By JAMES M. SPEAR
For those who wait tables, tips are more than just generous offerings; they are a major portion of their income.
Utah’s minimum wage for restaurant serving is $2.13 per hour. After taxes, a server makes even less. Many servers have found it can be frustrating when their biggest paycheck (in a sense) is written by the people who leave a tip on their tables.
One problem, according to servers, is that throughout Utah Valley, customers don’t realize the hourly wage is so low.
Sean Nagel, a full-time server in one of Provo’s restaurants, doesn’t even consider his weekly paycheck as money earned. Nagel said that his hourly wage pays for his insurance and that’s just about all.
Todd Blackington is a pre-dental major at BYU and works as a server at one of Provo’s finer restaurants. Blackington is fairly happy with the tips he makes, but not at all pleased with the minimum wage.
By contrast, some states provide a higher minimum wage for restaurant servers. Danielle Martin, a single mother and server, has worked in Idaho and Washington. The Idaho minimum wage for serving is $4.25, Martin said. When she was in Washington she earned $5.30 per hour. Martin now serves full-time in a popular restaurant in Orem.
After eight years of serving, she is very confident in her abilities. But Martin believes the quality of service doesn’t make a difference in Utah Valley.
“Utah people are the worst tippers,” Martin said. “I think one of the main problems is that people don’t realize that you’re only making $2.13 an hour.”
According to Martin, the hardest working and best servers still only average around 10 percent in tips.
Another problem is customers don’t always realize what they are tipping for.
“A server job is stressful,” Martin said. “At one time I may have eight tables — and I’m remembering everything for about 20 people — not to mention the physical aspect. I’m only 23 years old and after an eight hour day with no breaks, I come home and I feel like I’m 30.”
Martin and others stay in the restaurant business because they like what they do.
Donna Ryan, also a mother, has been serving for six years and working at restaurants longer than that. She loves waiting on people. Ryan said every day is different.
“It’s always a challenge to see how much you’re going to make today,” Ryan said. “But it’s a gamble.”
Ryan loves to dine out. She appreciates when she gets good service.
Like every server, Ryan appreciates a good tip. With the work she does she feels like she is worth it. Unfortunately, tips don’t always reflect any real appreciation. Ryan said that people forget that they are paying for your service as well as the food.
“If I bring someone a free glass of water, I still did the same amount of work,” Ryan said.
One woman who refused to be named has served for more than 14 years. She is currently a hostess at a Provo restaurant. She doesn’t feel that local customers show enough appreciation to a good server.
“It doesn’t matter how good the service is,” she said. “People still tip only 10 percent on average.”
“These poor kids — some of them — their paychecks are $40 for two weeks.”
Phil Dance, a pre-med major from Pocatello, Idaho, offers a customer’s perspective. Dance feels that an appropriate tip should range from 15 to 20 percent. He recognizes quality service. Dance was not aware that the minimum wage for serving was so low and was glad that he has been tipping the right amount all along.
Some customers take out their frustrations on the servers by not leaving an appropriate tip. Christina Richardson, a speech language pathology major from Seattle, agreed.
“We need to realize what’s going on in the rest of the restaurant,” Richardson said.
If the food isn’t good or things are running behind in the kitchen, it isn’t the server’s fault, she said.
Rebecca Terry, a community health major from Los Angeles, summed things up with her thoughts from a server’s perspective.
“People just need to be aware of what the standards for tipping are,” Terry said. “If customers have an unpleasant experience with the food, they still need to tip 15 percent and then take up the problem with the manager.”
