I left 2 pennies on the table because the waitress was so-so rude and the service was awful. AFTER walking out with my nose in the air, I get to my car and realized that I had left my car keys on the table, ouch. Walking back humilated for a face off with the meanie waitress, she was at the restaraunt door and she greeted me with distain by throwing the keys at me. YIKES all over a salad and tea. F.Y.I. I have never done that stunt again but I will only tip if i get good service and I am against restaraunts that make bartenders and waitresses pool their tips.
tippp - 14 years ago
Hey they have to be tipped.It is skilled work.Taken a plate and cup to a talk takes skills.Didn't you see the 3 year olds in the food court doing it.Or the 88 year old doing it with a walker.But the servers boy there skilled.hey can juggle and carry uh no. well there must be a skill uh they can balance them on there head uh no.well what is the skill i am missing?There in stripper out fit and hot? uh no.well dam i can't find the skill they have.One sec gonna RUN WITH MY PLATE AND CUP AND TALK ON CELL PHONE TO MY TALK.gonna see i have the skills.Hey do colleges offer server skill training?lol good your all tools.
tippno - 14 years ago
Not my fault you work for less then illegals.LOL. Why should we tip? We pay for food.We can't pick the server,nor can we pick what they wear.We pay them to bring food and drink and drop it at the table.Go tip your mom then.or wife.
If your a server it is not a skill your doing what you do everyday for yourself.Get a skill and a real job.Tipping is not being adult goober.Your only tipping because others do.Why shouldn't we tip at fast food when they bring your food over.SAME WORK>>> YELP SURE IS>>
Jessica - 14 years ago
Then you can eat at home and never go out... EVER. Behave like an adult. If you buy a product from someone who makes commission then you just tipped, if give word of mouth advertising that results in a sale then you just tipped. Are you trying to tell me that you've never tipped in your life? That doesn't make you a smart saver, it just makes you a jerk! Become a hermit and never leave the house because you're tipping every day in some form or another.
tipper-not - 14 years ago
You work for nothing.No one makes you.WOW we have to buy goods/services and tip you for doing your job.WOW. I forgot to tip the walmart cashier.Let me go back in.And forgot to tip the guy that took my power bill payment.You tippers are suckers.BOO HOO i make $2.13 a hour. GET A JOB BUM.No one makes you be a slave.That proves your stupid.
Sean - 14 years ago
Tipping is a touchy subject, do I leave 15%, do I leave more? I have been a server for over 10 years in every type of restaurant from greasy spoon to resort and whenever I tip it's never solely on a percentage of the bill but on the service I receive. A lot of people still don't realize that most servers only make $2.13 an hour (which is usually enough to cover their taxes) and need those tips to survive. I've tipped 100% before because the service was that good. If we adopted a different tipping system like the European system then a couple things would happen; servers would make less and have to find a second source of income or switch jobs all together and if tips go down then pay would have to increase putting strain on restaurant owners.
hoho - 14 years ago
Hey i sit on my butt at security gate.Should i get tipped by all cars coming out and in.
james - 14 years ago
Tipping is a joke.I am so sick of it.Ol poor restaurants will go under.That is crap.Some charge $25.00 a steak and you can't pay staff? Yea right.If you want to work for nothing then so be it.Not my fault your stupid.Everyone wants tips.hair,food,ice cream,car wash,shoe shine,coffee,striper(well that is ok.)cab,doormen,lawn care,Be happy you have a job.Should we tip cops for written us a ticket.It has to end.We pay for food or service then pay there workers also.HELL NO.I will never tip.Stopping tipping and they will get the message.What is the difference from panhandling?
Save your replies it is a scam and your just mad your one of the suckers that do it.I call you a BUMP WITH YOUR HAND OUT.
Ann - 14 years ago
I have left poor tips due to poor service. I mean waiters or waitresses IGNORE us. I have had slow service where the staff makes a quick stop apologizes, and says they are doing what they can. Ok I can handle that. But no one seeing to us? You do not get a tip. Or at least a SMALL one.
I was at a restaurant, and all the OTHER waiters in the immediate area were handling us, not our server. Our server did bring our food. The others were flagged down by us. If I could have I would have walked to each person who helped us and given them a tip in their hand. However we planned to pay by credit card. So we did not have a lot of cash. So we had to make our disgust known by our tip on the card. We did talk to the manager too. That restaurant did not stay in business long. It was a great mall location too.
kctoons - 14 years ago
I have left a very small tip but I have never NOT left a tip...in my mind the server may think I just forgot. If I am unhappy with the service I will say something - to the server, to the manager; they will KNOW that I am not happy. If they have a survey I will complete that as well. On the flip side...if the service is very good, I leave a a very good tip (at least 15-20%-more if the service was above and beyond. I did leave a 100% tip once, she was fabulous...). I will also say something to the manager if the service was excellent and complete a survey if one is provided by the restaurant.
Foodgeek - 14 years ago
I waited tables for a number of years, more than I'd like to remember, and one thing that I never, ever saw was a server who looked at a tip and said to him/herself, "Wow, this is not a very good tip. Perhaps I should straighten up my act and be better at my job." This never happens, and there are lots of reasons why this never happens: Some people don't tip at all, ever, as has been stated; Some people are 15% tippers, some 10% and some 20%, so a server has no way of knowing if you are a 20% tipper who left her 15% to "send her a message," or if you are a 10% tipper who left 15% to say, "Good job!" Changing the tip is simply passive/agressive behavior that makes no difference. If you want to say something, you're better off actually saying it with words.
Secondly, those of you who say that you write passive/agressive notes on your credit card receipts, explaining to your server why she gets no tip or telling her how lousy she was: Do you not see anything wrong with this scenario? The server who holds your credit card receipt has a lot of information about you. He/she has your name, credit card number w/exp. date, sometimes your address or the address of your work, the name of your bank. . . Think about how much more information he or she could look up about you on the internet, or what could be done with that information. If you're going to stiff a server, I recommend paying cash.
Some Black People Do Leave Tips - 14 years ago
The name is only in response to the person that erroneously said:
"Black people never leave tips, there I said it!
Posted by Bobby Digital on July 9th 2010, 6:15pm"
I've worked as a waitress and won't lump everyone together like this person did. There is no one race that won't tip. Cheap people of all races don't tip.
I normally leave a 20% tip if the service was decent. But if the waitress or waiter has an attitude and acts as if they'd rather be somewhere else and doesn't even provide a minimum level of service (refill drinks, remove dirty dishes, check back to see If I need anything, only comes to table to leave the bill) then I will not tip them.
Cory
"are you aware that it actually takes time to set up your precious food, getting you extra condiments, extra this extra that, no croutons on your salad blah blah blah. Laura, ordering Takeout is NOT like ordering Fast food. I work at a very well known seafood restauraunt and they make us bartenders set up takeout orders and i can tell you that its not as easy/fast as it seems. Dont be a cheap skate laura. Try using common sense the next time you walk into a Restaurant cause if you dont have the money to tip then PLEASE DRIVE THRU..."
First of all, as I said above, the cashiers(NOT someone else) have taken time to make my burger before, they have at KFC, put the biscuits in the container, put the mac n' cheese in the container. Give me forks, knifes, napkins. The cashier at Wendy's that made my burger, I saw she put my cheese, mayo, bacon, lettuce, and onions LITERALLY on my burger. This is the person that TOOK my order, NOT another co-worker. THE CASHIER did this for NO TIP!!! I have had that happen before at other fast food restaurants as well.
Drive-thru is just simply handing the food over in the window. Iit is not ANY DIFFERENT than handing the food to me at the counter and YOU KNOW IT!! IT is the GOD'S TRUTH!!
Take out is ordering like fast food and in fact, sometimes it's easier if it's a simple dish such as a pasta dish at Applebee's. That was faster and LESS WORK than the McDonald's cashier did for me getting me a hotcakes and sausage order. They don't have an all-in-one bag of goodies. The Applebee's bartender serving me that to-go order doesn't have to get me any condiments with pasta for just about every normal customer. WHY is it fair you get a tip, they don't? You may say what you get paid, but that has ZERO to do with the customer. The customer should tip FAIRLY. It's your employer that is being unfair, not US.
Why would I pay for a service I didn't receive? I come to pick up the food after I called it in at the counter. The food was already prepared without ME being there, so HOW can I receive a service I am NOT THERE TO RECEIVE, HUH? Makes ZERO SENSE!! You said have common sense, well you obviously don't, do you?
It's not about being cheap, it's about being *********FAIR************* to everyone that serves food at a counter. If you do the same things, you should get the same pay, regardless of what you make an hour, because that has nothing to do with customers. That's between you and your employer.
No croutons on my salad, the fast food cashiers have to make sure they have a packet if I do want some or don't have a packet if I don't want any.
If they make you make the salad, that's the same thing as the cashier making my burger at Wendy's, so don't tell me anything with that.
All the time, I ask for extra mac sauce at McDonald's. Sometimes the cashier THEMSELF goes to get some in a container. I ask for tartar sauce too sometimes. I eat both with fries. Do they get a tip? NO, WHY should you? It's just simply not fair to tip you, but not them for COUNTER SERVICE!! You know that is the truth!!
TAKE OUT IS EXACTLY LIKE ORDERING FAST FOOD, EXCEPT YOU CAN CALL IT IN, AND LIKE MAGIC, IT'S READY. NO SERVICE WAS RECEIVED SINCE YOU ARE ONLY THERE FOR THEM TO RING IT UP AND GIVE YOU CHANGE. If you prepared it beforehand, I wasn't there to RECEIVE that service, WAS I? You have NO COMMON SENSE, DO YOU? You pay for things you don't receive? I know I sure don't and mostly everyone else doesn't either.
Even if I order it at the restaurant to-go, it's still just like the Wendy's cashier that made my burger. It is NO DIFFERENT!! If I am calling it in, then there isn't any service to tip for since that is really not much to just ring me up and give me change, which is even LESS WORK I receive than that Wendy's cashier did for me.
I tip on Sonic or car-side-to-go(never gotten it before, but would if my order was right), because people bring you your food to your car. T
Darla
"cooking preparations (we are in no control of this)."
Actually, you do when you put in the order, whether you put it in correctly or not.
"Like the two people who mentioned they dont tip on take outs; thats time I am taking out to make sure your food is prepared nicely, eat at home or go to a drive-through if you can't tip."
The fast food cashiers do the same exact things. I have even had fast food cashiers make my burger before at Wendy's for REAL, the SAME woman that TOOK my order also got a cup with some mayo in it and another cup with mustard in it HERSELF, NOT another co-worker. Another co-worker only got the fries. The cashier filled my coke with ice as well. She rung me up and gave me a credit card receipt(which if I paid with cash, she would have given me change if I was owed some).
Do you see how they don't get tipped, WHY should you for doing the EXACT SAME THINGS for a to-go order a person picks up inside?
Now if you bring me my food to my car and it's correct, I will tip, because that is delivery, but not just for me to go inside to pick it up at a COUNTER. You are crazy if you think people owe you for fast food service. They don't get a tip for counter service, WHY should you? It's not fair if I can't tip them, but tip you, sometimes for even less work such as a pasta dish at Applebee's has an all-in-one fork/knife/napkin/salt 'n pepper packets. So the server has LESS WORK than that Wendy's cashier gave me for NO TIP. HOW THE HECK IS THAT FAIR for you to get a tip, but not her? It's not!! If I pick it up at the counter, it's FAST FOOD SERVICE, PERIOD that gets no tip. People that deliver food at Sonic get tips, so the people that do car-side-to-go should get tips, because it's DELIVERED!!
Even a McDonald's, if I order hotcakes and sausage. THE CASHIER rings me up, gives me change, gets me a fork in one box, a knife in another box, 2 butters in another box, 2 syrups in another box, and 2 jellies for my sausage in another box. She then bags it if I get it to-go. She also may even have to get something to drink that isn't self serve(not all Mcdonald's have are self-serve soft drink areas either). So you see, they work just as hard or sometimes even HARDER than you people. Don't you get that or what?
How is giving me the same food in a drive-thru window ANY DIFFERENT than a counter? It's the same work. That is a stupid comparison. I have done to-go orders at a donut shop/diner years ago and noticed YES, I have the same work if they decide to call it in, then come pick it up at the drive-thru. YES, it was the SAME WORK, NO DIFFERENCES AT ALL, NONE, NONE, NONE!!
"Also it is nice when a table takes in to account the amount of time you take sitting at a table"
If the service is over with, so is the tipping. This isn't rent-a-table from your server. They should just leave if they are finished. They don't owe you more money if they don't if they aren't receiving anymore service. Tips are for service only, not for table rental fees, which honestly, would be given to the owner or manager, not the server if we all paid for a rental fee for the table.
Not a chance. Waiter/waitressing has got to be one of the hardest jobs out there. They are the front line people that "get it" from the diner. So they deserve a tip each and every time.
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Ed - 14 years ago
I have traveled for the past 15 years as part of my work. Because of the travel I have eaten in all kinds of restaurants and met all sorts of servers. 95% of the wait staff I meet are good natured and fun people who brighten my day. There are the few who can make a bad day worst. I will tip 15% to 20% and most times it's 20%. But I have reduced my tip or left nothing depending on service. On occasion I have left the restaurant when I was ignored, leaving enough money to cover my drink. Once I had to go back to get my jacket, nobody asked why I left.
I know I would tip even if there was a standard minimum wage law, because it is a good way to say thank you twice.
Also TIP does not mean "To Insure Promptness" TIP is an Old English word that means "to give" or "to pass" or" to hand". in the saying "To Insure Promptness" the word insure is wrong, it would be "Ensure".
Cheryl - 14 years ago
Someone told me that if you put the tip on a credit card the server has to pay income tax on it; so I always pay the tip in cash. I'm a good tipper, leaving the standard 15% for acceptable service and chosing to leave 20, 25 even 30% for good, better, or great service.
However, twice I have left one red cent due to very poor service, but once when I was treated without an ounce of respect by the waitress that I wrote on the check "Here is Your Tip" and proceeded to elaborate why I would not leave a monetary reward.
Jim - 14 years ago
Let's put aside arguments about the avarice of the restaurant owners who refuse to pay their waiters a living wage, and instead concentrate on the realities of how service staff are actually paid, harsh as they may be.
Waiters exist to serve restaurant patrons, and that is the sum-total of their reason for being. They're not paid to be friends, confidents or confessors: they are paid to *serve*.
I suggest that there exists in the US a broadly held but implicit agreement amongst mature restaurant patrons about what constitutes "good service": timeliness, accuracy, deference, a cordial demeanor, and - ideally - an enthusiasm in the waiter's role which adds a certain welcome spice to an otherwise good meal. Equally, "bad service" can be characterized by "Attitude", sloppiness, inexcusable delays in welcoming patrons / taking initial orders (drinks, appetizers) / indifference to or ignorance of patrons' needs (or the inability to anticipate these needs)...
Why on EARTH would any right-thinking individual consciously reward bad service by leaving a tip?
On the contrary: if you are badly served, remonstrate, immediately, with the waiter and escalate immediately to the manager if there is not an instant change in behavior and performance. *You* are the buyer of service here, and to meekly accept a shoddy product from a poorly performing waiter relegates you to the role of the patronized, not the patron.
Certainly, when presented with satisfactory service, the waiter should be appropriately compensated. And truly exceptional service should be exceptionally compensated (including non-monetary compensation, like a letter to the restaurant manager, commending the waiter by name).
But we have seen tip inflation over the years. Remember when the standard tip for satisfactory service was 10%? Now we customers are prodded to pay 18% or even 20% on the bill *inclusive of sales tax* "as a minimum guideline". And yet we are shamed into paying this against our better judgement when we know we have been badly served.
If waiters wish to be treated professionally and compensated accordingly, they have to do their part. (Of course, I can't speak to the small fraction of the population who would never tip, no matter what.)
Waiter staff, ask yourself honestly at each table, with each patron: did the service I provided this customer justify a 15% or 18% tip? Did I do everything *I* could to make the patron's dining experience exceptional?
Like many, many people, I waited tables when I was a student. I enjoy dining out. Today, I live in mainland Europe where the service charge is frequently included in the price of the dish / meal ('service compris": this unfortunately removes some liberty from the patron to express displeasure with bad service; on the other hand, the waiter staff are salaried professionals and one expects a higher quality of service from a salaried staff member). On the other hand, I am delighted to provide generous tips above and beyond the inclusive service charge to waiters who know their job well and execute it professionally, and I am *very* generous when an exceptional meal was made possible through the efforts of the waiter.
But to hold a gun to my head and say I *must* pay a surly, incompetent, rude, abusive waiter for the privilege of having a meal spoiled? This is folly. I say: vote with your feet. If your meal is being ruined, place your knife and fork on your plate, your napkin on the table, slide your chair back, and simply walk to the door. And never go back. If challenged, state your case clearly to the manager that you simply don't have to pay to put up with this sh*t - because you don't.
lacey - 14 years ago
I always like to leave at least a 20% tip if I am given good service from my server; more if I get great service. I had one experience where we went to eat at a pizza place and our server ignored us, and another waitress refilled our drinks and apologized to us.
I payed with a credit card and put a 0 with a line through it on the tip section on the bill. I found out later that the "someone" added a 25% tip to the bill after I left. PISSED me off!!! I called and wrote a letter to the manager but it didn't seem like they did anything about it.
We quit eating there.
Scott - 14 years ago
It's simple people...do unto others. If you have $, be kind and give it to someone who probably really needs it.
Roger - 14 years ago
I have left less or no tip. I am non-white and I see quite often that the wait staff deliberately take my order last, they forget to bring my food..c'mon this is 2010...stop being a racist..when I see such things I DO NOT tip at all. Surprisingly I get more hatred from black wait staff than whites....what a world...
Vic - 14 years ago
If you receive very poor service from a waiter or waitress and leave NO tip; he or she will simply think that you are cheap and never leave tips. Instead, when I am very displeased with the service that I receive, I put a clean napkin in the center of the table and carefully place two pennies on it to indicate what I thought of the service that I received (or didn't receive!). Hopefully, my waiter or waitress will "get the message" that I didn't simply forget or choose not to leave a tip. I hope that he or she notices that I went to the trouble of leaving a message on the napkin. And that's my "two-cents worth"!
Jeff - 14 years ago
I had really bad service very few times in my life, but boy they stood out. The way that I pay is with a credit card. Below the total it says "tip". My minimum is always 20%. The 3 or 4 times I have been treated like a mutt I put a zero with a slash through it VERY boldly so as not to be missed. Strangely enough, one of the times was a place that I was a regular. This girl, Heatherrrrrr, was so rude that I did the no-tip thing. She was gone from there in a week. Some people may not be cut out for public service work.
Darla - 14 years ago
As a college student and a waitress it is funny to see peoples takes on this topic. I too have dealt with terrible service and have left subpar tips. Defining terrible; a server who does numerous things wrong in the course of my meal (it should take ALOT for someone to tip nothing). Most servers have general pet peeves that just really are aggravating. Like the two people who mentioned they dont tip on take outs; thats time I am taking out to make sure your food is prepared nicely, eat at home or go to a drive-through if you can't tip. People should definitely tip based on service but do NOT tip off of the food's taste or cooking preparations (we are in no control of this). Also it is nice when a table takes in to account the amount of time you take sitting at a table, if you are there for four hours and your bill is only ten bucks, $2.00 is not reasonable if I have to check on you the whole four hours, you are costing me money. I love serving and I love people two things I am passionate about, dining out should be pleasurable however our tips are the only income we survive on (my $2.13/hr always goes towards taxes so I get $0.00 paychecks) we are under alot of stress, be reasonable when tipping it should take alot for you to tip someone nothing are less than 10%
Warren - 14 years ago
Following my earlier posting, I had a further thought on tipping. We find it illogical that the amount of the gratuity depends upon the menu prices rather than the service provided. Therefore, the server bringing an overpriced omelet and a glass of white wine is likely to get 15% while the person serving scrambled eggs and a cup of java is in the 30 to 40% bracket. Sadly, all to often the people in the egg and coffee place have to hustle even harder than the servers in the fancier restaurants. We fell that the tip should reflect the effort and attention and not just the prices.
Ron - 14 years ago
Cory, shame on you for being so bitter as to proclame your hatred for customers who don't leave a tip for take-out. Tips should be expected for exceptional service only and not for putting something in a bag! Should we now tip the baggers at the supermarket? You seem to be a very bitter person and certainly not one that I would like to wait on me. I don't know about anyone else but, whether the food in a restaurant is good or not is not as important as the attitude of the wait staff. A good tip should always be left for good service and a poor or no tip for bad surly service.
Sandra - 14 years ago
Twice, while working as a waitress, I was left only a business card. I guess these guys thought offering the possibility of a date would suffice; so tacky.
Warren - 14 years ago
When there are issues with the food we speak to the house and expect a correction or adjustment. However, when the servine falls down I sure will reflect it in the tip. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions I have had to take this course. Most often it has been when the service has spoiled an otherwise good meal. Once at the famed Lutece in New York the waiter was really out of line so the wine steward and the bus boy got nice tips but the server got a goose egg and our distaste mentioned to management. We have had worse service than this but the expectations must match the situation. If you are paying a lot in a nice environment then lapses are even more egrigious. It is the reverse of the adage that you get what you pay for, you pay for what you get.
Paul - 14 years ago
It is impressive to see the varying interpretations of what people think tipping is for. I bussed and waited tables while in college, and I simply can't understand the people who say they always leave a tip. They are the reason for the increase of subpar servers out there today. I can tolerate poor service as long as the person is trying, as we've all had bad days. On the other hand, Attitude, which seems to be a growing trend, is inexcusable and should be brought to the manager’s attention immediately. I recommend calmly asking for a different server when confronted with such types while ordering. This is the quickest way to save the evening and it lets everyone know that you are there to have a good meal in a pleasant atmosphere, which is the waiter’s responsibility in the first place. If problems come up after the food has been served, make sure to let the manager know when leaving. Also, leave a small tip, otherwise the bad server will think it’s on the card or you forgot. You must let the server and manager know of the poor service. If you don’t, he or she is going to continue to treat customers badly, making everyone unhappy including the server as she will continue to wonder why she is getting poor tips. Equally important, let the server and manager know you appreciate good service. Sometimes a kind word of thanks can go a long way.
Fred - 14 years ago
I have left a $1.00 bill as a tip for exceptionally bad service on two occasions. First to ensure they realize I did not forget to tip, second to have them appreciate how their interaction with a customer will affect the outcome of their gratuity.
Tina - 14 years ago
I always leave a tip unless the service is extremely poor, usually 15-20%. If the service is exceptional I leave a better tip, especially it's not an expensive restaurant. That might sound contrary to the norm, but servers in the smaller restaurants are more likely to receive smaller tips because the meal costs less. I've been a server myself and I know how much they rely on those tips. Those of you who don't tip well because you think the restaurant should pay more really aren't letting the restaurant know that; you're just cutting your server's pay.
Anonymous - 14 years ago
The only time I'd never left a tip was 10 years ago, just out of college, had a wonderful, but low-paying job. Went out for a late lunch at a family/brewery type place with a bunch of co-workers. We were all young, but we had enough money to pay for the meal and tip well, and were very polite, no one ordered alcohol since it was a too early. BUT the waitress was truly, truly rude to us I believe because we weren't big spenders, rolling her eyes when we asked for an extra glass of water, sighing, slamming the water down on the table. Saying, "oh my God!" when we ordered one of the less expensive appetizers. In front of the manager, who looked sheepish but did not apologize nor give us another server. I'll tip 15% for slow service, a busy night with the waitstaff when they sometimes forget orders, etc., but deliberate rudeness and disrespect when not indicated at all -- that's 0%.
Diane - 14 years ago
Jenny, you should read Eva's comment! You sound like a bitter waitress -- the kind we don't like to tip because of attitude.
Jason - 14 years ago
When I was in highschool I went to California Pizza Kitchen with a friend. Service was good, food was great, so a tip would have been forthcoming. However, after handing us our check, our waitress said "Don't forget my tip"...wow. Now maybe she had gotten burned by teenagers before, but there was no way I was going to leave her a tip after a comment like that. Why can't we go back to the good ole days when you would give "tips" before a meal (To Insure Prompt Service)?
Jen - 14 years ago
I've only left no tip 1 time. But the service was that bad. The waitress never spoke one word the entire time we were there. She walked up to the table, held her pen to her pad and stared at us as if we'd ruined her day by being to only people in there and making her work. She brought our food. walked off, brought us our check and never returned. She's lucky we even paid the tab. What made it funny, however is I went to high school with her. Maybe it was some personal hate towards me! But I think she was just an angry person!
Kay - 14 years ago
I waited tables for several years and have both witnessed and been the culprit of bad service. Everyone has bad days once in a while (it is a job where you are forced to smile and be polite even if your dog just died or you just had your heart broken) and if the service was really bad I didn't expect a big tip. But the one thing to note to everyone is that regardless of your service or whether it is simply a "to go" meal, your server pays taxes based on their sales and the "standard" tip bracket. If you don't tip it isn't just that you are not paying them but you are also costing them money and in the case of to go meals please be aware that the sales often go through the bartender and they do have to claim a standard tip even if they didn't receive one.
My paychecks were $0.00 the entire time I waited tables and at the end of every year I owed money to the governement because the $2.12/hr did not cover the federal taxes.
I totally understand that if the service was bad and no not everyone is cut out for the business but it is a hard job and a very hard living. In most restaurant cases there is no health insurance, no sick days, no guarantee of income. So just be considerate of that the next time you go out to eat.
Bill - 14 years ago
First off a "tip" is a gratuity not an obligation! It should NEVER be expected, but earned. Second, I find it arrogant and rude to include the tip in my bill, I should always have the option to tip or not to tip and if I do, how much. I would never patronize a place where they practice adding the tip to the bill and I try to persuade everyone I know to do the same. Now days even the postman expects a tip! The guy makes more money than I do! Who’s next? My doctor?
Bobby Digital - 14 years ago
Black people never leave tips, there I said it!
REALITY HATER - 14 years ago
I once left the waiter a note saying here's your tip” don’t piss off the guy who is paying the bill” and another to " not plant corn in the winter" both of these were such horrible dining experiences, that tips to the wait staff were entirely out of the question to the point I was compelled to leave sarcastic notes, then speak with management. Far too often tips of 20% are expected rather than earned. Tipping the employees of Dunkin Donuts, Subway and take out eateries for the employee to do nothing more than bag and bring you food that you already paid for is ridiculous at best, and most people seeing the tip line of the receipt feel compelled to do so. I tip well when the service rendered calls for it. I tip my local Pizzeria delivery drivers so well they all want mydelivery ticket, but this also insures I am the first stop on the delivery route.
Cory - 14 years ago
Sometimes it just doesnt matter how good the service is. People are going to tip what they want. I've relied on tips for my livelyhood for 7 years now. I've seen everything. $0 tip on $254 dollars.. i've also seen a $2000 tip on $9.73 dollar tab(wasnt my table). People are going to tip what they want. As for Laura who stated.."I will not leave a tip if I'm doing a restaurant pick up order. You've got to be kidding me. You bagged it and expect a tip? That trend I hate." I HATEEEEEE people like you. are you aware that it actually takes time to set up your precious food, getting you extra condiments, extra this extra that, no croutons on your salad blah blah blah. Laura, ordering Takeout is NOT like ordering Fast food. I work at a very well known seafood restauraunt and they make us bartenders set up takeout orders and i can tell you that its not as easy/fast as it seems. Dont be a cheap skate laura. Try using common sense the next time you walk into a Restaurant cause if you dont have the money to tip then PLEASE DRIVE THRU...
Fred - 14 years ago
I always try to separate bad food from bad service. I never stiff the wait staff just because the food is bad. More times than not, it is not the fault of the wait staff that the food stinks. However, I agree with Diane that bad service can always ruin a good meal, so I always tip according to the service, not the food. Since things have gotten more expensive than they were 10 or even 5 years ago, I usually try to leave a tip greater than 15%. To ensure this, I tip on the bill AND the tax which usually means I am leaving a 16% to 17% tip and makes the calculation easier to do, anyway.
Diane - 14 years ago
If companies paid their servers a fair wage and paid them for what they did, then you'd pay $10.00 for a $1.00 Hamburger. If they have to pay the help, then someone has to pick up the slack, and it sure won't be them.
I tip accordingly, if a server did their job, then they get 5% over tip rate. If they were personable and made our meal more pleasant then I really tip well.
In my experience a good server can cover for a bad cook, but a bad server can ruin the meal no matter how good the cook is.
jenny - 14 years ago
All of you non-tippers should wait tables and then see how you feel. If you don't have enough money then don't go out to eat.
Eva - 14 years ago
I usually leave a 15 to 20 percent tip, but once or twice a bill's total surprised me and I didn't have enough cash for a tip. I left what I could. In one instance, I went back the next day and left money for the server. ... I'm not crazy about tipping, but I do it because I don't often get bad service. I understand people are trying to make a living like the rest of us, but I think restaurants should pay servers well instead of having them rely on tips for decent money.
Charl - 14 years ago
I actually went out of my way once not to tip the waitress but to hunt down the bus boy and tip him. His level of politeness compared to her level of rudeness earned him a 40% tip. I then went to the manager and told him that my tip was meant to the bus boy who's customer service was so superior to the waitress'.
MomEvie - 14 years ago
If the service is ever so bad that I'm not leaving a tip, then it was bad enough to speak with management. Each time, I've insisted on paying the full bill so they'd take me seriously. I want them to know that I'm complaining for a reason, not to get anything for free.
Waiting tables put me through college. I'm very aware of what a hard job it is. But there are some people that aren't cut out for the job.
Roy - 14 years ago
Too many times I have left a restaurant without leaving a tip for a variety of reasons:
Bad food the house would not replace (we are talking raw chicken, overcooked steak, or just tasted awful)
Bad service: having to go and get the waiter or waitress because you were being ignored.
The tip is not guarenteed, it is To Insure Prompt Service, if that doesn't happen, if the food is bad, the order is delivered wrong or the wait staff is too bad to be true, then they are luck I paid the bill and they expect a tip?
Laura - 14 years ago
I will not leave a tip if I'm doing a restaurant pick up order. You've got to be kidding me. You bagged it and expect a tip? That trend I hate.
Jan - 14 years ago
leaving a tip is a sign of a "CHEAP EMPLOYER"
Mohawkmolly - 14 years ago
I left no tip because the waitress spent all of her time at a table of businessmen and paid no attention to my table. I told her I hoped they would tip enough to cover what my tip should have been. Another time I took a tip back because the waitress commented that it was not big egough so I took it back and at least I was happy.
I left 2 pennies on the table because the waitress was so-so rude and the service was awful. AFTER walking out with my nose in the air, I get to my car and realized that I had left my car keys on the table, ouch. Walking back humilated for a face off with the meanie waitress, she was at the restaraunt door and she greeted me with distain by throwing the keys at me. YIKES all over a salad and tea. F.Y.I. I have never done that stunt again but I will only tip if i get good service and I am against restaraunts that make bartenders and waitresses pool their tips.
Hey they have to be tipped.It is skilled work.Taken a plate and cup to a talk takes skills.Didn't you see the 3 year olds in the food court doing it.Or the 88 year old doing it with a walker.But the servers boy there skilled.hey can juggle and carry uh no. well there must be a skill uh they can balance them on there head uh no.well what is the skill i am missing?There in stripper out fit and hot? uh no.well dam i can't find the skill they have.One sec gonna RUN WITH MY PLATE AND CUP AND TALK ON CELL PHONE TO MY TALK.gonna see i have the skills.Hey do colleges offer server skill training?lol good your all tools.
Not my fault you work for less then illegals.LOL. Why should we tip? We pay for food.We can't pick the server,nor can we pick what they wear.We pay them to bring food and drink and drop it at the table.Go tip your mom then.or wife.
If your a server it is not a skill your doing what you do everyday for yourself.Get a skill and a real job.Tipping is not being adult goober.Your only tipping because others do.Why shouldn't we tip at fast food when they bring your food over.SAME WORK>>> YELP SURE IS>>
Then you can eat at home and never go out... EVER. Behave like an adult. If you buy a product from someone who makes commission then you just tipped, if give word of mouth advertising that results in a sale then you just tipped. Are you trying to tell me that you've never tipped in your life? That doesn't make you a smart saver, it just makes you a jerk! Become a hermit and never leave the house because you're tipping every day in some form or another.
You work for nothing.No one makes you.WOW we have to buy goods/services and tip you for doing your job.WOW. I forgot to tip the walmart cashier.Let me go back in.And forgot to tip the guy that took my power bill payment.You tippers are suckers.BOO HOO i make $2.13 a hour. GET A JOB BUM.No one makes you be a slave.That proves your stupid.
Tipping is a touchy subject, do I leave 15%, do I leave more? I have been a server for over 10 years in every type of restaurant from greasy spoon to resort and whenever I tip it's never solely on a percentage of the bill but on the service I receive. A lot of people still don't realize that most servers only make $2.13 an hour (which is usually enough to cover their taxes) and need those tips to survive. I've tipped 100% before because the service was that good. If we adopted a different tipping system like the European system then a couple things would happen; servers would make less and have to find a second source of income or switch jobs all together and if tips go down then pay would have to increase putting strain on restaurant owners.
Hey i sit on my butt at security gate.Should i get tipped by all cars coming out and in.
Tipping is a joke.I am so sick of it.Ol poor restaurants will go under.That is crap.Some charge $25.00 a steak and you can't pay staff? Yea right.If you want to work for nothing then so be it.Not my fault your stupid.Everyone wants tips.hair,food,ice cream,car wash,shoe shine,coffee,striper(well that is ok.)cab,doormen,lawn care,Be happy you have a job.Should we tip cops for written us a ticket.It has to end.We pay for food or service then pay there workers also.HELL NO.I will never tip.Stopping tipping and they will get the message.What is the difference from panhandling?
Save your replies it is a scam and your just mad your one of the suckers that do it.I call you a BUMP WITH YOUR HAND OUT.
I have left poor tips due to poor service. I mean waiters or waitresses IGNORE us. I have had slow service where the staff makes a quick stop apologizes, and says they are doing what they can. Ok I can handle that. But no one seeing to us? You do not get a tip. Or at least a SMALL one.
I was at a restaurant, and all the OTHER waiters in the immediate area were handling us, not our server. Our server did bring our food. The others were flagged down by us. If I could have I would have walked to each person who helped us and given them a tip in their hand. However we planned to pay by credit card. So we did not have a lot of cash. So we had to make our disgust known by our tip on the card. We did talk to the manager too. That restaurant did not stay in business long. It was a great mall location too.
I have left a very small tip but I have never NOT left a tip...in my mind the server may think I just forgot. If I am unhappy with the service I will say something - to the server, to the manager; they will KNOW that I am not happy. If they have a survey I will complete that as well. On the flip side...if the service is very good, I leave a a very good tip (at least 15-20%-more if the service was above and beyond. I did leave a 100% tip once, she was fabulous...). I will also say something to the manager if the service was excellent and complete a survey if one is provided by the restaurant.
I waited tables for a number of years, more than I'd like to remember, and one thing that I never, ever saw was a server who looked at a tip and said to him/herself, "Wow, this is not a very good tip. Perhaps I should straighten up my act and be better at my job." This never happens, and there are lots of reasons why this never happens: Some people don't tip at all, ever, as has been stated; Some people are 15% tippers, some 10% and some 20%, so a server has no way of knowing if you are a 20% tipper who left her 15% to "send her a message," or if you are a 10% tipper who left 15% to say, "Good job!" Changing the tip is simply passive/agressive behavior that makes no difference. If you want to say something, you're better off actually saying it with words.
Secondly, those of you who say that you write passive/agressive notes on your credit card receipts, explaining to your server why she gets no tip or telling her how lousy she was: Do you not see anything wrong with this scenario? The server who holds your credit card receipt has a lot of information about you. He/she has your name, credit card number w/exp. date, sometimes your address or the address of your work, the name of your bank. . . Think about how much more information he or she could look up about you on the internet, or what could be done with that information. If you're going to stiff a server, I recommend paying cash.
The name is only in response to the person that erroneously said:
"Black people never leave tips, there I said it!
Posted by Bobby Digital on July 9th 2010, 6:15pm"
I've worked as a waitress and won't lump everyone together like this person did. There is no one race that won't tip. Cheap people of all races don't tip.
I normally leave a 20% tip if the service was decent. But if the waitress or waiter has an attitude and acts as if they'd rather be somewhere else and doesn't even provide a minimum level of service (refill drinks, remove dirty dishes, check back to see If I need anything, only comes to table to leave the bill) then I will not tip them.
Cory
"are you aware that it actually takes time to set up your precious food, getting you extra condiments, extra this extra that, no croutons on your salad blah blah blah. Laura, ordering Takeout is NOT like ordering Fast food. I work at a very well known seafood restauraunt and they make us bartenders set up takeout orders and i can tell you that its not as easy/fast as it seems. Dont be a cheap skate laura. Try using common sense the next time you walk into a Restaurant cause if you dont have the money to tip then PLEASE DRIVE THRU..."
First of all, as I said above, the cashiers(NOT someone else) have taken time to make my burger before, they have at KFC, put the biscuits in the container, put the mac n' cheese in the container. Give me forks, knifes, napkins. The cashier at Wendy's that made my burger, I saw she put my cheese, mayo, bacon, lettuce, and onions LITERALLY on my burger. This is the person that TOOK my order, NOT another co-worker. THE CASHIER did this for NO TIP!!! I have had that happen before at other fast food restaurants as well.
Drive-thru is just simply handing the food over in the window. Iit is not ANY DIFFERENT than handing the food to me at the counter and YOU KNOW IT!! IT is the GOD'S TRUTH!!
Take out is ordering like fast food and in fact, sometimes it's easier if it's a simple dish such as a pasta dish at Applebee's. That was faster and LESS WORK than the McDonald's cashier did for me getting me a hotcakes and sausage order. They don't have an all-in-one bag of goodies. The Applebee's bartender serving me that to-go order doesn't have to get me any condiments with pasta for just about every normal customer. WHY is it fair you get a tip, they don't? You may say what you get paid, but that has ZERO to do with the customer. The customer should tip FAIRLY. It's your employer that is being unfair, not US.
Why would I pay for a service I didn't receive? I come to pick up the food after I called it in at the counter. The food was already prepared without ME being there, so HOW can I receive a service I am NOT THERE TO RECEIVE, HUH? Makes ZERO SENSE!! You said have common sense, well you obviously don't, do you?
It's not about being cheap, it's about being *********FAIR************* to everyone that serves food at a counter. If you do the same things, you should get the same pay, regardless of what you make an hour, because that has nothing to do with customers. That's between you and your employer.
No croutons on my salad, the fast food cashiers have to make sure they have a packet if I do want some or don't have a packet if I don't want any.
If they make you make the salad, that's the same thing as the cashier making my burger at Wendy's, so don't tell me anything with that.
All the time, I ask for extra mac sauce at McDonald's. Sometimes the cashier THEMSELF goes to get some in a container. I ask for tartar sauce too sometimes. I eat both with fries. Do they get a tip? NO, WHY should you? It's just simply not fair to tip you, but not them for COUNTER SERVICE!! You know that is the truth!!
TAKE OUT IS EXACTLY LIKE ORDERING FAST FOOD, EXCEPT YOU CAN CALL IT IN, AND LIKE MAGIC, IT'S READY. NO SERVICE WAS RECEIVED SINCE YOU ARE ONLY THERE FOR THEM TO RING IT UP AND GIVE YOU CHANGE. If you prepared it beforehand, I wasn't there to RECEIVE that service, WAS I? You have NO COMMON SENSE, DO YOU? You pay for things you don't receive? I know I sure don't and mostly everyone else doesn't either.
Even if I order it at the restaurant to-go, it's still just like the Wendy's cashier that made my burger. It is NO DIFFERENT!! If I am calling it in, then there isn't any service to tip for since that is really not much to just ring me up and give me change, which is even LESS WORK I receive than that Wendy's cashier did for me.
I tip on Sonic or car-side-to-go(never gotten it before, but would if my order was right), because people bring you your food to your car. T
Darla
"cooking preparations (we are in no control of this)."
Actually, you do when you put in the order, whether you put it in correctly or not.
"Like the two people who mentioned they dont tip on take outs; thats time I am taking out to make sure your food is prepared nicely, eat at home or go to a drive-through if you can't tip."
The fast food cashiers do the same exact things. I have even had fast food cashiers make my burger before at Wendy's for REAL, the SAME woman that TOOK my order also got a cup with some mayo in it and another cup with mustard in it HERSELF, NOT another co-worker. Another co-worker only got the fries. The cashier filled my coke with ice as well. She rung me up and gave me a credit card receipt(which if I paid with cash, she would have given me change if I was owed some).
Do you see how they don't get tipped, WHY should you for doing the EXACT SAME THINGS for a to-go order a person picks up inside?
Now if you bring me my food to my car and it's correct, I will tip, because that is delivery, but not just for me to go inside to pick it up at a COUNTER. You are crazy if you think people owe you for fast food service. They don't get a tip for counter service, WHY should you? It's not fair if I can't tip them, but tip you, sometimes for even less work such as a pasta dish at Applebee's has an all-in-one fork/knife/napkin/salt 'n pepper packets. So the server has LESS WORK than that Wendy's cashier gave me for NO TIP. HOW THE HECK IS THAT FAIR for you to get a tip, but not her? It's not!! If I pick it up at the counter, it's FAST FOOD SERVICE, PERIOD that gets no tip. People that deliver food at Sonic get tips, so the people that do car-side-to-go should get tips, because it's DELIVERED!!
Even a McDonald's, if I order hotcakes and sausage. THE CASHIER rings me up, gives me change, gets me a fork in one box, a knife in another box, 2 butters in another box, 2 syrups in another box, and 2 jellies for my sausage in another box. She then bags it if I get it to-go. She also may even have to get something to drink that isn't self serve(not all Mcdonald's have are self-serve soft drink areas either). So you see, they work just as hard or sometimes even HARDER than you people. Don't you get that or what?
How is giving me the same food in a drive-thru window ANY DIFFERENT than a counter? It's the same work. That is a stupid comparison. I have done to-go orders at a donut shop/diner years ago and noticed YES, I have the same work if they decide to call it in, then come pick it up at the drive-thru. YES, it was the SAME WORK, NO DIFFERENCES AT ALL, NONE, NONE, NONE!!
"Also it is nice when a table takes in to account the amount of time you take sitting at a table"
If the service is over with, so is the tipping. This isn't rent-a-table from your server. They should just leave if they are finished. They don't owe you more money if they don't if they aren't receiving anymore service. Tips are for service only, not for table rental fees, which honestly, would be given to the owner or manager, not the server if we all paid for a rental fee for the table.
Not a chance. Waiter/waitressing has got to be one of the hardest jobs out there. They are the front line people that "get it" from the diner. So they deserve a tip each and every time.
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I have traveled for the past 15 years as part of my work. Because of the travel I have eaten in all kinds of restaurants and met all sorts of servers. 95% of the wait staff I meet are good natured and fun people who brighten my day. There are the few who can make a bad day worst. I will tip 15% to 20% and most times it's 20%. But I have reduced my tip or left nothing depending on service. On occasion I have left the restaurant when I was ignored, leaving enough money to cover my drink. Once I had to go back to get my jacket, nobody asked why I left.
I know I would tip even if there was a standard minimum wage law, because it is a good way to say thank you twice.
Also TIP does not mean "To Insure Promptness" TIP is an Old English word that means "to give" or "to pass" or" to hand". in the saying "To Insure Promptness" the word insure is wrong, it would be "Ensure".
Someone told me that if you put the tip on a credit card the server has to pay income tax on it; so I always pay the tip in cash. I'm a good tipper, leaving the standard 15% for acceptable service and chosing to leave 20, 25 even 30% for good, better, or great service.
However, twice I have left one red cent due to very poor service, but once when I was treated without an ounce of respect by the waitress that I wrote on the check "Here is Your Tip" and proceeded to elaborate why I would not leave a monetary reward.
Let's put aside arguments about the avarice of the restaurant owners who refuse to pay their waiters a living wage, and instead concentrate on the realities of how service staff are actually paid, harsh as they may be.
Waiters exist to serve restaurant patrons, and that is the sum-total of their reason for being. They're not paid to be friends, confidents or confessors: they are paid to *serve*.
I suggest that there exists in the US a broadly held but implicit agreement amongst mature restaurant patrons about what constitutes "good service": timeliness, accuracy, deference, a cordial demeanor, and - ideally - an enthusiasm in the waiter's role which adds a certain welcome spice to an otherwise good meal. Equally, "bad service" can be characterized by "Attitude", sloppiness, inexcusable delays in welcoming patrons / taking initial orders (drinks, appetizers) / indifference to or ignorance of patrons' needs (or the inability to anticipate these needs)...
Why on EARTH would any right-thinking individual consciously reward bad service by leaving a tip?
On the contrary: if you are badly served, remonstrate, immediately, with the waiter and escalate immediately to the manager if there is not an instant change in behavior and performance. *You* are the buyer of service here, and to meekly accept a shoddy product from a poorly performing waiter relegates you to the role of the patronized, not the patron.
Certainly, when presented with satisfactory service, the waiter should be appropriately compensated. And truly exceptional service should be exceptionally compensated (including non-monetary compensation, like a letter to the restaurant manager, commending the waiter by name).
But we have seen tip inflation over the years. Remember when the standard tip for satisfactory service was 10%? Now we customers are prodded to pay 18% or even 20% on the bill *inclusive of sales tax* "as a minimum guideline". And yet we are shamed into paying this against our better judgement when we know we have been badly served.
If waiters wish to be treated professionally and compensated accordingly, they have to do their part. (Of course, I can't speak to the small fraction of the population who would never tip, no matter what.)
Waiter staff, ask yourself honestly at each table, with each patron: did the service I provided this customer justify a 15% or 18% tip? Did I do everything *I* could to make the patron's dining experience exceptional?
Like many, many people, I waited tables when I was a student. I enjoy dining out. Today, I live in mainland Europe where the service charge is frequently included in the price of the dish / meal ('service compris": this unfortunately removes some liberty from the patron to express displeasure with bad service; on the other hand, the waiter staff are salaried professionals and one expects a higher quality of service from a salaried staff member). On the other hand, I am delighted to provide generous tips above and beyond the inclusive service charge to waiters who know their job well and execute it professionally, and I am *very* generous when an exceptional meal was made possible through the efforts of the waiter.
But to hold a gun to my head and say I *must* pay a surly, incompetent, rude, abusive waiter for the privilege of having a meal spoiled? This is folly. I say: vote with your feet. If your meal is being ruined, place your knife and fork on your plate, your napkin on the table, slide your chair back, and simply walk to the door. And never go back. If challenged, state your case clearly to the manager that you simply don't have to pay to put up with this sh*t - because you don't.
I always like to leave at least a 20% tip if I am given good service from my server; more if I get great service. I had one experience where we went to eat at a pizza place and our server ignored us, and another waitress refilled our drinks and apologized to us.
I payed with a credit card and put a 0 with a line through it on the tip section on the bill. I found out later that the "someone" added a 25% tip to the bill after I left. PISSED me off!!! I called and wrote a letter to the manager but it didn't seem like they did anything about it.
We quit eating there.
It's simple people...do unto others. If you have $, be kind and give it to someone who probably really needs it.
I have left less or no tip. I am non-white and I see quite often that the wait staff deliberately take my order last, they forget to bring my food..c'mon this is 2010...stop being a racist..when I see such things I DO NOT tip at all. Surprisingly I get more hatred from black wait staff than whites....what a world...
If you receive very poor service from a waiter or waitress and leave NO tip; he or she will simply think that you are cheap and never leave tips. Instead, when I am very displeased with the service that I receive, I put a clean napkin in the center of the table and carefully place two pennies on it to indicate what I thought of the service that I received (or didn't receive!). Hopefully, my waiter or waitress will "get the message" that I didn't simply forget or choose not to leave a tip. I hope that he or she notices that I went to the trouble of leaving a message on the napkin. And that's my "two-cents worth"!
I had really bad service very few times in my life, but boy they stood out. The way that I pay is with a credit card. Below the total it says "tip". My minimum is always 20%. The 3 or 4 times I have been treated like a mutt I put a zero with a slash through it VERY boldly so as not to be missed. Strangely enough, one of the times was a place that I was a regular. This girl, Heatherrrrrr, was so rude that I did the no-tip thing. She was gone from there in a week. Some people may not be cut out for public service work.
As a college student and a waitress it is funny to see peoples takes on this topic. I too have dealt with terrible service and have left subpar tips. Defining terrible; a server who does numerous things wrong in the course of my meal (it should take ALOT for someone to tip nothing). Most servers have general pet peeves that just really are aggravating. Like the two people who mentioned they dont tip on take outs; thats time I am taking out to make sure your food is prepared nicely, eat at home or go to a drive-through if you can't tip. People should definitely tip based on service but do NOT tip off of the food's taste or cooking preparations (we are in no control of this). Also it is nice when a table takes in to account the amount of time you take sitting at a table, if you are there for four hours and your bill is only ten bucks, $2.00 is not reasonable if I have to check on you the whole four hours, you are costing me money. I love serving and I love people two things I am passionate about, dining out should be pleasurable however our tips are the only income we survive on (my $2.13/hr always goes towards taxes so I get $0.00 paychecks) we are under alot of stress, be reasonable when tipping it should take alot for you to tip someone nothing are less than 10%
Following my earlier posting, I had a further thought on tipping. We find it illogical that the amount of the gratuity depends upon the menu prices rather than the service provided. Therefore, the server bringing an overpriced omelet and a glass of white wine is likely to get 15% while the person serving scrambled eggs and a cup of java is in the 30 to 40% bracket. Sadly, all to often the people in the egg and coffee place have to hustle even harder than the servers in the fancier restaurants. We fell that the tip should reflect the effort and attention and not just the prices.
Cory, shame on you for being so bitter as to proclame your hatred for customers who don't leave a tip for take-out. Tips should be expected for exceptional service only and not for putting something in a bag! Should we now tip the baggers at the supermarket? You seem to be a very bitter person and certainly not one that I would like to wait on me. I don't know about anyone else but, whether the food in a restaurant is good or not is not as important as the attitude of the wait staff. A good tip should always be left for good service and a poor or no tip for bad surly service.
Twice, while working as a waitress, I was left only a business card. I guess these guys thought offering the possibility of a date would suffice; so tacky.
When there are issues with the food we speak to the house and expect a correction or adjustment. However, when the servine falls down I sure will reflect it in the tip. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions I have had to take this course. Most often it has been when the service has spoiled an otherwise good meal. Once at the famed Lutece in New York the waiter was really out of line so the wine steward and the bus boy got nice tips but the server got a goose egg and our distaste mentioned to management. We have had worse service than this but the expectations must match the situation. If you are paying a lot in a nice environment then lapses are even more egrigious. It is the reverse of the adage that you get what you pay for, you pay for what you get.
It is impressive to see the varying interpretations of what people think tipping is for. I bussed and waited tables while in college, and I simply can't understand the people who say they always leave a tip. They are the reason for the increase of subpar servers out there today. I can tolerate poor service as long as the person is trying, as we've all had bad days. On the other hand, Attitude, which seems to be a growing trend, is inexcusable and should be brought to the manager’s attention immediately. I recommend calmly asking for a different server when confronted with such types while ordering. This is the quickest way to save the evening and it lets everyone know that you are there to have a good meal in a pleasant atmosphere, which is the waiter’s responsibility in the first place. If problems come up after the food has been served, make sure to let the manager know when leaving. Also, leave a small tip, otherwise the bad server will think it’s on the card or you forgot. You must let the server and manager know of the poor service. If you don’t, he or she is going to continue to treat customers badly, making everyone unhappy including the server as she will continue to wonder why she is getting poor tips. Equally important, let the server and manager know you appreciate good service. Sometimes a kind word of thanks can go a long way.
I have left a $1.00 bill as a tip for exceptionally bad service on two occasions. First to ensure they realize I did not forget to tip, second to have them appreciate how their interaction with a customer will affect the outcome of their gratuity.
I always leave a tip unless the service is extremely poor, usually 15-20%. If the service is exceptional I leave a better tip, especially it's not an expensive restaurant. That might sound contrary to the norm, but servers in the smaller restaurants are more likely to receive smaller tips because the meal costs less. I've been a server myself and I know how much they rely on those tips. Those of you who don't tip well because you think the restaurant should pay more really aren't letting the restaurant know that; you're just cutting your server's pay.
The only time I'd never left a tip was 10 years ago, just out of college, had a wonderful, but low-paying job. Went out for a late lunch at a family/brewery type place with a bunch of co-workers. We were all young, but we had enough money to pay for the meal and tip well, and were very polite, no one ordered alcohol since it was a too early. BUT the waitress was truly, truly rude to us I believe because we weren't big spenders, rolling her eyes when we asked for an extra glass of water, sighing, slamming the water down on the table. Saying, "oh my God!" when we ordered one of the less expensive appetizers. In front of the manager, who looked sheepish but did not apologize nor give us another server. I'll tip 15% for slow service, a busy night with the waitstaff when they sometimes forget orders, etc., but deliberate rudeness and disrespect when not indicated at all -- that's 0%.
Jenny, you should read Eva's comment! You sound like a bitter waitress -- the kind we don't like to tip because of attitude.
When I was in highschool I went to California Pizza Kitchen with a friend. Service was good, food was great, so a tip would have been forthcoming. However, after handing us our check, our waitress said "Don't forget my tip"...wow. Now maybe she had gotten burned by teenagers before, but there was no way I was going to leave her a tip after a comment like that. Why can't we go back to the good ole days when you would give "tips" before a meal (To Insure Prompt Service)?
I've only left no tip 1 time. But the service was that bad. The waitress never spoke one word the entire time we were there. She walked up to the table, held her pen to her pad and stared at us as if we'd ruined her day by being to only people in there and making her work. She brought our food. walked off, brought us our check and never returned. She's lucky we even paid the tab. What made it funny, however is I went to high school with her. Maybe it was some personal hate towards me! But I think she was just an angry person!
I waited tables for several years and have both witnessed and been the culprit of bad service. Everyone has bad days once in a while (it is a job where you are forced to smile and be polite even if your dog just died or you just had your heart broken) and if the service was really bad I didn't expect a big tip. But the one thing to note to everyone is that regardless of your service or whether it is simply a "to go" meal, your server pays taxes based on their sales and the "standard" tip bracket. If you don't tip it isn't just that you are not paying them but you are also costing them money and in the case of to go meals please be aware that the sales often go through the bartender and they do have to claim a standard tip even if they didn't receive one.
My paychecks were $0.00 the entire time I waited tables and at the end of every year I owed money to the governement because the $2.12/hr did not cover the federal taxes.
I totally understand that if the service was bad and no not everyone is cut out for the business but it is a hard job and a very hard living. In most restaurant cases there is no health insurance, no sick days, no guarantee of income. So just be considerate of that the next time you go out to eat.
First off a "tip" is a gratuity not an obligation! It should NEVER be expected, but earned. Second, I find it arrogant and rude to include the tip in my bill, I should always have the option to tip or not to tip and if I do, how much. I would never patronize a place where they practice adding the tip to the bill and I try to persuade everyone I know to do the same. Now days even the postman expects a tip! The guy makes more money than I do! Who’s next? My doctor?
Black people never leave tips, there I said it!
I once left the waiter a note saying here's your tip” don’t piss off the guy who is paying the bill” and another to " not plant corn in the winter" both of these were such horrible dining experiences, that tips to the wait staff were entirely out of the question to the point I was compelled to leave sarcastic notes, then speak with management. Far too often tips of 20% are expected rather than earned. Tipping the employees of Dunkin Donuts, Subway and take out eateries for the employee to do nothing more than bag and bring you food that you already paid for is ridiculous at best, and most people seeing the tip line of the receipt feel compelled to do so. I tip well when the service rendered calls for it. I tip my local Pizzeria delivery drivers so well they all want mydelivery ticket, but this also insures I am the first stop on the delivery route.
Sometimes it just doesnt matter how good the service is. People are going to tip what they want. I've relied on tips for my livelyhood for 7 years now. I've seen everything. $0 tip on $254 dollars.. i've also seen a $2000 tip on $9.73 dollar tab(wasnt my table). People are going to tip what they want. As for Laura who stated.."I will not leave a tip if I'm doing a restaurant pick up order. You've got to be kidding me. You bagged it and expect a tip? That trend I hate." I HATEEEEEE people like you. are you aware that it actually takes time to set up your precious food, getting you extra condiments, extra this extra that, no croutons on your salad blah blah blah. Laura, ordering Takeout is NOT like ordering Fast food. I work at a very well known seafood restauraunt and they make us bartenders set up takeout orders and i can tell you that its not as easy/fast as it seems. Dont be a cheap skate laura. Try using common sense the next time you walk into a Restaurant cause if you dont have the money to tip then PLEASE DRIVE THRU...
I always try to separate bad food from bad service. I never stiff the wait staff just because the food is bad. More times than not, it is not the fault of the wait staff that the food stinks. However, I agree with Diane that bad service can always ruin a good meal, so I always tip according to the service, not the food. Since things have gotten more expensive than they were 10 or even 5 years ago, I usually try to leave a tip greater than 15%. To ensure this, I tip on the bill AND the tax which usually means I am leaving a 16% to 17% tip and makes the calculation easier to do, anyway.
If companies paid their servers a fair wage and paid them for what they did, then you'd pay $10.00 for a $1.00 Hamburger. If they have to pay the help, then someone has to pick up the slack, and it sure won't be them.
I tip accordingly, if a server did their job, then they get 5% over tip rate. If they were personable and made our meal more pleasant then I really tip well.
In my experience a good server can cover for a bad cook, but a bad server can ruin the meal no matter how good the cook is.
All of you non-tippers should wait tables and then see how you feel. If you don't have enough money then don't go out to eat.
I usually leave a 15 to 20 percent tip, but once or twice a bill's total surprised me and I didn't have enough cash for a tip. I left what I could. In one instance, I went back the next day and left money for the server. ... I'm not crazy about tipping, but I do it because I don't often get bad service. I understand people are trying to make a living like the rest of us, but I think restaurants should pay servers well instead of having them rely on tips for decent money.
I actually went out of my way once not to tip the waitress but to hunt down the bus boy and tip him. His level of politeness compared to her level of rudeness earned him a 40% tip. I then went to the manager and told him that my tip was meant to the bus boy who's customer service was so superior to the waitress'.
If the service is ever so bad that I'm not leaving a tip, then it was bad enough to speak with management. Each time, I've insisted on paying the full bill so they'd take me seriously. I want them to know that I'm complaining for a reason, not to get anything for free.
Waiting tables put me through college. I'm very aware of what a hard job it is. But there are some people that aren't cut out for the job.
Too many times I have left a restaurant without leaving a tip for a variety of reasons:
Bad food the house would not replace (we are talking raw chicken, overcooked steak, or just tasted awful)
Bad service: having to go and get the waiter or waitress because you were being ignored.
The tip is not guarenteed, it is To Insure Prompt Service, if that doesn't happen, if the food is bad, the order is delivered wrong or the wait staff is too bad to be true, then they are luck I paid the bill and they expect a tip?
I will not leave a tip if I'm doing a restaurant pick up order. You've got to be kidding me. You bagged it and expect a tip? That trend I hate.
leaving a tip is a sign of a "CHEAP EMPLOYER"
I left no tip because the waitress spent all of her time at a table of businessmen and paid no attention to my table. I told her I hoped they would tip enough to cover what my tip should have been. Another time I took a tip back because the waitress commented that it was not big egough so I took it back and at least I was happy.