Does anyone pool their tips? I’ve done it at a couple of a restaurants and it can be a really great thing or a really awful thing. Of course it all depends on who you work with. When I worked at The Marriott, we would pool tips on Mother’s Day because it was the easiest thing to do. That was The Holy Grail of busy days and we would be sold out from the second the door was open until we closed. People would claw and scratch their way inside to get a piece of that $38.95 buffet. God that was an easy job. Why did I ever leave it? When we would pool, it meant that one person had to be in charge of all the money at the end of the day and that person was none other than yours truly. Contrary to my surly attitude, I am completely trustworthy and very often I would have over $8000 in my pocket by the end of the day. I was the one who decided how much we would tip out the bar, food runners and bussers and then divide the rest amongst the servers. Equal parts tip for equal parts work. Theoretically, anyway.
Pooling tips is not easy. You have to trust your co-workers and share responsibility. Everyone must work as a team because there is no “I” in team, you know. There are, however, two of them in Bitchy Waiter and if I spy with my little eye someone who is pocketing a portion of our tips, I will poke that person in the eye with an ice pick and I will not feel bad about it.
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Wendy
Personally, I never liked pooling tips. I would on a few occasions and fortunately I trusted my fellow workers. I'm feeling you on the big ass waitress. I worked with her evil big ass twin at one point in time. Everyone (no exageration – everyone-) hated her. Lazy and bitchy with a big mouth. Even the most positive people (that would be me) can be driven to evil thoughts when dealing with a person like that.*Stepping off of my soap box now.
Manda
It really does depend on who you work with. There are some people who you just wont pool with, may it be due to them not pulling their weight or pocketing some of the tips separately. When those people I ask to pool, I say no. Sometimes, when it is busy or you are just too tired and are working a double, it is easier to pool but only with people you trust.
AlyKat
The regular minimum wage and the minimum wage for restaurant employees is different. If you are receiving tips or a tip share, the minimum wage in Louisiana is $2.13/hour. And if not, it's $7.15.
Queen of the Rant
You guys only get paid 2-3 an hour? Where the heck do you live, here the least you can make is 8.50 an hour!!! that minimum wage- CRAZY
Queen of the Rant
I agreed with pooling tips to the chefs and dishwashers, but not between waiters, nope if you did not do a good job then you are SOL
Liz
I don't agree with pooling tips either. In the few times that we did it, I always lost out to the lazy tools who would never do their own work. @Brittany, we had to tip out as well…ten percent! Guess who has two thumbs and always lied about how much she made? This girl.http://mylifeaslizuncensored.blogspot.com/
Liz
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AlyKat
Haha, wow, I just blogged about this the other day. Yeah, it sucks. And if you do bitch about it you come out looking like an asshole. Nuff said.A quick word on the hostesses/bussers getting tipped out thing: Outback Steakhouse (my other job) does this. 3% of every table regardless of tip etc. There are times when it honestly does suck (when you get stiffed being the main one) but honestly it's not that much money to give out. When I was hosting, our tip share was around $60 on the busiest day and around $20 on regular days. There are 3 bussers and 3 hostesses on weekdays, 4 each on weekends so when they divide that up it doesn't amount to much. Paying them hourly seems like it would make more sense (and if the owners weren't so cheap they probably would do that) but I like the idea that if the hostess has more tables to sit and a long wait, she makes more than if she sits up there and does nothing. Hosting is frustrating people, customers are ten times happier once they are sitting at a table as opposed to being on a wait. Other restaurants (like I think Olive Garden) pay the hostesses minimum wage then leave it up to the servers to decide whether to tip out or not. This results in a lot of favoritism in seating. So I know it's frustrating, but just remember, it really could be worse.
Liz
Bitchy waiter, you rule.
Anonymous
I understand why pooling tips could really suck, but what if you had a bad day and ended up with more because you pooled? It's not always the lazy people who don't get very good tips, it could also just be that the customers sucked.
The Bartender
Bartenders almost always pool tips. I've never worked a job where we didn't. Right now I work with a retard who has clearly never bartended a day in his life ( he asked me the other day how to make a screwdriver), and an asshole who, although he can make a good drink, is too lazy to get out of his own way. I consistenly sell about $1000 more than either of them on any given night. And I have to split my tips exactly in half with them. ::sigh::
Symone'
I was just bitching about this very thing the other day! They pool tips at my job(I'm a hostess) and I hate it. I bust my ass for the servers(clean their tables, do their side work, whatever they need me to do) and pooling requires that I share my money with the bus person who doesn't do shit…NOT COOL. Pooling fucks with my money…and I don't like people fucking with my money.
World Famous Dan Shields
Hey, I worked for a guy named Bruce who owned a restaurant called the Urban Bistro in Ottawa on Holland.He was a waiter/owner and we pooled tips. 'cept buddy would scam a twenty off the tips so we would get b u r n e d.He is now in the insurance business.He also got married and, even though he was/is superwhite, he wanted an Italian style wedding, i.e. cash only.Heard it didn't work out so well.Dan Shields, Ottawa.
Alexa O
I agree that hosts shouldn't get tipped out, even though I was one for awhile. There's already enough bad blood between servers and hosts. Servers want more people or better timing or fewer kids in their section. Hosts are pressured already to stack some sections better than others just to either stop the bitching and moaning from the servers or punish the servers who bitch and moan with a table full of teenagers (depending on the host's personality). Tipping out the host only makes that problem worse. Plus, the restaurant already gets away with basically free labor from the serving staff. Let them pay the host. It is literally the least they can do.
Brittany
@chrissyexactly! the restaurant i work at pays the host 4 bucks and hour and they get some of our tips. there are times when the host makes more than some of the servers. the servers and food runners both make 2.13 per hour. the servers tip out 3% of their sales regardless of what the table tipped [and we have a lot of crappy tippers.] then the 3% is split between the food runner and host based on hours. there are nights where they make close to 100 dollars for standing at the door. boooo!
Chrissy
To Brittany:Why does the host have to get a %? Does the host share that tip they get when the customer wants a better table????? I don't think so!. lol
Jerry
There are pros and cons to every system, pooled or not. I'm currently working in a restaurant that's pooled, and there are times where I don't like it, but then the end of the night comes, and there's no sidework….I can just leave as soon as my tables are gone. That makes it worth it….
Brittany
I have never pooled tips, and i dont ever want to. Like chrissy said, there is always someone who doesnt pull their weight.i do have to tip out the food runner and host though. why i have to tip out the host i dont know…probably because ruby tuesday is too cheap to pay people.
Chrissy
Whether its pooling tips or working on committees, there is no fairness.There will always be the few or one who never pulls their weight evenly… I don't agree w/pooling tips, etc. Every person for themselves. After all isn't that how it is in the 'wild'? Besides what's the advantage except for the one who does less?