Power and Freedom Brings Out Who We Really Are

[JJReyes]

Tipping in the United States has gotten out of hand. The expectation today is 15% to 20% and for fancy restaurants, 25% to 30%. Anything less, the wait staff will make their displeasure known. I once tipped and the waitress accosted me for lack of generosity. My response, "Do the math. You don't calculate tip to include the sales tax (nearly 10%). I gave you 15.265%." She couldn't do the math and either could I, but 15.265% sounded like a good number.

Now the courts have ruled that restaurant owners can retain all tips for distribution to all employees including kitchen staff!  They removed the incentive to provide better service.

At least in the Philippines, where many Filipinos don't tip, any amount you give is appreciated. 

[Queenie O.]

9 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Tipping in the United States has gotten out of hand. The expectation today is 15% to 20% and for fancy restaurants, 25% to 30%. Anything less, the wait staff will make their displeasure known. I once tipped and the waitress accosted me for lack of generosity. My response, "Do the math. You don't calculate tip to include the sales tax (nearly 10%). I gave you 15.265%." She couldn't do the math and either could I, but 15.265% sounded like a good number.

Now the courts have ruled that restaurant owners can retain all tips for distribution to all employees including kitchen staff!  They removed the incentive to provide better service.

At least in the Philippines, where many Filipinos don't tip, any amount you give is appreciated. 

JJ most Filipino workers in the service industry also poo/share their tips with their co-workers from my observation. Not so much a bone of contention here that it would be in the States though.

[Jack Peterson]

10 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Now the courts have ruled that restaurant owners can retain all tips for distribution to all employees including kitchen staff!

 Of Course any Government would love to do this as Tips are Taxable SO, Employers would unscrupulously deduct a going rate from the Total then share what remains BUT this would mean an unfair thing to the real lower paid that may not pay Tax or Little equally we would get into the Double Taxing of our cash, For me it is wrong, why try and mend something that is not Broken and help owners to offset their Tax Bill with employees money, For me, Tipping is a personal thing and I will keep it that way, Yes I will still have to pay the 10%+ service charge But...... The Staff will get what I think is right at the time. 

[Queenie O.]

On 2/10/2018 at 9:56 PM, bows00 said:

Oncean expat moves to the Philippines, they have an instant advantage in this country - and I am referring to our spending power.  And with that boost in power, brings a sense of instant freedom - the freedom to be who we really are.  And this condition just amplifies our core values and true nature.  For example, if you are a generous expat, you enjoy giving a 20% tip to a hard working filipino to make their day.  If you are happy, you smile more and spread that happiness even more here.  

Yes I suppose that if you have the means,  an expat can have the advantage to comfortably help a few or as many folks as they desire or are able to, due to the power of their currency. If you're a generous and kind type, you might get frustrated that you can help some, but your realistic budget dictates that many of course will still fall through the cracks.  Yes it can be satisfying or a rush at times to be able to make a major or minor change in a person's life for the long or short term.

You are not free sometimes though, when people automatically expect that as an expat, you're a millionaire peso wise, (you might well be) and are an easy mark or okay to take advantage of. You might be considered a target at times. 

Where I come from in the States, although I'm college educated I still consider myself a "blue collar" person that came for the most part a "blue collar" working class background.  At times I don't mind the attention, but sometimes I'm not really comfortable with the instant rank and respect that I might be given as a "rich foreigner" whether it's warranted or not.   Being considered rich can also tend to keep you more humble at times, if you view it that way.

 

 

[JJReyes]

11 minutes ago, Queenie O. said:

JJ most Filipino workers in the service industry also poo/share their tips with their co-workers from my observation. Not so much a bone of contention here that it would be in the States though.

I have no problem if service employees decide among themselves to pool their tips and equally divide it among themselves. What is happening in the United States is the courts have allowed the restaurant owner to keep all the tips and divide it equally between ALL employees as part of their wages.  The distribution decision is by the employer.

To give you another example. We are going on an Alaska cruise with our two sons, their spouses and a grandchild.  The cruise company will impose a mandatory "tip" amounting to $661.50, automatically charged to your credit card, for the seven of us. The money will then be given to the cabin attendants, restaurant staff and bartenders (none of us drink) as wages. More likely they will be hard working Filipinos who are required to work 10 to 12 hours a day with no holidays during the term of their contract. As a token of my appreciation, I will give an additional $100 for the cabin attendants per room and another $300 for dining room staff assuming we all are seated in the same table. The extra amount is divided by the service team. The most senior, the team leader, gets 40% and the two more junior member get 30% of any extra money. This "extra tip" is highly appreciated because oftentimes the Philippine contractual agency garnishes part of the wages paid by the cruise company. 

Cruise staff are forbidden to talk to guests about their contract, hours, living condition. They open up when I chat with them in Tagalog.

[Queenie O.]

13 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

I have no problem if service employees decide among themselves to pool their tips and equally divide it among themselves. What is happening in the United States is the courts have allowed the restaurant owner to keep all the tips and divide it equally between ALL employees as part of their wages.  The distribution decision is by the employer.

To give you another example. We are going on an Alaska cruise with our two sons, their spouses and a grandchild.  The cruise company will impose a mandatory "tip" amounting to $661.50, automatically charged to your credit card, for the seven of us. The money will then be given to the cabin attendants, restaurant staff and bartenders (none of us drink) as wages. More likely they will be hard working Filipinos who are required to work 10 to 12 hours a day with no holidays during the term of their contract. As a token of my appreciation, I will give an additional $100 for the cabin attendants per room and another $300 for dining room staff assuming we all are seated in the same table. The extra amount is divided by the service team. The most senior, the team leader, gets 40% and the two more junior member get 30% of any extra money. This "extra tip" is highly appreciated because oftentimes the Philippine contractual agency garnishes part of the wages paid by the cruise company. 

Cruise staff are forbidden to talk to guests about their contract, hours, living condition. They open up when I chat with them in Tagalog.

I understand what you're saying JJ.  It's not really a fair system at all. Morale could go south very quickly.

I have some good friends (an American couple) who once were hired on as jazz musicians for a short term contract gig on a cruise ship to Costa Rica.  After they finished their contract they were so disillusioned at wages, living conditions, food etc. That they gave up to ever use those types of employment as another means to support  themselves as musicians. Of course many Filipinos and other groups of staff members don't have another choice. 

[Queenie O.]

29 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

I have no problem if service employees decide among themselves to pool their tips and equally divide it among themselves

Well,  as far as I know it's the employer in the Philippines, that decides on this pooling of tips, not necessarily the workers.  That may or may not be to their liking--I'm not sure.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Queenie O.

[JJReyes]

59 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Of Course any Government would love to do this as Tips are Taxable SO, Employers would unscrupulously deduct a going rate from the Total then share what remains BUT this would mean an unfair thing to the real lower paid that may not pay Tax or Little equally we would get into the Double Taxing of our cash, For me it is wrong, why try and mend something that is not Broken and help owners to offset their Tax Bill with employees money, For me, Tipping is a personal thing and I will keep it that way, Yes I will still have to pay the 10%+ service charge But...... The Staff will get what I think is right at the time. 

I agree. The tip money is for the employee, not the employer. 

[JJReyes]

30 minutes ago, Queenie O. said:

I have some good friends (an American couple) who once were hired on as jazz musicians for a short term contract gig on a cruise ship to Costa Rica.  After they finished their contract they were so disillusioned at wages, living conditions, food etc. That they gave up to ever use those types of employment as another means to support  themselves as musicians. Of course many Filipinos and other groups of staff members don't have another choice. 

My personal observation: The senior ship officers are Norwegian, Greek, Italian nationals. The senior staff for restaurants and bars are Western Europeans.. For some reason, the entertainment directors are mostly from Australia.  With the exception of some from the former Eastern European countries, most crew members are from the Philippines, Indonesia and India. 

Americans refuse to work for cruise liners because the pay is poor, hours are long, and living conditions are horrific. The employee cabins are below the waterline. In addition to 10 to 12 hours daily work schedule, you are required to wash and press your uniforms. Contract is 8 to 10 months per year. air tickets, food and lodging are free. Filipinos average between $2,000 to $3,000 per month. Wages are not taxable under USA and Philippine laws. 

The only break is when passengers are touring at one of the destinations. A certain percentage of the crew can go on shore leave. Most go to a remittance center to send money home or try to make phone calls home. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

56 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

The tip money is for the employee, not the employer

And yet, even in Canada my ex wife got fired for not sharing her tip.  She worked at a Casino and the "rule" was all tips are shared but of course the cute, friendly ladies got more tips than the grumpy old croupiers.   One day, at the end of her shift, a big winner tipped her $100.  She was thrilled and came home all excited.

Next day she was not so excited.  She went back to work and the boss told her to hand over the $100.  She refused and got fired for theft.  Go figure.  And you big tippers think you are doing the girls a favor.  If this could happen in Canada in 1998 I am sure it can happen here in Philippines.