Do You Tip At Restaurants?

[Jax08]

Originally Posted by Syaoransbear

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.

It's very, very different in the States as far as money. As far as looks...yeah...better looking people often get better tips. I'm sure someone, somewhere, has done a study with government money on it. LOL

[ayoitzrimz]

i can tell you, here in NYC when I was working my salary was $15 a DAY. a day. that is from 3PM when I came in and setup for dinner, through 11PM when the kitchen closes, through 1-2AM when the last customer leaves, through 3AM when we finish tallying up the tips and dividing them and cleaned up (we pooled tips).

Here's another thing to consider: a lot of places pool tips, especially busy places with a very active bartender (who is also the cashier). I'm not talking about Perkins or Denny and diners where there is a full time cashier but the type of places with an active bar, and swanky feel to them. The bartender doesn't have the time to put tips in individual boxes and so he throws them all in one box which we split afterwards.

Why am I saying this? Because, if you leave someone 1 penny, You may have left every waiter, bus boy, and food runner without a tip. Unless they ALL acted in a terrible manner (for which I wouldn't even pay the bill and have a serious chat with the manager) you might be screwing over people that you did not intend to.

Best approach to bad service is - let it slide if its tolerable (we are all human after all) but if it is sooo bad that it really damages your experience - the manager is the place to go. If the manager does nothing, take the high road - leave 15% and never come back. They will lose your business but the busboys who done nothing wrong will still get paid for their underrated job.

- from a former waiter / busboy / dishwasher

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

If a person is too cheap to tip, they just need to stay home!!
Go out with reasonable expectations .... if you're wanting five star service, don't go to Red Lobster. I had the best service of my life two nights ago at a high end, Brazilian Steakhouse. We paid for it!! We also tipped 25%!

[Anitsisqua]

ALWAYS.

I waited tables throughout college. Most servers make a minimum wage of $2.13/hr and have to tip out to the restaurant based on an expected 10% gratuity.

...If someone didn't tip, I still had to pay the restaurant for the OPPORTUNITY to wait on that table.

Also, if you want to leave a poor tip, do NOT do it because you didn't like the food. Your server has no control over that.

[LaneyB]

I have always tipped, and it would have to be an extreme circumstance for me not to tip. Once as a teenager my friend and I left a penny as a tip. We thought it was really funny. When I told my mom she made us go back, apologize, and give an appropriate tip. That cured me of leaving a penny for life.

[Anitsisqua]

Originally Posted by LaneyB

I have always tipped, and it would have to be an extreme circumstance for me not to tip. Once as a teenager my friend and I left a penny as a tip. We thought it was really funny. When I told my mom she made us go back, apologize, and give an appropriate tip. That cured me of leaving a penny for life.

I applaud your mother.

[Greydusk]

Always.

I had a first date where this guy took me to an expensive restaurant, made me pay for my portion of the meal and then didn't tip...So I had to leave the tip for both of our meals. When I asked him why he didn't tip he said "I never tip, if they (the servers) want more money then they should get a real job."
I left and never spoke to him again.

[gaia_bear]

I try to always tip but it's a sliding scale depending on service. I do tend to tip better when I'm in the states knowing that they are most times working far below minimum wage.

[Syaoransbear]

Originally Posted by Anitsisqua

Also, if you want to leave a poor tip, do NOT do it because you didn't like the food. Your server has no control over that.

But don't servers split their tip money with the chefs in some places?

I don't really understand how restaurants in the united states are able to get away with paying their servers less than minimum wage. Isn't minimum wage... minimum wage? How can you go lower lol?

[Daisy&Lucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by Greydusk

Always.

I had a first date where this guy took me to an expensive restaurant, made me pay for my portion of the meal and then didn't tip...So I had to leave the tip for both of our meals. When I asked him why he didn't tip he said "I never tip, if they (the servers) want more money then they should get a real job."
I left and never spoke to him again.

Wow talk about a bad first impression.LOL I would have done the same.