Restaurant Tipping

[Lucille1963]

But, they are only taxed 8% of their sales revenue in the absence of documentation. They are required to report 100% of their sales revenue. Naturally most of them will report far less than this, but still more than the default assumption of 8%.

Being in a job that doesn't receive tips, I get taxed on 100% of my income. That being said, I tip 15-30% based on service received.

Exactly - where I worked (which wasn't representative of everywhere) we had to declare what we made at the end of each shift. Many people were honest and did declare every bit of it, especially those who wanted to buy a house, improve or keep up a good credit rating, or were concerned about ever needing to collect unemployment.

If someone was thought to be underestimating what they made they were pulled into the office to have a talking to by management.

Additionally, you can't hide tips received on credit cards and more and more people pay this way.

 

[gacsmom]

My sister worked at a lounge in an upscale hotel and made waaaay more in tips than she claimed, so if someone tipped her only 5% or less, she was not out money since she was actually screwing the gov't with her tip claims anyway and that goes on everywhere here. Not that I care about that, but it is what goes on. Also, like I said earlier, I worked in a KFC for min. wage and busted my butt to put myself through college and nobody tipped me. I went to college to get a better job and make more money so I wouldn't have to work those jobs anymore. I don't feel the need to tip 20% and it would have to be great service to get 15%.
JMO and I know it's not a popular one.

 

[Malcon10t]

Also, like I said earlier, I worked in a KFC for min. wage and busted my butt to put myself through college and nobody tipped me

I worked Burger King through college, and you are right, no tips, but also, not a tipped position. Counter service is not a position classified tipped. I have never gotten the personal service from KFC/Burger King/Taco Bell/etc that I expect from a sit down restaurant.

It is up to each person how they wish to tip, but the standard rule of thumb is 15% for standard service.

 

[CurlyGirlyGirl]

This is what I don't get. The servers at breakfast & lunch work just has hard as those at dinner but you are only tip them about half, due to tipping less as a % of your meal & your meal likely costing less at those times.

As a former waitress, I think it was more difficult to work the breakfast/lunch shift than dinner! People are needy when it comes to coffee, toast, etc!

 

[Desert Dwellers]

Nope, this is backwards from what I've always been told. You tip more at breakfast because breakfast meals are cheaper than dinner, same for lunch. We don't take less time just because we are eating breakfast, we take about the same amount for all meals so we tip more for breakfast

For me, dinner out is quite different than breakfast or lunch, and actually may take twice as long. I might ask my server to recommend a wine pairing based on what I've ordered. At a small plate restaurant, I might have four courses. At an upscale restaurant, your server actually guides your dining experience. That is worth more than someone who brings me my pancakes and fills up my tea glass twice.

 

[dnamertz]

I disagree with the tipping concept as it is used today, but I always tip (unless I get horrible service), because of the reaction you get if you don't leave a tip (including the threats of what might happen to your food if you re-visit the same restaurant). The problem I have with tipping is that even though it is supposed to be a "reward" for good service, servers expect a tip from the start and even some servers clearly couldn't care less about their job are shocked if they don't get the tip they expect.

It bothers me that we've allowed certain types of employers to pay no more than minumum wage (or less in some states), and rely on the customer to subsidize those underpaid employees with tips. The comments like "if you can't tip, don't go out to a sit-down restaurant" bother me just as much as the employers who don't pay reasonable wages. If tips are going to be at the discretion of the customer, then expect some to pay it and others to not pay it. But, if tips are going to be automatically expected, it would make more sense if they got rid of tips, and the employers could pay servers 15% more in wages and increase the price on the menus by 15%. Then if you had consistently good servers, they would get better raises than the not so good servers...you know, just like it works in every other industry.

 

[Royal Consort]

I have a tipping question:

I'm Australian and tipping isn't part of our culture (service employees get a much higher base wage than the US), so I'm trying to research all the rules and regulations for tipping etiquette. I think I've got my head around MOST of it.

Question is: in bars, I understand I'm to tip $1/$2 per drink. Does that also apply to snack carts that serve beer at California Adventure and WDW too?

 

[Camonkeygirl]

I think Tipping is based on the individual. I tend to tip more toward 20%, but I also have left no tip (once) as service was that bad, and I had talked with management during the meal, and it changed nothing. There was a time I went to Disneyland, we had a meal at Rainforest Cafe. Service was so bad that we had to continue to ask multiple times for items, once even stopping a manager. I left a tip closer to 10%, but also stopped and asked to talk to the manager before we left. My friends said if they were paying the check, he would not have received a tip. A different time we were there, the waitress we had was working with a couple of tables with very difficult customers, and apologized for not spending that much time at our table (basically took our order, delivered it and did not come back until we asked for the check). We gave her a tip closer to 35%, as we knew she was not going to be tipped by the other tables. We have had her as a server before, and knew that she did a great job and tipped what we felt was fair. I am also the type that is more likely to give management a "pat on the back" type comment than a negative one unless things are that bad.

 

[DisneytheKid]

This was a fun point of conversation during our Mediterranean cruise last year

If you want to see some interesting threads, go check out a Las Vegas forum and listen to the tourists from Europe, especially France and Britain. Some of them really get worked up about tips as that is not the custom (most of the time) in Europe.

In Britain, if you go to a reataurant and order a Steak, it says the amount and that includes everything, including tax and the wage for the worker.

Some of them really have a hard time with the concept. Of course, wrongly or rightly, Europeans have earned a reputation in most tourist towns in America and that reputation can lead to bad or slow service on purpose.

I can't count how many times i have responded with feedback on proper procedure on the topic...most are truly thankful. Some are very bitter on this subject and take it personally (having to tip, not my comments )

 

[lorieintucson]

I can easily been seen as a "pain" customer when it comes down to having two boys 6 & under in addition to having to ask about 6 main allergens and most likely to see ingredient labels or to speak with a chef about prep options. And...i tip well for my inconveniencing when I can get the help that I need. (BTW, knowing that I require more attention, any restaurant trip usually involves reconn like checking website nutritional info and calling a manager in non-lunch/dinner hours to talk about our dining options)

I have had to leave restaurants when either the server couldn't figure out how to answer my question and/or the manager was unresponsive. It is disgraceful how often I will get a blanket, "yes, all our bread contains egg" (even from supervisors who are too lazy to check) when I've checked the corporate website and know a thing or two about cooking and common ingredients. I try to be understanding and trying to weigh attitude vs. training as some servers think that saying "i don't *think* the fries have egg in them". That's not an answer I can work with, but maybe they haven't been trained properly on how to handle a request like that. [/soapbox]

again, if someone is going to work with me (or at least be agreeable to getting a chef and taking my requests seriously) and do what they can to make our meal enjoyable i'm going the full 20-30% (pre tax). I feel it's my responsibility to give positive reinforcement back so that a request for ingredient information just doesn't get shut down for the next family (i actually was told in almost a Pretty Woman boutique style scene at a french bakery in town when i asked about egg/nuts, that "We Have Nothing For You Here. Nothing. Thank YOU." LOL)

FWIW, part of my hyper-planning at DLR is tied to at meal time being at known 'safe house' restaurants where there is a chef on site making the food that is able to customize a meal for us. Carnation, Cafe Orleans, Red's Rocket are all excellent. We had to get up and leave Wine Country Trat because they couldn't substitute a pasta from an adult entree to a kids entree--or for that matter even just give us a bowl of butter pasta!

i think it is also sad when people turn into vacation tippers and whereas they would normally tip moderately well at regular establishments, when at conferences and vacation spots where they don't have to worry about the return visit, they don't tip well at all. I worked at a local resort steak house and guests were taken aback by the higher entree prices ($18-$49) and even though the meal, the service, the conversation was great i'd get a $5 on a $150 check. I guess if nobody sees them do it, then it doesn't count?

 

[Malcon10t]

Question is: in bars, I understand I'm to tip $1/$2 per drink. Does that also apply to snack carts that serve beer at California Adventure and WDW too?

No. It applies to a bar where you sit down and are served. The snack carts aren't tipped locations.

 

[Royal Consort]

Thanks Malcon10t

 

[pixiewings71]

I apologize to Jade for that; I must have missed that part.

It's just that if someone wants to go out to dinner they need to play by the rules. The fact (not opinion) is that servers make most of their money from tips the way our society has set the rules. What if your mom or sister was a server and busted her butt and wasn't paid her fair share just because someone "was told" that 10% is enough? Well, it's not enough, whether you agree or not.

My sister was a server for many years, in a state where she was not paid minimum wage because "servers get tips and that counts as income". I understand that completely, its also part of why I tend to tip slightly more than other people do. Again, in CA servers do get minimum wage (sometimes more) so a tip is not something they need to depend on to earn what some consider a fair wage. It is however a Thank You for their hard work.

For me, dinner out is quite different than breakfast or lunch, and actually may take twice as long. I might ask my server to recommend a wine pairing based on what I've ordered. At a small plate restaurant, I might have four courses. At an upscale restaurant, your server actually guides your dining experience. That is worth more than someone who brings me my pancakes and fills up my tea glass twice.

Well, I may have a wine pairing as well but I'm pretty well versed in wine so I am able to chose my own, very rarely do I ask for a servers help choosing a wine. 4 courses can be had at many restaurants, from Denny's to Red Lobster to Cole's Chop House or French Laundry, that doesn't determine the amount of time I take to eat. Seriously, I've been known to eat a 4 course meal in 30 minutes....from being seated to ordering, being served and paying. But that was a pretty extreme case as we were in a major hurry to get to a play we headed to. I tip based on service and total check amount, I don't tip based on what meal I'm eating, but of course if I'm eating at Cole's Chop House I'm going to tip more than I would at Denny's. lol I wasn't saying you were wrong, I was just saying what I was always told was standard practice.

I can easily been seen as a PITA customer when it comes down to having two boys 6 & under in addition to having to ask about 6 main allergens and most likely to see ingredient labels or to speak with a chef about prep options. And...i tip well for my inconveniencing when I can get the help that I need. (BTW, knowing that I require more attention, any restaurant trip usually involves reconn like checking website nutritional info and calling a manager in non-lunch/dinner hours to talk about our dining options)

I have had to leave restaurants when either the server couldn't figure out how to answer my question and/or the manager was unresponsive. It is disgraceful how often I will get a blanket, "yes, all our bread contains egg" (even from supervisors who are too lazy to check) when I've checked the corporate website and know a thing or two about cooking and common ingredients. I try to be understanding and trying to weigh attitude vs. training as some servers think that saying "i don't *think* the fries have egg in them". That's not an answer I can work with, but maybe they haven't been trained properly on how to handle a request like that. [/soapbox]

again, if someone is going to work with me (or at least be agreeable to getting a chef and taking my requests seriously) and do what they can to make our meal enjoyable i'm going the full 20-30% (pre tax). I feel it's my responsibility to give positive reinforcement back so that a request for ingredient information just doesn't get shut down for the next family (i actually was told in almost a Pretty Woman boutique style scene at a french bakery in town when i asked about egg/nuts, that "We Have Nothing For You Here. Nothing. Thank YOU." LOL)

FWIW, part of my hyper-planning at DLR is tied to at meal time being at known 'safe house' restaurants where there is a chef on site making the food that is able to customize a meal for us. Carnation, Cafe Orleans, Red's Rocket are all excellent. We had to get up and leave Wine Country Trat because they couldn't substitute a pasta from an adult entree to a kids entree--or for that matter even just give us a bowl of butter pasta!

i think it is also sad when people turn into vacation tippers and whereas they would normally tip moderately well at regular establishments, when at conferences and vacation spots where they don't have to worry about the return visit, they don't tip well at all. I worked at a local resort steak house and guests were taken aback by the higher entree prices ($18-$49) and even though the meal, the service, the conversation was great i'd get a $5 on a $150 check. I guess if nobody sees them do it, then it doesn't count?

That's another reason we tend to tip well when out with friends, my 2 BFF's both have allergies, 1 to dairy and 1 to gluten, it can make dining out quite an experience. LOL

 

[gacsmom]

It's just that if someone wants to go out to dinner they need to play by the rules. The fact (not opinion) is that servers make most of their money from tips the way our society has set the rules. What if your mom or sister was a server and busted her butt and wasn't paid her fair share just because someone "was told" that 10% is enough? Well, it's not enough, whether you agree or not.

"that was a quote"


Totally disagree. If you don't think you're making enough at your job at the wage you're paid, then go out and get a better job. Now this does not apply to states that don't pay min. wage to their servers, because where we live, they do get min. wage. Just like workers as cashiers, stock boys, McDonald's etc. Where we are there are plenty of jobs to be had at factories, warehouses at night, etc. Tipping is totally up to the customer and it is not a right.
If you read my previous post, my sister was a server making killer money on tips and didn't have to declare it on her tax returns as they only had to declare a certain %, so got away with alot of cash money.
I have also worked as a server and hated it, so got a better job. I do realize because I hated I was probably not a great server, but that is the reason I went to college to get a better paying career.

 

[Lucille1963]

If you read my previous post, my sister was a server making killer money on tips and didn't have to declare it on her tax returns as they only had to declare a certain %, so got away with alot of cash money.

She did HAVE to declare it legally, but she didn't. That doesn't mean that everyone who waits tables defrauds the IRS.

 

[mmlover74]

Why do restaurants like Subway have tip jars? I find that excessive and taking it a bit too far.

I am going to tip based upon service. If the waitress is busy with many tables, I can understand. We were in an IHOP once, it took them 15 min. to give us menus, then another 15 to take our drink order. They were not busy at all. There was no way they were getting 20%.

My son has multiple allergies and at restaurants we frequent often we ask for certain ones because we had bad servers, so we don't want to be in their section. When you are with someone with allergies, it does take more time because servers need to find out answers to your questions.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

Why do restaurants like Subway have tip jars? I find that excessive and taking it a bit too far.

I've been wondering about the baristas at Starbucks. When I would pay cash, I would usually dump the change in their tip jar. But then Starbucks started pushing their phone app and paying by phone. So I find myself going into Starbucks cashless and paying with my phone. How much income have baristas lost due to people like me?

 

[Karenann*]

Holy Cow this thread is active!!! I worked as a server for years and years and loved it! If the hours were a bit more family friendly I would still be doing this instead of an office admin position.

I try to teach the kids that tipping is part of the cost of the meal when we go to a restaurant ( pretty infrequently!). If we can't afford a 20% tip on top of the cost of the meal we need to adjust our restaurant choice or menu selection. I want the kids to see the bill, (so that they can appreciate it when we spend that kind of moola) and do the math for me.

A friendly server ( even with skillls that need improving)can help make a bad meal good experience and a server with a bad attitude can ruin a wonderful meal!


I love going out with my brother who always appreciates the folks who wait on him with unexpected large tips!


One I was waiting on F. Murray Abraham (actor and Oscar winner) and when he was finished with his meal asked to speak to the dishwasher. He gave her a $20.00 bill and said he started out in his younger years as a dishwasher!

 

[gacsmom]

She did HAVE to declare it legally, but she didn't. That doesn't mean that everyone who waits tables defrauds the IRS.

Of course she had to declare it legally,but noone does. They declare what they are required to. I'm in Canada so the gov't has an amount they have you pay (it's also a % but not sure how much exactly, but very low) and obviously you could add more and she would a bit, but certainly not all. I don't know anyone who actually totalled all their tips perfectly every night and declared it exactly and I would say that the majority of people don't. If they say they do, they are few and far between and probably mistaken.

Not to say that I don't tip and don't ever tip large, but thinking it is a right really irks me.

 

[Malcon10t]

Just like workers as cashiers, stock boys, McDonald's etc. Where we are there are plenty of jobs to be had at factories, warehouses at night, etc. Tipping is totally up to the customer and it is not a right.

You are right that it is up to the customer. However, if all servers simply did it only to get through to a better job, we would really be missing some excellent servers. There are many servers that do enjoy this job, and do an excellent job. I can't imagine going into Napa Rose/Club 33 and not having a professional server. And for them to stay with the profession, they should be tipped appropriately.

If you read my previous post, my sister was a server making killer money on tips and didn't have to declare it on her tax returns as they only had to declare a certain %, so got away with alot of cash money.

It is quite obvious that you are very bitter about this, and while your sister may have done this, I know a number of servers who do not. Add to that since the majority of people tip on credit cards these days, it is impossible to cheat on those.

I have also worked as a server and hated it, so got a better job. I do realize because I hated I was probably not a great server, but that is the reason I went to college to get a better paying career.

But for those that do enjoy this profession, and do their job well, they should be compensated. Perhaps restaurants should raise their prices 20-30% and pay their servers/bussers/bartenders better, but so many people look at the menu prices to determine where to eat, so that probably isn't such a great idea.