Should we be tipping 25%?

[tvguy]

I'm in a state where there is no subminimum wage for food service employees.........20% is my standard for good service.....up from the 15% I was taught to tip.

I can see more in subminimum wage states. I have to admit, I look around, and if my server is waiting on 5 or 6 tables at a medium priced restaurant, they easily are pulling down $50 an hour in tips before tip splitting.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2013/10/14/tipping-25-percent-restaurants/2976417/

 

[mjkacmom]

Maybe it looks like that, at that moment. When I used to waitress, I would get there an hour or so before my shift, and do chores. There were always times when it wasn't busy - I'd have maybe a table per hour. At the end of the shift, at least another hour was spent on chores. Most servers are NOT getting rich - if they were, more people would take these jobs. When I didn't have a table, I was still being paid just over $2 an hour (and when you didn't have a lot of tables, you were still workings - always plenty to do).

How many people forgo an education, thinking they could be making $50 an hour working tables? How many college students take these jobs, to make due, before graduating, and hoping for a more lucrative career? Not too many graduate, and decide to keep their restaurant jobs!

 

[luvmy3]

I think people should tip what they are comfortable tipping, and I think it should be based on the service they receive not the economics of the restaurant business IMO.

 

[mrodgers]

I think people should tip what they are comfortable tipping, and I think it should be based on the service they receive not the economics of the restaurant business IMO.

I agree and I also don't agree on a percentage. No one is doing any more work because I bought a hamburger at a more expensive local restaurant than a hamburger at Applebees.

I usually just toss a $10 bill down. It happens that our meals are usually about $35-40 which makes my $10 about 25%.

 

[disykat]

I also live in a state where restaurant workers get at least minimum wage. While I understand that tips are less during the slow hours, wait staff here make a decent wage.

I've waited tables (at minimum wage + tips) and as far as pay goes, it was a good gig. Certainly a big step up from a minimum wage job.

I generally tip around 18% (double the 8.6 % tax and round up) and frankly resent even that much.

I think there should be a difference between tipping in states where they get subminimum vs states where they get minimum + tips. It seems odd to me though that it's up to the customer to make that call.

 

[tasha99]

I tip 15% for regular service. I don't believe in the percentage raise waitstaff have gotten recently (20%, 25% etc) --15% today is more money than it used to be since food prices have risen. I also don't tip anywhere that I pay in advance, pick my food up and buss my table. This includes some hybrid regular/fast food restaurants that have real plates. I always feel a little bit like an *** when I don't tip in those kinds of places, since there are tip jars and tip lines on the receipt, but if I do all the waiting on myself, who is the tip for? I also don't tip baristas unless they're refilling my coffee and checking up on me. I do live in a state where all these people make minimum wage at least before any tips.

 

[skatalite]

Should we be tipping 25%?

 

[marius97]

I agree and I also don't agree on a percentage. No one is doing any more work because I bought a hamburger at a more expensive local restaurant than a hamburger at Applebees.

I usually just toss a $10 bill down. It happens that our meals are usually about $35-40 which makes my $10 about 25%.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've felt that way for years...of course out of social pressure, I still tip around 20%.

 

[scrapquitler]

I think people should tip what they are comfortable tipping, and I think it should be based on the service they receive not the economics of the restaurant business IMO.

I am usually a good to very good tipper (I rarely tip less than 20%, often 25%), but I base the tip on the service I receive, it's not my position as the customer to set economic policy in regard to how the state's minimum wage laws work. That's not my problem.

 

[JakeJenna]

We rarely go out to eat, when we do I tip to the most round number around 20%. One of the reasons we rarely go out to eat is because I despise tipping. I think it is ridiculous that customers are expected pay for things like chores before and after a shift. It should not be a customers responsibility to make sure the waitstaff is making a decent wage. I do understand that the prices would rise, but that really doesn't matter it is not like it is saving me any money after I tip.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I'm in a state where there is no subminimum wage for food service employees.........20% is my standard for good service.....up from the 15% I was taught to tip.

I can see more in subminimum wage states. I have to admit, I look around, and if my server is waiting on 5 or 6 tables at a medium priced restaurant, they easily are pulling down $50 an hour in tips before tip splitting.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2013/10/14/tipping-25-percent-restaurants/2976417/

Yikes, which ones here are charging that for tips? I haven't been out enough lately to notice.

 

[jennylyn_b]

I waited tables in a sub minimum wage state. I was paid $2.10 an hour (Before taxes!). For a typical 8 hr shift, I would do kitchen prep help and or clean up about 3 of those hours. The other five were waiting tables. Some days I would make $50-$100 in tips while others would be so slow I would barely make $25. This is not an exaggeration. The state would often decide I didn't claim enough tips and take it out of my $2.90 an hour paycheck. Even my manager was upset since I claimed every penny. I was working in a small town during breakfast to lunch time. Having that experience I always tip 20-30% depending on service. Granted if service is horrible then they may only get 10-15%. I figure this may be an off day or not the job for them but at least they tried.

 

[stargazer2892]

I can't think of a single time that I've ever thought about how much I made hourly in a night, mostly it's I had _____ number of tables and I made _____. Sometimes it's bad (a night where I got all 2 tops of teenagers drinking water and their bills where under $15) or it's a decent average. The side work I do isn't ever added into that number. Now granted I live in a state that I made 2.43$ an hour and haven't seen a pay check in years since all my hourly goes to cover the taxes I pay on my tips (even then I end up owing money at the end of the year). So really I only get paid in the tips I get, and trust me it's not a huge amount but enough that I stay there for the flexible hours (mostly when DS is asleep so I feel much less guilty about working) and I honestly enjoy working in the restaurant atmosphere, and that is a huge part of it, you can either handle it or you cant its busy, stressful, hectic, and to be honest sometimes just plain mean. I'm not sure whos worse sometimes customers or the kitchen, especially on a Friday night. So even IF server made amazing money all the time it's not a job everyone can handle.

As far as tipping I fully believe in tipping based on service, and nothing else. If you feel you had amazing service that night then tip a little more, if it sucked then tip less. I also think that some people need to realize that when you take up a table for 4 hours on a friday night talking not ordering and heave $4 on $20 yes that is 20% but I also lost at least two tables. Now if your still activly ordering and talking then whatever but once you pay your bill please please please do not sit there for another hour+.

 

[tvguy]

We rarely go out to eat, when we do I tip to the most round number around 20%. One of the reasons we rarely go out to eat is because I despise tipping.

I'm not a fan of tipping either, but it has been interesting hearing from DD who is going to school in the U.K. where there is no tipping. Coming from the U.S. she is uncomfortable there because of the lack of tips. And her roommates are from other European countries where there is no tipping just can't understand the concept of tipping. In the U.K the minimum wage is $8.57 an hour if you are over age 21, $6.83 if you are 18-20, and $5.05 an hour if you are under 18. Of course, there are no costs for health care there, but food service workers are expected to get by on that $8.57 an hour without tips.

 

[Art 1]

I like to leave a bigger tip, especially if it appears to be a young mother. In the end it's not that much more to spend and it can really make a difference to the recipient.

 

[teller80]

I'm not a fan of tipping either, but it has been interesting hearing from DD who is going to school in the U.K. where there is no tipping. Coming from the U.S. she is uncomfortable there because of the lack of tips. And her roommates are from other European countries where there is no tipping just can't understand the concept of tipping. In the U.K the minimum wage is $8.57 an hour if you are over age 21, $6.83 if you are 18-20, and $5.05 an hour if you are under 18. Of course, there are no costs for health care there, but food service workers are expected to get by on that $8.57 an hour without tips.

Is that $8.57 or 8.57 Euro? If it's the latter, then it converts to $11.64.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wish they (restaurant owners) would simply add 18% to every item, and then let patrons tip what they want. You get "average" service, no (or minimum) tip. If the service is "outstanding", 10-15%. If the service is "poor", let management know.

Then pay the wait staff at least minimum wage. IMO, tipping should not be a "guilt" thing. Yes, the wait staff doesn't get paid much (and have taxes come out of that money). But they chose to go into that profession.

 

[tvguy]

Is that $8.57 or 8.57 Euro? If it's the latter, then it converts to $11.64.

U.K. doesn't use Euros, they still use the Pound.

That is U.S. dollars. It is £6.31 which at the moment is $8.57 U.S.

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

 

[Dream101]

I'm not a fan of tipping either, but it has been interesting hearing from DD who is going to school in the U.K. where there is no tipping. Coming from the U.S. she is uncomfortable there because of the lack of tips. And her roommates are from other European countries where there is no tipping just can't understand the concept of tipping. In the U.K the minimum wage is $8.57 an hour if you are over age 21, $6.83 if you are 18-20, and $5.05 an hour if you are under 18. Of course, there are no costs for health care there, but food service workers are expected to get by on that $8.57 an hour without tips.

I'm from the UK, & I find it uncomfortable to tip in the US. I do it, because I know its the right thing over there, but sometimes I do resent it when my service has been below par. Plus. I never know how much! I just chuck a couple of dollars for a drink, 5/10 bucks for a meal.

As for min wage, its not actually that bad. If you're good at your job, you'll still make plenty tips.

 

[DeniseinNS]

I can't even believe some servers make like $2 an hour I wait tables (in Canada) and I make an hourly wage of $10.35 as well as tips.