$ Aus vs USA $ PRICES

[Rowan]

I learned that tipping is not just optional in the USA, but expected. In Australia, tipping is optional and never looked down upon if you dont, because waiters get as much pay as anyone else working a job of that standard which could be between $15 - $20 per hour. I would tip a waitress/waiter if I lived in America, just because the food is already so cheap there compared to what we pay in Australia and I do appreciate good service and think that good service should be rewarded.

Just on that topic anyway, I want to give you an idea of how much we pay here for certain dishes (and these prices are pretty much the same no matter where you go.)

General Resturant/Bar
Ceasar Salad $16
Warm chicken salad $17
Chicken parma $27
300g Porterhouse steak $28
250g eye fillet steak with some mash $38

If you find those small franchises that sell chips and burgers prices usually go like this
Medium chips $ 5.50
Cheeseburger $4.50
Bottle of water $3.50
large coke $3.80

These are prices that I pulled from a place I went to recently.

Its not just the food that costs more in Australia, here are more examples:

Billabong brand hoodie $160
Levi jeans $145
Full car service anywhere between $160 - $280, Depending where you go. I remember someone here telling me I should have got a complimentary BJ for that price.
Pack of generic cigarettes $22
Pot of beer $5.50
6 pack of beer $17 - $22
We pay 15 percent more for Iphones and Mac products
Premium petrol costs roughly between $1.40 - $1.69 per litre.


Retail in general charges us anywhere between 15% to 45% of the same product that we could import for cheaper from overseas (usually the U.S)
New Zealand is not really much cheaper either, I've read. Perhaps Alpha might want to chime in with his experiences in retail and general consumerism in NZ.

The thing is, the retailers here are currently in crisis. Hardly anyone is buying and many shops all over Australia are being forced to close down. While this is bad for Australias economy, I think its a bloody big wake up call to retailers that they can no longer rip us off since we have the help of Ebay and online websites that allow us to purchase and import the same product for far cheaper overseas. Even with postage costs, we end up saving hundreds of dollars on general items such as clothing, games, etc. I am laughing my ass off at retailers that are forced to close down, because it appears to me as justice for them overpricing their stock.

Something I did notice with the prices I listed, is that most of the increases in prices could be due to a labouring factor and high wages, all to do with inflation etcetc. But you cannot deny that if someone finds a good quality product thats cheaper, they will go for that option, especially when Australia's taxes on homes and living are at an all time high.

Would you believe that there are advertisements here encouraging us to purchase Australian made and owned products? Yes people, its become THAT bad. I guess I would purchase Australia made and owned products... if they were as good and as cheap as their imported counterparts.

Anyway, since the majority of the forum is from the USA, I would like to hear your thoughts on this and some examples of some prices of stuff from where you live.

[loaf]

I never expected a tip in any job I had where I got tipped, and I've had 2 or 3 if you count the tips I accept here randomly for doing my job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

Australian prices are high.

[noxious.sunshine]

It's not just Australia that pays their servers regular wages - Germany is the same and I've actually heard that Connecticut pays at least minimum wage.

Here's the thing with serving here in the U.S. - by law, if what a server makes in tips + the avg $2.13/hrly wage adds up to less than national minimum wage, the company is required to make up the difference so that you make your $7.25/$7.50 whatever it is now.

With that being said, in higher end restaurants (and many mid-level places - especially corporate run "chains" like Red Lobster, Logan's Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, etc), servers are required to tip out a percentage of their -sales- to: Bussers/Hostesses & Bartenders. When I first started at Red Lobster, that wasn't a requirement. They changed it about 8 months after I started working there: 1.75% of our sales went to Bussers & Bartenders. During the weekday, it wasn't really a problem 'cuz we didn't have bussers and I think on especially slow lunches, we didn't have a bartender either.

At Logan's, we -had- to tip bussers & bartenders, but how much we gave was optional. We didn't have bussers during the days except Sunday lunch. After I left there, corporate swooped in and started making servers tip out about 3%.

At LongHorn, our Hostesses doubled as our Bussers, so we -always- had them and always there's a bartender on duty, again 3%. Which I didn't mind paying out for like 1 of the bartenders and 1 of the "SAs" (Server Asst.), but there were several extremely lazy SAs and a couple of bartenders that were slow and just plain sucked.

It doesn't matter how much we actually -make- in tips. If we sell $2000 in food and only make like $50 (yeah, it's an exaggeration, but bear with me. Actually. In some cases, it's not. I've seen shitty servers sell a lot and make zilch), we still have to tip out that 3% - which would be $66 which would mean that server would have to cough up the rest or talk to a manager. I've never had that problem, but I'm sure someone has.

Anyway, typical tip percentage nowadays is 15 - 20% of your total bill - yes that includes that $60 bottle of wine you bought for you and your dinner guest. I've been stiffed so many times 'cuz people think "Oh, they just walked a bottle over. Nothing special." Wrong. I had to take precious time out of my busy night to wrestle with the ghetto ass wine keys to get the seal off the bottle then un-cork the stupid thing and pour your first glasses - all right in front of you while I've got 2 or 3 other tables flagging me down 'cuz they need their barely drunk waters topped off.

But I digress. If a server is shitty, it's much nicer to leave 0 tip than an "Eff You" $2 on $120. And my new rule of thumb is to never complain to a manager unless service is -completely- shit. You never know if you just cost that person their job or what they have riding on it. I've had it happen 2x to me and it was over things that were out of my control / certain managers hated my guts for no reason other than they were stupid.

But I digress. I went way off topic.

At LongHorn Steakhouse, for lunch for 2 - you're not leaving for less than $17 - $20 (depending on whether you get just plain tap water or a soda).
Dinner, you're not gonna pay less than $30 - $35 - both not including tip.

Tennessee in general has one of the highest sales taxes in the nation - it's technically 7%, but local governments can add on to that. Nashville and Clarksville tack on an extra 2.25% - which makes it 9.25% total in sales tax that we pay. Iiiiit's pretty gruesome.

So that gallon of milk that now runs around $3.50 (here, milk has become more expensive than gasoline) - after taxes it's $3.82. Not a huge deal, but when you've gotta feed a family, it adds up quickly.

But I can't imagine living somewhere -more- expensive than someplace like Australia. Mexico is cheap, in spite of its issues with crime and drugs and stuff. And I kind of hunted around and did an estimate for a wedding package for 200 people on the island of Boracay in the Philippines and it can be done for a mere $10,000 - $12,000 - that's not including tuxes & dresses for the bridal party or transportation & accomodations for those flying in from the U.S. Yes, Jay's parents know that many people. *eye roll*

[loaf]

I had 1 job with tips having to report tips. We always reported 1 dollar.

[noxious.sunshine]

We did that at Sonic, but at "real" restaurants, where you use computers to ring in orders, you have to claim your tips that way.

At all of the American restaurants I worked at, the computer automatically claims your credit card tips - there's no way around that.
But at like LongHorn & Red Lobster (they're both Darden Corporation), if what you try to claim in cash equals out to below 20% and/or doesn't balance out with your tip share, you have to get a manager to swipe their Almighty Manager Card & approve it. Usually the computer "guesstimates" how much you made in cash and you can just click on through and leave. But sometimes, what is guesstimates doesn't balance out with the tip share so you have to go back and raise the amount until it gives you the "ok" to finish up and clock out.... Unless you get a Manager to swipe their card for you.

At Logan's, again, auto credit card tips calculated, but you could put in however much in cash. So many people were claiming too low, so the GM started posting who was under-claiming their cash (I think back then we had to claim 10% of our sales in cash) and fools were getting written up. I never did that though. I'd count up what I made in cash and just subtracted $5 or $10 depending on how much I made.

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Cuz like I said, claiming too low takes out of the company's pocket 'cuz they have to pay for it. Major no-no.

[Alpha]

I would consider it rude to accept a tip. The patron has already paid for their meal and service. Me treating them nicely is what I'm being paid to do. If I treat you poorly, then you can complain to a superior who can judge the validity of your complaint and act appropriately. My ability to pay rent should not balance on generosity.

I have never ever given a tip nor seen anyone give a tip, aside from tourists. It's just unusual.

Minimum hourly wage, which most servers would be earning above, is (I think) NZ$14, where (again, I think) 1 NZD = 0.80 USD. Sales tax is 15%.

I don't know if retail is more expensive here. But buying online is certainly cheaper. But most of the stuff I buy online is still from NZ websites or TradeMe (NZ equivalent to Ebay, but a lot of stuff is actually being imported and middle-manned behind the scenes). Food tends to be expensive, but the main reason is all of our free trade agreements (to ASEAN nations in particular). We're pretty zealous about free trade, with a broad political consensus in favour continuously for three decades. We were the first country to arrange a free trade deal with China, and began the TPPA discussions. The consequence of course is that we pay international prices for things we produce in abundance here. Milk is especially expensive, at about NZ$5 for 2 litres, despite producing a third of the global supply. But we pay a pretty good price for other things we don't really make, like electronics. There're issues with competitiveness at a retail level, with many apparently competing chains actually owned by the same (usually Australian) parent company. The banks are the worst for that.

[DragonHeart]

It's expected but that doesn't mean everyone does it. =/ I work in retail though so I find I'm far more sympathetic to those in service jobs. I always tip unless the server gives me a reason not to, which honestly I don't think has ever happened. I guess cause you can more or less tell/guess who else works with customers. I tend to be way more patient and laid back about little things than the average customer. Shit happens, I'm not going to dock someone for it.

As for retail well, I live in one of the few states without a sales tax, so things tend to be even cheaper here. (Provided you don't own a house, lol.) It's nice, but it does suck whenever I travel outside of the state and have to buy something. I always forget about the damn tax. Annoying.

Let's see...prices fluctuate a lot depending on where you buy from. My store sells the cheapest cigarettes around--Marlboros are $5.79 a pack right now. Ironic, given that we're a retail pharmacy. A decent pair of jeans cost around $40ish, I never buy something like that at full price anyway, wait for the sales.

The main problem we have here is that the Marts of the retail world are taking over and forcing out all the smaller independent markets that can be pricier but have better quality and selection. Unless I want to drive 20 minutes out of my way, often the only option is to buy from the local Wal*Mart. There's also very few options outside of large grocery stores, so not much variety and virtually no chance of buying local.

[noxious.sunshine]

Here in the U.S., though, Alpha, tips is how servers survive. It's perfectly normal.

But so many people have become so stingy with their money, they want to nitpick about every single little thing and complain about whatever they can to get out of paying for part (or all) of their ticket and leaving a tip for the server. At least in the South, that's the general trend. Don't get me started on Sunday mornings.

My ex, for example, works at -the- busiest restaurant in my 'hood. He's also one of the most popular waiters (he's been there for like 13/14 yrs). During the Summer, he can easily make $1,000+ a week, because he mostly works outside on the patio and there, they give the servers as many tables as they can handle. But, he also has to pay rent, his truck, gas, insurance, groceries, child support (plus the $$ he spends on his son every weekend), phone bill, etc. He relies on the tips he makes every week to support his livelihood. During the Winter, when it's cold & the patio isn't open, they slow down considerably during the week and he might only make $400 - sometimes less.

And aside from the "we paid for our meal", you're also paying for the friendly service (which, I agree, you don't always get). And no, we don't just serve food and drinks - we also usually have a lot of side work to keep up with (as with any job).

It's a Black Hole of Death, serving here in the U.S. is. Once you get sucked in, it's hard to get back out of 'cuz a lot of potential employers think "oh stupid server. Naaaaahhhh Pass." and it sucks.

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I usually buy my jeans at Buckle. hehe... The few times I can afford it, my jeans run anywhere from $75 (on sale) to $175. But they do free alterations and the employees always stick with you until you find the perfect pair of jeans, so it's money well spent. And besides, jeans from other places typically don't fit me right. What is it with girls with big asses and no waist? smh.

[Michael Swayne]

I am so pleased that there are places in the U.S. where it is still voluntary to tip servers. Here in Ohio, a lot of restaurants put a tip amount (usually 15%) right on the receipt. The only way to get out of "tipping" is if you go to the manager and dispute the bill and tell them why the restaurant doesn't deserve an extra 15%.

The most recent opportunity I had to voluntarily tip was five years ago at the local dairy bar. My brother and I sat inside because we were hot from riding our bikes. The service was horrible, and food was not good at all. We just wanted to get out of there so I just rounded up to the nearest dollar and left the money with the bill. The management has changed three times since then, so it should be safe to eat there again, maybe.

I don't like seeing tip jars at gas stations or random stores (Family Dollar, etc.). It's like they are wanting more money for doing nothing more than totaling my purchase and judging me because of my purchase. If they were extra helpful, then I would be more inclined to tip. But asking "Did you find everything you need?" when all I brought to the counter was a bag of gummi sharks (which are now $1.50 for two bags) is not enough for me to give you more money. If I didn't find what I was looking for and am asked that, I usually reply "No, but I'm sure I will at (insert store's competition here)."

[loaf]

Who else is going to sell you those cigarettes or beer. Give me my money.

[Rowan]

Wow... $5 for a pack of ciggs. Imagine you could just import them from overseas, Australia would be bankrupt.

[Michael Swayne]

Who else is going to sell you those cigarettes or beer. Give me my money.

Self-Checkout. No tip needed.

[noxious.sunshine]

In a lot of high end restaurants or chains that consider themselves "Fine Dining" (that really aren't - LongHorn & Red Lobster being a prime example), parties of 8 or more, 15% gratuity is automatically added. And yes, if you want it removed, you must talk to the manager.

Back when I worked at Red Lobster, adding the gratuity was an option. It was a major gamble. You could add gratuity and split the 15% (which would generally equal out to about $10 a person if the customers paying don't tip on top of the grat), -or- you could leave the grat off and hope for the best.

But because RL & LH are part of the same corporation, Parties of 8 or more have to be shared by 2 servers. It's generally 2 for every 8 people. -Sometimes- management at LongHorn would let us slide on it depending on how busy and how many servers we had on the floor and what kind of mood the manager on duty is in. Either way, by the time I started working at LongHorn, adding gratuity was no longer an option - it was a requirement because Darden decided it's "profiling" to add gratuity to one party and not another.

And Michael, you're not tipping "the restaurant" - you're tipping the Server. That money goes to the server and a percentage of what you paid for & ate goes to other members of staff - bartenders, bussers, etc. Cooks/Chefs/Managers/Dishwashers are on a set pay. They already make their money, so you're not helping them out by leaving a tip. You're essentially paying your server.

That's a huge misconception, I think. Unless you've worked in the service industry and have had to work your ass off for the measly $2.13/+ tips, you won't fully understand or appreciate the life of a server. It's stressful, it's hard work, and it's a gamble. Yes, I know "If you don't like it, find something else", but a lot of people find themselves working in restaurants and that winds up being just about the only job they can get. -YOU-, the customer, pays us. Not the restaurant. Keep that in mind next time you dispute a gratuity. Sorry if that sounds bitchy, but it's the truth.

[Alpha]

Join a union and get pissed off at the restaurant for not treating you similarly to the other staff and not granting you a secure wage that you can make a budget on.

Tipping sounds so complicated.

[Rowan]

He's convinced me, I want my dollar back.

[RagnaToad]

The mandatory tipping in the USA is a weird system to depend on for someone's wage. It's weird that they work in an industry where tipping is expected rather than seen as something extra. There are many jobs where you bust your ass off where the employees don't have the chance to receive tips. To me tipping should be an extra, something that means I appreciated the service. I would like my tips to be something special. But if the system is dependent on the mandatory tipping, you sadly kind of have to partake.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with this scene from Reservoir Dogs where they discuss tipping.

EDIT: It seems Loaf was way ahead of me and already linked to the scene.

[loaf]

Yeah since I linked it in the very first reply.

I guess I have a morale soul because I never expected to get tipped ever.

[RagnaToad]

Yeah since I linked it in the very first reply.

I guess I have a morale soul because I never expected to get tipped ever.

Silly me. I didn't click your link. I also noticed Rowan's reference to the scene just now.

[Lacquer Head]

I have to agree that mandatory tipping is ridiculous, it really is paying the store. If it's mandatory...they could always just pay them minimum wage instead, but they only have to pay like a 1/3 of the wage and FORCE the customers to pick up the rest, regardless of service? **** that.

There's also the issue of tips being taxed. Also, hypothetical idea time. When companies start paying higher wages, they have to raise the price on their service, right? Why is it that these same places that force their employees to beg for money charge outlandish prices for the same shit you can get at various fast food places, same quality, yet slower? I don't see how this shit could be legal, unless the companies are forced to pay much higher taxes or make up for it somehow.

[noxious.sunshine]

It's not absolutely mandatory to tip. Like, I know sometimes I'd have a table that I f*cked off in some way (ringing something in wrong, their food or drinks taking too long to get made, whatever) - I don't expect a tip when that happens. I know when I make a mistake. I apologize, and maybe sneak 'em some ice cream or a soup to go. Sometimes the customer will still leave a decent tip, sometimes not.

But yes, it sucks. The whole system is shit. And yeah, we do get taxed on our tips - but it comes out of our pocket, not the company's necessarily. I think I said it before, but servers who make way more than minimum wage in tips consistently don't get a check at the end of the week because the taxes from the tips eats up that $2.13/hr.

The more expensive pricing, though, comes from having a full service bar available, a "nicer" atmosphere (as opposed to the screaming & yelling at a Mickey D's or whatever), and being able to enjoy a nice, quiet (unless you go to Roadhouse or some place loud like that) sit-down dinner. Yeah, it can be ridiculously expensive, and it costs about 1/4 to cook that same meal and have those same drinks at home, but I get tired of cooking every day/night. lol.. I like to eat out every now and then.

Service 101: A Brief History of Tipping

EDIT:

When I worked at Wally World, they specifically told us that we are -never- allowed to accept tips - getting caught doing so would result in immediate termination. lulz.

[loaf]

Self-Checkout. No tip needed.

Show me any place that lets you grab a pack of cigarettes on your own and go to a self checkout. That's against the law.

[Rowan]

Show me any place that lets you grab a pack of cigarettes on your own and go to a self checkout. That's against the law.

In Australia, we have dedicated counters where people buy ciggs from. Its pretty imbalanced bro.

[noxious.sunshine]

Wally World has a single check out lane where ciggs can be bought.

ROFLZ went into Dollar General the other day to get makeup since they've upgraded their selection quite a bit.. They got their "name brand" deodorant locked up like it's baby formula. You know like Secret & stuff.

[loaf]

Someone has to sell them to you. A single counter dedicated to cigarettes isn't the same as grabbing a pack and going to a self checkout.

[Rowan]

Someone has to sell them to you. A single counter dedicated to cigarettes isn't the same as grabbing a pack and going to a self checkout.

Totally. smoking is for losers though who bow to peer pressure when they're younger. Seriosuly, where the hell is your self esteem. Cant even buy them on your own, geeze.

[noxious.sunshine]

That's what I meant. lol My kiddo calls them "Cinnarettes" and yells at the BF for smoking when she's with us.

I want McDonald's.

[Pete]

Meh, I usually just double the tax or round it out to the closest dollar amount. If a server is swamped and still polite and on point with their job, I'm more inclined to feel sympathy and throw them a little extra cash. More often than not, the people doing those jobs are doing them because it's the only job they can get at the moment, and I know that it's a shitty spot, so I'll throw them a little extra if they're nice.

As for cigarettes, I don't smoke, but in NYC, it's like 11 bucks a pack, thanks to Emperor Bloomberg and his taxing anything and everything that might not be good for you. buncha bullshit.

[OceanEyes28]

Ohmygod getting paid $15 an hour and not having to rely on some of these shits I have the pleasure of serving for a decent paycheck sounds awesome. A lot of people who come in really like me, and will tip well. I have fun with them, and all in all, it's a pleasant transaction. Yay. But I get people sometimes who are rude and needy and have me run all around the restaurant so they can smirk at me and then make a point of not tipping because they "don't tip." Man, **** you dude.

I tend to overtip, partly because I know how it is, and partly to make up for someone else's inevitable cheapness. 25-30% is normal for me. If a server is a huge **** and avoids my table, I know the difference between that and being busy (been there), and I'm less generous. But even with my little wage, I can still afford to be generous with my money if I'm going out to eat. If I need to be stingy, I just eat at home.

[noxious.sunshine]

lol Someone who knows what I'm talking about . Yaaaay

[Alpha]

As for cigarettes, I don't smoke, but in NYC, it's like 11 bucks a pack, thanks to Emperor Bloomberg and his taxing anything and everything that might not be good for you. buncha bullshit.

Lol, that's cheap as shit! Try US$16 minimum for a pack of 20, with the excise tax increasing by a set percentage every year. Oh, and you're not allowed to see the varieties you can buy, and when you get your hands on the packet, most of it is taken up by a picture of some dude's gangrenous foot, blind eye held open with hooks, a cigarette in the shape of a flaccid penis (impotence), a cancerous lung...