[Sam]

McDonald employee takes the order, prepares the food but do not expect tips. Whenever we buy a product from store, sales clerk or the factory worker does not expects the tips. Is it illegal or impolite to tip the workers in the stores or in the factory? Tips get divided and sure it also goes to a person who is not giving the good service in the restaurant. Why not the restaurant owner start charging 15% more for the food? They can pass this extra income to the employees by increasing their salary.

User Detail :  

Name : Sam, City : Lewisville, State : TX Country : United States, 

[Dot]

Restaurants would lose so much business by jacking their prices up another 15% that many people would stop going in. The restaurant business is already one of the lowest profit margin fields to go into, the reason so many of them fail. Of course they try to wring the maximum amount of work out of you for the smallest wage. Plus in Texas you're probably having to compete with undocumented people willing to work for far less than you because they don't have to pay taxes on that income.

User Detail :  

Name : Dot, Gender : Female, Age : none, City : L.A., State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[JerryS]

Well, a really good (or good-looking) server can bring in a lot of tip money. People tend to view tips as "extra" money, and don't figure it in when they are looking at the prices on the menu. Oh, and in a lot of restaurants (ranging from burger shops to the fanciest) the tips are NOT pooled. At the lower end, at least, the arguments are - Not pooling tips encourages each server to work harder for their tips. - Pooling tips encourages the servers to help each other. In fancy restaurants, the servers often split their tips with the busboys.

User Detail :  

Name : JerryS, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : New Britain, State : CT Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[ClaraD.]

It is just a longstanding cultural tradition. It shows gratitude to show appreciation for someone who provides a _personal_ service for you, such as bringing your food or cutting your hair or cleaning your hotel room. It's not the same as appreciating someone who works in the Keebler factory who bakes the cookies you will eventually eat, because you often don't get to see those workers, and they also make all cookies the same - they don't bake one _personally_ for you. It also allows you to pay what you think the service is worth; some people need more assistance than others. For example, if you only order food and the server brings it to you and performs a generally good job and is pleasant, they deserve an average 15% tip. However - if you have a child that throws their food all over the floor and the server has to clean it up, or you need lots of iced tea refills, or you order something that requires extra work by the server (maybe something like Sizzing Rice that requires the server to partially cook it at the table, or you order something that's not on the menu and the server has to beg the kitchen staff to make it for you, or you need them to heat up a baby's bottle), then the server deserves more - say, a 20% or even 25% tip, if you're really demanding. It only works if everyone believes they should pay their fair share - and it mostly works out. But this is why Americans are also looked at oddly when they tip overseas; the servers in other countries are paid a living wage, and view all service as part of their job. Americans want to be appreciative, and Americans also want to not owe anyone anything

User Detail :  

Name : ClaraD., Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Blind, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 46, City : Columbus, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : accountant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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