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RE: Scotland: To the Skye and back! [Only a short flight from Lisbon, just saying]
I am from Scotland, and I live in the USA. I have 3 citizenships - UK, Canada and USA. Waiters here do not get minimum wage. They live off tips - normally 20% of the bill.If their tips don't amount to minimum wage, then the restaurant owners must make up the difference. They are almost self employed! Before we decide if we can afford to eat at a restaurant, we figure out the 20% extra we need to add on before going out. 10-15% would indicate you were not happy with the service. Less than that would be a total insult. More than 20% would mean the service was exceptional!
Wow! But if you analyze that... are the customers to blame or the restaurant owners? As they hire someone it's only fair they pay them properly right, not let the customers pay on top? In my opinion, if they want the customers to pay a part, just include it in the price and make that the final price, so there's no confusion about it. And then, if you're exceptional in your job, you get the tips as a nice little extra.
The waiters can earn a lot more than minimum wage with the tipping method. It's the way it is here, and we don't have a problem with it. Including it in the price would reward everyone equally, and not just the best waiters. Service, in my mind is a lot better this way, and a lot fairer. Each is paid according to his/her attitude and attention to the customer. A good waiter at a nice restaurant can easily bring home hundreds of dollars per night and support a family on it. A bad waiter will not last long in a good restaurant. A lot of jobs in the US are commission based, and this is almost the same thing. It's the free market. :-) Waiters who don't like the idea of tipping will work for fast food restaurants where they do get paid minimum wage and there is no tipping!