How much do you tip?

JaneNY

At least 20% and I round up. Tip for service. Flirting and doing some of that stuff in the first post would be a turnoff to me. I don't want someone touching my arm and being overly familiar, and I don't give a damn what someone looks like as long as they're clean and polite. All I want is my food brought properly.

MFCarissa

I always try to tip around 20%. It's mathematically easier for me to figure out than 15% anyway. For an attentive server I usually round up a bit. For below average service, I'll round down a bit. If I tip on credit, sometimes I'll round the tip in a way that it makes my total bill an even number.

I feel if you can't afford to tip 15%, you should probably stay at home so you can cook and serve yourself, or get take out. I worked as a waitress for a summer in a small, upstart Japanese restaurant, and my base salary was $2 and change. I served, bussed, helped prepare salads, answered the phone, put together take out orders, etc.

Cradles Broken Glass

JonnyPistachio wrote:

Cradles Broken Glass wrote:

arq wrote:

I tip 10% to 15% depending on the service, I don't mind giving 20% or more if I feel the person went above and beyond, but if you treat me like crap I'll leave 0%

I'm glad to see other people still does 10% sometimes. I always try to leave between 10-15%. I really wish I could leave more, but I'm a grad student with a family so sometimes we are doing good just to enjoy a nice meal out. I have worked in food service during my high school and early college years, I was just always happy to get a tip period. I never expected to get a tip, I was just grateful when I received one(which was almost always). When I was lucky enough to get a big tip, I would just be happy and take it as a compliment that I did my job well. However,to me a tip is someone's way of saying, "thank you for going above and beyond." I don't know that tips were ever meant to be a mandatory thing, but somewhere over time it became an almost sin to not tip. I've worked with people who would just get pissed if they didn't get a huge tip, I think that is tacky. Anyway, that's my thoughts on it.

From what I understand, 18% is standard nowadays for restaurant tips (in my area at least).
No offense, but you probably shouldnt be going out to eat at restaurants if you intend on leaving 10% and thats all you can leave. The people depending on your tips are often in the same boat (students, etc). If they do their job and you leave 10%, you're shorting them. But I guess it all depends on what part of the world you're in and what the standard is for your area. For 10% are you talking about a standard restaurant waiter/waitress?

I always go into a meal expecting to leave 18%, then it can go up to 20-25%, and down as far as 10% for very poor service.

Everyone should remember that servers often get like $2-3 bucks an hour and DEPEND on your tips.

I generally do 15, I only do 10 when there is nothing spectacular about the service or it was sub-par. I realize that they don't get paid that much hourly, like I said, I've did it before too. However, I think that it is a shame that the customer is expected to pay the difference from the slave wages to minimum wage that the restaurant is paying them. Anyway, I don't eat out that much b/c it isn't healthy, but I'm not going to not eat out at all because I'm don't have an extra $10 to throw down on top of a $40 meal. Sorry, I just hate the argument, "well, don't eat out." If everyone who didn't leave a 20% or more tip stayed at home, getting tips would be the least of the wait staff's worries, they would probably be out of a job.

JonnyPistachio

Cradles Broken Glass wrote:

I generally do 15, I only do 10 when there is nothing spectacular about the service or it was sub-par. I realize that they don't get paid that much hourly, like I said, I've did it before too. However, I think that it is a shame that the customer is expected to pay the difference from the slave wages to minimum wage that the restaurant is paying them. Anyway, I don't eat out that much b/c it isn't healthy, but I'm not going to not eat out at all because I'm don't have an extra $10 to throw down on top of a $40 meal. Sorry, I just hate the argument, "well, don't eat out." If everyone who didn't leave a 20% or more tip stayed at home, getting tips would be the least of the wait staff's worries, they would probably be out of a job.

Ahh Ok.. well it makes sense if its sub-par service. I see what your sayin.
I always just consider that if I am paying for a $40 meal, then the difference between a 15% tip and an 18% is only a couple of bucks.. its not a big deal to me.. and if everyone just rounded up a buck or two, things would be good for servers (who give good service of course), but if everyone rounded down a buck or two, servers would be fucked.. and like you said, out of a job if many of those folks didnt go out to eat at all.

I served tables in Boca Raton, Florida -- very upscale, and many of these people who had money usually only gave 12-15% for good service. It pissed me off!

The only other option for restaurants would be to say no tipping, but increase the costs of your meal 15-20% to pay the servers. But it works the way it is now because there are shitty servers too!

JOEJOEJOE

81 wrote:

i wish tipping was only a city in china

those hand-scribbled notes taped to a jar don't lie, my friend!

JOEJOEJOE

I always try to be generous, especially if the restaurant is more "down-home" then it is fancy.

However, It does seem a bit excessive to tip 20% on a $150 dinner bill if there is only 2 people dining.

TwistedThoughts

BinauralJam wrote:

You have to Really suck for me not to give 20 % or more.If you really really suck i'll still give a good tip, but not go back there again.

If a waitress really sucked, I would tip 100% and I would come back again.

dunkman

dunkman

there has been loads of these threads over the years... and they are good fun... but it always ends with people telling me that I should feel bad for the waiters and stuff as they dont get paid good hourly rates and whatnot... not my fault the industry is fucked and that minimum wages are poor or non existent.

it reminds me of the time outside a 24 hour garage at about 3am trying to get food, we were in a small queue of about 10 people and this is the conversation that happened.

girl: excuse me can i get through please
my friend: but we're in a line
girl: but i work here
friend: well you should have done better at school then

Chip McFlennigan

arq wrote:

I tip 10% to 15% depending on the service, I don't mind giving 20% or more if I feel the person went above and beyond, but if you treat me like crap I'll leave 0%

What a cheapskate.

redrock

MFCarissa wrote:

....and my base salary was $2 and change. I served, bussed, helped prepare salads, answered the phone, put together take out orders, etc.

That's where the issue is, not tipping. Not the person leaving (or not) the tip 'shorting' the waiter/waitress, but the employers.

Chip McFlennigan

dr0ptheleash wrote:

Jearlpam0925 wrote:

Ahhhh, love these threads - where's Dunk, or any of the other Euros?


Note to everyone in the US - 15% went out with acid washed jeans. 20% PEOPLE.

Amen. 20 is the minimum when the service is good. The only time to leave less than 20% is when your service absolutely sucked.

You'll get 21% from me.

Chip McFlennigan

If tipping 20% is making or breaking your finances, maybe you guys should just eat out less.

dunkman

or dont tip at all and have 20% more food.

Chip McFlennigan

dunkman wrote:

or dont tip at all and have 20% more food.

I may be morbidly obese and wear a fanny pack, but fucking hell if I don't tip a good server at least 20%. 30% if she accidentally spills food on my lap and then has to clean it up. Happens frequently.

The Juggler

so i guess this is the 2011 tip thread then?

i prefer 2007's

81

dunkman wrote:

or dont tip at all and have 20% more food.

i like how you think.

neilybabes86

i ordered dinner yesterday...

then i decided to do laundry and forgot i ordered

when i came back up to my apt. the delivery dude was sitting on the floor

i felt bad so i gave him 10

haffajappa

I come from a country where we don't pay our waitresses 2 dollars an hour.
I tip if the service is good or if I'm at a restaurant I frequent.

I don't pity wait staff - up here they make more than most people do that are working minimum wage jobs.

Better Dan

I usually leave 15-20 % if its regular or good service. If the restaurant is busy and I can tell that the server is tired and stressed I usually give more, even if the service isn't that great. If the service is bad or especially the wait staff is rude it is 10 % or below.