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Tipping

My wife paid taxes on what she sold, because IRS assumes she was making tips ... and the minimum wage is lower for "tipped" workers ...

As result even on a $12 meal (lunch special) I tip pretty well ($5) ... I feel like I am paying it forward a bit ... I know what it is like to work your a$$ for little to nothing ...


I was laid off in 2003 ... I prayed to make a $100 a day so my daughter and I had to place to stay and something to eat ... I appreciated every penny I got

This is from the Dept of Labor:

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires payment of at least the federal minimum wage to covered, nonexempt employees. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount plus the tips received equals at least the federal minimum wage, the employee retains all tips and the employee customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference.
 
I typically do the same as JB, if it is just myself and my wife I will tip the chef $5 and will tip $10 if I'm with my entire family. Sometimes tip a bit more if he is really interactive with us.
 
I worked as a server all through college, and the advent of tipping counter workers, to-go workers, etc., happened afterwards, and here are my observations:

1. Profit margins in the resaurant industry tend to be pretty thin.
2. Because of #1, corporations/business owners are trying to pass off decent wages for more and more workers onto the consumer through tips, ie., they want us to pay their wages. What's next, we tip the dishwasher?
3. Corporations/business owners will sometimes try to maximize their profits and buy a 2nd vacation house by combining #2 with poor product (food).
4. If I get poor product (food), I tip these other 'tip workers' nothing, because I refuse to subsidize some restaurant owner's lifestyle, and hopefully these workers will quit and get a better job and the restaurant will go out of business.

When it comes to servers, however, I start at 20% for average service, and go from there. My wife always complains that I over tip.
 
I've got a scenario... Interested to see what number you'd leave.. I'm not mad, but it'll probably go down as one of the weakest efforts I'll see on the year.

- Waitress is friendly, gets drinks and comes back in reasonable time to take order.
- Meal takes what seems like ages (which is fine, no hurry) but NOTABLE lag between order and meal.
- Tell waitress only two settings are there and get told more silverware would be coming - None arrives (although burgers can be enjoyed by hand
- Mom's diet coke stays empty for probably 20 minutes
- bottomless fries arrive probably 15 minutes after meal is complete.
- Waitress blames wait time on kitchen (at least she didn't blame them for the diet coke)
- We're in the bar area, by the way. Probably half full.

Check is 37 dollars. What do you leave?
 
$5 and be on my way.
 
Canadan said:
I've got a scenario... Interested to see what number you'd leave.. I'm not mad, but it'll probably go down as one of the weakest efforts I'll see on the year.

- Waitress is friendly, gets drinks and comes back in reasonable time to take order.
- Meal takes what seems like ages (which is fine, no hurry) but NOTABLE lag between order and meal.
- Tell waitress only two settings are there and get told more silverware would be coming - None arrives (although burgers can be enjoyed by hand
- Mom's diet coke stays empty for probably 20 minutes
- bottomless fries arrive probably 15 minutes after meal is complete.
- Waitress blames wait time on kitchen (at least she didn't blame them for the diet coke)
- We're in the bar area, by the way. Probably half full.

Check is 37 dollars. What do you leave?
Click to expand...
Probably $3. But if I ever leave a sub par tip, I tell the waiter why I'm unhappy, it doesn't happen often. I will usually tell a waitress if it seems slow that as long as my glass is getting refilled I am usually a happy camper.
 
Ouch Dan. Sounds like an experience I had recently. I'd probably drop $6 down and be on my way. Never do less than 15% because it's their living but I'm usually at or above 20% for perspective.
 
I'd probably leave $3 to make the tab an even $40. I am willing to leave nothing but it needs to be a lot worse than this.


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Drop a 5 and tell her why you were unsatisfied.
 
I always begin a meal with 20% on the books and go up or down accordingly from there.

My beverage sitting empty knocks 10% off right away. Yes to me it is the deal breaker. You can be as rude as they come but My glass is refilled before I ask. You've gone up 5 to 10 percent right there.

So in your scenario. Probably a five and be on my way.
 
$4. I always leave at least 10% no matter how bad it is. But I didn't always do that.
But some of you saying you tip like $5 on a $10-15 meal is just crazy to me.
that's a 30-50% tip???
 
Great service = 20% (Maybe more if they are that good)
Above average service = 15%
Average service = 10%

And bad service = Zilch!
 
I would drop 3$ for effort, but also explain why this is. I usually go 20-25% if the service is good. Ok service will get around 15% and bad service a smile and thats it.


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I worked in restaurants and bars when I was younger, and made some nice amounts of money doing so, simply by being polite and attentive. Make sure their glasses are full, ask them how their meal is, see if there are other things you can help them with; all without being intrusive. People are at your place to have a nice time, and you should make sure they have it. I don't think you have to be rewarded if you don't deliver. I always refused to accept tips if we screwed up on order, and if they insisted on tipping, made sure they'd have a drink on the house.

I personally start at 10%. Depending on how good the service is, that might go up or down. Yesterday we had a great meal and some really friendly, and attentive waitresses, we tipped about $50,- on a $225,- tab. A couple of weeks ago we had a bad experience; Food took ages to arrive, drinks took almost 20 to be served and were never refilled until you specifically asked for it by calling someone; ordered dishes didn't arrive, staff acted like everything was too much of an effort, and no apology for things that went wrong... So we gave a $1,50 tip on a $378,50 tab; I really hope the message was received.

Canadan said:
I've got a scenario... Interested to see what number you'd leave.. I'm not mad, but it'll probably go down as one of the weakest efforts I'll see on the year.

- Waitress is friendly, gets drinks and comes back in reasonable time to take order.
- Meal takes what seems like ages (which is fine, no hurry) but NOTABLE lag between order and meal.
- Tell waitress only two settings are there and get told more silverware would be coming - None arrives (although burgers can be enjoyed by hand
- Mom's diet coke stays empty for probably 20 minutes
- bottomless fries arrive probably 15 minutes after meal is complete.
- Waitress blames wait time on kitchen (at least she didn't blame them for the diet coke)
- We're in the bar area, by the way. Probably half full.

Check is 37 dollars. What do you leave?
Click to expand...
I'd leave 3 bucks, just to make it a nice round number.
 
I am at Disney this weekend. They typically add tips for sit down restaurants (automatic 18%). My beef with that is that I paid an automatic 18% gratuity on a buffet last night, where my server's only job was to take drink orders.

Interesting trivia: Supposedly the highest paying non-management job at Disney World is a server at Hoop Dee Doo Review. It's a pre-set menu where they drop off buckets of ribs, chicken, etc. at your table while you watch a show. Tip is included and they can do like 3 or 4 shows per night. I have heard servers there usually clear $400-$500 per night. Someone has to die or retire for you to get a job doing that, and many of the servers have been there since WDW opened.
 
Canadan said:
I've got a scenario... Interested to see what number you'd leave.. I'm not mad, but it'll probably go down as one of the weakest efforts I'll see on the year.

- Waitress is friendly, gets drinks and comes back in reasonable time to take order.
- Meal takes what seems like ages (which is fine, no hurry) but NOTABLE lag between order and meal.
- Tell waitress only two settings are there and get told more silverware would be coming - None arrives (although burgers can be enjoyed by hand
- Mom's diet coke stays empty for probably 20 minutes
- bottomless fries arrive probably 15 minutes after meal is complete.
- Waitress blames wait time on kitchen (at least she didn't blame them for the diet coke)
- We're in the bar area, by the way. Probably half full.

Check is 37 dollars. What do you leave?
Click to expand...
$3 is left. If I'm getting the bare minimum they get 10%. There are things that can be done if food is late. Servers should do more than take orders. Their job is to insure your experience is good if not better. I think servers have gotten lazy since the days I waited in tables and poured drinks.
 
Even on takeaway food the server gets taxed 8% of the bill. That's why I typically tip about 10% for that.
 
Thanks for the answers guys. We left just over 10% (4) and honestly I felt terrible about it, but that comes from a background of giving great service while I waited tables in college and getting stiffed by people. I don't know where along the line my brain thinks that a minimum of 15% should be paid out, but it was eye opening last night for me. Bad service and I leave feeling guilty - That seems so ridiculous to me.
 
Canadan said:
Thanks for the answers guys. We left just over 10% (4) and honestly I felt terrible about it, but that comes from a background of giving great service while I waited tables in college and getting stiffed by people. I don't know where along the line my brain thinks that a minimum of 15% should be paid out, but it was eye opening last night for me. Bad service and I leave feeling guilty - That seems so ridiculous to me.
Click to expand...
Dude im the same way, I hate leaving a bad tip. I feel compelled to hand them the tip and say this is why your getting a small tip. But I never do that.
 
I'll preface and say I bartender for 7 years & as one who lived off of tips I understand having a bad day or the kitchen jacking things up. I'll always tip above normal bc it's just habit.

My biggest gripe would be the empty diet coke or anything else within the servers control. You may not cook the food, but if that's the case that table better be spotless and drinks filled.
 
mikeg_74 said:
I'll preface and say I bartender for 7 years & as one who lived off of tips I understand having a bad day or the kitchen jacking things up. I'll always tip above normal bc it's just habit.

My biggest gripe would be the empty diet coke or anything else within the servers control. You may not cook the food, but if that's the case that table better be spotless and drinks filled.
Click to expand...

I mentioned the additional place setting which wasn't a huge deal, but after asking us if we wanted more fries (well after our fries were consumed) she left without bothering to clear off our finished plates. In fact they sat there for the 15ish minutes it took for our next set of fries to arrive.

That was kind of the boiling over point for me, with regards to service quality. That and the diet cokes were entirely under her control. Kitchen activity varies between restaurants but I've been there.. I know they aren't perfect.
 
question for those who have written that they would give a lesser tip and explain why to the server. Did you honestly do that, or just think you should have. And if so, I'd be interested in hearing some of the responses you got from the servers.

I ask only because I've felt compelled to do that many times, but in truth I actually just leave what I am going to leave and walk away. I have complained to the manager on the way out, but never confronted a server directly about poor service...late food yes, but not the actual service. Guess I try to avoid confrontations when possible :)
 
T2GRN18 said:
Dude im the same way, I hate leaving a bad tip. I feel compelled to hand them the tip and say this is why your getting a small tip. But I never do that.
Click to expand...
There is no such thing as a bad tip. A tip is based on service rendered. If it's large then service was solid uts small then service was poor. The servers need to be on their game if they want to me good money. People need to stop feeling compelled to support poor service
 
Canadan said:
I've got a scenario... Interested to see what number you'd leave.. I'm not mad, but it'll probably go down as one of the weakest efforts I'll see on the year.

- Waitress is friendly, gets drinks and comes back in reasonable time to take order.
- Meal takes what seems like ages (which is fine, no hurry) but NOTABLE lag between order and meal.
- Tell waitress only two settings are there and get told more silverware would be coming - None arrives (although burgers can be enjoyed by hand
- Mom's diet coke stays empty for probably 20 minutes
- bottomless fries arrive probably 15 minutes after meal is complete.
- Waitress blames wait time on kitchen (at least she didn't blame them for the diet coke)
- We're in the bar area, by the way. Probably half full.

Check is 37 dollars. What do you leave?
Click to expand...
These two things fall directly on the server, regardless of what the kitchen was doing. Under normal circumstances I'm leaving $7 and change tip (I'm neurotic and make all my bills even out at $.00 change). Under the one you described, $4 or $5 and not feeling bad about it at all.
 
CAA_Beat said:
question for those who have written that they would give a lesser tip and explain why to the server. Did you honestly do that, or just think you should have. And if so, I'd be interested in hearing some of the responses you got from the servers.

I ask only because I've felt compelled to do that many times, but in truth I actually just leave what I am going to leave and walk away. I have complained to the manager on the way out, but never confronted a server directly about poor service...late food yes, but not the actual service. Guess I try to avoid confrontations when possible :)
Click to expand...
Great question. My rule of thumb in life is "if the person did a bad job talk to them, if they did a great job talk to their boss." But I don't do that with wait staff...just feels too uncomfortable and a hope/assume they get the message by what I leave as a tip. I think one time I left a polite but clear note on the check. In retrospect that was the cowardly approach.



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