GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

[Trevytrev11]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I kind of ran into an issue on tipping the other night.

Two of my friends and I went to Applebees to grab some half-price appetizers (GREAT deal, by the way). In total, we spent like 13 or 14 bucks (3 appetizers for 3.99 each plus tax). It should have been around 25 bucks, though, if we hadn't gotten the half-price deal.

The waitress was OK. She wasn't incredibly friendly, but she definitely kept our waters full (a big deal to me) and made sure everything was OK.

So when it came time to tip, I put down two bucks for me and suggested my friend put down 2 for him and his girl, so it would be 4$ total. His girl got a little snappy with me and was like "she does not need 4 dollars." I just kinda shot back at her and said "Be quiet... she kept the waters full."

Personally, I think my friend's girl is just jealous that she's not making the kind of money a waitress can make in tips, but that's her fault.


Do you guys feel 4$ is too much for a 25-28$ tab from a waitress who wasn't very friendly but made sure our waters were full?

$4 sounds about right for that. If you evaluate the meal at the actual price (and not the price before happy hour discount) it is like a 29% tip.

Group tipping can lead to trouble though on occasion. Two people split a check and one ends up only giving half the others tip. It's one thing if you, individually, want to go above and beyond, but when everyone is doing the average and one goes way under, it can make for some uncomfortableness because the others feel that they are covering for the other guy or something.

Personality is up to your discretion. If everything is perfect, but the waitress lacked in personality, I'm fine with that. Sometimes you get a server that will sit and talk to you and that can take away from the meal with your friends.

[fistofrage]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I kind of ran into an issue on tipping the other night.

Two of my friends and I went to Applebees to grab some half-price appetizers (GREAT deal, by the way). In total, we spent like 13 or 14 bucks (3 appetizers for 3.99 each plus tax). It should have been around 25 bucks, though, if we hadn't gotten the half-price deal.

The waitress was OK. She wasn't incredibly friendly, but she definitely kept our waters full (a big deal to me) and made sure everything was OK.

So when it came time to tip, I put down two bucks for me and suggested my friend put down 2 for him and his girl, so it would be 4$ total. His girl got a little snappy with me and was like "she does not need 4 dollars." I just kinda shot back at her and said "Be quiet... she kept the waters full."

Personally, I think my friend's girl is just jealous that she's not making the kind of money a waitress can make in tips, but that's her fault.


Do you guys feel 4$ is too much for a 25-28$ tab from a waitress who wasn't very friendly but made sure our waters were full?

I'd rather have someone that wasn't real friendly but got me everything on time when I wanted it than someone who was real friendly but was no where to be found when my glass was empty.

$4 is right. But it still floors how people like your friends girlfriend can go out to eat at a sitdown place and not expect to tip. I probably would have told her we'll just go to Burger King next time and see if she gets the hint.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

Well before making this thread, I had ALWAYS tipped, I always doubled the tax. But after having a lackluster eating experience two or three weeks ago, and still dishing out a tip, I felt like I needed to re-evaluate the tipping dynamic. I'm not really rolling in dough, so I think I'm justified for having a new outlook on tipping.

With that said, it would still take a lot for me not to leave any tip at all, but now I'll be a lot more liberal with leaving minimal tips if I don't think the service was up to par. I don't feel bad either, since apparently [someone brought it up earlier in the thread] CA servers get paid minimum wage unlike other states where servers get paid dirt.

Yeah, whether or not you agree 15% or 20% "guideline", it should still have to be earned by the server. Now someone is really going to have to provide world class bad service for me to stiff them. If they are way below average, I don't have a problem giving them 10% and if they do a great job, I'll go 25% or more.

But yeah, servers in California have it better than most. They are making their minimum wage and are getting the same tips as everyone else in the country. But, like others, they still get taxed on assumed tips (usually 8-10%), so if you leave them less than that, then basically they are getting screwed...not saying it's wrong or right, but that is what ends up happening.

[CMH]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I get what you're saying, but on the other hand, do you receive an end of the year bonus at your job? In some ways, you could equate tipping to a bonus. If I do a great job at work, my boss will recognize that and at the end of the year, he'll reward me with a few thousand dollar bonus. If I don't do well, I might not get any bonus or will receive much less. I don't think servers get that type of treatment (although I have never been one so I don't know).

Nah, I don't get a bonus. The only issue I have here is that your boss will be paying you the bonus. The people eating at the restaurant aren't the boss of the waiter. Now if this thread was about restaurants not giving waiters a bonus then I think I would agree 100%

By the way, it's not like I don't tip. I have and will continue to do so. I usually do like the job waiters do for me and I appreciate it enough to give them money for doing their job. I realize it's socially acceptable to do so.

I'm here just trying to explain why it shouldn't be socially acceptable or why a certain percentage seems forced. If I want to tip 5 bucks then I should be able to do so without being tabbed a cheap person because 15% should be 12 bucks.

[CMH]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

The only difference here is that the customer is giving you the bonus instead of the company. However, if the company was paying it, we the customer would see it in price increases.

I get you here but man, I think this is where maybe prices are different? I don't know.

But, it's very hard to tip 15% when you go to a restaurant and a small plate of salmon and a handful of rice is 20 bucks. And that's at a fair priced restaurant.

Go to more expensive ones, and I'm not even talking about dress-up nice restaurants, and you'll be paying 30 dollars for that same meal. Now on top of that I have to pay 15% of the total price to tip the waiter?

It's not that I don't want to tip them but when I'm already spending a handful (keep in mind that I'm likely out with my girlfriend getting a simple meal so now my bill is $75 even after only one drink each) it's like a kick in the groin when I have to pull out more cash to pay the waiter.

I mean, seriously, the restaurant is already making a load of cash on my deal alone. It's not going to hurt them to pay their waiters minimum wage. But instead they expect the customer to do that for them. So on top of paying a ridiculous price for the meal, I'm also paying for their employees. That's unfair for the customer.

Granted, that's not the waiter's fault. And I sympathize for them. Because they can't control that they don't make enough money to cover their expected taxed wages so they have to hope for the tips to cover their expenses. But geez, it's tough both ways.


Really what this does is it forces me to stay away from restaurants. Going to eat at one is a special event for me and my girlfriend. That's sad but it's the unfortunate truth. She doesn't work because she's a full-time graduate student, and I'm barely pulling in half the American median income. Then we live in New York. Wonderful.

[WDOgF0reL1fe]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I cant believe this thread is still alive!

By the way, just to throw it out there but...
If any of you are worried about your food getting spit on or tampered with, at the Chilis I have worked at for more than 2 years, i can only recall 2 issues of this happening. And what it was, was 2 separate occasions of drinks getting spit in, not food.

But yes, 2 times in 2.5 years. So I would not say its the most often thing that goes on in restaurants.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

Wdog, I see you are in Foothill, do the servers at Chili's get paid at least minimum wage? And do you know if all eateries in CA pay at least minimum? Just wanted to get that straight, because I Wiki'd this subject, and it wasn't specific about which states are allowed to pay below the minimum.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

Wdog, I see you are in Foothill, do the servers at Chili's get paid at least minimum wage? And do you know if all eateries in CA pay at least minimum? Just wanted to get that straight, because I Wiki'd this subject, and it wasn't specific about which states are allowed to pay below the minimum.

Yes they pay minimum wage, yet the cost of living in CA is very overpriced. There are some Indian Casino's that only need to pay the federal minimum wage limit.

[Blzer]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

Tipping (Taeping) is not just a city in China.

15% unless a group of 10 or more which is 18%, round up from the dollar. That's how I've always done it.

[WDOgF0reL1fe]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

Wdog, I see you are in Foothill, do the servers at Chili's get paid at least minimum wage? And do you know if all eateries in CA pay at least minimum? Just wanted to get that straight, because I Wiki'd this subject, and it wasn't specific about which states are allowed to pay below the minimum.

Yes we get paid minimum (8 bucks an hour). And yes, as far as I know every waiting job, you get paid the minimum wage and only that in California. But like ^ he just mentioned... Its cuz the cost of living is so damn much... And 4 dollar a gallon gas too. jeez

[55]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I know this thread is over a year old but I felt the need to chime in after having a discussion with a few friends about this very subject earlier tonight. It's better than me starting a whole new thread, right?

My grandmother worked as a waitress her whole life. She had three daughters and her husband divorced her to raise them on her own. She got a job working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant here in Cleveland to try to pay the bills. This was back in the mid to late 1960s mind you. A lot of "mafia" type guys would eat in this little Italian restaurant and they all tipped exceptionally well. If it weren't for this, my grandmother never would have been able to pay the bills as her husband left her high and dry to raise three kids (ranging from ages 3-7) on her own.

She taught me as a young man that you should always tip servers in restaurants above the standard 15% if you could afford it and not to eat out if you couldn't afford to do so. I am fortunate enough that I am able to pretty much eat out whenever I want (usually 3-4 nights a week) and I always take care of the servers.

My standard tip is generally 33% of the bill. If I get a $30 bill, they are getting a $10 tip and that is all there is to it. Unless of course the service and/or food was bad, but when you tip like I do people damn sure remember you. Hell, I am on a first name basis with the vast majority of servers at all of the restaurants I frequent. They love me there and I love the service I get and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[deaduck]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

My standard tip is generally 33% of the bill. If I get a $30 bill, they are getting a $10 tip and that is all there is to it. Unless of course the service and/or food was bad, but when you tip like I do people damn sure remember you. Hell, I am on a first name basis with the vast majority of servers at all of the restaurants I frequent. They love me there and I love the service I get and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm in this boat too. Though I don't always exact change it to 33%, because of how late shows go and being in some remote locations, we tend to eat at the same places over the years.

As a group we MEGA tip to make up for a large party rolling in at 2 am. As a result we get great service at our usual eaterys and get remembered.

[rj9949]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

I know this thread is over a year old but I felt the need to chime in after having a discussion with a few friends about this very subject earlier tonight. It's better than me starting a whole new thread, right?

My grandmother worked as a waitress her whole life. She had three daughters and her husband divorced her to raise them on her own. She got a job working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant here in Cleveland to try to pay the bills. This was back in the mid to late 1960s mind you. A lot of "mafia" type guys would eat in this little Italian restaurant and they all tipped exceptionally well. If it weren't for this, my grandmother never would have been able to pay the bills as her husband left her high and dry to raise three kids (ranging from ages 3-7) on her own.

She taught me as a young man that you should always tip servers in restaurants above the standard 15% if you could afford it and not to eat out if you couldn't afford to do so. I am fortunate enough that I am able to pretty much eat out whenever I want (usually 3-4 nights a week) and I always take care of the servers.

My standard tip is generally 33% of the bill. If I get a $30 bill, they are getting a $10 tip and that is all there is to it. Unless of course the service and/or food was bad, but when you tip like I do people damn sure remember you. Hell, I am on a first name basis with the vast majority of servers at all of the restaurants I frequent. They love me there and I love the service I get and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Just remember its not the servers fault that your food tasted terrible. If you ordered something a certain way, like a cheeseburger with no onion.....and you get onion its their fault. But the food tasting bad is not their fault.

[Blzer]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

The way I see it, waiters/waitresses deserve to get tipped. In fact they deserve to get tipped more than the percentages say, though I have to keep to those percentages because the food there is expensive enough as is.

I don't get it. They are consciously able to jack the prices because we're also paying for the "enhanced ambiance," but most of it IMO derives from your service. If we paid maybe a quarter less the food price and made up the rest of it as a tip to our servant (like I said, maybe 25% or more), I wouldn't hesitate to tip more.

The food there does not have a taste that equates to its price, and as I said, they can excuse that for good atmosphere. Well I am more compelled to go elsewhere more often, and it's unfortunate that I take it out on whomever waits me that I tip them less than they should be tipped.

[WeLLWeLL]

Re: GUYS, What is your Perspective on Tipping

As a college student who has been delivering pizza for the last three years, I take it as a slap in the face whenever I do not receive a tip. I'm paid less then minimum wage, pay for my own gas (with the exception of a dollar for every delivery), and drive all over the city delivering food to people who only had to pick up a phone or order online. I don't get as good of tips as waiters do, but I make enough to get by relatively comfortably....but I also have financial aid to help me out.

I always tip, and I tip well. I also know who doesn't tip...and I remember them. If you order every week and never tip then you better hope I don't get your delivery. How hard is it to understand that workers in the food industry make their money off of tips and not off of their hourly wage.