Tipping your waiter or waitress....

[Cathyclysmic]

Poll question: Tipping your waiter or waitress....

So we ordered lunch at work. Some people are so cheap. Notably cheap (a f-ing .50 cent tip!) was the only republican in my little department. hmm.. Coincidence or no?:tinfoilhat:

vote to test my theory(present and past wait staff, feel free to weigh in on the topic)

[terrya]

1. If the service is good, at least 20%.

I think the 15% rule of thumb is outmoded. 20% - 30% nowadays. imo.

[jukes]

28. if the service is good

i take 10% of the bill, treble it and that's my tip=30%.

i moonlighted as a bouncer for years, and realize the shit waitrons have to deal w/

[terrya]

30. That's right.

Unless the service was egregiously bad, that waiter/waitress isn't making a fortune. I always leave a decent tip.

[jukes]

31. folk-knowledge among waitrons:

gays are a good tip.

[LaraMN]

2. 15% for unimpressive service, but usually 20%.

:-)

[dolo amber]

3. Unless there's an inexcusable reason not to, 20%

[Blue-Jay]

4. Servers sleep standing up, so they're easy to tip.

Moo.

[Susang]

18. But they're angry upon awakening

And often charge.

Moo.

[radwriter0555]

27. You have to rub their

butts first.

Then they're much more pleasant upon awakening.

[Blue-Jay]

45. Well, THAT works with everybody!

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. Depends on the bill, caliber of service, etc.

If it's a quick meal out, usually I like to go 20-30%, depending on the service. Back when my friends and I would spend 2 hours at Eat'n Park drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes, I'd usually tip about $2 myself (which comes out to about 100% of the check). If the food takes an unusually long time, but the service is otherwise good, I still leave a good tip. It's not the server's fault that the cook is swamped. If the service is bad, I still leave a bit for the mess.

[RevCheesehead]

6. Since my bills are usually small (I eat alone most of the time),

I go with 20%, perhaps a little extra to get rid of some change.

[MissMillie]

7. 15% for acceptable service

higher for better service, lower for service that is not up to par.

No more than 10% for counter-service.

[gollygee]

8. 15 to 20%

usually at least 20% because we take our daughter with us and it's more work for them when there's a kid involved.

[BigMcLargehuge]

9. the trick is -

to creep up on them real quiet like, while they're asleep.

[realisticphish]

10. I start out with ten

then, if service was adequate, 15 (most of the time, it's 15). If I felt the server went above and beyond, or at the least was really nice, it'll be 20. I'm a poor college student, so I can't afford huge tips, but so are they; so I try to give them the benefit of the doubt

[Fleshdancer]

11. service would have to be horrible for me to tip under 20%

and by horrible I mean rude, obnoxious behavior (very rare). If something is wrong with the food, I don't like to punish the server for a problem in the kitchen.

[tazkcmo]

12. Way too much

Having been in the industry I'll tip 30% or more even. But if the service blows then it goes down dramaticly

[0007]

13. I'll go over and under %20 depending on the service.

[Ravenseye]

14. 0%-20% depending on service

I start everyone at 10%. If they're a complete tool, take forever to get to us if the place isn't busy, never refill our drinks, etc...I'll drop it down to maybe 5 or lower. IF they're really nice and go an extra mile I'll go as high as 20% or more depending.

I know waiters depend on tips, I've worked as one, but that's why they need to act certain ways. If the restaurant is PACKED and the waiters all seem hurried and stressed I don't make them pay for it. You can tell when they're covering for a missing waiter, or things are especially chaotic. When the waitress at the table next to you is all smiles and friendly, and helpfull though, and yours basically comes up to you and says gruffly 'ok what do you want." then you dont' see them again till they bring your food to you 20 minutes later, at which poitn you say "hey can we get some drinks" and she reacts to you like your'e asking her to drain her blood on the table...etc etc etc.

That waiter is not getting a tip from me.

[ThomCat]

15. I usually leave a $5 tip + round up to the next dollar.

Except in places where I'm a regular, where I just round up to an even $20.

[LostinVA]

16. I start at 20% -- up to 30% for great service

At least 20% for decent. Bad service... and I mean BAD, not kitchen-fault service, will get 10%. I never not leave a tip.

And, I consider myself upper lower class financially. But, I waitressed in college, and worked retail for quite a few years, so...

[LaurenG]

19. I do this as well

at least 20%.

[hfojvt]

22. what is "upper lower class"?

The quintile boundaries are approximately: 18,456, 33,927, 53,731, 84,248, 149,588, with anybody with family income over $149,588 being in the top 5%. I am currently at 135% of the bottom threshhold of $18,456. (which I would call lower middle class rather than upper lower class, but those terms are not rigidly defined, especially since Republicans in Congress keep referring to families making $100,000 a year as middle class.) It has been more typical in my life to be at about 70% of the bottom threshhold, so I have not been big on tipping, certainly not to 20%. I figured the wait person was making more money than me anyway. Retail workers do not usually get tips do they?

[LostinVA]

24. I can pay my bills, have a little house, etc.

But don't have much money, go on a vacation about once every three years, rawly go out to eat and then no place fancy, and buy most of my clothes on ebay, etc.

Retail workers also get paid minimum wage, wait staff don't. Wait staff also get taxed on a certain amount of tips whether or not they get them. I've done both, and I'd much rather work retail.

I think if you can't or won't tip a certain amount, then you shouldn't eat at a sit-down restaurant. You're only punishing another low-income worker.

[Gormy Cuss]

52. CA is one state where wait staff are paid the minimum wage.

I wish that were the case in all states -- then tipping could be tied only to service rather than something necessary to bring the wages up to at least what a retail clerk would get. When I encounter a surly, rude, or incompetent retail clerk I don't get to ding his pay for the day. Why do I get that option with restaurant workers?

[Susang]

17. Cathy, you are a brave woman

These threads can get very flammable. ;-)

BTW, as a former service employee (off and on for 19 years), I tip extravagently and ask for little. It's a hard job and people treat you with little or no respect.

[Cathyclysmic]

33. Some issues need to be addressed

I try not to get worked up about these things...but .50 on a $10.00 bill (good service and great food, BTW)from my coworker is absurd.

[Susang]

39. Oh, that's horrid!

That person needs to be forced into at least six months of swing shift diner waitressing. :spank:

[mikeytherat]

20. By your tips, shall they know ye!

When I get great service, especially from my delivery guys and gals, I tip 30% or even more. The best part is, they will remember you are a good tipper, and you get priority service! On a Friday night, with a big sports thang going on (playoffs, etc.) I can still get my pizza in 20 minutes or Chinese delivery in 15 because they know I tip really well.

When the weather is really bad, I have tipped up to 50%!

mikey_the_rat

[Magrittes Pipe]

21. Usually in the 20% range, but it depends.

15% for bare-bones, coulda done it sleeping service. 20% if the server does ANYTHING AT ALL to make the meal enjoyable. 25% is the service is exceptional.

Less if the server is rude or goes out of his or her way to be a shit.

[Taverner]

23. 15%. If service is REALLY good and its not a $$ rest 20%

If its a $$$ it stays at 15%

But it NEVER GOES DOWN

[northzax]

25. whatever I feel like, actually

there are no hard and fast rules. heck, last night I left a 90% tip on a bar tab. (and it was a $40 tab, so that's not just whistlin' dixie)

[radwriter0555]

26. One does tip when in europe actually. The tip goes to the waiter, while

the 'service charge' goes to the owner of the establishment.

In some places in europe when someone doesn't leave a tip, it's called "going american..."

*cough*

[mwooldri]

38. Depends what part of Europe. The UK is not a tipping culture.

So tipping a quarter has been seen by unknowledgeable Brits in NYC to be the norm, so I have heard.

[caty]

29. I start with

10% and then go higher or lower depending on the service. I am not leaving a decent tip to a waiter/waitress who has been rude or neglectful. However, I will leave a huge tip to the one who is courteous and helpful. I've left $.10 to a rude, impatient, and neglectful waitress. And, I've left 20%-30% to those who made my meal pleasant with their friendliness and helpfulness.
I resent being told I HAVE to leave 15% to a waitress/waiter no matter how they treat you.

[riona]

32. practically all waiters and waitresses

that i come across are worth 20%. i have noticed that most of our rep friends tend to be a bit stingy - and they really have no excuse.

[Alleycat]

34. 15 if service is average

If the service sucked (not food or waiting time or anything out of the waitress/waiter's control) I might go less.

Also I do most of time tip more (20%) for service which is great.

[Shine]

35. 20%, ALWAYS, is our rule of thumb, unless the service totally sucks.

then we'll kick it down to 10-15%, depending on how much it sucks.

:hi:

[Orangepeel]

36. Being a server is NOT an easy job

I usually tip 20%, rounded up. Extra if the server was very good.

I'll tip much less for outright rudeness, but really nothing else will make me reduce it. I don't tip less for problems that aren't the servers fault (e.g., the food was cooked incorrectly) or even for incompetence, as long as he/she seemed to be trying.

I was a server for 4 months, and an extrodinarly bad one at that, so I'm sympathetic. Being a server is NOT an easy job. It is physically demanding and stressful. I'm a smart woman (at least based on education level and standardized test scores), but it was hard for me to keep multiple tables' orders straight and still do all the "sidework" chores that were assigned to servers. Many of the customers were out-and-out jerks, and the corporate management was always looking for ways to foist additional work off on servers.

Blah. I'd do it again, of course, if I had to. But I hope I never have to. I'd rather scrub toilets.

[KitchenWitch]

37. Start at 15%

[Dukkha]

40. I've never stiffed anyone even if the service is horrible

Rarely is it the waiter/waitresses fault if your food is bad, arrives late, or incorrect. If they are unattentive to you it's usually from being understaffed. In that case they are stresses out and feeling terrible about it and deserve your sympathy and understanding. I will never work in the restaurant business I'd snap in one day.

[windlight]

41. Depends on the service

I try to have at least 15% but if the service was crappy i'll drop to 10% or really really crappy - 2 pennies... but if the service was good (just above average) I'll tip 20% and if it was Excellent I've been known to tip 35%..

So like i said it depends on the service...

[BikeWriter]

42. Five bucks usually, on anything twenty or under.

[petronius]

44. That's our approach, too

At least $5 up to around a $20 tab, and then at least 20% from then on...

[BikeWriter]

46. I get great service at anyplace I go regularly...

So I must be doing something right. ;-)

[Kellanved]

43. Other: I live in Europe and tip 10%

The not-tipping in Europe is a myth and very difficult to explain. Only very few countries have minimum wages, almost nowhere do waiters or waitresses earn enaough to get along without tips.

[beyurslf]

47. I start at 20%. Bad service goes down. Good service goes up. Great service

goes way up.

[Debi]

48. I start at 20% and then go up dependent on service, attitude

and what we put the server through (our son is in high school and any time we take the kids out to eat we tip more - and on dance nights or after-play or after-concert or after-game nights then we also tip more). and of course, if it's one of our son's schoolmates we tip more (don't want them thinking we don't appreciate their working). I can't remember every not leaving a tip. Wait staff just make too little to not get tips.

[NJ Democrats]

49. I usually tip 15 or 16%

[bigwillq]

50. 20-25 %

depending on how good the service is.

Even if the service is mediocre, I have a lot of friends who work in food services and I know how hard they work so I tend to tip well.

[Xipe Totec]

51. 15% is standard, but

For cheap meals, like lunch buffets, I usually go 20%

I always leave the tip in cash, even when I pay for the meal with a credit card. If you think about it, you'll figure out why. If not, I can't tell you.