For Those of You Who NEVER Tip in a Restaurant

[disney4us2002]

I stand corrected.

 

[eeyore0062]

Sadly, I always found that the ones who didn't tip were those who were really sweet, didn't demand anything and always complimented you on your service. I guess they felt that was tip enough. That didn't bother me, though.

The ones that bugged me the most were the huge parties of ladies that would come for lunch, all have separate checks, run you to death with the iced tea and coffee and leave you 50 cents.

 

[danacara]

I tip 20%, all the time, every time. Food, cocktails, haircut, whatever.
I don't care if the waitress stinks. I don't care if my food was seriously detained, I'll tip 20% and go find the manager, have it out with him privately.
My feeling on it is this:
20% is my way of saying, "thank you, God, for sparing me from ever having to work in food service, or any other profession where I had to mentally calculate how I was doing with respect to minimum wage. Thank you for every professional and social blessing I've come into at 24, because it's the luckiest lightningstrike of my life that I was born to a savvy chick in New Jersey and found money for school." Amusingly, this is a very very common practice among my friends - mid-twentysomething NYCers - 20% all the time, as a social tithe, a way of saying "thank you God."

 

[Micca]

Here's another observation about the elderly and tipping: My mother (now 91) and I used to go to breakfast every Saturday morning at a place that was about the same as an IHOP. Being the 20 per cent tipper I am, I would leave around 2.50 or 3.00 and my mother would lecture me about how I was crazy to leave that much money. Her take was that if everyone the server waited on left that much money, they would be making crazy big bucks...and that they shouldn't earn that much as waitresses. DM didn't mean anything hateful by that. I just think " is this dollar or two in my wallet worth more to me, or my server?" BTW, we always got GREAT service at the breakfast place.

 

[yeartolate]

I usually am a really great tipper. But, I have stiffed several waitresses for a tip - for rude behavior and extreme inattention (obviously having a good time and purposefully ignoring our party - not because the place was understaffed). Each time I either notified the manager or wrote a personal note for the waitress. I have low standards for service, so it takes alot to piss me off!


I would never ever give "stiff" a waitress for bad food.

 

[Sleepy]

I always tip but I don't like how it's done. If I order a $5 hamburger and a glass of water and someone else orders a $40 lobster and drink, it's not any harder to carry that lobster then the hamburger. So why the higher tip?? That has never made sense to me.

I am on the thrifty side but if I hade a $4.00 breakfast, I would leave at least $2or 3. That's way over 15 or 20%. And again that breakfast is not any harder to serve then a simple lunch that costs 2x as much and deserves a higher tip. What am I missing?

Gina

This has always been my argument for the way tips are expected to be done. Why percentages? Does the waitress who runs her legs off serving at a place like Denny's deserve less than one who works at Outback? Just because the food costs more, does not mean the waitress deserves more money.

Either they need to start paying watresses minimum wage or they need to make a standard for a tip that is not a percentage.

 

[Sleepy]

Here's another observation about the elderly and tipping: My mother (now 91) and I used to go to breakfast every Saturday morning at a place that was about the same as an IHOP. Being the 20 per cent tipper I am, I would leave around 2.50 or 3.00 and my mother would lecture me about how I was crazy to leave that much money. Her take was that if everyone the server waited on left that much money, they would be making crazy big bucks...and that they shouldn't earn that much as waitresses. DM didn't mean anything hateful by that. I just think " is this dollar or two in my wallet worth more to me, or my server?" BTW, we always got GREAT service at the breakfast place.

Well, if you are only making minimum wage or slightly higher yourself, I could see the way your mother is thinking. Even if a waitress only made $2 something an hour and was able to have an average of 3 tables rotating each hour giving a dollar tip, that is minimum wage. Give more than that and the waitrsss would be making more than I would at my minimum wage job. I don't think someone should be penalized for COMPENSATING a persons wages if they leave a small tip (employers are not looked poorly upon for NOT paying minimum wage....WHY?).

I always chose NOT to be a waitress because I wanted to ensure I made at least minimum wage. All of my jobs have required me to walk on my feet all day back and forth waiting on customers. I was not a waitress, but I also never got a tip for what I did. I do not tip based on percentages. I tip what I feel is my share to compensate for what the employer is not paying to make minimum wage. I see nothing wrong with this. Again, an employer does not feel badly for paying a nothing wage. If it is the waitress who has a problem with what he/she makes, then he/she needs to find another employer. I am sorry if this seems harsh, but if people in other careers can look at their job description and have a problem with what they are being paid and compare it with another employer and change companies, then a waitress can do the same.

 

[eeyore0062]

I think that EVERYONE should be required to work as a person living off of tips for at least a year, with no other source of income and see what the attitude would be about tipping then. Until you walk in anothers shoes......

 

[caitycaity]

i always tip (and well, if the service warrants it). there has been one time in my entire life that i did not tip at all (actually, i wrote: "here's a tip for you: try giving us better service next time" on the check) and believe me - it was warranted.

however, around here it is the law that if the server does not make minimum wage in tips, the employer is required to pay them enough so that they do make minimum wage.

 

[chobie]

Well, if you are only making minimum wage or slightly higher yourself, I could see the way your mother is thinking. Even if a waitress only made $2 something an hour and was able to have an average of 3 tables rotating each hour giving a dollar tip, that is minimum wage. Give more than that and the waitrsss would be making more than I would at my minimum wage job. I don't think someone should be penalized for COMPENSATING a persons wages if they leave a small tip (employers are not looked poorly upon for NOT paying minimum wage....WHY?).

I always chose NOT to be a waitress because I wanted to ensure I made at least minimum wage. All of my jobs have required me to walk on my feet all day back and forth waiting on customers. I was not a waitress, but I also never got a tip for what I did. I do not tip based on percentages. I tip what I feel is my share to compensate for what the employer is not paying to make minimum wage. I see nothing wrong with this. Again, an employer does not feel badly for paying a nothing wage. If it is the waitress who has a problem with what he/she makes, then he/she needs to find another employer. I am sorry if this seems harsh, but if people in other careers can look at their job description and have a problem with what they are being paid and compare it with another employer and change companies, then a waitress can do the same.

Most servers don't have a problem with the tips because most people do tip and will continue to do so. I will never go back to waiting tables because I could not deal with nastiness of some customers. T

 

[mudge]

speaking of tipping, Senator Rick Santorum is proposing a new bill which would ban states from requiring employers to pay tipped workers with a guaranteed wage. Employers could pay tipped workers nothing and force them to live off tips, while states would be preempted from creating a higher wage standard for tipped workers.

more info: http://www.epinet.org/

 

[IloveDMB]

This has always been my argument for the way tips are expected to be done. Why percentages? Does the waitress who runs her legs off serving at a place like Denny's deserve less than one who works at Outback? Just because the food costs more, does not mean the waitress deserves more money.

Either they need to start paying watresses minimum wage or they need to make a standard for a tip that is not a percentage.

The turnover rate of tables at Denny's is much higher than the turnover rate at Outback. Most people at Denny's are eating a meal of eggs or the equivalent. They are not ordering appetizers, salads, drinks. At Outback, there are generally three courses, if not more. This adds to the time that a table is sat. So a waitress at Denny's can turn one table over 3 times as much as a waitress at Outback. Therefore, they have 3 times the opportunity to earn a tip.

I would like to know how many people that are commenting on how much a waitress earns, have actually served tables? It's a whole different world on the other side of the table.

 

[offwegotoneverland]

My DH is a valet runner and it is sad to see how much he brings home some nights in tips. The place that he works at gives free valet service so it is not required to tip, but at least a dollar or two. Some people don't tip or just gives out change. I could never see myself giving a valet or bellman change.

I almost forgot where this site was for a minute and went yikes!! In Canada we have no dollar or two dollar bills they are coins (commonly called a loonie and twoonie) so change can rack up in a hurry.

Dh (who likes to tip in the range of 20% for meals) loves the valet service at disney and happily coughs up at least one dollar a bag (leaving aprox $8-10 in the hand of our valet CM). The only time he didn't like this was when the room we got at Yacht Club was yucky as he then thought he would have to shell out again (within 15 minutes), but as they just gave us a new key and didn't send a bellman instead he had to move it all with DS & I. I think he would have rather shelled out the money.

 

[brerrabbit]

I worked as a waiter and a bartender and am very familiar with all the pros and cons of tipping. I always leave 15 to 20% when we eat out. Having said that I know a lot of younger people who work in the business today through my 19 year old son and can honestly say they make a lot of money. Overall prices in resturants have increased significantly since I did it in 1981/82 and the takehome pay of these people have increased sivnificantly. On top of that I am sure the servers are not reporting all their tips for tax puposes. When I worked in the business our rule of thumb was to only report tips received on credit cards with all cash tips going unreported. I think since then the law requires that 8% of the serverers gross sales be recorded as income. That changes things a little but still when I worked the minimum wage wa something like $3.00 an hour and I got $2.01 an hour plus tips. I typically earned $15 to $20 an hour and that was 1981. Believe me even with all the poor tippers in the world the people in resturants that wait tables do pretty well vs minimum wage. Add to that the fact that they don't pay taxes on at least half their earnings and they do okay. I'm not saying this to excuse poor tippers but the reality is that a lot of people wait tables and they do pretty good financially considering hours worked.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I always leave a tip. Even if the service was the best. The wait person still had to serve me. Better service = better tip.
I can not image walking out and leaving not at all.

 

[Papa Deuce]

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!

As seen on Cheers. Carla's brother did it to her.

 

[Papa Deuce]

My DH is a valet runner and it is sad to see how much he brings home some nights in tips. The place that he works at gives free valet service so it is not required to tip, but at least a dollar or two. Some people don't tip or just gives out change. I could never see myself giving a valet or bellman change.

Unles you work in Vegas, where valets typically make a TON of cash. I talked to a guy who worked for TI, I think, and he was on the WAITING LIST to be a valet. He told me that some valets were making over 75K a year.

And related, I read a book called 24 / 7 which is about Vegas. They have a high dropout rate for high school. Why? Because they make more money than their teacher at 17 years old by working some jobs in the casino... valet being one of them.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I tip anywhere from TWO CENTS ( with a letter telling the server that maybe she ought to consider a new profession.... and this was after many times of getting poor service from her ) to as much as 40%. Yes, I have tipped 40% on more than one occasion.

I average 20% for really good, but not spectacular, service.

Now what drives me nuts is that my mom was a waitress for years. I can leave 20% or more and I always catch her trying to add more. I know why she does it but 20% is enough in most cases.

BTW, when I have my twins with me, the tip usually goes to 30%....cuz they can make a pretty big mess!

 

[Papa Deuce]

I think that EVERYONE should be required to work as a person living off of tips for at least a year, with no other source of income and see what the attitude would be about tipping then. Until you walk in anothers shoes......

Or straight commission, which I have done.

 

[Chicago526]

I only not tipped once, and it was because it was the WORST service EVER! Actually, we did leave her a tip, a nickle!

Otherwise, I tip around 20% for average or better service, and 10% or 15% for mediocare service (drives me nuts when they don't come back and offer a refill, I usuall need one about half way through my meal!).

I will say that I do think that tipping at Starbucks IS appropriate IF you go every day (or almost) and deal with the same people everyday. If they get your order fast and right every time, why not throw a bit of change in the tip cup? You never know when you might get a venti when you ordered a grande!