For Those of You Who NEVER Tip in a Restaurant

[Chattyaholic]

How to you justify that? I am really very interested in hearing why you NEVER tip in a sit-down restaurant.

I have been a waitress for almost 9 years and thankfully most people DO tip. But there are a FEW who just NEVER do and I just do not understand it. I could understand someone not tipping occasionally for poor service, or giving a very small tip. But when you receive good service, how can you NOT tip?

I just want to ask them, "Would YOU work at YOUR job for a well-below-minimum-wage paycheck?" I'm sure they wouldn't.

The other day I saw one of the "regular" non-tippers at a McDonalds and I just wanted so badly to walk up to him and say "THIS is the type of restaurant you should go to if you don't want to tip your waitress!!" But I didn't have the nerve, darn it!!

Thankfully 99% of the people DO tip though. But if most people did NOT tip, there would be no servers in restaurants because they wouldn't make any money.

And what REALLY frustrates me is that with these "regular" non-tippers I know I get to PAY TAX on THEIR meal!!! Arggggghhhhh!!!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I could not imagine doing that, Chatty, sad individuals they must be.

 

[disneysteve]

I can't answer your question as I always tip and almost always 20% or a little more. But I will say this. I think the system that exists makes no sense. I would love to see the restaurant industry do away with tipping. Raise the prices 15 or 20% and pay the servers a realistic wage. Restaurants are one of the only places where the customers are fully expected to essentially pay the salary of the workers directly, rather than indirectly through purchasing goods and services. I don't tip the cashier who rings up my groceries. I don't tip the guy who pumps gas into my car. I don't tip the nurse who checks my blood pressure at the doctor's office. Why should I be expected to tip the server who brings my food at the restaurant? I've often wondered how that system came to be.

 

[dg39]

I'm a tipper. I tip everyone that does a service for me. Whether its the local coffee shop guy or the car washers. I can't imagine not tipping, especially the waiter/waitress who serves me. Once my dd got her hair done, she was getting highlights. At home I asked her how much it cost her and she told me 135.00. I asked her how much she tipped the guy, because he worked on her for quite sometime. She tells me 3.00. Soon after that I went back to the salon and gave more of a decent tip. I chalk that one up to a teen not really knowing any better, but as far as adults going out to eat I can't imagine them not leaving anything.

 

[DVCLiz]

What kind of a moron does this? I am a huge tipper -always at least 20% at any kind of restaurant, or a pickup window from a curbside place. Well, except Sonic - I probably only tip the leftover change, but it's always at least a quarter for a 1.50 drink, so even then it's more than 10%. I always tip at least a dollar at a buffet place, like Chinese, and it's usually two. I tip housekeeping at Disney, and tip both coming and going for valet parking - the greatest invention since sliced bread!

What I don't like are "tip jars" in places I never would otherwise tip - the yogurt store, a gourmet food store with takeout near my house, etc. These I usually ignore unless I know the clerk waiting on me. ALso, I feel very iffy about those "cause" jars on counters - you know, for the SPCA at the pet store, etc. Just never sure who is dipping in for a little snack money, you know? Those kinds of tips I make with a checkbook directly to the organization.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I would blame it on ingnorance. Those that don't tip probably think you make a decent wage with your paycheck, not realizing that it's only half of minimum wage - which is less than desirable in it's own right.

 

[gina2000]

It's not ignorance. It's people that feel that a waitress must go above and beyond the call of duty to earn a tip OR people who feel that restaurants should be responsible for their workers earning a reasonable wage...not the patrons. I've seen all these arguments over and over. In plain English, it's cheapness.

In Europe, food prices in restaurants are higher. Waiters are paid by the restaurants. People still are expected to leave a "sweetener"...a small expression of gratitude. In the Caribbean, a service charge is added to the bill to take care of linens and breakage. Very little goes to the waitstaff so tipping is greatly appreciated. Some restaurants will explain that, some do not.

Whether people agree or not with the standard set by a country, I think it's incredibly presumptuous and rude to ignore what is generally done in a country because the patron feels it's his or her right to do as he/she pleases. When a person decides to wait on tables, it's done with the knowledge that some people are stiff. It's a shame, though. I can't imagine having enough money to eat in a restaurant but deciding to stiff a waitperson because I don't feel they did enough. You can justify it any way you want, but it's just cheap.

And, no, I don't and never have waited on tables for a living.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Are there actually people out there who don't tip???

I mean I can see giving a really good tip for awesome service, and maybe just a small tip for bad service...but no tip at all???

 

[Pop Daddy]

I tip more if there sexy

 

[Kaycee]

Are there actually people out there who don't tip???

I waitressed for a while years ago, and yes, there are people who leave no tip at all. And these are not always people who don't dine out often. I've seen people who dine at a restaurant regularly and still never leave a tip, regardless of the service they received. When you get down to it, there's only one possible explanation - cheapness.

 

[Disney_1derland]

My husband recently took a job as a manager in a company where most of the employees earn a tip based wage. They are valets and bellman. It is insane to me the way people treat them. They are always courteous, always helpful, always going above and beyond the call of duty. The average tip is $1. There are days that these guys only take home $20 each for a full 8 hour shift. It's pathetic. When it's busy, the managers help park and turn their tips over to the tip pool and then their guys make a bit better of a wage those days. There are LOTS of people out there who do not tip at all for these services. I would say the most people DON'T tip the valets and bellman. It's outrageous. And Sad.

Needless to say, we are VERY good tippers because we see every day the difference that can make in someone's life.

 

[Aurora63]

I always leave a tip. It would be rude not to. Sometimes, though, if I don't have cash, I put the tip on the credit card receipt. I always worry that the waitress/waiter won't get it.

You'll love this...my friends father in law will go to a restaurant, and put the tip on the table at the start. Then, anytime the wait person does something not to his satisfaction, he will take a little bit away...and he'll tell the server from the start what he's doing...what a jerk! I'd probably throw his food in his face!

 

[PhotobearSam]

Here in my neck of the woods, wait staff get minimum wage from the restaurants and then the tip is over and above.

I tip 10% for basic service
15% for good service
20% for great service
25% for outstanding service

AND 0% for bad service...That's right 0%. I have heard of people who tip 10% for bad service but I refuse to tip for awful service. If we all did it this way, bad service would be a thing of a rare occurance.

My Mom never tips more than 3 dollard no mater what because she says they make at least minimum wage and that is good around here. I top up the tip when she is not looking but DH and I follow the amounts above.

To never leave a tip is OUTRAGEOUS! I hope they are few and far between. I have seen some servers at restaurants refuse to wait on someone because they did not leave a tip on other occasions. I thought that was fair but not reasonable in all places. I know that the owners would get upset.

 

[Rootskate]

I always always always leave a tip. (Even for takeout). Maybe because I used to be a waitress, so I know how it is.

 

[sha_lyn]

Believe it or not, some people don't know that wait staff make below min wage. I know whne DH and I started dating he tipped very low. He grew up in a family with 8 kids and just never really ate out growing up until he and his brother were living with their dad in their late teens. Anyway he didn't believe me when I told him that the waitstaff made below min wage. He assumed that since min wage was "the law" that they made min wage and that a tip was for exceptional service. took a while to retrain him, but he is now a good tipper.

 

[chobie]

I can't answer your question as I always tip and almost always 20% or a little more. But I will say this. I think the system that exists makes no sense. I would love to see the restaurant industry do away with tipping. Raise the prices 15 or 20% and pay the servers a realistic wage. Restaurants are one of the only places where the customers are fully expected to essentially pay the salary of the workers directly, rather than indirectly through purchasing goods and services. I don't tip the cashier who rings up my groceries. I don't tip the guy who pumps gas into my car. I don't tip the nurse who checks my blood pressure at the doctor's office. Why should I be expected to tip the server who brings my food at the restaurant? I've often wondered how that system came to be.

All I can say is it is customary. But look at this way, the cashier or gas pumper can rude or ignore you and you can't punish them by paying less for the service and having it come out of their paycheck. So, tipping then gives the customer some control.

I agree with you about just raising the prices, but I think that you are in the minority on this one. I believe that most people who feel that way, if it really came down to it their meal prices being raised, would change their mind.


I should point out that this is personal. I waited tables for many years and my DH waited tables not only to get himself through school, but to supplement his income as a public school teacher. If not for the tips from that one night of waiting tables each week, we would not have gotten by.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Well, I could not imagine eating at a restaurant and NOT tipping! The only time I have not tipped was when I received terrible (and I do mean absolutely TERRIBLE) service, which was only once or twice that I can remember. As a matter of fact, it is so funny that this thread is on here today, b/c last night Dh and I went out for dinner. The waitress took our order and was very friendly. She even repeated our order back to us and it was correct. However, when the food came out they brought DH the wrong dish. Can't remember what they brought him now but it had mushrooms on it which he will not eat. So we told our waitress and she double-checked to make sure she had put in the right order. She had. It was a simple mistake made in the kitchen. Well, anyway, she took his food back to correct it and my food started to get cold. Finally, after about 15 min. the waitress said that she would see if she could get a manager to comp. our meal. The manager not only comp. our meal but also had them make me a fresh meal as well. Well, after we finished eating we called our waitress over and insisted that we pay for dessert b/c we don't carry cash and wanted to leave her a tip. They didn't want us to pay for dessert but finally gave in. I left a $20 tip. I figured it wasn't the waitress's fault, they handled the situation very nicely IMO, and the waitress was very friendly to us. Plus, since most of our meal was free, I was able to afford such a large tip. We still came out about $30 cheaper than we would have had we had to pay for the whole meal.

 

[crz4mm2]

I do NOT tip for bad service. I am a good tipper for good service.
I don't leave tips in those jars at the coffee shop, and other like places. Why should you get a tip for filling up a cup?
I tip at buffets too, if the server comes around to fill glasses, clean away plates etc. I usually receive good service. I think it is partly because I tip them.

My mom fills in at the local pizza place sometimes. She does it for something to do. She waits tables and cooks sometimes. She is amazed when I leave a tip. She says she rarely gets 20% of a bill and I am sure she takes good care of people. I am amazed at how poorly some folks tip.
My DH is a terrible tipper. He thinks 2$ for a meal is plenty (regardless of how much the meal costs). I always pad the tip when he starts for the door

Here, waitstaff makes something like 2.35 an hour. They have to make up the rest with the tips. What a way to live.....
One of my nurses works at as a waiter a couple nights a week. she has worked in the same place since age 16. She says she usually makes 100 bucks a night tips. I have eaten at her place and she is a fabulous waiter. She make more as a waiter than as a nurse I think

Sad that some folks don't tip at all. I can't imagine.

 

[MosMom]

I think it is still better to be tipped and risk losing out on tips vs. being paid minimum wage. Depending on where you work and how well you do your job, you can make quite a bit of money as a server.

 

[IloveDMB]

I've always wondered how people don't tip. I have been waiting tables for what seems like forever now. I know there are cheap people out there and some people that just don't know better (which are definitely in the minority now). I like to think that when people don't tip, it means they forgot. I know this isn't true, but it takes the sting out of the "wound" a little.

I had this table, it was a mother, daughter, and granddaughters. The bill was something like $47 and change. The woman came up to me and handed me money and said "This is for the bill". She then hands me $2 and says "This is for you". As she's walking out the door I counted the money and she paid the bill before tax even though I had circled the total. First, she gives me a tip of $2, which is degrading. And then she doesn't even cover the bill? I was so mad. I wanted to go up to her and ask if she worked for a tax deductible organization. I didn't, of course, but I was so mad. Even now, it bothers me a bit. Trust me, I would remember this lady had she ever come back.

Chatty- I just finished reading this great book. It's called "Waiting" and it is about this waitress who has been serving tables for 20 years. It was like reading my life story. I definitely recommend this book for all servers and even those who want to find out vicariously how servers feel.