Can we please stop the insanity and eliminate tipping in our culture?
I mean, the entire process is idiotic from where I sit. This came to a head last week when I dined for lunch at a fine Clarkston establishment. The group of four I was in had good food, humorous discussion and great atmosphere at this restaurant.
The service was also solid during our stay. The waitress was pleasant and quick to refill my beverage, which is always key in whether I enjoy my dining experience or not.
At the end of the meal everybody threw down their money and due to either a lack of attention or a lack of math skills we left a subpar tip. This was brought to our attention in a roundabout and nice way by one of the restaurant’s employees. We quickly rectified the situation but it was awkward at best.
So I ask you why must we continue to play this game? Here is a simple solution to an annoying problem: pay your waiters and waitresses a decent wage and pass the cost off to the customers in the form of higher prices.
I would also not be adverse to the establishment automatically adding a certain percentage onto your bill for gratuity. A number of restaurants already do this when parties are large. Basically whatever eliminates math is good for me.
In the interest of full disclosure, my math skills leave a little to be desired. Combine that with the fact that after a good meal I am dangerously close to falling into a food coma, you have a recipe for disaster. I mean is there a worse time to try to showcase math skills then immediately following an enjoyable dining experience?
This is not a shot at waiters or waitresses. They have an extremely difficult job and one that I probably would be fired from within three days. I mean why should they be stiffed out of their hard earned cash because there customers are either cheap or did not pay good enough attention to the tip?
I don’t expect a tip after I write a feature story on someone, nor do I give my doctor a tip after he prescribes medicine for my sore throat. So why should some individuals be tipped for their job and some not? And why should I be put in the awkward situation of deciding whether these individuals should be tipped and if so how much?
Gargaro’s Hall of Shame: Stephen Joseph who was trying to sue to keep Oreo cookies out of California. Apparently the creamy center is full of trans fat which is horrible for an individual. How about some personal responsibility? If you think Oreos are that bad for you, do not eat them. Novel concept, huh? Sounds like a publicity stunt to me.
(Kyle Gargaro is the editor of The Clarkston News. His e-mail address is KyleG44@aol.com.)