Debate on restaurant tipping policy has taken a recent uproar following the announcement that thirteen fine dining restaurants in New York city plan to eliminate tipping. Universal issues concerning tips and employee wages have been present for years in this industry, however different restaurants are finding solutions through different methods. Almost all restaurant owners agree that the present model regarding wages has been less than ideal. While some nights servers in high class restaurants are receiving close to $700.00 in tips per night, the kitchen staff could be receiving a nominal $120.00. The current distribution of tipping only highlights the importance of servers in ensuring a good customer experience, but minimizes the necessity of having quality cooks and cleaning staff. As a result of workers wages relying so heavily on customer tips, the unequal distribution has left several behind the counter staff completely unsatisfied. One solution by Dirt Candy Restaurant owner Amanda Cohen, has come up with is to simply add a 20% administration charge on to each customers bill. Instead of this 20% going mainly to the server it will be spread equally through the staff in the form of higher wages. Unfortunately, I don’t agree that this solution should be the new route for restaurants in regards to revenue streams. When I go to a restaurant and get less than standard service, I don’t necessarily want to leave a tip as lofty as 20%. However, this additional charge forces “tipping” regardless of whether the customer is actually satisfied. Another approach taken in the realm of removing what is now regular tipping, is to raise the price of a standard meal. By doing this the restaurant will increase revenue enough to pay all employee’s fair wages without such heavy reliance on tips. This solution works both to the employee’s and customer’s advantage. Not only does it ensure fair wages across the board, it also eliminates any question in the price for customers. Therefore, the amount customers are charged following a meal will be made much clearer, because the menu price is exactly what you pay. Implementing this will remove the need for tricky percent calculations related to tipping. Regardless of the different implantation styles that restaurants are using, the ultimate goal is to ensure fair wages for all of their workers. There is high potential here for these New York based restaurants to pave the way for an entirely new dining experience.
http://www.9news.com/story/life/2015/07/07/wheat-ridge-restaurant-no-tips/29815659/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-york-tipping-restaurant-1.3284508