[Dixielandjazz] Playing For Pay

[Steve barbone]

Hi Pat & other who do not understand the American Tipping System.

Yes, most wait staff here work for no "wages" or an hourly rate way under
the US Federal Minimum Wage. (Like many musicians:-) VBG)

Why that is legal is a mystery to many.

One would think therefore that the prospect of higher tips for better
service would motivate them to give better service. Unfortunately it does
not. They seem to feel that a 17% tip is a "right" and not related to the
job quality they produce.

On the other hand, being a musician who relates to the "oblivious" people
of the USA, I always try to help them out with a good tip, realizing that
for the most part, both wait staffs and musicians are slaves to an unfair
system. Unfortunately, for the most part, being unmotivated, they do not
attempt to change their lot. (could be easily accomplished)

So they wrongly blame customers or rightly blame management but stop there
before becoming pro active and issuing the cry: . . . "workers of the world,
unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains" ;-) VBG.

Similar philosophy to that of bands wandering around in the musical habits
of the same old, same old, instead of playing for the young.  :-) VBG.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone





PATRICK LADD at pj.ladd at btinternet.com wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> <<I have a personal belief about motivation. E.G. That money
>> does not act as a motivator. Paying someone more money does not motivate
>> him to do better.>>
> 
> Whoever wrote that should have a go at the tipping system in the US or look
> up manhattan waitress.blogspot or bitterwaitress.com which contains the `The
> Shitty Tipper Database` These reveal that `a shitty tip is anything under17%
> and that the average in New York is 18.6%.
> 
> I have just finished a month in the US where I have no doubt spread alarm
> and despondency by tipping around 12.5%. In the UK 10% is normal and then
> only for restaurants,taxi drivers and for some odd reason, hairdressers. The
> reason for the increase is that `prices have gone up` In my simple country
> boy way I thought that percentages worked that sort of thing out
> automatically.
> 
> One waitress explained that she got no wages at all and depended entirely on
> tips.
> The explanation came after I queried a footnote on the menu which said 16%
> surcharge would be added to the bill `for your convenience` if the group
> eating was larger than 6,  or 18% in the case of foreign nationals. As I was
> a `foreign national` this interested me. The waitress said this was put in
> because `foreigners don`t understand tipping`. Eeegad!
> When I suggested she needed a good union............
> 
> I thought slavery was dead in the land of the free. Hah!