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D.P. Roberts
Conductor
I agree with the guest poster in many respects. True, we don't tip soldiers fighting overseas. We also don't tip policemen or firefighters, who also perform really important services for us. More perplexingly, we tip cab drivers but not bus drivers, airline pilots, or flight attendants, all of whom provide similar transportation services. We tip hairdressers (but not if he/she is the salon owner), but we don't tip doctors or nurses. Or auto mechanics. We tip pizza delivery drivers, but not the UPS or Fedex guys (but you can give your mail delivery person a Christmas gift). We don't tip restaurant employees who run the restaurants, or those who prepare the food - just those who carry it over to our tables.
Simply put, we Americans don't tip because we've received good service; we tip because it's customary in America to tip in certain social situations. There's no logic to it, except that many industries (such as restaurants) have traditionally allowed low wages for service employees that would be illegal in other professions. In most other countries, those same service people are fairly compensated by their employers, and tipping is not the custom.
Are Amtrak dining car employees restaurant employees who deserve tips, or are they fairly-compensated professionals who don't? IMHO, there's no logic to the way Americans tip, so there's no way to apply the "logic" of tipping to a train's dining car. Do whatever you want.
Simply put, we Americans don't tip because we've received good service; we tip because it's customary in America to tip in certain social situations. There's no logic to it, except that many industries (such as restaurants) have traditionally allowed low wages for service employees that would be illegal in other professions. In most other countries, those same service people are fairly compensated by their employers, and tipping is not the custom.
Are Amtrak dining car employees restaurant employees who deserve tips, or are they fairly-compensated professionals who don't? IMHO, there's no logic to the way Americans tip, so there's no way to apply the "logic" of tipping to a train's dining car. Do whatever you want.
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neroden
Engineer
This is correct. The treatment of "traditionally tipped professions" under law is quite outrageous in the US, with "tipped" waitresses having a federal minimum wage of only $2.13 / hour. Supposedly the wages + tips are supposed to exceed the regular minimum wage ($7.25/hour) and if they don't the employer is supposed to make up the difference, but the employer *never* makes up the difference. So on land, waitresses genuinely need the "tips" as pay.
Most states have similar rules, unfortunately. (A few states such as Nevada actually require that waitresses be paid minimum wage.)
This is why it is genuinely inappropriate not to tip waitresses in restaurants on land in the US (unless you feel that they really didn't do their job at all and should be fired). The tips are really their base pay; if they came in to work and did the absolute minimum, they deserve those tips. In this situation, not tipping is like refusing to pay someone wages for the work they did -- it's a very severe thing to do, to be reserved for extreme circumstances.
I would say that they are fairly-compensated professionals who don't *need* tips. They are paid well above minimum wage; the tips are NOT their base pay. It's just fine to NOT tip them, even if they did their job.
It's fine to give extra tips for exemplary service -- the way you would tip in Europe, which is traditionally 5% for "above and beyond" service.
It's inappropriate to give the sort of substantial tip you give a typical American waitress, which is an "I'm sorry your employer doesn't pay you properly" payment.
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andersone
Conductor
Mother used to say if you can't afford the tip you can't afford the meal.
I don't tip the position, I tip the service.
My good bud and I share a meal each we, taking turns to pay for the meal. By tradition the odd man out pays a $5 tip regardless of location. You don't think the car hop at Sonic doesn't know our vehicles ? You don't think the girls at Subway like to see us appear?
To me the world is about doing good things for good folks who do good things.
You think I don't remember the Christmas Eve in 1964 when an unnamed resident of a third floor apartment building left an envelope labeled "paperboy" on their mailbox with a dollar in it for the twelve year old kid who carried the Chicago Tribune up there every day?
I don't tip the position, I tip the service.
My good bud and I share a meal each we, taking turns to pay for the meal. By tradition the odd man out pays a $5 tip regardless of location. You don't think the car hop at Sonic doesn't know our vehicles ? You don't think the girls at Subway like to see us appear?
To me the world is about doing good things for good folks who do good things.
You think I don't remember the Christmas Eve in 1964 when an unnamed resident of a third floor apartment building left an envelope labeled "paperboy" on their mailbox with a dollar in it for the twelve year old kid who carried the Chicago Tribune up there every day?
yarrow
Engineer
very well put.
Some excellent posts in this thread, I especially can relate to andersone's post since I was a paperboy and waiter back in ancient times!
As the old saying goes, "walk a mile in their shoes" and you might feel different about service jobs and tipping!
As the old saying goes, "walk a mile in their shoes" and you might feel different about service jobs and tipping!
yarrow
Engineer
i was a paper boy too but i still regard tipping most amtrak employees when that person is making a decent wage for a job that ain't rocket science as akin to extortion. i generally don't participate. i just tell the person "thank you very much, that was great"
Indeed!
G
Guest
Guest
I will routinely empty the coin compartment of my car to use for tips in the diner. A few more coins for dinner than for breakfast and lunch. It's a great way to get rid of pennies.
ScottRu
Service Attendant
Mark Twain, "You can judge a man by how he treats a waiter."
Ryan
Court Jester
Your definition of "extortion" must vary widely from the one I'm familiar with.
It's not extortion if no one is threatening you and/or forcing you to give them money. Tipping is voluntary.
Tipping should be one's own choice. I tip at meals the same I do in restaurants as I add up the price of the meal and give the same % tip as I would in a sit-down restaurant. It is MY choice to do so as it should be everyone else's choice to tip (or not). Base tips on YOUR experiences and YOUR personal choices. I don't see anyone trying to bully anyone into tipping within this thread either.
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G
Guest
Guest
Does anyone have any anecdotal evidence of servers doing disturbing things to the food of passengers who do not tip?
Ryan
Court Jester
I've never seen any here.
Here, I'll step up and "Be the Bully" and tell the Guest_Guest, that unless he/she has crappy, rotten, service, from a surly employee, he/she SHOULD TIP. Do you have to? Nope.
Jim said it best, "....Walk a mile in someone else's shoes...."
If I'm an your waiter, and I give you good or excellent service, and you "stiff" me, or worse yet, drop a couple of pennies on the table, I am EAGERLY waiting for you to return. And I hope you are hungry, because it's gonna take an HOUR for your omelette, French Toast, or WHATEVER it is you ordered. (unless I need the table, then I'm gonna make sure you are out wicked fast)
Surprisingly, I dislike the whole practice of tipping in the USA too, much prefer the "European tradition". But it is what it is. Having lived off tips while working on Amtrak as a kid, I know that giving EXTRA SPECIAL service can be quite profitable.
It's one thing not to tip if the service sucked, the waiter was rude or uncaring, or you are simply short on cash. It's quite another not to tip, just cause you are.....................EDITED
Jim said it best, "....Walk a mile in someone else's shoes...."
If I'm an your waiter, and I give you good or excellent service, and you "stiff" me, or worse yet, drop a couple of pennies on the table, I am EAGERLY waiting for you to return. And I hope you are hungry, because it's gonna take an HOUR for your omelette, French Toast, or WHATEVER it is you ordered. (unless I need the table, then I'm gonna make sure you are out wicked fast)
Surprisingly, I dislike the whole practice of tipping in the USA too, much prefer the "European tradition". But it is what it is. Having lived off tips while working on Amtrak as a kid, I know that giving EXTRA SPECIAL service can be quite profitable.
It's one thing not to tip if the service sucked, the waiter was rude or uncaring, or you are simply short on cash. It's quite another not to tip, just cause you are.....................EDITED
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- Joined
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I'd be curious to know how or if server tips are shared with the kitchen people. Preparing food in a dining car kitchen has to be at least as tough a job as serving, if not tougher. I would hope that at least a portion of the server tips are pooled and given to the kitchen staff. Since the tips on Amtrak are provided in cash (even those few which are added to a credit card slip*), I wonder if any of that is shared.
*My understanding is that even tips added to a credit card slip are provided to the server in cash by the LSA out of the dining car cash.
*My understanding is that even tips added to a credit card slip are provided to the server in cash by the LSA out of the dining car cash.
Don't know how it is today, and in the past, it was varied by crews. But normally the wait staff either gave the kitchen a set amount each, or pooled together, and gave a percentage to the kitchen. It was more of a "Thank You" or courtesy, than a a bump in the wages of the kitchen crew.
Have told the story before, but I'll relate it again here. One of my first trips waiting tables on the Broadway Limited, I "neglected" to tip out the kitchen upon arrival in NYC. Well, I learned FAST why on the return trip, my breakfast orders (eggs & toast) were taking 30-45 minutes to come out of the kitchen. Chalk THAT ONE up to experience.
Everydaymatters
Engineer
About paying with credit cards, twice in the past couple of months the tip has not been on my credit card statement. I don't understand that. I wanted to give the server a tip. Has anyone had that experience on Amtrak?
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Don't know about Amtrak, but I know tips do not always show up online when the purchase is first posted, but my tips have always get included before the statement comes out.
Tennessee Traveler
Conductor
Of course, I do not know in your circumstance but all charges to your credit card appear first as "pending" and never includes any add on's such as tip while pending. Only after the charge is approved and processed does the charge actually appear in your actual charges and that figure will include all add on's including tips. Incidentally, "pending charges" are not official charges to your account. I am aware of many complaints on "trip advisor" by customers who complain that hotels have charged their credit cards estimated amounts while customer is still residing in the hotel and has not checked out. Most all hotels, etc, post those "pending" charges simply to validate the card and that charges will be within customer's credit limit.
So what questions about dining on Amtrak are there? I think we have covered the tipping issue. Just for the record, I always tip $2 for breakfast, $3 for lunch, and $5 for dinner and I assume that the tips are pooled and shared with all the dining car staff.
crabby_appleton1950
OBS Chief
As I'm boarding the SWC (roomette) in Albuquerque around 4:30 PM, what do you think of my having written down my dinner order ahead of time, handing it to him and negotiating a time I'd like to eat, when he scans my ticket,? Then I could hand him my breakfast order when he puts my roomette into 'night mode'?
Or am I over thinking the process?
You're overthinking it.
Ryan
Court Jester
Way overthinking it.
Mystic River Dragon
Engineer
- Joined
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- 4,552
I agree completely with SarahZ and RyanS. I do look online at the menu before I travel (under the "Routes" section on the Amtrak website) to see what may be generally (generally because it could change a bit before the trip) available so I won't be dithering in the dining car deciding what to have and holding everyone up. But when you get on the train, if your SCA doesn't mention how dinner is handled, just ask.
Remember, one of the best things about the sleeper car is not having to worry about all the details--any question you have will be covered!
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