New Machines At Olive Garden

Wow, this is news to me. I'm surprised I haven't heard about this somewhere in the news or on social media. Were the prices any different? You would think the prices would be lowered if they're converting more to a cafeteria or fast food type situation. I wonder if this is in response to demands across the country that fast food and other restaurants increase pay to $15/hour? In answer to your question, I would say yes. I tip less when the experience requires more work from me than the wait staff.

 

Wow I nevre heard fo something like that. I did go to a restaurant recently though that had some kind on electrical system to call staff. It was interesting. You had certain buzzer codes to ask for attention, ask for the check ready for dessert etc. It was really kind of interesting. I don't know how the Olive Garden system would affect the tips.

 

I was just at Olive Garden last week and saw these machines. Honestly, I do not like them. When I go out to eat, even at a moderately priced restaurant like Olive Garden, I prefer face to face service (that's a bit of the point of dining out, isn't it?). Our server that night happened to be great, and he made a point to stop by the table several times despite us using the machine to order drinks and appetizers. We still received great service, but I really wish all these businesses weren't heading toward so much self-service.

 

Interesting! We don't have them in my area.. yet.
Automation is increasing.
I see it at the bank, the supermarket ect.
I even hear McDonalds is starting to test automated tellers in certain markets.

 

I have heard of places where machines are set instead of waiters/waitresses, but not of a place having both services running together.

Because the machines makes the job, and you have to order directly from this, I don't see the point of tipping the waitress as usually or tipping at all, unless it comes from your heart due to her courtesy.

 

Unless Olive Garden and other restaurants implementing such technology explicitly announces whether or not they are paying their wait staff a fair hourly wage above the $2.xx that most restaurants pay them, then yes, you should continue to tip them. It's not an question of whether or not your server is "doing less work", it's a matter of how they are getting paid. Restaurants take advantage of loopholes in the minimum wage laws, which allow them to pay far below minimum wage for their wait staff, with the assumption they will make enough in tips to bring them above minimum wage. Servers are generally only assigned a few tables - maybe 3 or 4 max during a busy shift, sometimes less. If you sit in their section for an hour, and don't leave them a tip, you are literally robbing them of their wages.

Servers actually do a lot more than simply take your order and bring it to you - in fact they are often required to stay for an additional hour or two after their shifts, doing closing work for no tips at all, just that $2.xx per hour. If you think it's easy keeping 4+ tables of people's drinks refilled, orders taken, food brought to their tables as soon as it's ready in the kitchen, as well as running back and forth between the kitchen and dining area bring them out more things as requested, you really ought to take a job in the food service industry for a bit, to see what it's really like. Every table wants your undivided attention, and they can care less if they see you standing right next to them taking another table's order or attending to their needs instead - they want you to drop what you're doing and focus on them instead.

To make matters worse, servers are pressured into tip pooling, aka giving over a portion of their tips to other underpaid employees that the restaurant doesn't want to pay minimum wage to either, even though that's illegal, the restaurants still do it. So if you don't tip that employee, guess where that money is coming from that they're expected to tip the other employees - their own pockets.

If you can't afford to tip, or you constantly find yourself looking for a reason, any reason, to not leave a tip - please just stay home. You wouldn't appreciate it if a customer or client came into your workplace and expected you to cater to them and patronize them, only for them to turn around and complain about everything you did and not get paid, would you?

Those types of machines where you place your own order doesn't mean the server is doing less work - in fact the restaurants are possibly experimenting with those to free up the servers time to stay on top of their tables and make sure all their food is coming out in a timely manner. Servers can get totally tied up taking orders at a given table when the guests are special ordering everything, and asking a bunch of questions, and all want separate checks, etc... that they often cannot get back to the kitchen to grab the orders for their other tables that are ready. I recall one large party of people I waited on, it was about 15+ people and they all wanted separate checks, plus the restaurant had some points card program and of course they all had separate points cards, it took me almost 20+ min just to ring up each person and cash them out separately and get them their change and process all their cards - I couldn't even attend to any of my other tables during that time.

In addition, because the guests are placing their orders themselves, they can no longer argue that the server got their order wrong, as an excuse for not tipping them. They also can no longer argue that they had to wait too long to place their order because their server wasn't around when they were ready to place it. In addition, they can no longer argue that the server stole their credit card numbers or added a tip to their checks without their consent, since that stuff would all be handled digitally (I would assume). They also can't complain that they had to wait forever to get their check, since they can pay via tha machines.