Oh, yes, I agree: no tip for takeout. Otherwise, just have it delivered and save your time/gas/effort lol

2-3 dollars an hour in RECENT years?? In 1976, Mel was paying Flo, Alice, and Vera $2.95, and that was cheap.

Yass, boo. Now I admit the last time I talked to anyone about this was like 2004/2005, so I'm sure it's gone up by now. But I specifically remember around that time I knew a couple of people who worked at high end restaurants that were getting paid like 2-4 dollars an hour, and relying on their tips for the difference. Like I said, that's probably increased now, but I am pretty sure they are still well below minimum wage.

It might be 4 or so now but yeah, many restaurants here and other places I've lived only pay 2-3 dollars per hour. The rest is reliant on tips. Even at the finest of dining restaurants the pay is well under minimum wage (probably higher than 2-3 though).

Yup. Same in D.C. at some of the finest restaurants in the country, servers are making $4/$5 an hour. But I have friends who make great money off of tips just working lunches.

There are restaurant chains like California Tortilla for example that pay $10 an hour, but there are no tips so most servers would rather forego the higher hourly rate. Someone on my FB just posted a story about a woman working at McDonald's for ten years at $6.50 an hour with no raise.

Yup. Same in D.C. at some of the finest restaurants in the country, servers are making $4/$5 an hour. But I have friends who make great money off of tips just working lunches.

Exactly, at the right type of restaurant, lunch shifts alone can often make up for the low wages.

I thought it was tip wage everywhere.Here in Texas it's the same. Hotels will pay a little better than tip wage (4-5 an hour), but most restaurants are going to be paying the standard tip wage of 2-3. For Bellmen at the Resort I work for, they make $5 an hour, but on a slow day their tips are around $100-150.

I work at a hotel and make $13+ but I rarely ever get a tip. I know our housekeepers make around $9 but have no idea what their tips are like.

Housekeepers will sometimes make a tip, but not often from what I know. Same for me at the front desk. The closest we get to tips is by calling regular taxi drivers. I have one that gives me $10 for every taxi I give him, which adds up nicely some days. But yeah, bellmen and room service and waiters all get $5 an hour.

My understanding is that in most states the minimum wage for wait staffs is much less because they are expected to make up the difference in tips. From friends that have worked in the business, they are supposed to keep track of what they earn and if they don't make the normal minimum ($8 for example) the restaurant is supposed to make up the difference.

Any buffet place I have ever been to you pay for your meal before sitting down and you serve yourself, so I don't tip at places like that.

In Canada, it's very similar to the US. Server's minimum in Ontario, for example, is $8.90/hr, vs. $10.25 for everyone else. Australia, however, the pay is good enough that tips aren't necessary just to put a roof over your head.

Get a load of this:

http://dailyoftheday.com/no-this-is-not-an-okay-tip-to-leave/