Do You Tip At Restaurants?

[Syaoransbear]

Originally Posted by x0emiroxy0x

The funny thing is, you are "that guy" and don't even know it. The person the servers moan about the second you walk in the door. Anyone who would leave a penny just to spite someone instead of being an adult is the type of person servers hate to wait on.

I had the absolute worst service of my life, and the waiter was a jerk to top it. Know what I did? I used my big girl words and asked the manager for a new waiter.

Going to the manager seems a lot meaner since that would get them in trouble. Leaving a penny is a discreet way of telling them they did a bad enough job that you are choosing not to tip and that they should do better next time. If you go to a manager they could lose their job. At least leaving a penny gives them a chance to do better.

I just don't really understand why restaurant owners don't increase prices on their menu to cover the cost of tips and abolish tipping altogether. If people are tipping for crappy service anyway why not just pay your servers more . Tipping cultures are so annoying because what ends up being about rewarding someone for going above and beyond the call of duty ends up just being a meaningless bribe for them to not spit in your food. And I don't really understand how it only applies to some jobs like servers, drivers, hair dressers, etc but not other jobs where someone has given you exceptional help. People who work at fast food places are chefs and servers all at the same time, it's weird that they don't get tips.

[lhczth]

ENOUGH!! The personal attacks will stop NOW or warnings will be sent. And don't try the "I didn't see your post before I posted" stuff. Warnings will still be sent.

ADMIN Lisa

[Jo_in_TX]

Always. Bad food - I still leave a tip. Also leave a tip for slow service due to short staff or new server or what looks like general chaos.

Only time I will leave less than 15% (usually leave 20% or more) is for VERY RUDE BEHAVIOR, and I even account for the fact that everyone has a bad day, but I think we all know the difference between "I'm having a bad day" and "I'm just a rude jerk."

Truly rude jerks get $50 cents to a dollar, but I've probably done that two or three times in the last 30 years.

[Jax08]

Syaoransbear - waitressing used to be a money maker. When I waitressed, we made about $2/hr + tips. If the tips did not equal at least minimum wage then the employer had to supplement our income. Then the government decided to tax tips. At that point, we had to tally our sales, including take out orders that you never get tips on, and we had to report a % of the sales. What happened was many nights we were claiming more than we actually made.

Because I know this...it's very hard for me to justify NOT tipping. Even when the service is bad, I leave something because everyone can have a bad day at some point. It has to be absolutely atrocious for me to stiff the wait staff. What bothers me is when the wait staff has to split their tips with other waiters or with kitchen staff. If I know that, I leave a small tip on the table and hand the real tip to the waiter

What many places will do is add gratuity to the bill. They add the tip to the bill, it's not negotiable, and the wait staff comes out with a good income.

[martemchik]

I'll tip as long as there isn't a huge mess up. Sorry...if you mess up your job, you don't deserve to get a tip. Everything comes with consequences. I'll generally not talk to a manager unless there is some huge huge huge issue, and I've never had to do that. I won't leave a tip, but I'll go back to a restaurant if I enjoyed the food. I get the fact that sometimes people make mistakes/have bad days, but it doesn't mean I need to still pay them when they make a mistake.

Like if a server forgets to put in a meal for one person out of my group, and then realizes it only after the food is brought out or someone at the table mentions it to them. I don't believe you deserve a tip...I mean, the person has to sit there and wait another 10 minutes while the people either eat or they wait for that person to get their food and the food on the table gets cold.

If I mess up in my job, there are consequences, and I can't use "bad day" or "swamped" as an excuse.

[Syaoransbear]

Originally Posted by Jax08

Syaoransbear - waitressing used to be a money maker. When I waitressed, we made about $2/hr + tips. If the tips did not equal at least minimum wage then the employer had to supplement our income. Then the government decided to tax tips. At that point, we had to tally our sales, including take out orders that you never get tips on, and we had to report a % of the sales. What happened was many nights we were claiming more than we actually made.

Because I know this...it's very hard for me to justify NOT tipping. Even when the service is bad, I leave something because everyone can have a bad day at some point. It has to be absolutely atrocious for me to stiff the wait staff. What bothers me is when the wait staff has to split their tips with other waiters or with kitchen staff. If I know that, I leave a small tip on the table and hand the real tip to the waiter

What many places will do is add gratuity to the bill. They add the tip to the bill, it's not negotiable, and the wait staff comes out with a good income.

But it's not like that here. Waitressing is still a money maker here. My cousin makes a tonne being a waitress and is forgoing secondary education because she doesn't see the point when she already makes so much. But that's because she gets $10/hr plus tips. And she's pretty. Good looks will get you better tips than good service unfortunately.

Yeah I never understood splitting the tips between people, because that means someone doesn't even need to do a good job to get a tip and they can ride on the coat tails of an exceptional server.

[Caledon]

I agree about increases in food to cover tipping.

In Canada wait staff make minimum wages. My friends son brags how he makes $25 to $30 an hour as a waiter in milestones or canyon creek type of restaurant. He expects tips. Thinks its his right. Think those that leave 15% are cheap. Loves the money so much he has not bothered to get a job after he graduated university.

Then I've heard the comment that the staff talk about you if you do not tip up to their standards and serve accordingly. Ok I'm sure that's a small percentage but there is an attitude.

My daughter was a waitress and she would tell me stories about what the staff, and management would say.

They feel entitled to a good tip because they are there, doing their job.

Sometimes the tips go directly to the management too. Not right.

I do tip by the way, but wish the system was different.

[Liesje]

Originally Posted by Syaoransbear

And I don't really understand how it only applies to some jobs like servers, drivers, hair dressers, etc but not other jobs where someone has given you exceptional help.

Yep, I do 100% service and we're not allowed to accept tips. Well, except one time someone had already ordered and paid for a pizza so we ate it. Not only do I not GET tips but any customer I deal with has the opportunity to survey me and it goes directly to my boss.

[Syaoransbear]

Originally Posted by Caledon

I agree about increases in food to cover tipping.

In Canada wait staff make minimum wages. My friends son brags how he makes $25 to $30 an hour as a waiter in milestones or canyon creek type of restaurant. He expects tips. Thinks its his right. Think those that leave 15% are cheap. Loves the money so much he has not bothered to get a job after he graduated university.

Then I've heard the comment that the staff talk about you if you do not tip up to their standards and serve accordingly. Ok I'm sure that's a small percentage but there is an attitude.

My daughter was a waitress and she would tell me stories about what the staff, and management would say.

They feel entitled to a good tip because they are there, doing their job.

Sometimes the tips go directly to the management too. Not right.

I do tip by the way, but wish the system was different.

I've also noticed the attitude that your friend's son possesses. My husband's coworker once had a waiter chase him down the street and demand more money because he didn't give a good enough tip. I hate the sense of entitlement to get a generous tip for doing the bare minimum, which is what the hourly wage pays for.

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

Originally Posted by Syaoransbear

I've also noticed the attitude that your friend's son possesses. My husband's coworker once had a waiter chase him down the street and demand more money because he didn't give a good enough tip. I hate the sense of entitlement to get a generous tip for doing the bare minimum, which is what the hourly wage pays for.

Not sure where you're at, but around here waiters can make as little as $2.00.... I will always leave at least 15%... if the service was horrible, ill just not go back... Austin has a ton of great restaurants ... places without good service don't last long.