I and so many other waiters do not like serving "Black People"
To be fair I didnt even talk about 15% gratuities that were added on large parties that I saw disputed by white and black people but mostly, mostly black people.
When Martin Luther King Jr had a dream I wonder if it included properly tipping waiters..
I am a bartender.
I give good service to everyone.
And far and away, the few people who never leave me any tip are black.
Why is that?
The restaurant I work at consists of about 50% black waitstaff and 50% white waitstaff. If this stereotype is false; then why does everyone know they will likely get a crappy tip 9 times out of 10 from a black table? And fyi waitstaff in NC make 2.13 per hour--not minimum wage.
I have waited table's for many years and I am white. The worst day I ever had happened only a few days ago. I made 67 dollars working a double shift on a Saturday. Yes this true if you can't believe it (for those servers out there who know how much I should of made). I work at at moderately high end restaurnt but will not specify to make sure I don't lose my job. It's on par or slightly better then Pappadeaux. Anyways I gave perfect service or better for these tables. High end restaurants do not allow for servers to give poor service to "guests". Regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. I have seen many of servers fired because they gave poor service many times. High end restaurants keep track of the comps (when people get meals for free because of poor service) so you can't give poor service where I work. I don't work at say a Denny's. Anyways about the Saturday I had. I worked 4 tables at one time and they were all black. I don't discriminate and gave everyone the same service I would give anyone else. Table 1's tab 124 dollars. Tip: 3 dollars. Table 2's tab 98 dollars. Tip: 2 dollars. (keep the change on a hundred). Table 4's tab 87 dollars. Tip 3 dollars. So i just sold 309 dollars ( I think the math is right correct me if I am worng) and made 8 dollars.
Now here are some things people don't know about servers. First depending on what restaurant you work you have to tip out. Which is you give a percentage of your sales in you tips to ie. bussers, hosts, bartenders, etc.... Where I work at we have to tip out roughly 4 percent of our sales. So in reality we make only 11 percent if we are tipped correctly. So basically on the scenario I provided I payed out my pocket for them to eat at my restaurant.
Now also if you don't know servers in most states make 2.13 an hour. California is the only state where I know they pay more because of the cost of living. They do this because they add your tips onto the 2.13 to add up or more than minimum wage.
I am sure everyone who is not a server would like companies to pay us more but that would never happen. Your talking every restaurant in the U.S. does this. So if I don't make tips I dont get any money.
Sorry for getting off on a tangent but I wanted people who are ignorant of how serving works I wanted them to be informed.
But back to main point about the Saturday night I had. So that night I made no money and it was because of Black Guests. Now I worked 12 hours. No break.
Again this something the company does to servers but we put up with it. And it would again be impossible to boycott because there are servers who will always be willing to work that kind of hours to make money.
So I worked 12 hours busted my ass gave excellent service. (I am a 5 yr veteran of waiting tables) and made 67 dollars. I made barely the new minimum wage that day. For the amount of work I did and training I have had that was uncalled for.
Now people wonder why servers are how discrimnatory against black customers. Seriously!? I never have any other race tip me as horrible as that EVER. White, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, whatever. So until Blacks are educated or become less "stingy" with their money the outlook will always be the same towards them from server.
Now I do my job correctly and with immaculately regardless as I stated before. But I understand how servers feel and why they feel this way. Do I think inside my head when I get a black table that they will tip poorly. YES. But I treat these customers the same as anyone else because its my job. From what I have seen are black tables more often more needy then other race tables. YES. But again I do my job the same.
The day a black table leaves more than 30% for superior above and beyond service these stereotypes will always be there. And its not a stereotype when the stereotype happens more then 90% of the time. Like all waiters know that white business men will tip 20% or more 80% of time.
I want to be clear I am no racist. I have dated black, white, hispanic, and asian women. My first girlfriend was black. This isn't me trying to prove anything just stating facts. (I live in Houston, Texas) I even went to a predominately black highschool.
The craziest thing working at waiting jobs is that tipping is so bad that it makes black people racist against black people. I heard many a times black servers complaining about their black tables. And that they would rather wait on white tables.
What can be done about this tipping shortage by blacks? I don't know. I don't have any answers. Maybe pass out pamphlets after Church before people go Sunday lunch. Or maybe have prominent black people talk about this issue. Ie. Jesse Jackson, Denzel Washington, Eric Micheal Dyson, Cornell West.
Anyways things won't change anytime soon and black americans need to step if they ever want things to change.
WOW. How sad it is in the day and age. Let's set the record straight. I am an 11 year OUTBACKER, and I have seen it all folks! Blacks don't tip and the true reason is, they don't care about you!!!!! Get it through your heads SERVERS, they don't care about you! Hear the echo??? I had chased one of my tables out the door and yes I did this, becuase this black table(I'm not racist, I have black friends), left me a 15 cent tip on $61.85, ran my ass off for everything and had the balls to leave with an alchoholic drink in a kid cup. So I told him how it was. Got $3 more bucks out of his pocket for it.
See I think the moral of the story is.... They don't give a shit!
Ok so you think I am angry person, not really, I'm actually a good guy with a great personality trying to finish college. As the above mentioned poster said, in restaurants that are higher class then say applebees or denny's, we can't give bad service. I give all my table great service, it's not that hard.
But the results are usually the same for about every 9 out of 10 minority tables. Roughly 5 percent on average if your lucky. And then I tip out 3% to the company, so basically I pay them to eat.
Anyhow, the point is, what does it take for the minorities and even middle class people nowadays to respect the hospitality employee? No one will ever know.
I could give stats on the bills/tips but the above poster proved that point.
I just dont have the answer sorry but I think honestly it might be that they just don't give a shit about parting with their money.
This is from a lady of color.
Black people do get a bad rap when it comes to eating out. They are accused of being extremely demanding to the point of rudeness, to not leaving an adequate tip after receiving attentive service. First of all, let me say that I have been a server, bartender, and restaurant manager, in several different venues and cities, and I hate to admit it, but it is TRUE! I am a woman of color, and in my experience, blacks are clueless. It is most likely due to lack of education. But there is also a great deal of arrogance involved. I've heard the comments from fellow diners of mine, that it's the server's choice to work for tips, or that the "tip" is optional, etc. Although that may be true to an extent, the REALITY is that servers make less than $4 per hour running around trying to please many people at the same time. Servers "choose" this line of work because it can be lucrative financially, and also emotionally rewarding. There is instant gratification in waiting tables, seeing satisfaction on a customer's face when everything comes together during their meal. People need to just stop making excuses and face the facts, if you go out to eat and are served, you must pay for that service. If you would rather not pay for it, then you have several choices: drive thru, delivery (which also includes tipping), carry out. Seriously, enough whining about having to pay an additional fee after paying for your meal - this is the way it is and it will not change, so either tip, or stay home!
This should enlighten most of you...
I'm going to catch thirty different kinds of hell for even suggesting this, but...
It is an article of faith among servers that black people are terrible tippers. A recent study confirmed that African American people do, on average, tip less than white people, and are more likely to stiff the server entirely. The Los Angeles Times ran an article in March about the study. Given that this is the case, and given that Oprah is one of the most recognizable and influential black people in America, it's not surprising to me that someone would make that connection.
Believe me, a non-racist explanation for why black people repeatedly impede our attempts to pay the rent would spread like wildfire among servers. It really hurts to work your ass off taking care of people, only to get stiffed; when an instantly recognizable category of people consistently do this, it's hard not to fall into stereotyping. The article I linked to above suggests that the primary reason black people tip poorly is they feel they are discriminated against, and receive poor service. However, I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I've waited on a party of African-Americans (and I do mean Americans--not recent immigrants who might not know better) and been thanked profusely, told I did a wonderful job--and given an eight percent tip. That just makes me want to cry.
(On the other hand, in the five years I've been a waitress, I can count on one hand the number of times I've received a tip above 15% from a party of black people. These incidents are burned into my memory because they were so shocking. For the record, it has happened three times. And on one of those occasions, I did find out, while chatting with said customer, that he was a former waiter himself.)
Anyway, the point of this post, which will probably hijack the entire thread before it even gets going, is that an urban legend to the effect of "it's all Oprah's fault" would fall on very receptive ears, because it would allow servers to acknowledge this very obvious, undeniable problem without admitting we're being racist.
ETA: Oh, and Richard Nixon--I sincerely hope that's your idea of a joke. I get $2.63 an hour plus tips, and will never get a raise until I find a new line of work. Many shifts, especially during the day and during the week, I sell less than $200, which means if everyone tips 10% I don't even make anything close to minimum wage. Some of my co-workers are single parents, many are college students, and none of us would be doing this if we could afford not to.
Ah I totally agree with the stereotype but wish it would change. I had a large party section at one time and had two back to back parties of 25 with the first being white. The first party was great, didn't complain and loved everything and left a 100 dollar bill on the table. The next table complained the entire time about everything until some of the food was free, then stiffed me. Now don't get me wrong I used to have a black family come in every week to have me wait on them and they would tip me at least 30 dollars on a 100 dollar check every single time so I know there are some that aren't racist toward a white server, but it's few and far between.
Come on, it is true! Blacks don't tip. And I think by this point its a circle of disaster- we "eye" our tables. If its black, im not wasting my time on them. So black people feed off of this and continue to not tip and enforce our beliefs that they won't.
And yes I am a black woman.
Come on, it is true! Blacks don't tip. And I think by this point its a circle of disaster- we "eye" our tables. If its black, im not wasting my time on them. So black people feed off of this and continue to not tip and enforce our beliefs that they won't.
And yes I am a black woman.
I've been a server for about 3 years and the sterio-type is very true. black people are cheap tippers
Don't lie. You didn't tip because she wouldn't bring you grape Kool-Aid.
I deliver Pizza. 95% of our African American customers do not tip. We don't make minimum wage. With gas costing what it does it makes it hard to deliver to a house for a 5% chance of a tip. Our African American drivers even try to avoid deliveries to neighborhoods that are predominantly African American. Money is money. It's not about race.
I didn't read every comment so I may just sound like a broken record but I just want to understand why this stereotype is true. To any african americans out there who can seriously just tell me why this is, I would be extremely grateful. I've been serving for about a year and I can say about 5 times I've been blown away by a black person's tip. Actually once a nice african american couple left me 30 dollars on a 90. But for the most part black tables make me want to kill myself at the end of the night. This job has seriously made me so judgemental and biased toward blacks and when I see I've been sat one I just roll my eyes and expect 5 dollars TOPS. I hate serving black tables, I'm just gonna lay it out there. Please stop coming out to eat.
I confronted a black woman tonight. She stiffed me on a 55 dollar check. Left the tip area and total blank. So I asked her if she forgot. She said she paid with credit card so she didn't have to tip. WTF?! I explained that she could still tip with a credit card. She said next time. Funny she could afford a round of Patron shots (3 for $6 each), but couldn't afford a cent for me. It was my only table for an hour, so I easily gave excellent service. For nothing.
I'm just gonna share my experience.. I've taken on a delivery job as a second income, and I deliver in bascially a racially mixed delivery area.. and Ill go into an apartment complex where a White family will give a 10-15% tip on the delivery, same apt. complex another White family,and/or Latino family will give the same % tip, no grief, then I'll deliver to a Black family in the same units, same economic class, I deliver with the same speed & level of service, and I'd say 75% of the time that Black family will stiff me, or give a tip less than 10%.. with all factors being equal, MY EXPERIENCE has been Black folks don't believe in tipping and are consistently stingier.. and more frequently will complain about not enough napkins, etc.. when other customers are satisfied with the amenities, etc..
Peace.
previously, I was a waitress at many establishments(classy and family dining) while working on my degree. Tips vary from day to day, you never know what you will recieve. I am very good at what I do so I recieved gracious tip, but generally it is uneducated people who don't tip. Now I bartend because I get paid a higher wage because ignorant people do not tip. Ignorant people are black and white. Blacks that don't tip are ghetto, and the whites are usually rednecks or white trash. For someone to say that tipping is optional is a complete idiot. I watched the u-tube that one person attached previously. The female is a complete hood rat. I hate it when I have to wait on ghetto ignorant people because they fucking always leave no tip or a dollar and complain about the food because they think they should get some knid of discount. I am sorry people cannot just get concessions for being a certain race or of economic substandard. I have lived in the ppoorest of poor cities Detroit. I have had to struggle but I am educated and I tip and I work. I wish if people didn't have money don't go out to eat eat at home where they belong. To the person who wrote this, If you and your friends went out seem educated and have a nice personality I would treat you better than that waitress did. Just because You got a bad waitress once doesn't mean all waitress will be bad. If she stereotyped you and your "boys" then you go and hold that stereotype to be true you are also in the wrong. But tipping is mandaatory that is why there is gratutity added for parties of 6 or more at any restuarant. People act like they should be waited on hand and foot when they go out but do not tip that way, ususally black people are notorious for it. If a black person wants to change that stereotype than leave a decent tip. IN AMERICA 20% IS THE STANDARD. The restuarant I used to work at had a Easy tip calculator in the check presenter because of the simple fact blsck people don't tip.
It's not that they always stiff you, it's that they either stiff you, or leave an insulting tip. There have been studies done on this. You cannot deny the fact that blacks don't tip, or they don't tip well. They really are rude, demanding, and needy.
I give everyone great service, but that's because I work in a chain restaurant where I can get in serious trouble for the smallest of things. If I could neglect Black customers in favor of my white tables, I'd do it. However, I cannot. I give them the same service as everyone else, and 9 times out of 10 they thank me and tell me I gave them 'great' service...probably because they usually don't get it. They don't catch on that I'm being insincere because, to be honest, I'm not treating the white people any different than I treat the black people. I don't want to get fired because of some black person on a power trip.
Like a poster before me, I have received a good tip from a black table very few times. For me, if it goes above 10%, it's shocking. I've received more than 10% from a black table maybe 8 or 9 times.
If your black, and you tip decently, awesome, keep it up, and let your black friends know. Decently where I live is at least 20% of your total bill as long as your experience was good. If it is not great service, 15%, if it is horrible, then it may be time to talk to a manager. The las vegas experience sounds terrible, and if you were a victim of the stereotype without knowing it, I am sorry.
It is something you need to know though when you walk into a restaurant though because so many of us servers have been treated wrong by black guests. Every server I know, black or white, has a moment of sheer panic when they see a black table in their section. I am in the situation much like a few other posters, I work for a large chain that my job would be in jeopardy if I did not give each table the highest level of service I can, and as an experienced server, all tables, rather I have two or 8, get the same level of service. As a result, I treat all my guests with equal respect and priority, so when the meal is over, and I run a card, and see nothing in the tip box, and I know everything was fine, or I see something like 10% or less, it is enough to make me momentarily blind with rage. I try very hard to not let it creep into my life outside of work, but I have had moments where words run through my mind that I myself hate, and feel horrible thinking them. I feel like I am the victim of racism myself. Beyond the initial insult, I think about how it costs me money. Let me explain something no one else brought up here. I have to tip out a percentage of my tips, and every restaurant does this practice. If you run up a $50 bill, you have just cost me $2 that I have to give to the rest of the staff, $1 of that to the busser who cleans your table, $1 to the bartender who made your drink. If someone leaves me nothing on a $50 bill, or $2, I have netted $0 in income, and servers DO NOT MAKE minimum wage. Currently wage is $4.19 an hour for servers, not the $7.21 everyone else gets. Your server is not making $10 or more an hour like I have read some idiots out there beleive. As a result, if you go into a restaurant and it is slow, take up a table for an hour, and leave no tip on said $50 bill, I have just made $2.19 for my time! That is the hugest slap in the face you can give someone. I am not a career server, it is what I have done to pay the bills in the time I have been in college, however, some servers, especially outside college towns where I live, have families. I am all for not leaving a fantastic tip if your server sucks, but $0 tips in my mind are just wrong. There is no excuse for a $0 tip. If the service totally blows get a manager involved. In any larger chain it will equal your food, maybe even drinks free, or if nothing else a coupon for future use. Tipping poorly is like stealing. If you tip poorly without justification, you have stolen from someone. I guess I have had my rant, but damn it has been pissing my off lately.
I waitressed for 35 years. I'm black. Blacks are bad tippers. Not all of course, but most. Old people tip less, but they usually tip. Women tip less than men, alot less. Asians are mediocre tippers but American born Asians tip OK. I never worked Sundays, church people are bad tippers and very condescending. They often leave a church card as a tip. The best tippers are working class or middle class white men. Wealthy white men are mediocre tippers and they have attitude. I have no agenda or bone to pick. This is just what I know from my own experience.
I grew up in a melting pot area of metro detroit and as an adult now live in what has to be the whitest city in America. Strangely, it's only miles from the West Side of Detroit. I have served for almost ten years all over the Detroit area, and this has to be the worst area for tipping I've ever worked. From my perspective it doesn't matter whether you are white, black, purple, or blue, I'm going to give you good service. Unless I'm having an unusually off day, you will receive excellence in service, because afterall everyone has bad days. However, there are different attitudes from other servers I work with, and I frequently see it relate to guests.
It's true, we make $2.25 and I do my job well enough to usually leave with 20% or close after tipping out the busers, bar, food runners, and expo. But I'm one of the very few. Some of our patrons come from "across the tracks" and some of our servers walk in with the mentality that they will be tipped badly, and this is white and black servers. I watch them treat their tables apprehensively, and I see that they believe they are being asked for more or the table is complaining simply because of their race. Sometimes I see it's the servers faults, and sometimes I see the patron is just an ass looking for something free.
In my experience, most of my black guests don't tip the 20% I many of my guests from other races do, but most of them tip okay. In the end, I would say it's my experience that yes, black tables do tip less, but I've been completely stiffed more by white tables or other races.
I'm not going to treat people from one race a certain way because a small group of them are assholes. Most black people are fine, and I refuse to give them crappy service upon waiting on them. Last night my partner turned two tables away to me because they were black. I gladly took them, while he took the next white table. At the end of the day they didn't tip me great, but his coveted white table left him $5 on a $65 bill. Now that's karma.
In the end, I think some black people assume their service is bad because their black and some servers believe they got tipped bad because their table was black. In the end, I think most of us are in the middle, just getting by.
I agree with what many other waiters/waitresses have noted. While bad service (what you got at Hooters) might warrant a lower tip or a visit to the manager, it is pretty much unexcusable to just not tip at all, especially if it is out of the blue. When I first started waitressing at a small college town restaurant, I had heard from some friends the stereotype about black people not tipping. To be honest, it shocked and disturbed me as I'd never subscribed to such stereotypes and I was offended. After a few months of working, I found out the truth. It is ridiculous to say that "black people don't tip" because many do, and many do it well and regularly. However, it is unavoidable to NOT notice the large spike in black diners who do not feel it necessary to tip. I work for 2.51$ an hour, and have to make everything up in tips. Therefore, like someone said earlier, when you come to eat, you are essentially contracting me out for a certain amount of time for a specific service. I give excellent service, no matter how busy I am or what race my table is; perhaps this is why it is more crushing to be completely stiffed. Some white people have left a lot less than I thought fair, but I have never been completely robbed of a tip. When it comes to black people, I can count the times on two hands. It just is never right when I would have a table of up to six people - all seperate checks, numerous drinks, extensive questions about the menu, sides of sauces brought - and my collective total is 0.36$, an actual total I am not making up. I was nothing but attentive, taking time away from my OTHER TABLES to take care of their needs. These types of situations make it hard to completely disregard these types of stereotypes. I just want the message to get out there. Please, DO NOT come to a restaurant if you have ALREADY DECIDED you are not going to adaquately tip. Some of the posters above seem to have a predisposed attitude. "Gene" said: "I think some waiters/waitresses think they are OWED a tip. Not with me. Ain't happenin' captain. I work too hard to be treated poorly." I understand the particulars about your experience but this mindset bothers me. First of all, yes, we are OWED a tip. Do you work for 2.51 an hour? This aggressive stance before you even come into a restaurant makes it hard for the waiter to win. I know for a fact that you do not get poor service every time you go out. Honestly, many of the blacks who come in that don't tip are young and seem to have this attitude. They glare at me when I smile and get them water, as if I have to jump through hoops to amuse them. There is no reason for this. Again, if you do not wish to tip, that is entirely your decision, but STAY HOME or get TAKE-OUT. Being a server is one of the only jobs you can get robbed from on a daily basis and it is legally accepted. Have some class and tip. Tell your friends.
Food service people hate black people because they don't tip. It is true. I hate it when black people say they tip. Asshole two dollars on 100 dollar bill is not a tip.!!!! Fuck dumb black people really fuck them.....
Some black people tip and some don't. A majority don't tip well. I am a server at Applebee's and I see enough black people. I quiver when I see them waiting at the door. This due to so many of them not tipping me what I should be getting (at least 15%). When I do wait on black people I treat them the same as any other table. After 5 years of working at Applebee's and being Server of the Month numerous times, there is nothing I can do to change their idea on tipping. Maybe they don't have the money, but if that's the case, don't go out to eat. A couple of extra dollars will not hurt you.If you don't know how to do math, it is 15%. If the bill is $60, take 10% which is $6 and take half of that which is $3 and add that up. Help break the stereotype for all black people. I know there are servers that treat black people bad and they deserve to get stiffed but I always give great service. I find myself charging them for water when they order a soft drink just so I can get the money that I saved them. When it comes to serving them, I have seen all kinds. I've gone up to a table and I've introduced myself and asked them how they are doing and no one says anything. They'll be like sweet tea. OK, asshole coming right up. They never know what they want so sometimes I will just wait it out and get their drink and food order at the same time. This is sad but this is what they are doing most of the time. It may never change. An by the way, whoever said why am I gonna tip them when they are already getting paid. We're not getting paid crap. It is $2.13 an hour and that is taxed down to nothing. All of my paychecks are void and I only see some of this money come tax time. Just know what we go through. Everyone should be a server once in their life so you can see it from both sides.I've had shitty servers before but I still tip them 15% at the least. Maybe a decent tip will motivate them to do a better job. And they did run around to serve me so they should get something. Sorry so long, but this is my first time posting and maybe this will change some people's minds.
Black people tip,niggers don't.
while i'm glad this issue is being discussed openly, we should all probably refrain from using slurs -- it just makes people ignore your point.
i've been in service for a long time and, yes, we ALL know this can be true a lot of the time. i think any of us who've done this for a living could break people down into demographics in ways others could hardly imagine.
i'm also glad to see so many clearing up the wage issue! front of the house bar and restaurant staff in the US are NOT PAID by the establishment. occasionally you'll get a paycheck for 12 cents, but effectively you are UNPAID. EVERYONE needs to know this.
this is why i don't even call it "tipping" when talking to guests; i call it the service charge. a "tip" implies something extra, which it's not.
in my bar we don't let guests get away with not tipping. we encourage staff to pick up checks before the customers leave the building. if they haven't been adequately paid, we will find the customer and get more money from them. we are NEVER rude in the discussion, but unless there is a legitimate complaint about the service, we will ensure the staff gets their minimum of 18%.
yes, i've had some awkward and uncomfortable conversations... but that's nowhere near as bad the gut punch of working your ass off and paying for the privilege.
all that said -- YES, black people are absolutely unfairly discriminated against by hospitality staff as well! i've worked places where they would lie about reservation availability if the caller's name was "too ghetto". or where dress codes were arbitrarily enforced. or where the most junior members of the staff were made to wait on black guests. list goes on. so, yeah, it's definitely a chicken-egg situation.
Get the t shirt
"Its not a myth B L A C K people dont tip
"http://www.86BADTIPS.com"
i guess this is their answer to slavery
Okay, I am a little pissed off. I am a server, and I had another horrible night, for a while I was staying quiet. To start this story let me say I am a server, and one of color, since that seems to mean something on this blog. I ranted to my friend tonight who pointed me to this blog.
I have had it. It could be because I am not from this area and do not know my brothers. Then I think to myself, I am from Alabama, race was a serious issue when I grew up. I am convinced it is just stupidity. Big deal, so I work in the industry while I also am at university.
I am above pissed though, I used to think my white friends at first were a bit still holding onto some unknown racism. Now I agree. Just like I used to think the white people who left $3 on a $90 bill were rednecks, now I get it. It is stupid people in general. I am sad admit, I end up dissapointed more times than I want by members of what I guess are my own "race". I took a lesson from my friend who originally posted here, he told me, "look at id's when you have to card people". Sure as shit, he has been right for over a month. I was hesitant to post. All I have to look for since we live in a university town is local addresses. When I have a 20-25 year old who is black, and is from the area where I go to school, I end up getting dissed. So I think to myself, obviously, it is lack of education that leads to this. I am over it though, I may get fired any day now, I cannot stand this type of mistreatment anymore, it is making me hate my own people, those I used to think I related to.
And just a note to my last post, tonight, I had 6 tables of color leave me 0 tips. I live in Florida, they took up 2 hours of my time, I made $6 in those two hours, thanks!
I am a server, and have been for two years now. I will admit that black people tend to tip lower than anyone else accross the board. And my situation, from a servers standpoint, is much different than your Vegas server incident. I am not racist at all. When someone comes into my section, I give the utmost attention to providing for them while they are there. However, consistently, black people seem to neglect even giving me a tip whatsoever on 50+ dollar checks sometimes. And what is most frustrating about this is that at the end of the night I am required by my workplace to tip out 3% of my sales to server assistants. So, in essence, I am paying to take care of people that do not feel as if they need to pay me for doing my job. Yes, i will admit that there are other races that do not tip as well either. However, the overwhelming majority of your non-tippers are black people. I have had a black table commend me on my service but yet fail to leave me a tip whatsoever (even though they were able to afford appetizers, expensive top shelf drinks, etc.). Anyone who ever doesn't believe me, I simply suggest that they ask the other black servers that I work with. they will tell you the same. In my case I know that it's not a case of racism whatsoever. However, stereotypes are there for a reason sometimes, and that is because people feed in to them.
This is not a racist rant, but put yourself in the shoes of someone such as myself, a server who tries consistently to treat everyone with equal respect and promptness, but who has to constantly suffer meeting their tip quota because a certain group of people think that it is okay not to tip. The vegas story sounds terrible. That girl didn't deserve a penny. But people like me, who do not see color, but constantly have to struggle with the fact that maybe they DO have to realize a stereotype do not deserve to not get paid for their job. How would you feel if you came in to your workplace and didn't get paid for your hard work?
I've worked in restaurants since 1998, and have been serving since 2000. I've heard/seen it all when it comes to tipping/tippers and the whole scene. I'm a 26 year old white male, and was not raised a racist, nor do I feel those sentiments now. What I think it comes down to is culture, not skin color. People who did not grow up dinning out or have not been exposed to proper dinning etiquette have absolutely no clue on how restaurants work. You servers honestly think that the white travelers from Alabama have been to P.F. Changs before? Um, no. The black man steppin' out smooth on a Sunday morning wearing the huge tie and the red suit and white gators probably doesn't know you make $4.00/hour. He thinks that Changs is covering you, and here's an "extra 5" for your troubles. It's not that he's trying to treat you poorly because you're white, it's simply because he doesn't know. But even if he did, he probably wouldn't want to give you $10 on 50 anyway... he's gotten away with it for all these years anyway, and his whole family has too, so what's different about this cat serving him this time? Nothing.
I'll be the first to tell you that I have been surprised before by people who seem to not know, regardless of their race.
But servers, as much as it sucks to say, expect a bad tip, and be surprised if you get a good one. But don't treat them differently... I give perfect service every time, crumb the table, thank them, keep their drinks above 1/2 the entire time, and get them to say "it was great". That way, I know I've done my part. With that aside, serving tables is what it is. For every crappy tip, there's someone that will hook you up for doing a good job.
Deal with the ignorance, or go work retail.
White people are stereotyped as cruel to other human beings. I'm white and don't like the stereotype, so in order to help dispel it I (crazy thing, this logic) don't act cruelly toward other human beings. As a server, I consider acting like a prick at a restaurant and then stiffing the server to be a form of cruelty to human beings. Black people are stereotyped as indulging in this form of cruelty for good reason -- as the study and most servers' experience shows, many do indeed indulge. If they don't like the stereotype then they should quit being fucking cruel, end of story. Why is it always so hard for people to think beyond the tips of their own selfish snouts?!
Not tipping isn't a black thing. It isn't a white thing. It isn't a green, purple, or blue thing either. People don't tip because they're all just plain douchebags.
These are disgusting stereo-types
1. Blacks don't tip
2. Blacks love Red Lobster
3. Blacks don't watch Shark Week
Cheap people come in all colors & shades.
I've worked as a bartender at a majority black club for about 8 years on and off. I can honestly say that black people either don't know how to tip or just don't want to. I've had guys come up and order bottles of champagne, pay me with two hundred dollar bills and then keep the change after asking for juice, cherries, extra glasses, ice, shots of henny and then have the balls to leave me a dollar and ask if they liked how they "took care of me". I'm not black but I grew up in a black neighborhood, went to high school and college with black people and have plenty of black friends who agree with me, black people just don't tip!!
IM A SERVER AND I DONT CONSIDER MYSELF RACIST, I HAVE SEVERAL BLACK FRIENDS AND THEY ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE BUT I HATE HAVING BLACK COSTUMERS BECAUSE THEY WONT TIP, THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING TO GET FREE STUFF. LUCKILY MANAGERS ALREADY KNOW HOW THEY ARE!
Interesting blog..glad I stumbled upon it. I have been waitressing for 7 years now (same place), putting myself through college and now grad school. In my experience, 99.999 percent of the time black customers leave a VERY low tip. Ten percent at best. During my most recent experience the woman who paid had several twenty dollar bills in her wallet and still left 4 dollars on an 80 dollar check. I pride myself on excellent service to all customers. When black customers come through the door I hope they are not sat in my station. I hate having those thoughts but after multiple bad experiences that is how I feel.
I've been serving for about 6 years now and I hate that it's true but black people just don't tip well. I agree with Maria (comment above me) 100%! I have had "black" tables who have tipped 20% but it is honestly extremely rare. I had a 4 top of black women last night who left me $9 on $100. That's terrible. I truly cannot afford to wait on black people.
I just read a few of the posted comments and I'd like everyone to know that servers DO NOT get paid well. I make $2.13/hour. When it comes time for payday, I see about $0.20 of that. Every cent goes to taxes AND THEN I owe money at the end of the year instead receiving a refund. Tips are my ONLY income!!!
I have been serving for about 4 years and delivering pizzas for about 6, and just like Brandon said at the top of the page, I had a bad day at work and googled "black people don't tip" and found this page. I am not a racist by any means, I just wanted to know why they don't tip the pizza guy at all, and barely tip the server. I've been keeping tabs now for awhile and based on my statistics I get an average of $4.36 tip on an average $54.33 bill which comes to barely over 8% which is awful. I always treat my guests the same, friendly and respectful and give good service no matter what, even if I know I'm not getting a decent tip. The hooters girls might be able to get away with bad service just cuz their attractive and have a nice body. but I can't get away with that cuz i don't got a set of tits. so i give 100% every time, no matter what. and i don't think the fact that i'm white helps either. there are black people that do tip well don't get me wrong, but some don't tip at all. i was stiffed on a 232.00 bill once. there was only 7 people so i couldn't get gradtuity. and i gave them really good service. that's just cruel. and it's usually the rude and demanding ones that don't tip. now as far as delivering goes. i get an average of $0.97 on an average of a $21.88 which is just over 4%. pretty rough. most of the time it's the exact amount. if not then i just keep the loose change to the nearest dollar amount. as a server, black people still tip the black servers bad but mabye not quite as bad, but delivering its different. the black drivers actually get decent tips from black customers. like 2 or 3 dollars opposed to my 76 cents. we've tested this with our repeat customers. and we've sent every driver we have to the same place on different occasions to test the result. out of 3 customers who always stiff. all 3 customers tipped both of our black drivers and none of our white drivers, even the hot girl. that's kinda bogus too. so after all this i have come up with 4 somewhat logical reasons why they don't tip.
1. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO TIP
personally i don't believe this one. i think tipping has become part of american culture. everybody knows someone who works for tips and knows that we only get like 4 something an hour which most of it is gone from the gov't taxing our tips which is a whole nother discussion.
2. THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO
now this one goes along with white people as well. my solution. if u don't have a few extra bucks for a tip and your that hard up for cash maybe you shouldn't be be spending $50 on a dinner or $25 on pizza and just cook something u get at the store for $5.
3. THEY JUST DON'T GIVE A F***
now this one seems kind of logical. they don't know u personally and they'll probably never see you anywhere. so who cares right? after your gone it's a few extra bucks in their pocket just for being rude to a complete stranger. is it worth it?
4. RACIST OF WHITE PEOPLE
now this one seems a little harsh, but quite possible. racism seems like its been gone for awhile. white people aren't really racist like they used to be. the last few generations seem to feel the guilt our grandfathers generations and previous generations for all the racial hardships. maybe some of them were raised to hate the white man for all those hardships.
whatever the reason. i feel it is wrong. we are just trying to make a living and pay the bills. we depend on our tips. even with decent tips it's still hard to make ends meet. it's not like we're getting rich off this sh*t. it's just one step better than a full time minimum wage job. and with the economy in the condition it's in now we can't afford to be stiffed or get 4 bucks on a 60 dollar ticket. think of it like this. how would you like it if you took a paycut for every white customer you had you had to deal with?
I have working for tips since 1979, and -across the board- blacks are THE WORST TIPPERS. But then, I live and work in Memphis, (Former!) home to the COGIC convention. -talk about horror stories!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a black waitress and have been for just a shade over 6 years. I have to say that not only do black people not tip, but neither do people from India or Hispanics or Asians. Of course you meet an exception here and there, but then they were more than likely servers of some type at one point in their lives (or another profession that works for tips) or currently are servers.
I give my everyone of my tables the same great service even though in my mind I have a preconceived notion of how they will tip. I think the same about poor looking whites too....they like to complain just as much as black tables and try to get free things or keep me running so I go into the weeds. I am one of the lead servers at my restaurant and have worked hard to get some of the best shifts there, so I do not give poor service or even 10% service-it's not my thing!
Since we are talking about black folks tipping, it seems like no matter what I do for my black tables, I can expect the same $3-$4 tip on an $80+ tab....I mean, you can shove your face full of that wing sampler and order a steak for your 10 year old, but you can't tip your server?
To EVERYONE who likes to go out to eat....if you cannot afford a GREAT tip for GREAT service, then you cannot afford to go out to eat so sit your ass at home!
And please, school your black friends on how to tip....my black girlfriends are not allowed to go out with me and tip crappy....they sigh and roll their eyes and know it's just my way, but are always asking me how much to leave on their $15 (or whatever) tab....when I say $5 they groan and plunk it down because they know if they roll with me they have to tip. And I know when they are not with me they tip because they have been schooled!
LuckyGem is an idiot. She shouldn't eat in restaurants if she isn't prepared to leave a minimum of 15% for average service. This OPTIONAL TIP BS she spews may apply in countries where food service workers are paid a living wage. I live in New Orleans and can attest that blacks are poor tippers. We have a plethora of fine dining establishments that are not chains where 20% + is customary. However, these restauants are not frequented by free people of color unless they are visitors.
I know this is in regards to a REALLY old post about tipping ..but I think though this may not have been the case in you experience but in a lot of resturaunts there are people called s.a.'s (server assistants) that get payed and tipped (by the waitstaff) to run food and "assist" us as directed..which is part of why its so annoying when people don't tip beacause we have to tip out coworkers based on a percent..so really I just wanted to say... just because otherpeople are waiting on you dont assume its because your waitress is ignoring you or take it personally
Black people can barely afford to eat it seems like. They look to cut costs by sending food back and this is so annoying. I am a white server and am not racist at all...though this almost sends me over the edge sometimes! I am all for discrimination now...because black barely tip and when they do, one must bend over backwards and skip around to make them give a buck or too! Please, Black People, stop going out to restaurants. You would do the world a favor!
I also work at Applebee's -- the black servers there hate waiting on black people because of the poor tips. It's ridiculous. I wondered at first if it was just me, but everyone had the same issue. (Ok, I know I need a better job than serving, but I was laid off from my salaried job and actually usually like waitressing)
So yes, like many above, I had a bad night at work and was stiffed multiple times. It gets old. If you can't afford to tip, do not go out to eat.
Oh my god. I seriously hate working as a server because of Black People. Whenever we see them come in the door, everyone argues about who is going to serve them. Black People are so hard to please, they always want something for free, complain about everything, are very needy, and to top it all off, they don't tip you 80 percent of the time. Especially young black women, they are the worst. I have been serving for about 3 years now, and being a server has made me start becoming a racist. I don't want to be but it just makes me feel so much hatred. I probably get stiffed by black people every day. (Today I did by a young couple who I gave 100 percent good service to, and I could just tell when I gave them their bill and how they rushed out the door they didn't tip.) I have a hitlist in my mind, and I remember faces. IF YOU DONT WANT TO TIP DONT COME OUT TO EAT, BLACK PEOPLE WHO DONT TIP STAY HOME & STOP WASTING MY TIME!
I served three black guests tonight. They were my only table and I gave them my best. They left me $157.00 on a $155.52 tab.($1.48 tip for those who cant add or may be hoping the black man tipped outstanding) Another server(a black gentleman) told me the week before the same black man left him $5 on an $82 tab. Stereotyping runs true in restaurants; Blacks,Jews,WhiteRedneckTrash,Foreign, Old people and the unappreciative. NIGGS don't tip and if they do they couldn't add and fucked up the math and left u more than they wanted to. Half of'em dine'ndash cuz they think they have the right to steal!
I've worked at Applebees for three years where I've done carside and I'm a server. I can understand when people say blacks may not tip as well, because of the greeting they receive (the rolling of the eyes when a server sees their table has been sat with black people), and I do believe this does account for some cases. However, serving is all about being an actress. Even if I've had a really terrible day I'm not going to show that to my table. They've gone out to eat to enjoy themselves and not to witness their server upset or pissed off for whatever reason. But I have noticed that black people do tend to "run" you more by constantly asking for different things instead of all at once causing you to run back and forth a million times when it could have been taken care of at one time, but if you remain patient, keep a smile on your face, and refer to your guest as ma'am or sir it will make the experience much more pleasant. After doing my best sometimes it really pays off. I've noticed that in general black people either tip exceedingly well or really poorly.I really hate to generalize, but that's just how it is and a lot of servers just need to accept it and be polite regardless. Even if a table leaves me less than what is considered appropriate if I know that I worked my ass off doing everything I could for them and remaining in a good mood throughout their time there it won't effect my performance for the rest of the night which could lead to eye rolls at later black tables. It's all about your personality not so much the people eating there (although not in all cases, some people are just down right rude and that accounts for any race)
maybe more restaurants in america should do what they do here. In about 80-90% of all sit down restaurants have a customary 15% service charge added onto your bill. I mean you'll always get the cheapies like my friend who doesnt tip if theres gratuity, But I try to at least give a extra 10% if I can.
Im not a waitress or anything but I have to take this one on the chin for my people. I too was very clueless until one day I was given like supurb service by a really nice guy on a busy day. I was so embarrassed because I wanted to make sure I gave him a really good tip and (I had to ask him what was considered a good tip.) After he told me it was 20% to 25% if felt really bad because I always thought I was a good tipper and I was actually an awful tipper. Long story short, I always make sure I tip properly and I even teach my children that tipping is important. If I were you guys I would push for tips to be automatically included on all bills this will ensure that you get what you deserve and a little more if warranted.
I have been a waitresses for enough years now I can officially say I hate waiting on black tables and I HATE waiting on them late in the evening. I give all my tables the same great service, if I didn't I wouldn't be in the closing section of the restaurant. I never have a complaint for my service, food perhaps but not my service. Why do I hate waiting on black tables, I simply can not afford to serve them. It costs me money to come to work and serve them. Wait staff doesn't usually make more then $2.13 an hour. Top that off we have to pay out other parts of the restaurant i.e. bar (6%) and server assistants (%1).
Last night my very last table was three young blacks, two males and one female. They ordered $75.00 total and ordered from the bar. The did not leave me a tip and they charged this bill to a credit card. Now you do the math.....6% of the bill that was alcohol out of my zero tip, thats a negative for me, 1% of the total bill for the server assistant out of the zero tip, another negative for me, and the fact that they put it on a credit card means federal taxes will be placed on that sale and you gave me no money to cover that. Gee Thanks considering you are probably spending my tax dollars from your welfare check to come eat your well cooked piece of leather you call a steak.
If you are so cheap you can't tip your waitress then don't go out to eat. Its much cheaper for you to go to your local grocery store and cook your own piece of meat then to go out and spend $75.00 on one meal when you probably could have fed your family for the week for that much (at least I could have).
At least you are consistent, you don't tip your fellow blacks that are waitresses either so believe me we get that its nothing personal but on our end it is. Wait staff simply can not afford to wait on black tables. It costs us money! We don't appreciate having to come out of our pocket to pay for you to eat at the establishment that we work at.
If you feel so entitled to have your something for nothing then sit at home and collect my tax dollars, thats bad enough but don't add insult to injury by going out to eat and not even giving me some portion of my hard earned money back!
I'm a bartender and I take tables once in a while when we get busy and the girls I work with always say "you can go ahead and take that one I'm slammed" usually ends up being a table of black (or older) people. I take the table give the same great service (seriously I'm not patting my self on the back daily my boss is told about the high level of service and anticipationn of their needs) and then when I do get the big tip from the table I rub it in the other waitress' (whom passed it up) face. That's how I roll "black people don't tip"??? haha not you. Don't feel bad guys they sterotype about everyone...black, old ladies, old men, old couples, young couples, people with kids, pilots, middle aged women. There's an excuse behind every single sterotype. Yet some how I manage to serve the same people and make enough money to put myself through college and support my two daughters. Ironic? I don't think so. The key to life is truly treat others how you want to be treated. Maybe the next time the hooters watiress sits down to eat her salad she should do it with out a fork or a refill. One more vent about servers...ask stupid. "UGH THEY ARE RUNNING ME TO DEATH! WANTING STUFF!" well I say would you like any sauce or condiments with that? it's not that I am too lazy to walk back and get ranch for your fries it's more simply wouldn't you enjoy ranch w/ your fries while they're hot? Now...if I ask you and you say no and then run me...I'll probably say something. :) LOL! Happy Dining!
I find you people to be great tippers! I dont know where this stuff comes from, i guess its just old stereotypes. Its good that you are putting this out there for people to discuss because i heard my daughter say this tonight after her first shift at the dinner and i told her to quit being a redneck rascist.
I work at a very high end music venue in San Francisco. Black people not tipping is NOT a stereotype, its the TRUTH. Whenever an R&B or hip hop group plays and everyone I serve is black, I will average 7-8% tips on my sales after tipping out to the bartenders and food runners. On night with more classical music or jazz, I will walk with 20-25% tips on my sales.
Our managers encourage us to hold credit cards for every table with black crowds because the "walk out" is more likely. This means that with no cash, no tip = it costs me to come to work!! I have to tip out the same % on my sales no matter what I was tipped!! I also get taxed on my SALES not my tips!!!
Also, making minimum wage - taxes on sales... IM GETTING TAXED ON iNCOME I NEVER RECEIVED!!
Taking an order for R&B crowds goes something like this:
$14 hennessey VSOP
$14 grey goose lemondrop
$40 fried food
----
$68 + TAX
$73 TOTAL
----------
I might get tipped $2-5 which is what I would have to tip out to the bar
I pretty much work for FREE for black crowds..
They ask for water... I bring water... then they want ice, lemon, extra straws, extra napkins...
I had a woman last night order a glass of wine... She took a drink and said she wanted a lemondrop instead!! WTF! you ordered wine, you drank half, now you want it for free?? so you can have your lemondrop? Then she gave me problems all night and sent food back saying she didnt order it, when SHE DID!!! She was just trying to see how much she could get away with!
BLACK CROWDS ARE BAD TIPPERS. EVEN IN CULTURALLY DIVERSE, ACCEPTING COMMUNITIES... I HAVE A LOT OF BLACK FRIENDS AND COWORKERS THAT AGREE
If you cant afford to TIP, please don't order a $14 cocktail, or better yet, go buy something yourself at the liquor store on the street. If you dont want to TIP, dont go somewhere that people are going to SERVE you.
Sorry, but I don't believe the original entry. He is way too eager to post how much he tips (for example a 6 buck tip for a 3 minute taxi ride).
And the fact that he keeps referring to his friend as his "boy" says it all...I am sure they acted like demanding jerks. And Hooters is not a 5 star restaurant. It is a cheap dive that hires bimbos. What the hell did you expect? That is what gets me, people go to some dive and expect to be treated like royalty. You can see the fake pretense all over this fake post. Especially when he tries to joke about the bad gambling tips to lighten the mood, as if he such a go lucky-happy guy.
This is a fake story about a non-existent waitress. It is trying to serve the purpose of counteracting the "blacks do not tip" stereotype by attacking a white waitress.
To the last anonymous commenter...
I am the original poster. What kills me is when people make comments without reading the post entirely. Anonymous, the fact is that the waiter in this encounter was black, so i was not attacking a white waitress.
Also, if you had read my older posts (which you didn't because you probably just typed "black people don't tip" into Google) you would know that I did a post asking my friends to give me gambling tips a week before my summer trip to Vegas.
Going to Hooters does not excuse the fact that we were given sub-par service without warrant. We were not demanding and I make it a point to tip well.
The point of me telling what we tipped throughout the post was to make the point that stereotypes aren't always warranted. And by the way you assume that I made a fake post about tipping well proves the point that you can't make that distinction. That saddens me.
The bottom line is that I don't do fake posts.
If it makes you feel better, I was a Hooters waitress. I am a young white female. I was always nice to my tables and talked to everyone equally. I have gotten a 100 dollar tip from a young, black, casually dressed male before. Other tables of black men or women have tipped me very well also. I do know however, some of the other girls would act pissy if they were sat with a black table. It is truely unfair to you and that is why I have always been as sweet as possible to everyone.
lol and by the way, you cannot substitue fries for anything :P Sucks I know. I've been asked many times and tried to reason with the managers to only put equal amount of fries to beans/coleslaw/potato salad but they wouldn't listen. Most the time the managers were jerks to anything any of us said anyways.
Oh, this is the old hooters girl again, to add to your last comment, yes even the black hooters girls got mad when sat with a black table. I really think only 5 of us didn't care who sat with us (out of 60 girls).
Im a server and I can say that for the 50 servers I work with ( tgi Fridays) we all know the majority of black people don't tip.. That doesn't mean you get bad service that's our job.. It means you get extras.. Say you give me some attitude I'll give you some spit in your drink.. Say you start talking shit I'll throw your steak on the ground and stomp on it.. Think about it when yourgoing out to eat we serve you your food and drinks we cando horrible disgusting things to what you put in your mouth:)
Black people are awful tippers no matter how good the service.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1329241
I'm a white/mexican server..but look totally caucasion. I've had an opposite experience from one table of african americans. I was accused (to my mangr.) of being racist, because of poor service. However, it was the dinner rush, and I was 'in the weeds', so ALL tables we're not getting 100% perfect service. I wasn't/am not racist..I hate ALL people equally. That table more than others though, BECAUSE they pulled 'the race card'. Like they deserve any better than my other tables. If one table is behind, believe that all the others are too. I felt like saying something racist to her, to justify the emotions she stirred up in my by accusing me of it. It would've been WORTh giving them a free meal, to insult her and her ignorance.
Blacks do tip poorly. Truth is, Mexicans tip even worse. Although I recently waited on a trailer trashy white family who found it acceptable to leave me $1.50 in change on their $75 bill.
I have been waitressing since I was 16, and I am doing so to pay my way through college. I have been doing my job for so long I can anticipate a ballpark of my tip before the guest even sits down. Although, I have been surprised a few times. That anticipatory rolling of the eyes probably comes from the server's previous experiences. Once the stereotype ceases to play out in my life, I will cease to stereotype people. Until then, I will still get pissed when the hostess seats black, mexicans, young kids, and old people in my secion. Oh, and fat ladies too.
This is a really old blog but the comments continue to roll in so I am going to add my two cents. I do not work in the service industry but I know several people that do and they all say the same thing: " black people don't tip".
I would usually disregard this kind of comment as something said out of frustration after recently being stiffed by a black customer or something. Anyway, I end up hanging out at the bar of a locally owned upscale seafood place where my friend works as a server. I'm sitting at the bar drinking a beer and basically killing time until she gets off work.
Two black females walk in and take a seat next to the bar. My friend walks past me, towards the table and says " watch ". The two black women are engaged in a friendly conversation and seem to be in a good mood. the moment my friend walks up and introduces herself, the women both stare at her as if she has interrupted them. without looking at her they both get some sort of martini. it wasn't particularly busy so the drink order came back very quickly.
one of the drinks was sent back because it didn't have enough cherries. They ordered their food which came out quickly and wasn't sent back. the ENTIRE time, they wouldn't look at their server and acted annoyed at the idea of someone asking if they " needed anything else"
in the end, after about 4 or 5 martinis ( fruity martinis full of sugar) and two entrees ( everything there is about 15 to 19 dollars) they left her with no tip
point is this: I didn't serve these people so I don't have a reason to defend the service or pat myself on the back. I simply witnessed a girl working her ass off for two people that came in knowing god damn well that they weren't going to tip.
the icing on the cake is that the black guy that I talked to at the bar for most of the time I was there skipped the bill on a shrimp cocktail and 4 crown and cokes.
As a blue collar worker, I am happy to see that we are regarded as the best tippers. So I will give a reason as to why I personally tip well even though I'm not rolling in money: Servers work hard for the money they make and I base my tips completely on the work they do. If I order something I hate,that is my fault. If it's slow, it's generally the kitchen's fault. I'm not gonna fuck someone's wallet when they do all they can to be a good server.
I am a waitress, and no matter the color or age I give my guest 100% service that way if they tip me poorly I can be pissed and if they tip well I will be proud. I have come across time where I went above and beyond for a table and got 4 of 70 or some crap like that. As a WHITE girl sometimes I feel like the tip me off my skin not my service. once a party (black) left my friend nothing but gave the black busser 70 bucks. wtf? you're cool. Overall I would say they tip worse but their are bad white tipper also.
Full disclosure: I am a white female who has worked in the restaurant industry as a server and bartender for 12 years.
While it's not fair to stereotype, the number of servers who give poor service to black people because they don't expect a tip is just about equal to the number of black people who don't tip because they felt they were stereotyped for whatever reason. Unfortunately, it's all too often that a good server meets a bad tipper, or a good tipper meets a bad server.
How do we rectify the situation so that all parties are treated fairly? It's pretty simple. YOUR bad tip will not serve as a "lesson" for me to become a better server. If you have a problem with the server, speak up! There may be underlying circumstances that you are not aware of (short-staffed in the kitchen, a new/inexperienced server, a lack of communication, etc.), so if you feel your service is not up to par, ask for a manager. (By the way, this is directed at the general public, not the author of this post)
Would you rather receive better service, or just spend less money? If your goal is better service and a better experience at the restaurant, it's in everyone's best interest to make your needs known so that we (the restaurant staff) can make it better. I would love nothing better than to serve you properly... it's not a matter of how much money I think I can get out of you, but it's basic human kindness. My job is to make sure you're having a good time, but if I don't know there's a problem, there's nothing I can do about it, and if you wait until you leave to leave me a poor tip and a nasty note, neither one of us benefits.
Typically, the best tips come from other service industry workers (current or former), and the worst tips come from those who have never waited tables. Could it be that a lot of black people just don't have experience waiting tables? It's possible. Basically, if we just treat each other like human beings, from both sides of the table, no one has to suffer. Communication is key!
For all black people who feel they receive poor service because of the color of their skin, I truly apologize, but please know that, just the same as not all blacks are bad tippers, not all servers are racist or prejudiced! Please don't make me suffer because another server treated you badly.
My wife has been a server for about a month. She's from Europe and has never seen a black person until she arrived in the USA. This is the honest-to-God truth. I remember her arriving in New York and asking me, "Why is everyone in America black?", and it was so funny and unexpected.
Within about a month she's become a hard core racist based on her own personal experience. She comes home from work in tears because the black guests always stiff her, are rude and "act like they are in the zoo". I can imagine how angry I'd be working 6-7 hours and making only $20 because 1/3 of the tables stiff you.
She's an accountant, but took this job to improve her English (which she speaks fine). I try to invite her to DC to meet some educated black friends / co-workers, but her mind is made up and she's not interested. I tell them my wife is a hard core racist and they laugh, but I don't think they know how serious I am.
It's sad that racism exists in this country, but even the blacks from Africa usually don't like black African-Americans. That's my personal experience anyway. If my wife's experience, (her without the corruption of growing up with any stereotypes), can teach us anything, maybe it's that the majority of blacks are uneducated, poor and/or act like idiots. That in turn makes life unfair for the minority of blacks that are educated and/or act like the rest of us.
Just my .02
It has nothing to do with skin color.
Nothing AT ALL.
Servers are not racist and they are not dumb -- we realize that cheap people come in all races and generous people come in all races. You are just as likely to receive a banging 30% tip from a black couple as you are to receive a banging 30% tip from a white couple -- it's completely random and all this talk of race having to do with it is misguided.
What it really is though? It's culture.
Specifically, it's people from lower socio-economic statuses -- I'm talking lower-earning, lower-educated Americans -- "rednecks"/"ghetto" people/FOBs/whatever the heck you wanna call them.
These people on average have no idea that 15% is what you're expected to tip, they have no idea that servers only make $2 as a base salary per hour and that tips make up the difference, and they have no idea that you're supposed to be polite and courteous to your server on a very basic level when eating out.
It's these sucky people that propagate the stereotypes and misconceptions.
Author of the post - your server was just a bigoted, misperceiving retard. I guarantee a large majority of the rest of us don't think that way. As a server, I also apologize on her behalf - she put you in a shitty moral situation and all y'all wanted to was have a few beers and eat some good wings. I hope her career in serving is short lived.
But again, I and most of the servers I know have nothing against any specific race. It's just those certain groups of people (regardless of skin color), the ones I mentioned, that suck to wait on.
Another thing alot of people don't realize - we as waiters have to tip out our support staff -- hosts, busboys, cooks, etc. - anywhere from 1-4%... when you stiff us on the tip, you're essentially forcing us to pay for your meal. How freaking pissed would you be if you had to pay for your customers/clients things at your job, anywhere from 5 to 10 times a day? THATS why we hate waiting on those "certain groups of people".
Anyways, just my input. Author, again, sorry you got stuck with Kristen. Hope she learns her lesson soon and realizes that cheap and generous people exist independent of race.
Great post, great discussion.
I'm sorry, but it's not just people of lower socioeconomic status. For one thing, I've often found blue-collar white people to be really generous, actually. I have consistently found black people - no matter what socioeconomic class they appeared to belong to - to be terrible tippers. It honestly doesn't seem to matter if they're wearing scruffy clothing or an Armani suit and gold watch. I don't know why, but they consistently tip poorly. I hate to say that, but it's been true the vast majority of the time. I will say, though, that black customers of a higher social class at least are more polite. Lower-class black customers frequently are incredibly loud and negative, in addition to being cheap.
I have no explanation as to why black people are such poor tippers. I assume it's born of simple ignorance. Somehow it seems acceptable in the black community to leave little to no tip. If more people understood that tips are an important source of income for us, I do think they'd start to be more generous.
My wife and I just had this conversation last night. Waiting to get out of my parking garage in DC the other day, a very well dressed black woman, maybe 50ish, driving an Infinity SUV was taking her time while the parking attendant, a guy who has worked in the garage for years, held the door for her. She held out her hand as if giving him a tip, he held his hand out to receive it, but there was nothing in her hand. She wanted it to look like she gave him a tip to anyone paying attention but did not give him one. The only vantage point this was clear from was mine, behind them and slightly lower down the ramp. The parking attendant had a startled look on his face and when out of her sight mouthed a few words and made a hand gesture in her direction as she drove off.
That being on my mind, that evening my family and I went out to dinner in our neighborhood, an upscale suburb of DC. We were sitting at the outside tables of a Thai restaurant and the table next to us was a black family, very well dressed, with several children. There was a band playing nearby so after their meal, the black family stayed at their table for most of our meal listening to the band. They repeatedly asked for drink refills, etc. and before leaving asked for go-cups for their kids soft drinks. The left moments before us even though they were finished with their meal when we arrived. I had the opportunity to see their credit card receipt on the table as I left. No tip. And this restaurant has excellent service.
It's a darn shame but many stereotypes exist because they are true. Not all the time but frequent enough to be fact. I find it terribly interesting to observe these types of behavior, maybe it's the voyeur in me.
I normally tip 20%+ based on service and often am out with clients at very nice restaurants. Once, at a restaurant in the area, my family and I had such bad service that I actually finally got up and refilled my kids soda's from the fountain myself. We asked 3 times for a check before getting one. It was the worst service I've ever received. My wife, normally a good tipper, encouraged me to not tip and I agreed so we did't. When I received my AmEx bill the next month, the waitress had added a nice tip for herself. I called AmEx and had the tip removed and called the restaurant to complain. The manager didn't seem to care. We've never been back.
This is one of the BEST posts/blogs I've ever read.
I've been a server for almost a year now. However; I previously worked in a government job for eight years in a predominantly black community. My child is half black. I am white. My best friends are all black.
Before I greet a table I have to remind myself to have a smile and try to make a good impression because things can get hectic as a server and I also don't want to make my tables feel rushed. And also because when sat with young teenagers, asians, or black women I don't want my face to show I'm disappointed.
I still greet every table with a friendly smile. I still start off with excellent service.
I have to be very blunt and honest. I switched my previous job primarily because the majority of customers were blacks who didn't tip well. There is no excuse for it. And I'm an EXCELLENT server. I will give every single table great, attentive service. I will run to the kitchen 50 times to make sure you're food is right. I will fill your kids cups five times because I know what it's like to have a whiny child. And I will even take the unwarranted eye rolling from black women, the 10 minute menu quiz with an additional 15 minutes for substitute questions in order to get a better tip. It just doesn't make a difference.
However, there is only so much one person can take before believing a stereotype to reality. Even when tables give 15%, I take it as an insult. It would be safe to say that a lot of people think 15% is average, but I am not. Nor do I give service that warrants a 15% tip. If you cannot afford to tip more than that, then please do not go out. You are COSTING your servers money. We tip out a significant amount of money to bartenders, food runners, and busers. We cannot afford to wait on tables who tip poorly at a $2.13 hourly wage. Do we know you're going to tip poorly when you walk in? No. But if I have the choice to serve a white table vs a black table (especially a table of black women) I will ALWAYS choose the white table. Hands down. I can't handle the bitchiness, awful looks like I've just insulted them as I'm bringing refills, and overall disgusting attitude in addition to a crappy tip. I don't even want to talk about manners. That's a whole other rant right there.
Are there others I would not rather serve? Of course. Asians are awful tippers as well. I'm sure if everyone I knew started omitting tips at all the Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and any other Asian restaurants maybe they would start thinking. If we then told them we'll start leaving tips at their restaurants when they start leaving them at ours, I'm sure there would be a different response.
My point is: If you have a problem with your server~TELL THEM. Tell them straight away that you were upset about waiting for something. They will more than likely apologize and if they're a good server, they'll even tell you why they were slow in service(sorting silverware to be washed, doing sidework, ect.) And there's a really good chance if you tell them they were lacking in service, they'll more than likely be attentive to you until you leave.
Also I would like to add, if you have come into a restaurant for a business meeting or just to have a leisurely meal tell your server as well. They then know if your food should come out faster or slower.
And if you are a regular at a restaurant request a server who you like. Chances are they'll like you too and serve you better because you frequently dine in.
Please tip your servers what they deserve based on the total check. A $50 check would play out like this:
10%(poor service)= $5
15%(average service)= $7.50
20%(pretty good service)= $10
25%(excellent service)= $12.50
30%(the best service you've had all year OR pretty good service from a fellow server)= $15.00
I really try not to judge tables... i have been working a restaurant for over 3 years trying to get myself through college. I have had many bad tables along the way some due to poor service some do to just cheap tippers. But anyways i hate to sounds like racist but BLACKS DONT TIP... yes there is the occasional table that shocks me but i always do my very best and give all tables the best service i can normally if i screw up it is my fault and i deserve a low tip. But i have worked in a restaurant that serves mainly blacks for over a month now and its not fun. I worked 12 hours gave the best service i could and id say out of the many tables i had i only messed up on one table bad the rest were good service no problems and very polite. My sales were a little over $1,300 so i shoulda walked with about $260 maybe more if tips were what they should be. I walked with $115 in 12 hours. That is horrible i made more in 5 hours at pizza hut in ocean city maryland. I had checks that were $150 and got a tip of $10. Overall i say blacks do "tip" but they TIP LOW and i have noticed they complain. that is the truth and i hate to say it but When i see a black table in my section i know already chances are 85% that tip will be low but hopefully it will be good. I had a lady that was very kind and an amazing person to wait on she told me blacks dont tip, blacks complain and thats how 85% of them are and she told me hopefully her generosity helps for the other table that was grilling me because i forgot a lemon when they could clearly see i had 5 other tables besides them. SO OVERALL BLACKS TIP LIKE CRAP AND NEED TO GO TO TIP SCHOOL IF YOU CANT TIP 20% dont go out. GIVE THE WAITER A REASON TO BELIVE OTHERWISE>
Look, when you come across 95% of a race who are either uneducated about the service industry (3.13 hour) or they really are too dumb to get it, its hard not to prepare yourself to get screwed. Its a PROBLEM in the industry! Far too many servers end up losing money when they wait on Black People. That's right, LOSING money! You see, servers tip out 3-6% of their sales. That means if a Black Person's tab is $100 and they leave a $5 tip, you lose a dollar of the money you came to work with in order to pay a 6% tip out. Its not that hard too calculate a tip. Learn how to do it!
There should be a server union and every server should donate $5 to run an ad campaign on BET, WB, democratic conventions, NBA (sorry, white audience, black players), radio, etc.. Either learn and participate in tipping like the rest of the population or stay home and eat Pigs Feet and BBQ on your grills with aluminum foil covering the surface area ( you know the temperature gets hot enough to kill germs on the grill rack, right?) And get your own damn straws, Water, lemons and splenda!
Being a server is hard work, if you don't believe it, gets off of your fat diabeties ass' and give it a shot. You will have respect for every person who does the occupation.
Finally, we need Restaurant Owners with a spine. If you see someone not participating in the tipping rules everyone else in our society is expected to live by, Tell patrons they are not welcome. Stand Up for the people who absolutely bust their ass' on a daily basis to profit your business! I bet you The word will spread and people will respect your business and you will stay busy.
First, that lady did a bad job, no question. That was either incompetent or worse intentional, and either way unprofessional. If she can't handle one more table she needs to give it to another person.
I'll be honest. When I worked as a server I did not dread all black people (well dressed older black couples tipped well) per se, but if they were young, black, dressed "urban/street", and talked in a similar fashion (and if they were with their date/girlfriend, bc he pays for everything), I tried to do the best I could, but I subconsciously I probably gave them a lower priority. Especially if they complained about something.
This is not fair to a person just because they are black, but if you are black I would recommend trying to speak less street, and try to be friendly and smile (not hostile or standoffish) and try to stay polite and understanding if ONE small mistake happens. I would be less than polite if things keep happening, or I would give them a smaller tip.
OK - I have served A LOT of people of different races in the food industry, and I even did my own little study once, which concluded that 30% of blacks don't tip as opposed to 10% hispanics and 4% whites.
But I noticed that the older, classier blacks DO tip, while the younger Section 8 types with names like KeyShawn and TraShanna do not. So it's also a class/education thing. But I found that even obviously-poor whites usually tip. Make of it what you will.
Longstreet
I have managed a restaurant for YEARS. I am white, but have no prejudice in my heart. It is a simple truth that they don't tip. They also play power games when they order their food. They also SEND FOOD BACK for ridiculous reasons. Because many servers KNOW in advance what is coming their way, it is very difficult as a manager to maintain standards. When dealing with an African American customer, I always treat them as any other customer, but make sure that they have agreed to their order before it is sent to the kitchen for these reasons.
I have seen many. many good servers develop an attitude and probably prejudice after dealing with the same problem African American customers typically display. It is sad to watch them create the very problem they are afraid of, prejudice.
I have managed a restaurant for YEARS. I am white, but have no prejudice in my heart. It is a simple truth that they don't tip. They also play power games when they order their food. They also SEND FOOD BACK for ridiculous reasons. Because many servers KNOW in advance what is coming their way, it is very difficult as a manager to maintain standards. When dealing with an African American customer, I always treat them as any other customer, but make sure that they have agreed to their order before it is sent to the kitchen for these reasons.
I have seen many. many good servers develop an attitude and probably prejudice after dealing with the same problem African American customers typically display. It is sad to watch them create the very problem they are afraid of, prejudice.
I've been serving and bartending for over 6 years. I worked my waitressing job today. 6 tables of white folks, 3 tables of black folks. All of my white tables tipped 20-25%. 1 of my black tables tipped 8%, another almost 10%, and the last one had a bill of 31.17 and left 32, aka an .83 cent tip. The third table didn't speak much, but the other two were very polite, and 'seemed' like classy ppl, but their tips proved otherwise. I'm black, and I dread serving black ppl, I really do. I tip 25-30+ just to make up for 'US'. I tip 25-30% in hopes that I'll be remembered next time as someone that knows how to tip.
And as for those ppl that dont think they have to tip, and that it should be the restaurants that pay more , put it this way: there's a reason service at wal-mart, and most fast-food restaurants is often not so great. It's because their workers are paid a regular minimum wage, which leaves their employees with very little incentive to provide exceptional service. i.e., if waiters were paid a normal minimum wage, well, you would probably always get pretty dull service. That would be the norm. And your 20 dollar entrée would be 25 to help pay the employees. Restaurants pay waiters 3-4 dollars an hour so that they will be enticed to provide good service. This wage is reflected in the price of their food. Otherwise restaurants would have to pay waiters 5-10 times as much an hour (to put up with the bs that they do), and your meal cost would be raised significantly.
From a server’s perceptive:
1) we do not cook the food, if you come in during a rush you and it takes 20-30 mins You cannot blame the server for the delay. Sometimes we are Double, triple, quadruple+ sat. I know in my case, I let my guests know and apologize in advance any delay the rush may cause them.
2) servers in NY make $4.65/hr… Yes, people can get another job if they are not satisfied with their income, but the cost of college is expensive, and a person under 24 years of age cannot claim independent for financial aid…and financial aid doesn’t cover 100% of the cost…or gas money or rent, etc. When attending to school full time as a main priority, 1 of the only part time jobs that you can make decent money(most part time jobs only pay minimum wage) in is Serving.
3) Yes, as a server, trust me I do understand that there are some servers that are horrible and rude and should not be working with people.
4) We cannot read your minds or moods.
5) IT IS NOT JUST THE SERVER YOU ARE TIPPING, 15% OF THE SERVERS TIPS GO TO THE BAR/HOSTS/BUSSER.
6) Standard tipping is 15-20+%,(doubling the tax is an easy way to tip in this range)
JUST THINK: yesterday I had 4 tables.
The only white table I had left me $10 on a $34 check.
Black table #1 $7 on a $76 check,
and Black #2 (came straight from church and very well dressed) left me $12 on a $137 check. (and the older man had the nerve to insult my tattoo and my name)
Spanish table: $10 on a $70.
I also notice that NO RACE compares or even comes close to the nasty attitudes, rudeness, and lack of manners I receive from Blacks. (I do not mean all blacks, just the MAJORITY that I, and my fellow co-workers have had to serve). At least spanish and asian people that don't tip well are more polite and nice to you.
BUT I have to tell you, I am very polite, cheerful, and want you to have the best experience... I know that NOT ALL black people don't tip well, but it is the MAJORITY that doesn't. And I still treat every table the same because you never know, they might be/or have been servers themselves and understand how much work serving really is.
But it is INSULTING and discouraging to receive these consistently horrible tips.
If you can't do the math for 15-20% just double the tax
($50 +tax (8.625% in NY) 4.3125 = $54.31 Correct tip (when you have great service) MINIMUM should be double the tax which would be: tip: $8.60
If you are tight cashed around the holiday and think that is good enough excuse to leave less than 15% on great service – think how tight cashed that broke college student that is serving you is also. And now bc you’re being cheap they have to tip out 15% of their 10% tip from you to the busser, hosts, bar. BOTTOMLINE: If you can’t afford to leave a few extra bucks, then stay home and cook your own food.
I've been a server for nearly 9 years now and it rails against all of my liberal upbringing to agree, but after years of trying to give everyone the exact same (hopefully perfect) service, I've finally broken down. Black people (in general) are TERRIBLE tables to serve.
It would be one thing if the tips were just bad. I love waitressing and with my school schedule, it's really the only thing that works-- but I could deal with bad tips every night and then if the tables leaving them weren't also incredibly demanding, rude and condescending.
I currently work as a cocktail waitress in a club. Certain nights with certain performers bring in certain kinds of guests (college students, old people, asian, black, etc). The nights where we know the performer is going to bring in a black crowd, the rush to get cut for the shift is deafening.
You can bust your ass for a table, do everything in your power to get them their drinks as quickly as you can, with all the modifications asked for, while keeping the table spotless and the napkin under their glass fresh and still expect either a 5-8% tip, or to get stiffed entirely. Believe it or not, I'm Asian and my 5-8% is considered a GOOD tip compared to the other servers, all of whom are white.
The thing that gets me most is the attitude I get from tables that think I'm being racist just because my whole section got sat at once and I excuse myself instead of standing there like a lemon while the whole table hems and haws about what they want... or I'm assumed to be racist because company policy is to take a credit card for every table (the cash and carry system doesn't WORK otherwise!). Moreover, I'm not a bloody robot. I need TIME to go get your drinks for you. My pitiful human feet need to walk across the room to do it. And doing it in reasonable human time earns me the title of crappy, racist waitress-- every time.
98% of fat black woman don't tip, ask for extra if everything (even if they don't use it) complain about something and send it back, ignore you if you ask if the need anything else then scream at a random co-worker that they need more ranch. yell at you the entire time. make a mess. then don't tip, and or flip out about an auto grat. Also will ask for * million extra to-go container and possibly attempt to walk out on their check.
98% of drunk sorority girls ask for 8 different mixed chilled shot. scream at the top of there lungS at there friends. spill shit. then and or puke/pass out and will give you %5,
80% of jewish customers will complain, drop names, then tip 10-15% on the bill, if then dropped a great name and get a discount or things for free. they will tip the same on the billl they were given. if everything was free they will tip 0-%5
black guys, and frat boys can go either way depending on the size of your boobs and the knowlegde of the service industry.
Okay this a very unfortuante sterortye... I am a server..I treat all my guest the same regrdless of race or age..oh yes I am 23 & black. There are a few sterotypes when going into a restuarant if your young some server assume that you wont tip well, which I must admit most kids under the age of about 19 dont tip well..&then there's old people they can't tip, they tell you how pretty & sweet you are then leave you $2 & a bunch of nickles & dimes.. Im not going to play bingo or wash clothers..like seriously can I atleast get some quarters..(jp..kind of..just saying) they tip like 7%..(O_o)3rd is black ppl..who "don't tip"
which is not true by far, I am black and I tip well my family tips well also..Assuming that a table wont tip based on race is ignorant and a loss to your pockets rule#1 NEVER JUDGE A TABLE..you never know..my highest tip came from black couple which was $80..Once a I had a black couple yes they were annoying a compalined about more stuff then needed BUT I TREATED THEM WITH RESPECT LIKE I'D WANT TO BE TREATED. and guess what.. they left $20 of $38..I've encountered all types of rudeness & bad tippers..white,black mexican, chinese..you name it...grant it I'd hate to admit it but black folks, some of us can complain alot..(no offense)HOWEVER there are indeed some nasty rude non tipping WHITE poeple out there..BUT of course that slips under the radar..nobody talks about their nasty attiutudes..#TRUE FACT: anything a black person does get exagerrated and publicized..then unfortunaltly, it turns into STEROETYPE...BUT when a WHITE person does something nonbody remembers..ONE MORE THING before I go talk about all you servers and other small minded ignoranances black people probaly arent tipping you well, because you give them horrible &or less them sub par service.. because of the mere assumption that "black people dont tip"..I guareentee you if yout treat ALL guess the same like you'd want to be treated trust me you'll see a difference..negative thoughts-->bad attitude-->bad service= bad tip..
as a long time server, it is disturbing how you judge a table on looks alone. but you know what? stereotypes exist for a reason. If black people weren't such shitty tippers in the beginning they never would have gotten the bad rep. nope, they have created this mess and are too stubborn (or poor or ignorant) to correct it.
everyone gets the same service. unless you're throwing money at me when you first sit down to 'ensure' good care, you are all gonna get well taken care of.
just an fyi.. servers are TAXED on 10% of your check. so say your bill is $100.00, the IRS assumes the server made at least $10 off that table and taxes accordingly. Then there is the Tip Out; tip out to the bar, the bus boy, the food runner, the hostess, whatever.. If you dont tip, basically your waiter has PAID to serve YOU.
ensure good karma and tip 20%. Waiters aren't getting rich out there, just trying to pay the bills.
Well, how do you explain this?
"The study, by a researcher at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, found that blacks tip on average 20 percent less than whites."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1329241
I am an English ex-pat living in Florida. I came here about 10 years.
I've experienced the same discrimination for being English; servers often think I won't tip well due to my nationality. Unless you mess up or give me awful service, I always give 15-20%. I mean, you start off with 15%; if you're great, it goes up. If you give me bad service (and not just "normal" service) then it can go down to 10%. I sometimes leave a note too.
The thing about not knowing how to tip is legitimate. In England, servers don't get poor wages like in the US. Tipping is always optional, but they will add a service charge for large parties.
I think in the short term that a Server's Association SHOULD educate people on how to tip, in general and at airports. But I'd really like to see tipping removed and for servers to be compensated properly by employers. How much do we lose in taxes from undeclared tips? Probably a lot. Tax the rich, absolutely, but make everyone accountable, ultimately.
Tons of comments on this, and just to show it IS an issue, when you start typing into Google "Why don't black people" the number one autofill is "tip" at the end.
I'm currently a delivery driver for a pizza chain. I know I'm saying this myself so it's open to conjecture, still, I'm very well mannered, professional, upbeat on my deliveries, and we do deliver to the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in my medium sized Southern city. But the reality is my black customers, whom I approach exactly the same as every customer, with a positive and very upbeat attitude, my set little patter of funny lines that are always well received, yet whether it's affluent or poor, blacks tip at a rate of about 5% of deliveries. Whites, across the board, tip at about 60% of deliveries on this side of town, about 90% in the more affluent suburbs, blacks even in the more affluent suburbs are maybe 10% of deliveries.
Maybe it's ignorance, though I have explained when asked that we drive our own cars, buy our own gas, pay for our own insurance, etc., and receive server pay (about half of minimum wage) while delivering. Little changes. It's frustrating, and some companies have cut out certain neighborhoods, partly for this reason, partly for safety if a driver has been robbed, drivers themselves find they refuse to go to these addresses.
That's the situation. I would love to know how blacks who receive these services, of waiters or delivery drivers, feel about not tipping.
"Then she pulls out the ol' patented Hooters "let-me-sit-down-and-let-them-flirt-with-me-so-they-will-give-me-a-good-tip" move."
O man, that's crazy, you mean to say they did that to you too. I wasn't at hooters, but the girl did pull the EXACT same move after giving a shitty service where she was actually insulting members of our table. I did not give her a tip, thought about it, but didn't give her a single cent.
I decided that if someone wants to be racist/discriminatory in rendering of services they will always find a reason. Back in the day it was we don't like serving jews because they don't tip and restaurants would hang signs saying no dogs, no shirt (means no hippies- because hippies don't tip either because they have no jobs),
no jews.
"Message board after message board characterizes Blacks as cheap tippers and as chronic complainers (which we do apparently because we want to have a reason to not leave a good tip)"
This is the nail in the coffin for me. It shows the clear contradicition in these discriminators mind. They say blacks under-tip by their nature and cheapness. And they say blacks are by their nature overly demanding. Then they say we really just start arguments as an excuse to not leave tips. The last part shows the contradiction. If blacks are by their nature cheap and under-tip (be it on purpose or haphazard) we need no excuse to tip less, its our nature, you don't need an excuse for it. So it is at its root a racist belief. Blacks start arguments not because of the shitty service or wrong orders, or not seeing their waitress the whole night (which is 90% of the time what leads up to the crap/no tip), or because they earn 62 cents on the dollar compared to their white counterparts but because they are just cheap.
The only thing I can draw from this is white tip more for bad service or these people discriminate against blacks but look for ways to justify it.
I guess I am a confrontational person to an extent. I'd rather the server just admit to my face they don't want to serve me because I'm black and "a cheap ass" than to make up other excuses about how they are all so busy. Then I'd not have to tip any of them, and wait patiently while my food takes 1 hour to come.
And even if all the blacks who could tip more did, the poor outnumber the rich in all areas. Even for blacks, so the stereotype based on the "Facts" would not change. It would at best be those blacks in suits and ties tip but all the other ones don't tip. And then it just be blacks don't ti[
It´s a general tendence. I am waiter in a cruisehip. More than 50% of our guests are blacks. Most of them don´t tip. Ithink it´s like a vicious circle:
We dont take care of them because we think that they are noit going to pay and they at the same time feel our "hate" and decide for no tipping...
I was very nice with many of them but even so... they never payed. They are not flexible also to understand that a cruiseship is not a hotel and we dont have time to take care a la carte.
Many of them perform as nice and cool people. They joke with us, and so on... just to MAKE US BELIEVE that they could tip, but NO!
Some of them pay, yes but is just a little minory.
I waitressed for years throughout highshool, undergrad, and law school. I have a few things to say:
First, it is NEVER okay to provide poor service based on stereotypes or profiling (e.g., cheap clothing, single parenthood). EVER. I don't care if you are serving a regular who you know tips shit. STILL NOT OKAY. Professionalism is everything and if you don't like the nature of the business, quit.
Second, the whole "big fake smile and small talk" schtick is just that - phony and ingenuine. Again, I have found that pure professionalism works best unless a guest actually solicits your chat, opinion(s), ideas, life story, etc. I feel embarrassed for servers who try too hard. No matter how cute you are or how much you brown-nose, most people simply want efficient, friendly service and not constant interruption and overenthusiasm.
Third, over the years, I have encountered many "tipping" stereotypes. Most are rough estimations of a kernel of truth. In my experience, blacks are more demanding and often tip poorly. I say this with absolutely no bias or prejudice. It is a fact of my own humble experience, nothing more, nothing less. That said, revert back to my first point. It is NEVER okay to provide subpar service based on what you think or even KNOW will happen tip-wise. It simply is not ethical. As a side note, I have been surprised FAR too many times to even rationalize stereotyping based on race (or anything else) in the tipping arena. I treated everyone equally, and waitressing was a pleasant reminder that human beings, are, for the most part, very kind indeed. I never went hungry or lacked a roof or heat. All on faith of tips. For ten years.
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