Another thread about tipping...

[caseydog]

Like Larry, I don't like automatic tips on bills. But, I only have seen that on big tables full of people. Waiters often get stiffed on big tables, because the cheap-ass people can hide in the weeds. I have, many times, been the "collector" for a large table, and have had to pay out big time to make up for the people who barely covered a ten-percent tip -- some who haven't tipped at all. I'm sure a few of you have been there before. That's why we have automatic tips on big groups.

It should never be applied to a couple or small family. That's just not right.

I am a 20-percent tipper. If I get good service, and bad food, I take care of the waiter/waitress and don't come back to the restaurant.

If The wait staff does a bad job because they are seriously understaffed, I don't blame the person who served my table. I blame the nimrod who cut costs by making the waitstaff try to do too much.

The only time I get cheap on the tip is if the waitperson has an attitude. It may be justified -- just found out their significant other is cheating on them. But, that's not my fault. Call in sick, get drunk. Don't take it out on me.

Otherwise, I understand what food servers go through, and that 90-percent of their income is tips. I have no problem with one of them that the food sucked, and then giving them a 20-percent tip, if they did their job. They didn't cook the bad food, they just served it.

What do you guys think?

CD

 

[Just Cooking]

I agree with all you post about tipping cd..

Its always about the individual server with me..

One thing I do differently in Missouri as opposed to when I lived in California is, I tip better here.. The overall restaurant prices here are much lower than Cali... This affords me to be more generous to those who give good service.. 20% is my standard but, I will go way over that if we are really treated to good service..

Ross

 

[Andy M.]

I generally agree as well. When we used to go to Aruba every year, we were faced with some restaurants that added a 15% "service charge" to the check. That was an automatic tip. The servers tried to tell you they didn't see that and that we should tip them in cash! I would add to the 15% to make it a reasonable tip. At the same time there were restaurants that did not add the SC. We just tipped as usual.

As I mentioned in Larry's thread, I think tipping should be eliminated. Restaurants should pay a living wage and adjust their prices.

 

[Rocklobster]

That’s what is happening here in Ontario. They have raised the minimum wage so everybody got a raise. Subsequently, prices go up, though. And because of this tips go down...i think if they raised wages, people would actually make this a career choice and many would do a better job. Right now, people are just eyeing a paycheck and thinking of the day when they can get out of there. It’s not doing anybody any favors. Diners, owners and wait staff alike..

 

[cookieee]

I have a question about tipping but not in a restaurant. What should you tip a person that delivers food to your home when there is a delivery charge that you were told goes to the deliverer?

 

[taxlady]

I have a question about tipping but not in a restaurant. What should you tip a person that delivers food to your home when there is a delivery charge that you were told goes to the deliverer?

I would tip them anyways. I assume that if the delivery fee goes to the delivery person, it is probably all they are getting paid, no salary. That's how it works if the person works through Uber Eats.

 

[cookieee]

I would tip them anyways. I assume that if the delivery fee goes to the delivery person, it is probably all they are getting paid, no salary. That's how it works if the person works through Uber Eats.

I guess I should have made my question clearer? By "WHAT should you tip" I meant, would it be ok to deduct the delivery charge from the tip? Say you would tip $5 and the delivery fee is $2, is it ok to give a tip of $3? Assuming you are not stinking rich. lol

 

[roadfix]

Yeah, bad attitude irks me more than anything else, but I still tip. And if I'm still annoyed the next day I'll leave an online review reflecting that.

 

[Rocklobster]

Franchises have really taken a tole on quality of food and sevice. Striving to pay shareholders and corporate management has them cutting corners on food and staff. It all has an effect on the overall experience. People expect to get as much as they can but spend as little as they can. It erodes the whole profession.

 

[Kayelle]

I agree with everything you said Casey.


I have a point about groups however. I lunch with 7 ladies every Tuesday, and we always ask for separate checks because we're not there to try and figure out who owes what. It's not our job, it's theirs. I've noticed that we all tip well because of it. If a server balks at separate checks we get over it but never go back there, and tell management why.

 

[buckytom]

I tip in 4 kinds of ways:

15% for just average service if I'm sitting down in the restaurant, and 20% for good service. I'll go higher if the waiter is extra friendly, is hustling to serve his or her tables, checks back to make sure everything is ok, and does things like refills drinks, or brings more bread without us asking.

The waiter/waitress has to really try to be unfriendly and not care about screwed up orders to get me to tip less than 15%, but it happens from time to time. I can only recall once or twice in my life when I left no tip.

If I'm getting takeout, I give a rounded 10%, but never less than $2 (say, for instance, the bill is $12 at a diner or pizza joint, I give a $2 tip. Not $1.20 as 10% would be).

 

[profnot]

I pay for the meal and taxes with a credit card.

I tip 15% - 25% in cash, depending on quality of service.

 

[Cheryl J]

I agree with those who have posted leaving a good tip for good service.

I'm in a rather small town and often go out to breakfast with family or friends, and we sometimes take up the table for a couple of hours chatting over coffee. We have a couple of fave restaurants and the servers are very good about not trying to push us out, refilling our coffee or iced tea, and making us feel welcome for as long as we want. They get very good tips.

If it's somewhere I'm unfamiliar with, again, if the service is good and the server is friendly, I give them 20% . Like others have said, if the food isn't what I expected, I still tip and just don't go back.

I also agree that servers should be paid more and not have to rely on tips to survive.

(And speaking of tipping (not just restaurants....), I tip the gentleman at the hair salon that has been doing my hair for the past 12 years, about 40%.. A good hairdresser that knows me, we can chat and laugh, and he'll schedule me in when it's convenient for me, is hard to come by! )

 

[buckytom]

Cheryl, I've been going to the same barber since 1992. He had his own shop for many years, but recently he took a job with the town's DPW (for the benefits and retirement stuff), but he still cuts hair twice a week in his friend's shop.

I used to have thick, long, wavy hair. Romance novel type manly hair.

Now, not so much.

I now drive 40 minutes to get my hair cut back to my old town, and have to schedule it a month in advance. But I've never had a bad cut from him.

Haircut: $23
Tip: $10

That's a 43.4% tip, lol.

I'm praying he never retires, or dies before me.

 

[Cheryl J]

Wow, since 1992, Bucky! That's a heck of a long time.

I just told Alan last week that he's not allowed to retire.

 

[taxlady]

I agree with everything you said Casey.


I have a point about groups however. I lunch with 7 ladies every Tuesday, and we always ask for separate checks because we're not there to try and figure out who owes what. It's not our job, it's theirs. I've noticed that we all tip well because of it. If a server balks at separate checks we get over it but never go back there, and tell management why.

They should all modernize their cash register / computer software. I have seen bills that showed group total and all the individual totals.

 

[taxlady]

I tip in 4 kinds of ways:

15% for just average service if I'm sitting down in the restaurant, and 20% for good service. I'll go higher if the waiter is extra friendly, is hustling to serve his or her tables, checks back to make sure everything is ok, and does things like refills drinks, or brings more bread without us asking.

The waiter/waitress has to really try to be unfriendly and not care about screwed up orders to get me to tip less than 15%, but it happens from time to time. I can only recall once or twice in my life when I left no tip.

If I'm getting takeout, I give a rounded 10%, but never less than $2 (say, for instance, the bill is $12 at a diner or pizza joint, I give a $2 tip. Not $1.20 as 10% would be).

That pretty much sums up my tipping behaviour. I can't remember ever leaving no tip. I can remember leaving a nickel or dime once or twice, just to show I didn't forget about the tip. My mum taught me that one. She also taught me to tip extra when sitting around a long time with the coffee or whatever, because otherwise the server is losing money.

 

[Kayelle]

They should all modernize their cash register / computer software. I have seen bills that showed group total and all the individual totals.

I agree Taxi. Both the restaurant and the servers are far ahead with separate checks when requested. It's better for everyone, including the group members who deserve a stress free meal.

 

[medtran49]

I definitely agree with tipping the server on their performance, not on the food. I even asked a server once if she had to share her tip with the kitchen because I was going to specify that I DID NOT want her to give any part of her tip to kitchen due to the fact that I had to wait for several minutes for my food after Craig got his, then had to send it back, and even then it still wasn't right. When we go out for breakfast, we always leave at least $5 in cash even if that's way more than 20% as long as service is good. Otherwise, it's 20% or less if we get really bad service. We'll always leave at least a dollar or two though and usually a note as to why. Thankfully, that's been a very, very rare occurrence. If it's lunch, 20% mostly. I can't really think of a time that service at lunch has so exceptional to leave more than that. Dinner 20%, though we have left closer to 30% on occasion for very good to exceptional service.

 

[jennyema]

I have a question about tipping but not in a restaurant. What should you tip a person that delivers food to your home when there is a delivery charge that you were told goes to the deliverer?

I tip maybe $5-7 bucks on Chinese or Thai and $3 on pizza