Real-life MMD: Should I ask to keep my tips?

001LJ

This is awful, I know it is a nice gesture however most people work in this type of role with the expectation they get to keep or pool the staff tips! If not, they would generally work in a different type of job role. It would then be their decision to contribute to their tips to a chosen scheme.
As a customer I would choose to tip and also donate to the good cause!

fizzking

When I tip, in restaurants, it is for the service received and nothing else. This way I can reward an individual. Staff are not paid much either.
In my opinion, it's wrong of the owners to appropriate it for something else, unless it is made clear to diners. If they feel it's such a good cause, they should put their own money where their mouths are.
I would avoid that particular place.

Ebenezer_Screwj

It seems to be a condition of you working there, so if you don't like it you could always get another job. Personally, I never tip bar staff in pubs, the drinks are expensive enough already and the staff get paid for doing what is after all - their job.

rose75

In the coffe shop at my church we have a pot next to the till for tips with a sign stating that tips will be given to charity. Once we get around £100 in tips the staff decide amongst themselves which charity to give it to (usually a local charity). It is then up to the customers whether they want to give to charity or not.
I think the management should make it clear what happens to the tips, especially as most customers will think you get the tips for your good service.

Talent

Tips should be yours or pooled. What you do with what you get from either system is yours to do what you want with. No-one should be telling you or forcing you to give it away. I'm sick and tired of 'charridee' tins stuck under my nose. I give what I want to give, when I want to give and to whom I want to give. End of.

TBagpuss

I think this is inappropriate - charity donations should be a personal choice, not compulsary.
As a customer, I would be extremely unhappy to learn that money which I gave my server to reward good service was being channeled to a different cause (and more unhappy still if I learned that the restaurnat was taking credit for it!)

That said, I doubt you will change anything alone. Have you spoken to your coworkers? What is there view?

Ideally, you should speak to your employers as a group.

If there is no change, I personally would be telling customers when I gave them their bill "We are not allowed to accept tips. If you wish to leave anything in addition to the bill, it will go towards paying for a christmas party for underprivileged families.

That way, at least the customers know the situation.

cuba2008

I work in a coffee shop, which is part of a chain. We support our company foundation, but only for fter a month in the summer. The rest of the time the tips are ours. We don't share them out as such - rather arrange a night out every three months or so. Believe me, the OP's employers are taking the mick big time if they are using staff tips to provide a few Christmas dinners, when they are running a pub! On average, when we go out, there are between 15-20 of us and we generally have several hundred pounds. If we didn't touch our tips all year, the money would pay for a VERY nice Christmas do for all of us. I would speak with management about this because, as others have commented, not only are the tips left for staff, but are the customers even aware where the tips are going? I'd say probably not. Sorry - but if management want to support any charity, that's up to them, but they can't dictate whether their staff do.

pennypinchUK

As you say, tips you receive are given to you for providing good service. If you voluntarily give up the tips for them to go to a charitable cause, good for you. But it should be your choice.

I'd ask your colleagues what they think of the policy. If everyone else wants to continue the current arrangement you won't be able to change it. But if others want to receive the tips for themselves you should approach the boss and press them to change the rule.

pennypinchUK

In my local village there's a very popular eating pub. When customers are presented with the bill they're told if they round up their payment to the next round pound, the change will be donated to the local village school. It raises a serious lump of cash for the school.

The customers pay willingly, they know where the payment is going, and the payment is publicised in the local paper, stating clearly that it's the customers who have donated the payment and not the pub management.

It's a win-win. And it fosters a sense of local community spirit.

warehouse

A years worth of tips? Where do these poor families eat, the Ritz?

Yes it's totally wrong. You really need to approach the owners together.