Restaurant Tipping

[gacsmom]

I do not know one person who declares all their tips. Maybe this is just a Canadian thing or something most won't admit. I just think people should take a job depending on the wage and if this wage isn't good enough then get a better job (again, not applicable to states where they don't get mi. wage as this is not legal here). I just don't know where the idea of tipping even came about. I have a job that requires much customer service that I'm sure others do as well and none of these professions get tipped. And these things are much more expensive and time consuming and more important than a meal. Just because I don't believe in tipping, doesn't mean I'm bitter, I just don't agree, however I will do so since it is considered bad manners if I don't and if it is somewhere I frequent do not want my bread dropped onteh floor or spit in my gravy.
I won't argue anymore about it, just my feeling.

 

[CheshireGato]

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

They have tip jars since they make your food to order. They also have to prep and clean all the food/supplies. They don't have separate workers to clean the dining area, stock the supplies, clean the dishes, and make the food. It is the same person that is serving you.
I worked at a smoothie shop in high school that had a tip jar. I made 6.15 an hour (part time) and depended on the $20 in tips I would get a week to pay for my gas. You obviously don't get as much as a server in a sit down restaurant (and we shouldn't have) but just the little bit of change from every 3rd or 4th customer really added up!

 

[*Seanaci*]

I start at 15%...and the amount of tip goes up or down from there. we've had really great service at places and I've tipped as much as 35%. but we've also gone places and had really awful service and I've tipped as low as 5%. I understand serving is a tough job with sometimes demanding tables...but a server can't let that one table affect their attitude with my table as well.


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[dnamertz]

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.

The problem is, there are no set rules. Look at all the different answers in this thread alone. No one can agree. Is it 15%, 18%, 20%? Should you leave zero tip for terrible service, or should you just leave a lower tip? Most people say you should tip if you are picking up a to-go order (from a sit-down restaurant), but you don't tip at counter service/fast food restaurants. Why? The level of service you get picking up a to-go order is the same service you get from a counter service restaurant. And why not tip at fast food restaurants? Someone is taking your order, cooking your food, and brining it to you...and they're doing it a lot faster than a sit-down restaurent. Shouldn't that prompt service deserve something extra? After all, if you can't afford to tip fast food servers, maybe you should stay home and cook your own meals.

My wife was a server for a few years during our marriage, and even when you include all the people who didn't tip, or tipped "low", she still averaged good tips...way above the 8% that was reported as income on her W2. The tips plus her minimum wage made it a good paying job, especially for a part time job. Also, she didn't have a choice about how much she reported to the IRS. The food orders that she entered into the computer were her "sales" for the night and 8% of that was automatically reported as her tip income.

 

[Cyclokitty]

My family eats out about once a week, maybe twice if there is a special occasion or holiday, and we budget a 20% tip into the meal. It takes a lot for me to cut that tip down (or on one particularly awful meal, zip tip) and I take into account busy times, new wait staff, and if the server lets us know in advance that there is some kind of problem.

Recently, we went to our favourite wings and rib restaurant and were treated rudely by the server. It was pretty quiet inside the restaurant (the patio was busy but we'd spent the day outside so we preferred a quiet dinner inside) and we were told to take a seat anywhere we liked. We picked a booth and the server was annoyed we picked that booth. It wasn't set for diners with cutlery and she was put off that she had to gather the already wrapped cutlery and napkins from the basket next to the menus, that she also didn't bring us.

It fell apart from there.

The food was excellent and arrived in good time so it didn't seem like a kitchen problem. The inside restaurant was quiet and the patio had its own dedicated wait staff so the server wasn't stretched over too many diners. But she still felt like tossing our plates across the table like frisbees, didn't like our soft drink choices, and it was like our re-fill requests hurt her rather personally.

Result: a 5% tip.

Will I go back? Oh yes! Tasty, tasty ribs will keep me coming back but I will definitely ask to sit in some other server's section. This was our second encounter with this particular server and it was definitely an attitude problem. The other servers we had were always excellent.

 

[gacsmom]

My family eats out about once a week, maybe twice if there is a special occasion or holiday, and we budget a 20% tip into the meal. It takes a lot for me to cut that tip down (or on one particularly awful meal, zip tip) and I take into account busy times, new wait staff, and if the server lets us know in advance that there is some kind of problem.

Recently, we went to our favourite wings and rib restaurant and were treated rudely by the server. It was pretty quiet inside the restaurant (the patio was busy but we'd spent the day outside so we preferred a quiet dinner inside) and we were told to take a seat anywhere we liked. We picked a booth and the server was annoyed we picked that booth. It wasn't set for diners with cutlery and she was put off that she had to gather the already wrapped cutlery and napkins from the basket next to the menus, that she also didn't bring us.

It fell apart from there.

The food was excellent and arrived in good time so it didn't seem like a kitchen problem. The inside restaurant was quiet and the patio had its own dedicated wait staff so the server wasn't stretched over too many diners. But she still felt like tossing our plates across the table like frisbees, didn't like our soft drink choices, and it was like our re-fill requests hurt her rather personally.

Result: a 5% tip.

Will I go back? Oh yes! Tasty, tasty ribs will keep me coming back but I will definitely ask to sit in some other server's section. This was our second encounter with this particular server and it was definitely an attitude problem. The other servers we had were always excellent.

That would result in a 0% tip from me. No excuse would be good enough and why would you even leave 5%. Clearly these are the kinds of servers who think tipping is mandatory and they dont' even have to be nice to get it.

 

[disneychrista]

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.

The IRS requires that you report 100% of your tips for any month you make more than $20 in tips. The IRS requires restaurants to "allocated" 8% of sales to each server who reports less than this. But in the end if you do not report your tips & you count on this you are hurting yourself. If a server does not report their tips this income does not count towards unemployment, social security & state disability (where applicable).

Why do restaurants like Subway have tip jars? .

Because people will put money in the jar. If people weren't so eager to give tips then places like Subway & Starbucks would not have tip jars.

 

[gacsmom]

Cash money is worth more than UI, EI, disability, etc when you don't claim this kind of money for years and years. I am in Canada so this may be very different, but we pay cash for lots of things that people don't report. Painter, windshield repair, haircut, even my lawyer for notarized docs takes $20 if you pay in cash and $25 if you pay by cheque or cc. This way we save on tax on top of the service and they save on declaring it. This happens in every profession all over, so it is clearly worth it to not declare everything or people wouldn't do it. And I am not just talking about me or my small town, everywhere (here, I do not know how it works in other places). And while everyone knows it's illegal, I don't know anyone who doesn't do it here or there for different things. And I don't run in a criminal crowd or anything, it's just a reality, so noone will convince me that the majority of servers declare all they make, and 8% is a long ways away from 18 or 20 or 30%.
Those are just the facts.

 

[Malcon10t]

I don't run in a criminal crowd or anything, it's just a reality, so noone will convince me that the majority of servers declare all they make, and 8% is a long ways away from 18 or 20 or 30%.
Those are just the facts.

I am not interested in trying to convince you. Obviously, things are much different in Canada. The majority of people paying in a restaurant pay by credit card/debit card. Those tips are automatically reported. I always pay by credit card, it is simply easier for us. And while the server is taxed on 8% of their sales, the busboys/bartenders/expediters also get a cut of the tip, and are taxed on their portion. So, while you may tip the server 15%, the server then tips the expediters/bussers who assist him/her, and once others have been paid, the server is usually down to 10%, which is why the 8% for those who fail to tip/tip less than the standard 15%. I find it odd that in your country, even attorneys cheat the government.

Here in the US, when you fail to report the tips, your unemployement is lowered/you will get less if you get injured on the job, and with a lower income, you may fail to qualify for a mortgage. My DIL is a server, she does report her tips, probably because 90% are CC, but also because she makes an additional $150-200 a week, and that does make a difference when they go to apply for a home loan next year.

 

[gacsmom]

I am not interested in trying to convince you. Obviously, things are much different in Canada. The majority of people paying in a restaurant pay by credit card/debit card. Those tips are automatically reported. I always pay by credit card, it is simply easier for us. And while the server is taxed on 8% of their sales, the busboys/bartenders/expediters also get a cut of the tip, and are taxed on their portion. So, while you may tip the server 15%, the server then tips the expediters/bussers who assist him/her, and once others have been paid, the server is usually down to 10%, which is why the 8% for those who fail to tip/tip less than the standard 15%. I find it odd that in your country, even attorneys cheat the government.

Here in the US, when you fail to report the tips, your unemployement is lowered/you will get less if you get injured on the job, and with a lower income, you may fail to qualify for a mortgage. My DIL is a server, she does report her tips, probably because 90% are CC, but also because she makes an additional $150-200 a week, and that does make a difference when they go to apply for a home loan next year.

Im not saying in all of Canada, but where I'm from which is Edmonton area , can't speak for other areas. And although you say that doesn't go on in the States, of course it does. What about all those people who get paid in cash? We know it goes on because we hear about it. It is a much debated topic in the news about people who get paid in cash. Day workers, etc. People who work from home, etc. And the EI/UI or disability would be lowered, but people who are struggling don't think about that right now and would just prefer the cash in hand. Might not be right, but it goes on.

No judgements, but it is what it is. You've never had a lawn care guy and paid him in cash, a maid for a day and paid in cash??/ Maybe you haven't, but this is not unheard of in the US.

 

[Malcon10t]

No judgements, but it is what it is. You've never had a lawn care guy and paid him in cash, a maid for a day and paid in cash??/ Maybe you haven't, but this is not unheard of in the US.

My lawn care guy is paid by check, and it is his responsibility to declare it, similar to the tips. I hire many day/weekly employees, and I pay through a payroll system (thus paying both the employee and employer taxes.) There is too much liability should an employee get injured and I happened to be paying that person cash (thus no workman's comp insurance.) I guess it is done differently in Canada. I know numerous small businesses and none that I know of pay under the table, as it very simply is too much of a liability.

 

[gacsmom]

My lawn care guy is paid by check, and it is his responsibility to declare it, similar to the tips. I hire many day/weekly employees, and I pay through a payroll system (thus paying both the employee and employer taxes.) There is too much liability should an employee get injured and I happened to be paying that person cash (thus no workman's comp insurance.) I guess it is done differently in Canada. I know numerous small businesses and none that I know of pay under the table, as it very simply is too much of a liability.

OK. Like I said, don't want to argue about it and I truly mean no disrespect, but it is done all the time in the US. We see it on the news, court shows, etc. People who are paid in cash, don't file tax returns, can't file tax returns for certain reasons, etc. But to pretend it doesn't go on there is really naive. I know about liability, etc. We both have our own businesses. This is not a Canada/US thing and I would be surprised if others wouldn't admit it as well.
Lots of people get paid under the table here and there.
Have a great rest of the weekend.

 

[stayhomemom77]

My husband thinks I'm crazy...

We went out to eat last week and our service started out iffy and then got worse. She was nice enough but there were these HUGE gaps of time between each visit to our table and no apparent reason for the delays. She only had one other table...right next to us. But she would just disappear in between quick stops at the table. My hubby joked she kept going out for smoke breaks.

She took our drink orders within a couple minutes of sitting down, so that was good but it was a good five minutes before she returned with three of our four drinks. This wait was fine but we thought it was weird she didn't even have all of the drinks. She said she'd be right back with DD8's chocolate milk....it was 10 more minutes. The poor kid waited 15 minutes from the time she ordered to the time she actually got her drink.

Our orders had been taken when she brought the first wave of drinks but we waited a long time for our appies, we waited a looooong time for drink refills and our entrees arrived nearly an hour after we had been seated. While hubby and I can wait that long for food, our kids can not. They were so hungry, they wolfed down a bunch of bread and had little room left for the long awaited entrees.

We waited for her to come take our dessert orders. Too long. DD refused to order dessert. She was so done with this dining experience. We waited for dessert. The check came with dessert...something I hate. I think she knew by then that we were beyond impatient.

But, we still waited nearly 15 minutes for her to come with the portable credit card machine. By this time, I was seriously annoyed. Lunch was nearly 2 hours because of all this waiting, which as far as I could tell was unnecessary.

She was very cheerful when she came over but we felt shamefully neglected and in the end I only tipped 13%.

I felt guilty about it for the rest of the day!!

I do believe in tipping higher for better experiences and lower for less impressive service but I still feel guilty if I leave a lower tip. I do it, but I hate to do it. I don't think I could ever go lower than 13% though...I feel like such a cheapskate even there.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty leaving a lower tip even with just cause? Or am I just as crazy as my husband thinks I am?

 

[Beee]

this has been a very useful thread for me. In New Zealand we don't tip as a general rule unless service has been exceptional or as a keep the change kind of thing. Our minimum wage is higher but so is our cost of living so it seems odd to me to tip as a matter of course when the server is being paid a reasonable wage. I guess I need to just think of it as another tax, sounds like the general consensus is 15% for average service & 20%+ for great service?

 

[disneychrista]

Cash money is worth more than UI, EI, disability, etc when you don't claim this kind of money for years and years. .

It is worth more until you need it!

 

[disneychrista]

in the end I only tipped 13%.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty leaving a lower tip even with just cause? Or am I just as crazy as my husband thinks I am?

Sorry I am with your DH and I would have left even less.

 

[gacsmom]

Sorry I am with your DH and I would have left even less.

I would have left 5%, maybe, but I'm sure noone is surprised by that. And to be quite truthful, yes it is worth more until you need, but lots don't see it that way when it means they get to do what they want tomorrow, or pay their gas bill, etc. Lots of people think in the here and now and don't worry about tomorrow.

 

[TheZue]

Sorry I am with your DH and I would have left even less.

I probably would have tipped less in that situation as well. How can you not have all the drinks there at once??? I remember once we went to the Zellers restaurant (Department store restaurant) and for whatever reason they decided not to bring my son's drink until his meal The entire reason we went there was he was thirsty; he pitched a fit like I've never seen when ours came and his didn't. At the time he wouldn't drink carbonated drinks so he wanted nothing to do with ours. Our waitress was no where to be found. We would have walked out but we really wanted to get him a drink; you would think a restaurant would be a reasonable place to do that. I also kept expecting her to come back with his drink. I don't think we tipped her much either.

The only time I didn't want to tip was at a Denny's. Background: I'm allergic to egg whites, I can eat the yolk no problem; and it's not an anaphalactic reaction. Yes I know I butchered the spelling. Anyways I ordered bacon & eggs with toast to dip the egg yolk. Without the toast I can't eat the eggs, the whites are there for show basically. Well my meal came, no toast...just two eggs & two strips of bacon. Asked for my toast. 10 minutes later he's back to check on coffee refills, again ask for my toast. Comes back near end of meal to see if we need anything else, again no freaking toast. Bill comes, no toast. I didn't want to tip, my friend put a tip on the table and I'm still kinda mad about it. I didn't even get what I ordered. It was dumb, really I shouldn't have paid at all except for the bacon. I'm aparently still mad

Those are the only two times in 36 years of dining that I didn't want to tip.

 

[Malcon10t]

Does anyone else ever feel guilty leaving a lower tip even with just cause? Or am I just as crazy as my husband thinks I am?

No. I am a good tipper. However, when I leave less due to poor service, I also explain to a manager why. We had a bad experience last week. I left 10%. The drinks weren't refilled in a timely manner (we were having to ask), food was incorrect, the food was slow, and we were constantly having to wait. In addition to leaving 10%, I also explained why to the manager.

We will go back to the location, because we have had prior excellent experiences. But if it was our first visit, we probably would not return.

 

[sonnyjane]

Does anyone else ever feel guilty leaving a lower tip even with just cause? Or am I just as crazy as my husband thinks I am?

No. I am a good tipper. However, when I leave less due to poor service, I also explain to a manager why. We had a bad experience last week. I left 10%. The drinks weren't refilled in a timely manner (we were having to ask), food was incorrect, the food was slow, and we were constantly having to wait. In addition to leaving 10%, I also explained why to the manager.

I'm like Malcon... I am usually a good tipper (prior restaurant employment), so if I feel something deserved a low tip, I make sure to tell a manager. There has only been one time that I didn't tip AT ALL and it was when I was at a very trendy Las Vegas restaurant and my server quit her job in the middle of my dinner service and nobody realized it! After our food had long been eaten and we hadn't seen or heard from our server for about 30 minutes, I stood up and found the manager who ended up printing out my bill, explaining the situation, and (fortunately) comping most of our meal.