Why tips may not always be enough to support those in service industry

The cause of issue that I chose to address was the low wage given to waitresses and bartenders before tips. Many believe that they don’t necessarily deserve to have a higher minimum wage, or need one, but there are many issues that can arise from this low sum of money.

Response to positive comments:

·      As an advocate of this cause, I appreciate your positive feedback. Having experience in the service and hospitality industry has really given me insight on how frustrating it can be at times when the only money you’re making is the tips you receive. If you would like to join in and help with this cause you can message the Facebook page or contact me at zotoscou@msu.edu

Response to negative comments:

·      Although I appreciate hearing your feedback on this issue, I can’t say that I agree with what you have to say. What many people don’t understand is that the customers who enter bars and restaurants have partial control over how much the server is making on that given night. If people aren’t tipping, it will often end up that the waitress or bartender don’t make much money. Another issue is that if the bar or restaurant is slow on any given night that they work, they won’t make money. Many of these employees depend on the tips to live their everyday life, and the amount they make fluctuates week to week. They don’t have a solid, dependable income to back them up.

·      Attacks to expect: “They make more money than people with “real jobs””, “They already get extra money out of peoples pockets, why should their wage be raised”, etc.

Response to questions from media:

·      To obtain more information on this issue, you can contact me at zotoscou@msu.edu and I can answer any questions you may have or we can set up a meeting time to go over the overall plan to fix this issue.

Pitch to a blogger:

·      Have you ever worked in a restaurant or bar? Have you ever been unhappy with the amount of money you make, or the extremely low minimum wage? If so, this is an issue you may be interested in. Raising the minimum wage salary for those working in the service industry can easily help with those who have an unreliable salary.