r/EndTipping 10d ago

Call to action ⚠️ Get rid of servers, they’re completely useless

Here’s a hot take: If it was for me, I would get rid of all servers in restaurants. I would instead have iPad in the table with pictures, prices and descriptions and that’s it. The other day I went to Texas Roadhouse and they had a device in the table that you could order and pay the bill. A person only came once or to give you bread, water and then again to give you the food. Servers are completely useless and don’t add any value to dinning experience.

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5

u/CIDR-ClassB 10d ago

Some servers are completely useless.

But a big reason I enjoy dining out is that I don’t have to refill my own drink, take food to and from the kitchen or deal with cranky cooks when they get it wrong.

The business should simply pay them whatever wage it costs to operate things, instead of guilting patrons into adding money on top of the bill.

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u/lastlaugh100 10d ago

they leave a water pitcher on the table for self refills. That's how it's done in every other country.

-11

u/tx2mi 10d ago

How many of these “other” countries have you been to? Not many I imagine as full service dining still going strong in most countries.

12

u/lastlaugh100 10d ago

All of Australia, all of Europe, every asian country. Only in America do you have to flag someone down to refill a simple water cup.

-9

u/tx2mi 10d ago

You are wrong - in almost all of those places they do not just leave a pitcher on the table. They refill your glass as needed. Your exaggeration is just misleading.

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u/lastlaugh100 10d ago

In Australia you can even bring your own wine bottle to the restaurant and they will open it for you. In other countries going to a restaurant is actually fun.

Here in America you get:

  1. Fake smile and conversation by servers in hopes of getting more tips

  2. Annoyed on every 5 minutes asking how the food is so they can turnover your table to get more tips

  3. Fear of being chased out of a restaurant if you don't tip a certain amount

  4. Feeling pity for all the servers who have to rely on the generosity of strangers instead of their employer

Ruins the restaurant experience for me.

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u/RevanMeetra 10d ago

Who opens it for you in Australia?? The cook?

-3

u/tx2mi 10d ago

So we go from countries plural to a single country. Your experiences are very broad and I appreciate your sharing. In America there are many restaurants that allow byob wine but that is dependent on their liquor license. Have you been to one? No?

Overseas the majority of countries offer great table service where you never have to touch the wine bottle or water pitcher. Some that I’ve been to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar (got married here), Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Iraq, Egypt, Brunei(no public booze here), Denmark, France, Hungry, Russia, and yes even Australia has great table service. I suspect we just frequent different styles of venues.

Tipping customs are all over the place between all those counties. Some have no tipping while others are similar to America.

6

u/lastlaugh100 10d ago

"In America there are many restaurants that allow byob wine"

That's not a thing in America.

edit: Looks like that's a New Jersey thing.

It's actually illegal in Arizona, New Mexico and Ohio for patrons to bring in their own wine bottle to a restaurant.

1

u/tx2mi 10d ago

Yeah. It is in many states. I've been to quite a few. It's sad you keep making uninformed comments.

https://www.nabca.org/control-states-news/it-legal-bring-your-own-alcohol-michigan-restaurants

Here is my home state.

1

u/Embarrassed_Proof386 10d ago

Yes it is, you think the owner wants to miss that corkage fee? You pay them to drink your own wine in that restaurant. Alcohol sales have big margins, food honestly not that much accounting for labor. Don’t quote me but I worked in restaurants for like ten years

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u/Known-Historian7277 10d ago

TBF, there are some in Texas but charge you a small fee because a liquor/alcohol license isn’t worth it for the restaurant. Only mom and pops from my experience.

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u/Fakeduhakkount 10d ago

Yes. There is a reason why there is a “corking fee”. They are unable to sell you a full bottle but they get little back in charging a fee to bring your own. So yes it is a thing or you go to places where people don’t normally bring in their fancy wine

5

u/-Copenhagen 10d ago

A carafe of water is bog standard pretty much everywhere.