Did you ever wonder exactly who decided it was o.k. to pay restaurant servers less than one-half the minimum wage other workers are paid in the U.S.A.? You can bet it wasn’t someone who had spent much time hustling tables for tips! Maybe we should get a couple hundred thousand servers to join together, and ask if this is fair.

Who came up with the idea of calculating 3.5 - 4.5 % of the server sales for a shift, then taking this amount from tips to spread among the other restaurant workers? Sure, this motivates the support staff to provide better service, but why is it the sole burden of the server? If it is a motivation, why doesn’t the owner match this amount? This would be fair!

Occasionally, every restaurant or bar server has a night, when after they tip-out following a ten-hour shift they take home a lot less than minimum wage. It happens. Sometimes a table of 8 feel couple bucks apiece is enough on a $250 tab. Another table, upset with the kitchen stiffs the waiter altogether, as if the server cooks the food.

The fact is: most customers don’t know servers are paid just a little over $ 2 an hour! At a minimum, a 20% tip is only fair ! Some customers, if given the facts, would be more generous with tipping. Others, would not. For all customers, a little information, and, a real incentive would lead to fair tips.

It seems restaurant/café/bar owners would try to insure fair tipping for servers. After all, a well-compensated waiter leads to a more professional staff, less turnover, and better service for the customer. Most are, unfortunately, comfortable with the status quo. A real incentive might move the owners to be in favor of Fair tips for their employees.

Fair tip.org will educate, and promote a plan of incentives directed at achieving higher compensation for food and beverage servers through gratuities. Lend your name today by becoming a member of fair tip.org