happytrailstoyou

Let mw = minimum wage in jurisdiction = $4
Let h = number of hours worked/week = 30
Let wr for given staff member = weekly revenue sold by staff member = $7200
Let percentage sales commission on revenue = .20

You already have to compute minimum wage per week under law.
Modern POS systems easily could accomodate a staff code number, if they do not already, to associate given sales with a given staff member. Ain't computers a wonderful thing?

Anyway, the weekly wage per staff member = ( mw * h)+ (wr * .20) There are of course tax deductions, etc., but you already have to do those.

Thus, ignoring above tax deductions, etc. wage per week per staff member, per values given = ( $4 * 30) + ($7200 * .20) = ($120) + ($1440) = $1560.

You don't strictly need to compute a wage per hour, as that would vary anyway as total sales would vary during the fixed number of hours worked. It's not even as complicated as I made it, no need to work out a typical average. You just need to calculate a sales commission on top of minimum wage hours.

I last used a slide rule in 1973, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. Ain't computers wonderful? As for divining rods, spare the divining rod and spoil the restaurant owner, who will tell his or her staff it's not him/her eh, it's the customer's fault. Uh huh.

Don't get me wrong, I tip. I just don't have any illusions that I must tip because the restaurant business CAN'T as opposed to WON'T do what every other business which has employees on commission does, when it comes to remuneration.

Speaking of math issues.

Last night three couples at at a fixed price restaurant -- $50 per person. It's BYOB and we took wines. The final bill was $305 (there was one coffee ordered) plus tax for a total of roughly $329. So one of our group said, "that's easy -- it's $100 per couple plus 20 tip, so each put in $120 for a total of $360. When a couple of us suggested that would only leave about $31, hardly over 10% tip for our very good server, he insisted "but I don't pay tip on tax." Huh? Nothing could make him understand that if we put in $130 per couple, that would be the only way she'd get a decent tip. In fact, when we said "but we still have to pay the tax" he replied. No, that's already on the bill. Duh. Why was this so hard? He finally caved and threw in the extra $10 still grumbling that we were "overtipping her", convinced she was obviously getting 20% if we each added $20 to our $100 share.

On the flip side, how much to wait staff earn in countries like the UK and France? I'm curious about whether they do better than those in the US.

Neo, that kind of thing drives me nuts! Not only is the guy being slow, he's quibbling over $10 when he just spent over $100 on a nice dinner with friends. So the last taste in everyone's mouth tax and percentage and blah blah blah.

Also, as if overtipping someone is the worst thing that could ever happen! People who come from non-tipping cultures worry about overtipping, for some reason, and some Americans do, too, obviously, but I don't get it. No one's going to come after you for leaving a bit extra.

"On the flip side, how much to wait staff earn in countries like the UK and France? I'm curious about whether they do better than those in the US"

They receive low wages but then we don't generally demand the "song and dance" expected in the US.

It isn't a skilled job and quite frankly I would be quite happy to see the kitchen, go chat with the chef and pick up my own food up whilst I am at it.

Business model for a restaurant chain?

From the BBC a couple of months ago: France's waiters watch their tips decline:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28793677

Quote from the BBC article - I don't think this is well understood by tourists - I think many think the "service charge" is going directly to the servers

"In France, a 15% service charge is automatically included in cafe and restaurant bills. This money is not given directly to the waiter but to the restaurant owner who pays his staff a fixed salary."

I don't know how representative these listings are-

http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/waiter-in-london

But I'd say the majority of waiters in the US earn quite a bit more.

<It isn't a skilled job>
Really? Maybe where you dine. I could not disagree more.

"Really? Maybe where you dine. I could not disagree more."

Of the three local Michelin star restaurants we use all waiting staff know to keep put of the way.

In London it may different but I have frequently heard diners asked to be left alone.

Define skilled ?

Ability to read, write or be aware of their products.

Those are training issues not professional skills.

The main attribute of wait staffs is the elusive skill of equanimity, as in dealing with some of the people on this board.

For once IMD.

I couldn't agree more.

The London wait staff salaries seem awfully low - but I am judging against NYC prices - where Mickey D counter staff get $9 -$10 per hour for pushing buttons on a register.

I would think wait staff in real restaurants (not college kids in Applebees clapping and singing happy birthday) would earn more. But I suspect than salaries in NYC are considerably higher than in London (based on discussions with colleagues in our offices there).

Not sure how this works in other areas of each country.

And the calculations of wait staff income above are odd.

First, they don;t allow for turing tables (restaurants are typically open from 5 or 5:30 pm to 11 pm and they assume 2 or even 3 sets of diners per table. Second - all groups are not 2 people - many are more - so tips the wait staff gets would be much more than suggested. (I don;t know ANY restaurant that closes at 9:30 at night - many people only come in to dine then, esp on weekends.)

For once IMD.

I couldn't agree more.
____

Then I must be wrong.

<i>> No one's going to come after you for leaving a bit extra.</i>

You might even make someone, who is working hard within the system, maybe trying to raise a family or get a degree or chase a dream, feel good.

Indeed, Nelson. That idea--reward someone, be kind, make them feel good--seems an affront to some here.

> No one's going to come after you for leaving a bit extra.

Right -- as long as you are referring to a culture where tipping is expected. :-)

<I>The London wait staff salaries seem awfully low</i>

Tipping is hardly uncommon in London, and that isn't factored in. I don't know a single person in London that doesn't tip up to 15% and it was always explained to me as being quite normal.

"> No one's going to come after you for leaving a bit extra.

Right -- as long as you are referring to a culture where tipping is expected."

Huh, kja? So tipping is NOT expected in many European countries for example. Are you suggesting that someone WILL come after you for leaving a tip in those countries? Seriously? Did you think before you responded?

>>They receive low wages but then we don't generally demand the "song and dance" expected in the US.<<

WTH does that mean? I guess I didn't realize that expecting a server to be prompt, polite and efficient was a "song and dance."

>>and quite frankly I would be quite happy to see the kitchen, go chat with the chef and pick up my own food up whilst I am at it.<<

Or, as some of us might term it, "stay home."