You go to a restaurant, love the food, service is great. Your tip?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Poll question: You go to a restaurant, love the food, service is great. Your tip?

PLEASE NOTE: As the title implies, this is a "Best Case Scenario" thread. I took a good friend of mine to lunch at A Bellagio in Campbell today. The food is EXCELLENT, the wait staff is friendly, professional and attentive. In a situation like that, what kind of tip would you leave?

[SmokingJacket]

1. Start at twenty percent, then round up to the nearest convenient

amount.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

3. That's what I did today.

Lunch came to $45 for two people and I left a 20% tip. These are good people, they work hard for a living, their food and service is head and shoulders above most of what you'll find in this valley.

:toast:

[rbnyc]

15. That sounds perfect. (nt)

[Gormy Cuss]

17. Yep. A little round-up doesn't hurt me, and less than 20%

for the scenario described wouldn't seem right. If the service (as opposed to the food) was extraordinary, I'd throw in a little more than that, especially if it's a local place where I plan to be a regular. Never hurts to have servers recognize you as someone who doesn't short them.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. On Saturday, one of my favorite restaurants closed

we didn't know it was their last day until we asked why hummus was no longer on the menu. The owner explained that not enough people were buying his Persian/Middle Eastern food, but he had one serving of hummus left, which he gave to us free. Wouldn't take any money. We made up for it in the tip-gave him more than he'd have charged for the hummus. Sad, sad, to see good people leaving the area.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. ME food is the hoolapaloola

What kind of moronic, gastronomically-challenged populace lets a place like this close?

Now, this is a long shot, but could there be some anti-Arab sentiment involved?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

51. I'm not sure

but this is Fayetteville Arkansas. The restaurant wasn't in the best location-away from the campus. The other Middle Eastern restaurants are run by Christians, I believe. The owner of my favorite restaurant never advertised his faith, but I knew he was a brother. I assume others did as well. I noticed that when the saber rattling started towards Iran, he took most items off his menu that were described as Persian.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. I voted 15% because

(a) the standard tip in Brazil is 10%, and
(b) I'm not exactly swimming in money.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. Yes, I'm not swimming in it either...

I'm a self-employed Graphic Designer and my business is just starting to make money.

So for me, the 20% tip I left today was a stretch, but I thought the waiter earned it.

I think that everyone, based on their own personal finances, comes up with a "reasonable" figure. The question is: once they arrive at that number do they leave it for the wait staff or decide "nah, I'll keep it for myself?"

It sounds like you go above and beyond the call of duty, and for that, I salute you!

:toast:

[SmokingJacket]

11. When I eat out, I like to spread the joy around.

I don't eat out often, but when I do, I don't want to ruin it by being cheap.

And I've done restaurant work before. I figure a big tip is a little gift to the gods for allowing me to never do that again...

:toast:

[JimmyJazz]

5. 20 - 25% percent - when I drank, I'd usually would stay closer to 20%

of the tab, only because the mark up on wine is so high that 20% or even a bit less is still a good tip. Now, I tend to tip more toward 25% because my overtab is lower. :)

[Initech]

8. Usually 15%. But it depends on restaraunt and service quality

If the service sucks, I tip less. If the service is good, I tip more.

[sakabatou]

9. 20% is a bit high

maybe 17%?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. Not 20% as a standard "rule of thumb"...

...20% for a really great experience: food, service, ambiance.

My "standard" tip is 15%, and the scale slides if the food sucks or the wait staff cops an attitude.

[rbnyc]

12. 20 % is actually the standard.

Those who still believe it is 15% are behind the times, and have been for about 10 years.

[sybylla]

16. NYC inflation

The rest of the country is just getting to accept the 15% tip as standard.

[rbnyc]

19. I learned 20% was the standard while working in AZ...

...and it continued to be the standard in Texas. But it seemed like this was only the standard among restaurant workers. ;-)

:hi:

[SW FL Dem]

24. I disagree, I've lived all over

and 20% has always been the standard tip for good (not outstanding) service. Great service and food gets 25%. Lousy service gets 15% or less. I have been known to leave a dollar tip for exceptionally bad service, even on a large bill, just so the server knows that we didn't forget the tip.

[sakabatou]

21. Really, I didn't know that

Thanks :thumbsup:

[ofrfxsk]

13. As a former waitress I say 100%

Just kidding. Twenty to twenty-five percent is perfect for the experience you describe.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

18. As a former waitress, you will appreciate this one:

I enjoy going to the "Flames" restaurant on Meridian in San Jose for breakfast.

One of the waitresses there just got married.

The week before her wedding, I overheard her tell the hostess that she told one of her customers that she was getting married and he left her a $10 tip.

Breakfast, for me, costs about 8 bucks. I left a $10 tip too.

She caught me before I left and gently squeezed my arm and said "Thank you SO MUCH for that tip!"

And I said "You need to KEEP telling people about the $10 tip ALL DAY LONG. Why not? Ask and you shall receive."

Sometime people go out to eat and think they are being served by a robot, not a human being.

Oh...another thing...my mom was a waitress in a donut shop. My dad used to go in and order donuts and coffee and try his best to impress her.

He did.

:toast:

[rbnyc]

14. Again 4 everyone's general information, servers R taxed on their sales!

I usually bring this up whenever I see a thread about tipping. A lot of people still don't know this, and I think it's important to consider.

Servers are taxed a percentage based on sales. So everything you order, makes their paycheck smaller. (Their paychecks simply being a means for taxing them, and in no real way actually constituting pay.)

So if you don't tip your server, you have not only given them nothing while taking up a table where they might have earned something, but you were costing them money in the process.

Thanks.

[mcscajun]

20. Somewhere between 20-25%

I'd do some rounding to make it come out an even dollar amount.

[Alcibiades]

22. Percentage isn't the issue

It's the total bill. If I get great service but had an appetizer, an entree, dessert and a coffee, I'll only tip 20%. But let's say I'm having a lighter meal and only get pasta and a drink. In this case, I'd tip 25% for the same great service.

On the other hand, if it's bad service I'll go down to 10%. Anything that deserves less than that also deserves me getting up and leaving.

[rbnyc]

23. Good point. It's also how long you've been sitting there.

If I take up a table that could have turned over twice, and just had soup and tea and worked on business papers, I might leave a 10. Camping fee.

:)

[Alcibiades]

26. I don't go camping

anymore-when i did, the most I'd leave is a $5. No wonder waitresses hate coffee-drinkers!

BTW, who is that handsome, handsome man pictured along with your cats? He could be my doppelganger.

[rbnyc]

30. Really?

That's my husband. He's a drummer, a part-time accountant, and a full-time daddy.

:hi:

[Alcibiades]

34. Yep

Looks exactly like I did when I had longer hair and rounder wire frame glasses. I'm a full-time daddy, too. Everybody's got a doppelganger somewhere.

:toast:

[rbnyc]

36. Cheers

Hubby says hi, too.

:toast:

[bridgit]

25. 20% is straight forward...

but hubby's mom worked as a waitress when he was little, so if we're cash-up he'll flip extra on the table and yet...

friends of ours took us to a hoity toity fondue restaurant here in town & the check for the 4 of us was $280...they left a $90 tip & we just looked @ each other :shrug: so go figure

[GOPBasher]

27. 25% for excellent service. Even for really bad service, I tip 15%. n/t

[BlueIris]

48. Yeah, I will never leave without tipping.

It's not just rude, it's gauche not to leave a gratuity.

[WCGreen]

28. I start at 20%.... Then the tipometer kicks in....

I was a server for years so I know what is the fault of the kitchen and what is the fault of the server....

If the services is great, explainations given when food is late, 25%..

If the food is late, no explaination, no coming back to refile, or touch base.... 15%

[no name no slogan]

29. My tip: don't trust whitey

[El Fuego]

31. Always 20% unless the service really, really sucks

[PittPoliSci]

32. i've tipped 50% before.

it was worth every penny.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. I'm a pretty big tipper if the service is good

I worked as a waitress when I was in college and I know what they deal with. I've tipped as much as 50% before. However, I was with a jerk who made the waitpersons life a living hell that night.

[HEyHEY]

35. I've tipped as much as 60 per cent

When I've been really impressed.

[BlueIris]

49. I've done that before. I'm very attatched to staff at "my" coffee shop,

I see the the most of anybody I get service from, I wouldn't want them to start disliking me.

[JVS]

37. 20% up to but not including 25%

Overtipping conveys social messages that I don't want to send.

[nytemare]

38. Now that gas might be 4 bucks a gallon?

Normally, I would say 20-25. Now, I might have to watch that a bit, or even quit eating out, which I don't do often, anyways.

[mopinko]

39. i've done that work, my kid does it now, i am a pushover

a few extra bucks doesn't make that much difference to me, but to someone waiting tables, it sure does. so, :wtf: and any time i get anything for free, i tip on what i had, not what i paid for.

[EnfantTerrible]

41. Generally, on buy backs at the bar

I'll leave the price of the drink as a tip... in NYC that can be pretty nice for the bartender and they tend to remember you.

[mopinko]

43. my favorite restaurants are like home.

in a restaurant, you can buy love.

[EnfantTerrible]

45. Too true...

And when your down there is nothing like having a regular place. Christ, I feel like Norm on Cheers! But it does feel good...

[Allenberg]

40. In Japan, tipping is an insult.

They feel that great service should be expected, and taking extra money for something they feel they should be doing is an insult.

[EnfantTerrible]

42. 20% minimum

If everything is better than good than I tip upward accordingly... also the more drunk I am the better I tend to tip.

[kedrys]

44. At least 20%

More if I've been drinking and feel happy. It's my small way of thanking the Big Giant Cat that I've never had to work tables for a living.

[miss_kitty]

46. I rarely eat in restaurants anymore

in fact I think the last time I did was in 2002 (April) and I wasn't paying. But before when I was living the high life, a really good server might get 30-40%...but it's usually 20%, but if we camped a little long, the tip would go up. A couple times when I was waited on by servers who were struggling, I'd leave more, to give them a boost.

[BlueIris]

47. 30%. I estimate tip and round up, and that usually where it hits.

TIPPING BEGINS AT TWENTY PERCENT. You don't think so? Stay home and make your own food, make your own damn coffee, drive yourself around town. To quote a great American, it's not tipping I believe in, it's over-tipping.

[MissMarple]

50. At least 20 %, and I always round up.

Unless the server is a ...well, unpleasant, most definitely less than 20%. That rarely happens and I always tip fairly...:). Waiting tables is a difficult and a physically demanding job.

[chknltl]

52. 20%+ natch....

and return with different friends whenever possible. (I am an ex-cook at 4-star "Il-Fiasco", Bellingham Wa.) (may it R.I.P.)