OT- I’m really starting to have a bone to pick with the food service industry

[Seinfeld]

First off, I get it. It’s a tough industry that I spent many years in, and I pretty much did it all. Hosting, room service, waiting tables, washing dishes, cooking, all of it. So I hate the cheap skate tippers as much as the next guy

That said, has anyone else noticed that while inflation rates have been in the 7-8% range, menu prices have skyrocketed WAY more than that over the last couple years? Then, I’m in a local restaurant the other day, and as I’m taking my bill up to the register, I see a 3% service fee. After asking what that was for, I’m told it’s the unspoken fee they now charge for using a credit card. I’m irritated, but hey it’s $2.50 so whatever.

Finally, on the way to a movie last night at my kid’s school, we stop by subway to grab some sandwiches. To save time, I used the app to order ahead, and right before I get to the submit button, guess what I see? How much would you like to tip your sandwich artist? Options: 15%, 20%, or 25%?

so now what do you do? Pay it or else risk someone dropping who knows what into your sandwich? Again, it’s rough out there right now, and when someone provides a service to me or my family, I’m more than happy to be generous no matter what time of the year it is, but this is getting ridiculous. $50 for a family of four to run to Subway?

That’s all I’ve got

 

[Zildjan]

Along the same lines, when are we going to stop blaming it on being short-staffed, and start blaming it on piss poor management?

 

[horshack.sixpack]

First off, I get it. It’s a tough industry that I spent many years in, and I pretty much did it all. Hosting, room service, waiting tables, washing dishes, cooking, all of it. So I hate the cheap skate tippers as much as the next guy

That said, has anyone else noticed that while inflation rates have been in the 7-8% range, menu prices have skyrocketed WAY more than that over the last couple years? Then, I’m in a local restaurant the other day, and as I’m taking my bill up to the register, I see a 3% service fee. After asking what that was for, I’m told it’s the unspoken fee they now charge for using a credit card. I’m irritated, but hey it’s $2.50 so whatever.

Finally, on the way to a movie last night at my kid’s school, we stop by subway to grab some sandwiches. To save time, I used the app to order ahead, and right before I get to the submit button, guess what I see? How much would you like to tip your sandwich artist? Options: 15%, 20%, or 25%?

so now what do you do? Pay it or else risk someone dropping who knows what into your sandwich? Again, it’s rough out there right now, and when someone provides a service to me or my family, I’m more than happy to be generous no matter what time of the year it is, but this is getting ridiculous. $50 for a family of four to run to Subway?

That’s all I’ve got

FYI. There is always a 3% fee for credit card processing. Many bury it in the pricing while others list it overtly. My guess is the restaurant may have already had to raise prices within the last two years because of COGS, are seeing the need to yet again raise prices, but think that it might look better if they make people aware that they are paying the 3% CC fee and bill that separately. So effectively they raised prices by 3% but are putting this 3% on the CC processing. It's a one trick pony. It's not like they can come back in a year and decide that CC processing costs 6%. It doesn't.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

First off, I get it. It’s a tough industry that I spent many years in, and I pretty much did it all. Hosting, room service, waiting tables, washing dishes, cooking, all of it. So I hate the cheap skate tippers as much as the next guy

That said, has anyone else noticed that while inflation rates have been in the 7-8% range, menu prices have skyrocketed WAY more than that over the last couple years? Then, I’m in a local restaurant the other day, and as I’m taking my bill up to the register, I see a 3% service fee. After asking what that was for, I’m told it’s the unspoken fee they now charge for using a credit card. I’m irritated, but hey it’s $2.50 so whatever.

Finally, on the way to a movie last night at my kid’s school, we stop by subway to grab some sandwiches. To save time, I used the app to order ahead, and right before I get to the submit button, guess what I see? How much would you like to tip your sandwich artist? Options: 15%, 20%, or 25%?

so now what do you do? Pay it or else risk someone dropping who knows what into your sandwich? Again, it’s rough out there right now, and when someone provides a service to me or my family, I’m more than happy to be generous no matter what time of the year it is, but this is getting ridiculous. $50 for a family of four to run to Subway?

That’s all I’ve got

This is why I tip on when using apps!

 

[FQDawg]

This is basically capitalism in a nutshell. As long as you/we keep paying, they have no incentive to lower their prices back to what they were before.

On a positive note, I got gas this morning for $2.69, so that was nice.

 

[hatfieldms]

First off, I get it. It’s a tough industry that I spent many years in, and I pretty much did it all. Hosting, room service, waiting tables, washing dishes, cooking, all of it. So I hate the cheap skate tippers as much as the next guy

That said, has anyone else noticed that while inflation rates have been in the 7-8% range, menu prices have skyrocketed WAY more than that over the last couple years? Then, I’m in a local restaurant the other day, and as I’m taking my bill up to the register, I see a 3% service fee. After asking what that was for, I’m told it’s the unspoken fee they now charge for using a credit card. I’m irritated, but hey it’s $2.50 so whatever.

Finally, on the way to a movie last night at my kid’s school, we stop by subway to grab some sandwiches. To save time, I used the app to order ahead, and right before I get to the submit button, guess what I see? How much would you like to tip your sandwich artist? Options: 15%, 20%, or 25%?

so now what do you do? Pay it or else risk someone dropping who knows what into your sandwich? Again, it’s rough out there right now, and when someone provides a service to me or my family, I’m more than happy to be generous no matter what time of the year it is, but this is getting ridiculous. $50 for a family of four to run to Subway?

That’s all I’ve got

From someone who is in the foodservice industry the price of food for these restaurants have skyrocketed well above the 7-8% inflation over the last few years. There are certain items that of you can even get have taken a huge increase and these restaurants are having to pass along the costs just to stay open.
While they have come down now there was about a year span where a 40 lb case of fresh chicken would cost a customer 75 bucks or so. That same case got as high as 175 in the last year. It’s been insane.

On top of that truck drivers have been hard to come by and these manufacturing companies are having to pay out the *** just to get their products delivered to the distributors.

it has been a mess

 

[Cantdoitsal]

I've always preferred tipping in cash so the servers have an option of not reporting it. I'm all about funding the government but I don't think servers should have to be taxed on their tips as they are generally below average in income compared to the rest of the workforce.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

This is basically capitalism in a nutshell. As long as you/we keep paying, they have no incentive to lower their prices back to what they were before.

On a positive note, I got gas this morning for $2.69, so that was nice.

Correct, but food prices have gone up and stayed up, at least from my Kroger experience. Food service margins, outside of alcohol sales, are typically pretty thin. I paid $3.19 for premium yesterday. I noticed all the "Thanks Brandon" stickers on the pump too!***

 

[The Peeper]

So why are they still short staffed now, nobody seems to be able to tell me? All these people that were working pre-covid, what happened to them? Uncle Joe's free handouts went away, so are they sitting home w/ a Fortnite joystick in one hand and their own joystick in the other and collecting just regular ole unemployment now?

 

[ckDOG]

I wish tipping requests would also include a disclosure on how much the person is getting paid. I'm a good tipper as a general rule, but would prefer not to be if that person is getting taken care of with reasonable wage that I'm already paying for with normal charges.

Jimmy John's has a tip bucket out now. Okay...why should I tip you and not McDonald's or some other drive through? Yeah the food is better but that's built into pricing. I still hand over money and I get handed a sandwich same as any other place. Sonic gives you the option to tip on a CC pmt now - which I do appreciate bc I like to give the servers there a buck. They at least walk to you and will check on you if you are there a minute.

 

[kired]

If you're luck is like mine lately - there's about a 75% chance your order is going to be wrong.

My wife and kids went to eat at a new local restaurant last night (opened 5-6 weeks ago) and picked me up something to go. 4 meals + one appetizer. Her meal and both kids meals were wrong. They completely forgot about the appetizer so she just got it to go with my meal.

It's gotten so bad that I simply refuse to eat at over half the places in Tupelo.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I wish tipping requests would also include a disclosure on how much the person is getting paid. I'm a good tipper as a general rule, but would prefer not to be if that person is getting taken care of with reasonable wage that I'm already paying for with normal charges.

Jimmy John's has a tip bucket out now. Okay...why should I tip you and not McDonald's or some other drive through? Yeah the food is better but that's built into pricing. I still hand over money and I get handed a sandwich same as any other place. Sonic gives you the option to tip on a CC pmt now - which I do appreciate bc I like to give the servers there a buck. They at least walk to you and will check on you if you are there a minute.

Unwritten rule: double the tip if they deliver an intact chili dog on roller skates, and offer an additional tenner if they will do an impromptu Saturday Night Fever dance on skates.

 

[ckDOG]

Unwritten rule: double the tip if they deliver an intact chili dog on roller skates, and offer an additional tenner if they will do an impromptu Saturday Night Fever dance on skates.

View attachment 276548

ALWAYS double tip for roller skates.

 

[aTotal360]

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

If you order and they simply make the food and hand it to you, no tip.
If you sit down, order, and they refill your drink then tip.
Sonic could go either way.

 

[DawgInThe256]

I was at a local *table service* restaurant recently, and they use an app where the available tip options were 4%, 5%, and 7%

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

1. Inflation is a lot higher than 7-8%. That is fake news put out by the government
2. Food cost are extremely high.
3. Gas may be lower, but Diesel is not.
4. When you start getting heating bills later on you won’t have any money to go to the restaurant.

 

[Seinfeld]

I was at a local *table service* restaurant recently, and they use an app where the available tip options were 4%, 5%, and 7%

It’d probably blow some people’s minds to hear that you don’t even tip in most of Europe. Their food service industry hires skilled, highly trained, and well compensated servers, and the system works for them.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Correct, but food prices have gone up and stayed up, at least from my Kroger experience. Food service margins, outside of alcohol sales, are typically pretty thin. I paid $3.19 for premium yesterday. I noticed all the "Thanks Brandon" stickers on the pump too!***

This is basically capitalism in a nutshell. As long as you/we keep paying, they have no incentive to lower their prices back to what they were before.

On a positive note, I got gas this morning for $2.69, so that was nice.

Fortuantely I traveled through Magee yesterday. $2.57 is outstanding.

 

[hatfieldms]

So why are they still short staffed now, nobody seems to be able to tell me? All these people that were working pre-covid, what happened to them? Uncle Joe's free handouts went away, so are they sitting home w/ a Fortnite joystick in one hand and their own joystick in the other and collecting just regular ole unemployment now?

A lot of them had to find other means of income when Covid shut down restaurants and they just never came back. Restaurants are trying to hire people, but they just are not sticking. Its a hard job, and a lot fo people come in new to it, and don't want to put in the hours or the work.

 

[hatfieldms]

And the next issue we will see is a national potato shortage. The potato crops were terrible this year, and it will hit the foodservice at some poiont

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Correct, but food prices have gone up and stayed up, at least from my Kroger experience. Food service margins, outside of alcohol sales, are typically pretty thin. I paid $3.19 for premium yesterday. I noticed all the "Thanks Brandon" stickers on the pump too!***

Kroger has gotten horrible. When I order groceries now I have the walmart and kroger aps open and just go down comparing prices.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

A lot of them had to find other means of income when Covid shut down restaurants and they just never came back. Restaurants are trying to hire people, but they just are not sticking. Its a hard job, and a lot fo people come in new to it, and don't want to put in the hours or the work.

Yep. I know a lot of folks who used to be servers for years and they left because it can be stressful. And it's become even more so.

And the next issue we will see is a national potato shortage. The potato crops were terrible this year, and it will hit the foodservice at some poiont

Note to self: Consider ordering something other than the Spud Max at McAlister's.

 

[NukeDogg]

If you're luck is like mine lately - there's about a 75% chance your order is going to be wrong.

My wife and kids went to eat at a new local restaurant last night (opened 5-6 weeks ago) and picked me up something to go. 4 meals + one appetizer. Her meal and both kids meals were wrong. They completely forgot about the appetizer so she just got it to go with my meal.

It's gotten so bad that I simply refuse to eat at over half the places in Tupelo.

Went through Wendy's drive thru yesterday on the way home from work. They put cones out blocking one of the two ordering lanes, so 4 cars in front of me all in one lane. And it's moving slooooooooow. Finally at the speakerbox, ordered a #4 with drink, #7 with different drink, plus kids meal and a chili. Lady doesn't repeat anything, just gives me a total that sounds way less than it should be. I ask if she heard everything, and she says "pull forward". I get to the window and she just sticks her hand out and repeats the total. I ask her to repeat my order and she lists off about half of it and it's wrong. I ask if she got my order confused with someone else's, she says no. I repeat what I wanted and she says "I don't have that order". So I say "well this is my order..." and I repeat it. She disappears into the store. 2-3 minutes later she returns and says "my manager won't let me change your order because we're too busy. If you want to cancel your order and go back through the drive-thru you can do that". I just left.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Kroger has gotten horrible. When I order groceries now I have the walmart and kroger aps open and just go down comparing prices.

I don't know if Kroger has gotten horrible or after ordering online for years, I've gotten to the point where I don't want to deal with people if at all possible.

I've gotten to like Corner Market (Mississippi-based chain) over the past few years.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

Crock pot + rice cooker + pot roast and 1 cup of rice = dinner for at least five days. There are ways to beat this. Namely stop eating out.

So why are they still short staffed now, nobody seems to be able to tell me? All these people that were working pre-covid, what happened to them? Uncle Joe's free handouts went away, so are they sitting home w/ a Fortnite joystick in one hand and their own joystick in the other and collecting just regular ole unemployment now?

All the increased wages have been absorbed by higher living prices. When you raise wages for entry level jobs the economy is going to readjust pricing. The answer is, and will always be, to do something that society values more than what you did before in order to get ahead.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Food costs are a hodgepodge now certain items on the way down in price while others are still off the charts. Anything that’s baked (or just uses eggs) is really inflated because of the price of eggs. Many of the meats have come down from their highs.

Biggest issue is still fuel costs and the cost to package and process (the middle man).

Diesel prices have come down but it’s been a slow burn and much slower than gas prices so that is really putting a wrench in helping with food inflation.

 

[Ibdancin]

First off, I get it. It’s a tough industry that I spent many years in, and I pretty much did it all. Hosting, room service, waiting tables, washing dishes, cooking, all of it. So I hate the cheap skate tippers as much as the next guy

That said, has anyone else noticed that while inflation rates have been in the 7-8% range, menu prices have skyrocketed WAY more than that over the last couple years? Then, I’m in a local restaurant the other day, and as I’m taking my bill up to the register, I see a 3% service fee. After asking what that was for, I’m told it’s the unspoken fee they now charge for using a credit card. I’m irritated, but hey it’s $2.50 so whatever.

Finally, on the way to a movie last night at my kid’s school, we stop by subway to grab some sandwiches. To save time, I used the app to order ahead, and right before I get to the submit button, guess what I see? How much would you like to tip your sandwich artist? Options: 15%, 20%, or 25%?

so now what do you do? Pay it or else risk someone dropping who knows what into your sandwich? Again, it’s rough out there right now, and when someone provides a service to me or my family, I’m more than happy to be generous no matter what time of the year it is, but this is getting ridiculous. $50 for a family of four to run to Subway?

That’s all I’ve got

Alot of places (not just food places) are now requiring the customer to pay the fees of credit cards. I understand that. If you bill is $20, then they pay a $3 dollar fee, You paid the $20, they go $17 for you to be able to swipe rather than pay cash.

If they sold 300 of those per day, that's about $52K per year loss. Many businesses do not have a large margin either. So I get that.


Forcing people to tip is crap! If I see that they have put that in, I will ask for it to be removed. Yes there are places that put it in automatically. If they don't remove it, I tell them that we will never be back.

 

[The Peeper]

Kroger has gotten horrible. When I order groceries now I have the walmart and kroger aps open and just go down comparing prices.

I was a loyal Kroger shopper until the WalMart Market Grocery opened in Starkville. That little stores prices are so much better than Kroger. Selection hasn't been as good but they are remodeling now and upping the shelf space, adding on to pharmacy, etc.

For those that didn't know Starkville is getting an Aldi, was supposed to have opened in October, then Dec 1 and its still not open, blaming it on some electrical switch not being available. Also in the old Vowells/Piggly Wiggly etc there's supposed to be a County Market Grocery opening in mosts of the old Vowells space and an Ace Hardware in the rest of it. Progress has been slow there too

 

[dorndawg]

A lot of them had to find other means of income when Covid shut down restaurants and they just never came back. Restaurants are trying to hire people, but they just are not sticking. Its a hard job, and a lot fo people come in new to it, and don't want to put in the hours or the work.

This, and also you get treated like garbage by a huge number of people who expect to be treated like royalty and then leave a $2 tip on a full-service four top. Who on earth wants that when you can drive an amazon truck and clear $600 a week?

 

[dorndawg]

I was a loyal Kroger shopper until the WalMart Market Grocery opened in Starkville. That little stores prices are so much better than Kroger. Selection hasn't been as good but they are remodeling now and upping the shelf space, adding on to pharmacy, etc.

For those that didn't know Starkville is getting an Aldi, was supposed to have opened in October, then Dec 1 and its still not open, blaming it on some electrical switch not being available. Also in the old Vowells/Piggly Wiggly etc there's supposed to be a County Market Grocery opening in mosts of the old Vowells space and an Ace Hardware in the rest of it. Progress has been slow there too

What's the story on these electrical switches? There's been a Chikfila nearby closed for 3-4 months for a remodel, still hasn't reopened and the word is also they can't get the right electrical switch.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Alot of places (not just food places) are now requiring the customer to pay the fees of credit cards. I understand that. If you bill is $20, then they pay a $3 dollar fee, You paid the $20, they go $17 for you to be able to swipe rather than pay cash.

If they sold 300 of those per day, that's about $52K per year loss. Many businesses do not have a large margin either. So I get that.


Forcing people to tip is crap! If I see that they have put that in, I will ask for it to be removed. Yes there are places that put it in automatically. If they don't remove it, I tell them that we will never be back.

I see tipping as a way for me to help folks that are making way less than me so I don't mind automatically adding it. When they do that, I do not level up to what I would have tipped if left to my own choices, mostly out of laziness, somewhat out of principle.

 

[dorndawg]

I see tipping as a way for me to help folks that are making way less than me so I don't mind automatically adding it. When they do that, I do not level up to what I would have tipped if left to my own choices, mostly out of laziness, somewhat out of principle.

I'm the same way, but I'd really just as soon *all* restaurants simply pay employees a fair wage and include it in the cost of the food. I just don't think it will ever happen here; we have too many entitled folks who demand to be treated obsequiously. This is the real reason Chikfila is so popular- there's a wide segment of folks who lap their brand of servility up.

 

[maroonmadman]

Let's not forget all the other opportunities for employment that opened during the pandemic, Uber, Lyft, Door Dash, Waitr, all these gave those unemployed food service workers another avenue for a paycheck AND they could be their own boss. All you need is reliable transportation, minimal insurance and a desire to work. You can set your own hours and you are your own boss. With companies like Walmart, Walgreens, First Ace and others starting to offer home delivery services that little segment of the market (local delivery) is wide open.

 

[Puppers]

I always leave a tip and will leave a really good one if the service is great. I cannot stand the idea of tipping before I've been served. It's either tip for what might be ****** service or don't tip and the people making your food don't give a 17 about you because you aren't paying them.

Also wanting a tip at the beer stands in Davis Wade is a joke. Those people don't do anything. But stand there and look at an ipad.

 

[Boom Boom]

Went through Wendy's drive thru yesterday on the way home from work. They put cones out blocking one of the two ordering lanes, so 4 cars in front of me all in one lane. And it's moving slooooooooow. Finally at the speakerbox, ordered a #4 with drink, #7 with different drink, plus kids meal and a chili. Lady doesn't repeat anything, just gives me a total that sounds way less than it should be. I ask if she heard everything, and she says "pull forward". I get to the window and she just sticks her hand out and repeats the total. I ask her to repeat my order and she lists off about half of it and it's wrong. I ask if she got my order confused with someone else's, she says no. I repeat what I wanted and she says "I don't have that order". So I say "well this is my order..." and I repeat it. She disappears into the store. 2-3 minutes later she returns and says "my manager won't let me change your order because we're too busy. If you want to cancel your order and go back through the drive-thru you can do that". I just left.

On the books: payroll was lower, profits are up!

Reality: lost your $40 order and who knows how many others all so they could pay that server a dollar or two less that hour.

Lean capitalism!

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

What's the story on these electrical switches? There's been a Chikfila nearby closed for 3-4 months for a remodel, still hasn't reopened and the word is also they can't get the right electrical switch.

There’s a whole long list of electrical components and switches that are in very very short supply. We are waiting on some that have been on back order for six months

 

[dog12]

If you order and they simply make the food and hand it to you, no tip.
If you sit down, order, and they refill your drink then tip.
Sonic could go either way.

Yes, this is my tipping policy too.

 

[mstateglfr]

At Subway, I just bypass the tip option screen. Its an option and one is clearly 'no tip'. That scenario, to me, is not one where tips are expected/needed. Its just Subway creating a way to help pay for labor and not cut into profits.

I do tip in situations where service is involved because typically, those jobs rely on tips. I dont know which do and which dont, but I just tip still.

For takeout, I tip inconsistently. I dont know if its my mood or what, but I usually dont and sometimes do tip. It is very close to the Subway scenario in my mind- its just food prepared and handed to me. But a tip on every 4th time or so does mean some hopefully trickles to the people that work in the kitchen.



Food is expensive, and I do think restaurants(FF chains especially) have taken this moment in time to substantially increase the menu costs as well as change their food offerings. A Wendy's or Subway menu is nothing like one from 20 years ago, for example. Higher priced foods have higher profit margins(based on what Ive read, its not like I work in the industry) so introducing the higher cost items when prices would naturally increase is an easy way to cover- just blame it on 'supply chain and inflation'.

 

[dog12]

Went through Wendy's drive thru yesterday on the way home from work. They put cones out blocking one of the two ordering lanes, so 4 cars in front of me all in one lane. And it's moving slooooooooow. Finally at the speakerbox, ordered a #4 with drink, #7 with different drink, plus kids meal and a chili. Lady doesn't repeat anything, just gives me a total that sounds way less than it should be. I ask if she heard everything, and she says "pull forward". I get to the window and she just sticks her hand out and repeats the total. I ask her to repeat my order and she lists off about half of it and it's wrong. I ask if she got my order confused with someone else's, she says no. I repeat what I wanted and she says "I don't have that order". So I say "well this is my order..." and I repeat it. She disappears into the store. 2-3 minutes later she returns and says "my manager won't let me change your order because we're too busy. If you want to cancel your order and go back through the drive-thru you can do that". I just left.

This is why I only rarely go through a drive through at any restaurant. And I NEVER (under any circumstances) get in a drive-thru lane with more than one car in front of me.

99% of the time, I park my car, walk inside the restaurant, and place my order with a human being.

Often, I'm in and out in 5 minutes.