Tipping in the service industry

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  • joint in a tree
    joint in a tree Posts: 392
    catefrances wrote:
    i remember having a waitress in a bar bring the bill back to us after a meal cause in her words, youve forgotten the tip. i was with 2 americans(this being in NY), so i left it to them to sort out.

    i've done this. except i'm not allowed to say that.
    I make $4.40/hr.
    On a $100 check, i usually make about 20 bucks, $15 will piss me off but whatever, someone else will leave me 25 later.....

    But i've had $100 checks leave me $5-10..."Keep the change, you were great!" And I'll bring it back them and say "Here ya go, 6.70 is your change, have a great evening!" It usually guilts them into leaving more, and if it's a group of people, it lets the other people know that the cheapo was only gonna leave me $6, and they will toss in more, and sometimes, even pull me aside to apologize.

    Here's something else that hasn't been mentioned here, 3% tip out:
    Don't forget, for every $100 worth of stuff we sell, we have to tip out $3 to bussers, bar and hostesses. So if you leave me $10, I'm only getting $7.
    And if you stiff me out of a tip altogether, I'm now negative $3.
    "Find myself singing the same songs every day....
    ones that make me feel good when things behind the smile ain't ok...." -Hoon
  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    joint in a tree wrote:
    i've done this. except i'm not allowed to say that.
    I make $4.40/hr.
    On a $100 check, i usually make about 20 bucks, $15 will piss me off but whatever, someone else will leave me 25 later.....

    But i've had $100 checks leave me $5-10..."Keep the change, you were great!" And I'll bring it back them and say "Here ya go, 6.70 is your change, have a great evening!" It usually guilts them into leaving more, and if it's a group of people, it lets the other people know that the cheapo was only gonna leave me $6, and they will toss in more, and sometimes, even pull me aside to apologize.

    Here's something else that hasn't been mentioned here, 3% tip out:
    Don't forget, for every $100 worth of stuff we sell, we have to tip out $3 to bussers, bar and hostesses. So if you leave me $10, I'm only getting $7.
    And if you stiff me out of a tip altogether, I'm now negative $3.

    I had something similar happen to me. The bill was $58.30. They paid with 3 $20s and a $5 = $65. Obviously they meant for me to keep the $6.70. But, I took them back their change; a $1, a $5 and 7 dimes laid out in the tray so that the whole table would see the shitty tip they were leaving me (these were non-drinking vegetarians, that's why their bill was so low). The guy looked at me and said, "oh, no, that's for you." And I pretended not to hear him and said, "thank you so much! Enjoy the rest of your evening." I didn't go back to the table until they were gone and they kept their $1 and 7 dimes and put out an extra $10. They left me $15. I don't care what tactics I had to use - they got the message.
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    I had something similar happen to me. The bill was $58.30. They paid with 3 $20s and a $5 = $65. Obviously they meant for me to keep the $6.70. But, I took them back their change; a $1, a $5 and 7 dimes laid out in the tray so that the whole table would see the shitty tip they were leaving me (these were non-drinking vegetarians, that's why their bill was so low). The guy looked at me and said, "oh, no, that's for you." And I pretended not to hear him and said, "thank you so much! Enjoy the rest of your evening." I didn't go back to the table until they were gone and they kept their $1 and 7 dimes and put out an extra $10. They left me $15. I don't care what tactics I had to use - they got the message.

    so their entire meal was under $60.. and you treated them like shit until they tipped them more.. in fact so much more that their tip was a QUARTER of their entire fucking meal cost.

    if you had done that to me i would have picked up all the money i had previously left and then thrown it out onto the street... I don't care what tactics I have to use - you'll get the message :)
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    you're not going to take a tip unless its a certain amount?
    wow, you must REALLY be starving for money.
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    dunkman wrote:
    so their entire meal was under $60.. and you treated them like shit until they tipped them more.. in fact so much more that their tip was a QUARTER of their entire fucking meal cost.

    if you had done that to me i would have picked up all the money i had previously left and then thrown it out onto the street... I don't care what tactics I have to use - you'll get the message :)

    hahaha... and start stomping on it? :D
    i'd take it and give it to the cleaning ladies at department stores who make min. wage and don't get tipped and don't complain about it.
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    joint in a tree wrote:
    i've done this. except i'm not allowed to say that.
    I make $4.40/hr.
    On a $100 check, i usually make about 20 bucks, $15 will piss me off but whatever, someone else will leave me 25 later.....

    But i've had $100 checks leave me $5-10..."Keep the change, you were great!" And I'll bring it back them and say "Here ya go, 6.70 is your change, have a great evening!" It usually guilts them into leaving more, and if it's a group of people, it lets the other people know that the cheapo was only gonna leave me $6, and they will toss in more, and sometimes, even pull me aside to apologize.

    Here's something else that hasn't been mentioned here, 3% tip out:
    Don't forget, for every $100 worth of stuff we sell, we have to tip out $3 to bussers, bar and hostesses. So if you leave me $10, I'm only getting $7.
    And if you stiff me out of a tip altogether, I'm now negative $3.

    you have to tip out your staff 3 dollars, even if you dont make any tips? thats ridiculous... i've worked in restaurants before and the logical way was to count the tips seperately, and a portion of the tips goes to the kitchen staff.... i don't realy see how there is any other way to do that to end up in you being negative 3 but if there is that really sucks...

    :confused:
    so if you, say, dont make ANY tips... then you're required to pay 3 %.... of what? what is 3 % of nothing... its not negative...
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • decides2dream
    decides2dream Posts: 14,977
    seriously.....tipping is customary but OPTIONAL.
    damn, reading some posts makes me not want to tip some servers if this is the attitude you take. christ, i read how 'great' it is being waitstaff, the $$$ you make in tips, etc...one who makes $9 an hour before tips? WHY should you get tips on top of that? the only reason i tip all the time is b/c i know - or mistakenly thought apparently - that waitstaf do not even get minimum wage. thus, it most definitely is a part of their salary, good system or bad...it is what it is. there are a few service industry jobs that are similar, and thus tipping is customary.


    bottomline, MOST servers treat customers with respect, good tips or 'bad'....as well they should, it's their JOB. we have many fave restaurants that we go to often, know the staff, etc. we tip well b/c we are treated really well, very good service and genuinely enjoy our dining experiences. if i ever thought a server felt he/she 'deserved' a certain percentage tip, period....'just because'.....screw that. me, i do know overall while sure you can make some great $$$...in the end i personally wouldn't want the job. i would hate to work evenings and weekends to make the best $$$ when that is the time for my social life. sure, make good $$$, but also no paid vacations, no health insurance, etc.....so factoring all that in, to me, not such great $$$. however, i do know quite a few people who made some serious $$$ working in some VERY high-end restaurants, unreal srvice...o perhaps it evens out. yes, i understnad that here in the states most servers 'expect' to be tipped. i always expect to tip, and tip accordingly. byt yikes on the being insulting over tips, expecting a certain amount, etc. damn.....




    btw - i ALWAYS expect to get back my change, and then leave my tip as i see fit according to service. if i ever had a server who was condescending about my tip, i would leave them NOTHING...and you bet, inform the management. and no, in all honesty, i am not that big of a bitch. :p but seriously.......
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    joint in a tree wrote:

    1) when you pick up to go food at a restaurant, the person who rings you up and hands you your bag is also responsible for ringing it in properly, getting your food out of the kitchen, making sure it is timely and correct, and adding any condiments or toppings that may be required. if it seems like there are other people doing that stuff, chances are they are rotating posts and will split the tips at the end of the shift.

    this one was one my favourites... so... if these are all outstanding service qualities, what is required of the job, exactly? like i mean, what is the job description here... if all this is excellent extra out-of-their-way service?

    i'm not saying this as an attack, i'm just seriously curious what the job entitles if not to carry out these tasks?

    i should add, how is this any different than someone who retrieves stock from the back, makes sure you aren't waiting in line too long, rings in your purchase properly, and makes sure you're reciepts are in the bag properly? :confused:
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    decides2dream wrote:


    btw - i ALWAYS expect to get back my change, and then leave my tip as i see fit according to service. if i ever had a server who was condescending about my tip, i would leave them NOTHING...and you bet, inform the management. and no, in all honesty, i am not that big of a bitch. :p but seriously.......


    I wasn't condescending at all. I smiled very poitely, said "thank you very much, and have a great night" with the utmost sincerity. I am an excellent server. People ask to sit in my section. And, at the end of the night, I was telling the rest of the wait staff the story, they were all impressed that I did that and when my boss walked in (the owner of the restaurant), he overheard me and agreed completely with how I handled the situation.
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    doin'the-evolution wrote:
    you have to tip out your staff 3 dollars, even if you dont make any tips? thats ridiculous... i've worked in restaurants before and the logical way was to count the tips seperately, and a portion of the tips goes to the kitchen staff.... i don't realy see how there is any other way to do that to end up in you being negative 3 but if there is that really sucks...

    :confused:
    so if you, say, dont make ANY tips... then you're required to pay 3 %.... of what? what is 3 % of nothing... its not negative...


    Also, I have to pay taxes on 8% of my sales.
    So, if I have $100 in sales and you don't tip me, I still have to pay taxes on $8 that I didn't make. Which means it cost me to come to work that day.
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • decides2dream
    decides2dream Posts: 14,977
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    I wasn't condescending at all. I smiled very poitely, said "thank you very much, and have a great night" with the utmost sincerity. I am an excellent server. People ask to sit in my section. And, at the end of the night, I was telling the rest of the wait staff the story, they were all impressed that I did that and when my boss walked in (the owner of the restaurant), he overheard me and agreed completely with how I handled the situation.



    good for you!
    you also said you made it obvious that you thought their tip was too small, etc...thus guilted them into tipping more. i am a great tipper for great service, but if i ever felt like someone was 'hinting' they should get tipped more....sorry, i would then leave no tip.


    we have lots of great waitstaff in numerous restaurants, there are always excellent waitstaff in many restaurants....so hell yea...i would not be requesting to sit in your section. i rather give my tip to someone who actually appreciates it, doesn't EXPECT or practically demand it....and still gives excellent service. that's just my thoughts. i've also seen read posts of yours saying you prefer getting a 30% tip. so yea......whateva. guess my usual 20% wouldn't be 'good enough' for you. no thank you.
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • EquallyWorthless
    EquallyWorthless Posts: 3,993
    decides2dream wrote:
    seriously.....tipping is customary but OPTIONAL.
    damn, reading some posts makes me not want to tip some servers if this is the attitude you take.


    You know I think this really nails it for me, this is what I was trying to say earlier and was getting attacked for it.
    {if (work != 0) {
    work = work + 1;
    sleep = sleep - work * 10;}
    else if (work >= 0) {
    reality.equals(false);
    work = work +1;
    }system("pause");
    return 0;}
  • Indifference
    Indifference Posts: 2,759
    Are some people really this cheap?

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  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    Also, I have to pay taxes on 8% of my sales.
    So, if I have $100 in sales and you don't tip me, I still have to pay taxes on $8 that I didn't make. Which means it cost me to come to work that day.
    Okay, so you don't get a wage then?
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam
  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    decides2dream wrote:
    good for you!
    you also said you made it obvious that you thought their tip was too small, etc...thus guilted them into tipping more. i am a great tipper for great service, but if i ever felt like someone was 'hinting' they should get tipped more....sorry, i would then leave no tip.


    we have lots of great waitstaff in numerous restaurants, there are always excellent waitstaff in many restaurants....so hell yea...i would not be requesting to sit in your section. i rather give my tip to someone who actually appreciates it, doesn't EXPECT or practically demand it....and still gives excellent service. that's just my thoughts. i've also seen read posts of yours saying you prefer getting a 30% tip. so yea......whateva. guess my usual 20% wouldn't be 'good enough' for you. no thank you.

    Well, their tip was too small! $6.70 on $59?! That's barely 10%! :eek: Plus, they were slow-eating, non-drinking vegetarians that took up waaaaay too much time on a busy saturday night. And the one person at the table who ate meat (chicken) asked for it not to be 'spicy, so no salt.' WTF?! Salt is spicy???!!! The entire kitchen made fun of me when I ordered that lady's food.
    /rant
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • decides2dream
    decides2dream Posts: 14,977
    EquallyWorthless wrote:
    You know I think this really nails it for me, this is what I was trying to say earlier and was getting attacked for it.



    i look as tipping as a necessary evil.
    you know the scene at the beginning of the flick reservoir dogs? that is exactly my sentiment on tipping as well. personally, i would love to see it abolished completely. sometimes you just don't know when it's appropriate or not, and sometimes it seems ridiculous. valet parking! damn....annoys the shit out of me. :p seriously tho, i far rather they get paid a decent wage, build it into the price of the food, haircut, valet parking, whatever...and be done with it. and damn, if some servers are making $9 an hour PLUS getting tips? nice gig! i always thought servers made under $5 an hour, and thus tipping does seem a necessary evil.


    it WOULD be aesome to see some choice on a ballot box to vote to do away with tipping and insist on paying all a decent wage...but until it becomes an 'important' enough issue....just have to deal with the system that is.


    i remember one time at one of our fave places, we inadverently undertipped one of our fave, and excellent, servers. when we got home i felt so bad about it. next time we went in, we made sure to more than make up for it. i guess to the point that she actually questioned us and we explained why. she was of course very gracious and thankful, but said it was entirely unnecessary, we are regular and wonderful customers, always generous, etc......that it didn't even register when we 'undertipped'. made me feel so much better about the situation, etc, but sure....still asked her to keep it, she deserved it.


    reading shite here i am thankful i got such a reaction b/c some posts indicate i'd probably get spit in my food for daring to make an error. :p
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    doin'the-evolution wrote:
    Okay, so you don't get a wage then?

    ok, fine! It wouldn't 'cost' me to come to work that day, I do make $9/hour.
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • decides2dream
    decides2dream Posts: 14,977
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    Well, their tip was too small! $6.70 on $59?! That's barely 10%! :eek: Plus, they were slow-eating, non-drinking vegetarians that took up waaaaay too much time on a busy saturday night. And the one person at the table who ate meat (chicken) asked for it not to be 'spicy, so no salt.' WTF?! Salt is spicy???!!! The entire kitchen made fun of me when I ordered that lady's food.
    /rant


    i
    don't
    care.




    seriously.
    i agree with you it was out of common custom, but it is their right and i think it RUDE and condescending to 'hint' you deserve more. YOU chose the profession knowing full well it could happen. it's a choice. it's my opinion. obviously we disagree...c'est la vie. but as i said, i don't care how excellent your service, if i were ever treated that way as a customer i would tip nothing, tell the management and if i really loved the restaurant, make i never sat in your section again. although honestly, if a restaurant encourages their waitstaff to treat customers in such a way...your boss thinking it was great....i rather give my business and $$$ elsewhere and have great meals, great service...sans condescension.


    i am sure you don't complain when some completely overtip when you did nothing 'more' than usual. it goes both ways.



    and this:
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    ok, fine! It wouldn't 'cost' me to come to work that day, I do make $9/hour.




    seriously. you make $9 an hour + get 20% tip or better on average?
    with such a wage, i don't think waitstaff getting that 'deserve' a tip unless they went above and beyond. is this true thruout cali, or is it just in your area. hell, people who work retail work just as hard, just as crap hours, just as lacking in benefits...and no tips. i think it unfair to get a halfway decent pay + tips.


    damn.

    thus why it would be awesome if tipping were done away with entirely and just give decnt wages!
    perhaps if we could stop waging war, doing shit to our own people, etc...we could actually garner some interest in this issue. as it is, it is so unimportant, but really.......
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • _Crazy_Mary_
    _Crazy_Mary_ Posts: 1,299
    I guess I am just spoiled and accustomed to being tipped really well. I am extremely honest, that is one of my drawbacks, but it's one of those endearing qualities that gets the guests to fall in love with me. When they ask me about different dishes on the menu, I tell them exactly what to expect whether it be good or bad. People do tip me really well, so I am shocked and flabbergasted and do not know how to handle it when I get a crappy tip.
    I really screwed that up. I really Schruted it.
  • haffajappa
    haffajappa British Columbia Posts: 5,955
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    ok, fine! It wouldn't 'cost' me to come to work that day, I do make $9/hour.
    oh, okay... so you're making over minimum wage, actually... that's over canadian min. wage.... that's actually about how much i used to make when i worked at sears... but i don't think anyone there gets tipped when they order an oak crib in from the warehouse in good time...

    you seem really hard done by though.... most definitely....
    live pearl jam is best pearl jam

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