Poll, Tip % or set amount

[shellybaxter]

You tithe a percentage of your wages, you tip a percentage of a bill. How can you compare the two

That was what I was wondering

 

[Disney8704]

% here. We start at 15% and go down if the service is OK. If its really bad, I generally dont leave a tip, but DH like the idea to throw a penny on the table to show we havent forgotten. I think we have only left a penny 1 time in the past 5 yrs. Outside that, its mostly 15%. And about 10 - 14% if the service was just OK. Not great but not horrible. On a very rare occasion will we tip more then 15%. I mean the service has to be OUTSTANDING which we hardly ever get around here at home in order for us to leave more then 15%.

Buffets - different story. If we go to a buffet where we get everything including our drinks and theres just a busboy to clear the table, then we wont leave a tip. But if theres someone to bring us drinks and give us drink refills, 10% at most and thats for outstanding service.

 

[monty]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-sunlighters08jun03,0,247386.story

 

[kaytieeldr]

There isn't an option to just have the restaurant pay the server at least the minimum wage and get rid of tipping all together. So I'm going with the option of doing that with the tip. I do not like tipping based on the price of your food. A server at Denny's who does a better job than a server at a fancy place gets shafted.

Tipped traditionally, sure. But there's nothing stopping the diner from tipping above the accepted/normal percent (note this is not a criticism, or even a suggestion).

We tip 20% on the food potion, and a doller tip per drink (or $5 per bottle of wine). I refuse to pay a 20% tip on an expensive bottle of wine, when the server would do the same work for a less expensive bottle.

Again not a criticism - but if the diner chooses a more expensive bottle of wine, and given that it is or would be customary to tip X%, the diner tacitly agrees to tip that rate.

 

[kaytieeldr]

% here. We start at 15% and go down if the service is OK. If its really bad, I generally dont leave a tip, but DH like the idea to throw a penny on the table to show we havent forgotten.

Since there is so much discussion on tipping, I have a started a poll.

Two options

1. Tip a percent which you determine the %

Example: 0 to 10 for poor to good service
10 to 17 % for good to great service
18% and above for great service and or professional sevice


2. Tip amount you feel the waiter should make in an hours wage. This would need to be based on many factors, such as

Point 2 first: It is not my, or ANY, customer's concern or responsibility to decide how much ANY person who is not you, or not employed by you, is paid - hourly, weekly, annually, lifetime. So choice number two is out.

As for not tipping (leaving 0%, or a penny), this is only a valid action if you receive NO service. Even bad service is service - and should be addressed with the restaurant manager during the experience* - unless the diners seat themselves, greet themselves, obtain their own menus, get their own drinks, place their orders with the kitchen, pick up their food when it's ready, bus their own tables, ring up their own sale...

 

[bicker]

In the end, any system will, overall, end up moving around roughly the same amount of money. This is what mathematical modeling experts call a Zero-Sum Game. A switch from a percentage of the bill to a set fee per diner, whether as an add-on or embedded in the menu price, would only reward folks who order multiple courses and/or the most expensive items on the menu, and punish folks who try to economize. As such, such a change seems counter-productive.

 

[bernie45]

just tip what you feel they deserve

 

[winterman]

I can't recall DH and I tipping less than 15%. We have gone well over 20% for outstanding service.

 

[freesone]

I tip totally based on service. If service is good, then I tip 20%. If it is outstanding I will tip more. If it is not good, then I start deducting.

 

[Tricia1972]

I voted tip a %, which is always the least we do. I'll explain. YMMV, But this is how we choose to tip.

I look at the total bill (tax included) figure out 20% and round up or down to the next whole dollar based on my perception of service provided. (bill is $86.25 with tax. $17.20 is 20%. $17 for average service - $18 for great service)

IF that total is less than $8 I generally leave $8-$10 depending on service. (bill is $31.10 with tax. $6.22 is 20%. $8.00 tip for good service $10.00 for outstanding service)

(Buffets I make sure we're tipping about 15% with a minimum of $1 per person)

 

[Nancyg56]

I always tip based on service. I start at 20% as my base and work up or down. I don;t even attempt to figure out an hourly wage, it would be impossible. I have no way of knowing how much my server tips out the support people or any other expenses associated with the restaurant.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Being a server myself, I always tip 20% unless service is horrible horrible. I will tip more if its a cheaper place, lets say I eat at a little mom and pop place and the bill is 14.00 I leave nothing less then 5.00 for good service.

 

[Disney8704]

Yes I agree they do provide some what of service, but if I dont feel that the person doesnt earn that 15%, Im not gonna leave 15%. Why leave them a good tip or any tip if they dont deserve it? Like I said, its only happened 1 time and our waitress was HORRIBLE. The worst we EVER had. And she DEF. did NOT deserve a tip. DH threw a penny on the table and that was that. And said that leaving a penny is a huge insult and a wake up call at the same time. You can agree or not agree with me. IMHO, I really dont care if you dont agree with me. You wanna leave a 15% tip for horrible service - more power to ya!

Point 2 first: It is not my, or ANY, customer's concern or responsibility to decide how much ANY person who is not you, or not employed by you, is paid - hourly, weekly, annually, lifetime. So choice number two is out.

As for not tipping (leaving 0%, or a penny), this is only a valid action if you receive NO service. Even bad service is service - and should be addressed with the restaurant manager during the experience* - unless the diners seat themselves, greet themselves, obtain their own menus, get their own drinks, place their orders with the kitchen, pick up their food when it's ready, bus their own tables, ring up their own sale...

 

[Tricia1972]

Being a server myself, I always tip 20% unless service is horrible horrible. I will tip more if its a cheaper place, lets say I eat at a little mom and pop place and the bill is 14.00 I leave nothing less then 5.00 for good service.

I always knew we were on the same page!

 

[mom2my3kids]

Yes I agree they do provide some what of service, but if I dont feel that the person doesnt earn that 15%, Im not gonna leave 15%. Why leave them a good tip or any tip if they dont deserve it? Like I said, its only happened 1 time and our waitress was HORRIBLE. The worst we EVER had. And she DEF. did NOT deserve a tip. DH threw a penny on the table and that was that. And said that leaving a penny is a huge insult and a wake up call at the same time. You can agree or not agree with me. IMHO, I really dont care if you dont agree with me. You wanna leave a 15% tip for horrible service - more power to ya!

While I agree leaving a penny lets the server know they thought your service sucked it depends on the customers. I have seen people leave a penny to a server just to mean and nasty had nothing to do with their service. I had two ladies last week wait till I cashed their ticket out and run their credit card. When I brought it back asked me if I gave them a senior discount, I explained I did not I have to be asked first. I said this very politely, I explained I have already ran your credit card and closed out the check. She got mad and said don't worry about it then, she did not tip me. You know what if it makes a person feel better that received excellent service get mad because THEY did not tell me before to take off the senior discount, then so be it. I can't make the world tip me,(most do and do it good) I just give the best service possible and in the end it works out.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I always knew we were on the same page!

 

[Disney8704]

Now see thats just wrong. They should have mentioned it when they went to pay for their check NOT after. Their own fault. ALWAYS, ALWAYS mention any type of discount BEFORE paying. Not after. Some people...

While I agree leaving a penny lets the server know they thought your service sucked it depends on the customers. I have seen people leave a penny to a server just to mean and nasty had nothing to do with their service. I had two ladies last week wait till I cashed their ticket out and run their credit card. When I brought it back asked me if I gave them a senior discount, I explained I did not I have to be asked first. I said this very politely, I explained I have already ran your credit card and closed out the check. She got mad and said don't worry about it then, she did not tip me. You know what if it makes a person feel better that received excellent service get mad because THEY did not tell me before to take off the senior discount, then so be it. I can't make the world tip me,(most do and do it good) I just give the best service possible and in the end it works out.

 

[Deb in IA]

We tip between 15 and 20 %. And we base the tip BEFORE any discounts - ie a 20% DVC discount, etc.

 

[Golf4food]

If the server is good we give 20%, if they are great we might give 25% or 30%. If they are bad it might be closer to 10% or 15%. I'm not going to give 20% just because you showed up once and took my order and I never saw you again (because other people brought our drinks and food).

 

[Karnak]

As a general rule I tip 20% of the total bill (and this is almost all of the time), rounding up to the nearest dollar. If service is outstanding I have been known to tip 25%. If service is somewhat poor however, I drop the tip to 10%, and if the service is very poor or nonexistant, I don't tip at all.

Also, as a general rule, I will not eat at a restaurant where the tip is automatically added to the bill. (I have been know to simply walk out of the place before ordering, if I find a notice to that effect on the menu.)

Karnak