[submitted] Tipping Point

[Candlewhisper Archive]

[title]Tipping Point

[desc]Bellboys, waiters and waitresses, porters, bartenders... there's a multitude of low paid service industry jobs that people are only willing to work because of the potential for tips to supplement their income. However, recently analysts have often suggested that it is the tips themselves that create the low baseline wages, with many economists presenting a case for tipping being a cause of poverty and welfare dependence.

[validity] capitalist nations only, low level of employment law regulation,

[option]"Look, us restaurateurs don't like gratuity-based economics either," complains @@RANDOMNAME@@, the proprietor of trendy inner-city eatery The @@CAPITAL@@ Pyramid. "In fact, we trialed going tip-free and incorporating the costs a decent salary into the bill. Do you know what happened? We lost customers! A higher visible menu price, and the loss of the diners' feeling of power meant customers went elsewhere! The only way to fix this is government legislation, banning tipping and regulating the industry. A national approach will level the playing field, and that'll be good for workers, good for profits, and good for national poverty levels."
[effect]nobody draws smiley faces on receipts anymore

[option]"Hi, my name's @@RANDOMFIRSTNAME@@ and I'm just tickled pink to be your coffee server today!" chirps a frankly stunning barista with a huge smile on @@HIS@@ face as @@HE@@ hands you a perfect cappuccino with a marshmallow on top. "@@LEADER@@, I don't get paid a lot, but I'm more than happy to do what I can to earn your tips! It's a great motivation to keep me working hard to make you, my customer, super-duper happy! And if good-looking ethnic-majority twenty-something tight-trousered folk like me end up earning a bit more than most, well that's the wonderful thing about the free market! God bless @@NAME@@!"
[effect]waiters and waitresses claim to like it when odiferous customers flirt with them

[option]"There's definitely something in what @@HE@@'s saying," suggests your brother, tossing a few small denomination coins onto the counter, to the barista's disappointment. "Maybe we could all learn from that. I reckon it'd be good if politicians had a tiny baseline wage too, but were allowed to earn tips by pleasing the people. Or at least, by pleasing the people that are willing to show their appreciation with cold, hard cash."
[effect]politicians sell their ideals to the highest bidder

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I considered an alternative crazy third with communism being proposed, but felt this one was more fun.

Also considered a second "reasonable" option relating to decent minimum wages, but that didn't seem distinct enough from the current option 1.

[Australian rePublic]

You mean like tipping in America? That's a friken' pain in the arse, and I meant to wirte an issue regarding it, but never got around to it, still yours is much better than mine would ever be, and I'm just glad that the topic would be added to the game, regardless of who put it there I think that you should SPECIFICALLY mention somewhere thatresturants are exempt from minimum wage. Also, is there any reason why the resturant wants a minimum wage, whilst the waitor doesn't? With my experience of the industry, I have reason to believe that it would be the other way 'round

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I considered mentioning minimum wage, but while that exacerbates things it doesn't drive it. The UK has a flat minimum wage with no reduction for tipped jobs, but there's still a vocal movement against tipping.

As for the speakers being the way round that you might not expect, that's absolutely intentional. I wanted to get the reader's attention by mixing up their expectations, with the employer being the one advocating for social justice, and the employee being the one arguing for market freedom. Makes a refreshing change, right?

Also, it's realistic. Tips annoy restaurant owners because they can't manage cashflow or salaries as easily and they have to pay back-of-house staff less than they want to because of it.
There also been restaurants that rolled out tip-free services, found their profits fell, and had to roll back... I always do research...

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/ar ... es/482151/

As for the barista arguing against regulation, note that this is someone who is demographically benefiting from the system, gaining a higher wage than they would be under more regulation, as currently they are basically benefiting at cost of those who lose out - the ugly, the back-of-house, the old, the ethnic minorities, and so on. The slightly manic speech pattern of option 2's speaker is also meant to reflect that they've been caught by their own expectations, and acted the role so long it's become part of them. It's a bit like the "respectable women" who opposed the suffragette movement, or the immigrants who voted Trump: there's always someone willing to advocate against their own interests because they've bought into the ideology of the oppressor.

[A Humanist Resurrection]

As for the speakers being the way round that you might not expect, that's absolutely intentional. I wanted to get the reader's attention by mixing up their expectations, with the employer being the one advocating for social justice, and the employee being the one arguing for market freedom. Makes a refreshing change, right?

I understand there are parts of the world where offering a tip is potentially a rather offensive gesture. Either because it implies the employer is a cheapskate/exploiter, or the employee has to be bought off for good service, etc.

So it's not even necessarily a social justice thing.

[Lait Criuf Scax]

[title]Tipping Point

[desc]Bellboys, waiters and waitresses, porters, bartenders... there's a multitude of low paid service industry jobs that people are only willing to work because of the potential for tips to supplement their income. However, recently analysts have often suggested that it is the tips themselves that create the low baseline wages, with many economists presenting a case for tipping being a cause of poverty and welfare dependence.

[validity] capitalist nations only, low level of employment law regulation,

[option]"Look, us restaurateurs don't like gratuity-based economics either," complains @@RANDOMNAME@@, the proprietor of trendy inner-city eatery The @@CAPITAL@@ Pyramid. "In fact, we trialed going tip-free and incorporating the costs a decent salary into the bill. Do you know what happened? We lost customers! A higher visible menu price, and the loss of the diners' feeling of power meant customers went elsewhere! The only way to fix this is government legislation, banning tipping and regulating the industry. A national approach will level the playing field, and that'll be good for workers, good for profits, and good for national poverty levels."
[effect]nobody draws smiley faces on receipts anymore

[option]"Hi, my name's @@RANDOMFIRSTNAME@@ and I'm just tickled pink to be your coffee server today!" chirps a frankly stunning barista with a huge smile on @@HIS@@ face as @@HE@@ hands you a perfect cappuccino with a marshmallow on top. "@@LEADER@@, I don't get paid a lot, but I'm more than happy to do what I can to earn your tips! It's a great motivation to keep me working hard to make you, my customer, super-duper happy! And if good-looking ethnic-majority twenty-something tight-trousered folk like me end up earning a bit more than most, well that's the wonderful thing about the free market! God bless @@NAME@@!"
[effect]waiters and waitresses claim to like it when odiferous customers flirt with them

[option]"There's definitely something in what @@HE@@'s saying," suggests your brother, tossing a few small denomination coins onto the counter, to the barista's disappointment. "Maybe we could all learn from that. I reckon it'd be good if politicians had a tiny baseline wage too, but were allowed to earn tips by pleasing the people. Or at least, by pleasing the people that are willing to show their appreciation with cold, hard cash."
[effect]politicians sell their ideals to the highest bidder

Ah, tips.

God, I hate tips. Especially since I'm in America where you literally have to tip the waiter/waitress or else it comes off as "rude" and "being a cheap stake" if you don't tip.
Seriously, everywhere I go where I go to get food or a drink, you have to tip. You can even be publically embarrassed if you get those crazy waiters. I remember this story of a football player who left a tip of .20 cents and the waiter tried to "Tip-Shame" them. I'll edit later if I find a link about it

EDIT: Found the link, Click me!

Overall,

I find this issue to be real good in my opinion. However, from what I have seen and read, it seems as though employers and employees want you to tip. I believe there are even jobs that pay around $3.00 because they expect you to make the rest off of tips. So for me personally, I would have thought the restaurants would actually be agreeing with the waiters instead of going against them.

Although, if you are not talking about tipping in America, then completely disregard this message haha.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

I'm happy with the speakers maintaining their current positions, as they're both based on real people commenting on the situation in media.

Some restaurant owners might be for tipping, but many are against it. Same with waiting staff.