We visited Sweden a couple of years ago. On the first evening we dined out, and I added the standard tip to the bill. The waiter looked at it, said “Too much”, scratched out the amount and wrote in an amount that was less than 3%. “This is better”, he said. This reaction to my tipping was to occur a few more times until I realized that the Swedes didn’t want what they considered charity. In fact, one waiter took my tip and put in a charity canister that had been placed around the city for a particular relief effort. “That’s where charity goes”, he said. The smile was friendly but the message was clear.
I was intrigued by this and wondered about the attitudes of American servers toward tips, especially if there was an alternative such as a guaranteed minimum wage.
Over the past year I have been asking the servers in various dining establishments about whether they would prefer a guaranteed wage or stay with tips. To my surprise the vast majority preferred tips, even with a $20 per hour guarantee. Then I began adding an another factor … health care. If basic health care was a part of the package, the vast majority would go with a $15 guarantee and often even less.
I should add a couple of caveats. The responses vary with age and living arrangements. Younger servers who are living with parents and attending college are not too interested in benefits. This rings true. Back in my salad days, I preferred jobs with the highest pay.
A second factor is that we usually dine at locally owned establishments that serve alcohol. These places usually have higher bills, and the tips are correspondingly higher. Servers at a local breakfast/lunch restaurant, or those who work at chain restaurants, may have a different view.
Because of the responses, I am re-examining my view on what the top economic priority should be for the Democrats. While I believe a guaranteed wage and national health care should both be part of a Democratic platform, I had believed that most would prefer an increased wage. But the reaction from the servers I have spoken with has been emphatic. Without question, health care is an overwhelming concern.
As I thought back to my experience in Sweden, it occurred to me that perhaps one of the reasons that the Swedes refused my tips was because they had the security of having nationalized health care. They were not dependent on my generosity.
I would appreciate some input from the DK community. Though I especially would like comments from those who have worked as servers in restaurants, all input is appreciated. Health care or a $20 guaranteed minimum wage?
Though I have included a poll, I am more interested in your comments and the rationale for your answers.
Thanks in advance.