Tipping at Restaurants

[Damhsa04]

Hi people of the Community Board!

I thought I'd post this here because I usually post on the Teen board but my topic is geared more towards adults.

I know many of you have probably worked as waiters or waitresses and have been in my situation. You get paid slave wages and depend on your tips for the majority of your money. Especially since I'm going to be a freshman in college I'm really depending on the money I make this summer.

Well, yesterday I worked 11 to 8 at Johnny Rockets (It's like a '50s diner) and worked much longer than I thought I would. I was expecting to only work until 2 or 3 but someone on the dinner shift called out and I said I'd work it.

My last table of the night was a 6 top with 4 kids and 2 adults. They all ordered their meals and that was fine. But the parents kept asking for more things, and I kept going back and forth from the table to get refills for the kids. One of the kids dropped his plate so I had to get him another sandwich. The list just kept growing. At the end of it I gave the parents the bill which was $58.48. When I saw the money on the table I did the usual, "I'll be right back with your change." But the dad said it's all set and then left with his family. I count the money and I had a total of $60 in my hand. A whole $1.52 tip...... I printed out the receipt for the "change" and showed it to my supervisor and he looked at it for a long second and went "that's it?" That table should have been around $10.

I did nothing wrong, I got everything they asked for. I got their food to them right when it came out. I pre-bussed the table when I saw empty plates. And I get a wonderful 2.5% tip? I've gotten the 10% tip before, and the 0% from a couple of teenagers but 2.5% from a family of 6?

So my question is how do you tip at restaurants? Do you just do the standard 15-20% or do you take note on the service? I can understand getting horrible service and not tipping well but my service was not horrible to that table.

 

[TonyB]

For me, good/average service will get 15%. Great service will get 20%.

 

[liamsaunt]

That stinks. I waited tables for a while in high school, and I remember getting some poor tips. It goes with the job though, some people are just cheap.

I tip 20% as a standard, more if the service is exceptional.

 

[MScott1851]

Ouch.. SO sorry.

I tip 20% as a general rule...maybe adjust down if the waitress is absolutely horrid, and adjust up for great service.

I waited tables during college and can sympathize.

 

[eliza61]

Ouch, that sucks.
I've never waitstaffed but my family owned a restaurant for most of my life.

Unfortunately, there really are people who feel that tipping is an option. I've seen them tell my uncle stuff like "no one is forcing them to be a waiter", "not my fault you won't pay them a decent salary" and some times people are just caught short.

Generally I'll tip between 15-18%. If service is bad enough for me not to leave a tip, I usually speak up long before the check arrives.

 

[HM]

I worked as a waitress for several years. I had customers like those. Luckily they are fewer than those that pay a decent tip. I just think they don't know any better....or at least want us to think they don't. I'm sorry it happened to you. Just keep doing your good work and maybe some other customer will make it up to you.

Personally, I've rarely received service that deserves a 20% tip these days. I leave 15% of the entire bill on most occasions. If the service is really bad...they get around 10% and probably a talk with the manager. But that is very rare.

 

[Foxes Den]

if i get bad service, i leave no tip. it the service is over the top, i would tip 20% plus. if my child makes a mess, i would tip 20%. if the service is basic, 10%. sounds like you hit on a rude family, and i am sorry for that. having been a wait staff in my college years, i can tell you, some days are bad, some good and some are great!

 

[ckay87]

I see tipping as a fee for a service and I would never NOT tip. Even if I feel like the service is poor, I just figure the person is doing the best they can. I might adjust down, but I would never not tip. Only maybe if the waitstaff was outright mean to me, but that doesn't happen.

If this is the first time this has happened to you, you must be doing ok. Because yea, people can be jerks.

 

[LuvBaloo]

I'm surprise at how many people still tip 10% when the service is bad Tipping is to reward good service. Most people I know don't tip for bad service or leave a rude tip (2 pennies)

I don't know if attitudes are changing or its geographic, but 10% is the norm for average service and 15% for great service in my area, and nothing for bad service. And I do mean only for bad service. If there's problems beyond the servers control, then that doesn't affect their tip.

If it isn't automatically included in the bill, then it is the customer's choice, which isn't great for the servers, but some people will choose not to tip.

 

[luvmy3]

I tip 20% for good service and adjust accordingly for better or worse. I'm sorry that family stiffed you on the tip, that really stinks.

 

[maddmike]

Even though I ALWAYS tip 15%-20% unless the service is bad, I hate the concept of tipping anyone. In my opinion tipping should be outlawed. When a person pays a business for a meal or some other service why then do you have to pay someone to bring it to you. The business should have to pay their employees instead of the customers doing it directly.

But since it is the accepted practice it is sad that people do leave such a small tip. My dad who is in his 70's is like that but its because he is cheap. Last year we went to dinner with 8 of us and he paid for it. I told him I would leave the tip and he said he had that too. When we got up to leave I saw the he left $1, his normal coffee shop tip, for a $120 dinner bill. I left another $20 when he wasn't looking. My dad is not a bad guy but he just doesn't understand that is how some people make their living.

 

[HunnyPots]

My daughter is also a server and I hear complaints like that from her all the time. Fortunately for her, there are usually a few extra good tippers that balance out the jerks. That's about all you can say...

 

[lovebuzz]

I leave 20% for average service and more for great service. I waited tables part time for 9 years and also was a SAHM so, I know how hard it can be.

Sorry about your crappy tip. The way I would look at it is, it would all even out.
There are bad tippers and there are some very generous people. As you said there is nothing that you did wrong. Some people just don't understand how much the restaurant actually pays you and they think that you actually get a check in addition to your tips.

Next time just smile at them sweetly and tell them to have a nice day all the while in your mind you a picturing them choking on the hamburger you just served them.

 

[Imzadi]

Sorry that happened to you. You learned your first lesson that some poople are just plain CHEAP. If they can take advantage of a situation to get out of paying more, they will.

Most times when I see a thread here as a customer asking how much to tip, I often suspect the OP is really asking for permission to tip LESS than the standard 15%-20%. It's not like someone can't Google how much to tip. Most people know what the standard is. If (s)he can find a couple other people to agree with them, they feel justified to tip less.

Also, in my experience in NYC - the tourist mecca of the U.S., Europeans frequently do not tip. In Europe the tip is usually already added onto the bill. So the cheap ones will use that as an excuse, pretending they don't know it's NOT added on in the U.S. But you can tell they know by the look in their eyes. They are waiting for you to speak up and say, "Hey! The tip isn't automatically included." Or they will avert their eyes, as they know they are doing something wrong. Both types know that most polite, well mannered Americans won't speak up. So they get to be cheap and carry on. At a couple of high-end restaurants, I, or my friends did bring it up to the manager on a large bill and the manager interveined, asking if there was something wrong with (what everyone knew was exemplary) service. He quietly & gently reminded the person that the tip was not included and the people would cough up the $10-$20.

At other restaurants, when they see a large group come in, they DO have a rule that the service charge WILL be automatically added onto the bill. This guarantees that the waiter and busboys will not get stiffed at the end for all the hard work they do for a large group.

 

[LoraJ]

I see tipping as a fee for a service and I would never NOT tip. Even if I feel like the service is poor, I just figure the person is doing the best they can. I might adjust down, but I would never not tip. Only maybe if the waitstaff was outright mean to me, but that doesn't happen.

If this is the first time this has happened to you, you must be doing ok. Because yea, people can be jerks.

I feel the same way.
I tip 20%+ for good service.
For rotten service I give 15%.

 

[ucfsweetie82]

I served for about 2 years. Some people are jerks. Don't worry though there are plenty of nice ones. As others have said some people don't feel justified to tip, or I live in Florida and the one I have heard more than once was sorry I spent too much money on this vacation, and I can't afford to tip you.

 

[Heidict]

I saw a report the other day on the news about this. They were saying that there is a growing trend of people not tipping the usual 15%-20% because of the economy. People felt that they just couldn't afford to tip and that the restaurant is lucky to have gotten their business at all.

I don't understand that mindset, because to me, tipping is a part of going out to eat. It should be factored in and expected. Of course, if the service was horrible then I think anyone can understand tipping less the usual, but for anything else there should be a 'normal' tip left.

I think some people are just using the economy as an excuse to be cheap. How they could actually feel good about it is beyond me. If you can't afford to tip then you need to be doing take out or eating at a place where there are no waitresses.

 

[sbell111]

Hi people of the Community Board!

I thought I'd post this here because I usually post on the Teen board but my topic is geared more towards adults.

I know many of you have probably worked as waiters or waitresses and have been in my situation. You get paid slave wages and depend on your tips for the majority of your money. Especially since I'm going to be a freshman in college I'm really depending on the money I make this summer.

Well, yesterday I worked 11 to 8 at Johnny Rockets (It's like a '50s diner) and worked much longer than I thought I would. I was expecting to only work until 2 or 3 but someone on the dinner shift called out and I said I'd work it.

My last table of the night was a 6 top with 4 kids and 2 adults. They all ordered their meals and that was fine. But the parents kept asking for more things, and I kept going back and forth from the table to get refills for the kids. One of the kids dropped his plate so I had to get him another sandwich. The list just kept growing. At the end of it I gave the parents the bill which was $58.48. When I saw the money on the table I did the usual, "I'll be right back with your change." But the dad said it's all set and then left with his family. I count the money and I had a total of $60 in my hand. A whole $1.52 tip...... I printed out the receipt for the "change" and showed it to my supervisor and he looked at it for a long second and went "that's it?" That table should have been around $10.

I did nothing wrong, I got everything they asked for. I got their food to them right when it came out. I pre-bussed the table when I saw empty plates. And I get a wonderful 2.5% tip? I've gotten the 10% tip before, and the 0% from a couple of teenagers but 2.5% from a family of 6?

So my question is how do you tip at restaurants? Do you just do the standard 15-20% or do you take note on the service? I can understand getting horrible service and not tipping well but my service was not horrible to that table.

We love Johnny Rockets!

In general, we tip around 20% for good food/service. At a lower priced place like Johnny Rockets, we would likely tip more. If the service is not good or there is a problem with the food that should have been noticed by the server, the tip may suffer.

If we go to a restarant with my mother in law or sister in law, the tip is generally much greater because they are among the irritating people who must ask the server for something every time she comes back. "Thanks for the extra butter. Can you now get me some extra jalepenos?" Then ranch dressing, then lemon, then this, then that. It makes me want to go postal, I can't imagine how much it peaves the server.

 

[ols386]

I usually tip 20% for the most part....if the service isn't so good, then I'll adjust down a bit, and if the service is really good, I'll even tip more than 20%.

 

[Pakey]

I can't remember having service that I felt was bad enough that it did not warrant leaving 20%. We tip between 20-25%.

If we could not afford to leave a tip, we would not eat out.