Tipping

[Social Bacon]

Americans freak out so much about tipping because their minimum wage is so bloody low.

 

[Kyorisu]

Well they are offering you a service. A buck or two sounds good if they give you good service at a buffet by cleaning the plates up before you leave so you have room. You also have to remember that they have to clean up after you. It's not far off from a server really.

Yes and the establishment is the responsible for paying those workers their wages, not me. I will pay the establishment monies for food and services provided and don't expect to have to hand over any additional money thereafter. That's how it works down here. That might have something to do with workers actually earning a decent amount of money for their time.

For those of you that don't believe in tipping...you guys really have NO idea what it takes to serve. It is without a doubt the most stressful and physically demanding job I have ever worked.

Well you chose that line of work you shouldn't expect sympathy from anyone. I have never tipped and never will. I'm not a mean guy either I have never been angry towards those delivering food unless they repeatabley **** things up, and that's pretty damn difficult to do unless the place is packed. I don't make a habit of eating in busy places either, I hate people.

 

[Remus]

Salary and Mandatory tipping - BULL SHIT
No Salary and Mandatory tipping - Lousy job
Salary and non required tipping - Bingo
No Salary and non required tipping - Extremely lousy job

See I personaly have a hard time "seeing your point of view" since over here almost all restaurants go into the "Salary and non required tipping" category, and only the high profile restaurants have the "salary and mandatory tipping" policy.

Yes and the establishment is the responsible for paying those workers their wages, not me. I will pay the establishment monies for food and services provided and don't expect to have to hand over any additional money thereafter. That's how it works down here.

That's exactly how it is over here too.

 

[kirovman]

I don't really eat out, but I'd tip if there wasn't a service charge included. And if the service had been up to standard.

 

[ríomhaire]

I don't tip because I generally don't pay in restaurants. If I did I'd only tip if I felt the service deserved it, and I'd base the ammount on the service alone, not based on a percentage of the price of the food. It's not considered at all compulsory here to tip.

At my restaurant I work solely for tips, we don't get paid by the hour, we don't make a salary.

That's legal?

 

[Insano]

Tipping? That's just weird. Tips are included in the price here, what only seems natural. How can I judge how many the waiter deserves? The boss should decide how much he gets.

 

[Gorgon]

I don't believe in tipping

 

[JFry]

Unless the server really butchers it by being rude or never refilling my drink or something I always give 15-20%. If they really impress me I might throw them an extra $5 or so but that's rare.

 

[Pesmerga]

15% minimum, 25% max

 

[Solaris]

You realise many 'servers' get paid under minimum wage because they are supposed to make it up in tips, it's legal.

If nobody tips, the servers would get paid more to make up for it, it just makes the food cheaper/profit margins bigger if you pay for the service directly in the form of tips.

However, this is not how it should be. In civil war spain, in republican towns and cities, tipping was made illegal. A server should not have to risk his living on the 'kindness' of those he helps and be thankful in return. In these republican areas, communities of equality were established. Just because someone is in a service role, does not make them inferior. It is an affront to their dignity to tip them, it presumes you are in a better position than they are and forces them into a role of servitude.

I tip out of working class solidarity, but I would really like to see a wage increase to replace it.

I work in bars and clubs glass collecting and sometimes behind the bar. It is extremely rare that I get tipped even when I go to extreme lengths to help people. I help them when they fall over. I unblock the sinks they block with their own sick. I spend a lot of time trying to return the several phones/wallets I find on the floor every night. I've searched through a bin full of broken glass with my bare hands for a ring some idiot woman dropped in it, she actually gave me the only tip I've ever got, 2pounds 10p.

It's a bit weird that waiters probably get more money than I (I'm on minimum wage) yet get tips on top of that too. What they do is not harder than what I do, just the people I serve are very drunk and instead of bringing them food, I'm cleaning the food they regurgitated from the bathroom floor whilst they sit in the urinal muttering apologies.

 

[Baal]

I tip at least the tax, which is 14%. Mistaken orders and such don't decrease the amount of tips as a boring server does. I know I wouldn't be able to pull off that "always happy" thing they do, but that's why I'm not a server. If you can't pull it off, don't do the job. I want an exciting server who looks more than happy to be doing their job.

Deliveries are just...whatever. Tax, I guess, depending on what is convenient for the change returned.

Minimum wage is almost $8 where I live.

 

[AKIRA]

i rarely tip, and when i do it's like 3-4 bucks.

I never tip cab drivers and gas station attendants, ever.

Cab drivers are the biggest cheapskates and always try to cheat you out of your money so me and my friends often run away from the cab when we're drunk and he's trying to take advantage of us.

Most of the time when i'm in restaurants, all the waiter/waitress does is serve the food and that's it...they never come by and ask how everything is or for a re-fill, i always have to wave them down to come to my table. And before you say, "uhh it was probably busy", the majority of the time, the restaurant isn't busy at all.

 

[Ennui]

10-20% usually, often closer to 20%

 

[Qonfused]

Are you not paying attention? It's not about the money. I give every one of my customers, regardless of what they order, regardless of how rude or how nice they are, the same respect, and the best service I can provide. When I normally make between 15 and 20% for doing my job and doing it well, when you get some ignorant prick that walks in, orders $200 worth of food and drinks, gets great service, and leaves 20 bucks, that's a slap to the face. You can afford to eat hundreds of dollars worth of food, but come time to take care of the guy whos been taking care of you all night you go cheap? Come on, try to see it from my perspective.

Doesn't that come with the territory? It's like teachers who complain about grading papers and garbage men who complain about how much trash one person leaves on the street. There are low, medium and high tippers. Some people have higher expectations than others. It comes with the territory. Plus, it's not like your entire night's take depends on that one guy. Roll with the punches. I can understand why you'd be mad when that happens, but to completely say "**** you" to them... ehh.

 

[Darkside55]

Food costs pittance in the states. You can afford to tip 20%

Where'd you go to eat? The other night I went out to a local diner and ended up dropping nearly $15 for a burger and fries. There are some places I've eaten at that charge you $4.50 for a glass of water. It's not blanket cheap everywhere, man.

See now insulting me shows just how mature you are, and how ignorant you are. At my restaurant I work solely for tips, we don't get paid by the hour, we don't make a salary. In NJ it's not required to make a salary in a tipping business. So next time make sure you do your research before you start insulting people about things you obviously know little about.

Edit: my family owns over 40 restaurants and bars in northern new jersey and upstate new york (and i dont even work at one of them), that doesn't mean i know anything about restaurants 3000 miles away, so stop presuming to do the same.

First of all, you can't say things like: "A big F*CK YOU to everyone who tips me only 10%!" and then when someone replies that that type of attitude makes them angry you act all indignant and call them "immature." Way to be an awesome hypocrite.

Furthermore, it's still voluntary. Regardless of whether or not your patrons are required to tip, regardless of whether or not you make a salary, that's tough nuts dude. Seriously, TOUGH. NUTS. If you don't like it find another job, that's the bottom line, because ultimately you don't have any kind of right to say what a person should spend on you or your service--that's up to their discretion. Yes, it would be NICE if people paid you highly, but it doesn't mean they're going to. Maybe the person who comes in with a big party and drops $200 worth of food only balanced for $200 worth of food plus customary 10%, ever consider it from their point of view? "See it from my point of view," well, that swings both ways.

And like I said I tip people big when they give me good service because I understand the restaurant industry. I understand servers. Don't assume that everybody does, or that everybody's going to feel entitled to giving you 15%, 20%, or more. You aren't ENTITLED to anything, no matter whether you're not making salary or not.

Because bottom line: THAT AIN'T THE PATRON'S PROBLEM.

Basically all you can do is be courteous and hope for the best. If you don't like it, get another job. But obviously if you can "walk out with $125 a shitty night" and you're cool with that, then stop bitching.

 

[Krynn72]

I tip 20% when in restaurants because waiters and waitresses get paid shit, and the only way they get decent pay for working their shitty job is through tips.

Other places i'll usually tip 10%, since they get real pay.

Obviously if they do an exceptionally good or lousy job that will adjust it, but in most cases the service is pretty much what i'd expect.

 

[Absinthe]

I don't really tip unless I'm reminded to in the company of others. Not to be a dick or prove a point, but it honestly just doesn't occur to me. The two biggest reasons are probably:

A) I don't like working outside of fixed prices. Why? I don't know. I suck at math and I'm obstinate? You could charge me a meal for twice its worth and I'd more gladly pay it than have to work out a tip. I like clarity and constancy. The end price has to be there right in front of my two eyes without some invisible calculation tacking numbers onto it.

B) I've never gotten used to it. It's yet to be ingrained into my restaurant schema. I was always used to tips being worked into the shown price, which was both convenient and fortunate for me in light of point A.

 

[Pesmerga]

Servers make their living off tips, obviously.

As a note, the bartender at my Chilis makes about the same as if she was an elementary school teacher.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

5-10%, definitely depends where though. Not for haircuts though, I just don't understand people on that one.

 

[kirovman]

so me and my friends often run away from the cab when we're drunk and he's trying to take advantage of us.

What, like molestation?

 

[Insano]

I don't believe in tipping

First thing that came to my mind when I saw this thread

 

[AKIRA]

What, like molestation?

lol no, when they're trying to cheat us out of money when we're drunk

 

[ShinRa]

Where'd you go to eat? The other night I went out to a local diner and ended up dropping nearly $15 for a burger and fries. There are some places I've eaten at that charge you $4.50 for a glass of water. It's not blanket cheap everywhere, man.


First of all, you can't say things like: "A big F*CK YOU to everyone who tips me only 10%!" and then when someone replies that that type of attitude makes them angry you act all indignant and call them "immature." Way to be an awesome hypocrite.

I believe you took my "**** you very much" statement way overboard. For the most part I just brush it off and continue working, but at the same time I don't believe in leaving servers as low as 10% unless they sucked. 10% on a $100 check is 10 bucks. Chances are if the check is 100 bucks theyre ordering a lot of shit and taking up alot of your time, and 10 bucks is hardly worth it. Its not hypocritical to make a statement towards a stereotype (cheap tippers) and then tell you to stop insulting me. And unless you are one of these cheap tippers I see no reason for insult on your part either.

 

[CptStern]

15% minimum, 20-25% with really good service

dont be so stingy guys many of these people work blow minimum wage and the work is pretty grueling

 

[Pesmerga]

And that tip gets cut up between a lot of hard working people- bussing, Q&A, togo, etc.

 

[theotherguy]

I tip well for good service. I generally tip more when the resturaunt is not as expensive.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I don't really eat out, but I'd tip if there wasn't a service charge included. And if the service had been up to standard.

This.

 

[Dan]

15% is the norm here. I usually put 15-20

 

[Letters]

I do 20% then round up to the nearest dollar so it ends up being somewhat higher...

If they're bad I'll do 15%.

 

[Darkside55]

I believe you took my "**** you very much" statement way overboard.

You always have to be careful with how you word things on the internet. It's not just me; if you look at most of the replies to your post, your attitude was coming off as shitty. Singling me out because I replied to you first and calling me "ignorant" and "immature" for three pages, even when you aren't talking to me (replying to Glirk) doesn't improve how I'm going to feel about you. "Ignorance like Darkside makes me hate my job." Kid are you for real?

And don't get me wrong--I'm not justifying low tippers or trying to support them. I'm just saying that's the way it is. Don't take your shit out on me because I'm telling it like it is. You don't get tipped big, oh well, find another job; it's been suggested to you countless times. But you say no, that it's still good money even on bad nights--then what are you bitching about? Some people tip good, some people don't. And you aren't entitled to any of it no matter how courteous you are, how backbreaking the work is, or how attentive to the patrons' needs you are. All of that, ALL of it, it's not some divine mandate that says, "I did this for you now you must tip big. If you do not, f*ck you."

Like I said, all you can do is hope they take it into consideration and tip you well. If they don't...that's that. You might get angry about it, but don't act like they slapped you in the face and then screwed your mother. There might be a hundred different reasons why they didn't tip you, and if they bother to give you 10% the reason might not be that they just didn't like you or felt you weren't performing.

You get a bad tip, shit sucks, hope the next person is a big spender. Don't pout about it and then rant on the internet and say, "everyone who doesn't agree with me is immature and ignorant and makes me hate my job." It just makes me want to give you a penny all the more.

 

[Kakashi]

Well again, tipping in the US is usually 15%. I work at a local restaurant, and I only make $3.08 an hour, when we are only tipped 10-12% then it really IS a slap in the face. I work soley for tips, and I try to give my best service as much as possible.

But when it starts to boggle down and gets really busy, its hard to keep up with 6 or 7 tables at once. Serving isn't an easy job, and requires management skills and good customer service. Tips are what a lot of servers work for. People who tip less then 15% is just crud, servers work hard to earn those tips, and they deserve it unless they were really assholes.

When I dine out at places, you see everything different as a server, and me being a server, I usually tip much more then ordinary people do (at least thats what I do). I see how it is for them and I just see it differently. Which I'm sure other servers would agree.

 

[Glirk Dient]

When I dine out at places, you see everything different as a server, and me being a server, I usually tip much more then ordinary people do (at least thats what I do). I see how it is for them and I just see it differently. Which I'm sure other servers would agree.

I think tipping is something you really don't understand until you have served. A lot of kids on here probably don't have enough work experience to understand what a server goes through.

For those of you who don't believe in tipping here is the service you would get the second time you came into my restaurant.

You would sit down...when I get bored I will wander over after I realize you aren't gonna get mad and leave. I will ask you what you want to drink and get that again when I get bored or have some free time...might take 5 mins. Then I will wander over, get your order when its best for me, put it in and let it sit in the window until someone else gets it and then deliver your check. A lot of other servers will never even approach a table known for not tipping. Belive me...when you don't tip servers remember and next time you come in they are going to remember. Your tipping because they are offering a service and your getting a successful dining experience based on tips.

 

[Kakashi]

So then why the hell does the restaurant even pay you in the first place?

But its true though, when someone walks into the door and is known for not tipping, we usually don't give you the best service. Think of it as being on a 'black list'. Even my own managers who hired me would agree with the tipping, its just horrible when we get awful tips.

I'm telling you, you have no idea how it is until you serve yourself. It's not an easy job at all, it gets very frustrating and stressful.

 

[McCoy]

I usually tip 10%. Yeah, and if I'm coming from the airport and my shuttle driver is cool (60 year old Italian named Juventino carrying 5 bags in one arm) ill tip him about 15 bucks. I know a waste.


BUT COME ON. >

 

[Kakashi]

I mean, I'm not trying to sound like an ass and all about people having to tip. But it'd just be very frustrating not getting tips, it can make or break a night for people.

 

[Glirk Dient]

So then why the hell does the restaurant even pay you in the first place?

It's required by state. A lot of states realize that people tip shitty so to compensate you get min wage. A lot of places you make $2-$3 an hour and for working your ass off when it is so physically demanding and stressful its not worth that little. Tipping is not only good for the server but it also gives the server an incentive to be nice and not be a lazy dick. If there were no tips I would never bother with refills or special orders. I just wouldn't care.

 

[phantomdesign]

I think tipping is a scam to both the consumer and the server; it's crazy when they only make like $2 per hour. They should at least make minimum wage & tipping should only occur when service goes beyond the call of duty & the person served feels generous.

If I get get anything resembling sub-par service, I usually leave a tip resembling . . .

• "Refill water more often"
• "You may not be the cook, but I'm still grouchy when my food takes an hour to reach my plate"
• "I shouldn't have to ask for chips & salsa" (or whatever the restaurant normally provides "free" before a meal)
• "I would rather save my 15%, order food at the cash-register, pick it up myself when it's ready, and then check out when I want"
• "Time is money, those 30 minutes I waited for the check were subtracted from your tip."

A tip on how to improve their service is more valuable than money if they listen.

If I get normal service, everything in reasonable amounts ontime, etc, I'll tip 15% because it's customary. Usually though, I question whether the service received was worth the tip.

If I get great service, I'll tip at least 20%, since I knew they're in this hell-hole of a job & even though it's a scam, I think they deserve something for trying.

If the services is EXCEPTIONAL, I'll tip quite generously, but this is rare.

At some restaurants I request specific waiters/waitressed and tip abnormally large.

Sometimes I wonder why you can't tip the chef.

Servers have to pay if you don't pay for the meal.

This is bullshit, I can't believe businesses are allowed to get away with this crap. As I said, tips are a scam.

I also feel cheated when they automatically include tips in the bills; I wonder if you can legally remove the tip from your bill, but regardless I never leave an extra cent if it's automatically added. I had one restaurant with sub-par service put in a tip over 18% (it was around 22%), I marked it off my bill, wrote in "$0.00" and "you can't make me pay 22% & I'm never eating here again."


Regardless, I can save a LOT of money and time by not going to restaurants & getting take-out food, so I rarely (if ever) go to sit-down restaurants anymore.

5-10%, definitely depends where though. Not for haircuts though, I just don't understand people on that one.

Cabs, haircuts, etc . . . every once in a while I hear of a new one and am like WTF? I'd be willing to pay more for a haircut if it was an exceptional once, but doesn't that usually come with the service, whether I chose a place that has $5 haircuts or $35 ones?

 

[Sulkdodds]

I still don't get how anybody gets in a situation where they might get shafted for not tipping.

You leave your tip with the money you pay for the meal, and then you go.

Of course, nowadays, you pay by card, and then you get a mandatory service charge.

 

[Kula Meenur]

Depends where.

Ukraine? Yes

Australia? No

 

[Asknoone]

I think tipping is something you really don't understand until you have served. A lot of kids on here probably don't have enough work experience to understand what a server goes through.

For those of you who don't believe in tipping here is the service you would get the second time you came into my restaurant.

You would sit down...when I get bored I will wander over after I realize you aren't gonna get mad and leave. I will ask you what you want to drink and get that again when I get bored or have some free time...might take 5 mins. Then I will wander over, get your order when its best for me, put it in and let it sit in the window until someone else gets it and then deliver your check. A lot of other servers will never even approach a table known for not tipping. Belive me...when you don't tip servers remember and next time you come in they are going to remember. Your tipping because they are offering a service and your getting a successful dining experience based on tips.

Thank god for not living in America, because that's just retarded.