Restaurant Tipping

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GB said:
Neither do I. Both those options sound the same to me.

Why should the tip be based on the cost of the food it you are tipping for good service? It just does not make much sense to me.

That was my point/question.

I calculate the tip (for the service) based on the amount of the bill. When, actually, that doesn't make sense -- or does it?

BTW, I tip 15-20% of the total bill.

(And, when I've paid by credit card, I usually paid the server in cash - from the time I learned server's have to declare tips.)
 
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suzyQ3 said:
Why should the tip be based on the cost of the food it you are tipping for good service? It just does not make much sense to me.

I'd never thought of it that way. There must be some rationale that we're missing here., and I'd love to hear it.

Suzy, that was the point/question I was raising.:) Not so much as How Much - but based on what?
 
Our tax here is 7 3/4 % so I will usually double the tax for a tip. If I aam out with my group of friends and there are 6 or more the tip is added to our bill.Dove
 
mish said:
(And, when I've paid by credit card, I usually paid the server in cash - from the time I learned server's have to declare tips.)
Why do you feel they should not have to declare their tips? Why would you purposfully want to help them break the law?
 
Mish I guess what I do not understand is
mish said:
Do you pay a percentage of the bill for the tip to the waitstaff
sounds like the exact same thing as
mish said:
paying a percentage based on the meal/check total?

I guess I do not see the difference in those two things. Can you clear it up for me?
 
I have to be extremely upset with service to not leave a tip. The other day hubby, son and I were out to eat. We were waiting quite awhile when the server came over and said he was very sorry but her forgot to put our ticket in, and he had already talked to the manager and he would be over shortly. Manager was there in a couple of minutes he apologized, and said he would take off 2 of our meals. Server apologized about 20 more times before we left. He got a pretty good tip, because he was honest about the problem and they tried to make it right. Then kids and I were out and the waitress was awful, she wouldn't refill drinks, if we asked for something, we had to ask 3 or 4 times, and still wouldn't get what we asked for. Manager was too busy to talk, so I didn't leave a tip. So I guess to answer the question, finally, I tip based on service.
 
We generally tip 20% for satisfactory service. What really irritates me are "tip jars" at fast-food/pizza type places. Places where I call in my order, then go & pick it up. I don't see tip jars at Burger King or McDonald's. What's the difference? Because the food is better than a burger joint, I should tip the person who rang me up? I don't think so. I frequent places with tip jars less than those withOUT tip jars.
 
This is one of those questions that encompasses so many variables it's impossible to answer.

I just deleted everything I typed because I can't give a straight answer and too many scenarios came to mind. :neutral:
 
I don't tip at burger joints as those workers do make at least minimum wage. Plus around here they don't wait on you in those palces; the customer does all the work of finding a clean table, bringing the food to said table, etc. I tip according to service based on the cost of the meal (does that make sense?). I am a very good tipper for good service and I tell the wait staff that I appreciate their good service too. A little pat on the back can go a long ways!! If they are not good; I try to point out what I was unhappy with and also talk to the manager if it was really bad. I have worked as a waitress and in the kitchen; I know what they are dealing with. But what do I know as I eat in a restaurant but maybe once or twice a year.
 
Here in the UK, service is often included in the bill (usually about 10 per cent, I think)... sometimes there is a space on the bill for you to add a tip. My husband prefers to leave that blank and give the waiter/waitress 20 per cent directly in cash, as he is unsure that the waiter would ever get the money - not the owner of the business just addign to his profits!.

Judging by my experience, people usually tip between 15 and 20 per cent of the total bill - whatever that total may be! We don't tip the maitre d', or anyone else - only the waiting staff.

Frankly, I think the whole tipping thing is a ridiculous system, fraught with problems, eg do you tip if the service was bad? - When I visit Australia, I sometimes forget and try to tip a hairdresser or a cab driver. Some have been mortally offended that I should consider them 'servants'...:ROFLMAO: I think it's about time these professions were paid a living wage by their employers - and that includes here in the UK, hairdressers, cab drivers, waiters. Why should these places get away with paying a poor salary and expect the paying customers to make up the shortfall? Just charge us what it takes to allow the staff to be paid correctly... then we'd all know where we stand!
 
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Seven S said:
in panama, i have found that american travelers tip well, panamanians tip decent, and europeans rarely tip and when they do its cheaply. here, the norm is 10% and 15% for excellent... it is what panamanian citizens stick to, but americans tend to keep their 15%-20% norm when they travel here.


SevenS.

European tipping is different, and although it is etremely bad form that people have not consulted guidebooks for indication of how much they should tip in other countries I doubt they are trying to be cheap, but rather they are just ignorant of the form!

Having worked as a waitress while a student I agree that it is a very hard job. I would always rather wiat a bar than a table. If something is wrong with people's food you take the flack, even though you, as a waitress, you can personally not fix it, then you take it back and get the flack from the chef...a drink you can apologise just as profusely and remix or serve....its a little more enpowered.

In UK I would say the wages, while not huge, are adaquate. I got minimum wgae, which is what the everyone would now get (unless a student or working illegally) I think in UK now. A tip is therefore a bonus. Ishbel is right in that 10% is what is considered appropriate, especially in the south of England where meals are generally more expensive and bigger tips would result in less business for restaurants. I would say that the "normal" tip in UK is based on 10% to 20% for extremely good service from a generous person (I wish I had waited on Mr Ishbel!). I tip 10% or the nearest higher round number for adaquate or good service in England and up to 20% for really exceptionally good service. TIPS IN UK ARE NOT THE PERSON"S WAGES, and are not, if paid in cash, tax declared usually. Service is included or stated as not being included in UK and the tip is a BONUS for good service. And tax is included in the overall bill, so I always include that. Working out the tax to take off would be too much like maths, which would give me indigestion.

I also object to tipping pools...I want to tip the people who served well and not people who did not server me, or served poorly. But that's probably a personal thing, as I have always had to pool tips and have always gone home with less than I should have because of the averages....the night I was tipped 150 pounds steraling and went home with 10 pounds because I was the only person who earnt tips, still rankles!


Tips are different in different countries and personally I think it is best to tip according to the country's norm, regardless of your own nationality! Its one of the first thing I check in guidebooks.
 
Tipping is optional in some countries. For instance in S-E Asia, the service and tax charges are built in the bill which vary from 14% to 21%. If I am not wrong the service charge comes up to about 10%. It is presumed that the monthly (due to credit card payment etc) total service charge collection would ultimately be distributed among the staff. However for reasons best known to them, some establishments do not make it a practice to do so. Personally, I will always make it a point to tip the staff whenever I receive prompt and good service.

When I am in the U.S., I stick to the normal tipping of 15-20% on the total bill.
 
My farther summed tipping up for me...

We were in a restaurant and I was getting some money out for a tip and he said "No one has EVER tipped me":-p

Also, where do you draw the line? what about the people that picked the rice? or the guy that delivered the chicken? or the person that laid the carpet in the restaurant?

Has anyone ever tipped a doctor?

Why do we tip taxi drivers and not bus drivers? especially when the taxi drivers are ten times more expensive.

Until tipping makes sense I will stop doing it.
 
Ishbel said:
My husband prefers to leave that blank and give the waiter/waitress 20 per cent directly in cash, as he is unsure that the waiter would ever get the money - not the owner of the business just addign to his profits!.

Frankly, I think the whole tipping thing is a ridiculous system, fraught with problems...

I think it's about time these professions were paid a living wage by their employers... Why should these places get away with paying a poor salary and expect the paying customers to make up the shortfall? Just charge us what it takes to allow the staff to be paid correctly... then we'd all know where we stand!

Thanks, Izzy. I agree with you. I think you found the perfect solution.

N.Y. Cab/taxi drivers are a rare breed, lol. When you don't tip them enough, they will throw the tip at you or out the window. lol.
 
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GB said:
Why do you feel they should not have to declare their tips? Why would you purposfully want to help them break the law?

Paying a tip in cash, is not purposely helping anyone break the law. Servers don't accept checks.:LOL:

Whether someone decides to declare tips, is up to the individual.

As Izzy mentioned, everyone should be paid a fair living wage.

I also prefer paying a tip in cash because, if I put the total bill + tip on my credit card, I am paying interest on the tip as well -- to my credit card co/bank.

We are all entitled to do what we feel is right for us - and it should not be construed as 'purposely wanting to help them break the law.'
 
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lisa1968 said:
My farther summed tipping up for me...

We were in a restaurant and I was getting some money out for a tip and he said "No one has EVER tipped me":-p

Also, where do you draw the line? what about the people that picked the rice? or the guy that delivered the chicken? or the person that laid the carpet in the restaurant?

Has anyone ever tipped a doctor?

Why do we tip taxi drivers and not bus drivers? especially when the taxi drivers are ten times more expensive.

Until tipping makes sense I will stop doing it.


Is it safe to assume that, since you don't tip, you don't go out to eat in restaurants?
 
lisa1968 said:
My farther summed tipping up for me...

We were in a restaurant and I was getting some money out for a tip and he said "No one has EVER tipped me":-p

Also, where do you draw the line? what about the people that picked the rice? or the guy that delivered the chicken? or the person that laid the carpet in the restaurant?

Has anyone ever tipped a doctor?

Why do we tip taxi drivers and not bus drivers? especially when the taxi drivers are ten times more expensive.

Until tipping makes sense I will stop doing it.


With all due respect to your dad, it's really not appropriate to compare a doctor to a waiter. I don't know what dad did for a living, but he got a decent wage for doing it. The same is not true of waiters.

Check out the info in this post in the Bad Restaurant Experience thread. Restaurants only have to pay waiters a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour. They depend on tips to survive.

There is a lot wrong with the tipping process but it is what is there for us to deal with.
 
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