FYI, food inflation over the past 2 years is less than 20%. (Reminder: Normally it's more like 2-3% per year.) It may
feel like it's 40%, but that's because people absolutely
hate paying more for anything and everything. That's why you should go with hard numbers over subjective impressions and flawed memories. (
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average | FRED | St. Louis Fed)
You're drawing incorrect conclusions because you're making oversimplified assumptions.
The inflation rate for food is different when comparing grocery store food to restaurant food.
The inflation rate also varies widely depending on where you live. It's been generally higher in the upper Midwest - which is where I live. It's been extremely high in the particular county I live in because it's among the fastest growing counties in the U.S.
I didn't just pull my inflation numbers out of my butt. I know what I've been paying for my chain store pizza and my tap beers over the past few years. For example, the pie that I routinely get once or twice a month has gone from $8 in 2020, to $11 at present. The sandwich that I routinely get at the Cafe down the street from my workplace went from $6 to $8 in that same time period. Those prices represent a roughly 30% to 40% increase spread out over three years.
Meanwhile, the wages that I earn at my job have only increased by 4%.
Someone suggested earlier that perhaps those who don't want to pay double digit annual inflation rates for
food or drinks, plus 18% tips for nonexistent service should just stay home where they belong.
Maybe so. I'm just a dumb peasant working a menial factory job to pay my bills. I really have no business going out to a bar or restaurant once or twice a month to enjoy myself in public. I don't know what I was thinking.
Funny how I've never been to any bars that demanded a tip at the exact instant that I've ordered. Even places that use apps to order don't close out the bill before I've received my drink.
I dont know if it's "funny" or not, but just because you aren't familiar with something doesn't mean that it isn't happening somewhere.
I ordered two beers at the bar and was required to pay for them immediately. The machine automatically pushed me through the tip menu and I was forced to choose a tip amount before I could comeplete the purchase.
If you believe that I'm either mistaken about this detail, or just making it up for some reason, then I really don't know what to tell you.
And again, how is that any different than in the past? Sit-down restaurants aren't giving you the check the instant after you order.
I've said nothing about sit down restaurants. This thread is about bars, cafes, and similar establishments.
Giving a big tip was never going to save you from someone so unethical that they'd spit in your food.
You misunderstand. I worked in restaurants and bars for almost 10 years and I know firsthand that such unethical persons do indeed exist, although they're fortunately pretty rare.
These are people who just generally have a bad attitude in life and they bring it with them to their job. They feel entitled to good pay regardless of how well or poorly they do their job and are easily offended, typically reacting with resentment and indignation to any perceived criticism, particularly from patrons, whom they consider ignorant rubes.
Traditionally, bad servers like these are quickly weeded out as they tend to receive a lot fewer tips than good servers. Except when tipping is now required before service. The causal link between good service and good tipping is broken, and along with it, server accountability.
I'll repeat this important point: If the customer is required to commit to a tip amount before the food or drinks are served, and the server sees that he's getting a tip that's less than he feels entitied to, then you run the very real risk that an unethical server with a bad attitude will actually spit in your food. Don't think that doesn't happen.
I think it's
well documented that
servers Invalid Link Removed
Not by me. I've literally
never been rude to a service worker in my life. If I'm displeased for any reason, then I simply adjust my tip amount downward accordingly.
Which I can't do, of course, if the establishment requires tipping in advance of service.
Of course he does, he's just ignoring it. If he irritates too many customers, or the wrong customer, he'll get fired.
By the way, have you ever been outside the US? Many countries either automatically include the tip or don't tip at all. And yet, service isn't a disaster abroad. As long as we're using anecdotes to prove global truths: I've gotten pretty much the same level of service everywhere I go. Care to explain?[/QUOTE]
