Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Threequalseven]

I recently read that tipping started as a practice the upper-class engaged in as an acknowledgement of the failures of capitalism to provide for lower-class service workers.

What are your opinions on the morality of tipped labor? On one hand, it degrades the server from being an equal to someone whose subservience is constantly being measured. (It also usually saves the business owner a lot of money.) On the other hand, as someone who's worked various positions at a number of restaurants, it's always worse to be the employee who isn't getting the tips than the one who is.

After the Spanish Revolution in the 1930s, workers collectivized businesses, farms, and other property, and the tip was immediately abolished as it was seen as being incompatible with the dignity of those receiving it. Waiters and shop workers looked at customers in the face and were seen as equals, while servile and even ceremonial forms of speech disappeared. Instead of "Señor" and "Buenos días", people said "Thou" and "Salud." (I guess in Korea, the equivalent would be like saying 안녕 instead of 안녕하십니까.)

In today's post-Reagan free market society, you should certainly tip where it's customary to do so. That said, if you could imagine what a decent society would look like, would workers in that society be expected to earn tips? Is it a grim byproduct of economic disparity or a simple token of one's appreciation? Finally, how does this all relate to the ideas of tipping, workers, and seniority in Korea?

[Underwaterbob]

Bah! I worked my ass off at a lousy, split-shift gas pumping job making barely enough to get by and knew waiters and waitresses who made $300 a night in tips for less work than I was doing. Why does one shit job get special treatment over all others?

Just raise the bloody minimum wage already.

[Julius]

[young_clinton]

Tipping is done in the USA. I've never heard of it being done in another country. Tips are primarily given to individuals performing services in jobs that used to be considered long term professional service jobs, i.e waiters, barbers, hair stylists, doormen, bellboys, taxi drivers. A tip is supposed to allow people with low salaries achieve a lower middle class income and the individual who receives the tip is usually well trained in providing service to the customer. People in service jobs usually get some kind of a tip even if there are minor botches in the job because it's understood that it is a part of their income.

The OP is either a tool or one of the plants that you find on the internet coming from outside organizations. That's pretty obvious.

[radcon]

[Fox]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jvalmer]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

People wanna tip, they tip.

They don't wanna, they don't.

Can't force 'em.

Can't stop 'em.

At least not forever.

Let's move on.



Let's enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

[Steelrails]

[Fox]

[catman]

Are we supposed to tip the barber for a haircut? I never have.

[Leon]

Does anyone else prefer waiters in other countries to America because they don't like how often American waiters check on them, try to act overly friendly and personal? I just want you to take my order and bring it to me.

[young_clinton]

[Julius]