Waitress Exposes The Exploitation Of Waiters After Her $61 Tip Gets “Redistributed” And She’s Left With $1
Interview With AuthorWorkers’ advocacy groups have continually warned that Trump-era regulations would make it easier for owners to use their employees and customers to cover payrolls.
Such regulations include “nontraditional” tipping pools that mean servers have to share their tips with employees who don’t normally receive them, like line cooks or dishwashers. But critics claim it’s setting a green line for stealing workers’ wages.
This viral TikTok video from alexservestea has shed some light on what happens when this system is put into practice. The author shared a screenshot of an actual tip distribution breakdown sheet sent by an unnamed server at Chili’s. Turns out, a total of $1001.66 in sales generated $61.01 in credit card tips, but according to the screenshot, the server only got to keep a mere $0.91.
Let’s see this whole incident, which for too many workers is now sadly a grim reality, in full right below. And if you’ve experienced something like this at work, be sure to share it in the comments.
Recently, a TikToker named Alex shared a viral video where she exposed Chili’s unfair tipping distribution policy
@alexservesteaTHIS IS NOT OK!!! PAY YOUR STAFF! #greenscreen♬ original sound – Personal acct by Alexserves
Image credits: alexservestea
Moreover, with all the promotions they have going on, no one’s making any money, said Alex. Turns out, “they have 3 for $10, 2 for $25, free chips and salsa, free dessert, free kids’ meal, free appetizer. I mean, honestly, they should just start giving the whole menu away for free. The way they see it is, it gets people in the door. They think we will come in and order more because of it.”
But that’s not the case since people are going in for the deal. “That’s all they care about. And they definitely don’t care about the server.” In reality, “you as a server are doing all this work for no tips and then, on top of that, you pay a portion of your tips to the rest of the staff, whether you get tipped or not. It’s mandatory and automatically gets pulled from your sales at the end of the day.”
Alex continued: “So if you have $1000 in sales, it will pull $55 for tip-out and it doesn’t matter what you actually made in tips. It’s a screwed-up system.” “The cooks were not happy when their pay dropped and the servers weren’t happy when they found out they had to supplement their pay, and with good reason! The CEO’s net worth is 38.6 MILLION dollars yet he has the staff working for pennies!”
“On top of that, they have ghost kitchens running out of Chili’s,” Alex continued: “Ghost kitchens were meant to be for small businesses to rent out a kitchen space and have cooks make the food and be sold through delivery apps or pickup only.”
She also shared screenshots from a chat with a Chili’s server who shed light on how the restaurant’s tipping policy drains the servers
Image credits: alexservestea
Image credits: alexservestea
Image credits: alexservestea
According to the TikToker, corporations have now caught wind and started abusing the system. “So they are running ghost kitchens or ‘virtual restaurants’ out of their already existing restaurant, using the staff from those restaurants to cook and package the food, without any extra pay.”
“These employees are essentially working for 3 restaurants at once now but only getting paid for one! It’s exploitation and it’s not okay,” she concluded.When asked what she thinks of restaurant owners crying over how “no one wants to work anymore,” Alex tells them to “look in the mirror.”
“You don’t pay your staff, you exploit them, and you overwork them. Every Chili’s employee I know is overworked because every location is understaffed,” she said. The TikToker who also worked there said that she had to be a host, a server, a Togo specialist, a food runner, an expo and a busser all at once, “for a grand total of $5 an hour because I was doing it all on server pay.”
“They are never fully staffed and they run you ragged. And after you work yourself off for them, they discard you like you’re nothing. I had managers who worked there over 20 years, about to get their pension, and they were fired over the dumbest reasons.”
Alex concluded that “Chili’s is a horrible company that doesn’t care about its employees and only cares about their pockets,” and added that sadly, “almost all restaurants are the same.”
Alex has also received messages from people who were in the negative at the end of the shift which meant they had to pay from their own pocket
Image credits: alexservestea
@alexservesteaReply to @missthatchix Our system is so fkd up! #greenscreen♬ original sound – Personal acct by Alexserves
In a statement to the Daily Dot, Alex said: “It’s not ok for people to work their asses off just to have to PAY to work there! When servers are only walking home with half of their tips and Togo specialists are paying OUT OF POCKET to tip out the cooks, there is a problem!”
And this is what people had to comment on it
The problem is not the tip distribution, the problem is that in the US the tip is not a nice, occasional, little addition in case you were appreciated by patrons but that it is needed to make a living at all. Unfortunately, discussing tipping policies really only puts away the attention from the underlying societal problem of unfair wages.
And again there's a lot of outrage about a system that shouldn't even exist. It isn't an outrage that a server is only left with 91 cents after being tipped $61. It's an outrage that the entire staff has to rely on tips. There's a simple solution to that and it has been invented decades ago in Europe: livable minimum wage.
yep, though I tip cash so they can duck the IRS. I knew waitresses had to share with the bar and sometimes busboys, I had no idea all these people had their hands out for the tips. disgusting.
Load More Replies...Oh America! Look after your people. Pay them a decent wage, don’t make them ‘hope’ they get enough tips, give them the healthcare they need, for free, like the rest of the civilised world. I have a lot of friends in America and I love them dearly, I just hate they are treated so badly in what’s meant to be a first world country. My friend gave birth in 4 hours, didn’t stay overnight, no complications and her bill was $43,000!!!! Lucky she had insurance but wtf? I had two babies, no bill at the end of it and the nurse even walked over the garage to get me marmite because I casually mentioned I fancied some on toast. Forever grateful of universal healthcare and our wonderful NHS
I've served and managed in numerous restaurants, including Chili's, and worked at corporate for Applebee's. I've NEVER heard of tipping out the cooks. Ever. They're paid an hourly wage. They don't work for tips.
Let the wage pay the staff. Not the tip. It works allmost everywhere else in the world... 21$ /hour is normal in denmark unedducated waiter....
Is this the "American Dream"? It's s**t. When will the US grow up and stop basing its entire economy on screwing people over? Pay people a proper wage so that tips are a bonus, not a necessity. And while you're at it, include taxes in the menu prices like the entire rest of the goddam world!
An example of why this was original implemented. You have a high end French restaurant where line cooks often immigrants are lucky to make $100 after taxes for a shift. Meanwhile the waiter is making their wage and in a good night hundreds more in tips. There was huge outrage at the inequality. So shared tipping was born. And again not every states waiters make $3 an hour. Some states they make $15. In short employers should make sure tipping and wage rules are consistent with their state laws and that everyone is making a fair wage
My understanding is that the whole splitting of the tips became popular several years back when people complained that line cooks and such got paid so little compared to wait staff. Now we complain wait staff don’t get paid enough. Also this was only credit card tips. Lots of people tip cash still. Also wages vary drastically. Certain states allow tipped staff to be paid under minimum wage others do not. I know teenage hostesses in California who make $15 an hour plus make a couple hundred more in tips a week working part time. Wait staff also make at least $15 an hour so it makes sense to split tips there. This is at a National chain as well. The problem at Chili’s specifically as said in her messages is that their dishes are cheap. For a $10 bill even if you tip 20 percent that’s $2... if she is in a state that allows below minimum wage though certainly Chili’s should do the right thing and distribute more tips to tipped staff and you know maybe raise her wage.
Although I don't agree with the whole tipping thing (restaurant employees should be paid decent wages, not survive off of tips), I get why they split it with the kitchen and bartender. When you're tipping, it's not because your server was fast and your water glass was kept full.... It's because the food was delicious and your alcoholic beverage perfectly mixed and not watered down... It's the whole experience. That being said, if I have an amazing server, I'll tip 20% on my credit card, then slip them cash directly.
This is crazy! In KY they did pass a law that servers, are not to tip out other tipped employees. My night would go like this, so all your tips were on credit cards, and you made a $100.00. I would have to tip the bar, let's say $10.00, and then the buser $50.00. Meanwhile, I have having to claim money to the IRS that I technically did not get to keep, and both the bar and the buser, are receiving money that they do not claim. Such bullshit, which is why one tipped employee, does not have to tip out another tipped employee. But the restaurant that I worked out, felt that their policy trumped KY state law. So they would still be hunting you down at the end of a shift for their tip outs!
$61 on $1000 in sales? Those are, like, ToGo numbers. I don’t think we’re getting the whole story here. When I worked for Brinker (which, full disclosure, was awhile ago) tip-outs weren’t forced for all those people and they weren’t that high. You tipped your bar and you tipped out the bussers, that’s it - the rest of those people make a higher wage in those positions than you do. Definitely not getting the full story.
JFC, is this seriously a thing now? Has it always been a thing or is this only at Chili's? When I was a waitress, we weren't required to tip any of the other staff. We could share tips with the guys who bussed our tables if we wanted to but it definitely was not required of us because they actually got a decent wage.
This happens, happily, in the UK. I liked to share mine when I worked in that line. But that's also the beauty of livable wages. Shame US has its view it does... Tho 91c on 62$ is a joke!
This distribution is pretty common in UK. My current place spreads tips out evenly between FOH and BOH staff. The issue here isn't tip distribution, it's the US' disgraceful server wages, which means that FOH servers live off tips (i.e. live off the kindness/gratuity of others). So f**ked.
I quit chili’s about 2 months ago, I can say this article is 100% true and it is absolute garbage. They do not care about their employees at all. Especially Chili’s in La Mesa California run by Idiots!
Who's tipping 65 for 1K+ tab? If you can afford the 1K, leave a proper tip. The tip has left her short which isnt fair.
My parents used to own a small restaurant in the US, and this is how they distributed the tips: Total tips were evenly distributed between the waiting staff ONLY. Because tips are for THEIR services. They had a small bar and a part time bartender. If the bartender was tipped, the tip was exclusively FOR HER ONLY. Because she was the one tending to the customer. I can’t understand why the kitchen staff receive tips; they are usually paid more than the waiters because of the skills they have. I’m all for NO TIPS, but for the time being, tips shouldn’t go to the kitchen, unless the kitchen staff also work up front :/
The other staff are working as well not just the servers ! Whilst the servers bring out the food and clean the tables the chef are busy preparing food and cooking and the bar tenders cleaning and making drinks in their areas - they are not all standing idle doing nothing at all ! In saying this all tips should be even amounts for the whole staff !
The customer was clearly a piece of s**t. Always do the right thing! Dont f*****g tip ever in food related services in the usa. Tip elsewhere and only when they deserve it. Most importantly demand a livable wage
My daughter just started working as a server & her 1 paycheck a couple of wks ago was $1.20. That's right, her entire paycheck for the week was $1.20...I get sooooo angry when I hear that she's busted her a$$ & then has to pay everyone as if SHE's the payroll administrator or owner!!!! I was a hairstylist & we got paid $hit wages & still had to depend on tips even tho' I went through WAY more hours of schooling than our own police officers do & I'm only legally allowed to carry sharp objects. They get weapons of mass destruction. WTF!!!!
When my husband was bartending at a casino, he could get a $100 tip but he would only keep $20-$30 of it since he had to split it with the barback and cocktail waitresses.
Why is it legal in the US for companies to avoid taxes by paying their staff so little and requiring customers to tip them to make up their wages, therefore it's not "income" for the company. A tip is a bonus for exceptional service, or because you CBA to wait for change, it shouldn't be mandatory because your company is too cheap to pay the staff properly
Please keep in mind that huge restaurant chains do not pay much/if anything in taxes at all!!! It's getting beyond ridiculous!!! The US Tax System ASSUMES that workers (any work that could receive tips) pocket 10% of their tips. So... not only are they paid horribly, they are taxed on tips that they may/not have pocketed without claiming for taxes.
Load More Replies...For a start they shouldn't be basing what you tip out on sales but on the tips you actually get - being left with a NEGATIVE amount? How is that legal? But also tips are supposed to be a bonus for good service, they shouldn't be part of your income. Restaurants need to pay their staff a living wage. If restaurants across almost the entire developed world can pay their staff without going bust then either Americans are all terrible at running businesses or they can do the same.
The problem is not the tip distribution, the problem is that in the US the tip is not a nice, occasional, little addition in case you were appreciated by patrons but that it is needed to make a living at all. Unfortunately, discussing tipping policies really only puts away the attention from the underlying societal problem of unfair wages.
And again there's a lot of outrage about a system that shouldn't even exist. It isn't an outrage that a server is only left with 91 cents after being tipped $61. It's an outrage that the entire staff has to rely on tips. There's a simple solution to that and it has been invented decades ago in Europe: livable minimum wage.
yep, though I tip cash so they can duck the IRS. I knew waitresses had to share with the bar and sometimes busboys, I had no idea all these people had their hands out for the tips. disgusting.
Load More Replies...Oh America! Look after your people. Pay them a decent wage, don’t make them ‘hope’ they get enough tips, give them the healthcare they need, for free, like the rest of the civilised world. I have a lot of friends in America and I love them dearly, I just hate they are treated so badly in what’s meant to be a first world country. My friend gave birth in 4 hours, didn’t stay overnight, no complications and her bill was $43,000!!!! Lucky she had insurance but wtf? I had two babies, no bill at the end of it and the nurse even walked over the garage to get me marmite because I casually mentioned I fancied some on toast. Forever grateful of universal healthcare and our wonderful NHS
I've served and managed in numerous restaurants, including Chili's, and worked at corporate for Applebee's. I've NEVER heard of tipping out the cooks. Ever. They're paid an hourly wage. They don't work for tips.
Let the wage pay the staff. Not the tip. It works allmost everywhere else in the world... 21$ /hour is normal in denmark unedducated waiter....
Is this the "American Dream"? It's s**t. When will the US grow up and stop basing its entire economy on screwing people over? Pay people a proper wage so that tips are a bonus, not a necessity. And while you're at it, include taxes in the menu prices like the entire rest of the goddam world!
An example of why this was original implemented. You have a high end French restaurant where line cooks often immigrants are lucky to make $100 after taxes for a shift. Meanwhile the waiter is making their wage and in a good night hundreds more in tips. There was huge outrage at the inequality. So shared tipping was born. And again not every states waiters make $3 an hour. Some states they make $15. In short employers should make sure tipping and wage rules are consistent with their state laws and that everyone is making a fair wage
My understanding is that the whole splitting of the tips became popular several years back when people complained that line cooks and such got paid so little compared to wait staff. Now we complain wait staff don’t get paid enough. Also this was only credit card tips. Lots of people tip cash still. Also wages vary drastically. Certain states allow tipped staff to be paid under minimum wage others do not. I know teenage hostesses in California who make $15 an hour plus make a couple hundred more in tips a week working part time. Wait staff also make at least $15 an hour so it makes sense to split tips there. This is at a National chain as well. The problem at Chili’s specifically as said in her messages is that their dishes are cheap. For a $10 bill even if you tip 20 percent that’s $2... if she is in a state that allows below minimum wage though certainly Chili’s should do the right thing and distribute more tips to tipped staff and you know maybe raise her wage.
Although I don't agree with the whole tipping thing (restaurant employees should be paid decent wages, not survive off of tips), I get why they split it with the kitchen and bartender. When you're tipping, it's not because your server was fast and your water glass was kept full.... It's because the food was delicious and your alcoholic beverage perfectly mixed and not watered down... It's the whole experience. That being said, if I have an amazing server, I'll tip 20% on my credit card, then slip them cash directly.
This is crazy! In KY they did pass a law that servers, are not to tip out other tipped employees. My night would go like this, so all your tips were on credit cards, and you made a $100.00. I would have to tip the bar, let's say $10.00, and then the buser $50.00. Meanwhile, I have having to claim money to the IRS that I technically did not get to keep, and both the bar and the buser, are receiving money that they do not claim. Such bullshit, which is why one tipped employee, does not have to tip out another tipped employee. But the restaurant that I worked out, felt that their policy trumped KY state law. So they would still be hunting you down at the end of a shift for their tip outs!
$61 on $1000 in sales? Those are, like, ToGo numbers. I don’t think we’re getting the whole story here. When I worked for Brinker (which, full disclosure, was awhile ago) tip-outs weren’t forced for all those people and they weren’t that high. You tipped your bar and you tipped out the bussers, that’s it - the rest of those people make a higher wage in those positions than you do. Definitely not getting the full story.
JFC, is this seriously a thing now? Has it always been a thing or is this only at Chili's? When I was a waitress, we weren't required to tip any of the other staff. We could share tips with the guys who bussed our tables if we wanted to but it definitely was not required of us because they actually got a decent wage.
This happens, happily, in the UK. I liked to share mine when I worked in that line. But that's also the beauty of livable wages. Shame US has its view it does... Tho 91c on 62$ is a joke!
This distribution is pretty common in UK. My current place spreads tips out evenly between FOH and BOH staff. The issue here isn't tip distribution, it's the US' disgraceful server wages, which means that FOH servers live off tips (i.e. live off the kindness/gratuity of others). So f**ked.
I quit chili’s about 2 months ago, I can say this article is 100% true and it is absolute garbage. They do not care about their employees at all. Especially Chili’s in La Mesa California run by Idiots!
Who's tipping 65 for 1K+ tab? If you can afford the 1K, leave a proper tip. The tip has left her short which isnt fair.
My parents used to own a small restaurant in the US, and this is how they distributed the tips: Total tips were evenly distributed between the waiting staff ONLY. Because tips are for THEIR services. They had a small bar and a part time bartender. If the bartender was tipped, the tip was exclusively FOR HER ONLY. Because she was the one tending to the customer. I can’t understand why the kitchen staff receive tips; they are usually paid more than the waiters because of the skills they have. I’m all for NO TIPS, but for the time being, tips shouldn’t go to the kitchen, unless the kitchen staff also work up front :/
The other staff are working as well not just the servers ! Whilst the servers bring out the food and clean the tables the chef are busy preparing food and cooking and the bar tenders cleaning and making drinks in their areas - they are not all standing idle doing nothing at all ! In saying this all tips should be even amounts for the whole staff !
The customer was clearly a piece of s**t. Always do the right thing! Dont f*****g tip ever in food related services in the usa. Tip elsewhere and only when they deserve it. Most importantly demand a livable wage
My daughter just started working as a server & her 1 paycheck a couple of wks ago was $1.20. That's right, her entire paycheck for the week was $1.20...I get sooooo angry when I hear that she's busted her a$$ & then has to pay everyone as if SHE's the payroll administrator or owner!!!! I was a hairstylist & we got paid $hit wages & still had to depend on tips even tho' I went through WAY more hours of schooling than our own police officers do & I'm only legally allowed to carry sharp objects. They get weapons of mass destruction. WTF!!!!
When my husband was bartending at a casino, he could get a $100 tip but he would only keep $20-$30 of it since he had to split it with the barback and cocktail waitresses.
Why is it legal in the US for companies to avoid taxes by paying their staff so little and requiring customers to tip them to make up their wages, therefore it's not "income" for the company. A tip is a bonus for exceptional service, or because you CBA to wait for change, it shouldn't be mandatory because your company is too cheap to pay the staff properly
Please keep in mind that huge restaurant chains do not pay much/if anything in taxes at all!!! It's getting beyond ridiculous!!! The US Tax System ASSUMES that workers (any work that could receive tips) pocket 10% of their tips. So... not only are they paid horribly, they are taxed on tips that they may/not have pocketed without claiming for taxes.
Load More Replies...For a start they shouldn't be basing what you tip out on sales but on the tips you actually get - being left with a NEGATIVE amount? How is that legal? But also tips are supposed to be a bonus for good service, they shouldn't be part of your income. Restaurants need to pay their staff a living wage. If restaurants across almost the entire developed world can pay their staff without going bust then either Americans are all terrible at running businesses or they can do the same.
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