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The History Of Restaurant Employee Tip Handling
No one knows when tipping began. But we do know that in the 1980's the IRS levied new regulations on restaurant owners to track the tips received by the employees of the restaurant.
The magic number of 8% became the benchmark for servers and waiters to declare as their tipped earned. Not because it was accurate. Rather, because it was the minimum amount allowed by the IRS.
The trick is this. Tipped employees in restaurants are generally not paid minimum wage. The amount varies from state to state but it runs between $2.15 to $3.15 per hour. The IRS assumes that the tips received will make up the difference between this low hourly amount and the true minimum wage that is currently $5.15 per hour. If this is not the case, then it is up to the restaurant owner to make up the difference between what the tipped employee earned + declared tips and minimum wage. This makes accurate tip declaration, tracking and reporting a vital aspect of running a restaurant.
The Need For Restaurant Employee Tip Handling
You need a employee time clock system that recognizes tipped employees, tracks their individual sales, any charge tips collected and requires them to declare cash tips at the end of their shift.
You also need a employee time clock system that can handle tip sharing, tip pooling and tip out to bus help, bartenders and other servers.
You need a employee time clock system that will track the hours worked and tips collected and recognize problems with employees not declaring enough tips to meet the minimum wage requirements.
The Solution Of Restaurant Employee Tip Handling
Some point of sale software products have tip tracking built into their time in attendance module. Once you set an employee as a tipped employee the system will require tip declaration prior to clock out.
Servers and waiters who ring sales will have their total sales tracked. Tips collected through credit card sales are tracked and shown on the server closeout report. Prior to clock out the server/waiter will be shown their total sales, the charge tips collected and then asked to declare their cash tips.
Some point of sale products do allow for programming flexibility with this feature:
You may change the minimum declaration from the default of 8%.
You may change the requirement to declare tips at clock out.
You may opt to have the system print a chit with their tips shown.
You may opt to not show charge tips on the declaration screen.
The Benefit Of Restaurant Employee Tip Handling To You
How do you measure the amount of relief a person can have knowing that your point of sale system is enforcing tip regulations levied by the IRS? Not to mention the mass amount of time savings in tracking declared tips, charge tips and hour worked for every tipped employee.
This is one headache you don't want to have to deal with. If you have tipped employees you need a good point of sale system with tip tracking and time and attendance.
About the Author
Jerry D. Wilson is Director of Internet Sales for DirecTouch Restaurant Point of Sale. With over 25 years of hospitality point of sale experience, he has written several articles explaining the benefits of touch screen and retail point of sale software. Please visit DirecTouch Do It Yourself Restaurant Point of Sale or DirectRetail Do It Yourself Retail Point of Sale for more information.
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With the number of pool cue tips available and the variety of sizes and densities, selecting a tip can be an overwhelming task. Cue tips are typically judged by tip density and materials. Tips can range from a density as low as 60 as with the Elk Master tips all the way to hard tips with density measurements of 90+. Which tip you choose depends on your goals as a pool player.
Tip Density
As you know, different tips have different densities or levels of hardness ranging from soft to extra hard. At its most basic level, the softer the pool cue tip, the more likely it is to mushroom or flatten out with each hit of the cue ball. What this means is that a soft tip will require more maintenance than a harder tip.
Many players that prefer a soft tip believe there is a relation between tip softness and English. The feeling is the softer the tip, the more English and control you gain over the ball. In addition, softer tips are typically easier to scuff and have better chalk retention.
The other camp has players who prefer a harder tip. Generally speaking, a harder pool cue tip will last longer and retain its shape better than a soft tip. With a hard tip, you'll be replacing your tip much less frequently than a soft tip. In addition, many players who enjoy hard tips feel that they can achieve more control and consistency with a hard tip.
Testing Tip Density
The most common way to do a basic density test is to simply push your thumbnail into the tip. The deeper your nail goes into the tip, the softer or less dense the tip is. A hard tip will not leave any impression at all, while a soft tip will leave a significant impression.
So Many To Choose From...
So now that you know a little about tips, which one should you buy? By far, the most popular tip on the market is the Le Pro Tip. Also known as Le Professional Tips, these tips are extremely affordable, are used by most production cues and as a medium-hard tip, will last a long time. Le Pro tips are found on most major brands and are excellent tips. On the soft side, the most popular and affordable tip is the Elk Master.
If you're ready to step up to a high end cue tip, consider Tiger tips or Moori tips. These tips are considerably more expensive, but are made with some of the highest quality hides on the market today. Moori tips, for example, are constructed with eleven layers of high quality pigskin and Tiger Sniper tips are made with a very sturdy boar hide.
Ultimately, every pool player will have a different opinion as to what is the best pool cue tip. The only way to choose the right tip for you is to find a tip that compliments your playing style.
For more information on how to play pool and where to find pool cues and more information about the game of pool visit us at www.pooldawg.com.
Mike Feiman
PoolDawg.com