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'Consumers Against Tipping' wants you to stop tipping restaurant workers

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Group wants diners to stop tipping servers

The group Consumers Against Tipping said they've received death threats over their position.

A new group said it wants you to stop feeling obligated to tip restaurant servers, and it isn't sitting well with those who work in the industry.

Consumers Against Tipping is hosting its first ever "Tip Off" event the week of Independence Day, and said it's time to give freedom to diners to choose when a tip is appropriate.

In a statement to Eyewitness News, the group said tipping and the lack of tipping can be linked to the type of service you receive.

"We view that act of tipping should be entirely performance based and because waitresses and waiters typically receive less than minimum wage, most tips are given due to obligation and basic monetary reliance of the employees instead of quick, dependable, quality service like initially intended," the statement read.

They also claimed obligation-based tipping leads to volatile exchanges with servers, and can even end in food tampering.

A waitress in Harrisonburg, Virginia, received a racist and hateful comment on a receipt from two restaurant patrons.

As you can imagine, this isn't a popular opinion to those who work in restaurants, hotels and bars, where tipping is common.

Even less popular are some of the group's postings, which include off-color memes, negative depictions of servers and claims of political alignment with former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Some people have taken to the group's Facebook page to express anger or disbelief over the group's first "Tip Off" event, scheduled for July 3-6.

"I work in the industry, not as a bartender/server but as a manager. This is probably the most hurtful and untruthful thing I've seen in a while," one poster wrote. "Most of them have families with children that they have to support and you in turn offend them like this?!"

Others brought up the fact servers are paid less than minimum wage, and rely on tips to help make ends meet.

Consumers Against Tipping told ABC13 it has received harsh criticism and even death threats, but that their unorthodox approach has drawn attention to an issue they said is important: the need for a livable wage.

"We empathize with anyone who feels as though it benefits their lifestyle but we empathize more with those who sometimes do not make enough to pay expenses some weeks due to the lack of a substantial base pay," the group's statement read.

According to the National Restaurant Association, 14.7 million Americans work within the restaurant industry, or about 10 percent of the total workforce.

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