The Alberta Advantage?

For years now, Albertan's have been hearing about the Alberta Advantage. About how life in Wild-Rose country is more prosperous, more fulfilling, and more apt provide opportunity. While it is true that Alberta - largely thanks to geological fortune - is home to a vast, capital-producing oil deposit that has allowed our province to surpass others in terms of provincial GDP and surplus, there is, as always, another side to the coin.

As a student living in this land of opportunity, and trying to make ends meet working in the service industry at night - often until one or two in the morning, I wonder if this prosperity is just a myth. Over the past year, I have noticed a decline in gratuities paid to servers and bartenders. And it has caused me to wonder, just how, if people can afford to dine out at $150 a hit, they cannot afford to leave a decent tip to those who, despite having at least a full-time job as full time students, work harder than most perceive to ensure restauranteurs have a pleasant meal and evening out. So, in an effort to shed some light on how the system actually works, a simple mathematical demonstration -

Dinner for two - $100
10% tip - $10
Server tipout to house - 4% (or $4.00)
Server walks with a grand total of $6.00

So, with the unwritten rule of the 10% tip, your server, who likely was at school for eight hours before going to work, walks with $6.00...sound decent? Oh yeah, and its quite likely that said server faces an hour or two of homework after their shift.

Now, I realize that sometimes service can be atrocious, and thus the gratuity left should reflect that. But I am also willing to bet that the likelihood of sub-par service is miniscule in relation to service that meets or exceeds patron expectation. So...in this land of prosperity, is it not within our means to compensate the hard working people of the service industry with at least a 15% tip?

Oh and one more thing - leaving no tip at all, or perhaps throwing a five thinking you're doing us a favor really means...we, who've ensured your coffee is hot, your food is prompt, your beer is cold, or your water is full, have to pay a house tip from our own pockets for making sure you have a great evening.

And trust me....it happens.

Just some food for thought.