Foo - Do you tip at restaurants.....

I'll admit it, I hate tipping for any service and usually do not do it. What are your thoughts on tipping?

those waitresses earn minimun wages and did you know that they have to claim 15 percent on tips according to thier sales? so let me break this down for you.. she has to claim that she made 15 percent of YOUR check, all while you did NOT leave her one penny! her sales all goes into consideration when she receives a pay check, the money gets taken out according to her sales! which means she gets close to nothing on her pay check!
Why not tip for the services you receive? I find this very inconsiderate!

let me correct myself, I said waitresses because my staff constitute of all woman this year, but I should of said "server" ( including men and woman)

I've got a number of friends in the service industry; heck I dated a server for three+ years. Did a small stint as a barback in a club one winter. You don't tip? Congrats.

My standard tip is 20%. I'll tip more if the waiter was exceptional.

Lackluster service nets the standard 15%. If the service is horrible, I usually ask to speak to someone, but that's rare.

I tip the standard 15% cuz most servers earn minimum wage and rely on tips to get by. I tip more if the service was outstanding and less if the service was terrible. If I served you and you didn't tip me, I'd make sure to steer clear of you next time you showed up.

I tip whenever I have a waiter/waitress. Their wages are generally low and tipping helps to offset this. The amount of my tip sometimes fluctuates with the qaulity of the service

In my little town tipping is not as common as in the larger cities. Tipping can make the difference of getting served or not at casinos and fancier bars in bigger cities.

By tips I mean monetary and not verbal! :)

I tip generously. Back when I had a mullet I would get a 14 dollar haircut, and give the barber a 20 dollar bill, and have her keep the change. Whenever I go to a restaraunt, I leave about a 20-25% tip, sometimes more. I've skipped tipping only when I get the worst service imaginable.

Yes - guy or girl unless they mess up or are not attentive, then I'll tip less. If the girl is cute and friendly, I'll tip a little more. (Sorry, no bonus tipping for guys.) And it's a plus when they take the slight effort to write something nice on the bill.

I do tip myself, but there are times where the service is just pure crap. At times like this I will not tip, I won't return to the place either.
We just endure one of these experiences on Sunday. BF and I were coming home from his parents house and we were staving. We both wanted breakfast so we went to Village Inn. The service SUCKED. The hostess didn't even know how to seat people. We waited longer then we should of had to wait. Finally, once we got seated, the waiter came took our drinks and by this time we were ready to order. We NEVER got our drinks until our food came which was served by a different waiter. Then there was a large party of people next to us once they left, the waiters and the waitresses were splitting their tips in front of us, which we thought was totally rude.
Anyhoo, I didn't pay my boyfriend did, when we got into the car I asked him if he tipped?? He said yes but only 2dollars. I thought that was nice considering the service we got. If I was paying NO TIP FROM ME.

I have a problem with places now days. Prices go up but the service goes down. I have worked in the service industry and I do know how to treat customers. I will never return to this Village Inn nor tell anyone to go there. If people want tips then they should extend a general overall good experience for their customers.

If you don't want to do that then QUIT.

okay my rant for the day. :)

easy conversation+tipping+frequenting the establishment = VIP treatment. It's nice to be known and get preferrential service....

I tip 20% and if the server is really good I'll give extra. These servers make UNDER minimum wage because they get tipped, you are absolutely robbing them when you don't tip. I also tip at least one dollar per drink at the bar.

haircut, and give the barber a 20 dollar bill, and have her keep the change
You are supposed to tip the barber? Really? The last time I went to a barber was back in the '90's. :D

I've done a lot of table waiting over the years. Tips are essentially the only $ servers make.

If the service is awful, I could understand, but if you receive adequate service you should leave at least 15% of the tab or perhaps do not go out. Though if you frequent the same places often, it's likely you receive poor service because you do not tip... TIPS = To Insure Proper Service...

I also tip the wrench at the LBS...

People appreciate being appreciated

I am a very good tipper - as my daddy taught me to be. But, for those who provide exceptional service, I have a method of giving them a good tip that Uncle Sam can't get his grubby hands on. Basically, you pay by credit card and add a $1 tip to the bill, then leave the remainder in cash. Uncle Sam can't take 15% if there is a reciept showing that only $1 was tipped...so the cash is tax free.

For those of you who don't tip well or at all...tsk, tsk, shame on you, bunch o Scrooges. :p

You are supposed to tip the barber? Really? The last time I went to a barber was back in the '90's. :D

Sokay, once you reach puberty your hair will start to grow again. :p

Yes, I tip my hair sylist at least $7.00, I've been going to the same person since I was 18 years old so I know her pretty well.

I'll add my .02 (or 15% or whatever :) )

blonduathlongrl has the right of it. I've been both a waitress and a bartender, and oftentimes, the owner of the place doesn't even need to pay the waitstaff full minimum. We get paid "waitress wages" which turns out to be something in the realm of 3-4 bucks an hour. This way, no extra tax forms get filed. We get paid this obscene amount with the understanding that, IN THEORY, we will make up for the lost money in tips.

Theory is a funny thing. Everything looks better on paper. Now, I had stellar customers who'd go above and beyond the call of duty (20-25%) and regulars who did the right thing and helped me eat that week (15-20%) But I also had those 3 women who would without fail leave ~.50 to .70 cents in the bottom of their half-filled glass of water. Did I ever stop giving them my most winning smile when they walked in? No. Because I was going to hold out hope that one day, one of them would realize "oh, crap! I'm a *insert bleep here*"

Dude...tip your waiters/waitresses. They might not be so forgiving as some. And you REALLY don't want to f*** with the people who touch your food, do you?

I tip 15% for adequate service, generously if the service is good, painfully if we are repeat customers and get great service... it's a win win deal.

Poor service get a penny, coz the service wasn't worth two cents!

If their service is what I expect, I'll give 20%, or more if better.

But if the server is slow on a slow day, inattentive, or just rude, that 20% can evaporate to 0...

Yeah, I know they can be busy, but thats an exception, otherwise, serve me beotch.

I do tip myself,
You tip yourself? :p

The subject of tipping is why I don't particularly like Jimmy Buffet.

I tip the standard 15% cuz most servers earn minimum wage and rely on tips to get by. I tip more if the service was outstanding and less if the service was terrible. If I served you and you didn't tip me, I'd make sure to steer clear of you next time you showed up.
+1 This is my rule.... 15% standard, more or less depending on service, but YES I DO TIP.....you have be a barstard cheapskate to just not tip as a standard considering most servers are paid less than minimum wage based on the fact they get tips.

Dude...tip your waiters/waitresses. They might not be so forgiving as some. And you REALLY don't want to f*** with the people who touch your food, do you?
Sexy bike riding, educated librarian and an attitude to boot? I'm liking you more and more little Eboo. :)

You tip yourself? :p


HEE HEE. :D oh silly me.

I'll admit it, I hate tipping for any service and usually do not do it. What are your thoughts on tipping?
I found a new avatar for you. :D

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j59/gorideabike/miscellaneous/ReserviorDogsMrPink.jpg

Nice Guy Eddie: C'mon, throw in a buck!
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don't tip.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't tip?
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don't believe in it.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't believe in tipping?
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make ****.
Mr. Pink: Don't give me that. She don't make enough money that she can quit.
Nice Guy Eddie: I don't even know a ****ing Jew who'd have the balls to say that. Let me get this straight: you don't ever tip?
Mr. Pink: I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice.
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn't anything special.
Mr. Blue: What's special? Take you in the back and suck your ****?
Nice Guy Eddie: I'd go over twelve percent for that.

...

Mr. Pink: I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's ****ed up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government ****s in the *** on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bull**** I got two words for that: learn to ****in' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big ****in' surprise.

I don't like tipping, but I do tip. I figure that if it's someone's job to bring me food, or cut my hair or something, they should get paid what they get paid and that's the end of it.

Except it doesn't work like that. Servers make a small base salary plus their tips. That's what they live on. In can be a great living if you're in the right restaurant and if you're a good server. It's a skill, believe it or not. Same for bartenders, though I think they make a slightly higher base.

But I don't want anyone, regardless of the service, to pay taxes on my meal. That's all kinds of wrong.

And great service - be it at the haircut place or my favorite restaurants - is a wonderful thing. And it makes the experience better. So tip, if you get good service. Tip until it hurts. Actually, tip more than that because it sounds like it pains you to tip at all.

I'll admit it, I hate tipping for any service and usually do not do it. What are your thoughts on tipping?

One word for your approach: absolutely contemptable. Oh that was two words, so consider that a tip. :lol:

20% is my standard these days. More for the places I frequent and get personalized and perferential treatment.

I am famously cheap. My lunches usually consist of whatever costs me the least and I don't buy drinks at fast food restaurants.

However, when I go to a sit-down restaurant, I tip well. 20% is the starting point.
Above average service = higher percentage.
Less than desirable service = lower percentage.

Only an a**hole doesn't tip.

My wife worked as a bartender in Lansing Michigan for a short time last year. Unfortunately the patrons of said establishment were horrid tippers. There were times she'd come home with $30 in tips for a full night's work, plus very little base pay. I have many other friends who worked as wait staff through high school and college.

20% is my normal tip. 15% if it's subpar. 25% if it's great service and or a large group over a long time period.

OP... get your head on straight.

In countries like NZ & Australia, tipping is not a common practise. I have never felt the need to tip at a restaurant. The employer has the responsibility to pay their employees what is appropiate without relying on customers to top up their income.

Sexy bike riding, educated librarian and an attitude to boot? I'm liking you more and more little Eboo. :)

HA! Attitude...wait until you talk to me after a five hour stint on the reference desk. I'll give you attitude then.

HIJACK!

What does everybody think about cow tipping?

What does everybody think about cow tipping?
Heh. You should always tip cows. Way over 20%, though. That way they fall down.

But, for those who provide exceptional service, I have a method of giving them a good tip that Uncle Sam can't get his grubby hands on. Basically, you pay by credit card and add a $1 tip to the bill, then leave the remainder in cash. Uncle Sam can't take 15% if there is a reciept showing that only $1 was tipped...so the cash is tax free.

Good tip. If they don't go raving at first when they see only a dollar tip on that bill.

... Basically, you pay by credit card and add a $1 tip to the bill, then leave the remainder in cash. Uncle Sam can't take 15% if there is a reciept showing that only $1 was tipped...so the cash is tax free.

Great idea chipcom - I will start doing this. I always tip 15-20% unless the service is horrible. Those that screwover the servers/tenders are nothing but a bunch of gravysuckers, IMO.

I'll admit it, I hate tipping for any service and usually do not do it. What are your thoughts on tipping?
Standard: 20%
Exceptional: 25%
Mediocre: 15%
Exceptionally Bad: 1 cent....to make the point that I did remember the tip, just letting them know the service was terrible!

A gratuity is customary and the restaraunt pays a rate below the standard minimum wage and the taxes the IRS requires is based of of 15% of gross sales as mentioned above.

ok, the consensus is that the majority of people tip. Now I will also if it means VIP treatment for a place that I visit often. Here is my arguement:
Tipping is not a standard across the service industry. It is only for one small sector. As a customer you are wooed into a restaurant for whatever reason. You are expected to pay full price for your meal whether or not you order a $50 steak or $5 hamburger. The service can be identical yet the tip is very different. Was there any more work involved on the part of the staff? Obviously more work would involved to make a hamburger. Now can anyone name another industry where as an owner you can hire a staff and pay them less then the mandated minimum wage and still expect your customers to make up the difference?
The purpose of the tip, according to a vague first noted event in the 50's is to ensure prompt service. Now who has waited in line at Wendy's for instance and provided your order to the person at the counter. You pay and then take your seat, the staff brings you your meal at your table. NO ONE TIPS this process yet how is it different then any restaurant. If you are greeted at the counter by the oil change guy at the shop, they get you in right away, do a great job...no one tips the process. Now if you claim that the reason you do not tip the oil change guy is because he gets paid full wages, then where is the justice in a restaurant owner with the ability to pay less then market wages......they both own businesses and make money, its just easier for the restaurant owner to get away with violating labor laws because of some social virus that says that its OK. There are no laws, no rules yet as I have been shown, you are socially shunned as an a** hole and loser for not doing something that has no legal or in my mind reasonable requirement.
What say you.......

My 21 year old daughter is a waitress at a local rib joint. She only makes $2.65 an hour salary, and relies on tips to make a living. Her pet peeve is the church people who come in Sunday after services. Instead of leaving a tip, they leave a religious tract.

Life is not black and white. Going to get your oil changed or getting a McMeal is not an experience. When you go out to dinner, it is most likely also more than just eating. You want the nice atmosphere, a nice place to talk to your GF, meet up with family, hang out with friends (socialize), conduct a business meeting, etc. The whole process of a waitress smiling, taking your order, making you feel comfortable, etc. is part of the experience you are paying for. Otherwise, you can just buy your food at a the store, cook it, and stay at home.

ok, the consensus is that the majority of people tip. Now I will also if it means VIP treatment for a place that I visit often. Here is my arguement:
Tipping is not a standard across the service industry. It is only for one small sector. As a customer you are wooed into a restaurant for whatever reason. You are expected to pay full price for your meal whether or not you order a $50 steak or $5 hamburger. The service can be identical yet the tip is very different. Was there any more work involved on the part of the staff? Obviously more work would involved to make a hamburger. Now can anyone name another industry where as an owner you can hire a staff and pay them less then the mandated minimum wage and still expect your customers to make up the difference?
The purpose of the tip, according to a vague first noted event in the 50's is to ensure prompt service. Now who has waited in line at Wendy's for instance and provided your order to the person at the counter. You pay and then take your seat, the staff brings you your meal at your table. NO ONE TIPS this process yet how is it different then any restaurant. If you are greeted at the counter by the oil change guy at the shop, they get you in right away, do a great job...no one tips the process. Now if you claim that the reason you do not tip the oil change guy is because he gets paid full wages, then where is the justice in a restaurant owner with the ability to pay less then market wages......they both own businesses and make money, its just easier for the restaurant owner to get away with violating labor laws because of some social virus that says that its OK. There are no laws, no rules yet as I have been shown, you are socially shunned as an a** hole and loser for not doing something that has no legal or in my mind reasonable requirement.
What say you.......
Wendy's and McDonalds prohibit accepting tips and pay far higher than "Waitress Wages". Fast Food in general isn't tip driven, but the fancier "sit down restaraunt" does have the custom of tipping. Hell, I've been known to tip a buck for a 50 cent cup of coffee!

EDIT: Customs are those social rules that aren't written down in form of law or regulation, but you are expected to follow them, or you get pee in your Pea soup!

easy conversation+tipping+frequenting the establishment = VIP treatment. It's nice to be known and get preferrential service....

+1

I used to frequent a local bar that had a buzzer on the door. If they didn't like you, you weren't getting in. I earned one of the bar stools by being polite and tipping well. And every time Harry Caray said hello to his friends down at the Milan Lounge in New Orleans, we got a free shot of bourbon. I missed very few Cubs games that year. :D

We had quite the discussion one time over whether to let the lesbians that lived across the street back in. One side said no because they usually got in a fight and the other side said yes because they usually got in a fight. ;)

Just can't win, us lesbians. :(

I worked in a lot of restaurants while putting myself through school. the wait staff does NOT make minimum wage. I think it was 2.35/hr even then. they make their money through tips. I usually tip 20%. people who don't tip are jerks and have no idea how hard these people work.

ps.s. loved the Reservoir Dogs no-tipping scene!

ok, the consensus is that the majority of people tip. Now I will also if it means VIP treatment for a place that I visit often. Here is my arguement:
Tipping is not a standard across the service industry. It is only for one small sector. As a customer you are wooed into a restaurant for whatever reason. You are expected to pay full price for your meal whether or not you order a $50 steak or $5 hamburger. The service can be identical yet the tip is very different. Was there any more work involved on the part of the staff? Obviously more work would involved to make a hamburger. Now can anyone name another industry where as an owner you can hire a staff and pay them less then the mandated minimum wage and still expect your customers to make up the difference?
The purpose of the tip, according to a vague first noted event in the 50's is to ensure prompt service. Now who has waited in line at Wendy's for instance and provided your order to the person at the counter. You pay and then take your seat, the staff brings you your meal at your table. NO ONE TIPS this process yet how is it different then any restaurant. If you are greeted at the counter by the oil change guy at the shop, they get you in right away, do a great job...no one tips the process. Now if you claim that the reason you do not tip the oil change guy is because he gets paid full wages, then where is the justice in a restaurant owner with the ability to pay less then market wages......they both own businesses and make money, its just easier for the restaurant owner to get away with violating labor laws because of some social virus that says that its OK. There are no laws, no rules yet as I have been shown, you are socially shunned as an a** hole and loser for not doing something that has no legal or in my mind reasonable requirement.
What say you.......

Everything that can be said, already has been said. Nothing you wrote above changes anything. If you want to be cheap, be cheap and proud of it. Trying to rationalize your cheapness is what pisses people off.

Life is not black and white. Going to get your oil changed or getting a McMeal is not an experience. When you go out to dinner, it is most likely also more than just eating. You want the nice atmosphere, a nice place to talk to your GF, meet up with family, hang out with friends (socialize), conduct a business meeting, etc. The whole process of a waitress smiling, taking your order, making you feel comfortable, etc. is part of the experience you are paying for. Otherwise, you can just buy your food at a the store, cook it, and stay at home.
I understand that. However do you not feel that choosing a very nice place over a family diner and the difference in the prices of the meals is not payment enough? Do you feel that because you chose your very upscale place that charges $12 for a beer, that that is not enough of a bill, so you feel that you must take your over priced meal and add 20% to it?
See this is the point, I do not feel that way.

What say you.......
What if you got a job selling cars. The dealership you work at tells you that you will get a modest base pay, plus commission on your sales. The commission ensures that you actually sell cars rather than sit around twiddling your thumbs all day.

It's the same thing with service. If your server got paid no matter how good or poor your service was, what would be the incentive? You want another iced tea? Tough beans.

The tip is what provides the incentive for good service. Don't want to tip? Fine, then go eat at 7-11.

btw, tip is based on price so that a server who serves a party of 12 gets compensated properly, compared to a server serving a single person.

Hard as this may be, let's keep it civil folks. Please. :)

Normally I tip around 15%, more for better service/cute waitress (for exceptional service, I have been known to go over 50%...and the easiest way to tell if they deserve a huge tip is if my drink seemed "bottomless"). Less for bad service. I will give no tip at all if the server cops an attitude, I do my best to be pleasant, and I expect that back.

EDIT: Customs are those social rules that aren't written down in form of law or regulation, but you are expected to follow them, or you get pee in your Pea soup!
When was the last time you said thank you to the guy that held the door for you. When was the last time you opened the car door for your other half......these are customs also and yet not as important as passing money out.
I do tip, I am not a flat out non-tipper. But to me a few bucks for great service is enough. No tip for standard or poor service. After all those of you who have bad service and say "Well I am only giving them 5% tip this time" Hmmmm, you sure showed them......You just rewarded poor service. :)

Hard as this may be, let's keep it civil folks. Please. :)
I'm with you. I knew this would open a can of worms. Its a very passionate topic with everyone. I can see everyones point, however what I find in the general population is that no one will ever see the opposing point. To everyone else, the person who does not subscribe to tipping is a simply a loser and a social outcast but not at all valued for their opinion because it is not viewed as acceptable. Its all very interesting......