In the United States it is almost an obligation to tip the waiters.
In Japan, this act is considered rude and offensive.
According to Profeco, in Mexico, it is not mandatory, but it is a custom.
The world has changed in every way, especially in the consumer sphere, as shown in the story of a restaurant that is suing his client for $3,000, after he left that amount as a tip and asked for it back.
The salary of waiters in the world has always been an issue to discuss, since in many countries it is mandatory, as there are places where there are even laws that regulate it, such as in the United States, where they are around 20 percent of consumption, but in Japan, for example, it is considered rude and can be taken as an act of superiority towards restaurant workers, because wages are expected to be sufficient and decent for the work being done.
In that sense, in an investigation by the economist Ofer Azar, he calculated that, in 2007, in the restaurant industry in the world, 42 billion dollars were given in tips to service employees.
In Mexico it is a practice that is not compulsory, since the Federal Consumer Protection Office (Profeco) explained that now the food and beverage establishments must adjust the salaries and wages of their employees, since there is no automatic amount. Nevertheless, The practice of dividing the amounts in different ways among employees is widespread, so restaurants often find ways to keep the consumer contribution active – although it has to be legally voluntary.
restaurant demand
The story of the Pennsylvania pizza restaurant, famous for being featured in the acclaimed comedy series “office“, is suing a consumer for $3,000 after the customer left that amount in tips but then asked for it back.
“It’s just a little aggravating right now. He’s been causing a lot of bullshit and drama.”said Zachary Jacobson, manager of Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe in Scranton, to local news station WNEP about the act of kindness gone wrong.
Jacobson also said that the restaurant is now suing the customer, noting that all “They thought someone was actually trying to do something good.”
The tipping case began in June after one of the customers, identified as Eric Smith, He left the waitress Mariana Lambert $3,000 in $13 bills.
But the consumer, who had ordered only a bowl of stromboli, reportedly left the tip as part of a social media trend called “Advice for Jesus”.
The story went viral with countless people on social media commenting on the so-called act of kindness. Although initially skeptical given the incredible amount of money, the employees were ecstatic after the credit card payment went through their machine.
Needless to say, Lambert was initially floored by the seemingly generous gesture, especially given that restaurants were still reeling from Covid-19 closures.
“It really meant a lot to me because everyone is going through stuff. It really touched my heart. I still can’t believe it. I’m still in shock,” she gushed.
However, the employee’s gratitude quickly soured after the restaurant received “something in the mail that Eric was disputing the charge for the tip he left.”
This was despite the fact that the restaurant had already paid Lambert the tip, which left them with approximately $3,000 out of pocket.
Alarmed, Alfredo contacted Smith on Facebook hoping it was all a misunderstanding.
“We thought that someone was actually trying to do something good. And now we’re, what, three months later? Not even, and there’s nothing.” Jacobson lamented.
With no other recourse, Alfredo decided to take the consumer to court in order to recover the money.
“Unfortunately, we had to file charges through the magistrate’s office because we are now out of money at this point,” Jacobson said.
“I hope he owns up to his actions and comes forward and pays for this because he shouldn’t have done this if this was the end result.”
It’s worth mentioning that Alfredo’s is perhaps most famous for having been mentioned in Season 4, Episode 3 of the iconic NBC comedy series “office“.
Without a doubt, there is a current trend in social networks where consumers and even waiters are recording and sharing what they receive from tips or even give tips to improve that payment.
As an example, the video on Tiktok, of a young Mexican waitress who showed a whole day of work on social networks, showing on video the accumulated of a Sunday.
And so, as this type of video is becoming more and more common where it is young people who create this content, revealing how much is the salary of many professions that is perhaps unknown to many, which is why it creates a strong conversation in the finger pulse.
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