New standard for tipping is 20%.

[mickeyfan2]

I heard on the radio today that the new standard for tipping is 20% not 15%. And good service is 25%. I never heard this before. Did anybody else hear this? We normally tip 20%, but I thought that was for good service. Now I am only doing enough for average service.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I've not heard this but many hotels have bumped their "service charge" for room service to 18% and Disney's dining program has an 18% gratuity, so 20% sounds like it is becoming the new standard. The inflation of dining out...

 

[ugadog99]

They can bump the standard all they want. I will tip what I feel is appropriate at the time and if no tip is deserved then so be it.

 

[rdsx28]

I think 20% is very generous. I always tip 20%. I was taught that breakfast and lunch is 15% and dinner is 20%. I give 20% all the time even if the service isn't that great. Waiting tables is hard work and many times they are not making a large base pay. I do feel that 25% is above and beyond. For large parties that may be fine but to go to Friendly's or someplace like that and give 25% seems crazy!

 

[antmaril]

I have been tipping 20% for quite a while. If service is subpar, I reduce it, but otherwise, 20% is the norm for us.

 

[LorieR]

I think the whole tipping system is out of control. Why should a waitress who brings you breakfast and coffee refills, etc. get tipped on the price of the eggs and bacon she brings while the waitress who serves you dinner gets much more because the plate she brought to the table had a filet mignon on it??? My DH and I always tip 20% but try to tip more than that for breakfast. Too bad there is not a system of tipping taking into account how many plates the waitress has to bring, how many things she refills, etc., instead of tipping on the value of what you order!

Lorie

 

[dismom03]

The base pay for a server is pretty much non-existent. They make a token $2/hour. My sister works for a very large chain of moderate to fairly expensive restaurants and lots of people (who shouldn't eat out because they can't afford a tip on good service) leave little or no tip thinking that they "get paid enough".

She often gets stiffed and she is a great server! I've actually witnessed people in action!

Once I was eating in "her" restaurant. She'd been attentive, etc. The group seated nearby ordered appetizer, entree, drinks, dessert. Probably had over $100 for the four of them. When she walked away, they pooled their money together and then said "we have the meal covered...she doesn't NEED (emphasis mine) a tip. She'll get paid by the restaurant. We spent enough." And they ducked out before she returned. I was so furious that I talked to the manager...there's nothing they can do.

When you and I reward good service with a 25% tip really all we do is offset the "badduns''. I wouldn't do food service unless I absolutely had to!

I certainly agree with low tipping for poor service. I will add that if you DO leave a poor tip that you leave a comment card along WITH the poor tip so you're not lumped into the "badduns" group. They can't change and improve if they aren't aware there is a problem or what to change.

Just my 2 cents worth....

 

[ducklite]

For average service I tip 20%. For great service I tip 25%. For exceptional service I've been known to go even higher, but exceptional doesn't happen often. For fair service I tip 15%, for poor service I'll leave from nothing to 10% and speak to a manager.

I am careful to recognize that some things aren't the servers fault. Bad food, a slow kitchen, too many tables assigned by management (ie short staffing) are not the servers fault, and all it takes is an "I'm sorry it's taking so long for your order, the kitchen is backed up" and it's all good.

Anne

 

[lucincia]

I heard on the radio today that the new standard for tipping is 20% not 15%. And good service is 25%. I never heard this before. Did anybody else hear this? We normally tip 20%, but I thought that was for good service. Now I am only doing enough for average service.

Just another lazy *** way for the restaurant owners not to give their wait staff raises, but instead rely on an antiquated bartering system.

Personally, I think the buffet wait staff works harder than the regular restaurant folks. How many times does a regular restaurant wait staff clear your plates? How many times does a buffet staff do it? Where do you make a bigger mess? Regular restaurant or buffet style dining?

 

[shellybaxter]

I'm just perplexed by this whole tipping thing. I understand that in states where the base pay is below minimum tipping is almost a part of a servers wages. I guess thats okay, I'm still not leaving a tip if the service is truly bad, but I tip well otherwise. But what about states, like California where I live, where the base wage is at least minimum? Am I still obligated to tip well? They are already being fairly compensated. Well, as fairly compensated as the many other workers who make lower wages.

I like to tip 20%, but a remember when I was growing up it was 10%. It does make sense to me that the amount tipped would go up as things get more expensive. It doesn't make sense to me that the percentage would go up. I mean if an entree cost 7.00 in 1985 the 10% tip would be $.70. If that same entree now costs $15.00 (very possible) the 10% tip would be $1.50, a pretty big increase. With the 25% percent rule being given in the original post the tip on the same entree that was $7.00 20 years ago and now $15.00 is now $3.75, over a three dollar increase. In my opinion thats really out of hand.

I wish tipping were a simple way of thanking a server for giving good to excellant service, not an obigation to pay a person's wages or a way to inflate the price of dinning out.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

My new standards for my waiter/waitress is

Keep my beverage of choice filled.
Clear away the dirty dishes as needed.
Do not sit down and chat with me about your personal problems.
Do not bring the entree until I am done, or nearly done with my appetizer.
Do not stand and chat with other servers while I am waving my hand to request service.

I will continue to tip according to how much the server has to do. If I am at a buffet and all they do is clear away my plates I am not leaving as much as I do at the full service places.

I have been known to leave as little as a dollar for terrible service (not often) to over 100% in extraordinary circumstances. Having been a waitress myself I know good service from bad and take into consideration if I see someone having far too many tables to care for etc.

BTW, I am always suspicious of where such facts come from. Might the NEW standard have come from the Serving Industry?

Slightly Goofy

 

[mickeysgal]

Just curious and have a few questions...

1. Does everyone tip on the total amount including tax or the amount before tax?

2. If you have a discount (such as the Disney Dining Plan which gives a 20% discount), do you tip on the amount before the discount was applied or the adjusted amount?

3. Do you leave a cash tip or if you charged the meal, include it on the charge? I once had a conversation with a waiter at the Liberty Tree Tavern who complained that Disney doesn't give them their tips speedily if they had been charged.

 

[brerrabbit]

I waited tables at a steak resturant in the early 80's. The meal prices were substantially less than they are today. I was paid $2.01 an hour plus tips. The reality was that the hourly wage was just to give the resturant the money to deduct my taxes from and ususally the check was very small. It was clearly understood amoung the waiters and waitresses that we made money on tips. I did pretty well, averaging about $8 to $10 and hour on tips alone. That was pretty good money for a college student back then. Today the prices have increased significantly and even if the tip % is the same waitstaff is making a lot more money. At a local Mexican Food resturant we go to all the time the average waiter has five tables. A table turns every hour, sometimes less, sometimes more. The average bill for a table of 4 is $50 without alcohol. Thats $250 in sales per hour! Even if everyone leaves only 10%, thats $25 an hour! If everyone leaves 20%, then thats $50 and hour. No matter how you slice it that is good money for a part time, non skilled job. I always tip at least 15% and if the service is good I will go up from there. But believe me while waiters and waitresses may gripe about tips I can assure you that a lot of them make darn good money for the time they spend working.

 

[mickeyfan2]

1. Does everyone tip on the total amount including tax or the amount before tax?

I tip on the bill. Not really much of a difference.

2. If you have a discount (such as the Disney Dining Plan which gives a 20% discount), do you tip on the amount before the discount was applied or the adjusted amount?

I tip on the bill and may adjust it up from there.

3. Do you leave a cash tip or if you charged the meal, include it on the charge? I once had a conversation with a waiter at the Liberty Tree Tavern who complained that Disney doesn't give them their tips speedily if they had been charged.

I always add it to the CC, but DH prefers to leave cash for the tips and charge the bill. So we do it both ways.

 

[lucincia]

I tip on the whole bill, including tax.

And if my meal has a discount, I typically share the money I saved with the wait staff if the service is excellent. For example, if I get 20% off, I will pass half of that savings onto the base tip if the service is excellent. If the service is superb, I give all the savings to the wait staff.

 

[frayedend]

For average service I tip 20%. For great service I tip 25%. For exceptional service I've been known to go even higher, but exceptional doesn't happen often. For fair service I tip 15%, for poor service I'll leave from nothing to 10% and speak to a manager.

I am careful to recognize that some things aren't the servers fault. Bad food, a slow kitchen, too many tables assigned by management (ie short staffing) are not the servers fault, and all it takes is an "I'm sorry it's taking so long for your order, the kitchen is backed up" and it's all good.

Anne

The best advice I can give a server when they are having problems that are not their fault is to be honest with the customer. If the kitchen is backed up or the place is short staffed, then apologize to the customer and tell them what the problem is and how long things will take. Whenever I get this information from a server I give a good tip. If they say nothing, or tell me "your food will be out in a minute" and 20 minutes later there is no food, then they don't deserve a tip. Keep the customer informed, bring some extra bread, maybe a free coke, but don't lie and don't make up excuses.

As for amounts, I start at 20 %, expecting good service. I usually lower it from there, but have on occassion gone above 20. And believe it or not, the last time I went above 20% there was a problem in the kitchen and my order took way too long. The waitress was so great about telling me what was going on and trying to make sure I wasn't just left sitting there waiting, she deserved an extra tip.

 

[frayedend]

Just curious and have a few questions...

1. Does everyone tip on the total amount including tax or the amount before tax?

2. If you have a discount (such as the Disney Dining Plan which gives a 20% discount), do you tip on the amount before the discount was applied or the adjusted amount?

3. Do you leave a cash tip or if you charged the meal, include it on the charge? I once had a conversation with a waiter at the Liberty Tree Tavern who complained that Disney doesn't give them their tips speedily if they had been charged.

1: I tip on the total amount. I have heard that you don't need to tip on tax and drinks. That seems silly. I never get a drink at a bar and not leave a tip. Heck, I usually leave a buck for a $4 drink, now thats a good tip. As for tax, who can be bothered doing the math to deduct that.

2: I always tip on the total amount the bill would be without a discount. It is not the servers fault you have a discount. The entertainment book usually has 2 for 1 deals and you should tip for both meals. Actually if you use the entertainment book they usually add the tip in automatically to prevent you tipping on only one meal.

3: Though the servers seem to like cash, these days I rarely carry cash and have to tip with a credit card. As a matter of fact, since Dunkin Donuts started taking credit cards I don't see the need for cash at all.

 

[jann1033]

Just curious and have a few questions...

1. Does everyone tip on the total amount including tax or the amount before tax?

2. If you have a discount (such as the Disney Dining Plan which gives a 20% discount), do you tip on the amount before the discount was applied or the adjusted amount?

3. Do you leave a cash tip or if you charged the meal, include it on the charge? I once had a conversation with a waiter at the Liberty Tree Tavern who complained that Disney doesn't give them their tips speedily if they had been charged.

i have always tipped 20% for normal service so no biggie to me( i wouldn't want to try to support myself on minimum wage much less lower than that so don't think it would be fun for others either)

usually i tip on the charge pre tax

i tip pre discount( on the total amount before the discount)

usually i tip however i pay. i understand tips with charges take longer to get but truthfully most people don't get paid each day for the work they did that day and ccs have been around for a long time so the staff ought to be used to it by now and account for it.

 

[jarestel]

SlightlyGoofy, I'm in total agreement with your new standards. If a server expects a decent tip, all I ask is that he/she do the job in a professional and courteous manner. When the server does this, he/she will never have cause to complain about the amount of the tip I leave. However, if the server is inattentive, rude, and vanishes for long periods of time, it shouldn't be a shocker to even the dimmest bulbs in the lamp that he/she will not be raking in a large gratuity.

I have this old fashioned idea about paying for performance not for entitlement. Silly, I know, but it's too late to change my ways now.

 

[heathriel]

I grew up in NYC, and this was what I was taught (born in 1976):

Breakfast: 10%
Lunch: 15%
Dinner: up to 30% on meal, split out the wine and tip 15% standard per bottle.
Bar: $1 per drink

This has never changed, and in fact, when I wrote my company's Travel and Entertainment policy, that's exactly what I put into it.

I also put in $3 a bag for bellmen in a major city, $2 a bag in a minor city, $1 a bag for skycaps in airports, $1 a bag for a taxi driver unless it's already included in the price of the ride (it usually is).

There are also other random tip opportunities, but those are the big ones.

Oh, and I always "start" my tip on what the meal SHOULD cost, not what the bill says - i.e.: what it was before a coupon, before items were taken off due to some problem or other (the server still served it), etc.