The "Do you take tipping seriously?" thread

[Justin]

Originally posted by 4thTimeLucky
A couple of people have said that they walk out of restaurants without paying.....

@ Don't staff come after you or call the police ever?

They make you wash the dishes.....at least that's what they do in the movies.

It simple for me, if you do an excellent job, I'll tip you well. If you dont, I wont at all.

The funny thing about this? I'm a college student and I understand that these types of jobs can be quite stressful.
They depend on every dollar to make money.

[santafe5000]

15-20% depending on the service. What really gets me tho, I recently ate in a cafeteria down in Houston, TX and they had a sign on the table that said Tips were really appreciated. What the heck, I did all the work myself. Got the food, got the drink, got the silverware, then put the tray and dirty dishes on a conveyor to the washing area. If anyone deserved a tip, I didn't see it.

[bundy]

Originally posted by Meridae'n
Here in Australia we don't tip at all, but by some of the figures above, we pay a lot better.

I'll tip if the service is good, but i don't believe in tipping just for getting mediocre service. I'll also tip cabbies, usually cause i'm pissed...

this is true.
i used to tip, when i was a barman and used to try to promote the general tipping of all barpeople the world over... but now i´m just too poor.
like i said in another thread, i´ll tip a bar person or a cabbie if they´re great, but apart from that, i don´t do it.

[meepa]

I tend to tip pretty generously if I feel I actually got good service. Otherwise I'll just go with a flat 10% "Wow you did your job!" tip that I feel I do more out of obligation than anything else. Rarely do I actually get bad enough service that I won't tip at all, but it's happened from time to time. I personally think it's an annoying custom, because it's gotten to the point where a customer is a jackass if they don't tip for even sub-mediocre service. However, it's not as bad in the U.S as it is in Europe. In all my experiences over there, they expect a tip for every damn little thing that goes on. It's like you're walking down a sidewalk, and someone coming the opposite direction doesn't bump into you. Next thing you know, he's holding his hand out waiting for a few pounds.

[fallen_angel]

i used to wait tables when i was 15 and i would always try to satisfy my customers. I did this mainly because i needed the tip money to help buy my first car. then in my last few jobs i worked for taco tico and taco bell. when i worked there many of my regular customers would tip me cuz they felt sorry for me, i didnt mind though. but my policy is since i know what good service is and understand how the server feels, i try to tip them according to how much attention they pay to me and whomever i am with. Also i take into factor how often my drink is refilled, dishes cleared away, how fast i get my salad and how friendly they are, but they get docked for asking me questions when i just took a large mouthful of food. anyways i usually at least tip a dollar unless they really make me mad

This one time i was at the olive garden and the waitress went to cash us out and came back and handed me $3 and no change, i asked for the change because i always save my change (force of habit) and she got all rude about me wanting the change, she said well i just thought that was my tip and i was like no im a poor college student and i save my change, then she said that she was too and she had a kid to support while being in school, trying to lay a guilt trip on me. all i could think was you stu[id girl you shouldnt have gotten knocked up cuz then you wouldnt have to take money even if its change from people. You know the sad thing is i was gonna give her a dollar but she took my .67 and that just pissed me off so she didnt get a tip. gosh some people, sorry i had to rant

[hawkeye]

Originally posted by gov135
Minumum wage I believe is up to 6 something an hour.

Actually, Min. wage is $5.15/hr

Originally posted by Cynthetiq
like Mr. Pink said in Resevoir Dogs, "The guy at McDonald's brings your food, you don't tip him."

McD's workers earn minimum wage or better.


I work in foodservice, so I know what the servers have to put up with. I tip as well as I can depending on how much money I have. I will always leave 10% even for bad service, but 20% or better for really good service.

[soopadoopa]

15% if they don't give me a reason to give less (pocket change). Round it up a dollar or two if they're friendlier than average. And Hooters girls usually get a great tip if they don't fall into the first category. I mean, they're giving more of themselves, aren't they?

[Semi-Normal]

In New Zealand tipping isn't necessary, but isn't unheard of. I usually tip a little to the bar staff when I'm out on the piss. I never eat in restaurants (too poor, as I'm not earning much above the minimum wage myself) but would probably leave a little if I felt they deserved a bit extra. If/when I travel to the States I will of course observe local customs.

I work in a bar myself. The bartenders usually make a few bucks a night each in tips. Not sure about the waitresses but probably about the same. I'm a glassy (clear tables and clean glasses early in the night, keep the bar stocked when it's late) and as such get tipped less than the bartenders and waitresses. Most of what I have been tipped was from Americans. We love you guys over here.

[Midnight_Son]

People I tip:
(Provided the service isn’t sub-par)

1. restaurant wait staff including the host or hostess
2. barber / hair stylish
3. grocery store bag boy (outside pick-up )
4. bouncers / bartenders
5. stockmen that bring stuff to your car for you (like the kids at Wal-Mart)
6. clerks in the men’s clothing departments (provided I buy something)
7. taxi drivers (cheaper than a DWI ticket)
8. pizza delivery people

you don’t have to tip a lot, usually a buck or two (wait staff based on bill)
but I live in a small town and I get treated like a king everywhere I go.
It’s a very small price to pay.

[dy156]

I waited tables fo 4 years, and tip well because I remembered how much it sucked. Bad service = 15% and a note on the bill. Good service = 20% or better.

I have two questions, though.
1. Do the girls at Sonic make minimum wage comparable to other fast food employees, or do they rely on tips like waitresses?
2.It was said that you don't need to tip 15% on a really expensive bill for dinner for two. I've also been told you don't need to tip that much for an expensive bottle of wine. Is this true? I used to hate it when people ordered lots of stuff and didn't tip, and I don't want to be the guy that goes to some fancy-schmancy restaurant and tips lousy. When I waited tables, it was certainly not at fancy restaurants, so I was hoping someone with that experience could offer their perspective.

[HockeyGuy]

I've worked in a cafe and a country club and because of this yea tipping is serious. In general (or at least s o i'm told) ppl say i'm a generous tipper, But if the service is crap, then the tip willbe too!

[ForgottenKnight]

I normally don't calculate it and just leave what I think is a suitible amount. Later on I sometimes calculate how large of a tip it was, and it's always above 10%....once in a while as much as 20%...I guess I'm a big tipper.

[striderkevin]

Depends on the type of restaurant and the service. If it's a cheaper place like Baker's Square or something and the service was exceptional, I usually leave a 5. If I really can't tell what I should tip from the service I received, then I usually double the tax or maybe leave a few bucks.

[Lyaec123]

I usually tip pretty well, at least 15%+ if they did a good job, but it pissed me off the other day when we came in as a big group (9 or 10) to a stir fry restaraunt, and the server (who brought me water like 20 times during the night even though I didn't want any to begin with) and thats it threw a 15% gratuity into our bill because we were a big group. Believe me, you don't deserve $30 from us for bringing a bunch of college kids water for 45 mins on wednesday night. Thanks.

[Great Scott]

You know they tell me that here in Finland that the service charge is always included. Well I work in a service job and I fail to see where we see the extra service fee that should be included. I tip when I get good service, period. Someone in a service job should be rewarded since there are so many who don't give a damn. I have NEVER had anyone get offended or give my money back to me (of course I am picky and not offensive). I did use to turn down tips when I worked on an ambulance though. Rationalle being I was payed full wages and not a taxi.

[alkaloid]

Here in Northeastern US, I tip 20%. I feel guilty if I tip less and it's easier to calculate than 15%. I read somewhere a while ago that the academics are the worst tippers and I would tend to agree. Not only are they "merit-based", therefore poor, tippers, they also hog the table for significantly longer than others, being smart and having lots of interesting things to discuss over dinner.

Many years ago I used to belong to Mensa high IQ society and once I joined a dozen or so Mensans out to dinner. After the (rather lengthy) meal, it was fascinating how many of them proceeded to calculate their bill by remembering what each of them ordered and calculating the tax and the tips. I think the woman next to me noticed that I "overtipped" and gave me a pitiful expression. "The poor thing can't multiply."

In a recent episode of "This American Life" (episode: Allure of A Mean Friend audio archive ) a waitresss performs an experiment to see whether the tips she gets really depends on the level of service she provides. Through an experimental method that was not entirely scientific, she reached the conclusion that tips do not depend at all on how cheerful and helpful you are to the customer. As long as some minimum service level is reached, you will get the same amount of tips.

[wry1]

I'm an over-tipper, and damned proud of it.

However, like warrrreagl and a few others I've read so far, I refuse to tip if I'm not seeing service.

Just so the record is straight, when I say I "over-tip", I'm talking tips of 30%-100% of the bill. I've given a waitress $100 for incredible service for my friends and myself in the past, and I'm usually willing to do the same if my standards are met. Even if it's mediocre service, the server will usually see 30% out of my pocket, and that in itself is usually incentive enough for them to treat me right the next time I come in.

On those rare occasions when there is just no redeeming feature for the nightmare dining experience (for example, when the server is doing his or her own thing to the expense of all their tables) then they get just what they deserve....jack shit. I have done this in places which I regularly frequent, and the server(s) who receive nothing usually wind up getting set straight by those I've tipped the hell out of.

Besides, I am more than willing to go to the hostess' stand or seek out the manager to change my seating if I'm saddled with a server who has a track record of poor service (3 or more times with shoddy treatment will get that "track record" going quite nicely in my book). I won't do business with people I cannot count on, and I make sure that those who take pride in their work and in the care of their customers see ample rewards from my end.

I like to think of it as Instant Karma....you get back just what you put out. College student or not, actor or not....I really don't care. If you're a waiter, then that's what you are when you're at work. I don't ask to hear about the tryouts and auditions the "actors" and "actresses" are going to, and I certainly don't care about the hectic college life. I've been there and done that. All I expect of my servers is to be attentive, prompt (whenever possible) and courteous. Failing those three things will get you.....NO TIP!