War on Workers Continues
Do you tip at Sonic? https://t.co/N6fPhQZBiY
— Adam Forgie (@adamforgie) March 1, 2019
Entire staffs at 3 Sonic locations quit after wages cut to '$4/hour plus tips'
According to The Scioto Post, the workers were angry over their pay being cut from Ohio's minimum wage of $8.55/hour to $4.00/hour plus tips.
Many pointed out fast food workers rarely get tipped.
Employees have walked off the job at the Sonic restaurant at the 1415 South Court Street location with the doors are locked and lights out. A handwritten note on the door says, that ”the new owners are treating them bad and they have closed down the restaurant.”
One anonymous source close to management stated: “Circleville, Lancaster, and Grove City crews have all walked out and quit after the franchise was bought out by corporate. The regional director, two district managers and four general managers have all been let go. All of which have been working for the company in management for 7+ years.”
Sonic's UPDATED statement
Thank you for your inquiry about the about the eight Sonic Drive-Ins in the Columbus, Ohio market that have changed ownership from a franchisee to Sonic’s operating affiliate, SRI Holding Company (SRI) as of Monday, February 25.
We recognize that changes like this can be difficult for employees to understand, and most current employees will have the opportunity to continue working at the drive-in. Under new management, guests and the community can look forward to improved service and the famous food, beverages, and treats for which SONIC is known. Employees working for the local drive-in can look forward to fun, fast-paced work on which they can build a career, if they choose.
No wage rates at any level decreased as a result of this transition and Carhops may continue to receive tips above their hourly wages. Additionally, with the ownership change, employees may now have their paycheck direct deposited and general managers are now eligible for a new bonus program, among other benefits. Most employees are continuing their employment at the drive-in and SRI has increased the total number of employees at the eight drive-ins in the Columbus market by 50% and will continue to invest in employees, technology and infrastructure at these drive-ins in order to deliver outstanding guest service.
Comments
it is difficult to tip at Sonic
Because you pay with a card and have to have cash to tip
Corporate assholes!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
This is the end of Sonic
They are going to go out of business with this move.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
I hope so!
I stop at a fast food place maybe once every 3 or 4 years. Whether drive thru or going inside, I pay prior to being served. How do you figure a tip for service ahead of being served? I have never tipped or saw anyone else tip at fast food. Have I been doing it wrong?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
No, because service
is so limited at fast food places compared to regular restaurants.
dfarrah
Some is better than none
The service may be limited at Sonic, but it's still service. You can tip accordingly.
We've always tipped at Sonic. We learned how important it was when the youngest step-daughter started working there. Sonic paid their workers low, with the excuse that they were getting tips. Thing is, most customers did not tip at all. What tips there were mattered a lot.
I rarely tip at fast food places for the same
reason i don't tip at the grocery store or most other places where I'm handing money to someone at the cash register. I tip at the coffee shop register, but lightly -- and I certainly don't tip on anything that isn't food prepared for immediate eating (e.g. a bag of ground coffee).
I was in my 30s before I started leaving tips for hotel cleaning staff. Ultimately, I resent being in a position where I'm expected to somewhat arbitrarily decide whether or not to tip, and if so, how much: Not least because I have no idea at all how much money the person I'm tipping actually makes.
Here's something that's become complicated for me: Historically, men have not tipped their barbers; historically, women have tipped their hairdressers. But nowadays, men and women get their hair cut by the same people in the same place, and for most of us, it's a corporate chain with people that I assume are making Not Very Much Money. So now I tip -- but I feel very uncomfortable about it. I only get my hair cut once or twice a year, so it's not a big deal as far as the expense -- I toss her (almost always a her, unless I'm in an actual barber shop) a $20 and tell her to keep the change. If/when the prices go up and suddenly the change is only a buck or two, I'm going to have to start tipping formally by adding extra bills, and that's going to make me very uncomfortable.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
tipping
The way I've always done it, I offered the tip in cash immediately upon being served, discretely from the payment for my meal. This is the method used by all who I suspect were doing the same.
As far as I remember, 99-percenters, every last one of them!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
The 99 percent of us
Call me naive, an easy mark - whatever. I tip. All the time. Often excessively. These people are not my enemy, they are my neighbors and they're in the same boat I'm in. Someday I may not be able to tip, but I'll explain why and they'll remember me and I'll remember them.
easy mark?
Exactly!
And how 99-percenter of you!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Why work at all?
All working does is fuel the pigs' greed.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
And they will never stop
trying to figure out ways to fleece consumers.
From crappy products to being forced to check out, businesses are in it only to take money. Good products? No, they are too expensive to make. Good service? Hell no, it costs too much. Make the consumer pay and pay and pay (either in money or personal time) for less and less.
I just spent two f'n weeks trying to get one of my Dad's Rx! Two weeks! United Healthcare is the
insurance company, oh, I mean medical mafia. I believe UH is the company that pays its top exec something like 66 million. So, they can't possibly afford to have enough staff to handle ordinary processing.dfarrah
This!
"Buh buh buh, people getting welfare won't want to work!"
Counterpoint: Why work when work doesn't pay the bills?
This shit is bananas.
And it has always been thus.
And it has always been thus. A Galilean fisherman of the (alleged) time of Jesus would recognize that complaint, and doubtless many such have made it as well!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Almost never go to tip type establishments
To save while earning blue collar wages we only go to fast food as a treat, maybe once a month, can't imagine going to a place where tips are expected. Don't believe in tips in general, much rather people were paid a decent wage. Don't need servants, we clean our own house, cook our own food, care for our own kids, cut our own grass, etc. If people were paid decently the only one's benefitting from tips would be the person giving them, it's the same as handing money for the panhandlers. If there were a 25% upcharge for every meal to pay for labor no matter what, no one would like it, just like people hate taxes to pay for the mentally ill or indigent but love giving money to the guy on the corner.
Power
Our neighborhood pizza chain dropped tips in favor of a standard surcharge a while back. One day we went back and found they were taking tips again. When I asked the server she said that customers complained, specifically about how they felt powerless without tipping.
So it’s not just the bosses - it’s the fact that everyone in this society is so insecure that they need someone to lord it over just to feel good about themselves. Plus the usual collection of self important shoe scrapings.
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
this is wrong in so many ways
if you work, you should be paid at least the minimum wage period. this stupid shit about deducting pay for assumed tips is bullshit period. whatever you get for gratis is yours, not the bosses nor the IRS, far as I'm concerned. why don't we have a sensible immigration policy in this country? the bosses don't want to pay a living wage period.
May this ever be such for you, ban nock!
May this ever be such for you, ban nock! It is no longer true for me; therefore, I seek to do small benefits (like tipping) for those whose services help keep me "on the air". I also maintain ethical rules against having servitors suffer harm on my account, i.e., not wanting them to have to endure inclement weather conditions etc. to serve me. (No Grubhub during a blizzard!)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Well, I'm confused
I never experienced Sonic until 4 years ago when I found myself in TX.
When I got here, my impression/understanding was that tips were not sought or required. I always tipped anyway. How can you not tip delivering food on roller skates?
Anyway, the above Corporate statements are bullshit. Promote tipping (you don't) or do not. You can't have it both ways and screw the workers.
Really, what underpaid corporate marketing rat and its management were paid to write that BS? Hopefully they don't sleep at nite and their spouse/friends/ family hate them.
Ummm, on the other hand, where can you get Tater Tots anymore? More Tipping on the way.
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Yes . . . they deserve tips!
I pretty much always tip well. However, I never carry cash. At sonic you pay with a card at their drive-in terminal and there is not an opportunity to add a tip (as far as I remember).
If they have changed that system recently, I don't know. It makes their expectation for employees receiving wages from tips ridiculous.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
I always go to the drive thru and not a parking space.
" I never carry cash" So you're a Kennedy? (sorry MA humor)
I'm old. I always have cash.
Never leave home without it!
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
marketing rat
I wouldn't keep the malice, Ed. Not towards the poor 99-percenter who actually wrote that, anyway.
I smell a seriously underpaid corporate marketing rat writing what he's been told to write by his so-called "superiors".
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Barf.
Tipping is becoming more common everywhere. Maybe that's the conservatives' goal to do away with the minimum wage.
This shit is bananas.
This seems to be what's happening here
Wages were reduced from minimum to just half and the management thinks that people will tip to make up the difference. I'm glad that they shut it down and walked away. Might have thought about leaving the doors open.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Au contraire.
Au contraire, mon gentil!
I can tell you from personal experience that this current "tipping" phenomenon comes from the 99% -- in recognition that the minimum wage level in this country is flatly inhumane.
edit: corrected mis-spelled "inhumane"
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I haven't been to a fast food place in years,
only remembered Sonic still has servers when someone mentioned waitresses on roller skates.
So, yes, I have never left a Sonic without tipping. I can't think of any other fast food chain that has food servers.
Certain countries consider tips sort of an insult. The wait staff is well paid.
We just can't do that here. We want to the freedom to complain about something so we can assuage our guilt for not tipping. That's Amurika.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Tipping used to be for extra service
Then it became standard at 10%. Then standard at 20%. I read just the other day that the new standard, followed by Millennials is 30%. That's about the same as asking the waitperson to sit down and join us.
Even Illinois' new minimum wage bill allows restaurants to pay only 50% of minimum wage and expect the rest in tips. Unconscionable. Next I suppose I should tip the mechanic that changes my tires and that will go to his pay.
Once a week we go to a local Chinese restaurant. Typical bill for the lunch special is $15.45 (for two) including tax. I tip the waiter $7 cash. $3 seems too low. He's a good guy and we chat a bit because business is really slow around 2:00PM (lunch special is from 1:00PM to 2:300) I know he's from Mexico, I forget the state but it's right next to Oaxoca where my landscape contractor is from. (Did I spell wha-ha-ka correctly?) Sometimes he's off and the pretty Chinese lady serves us. I tip her $7 too. It does really bother me that when i had a $70 steak at another restaurant that I was expected to leave a $14 tip for a rude and uncaring waitress. But generally I leave 20% to an actual server. Never at a fast food place like Panera although they have a tip box. If I carry the food to my table and clean up afterward, no, no tip. I don't tip when I buy groceries either.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
A related question
Those surveys that are everywhere and the employee begs you to rate them 10 on everything or they will be in trouble. The last two that I did (one for a restaurant and one for a new car dealer) begged me to rate them perfect. The dealership manager even e-mailed me to ask that I rate everything perfect and if it was not to call him personally and he would do whatever it takes. Not perfunctorily, they were really in terror of GM's response to a less than perfect survey. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the survey? In the restaurant case, why don't they just send a mystery diner around and have him report back on actual conditions?
But my question is - When the survey asks "Did anyone ask you give a good rating?" what should I answer? In both cases I answered truthfully "Yes". But I don't want to get anyone in trouble, on the hand, maybe they are supposed to ask for a good rating.
What do you think I should answer on a question like that? I agree that an employee shouldn't be terrorized like that, but that's the situation and how do I avoid getting someone doing their job in trouble?
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
That survey is not sworn.
If you wish to lie, lie on the side of the poor bastard who depends upon you to survive.
Although I do not "do" fast food, I shop, answer surveys, and you would think everybody from the lady who helped me book a hotel room, the guy who helped me find a coil for my oven, the person helping me send a return purchase I made online, were experts.
I cannot see the harm in helping.
I click "excellent" every time.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I don't fill them out.
Why would I?
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
to help?
Maybe?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Allow me to elaborate:
Handing me a survey that management will use is simply creating a conflict situation between me and the person I'm trying to work with. It's gross.
If the cards were going to be dropped into a box with the employee's name on it, and only the employee ever got to see them, I might take the time, because that would be for the benefit of the employee.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
tips are not wages
despite what the IRS wants you to think (and pay for) as a service worker. There are countries that prohibit tipping. Fuk that, if someone goes out of their way to help, try to show appreciation. It encourages good feelings, enhances interactions, and karma is non-taxable.
Surprised people didn't
Surprised people didn't highlight this gem more:
Um... no Sonic, your workers abandoned you and you got your ass called out. But of course, it's the employees who found it too difficult to understand what happened.
So this is your PR spin, Sonic? You made a shitty move and your response is that your workers were too stupid to understand what happened.
Kudos to the workers. Now imagine if this happened nationwide.
every service now sends a feedback email
requesting to take a survey. Only take a moment, just sign in, create an account, then it will take a moment to tell us how we did.
The cheap ones looking for a thumbs up or down on twitface. New versions get into multiple choice
lists of impertinent questions. QC given by the -puter is not the same as a human follow up. Since the bush/obama era, I try to share next to none. Will write something on the check or express compliments
and slide a tip aside.
try to change the valuation of goods and services, barter or make your own trade instruments
cut out the banks and credit corps
I got out of the habit of cash
When I was flying so much for work. Even before the era of shuffling in line holding your shoes, it was a hassle to dump all my change before walking through the metal detector and then scoop it back up. Doubly worse when holding shoes and trying to retrieve briefcase.
Worst of all now is sitting in the middle of the floor putting my shoes on then having to crawl to a wall to stand up now that I'm too old to stand up without support. When at all possible I drive my own car even if it costs me more. I had to fly to Norh Carolina last year for my grandson's wedding. I just will not drive in mountains. I'm a MidWest flatlander. HORRIBLE! Sat in a tin can that bounced and jolted continuously. Some foreign job with two seats on side and one seat on the other. Seats were designed for a ten year old and there was little over one inch between my knees and the seat in front. A sardine can. My daughter took Amtrak from Alabama and said it was wonderful, but she usually goes by Greyhound or Megabus. I long for the '60s and '70s when you rode a comfortable stable and quiet 707. the government regulated prices so you chose your airline by convenience of flight time, comfort and on-time performance.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.