2.15 an hour By: Josh Shuck Have you ever worked below minimum wage? Have you ever worked well and didn't receive the pay that you should have? Waiters and Waitresses suffer through this everyday that they work. It is an obvious truth. Most people in Martinsville, Indiana do not understand how to tip servers. As a worker in the field of serving, I have experienced many "bad tips" from different guests in restaurants. It is almost as though that after working for more than a year, that I can tell who is going to tip well and who isn't going to tip at all. Perhaps a larger party comes in and you work exceptionally hard to keep drinks refilled, kids happy, and that all food is correct, most people would expect at least a 20 percent tip. However, most large parties tip less than fifteen percent. One problem that guests have is that they do not understand the concept that is going on. True, the service is promised to them, but in return they are expected to tip fifteen percent. It is not a law, however it is a common norm in American society. Some people say that, "I work hard at my work and I don't get tipped for it". Are they making two dollars an hour? Not usually. Another issue in Indiana is gratuity. Gratuity is a tip that is automatically figured into a bill for the guest. It can range from fifteen to twenty percent. Some restaurants in Indiana figure in gratuity. However, it is illegal to require anyone to pay gratuity. Some people also get mad at the thought of gratuity. The bottom line is that servers work hard for the money that they do receive. People should have the common courtesy to notice this and decently tip the waiter or waitress that did their best to make their meal as nice as possible. It is true that if I know a customer doesn't tip well, I won't work as hard as I normally would. The one thing restaurants could do is pay servers normal wages, but raise prices of the food to pay for it. I don't feel that many guests would appreciate that. Servers don't appreciate bad tips though.