How Much Do You Tip At Restaurants?

[HelloInsomnia]

I know this varies country to country so I'm just wondering what your thoughts are about tipping. For example I'm from America - here it is customary to tip because the waiter/waitress makes basically all of their income on tips. I know this isn't the case in other countries though.

In my part of town (probably much like most of America) it's not only customary to tip; it's basically essential, if you don't leave a tip that means you had terrible service - in fact your just as likely to not pay your bil.

Personally I tip 20% of the bill, 25% for any kind of good service and possibly more for exceptional service. I think this is a bit higher than the average - and I hope it is. I understand the people serving me are working well below minimum wage and this is their whole income.

So what's is like in your area? Is tipping customary or even mandatory? What do you tip on average?

 

[roamer]

I usually leave 20%-25% for good service, just like you. If it's OK, but not that good, then I leave 15%. For everything else I leave anywhere between 10%-0% (it has to be a really lousy service for this to happen). Most people I know tip 10%-15% though.

 

[MaverickonRoids]

It should be nothing, if you ask me, and this is coming from someone who has worked at various jobs where tipping is customary. Let me explain:

A tip is given to someone for giving great service, but shouldn't that service ALREADY be there, without any financial motivation via customer behind it? Some people mention that without tips, the servers and so on make nothing...well, that is where the problem lies. It's the owner of the establishment that should provide a higher wage, not have it funded by customers.

I have been living in China for the past 10 years (originally from Canada), and here, they don't tip. You can argue about wages and so on, but the simple fact of the matter is that the people understand here that providing good service is a must, not an addon.

If you are the owner of an establishment that has people working on tips, and you can't afford to pay more so they don't need to rely on tips, then man, just close down. Period!

***TO ADD*** And yes, I know bonuses are offered to people from all kinds of work environments, but these are all company centered stuff, not customer hand out schemes.

 

[HelloInsomnia]

It should be nothing, if you ask me, and this is coming from someone who has worked at various jobs where tipping is customary. Let me explain:

A tip is given to someone for giving great service, but shouldn't that service ALREADY be there, without any financial motivation via customer behind it? Some people mention that without tips, the servers and so on make nothing...well, that is where the problem lies. It's the owner of the establishment that should provide a higher wage, not have it funded by customers.

I have been living in China for the past 10 years (originally from Canada), and here, they don't tip. You can argue about wages and so on, but the simple fact of the matter is that the people understand here that providing good service is a must, not an addon.

If you are the owner of an establishment that has people working on tips, and you can't afford to pay more so they don't need to rely on tips, then man, just close down. Period!

***TO ADD*** And yes, I know bonuses are offered to people from all kinds of work environments, but these are all company centered stuff, not customer hand out schemes.

Well at least here minimum wage is like $8-10 an hour (not really sure to be honest) - but I know minimum wage for a waiter/waitress is like $2. So every establishment takes advantage of this because they know their staff basically works for tips.

So basically every owner as far as I know will pay their staff minimum wages (except high end restaurants of course) because they save so much money that way.

 

[zenoGlitch]

20% ... unless the service is terrible. If the service is terrible you can leave them a smaller amount and a "tip" on how to be better next time you come.

 

[Deleted member 84902]

We don't tip in Australia. The average job here pays about $20 an hour.

 

[HelloInsomnia]

20% ... unless the service is terrible. If the service is terrible you can leave them a smaller amount and a "tip" on how to be better next time you come.

Haha nice.

We don't tip in Australia. The average job here pays about $20 an hour.

Yeah my cousin has been there nearly a year now. He was doing odd jobs like cleaning part time and cleared more money part time in a year (while partying) than he ever could here, you guys must have an awesome economy!

 

[fezlopez]

Well at least here minimum wage is like $8-10 an hour (not really sure to be honest) - but I know minimum wage for a waiter/waitress is like $2. So every establishment takes advantage of this because they know their staff basically works for tips.

So basically every owner as far as I know will pay their staff minimum wages (except high end restaurants of course) because they save so much money that way.

I've lived in 3 countries. 2 latinoamerican and here in the US. Despite legal establishments, tipping is a norm on what I've seen. I can understand what you're saying. You see, the issue on how much we (or don't) tip comes from how waitressing is established. Let me explain:

Currently, to be a waiter/waitress/server, you work as an employee. Because of this status, most of us naturally think "Why should I pay tip? Hell, that's the company's responsibility". But the old-fashioned law establishes waitering as a low wage job with optional cash flow.Despite this, because servers are labeled as employees, we feel we shouldn't tip. Everyone feels that way at some point.

Let's flip this (to how I think it should be). Now imagine the laws were changed on wording and now all waiters/waitresses/servers are independent contractors, not employees. Would you tip them? This means they are working for themselves with the helps of the owner's premise or place of business. I would tip them. I am 99% sure if this was changed, people would tip more often.


To answer the OP's question, I try to tip around 10%. If it's a mid-end restaurant and service was good and up to par, I tip 15%. If it's upper class, I try to do 20%.

 

[MaverickonRoids]

Well at least here minimum wage is like $8-10 an hour (not really sure to be honest) - but I know minimum wage for a waiter/waitress is like $2. So every establishment takes advantage of this because they know their staff basically works for tips.

So basically every owner as far as I know will pay their staff minimum wages (except high end restaurants of course) because they save so much money that way.

Yes, believe me, I understand the owners of these places pay peanuts, which is why I mentioned them to be the culprits, and of course the system as a whole. Servers and other people who receive tips have no hand in my rant, it's mainly toward the owners, and the system.

I used to deliver pizzas a LONG time ago, and for that, we obviously needed the tips to get by because the pizza places weren't paying much, and the cost of gas put a dent in things pretty hard.

So yeah, it falls back on the whole system of things. As you can see, there are places in the world where tipping is not customary, and they are not living under a rock or whatever. lol So, it can be done, just needs an overhaul at the moment.

 

[Benn08]

10% if the service is bad, but usually 15-20% if the service is average to exceptional.

 

[MaverickonRoids]

I've lived in 3 countries. 2 latinoamerican and here in the US. Despite legal establishments, tipping is a norm on what I've seen. I can understand what you're saying. You see, the issue on how much we (or don't) tip comes from how waitressing it is established. Let me explain:

Currently, to be a waiter/waitress/server, you work as an employee. Because of this status, most of us naturally think "Why should I pay tip? Hell, that's the company's responsibility". But the old-fashioned law establishes waitering as a low wage job with optional cash flow.Despite this, because servers are labeled as employees, we feel we shouldn't tip. Everyone feels that way at some point.

Let's flip this (to how I think it should be). Now imagine the laws were changed on wording and now all waiters/waitresses/servers are independent contractors, not employees. Would you tip them? This means they are working for themselves with the helps of the owner's premise or place of business. I would tip them. I am 99% sure if this was changed, people would tip more often.


To answer the OP's question, I try to tip around 10%. If it's a mid-end restaurant and service was good and up to par, I tip 15%. If it's upper class, I try to do 20%.

I think it doesn't matter the wording of how you label the "worker", because when I go into a restaurant for example, I only see waiter, not employee or contracted help. They are there to provide a service to the customer, and it ALWAYS should be the best they can give. The other stuff, about how they get paid, is between the owner of the establishment, and the worker who is providing the service.

 

[senior]

Tips are what separates the people that get the attention/service and those who don't. That $20 handshake isn't about tipping your concierge as much as it is letting him know who you are and that you are expecting to be taken really good care of. It opens doors you would otherwise never see.

Never flash the tip no matter when you are doing it. When you do that you are doing it for yourself to look like a big shot, not compliment the people responsible to take excellent care of you.

People that come into places like Las Vegas and don't tip will get a mediocre experience, where someone that spends some time with the front desk, valet and concierge that slips a discrete tip to each will have the time of their lives for much less than you think. VIP in clubs, events and parties are given to these people to pass out at their discretion.

Tipping is gratuity. Why wouldn't you show gratitude for a job well done. I don't care what their wage is or if they made $5k that night. If they did a great job for me I show my gratitude.

 

[HoNeYBiRD]

i tip 10%, it's the usual in Hungary, it's not mandatory, but expected/customary especially if you're satisfied with the service

in Europe the tip is 10-15% of the bill (except Italy where you don't give tips just for extra services), so it's lower than in the US

sometimes restaurants put the tip on the bill as service charge, so in this case you don't need to pay any extra

and there are countries like China or Japan where tipping isn't the part of the culture and it would be odd or even demeaning

 

[OutcastSlayer]

10% if the service is bad, but usually 15-20% if the service is average to exceptional.

Agreed.

 

[donnybluejeans]

Here in Canada minimum wage is $10 I believe (Ontario). It ranges from province to province. waiters/waitresses get paid something like $6/hr so they rely heavily on tips. I personally like to tip at least 20% but if the person really deserves it I'll toss in a little extra. It also depends on what kind of restaurant i am in. If I go to a buffet and all they have to do is bring me a drink and my bill I am less likely to leave a large tip and if i am at a coffee shop or something is usually just a 'keep the change" kind of thing.

 

[ButcherPete]

I tip very well. I've never left ZERO tip before; but then again, I have never had truly bad service that I can remember. I forgot to leave a tip once and I felt awful. I really empathize with working people because my mom put herself through law school waiting tables at Red Lobster, all while taking care of my brother and I (when we weren't at our dad's house) People who don't tip at all aggravate me. I'm not talking about people who withhold a tip for terrible service, I mean people who don't believe in it and refuse to ever leave one.

Anyway, I'm pretty bad at math and too lazy to get my cell phone out and navigate to the tip calculator app and whatnot, so I just estimate, and err on the side of too much. Sometimes I just throw down a 5 and some coins if I'm sure it's at least 15%. I've probably left a lot of tips around 50% before doing this. I don't mind; it makes up for all the people who don't tip.

 

[ryannull]

I leave roughly 25-30%, unless the waitstaff is very rude.

I was a restaurant manager for 15 years. I know they don't make shit per hour and the tips are their bread and butter.

 

[luckyjim]

Here in Belgium we don't tip. The tip of 19% is included in the price. It makes it so much easier.

 

[-ReX-]

Im aussie and In restaurants i sometimes tip $1-2. I always tip pizza drivers though, thier pay is crap. I am 14 and my ex works in a restarunt and get $17/ hour.

 

[WizGizmo]

I tip somewhere between 20% to 30% (depending on the quality of service).

By the way, do you know where the term "TIP" came from? Actually, it was
originally an acronym, T.I.P. which meant "To Insure Promptness". Many years
ago, a customer would pay the tip BEFORE they got served "To Insure Promptness".

That concludes your "Wiz-tory" lesson for today . . .

Cheers!