How Much Do You Tip At Restaurants?

By the way, to add to all this talk, people of all walks of life should be respected, whether you are a doctor, lawyer, cleaner, or whatever. People all should start with a clean slate of respect. And I think each job has their own piece of craziness that we can give examples of that drive us mad. So the shit people deal with serving in restaurants or whatever is no different than the shit people get thrown in other jobs.

The big issue, and the only issue, is about money, where it comes from, and who should supply it. Seeing as though we are talking about employment, that naturally falls between the employer and employee. The customer's only job is purchase whatever it is you are selling, and that they want to buy. That's it. Anything more than that, means there is an imbalance somewhere, that creates a certain culture. A false and flawed culture. And just because this has been done for a long time in certain places, it doesn't make it right.

The imbalance must be corrected, to make it where it should be focused to when money (job) is involved, employer and employee.

Ok, I am tired, no more peeps from me, I think I have layed it all out there as best as I can for my side of things. lol

rgeczi said:

Of all the posts that were done, THAT is the one you replied to? lol Or are there more posts to come to re-butt the others?

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I've made my point of view very clear from my prior posts. Some of the replies here have been intelligent and to the point (yours amongst them) Some have been frankly idiotic. I particularly like the poster who finds it amusing that I use the term "the system" to justify how things work here in the US. OK, how about "the practice of tipping" it's there however you want to label it.

Bottom line is unless you've worked the jobs, your comments here are besides the point. If you don't tip well, you're just going to be that @sshole that doesn't tip, and your server is probably going to spit in your food, or better yet, throw your gratuity on your check and not tell you about it. So when you think you're making a point about how you think the service should have been, and tipping 10 %, you're actually tipping them 30 %. The good ol' double grat. I wonder how many of the poster here have been taken in by that scam

On a side note, I'm not saying horrible servers are entitled to shit, but if they did their job, then leave them 20%, if they did a great job, leave them more. If you have a really bad experience, by all means call the manager over and tell them what went wrong. You'll probably even get a free meal out of it.

SEO_Alchemy said:

I've made my point of view very clear from my prior posts. Some of the replies here have been intelligent and to the point (yours amongst them) Some have been frankly idiotic. I particularly like the poster who finds it amusing that I use the term "the system" to justify how things work here in the US. OK, how about "the practice of tipping" it's there however you want to label it.

Bottom line is unless you've worked the jobs, your comments here are besides the point. If you don't tip well, you're just going to be that @sshole that doesn't tip, and your server is probably going to spit in your food, or better yet, throw your gratuity on your check and not tell you about it. So when you think you're making a point about how you think the service should have been, and tipping 10 %, you're actually tipping them 30 %. The good ol' double grat. I wonder how many of the poster here have been taken in by that scam

On a side note, I'm not saying horrible servers are entitled to shit, but if they did their job, then leave them 20%, if they did a great job, leave them more. If you have a really bad experience, by all means call the manager over and tell them what went wrong. You'll probably even get a free meal out of it.

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BTW, on a side note, I just noticed your post count here on BHW. It seems you pretty much made all your posts in this thread alone. lol

Anyways, welcome to BHW. I should have said that earlier, but I was too drawn into this conversation.

rgeczi said:

BTW, on a side note, I just noticed your post count here on BHW. It seems you pretty much made all your posts in this thread alone. lol

Anyways, welcome to BHW. I should have said that earlier, but I was too drawn into this conversation.

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Cheers mate. I've been around for longer than that Thanks for participating in a great thread... this is a subject close to my heart.

SEO_Alchemy said:

Cheers mate. I've been around for longer than that Thanks for participating in a great thread... this is a subject close to my heart.

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You being a donor so soon into your time in BHW made me question whether you are truly are newbie, or not. I thought not, and this proves correctly.

Yes, it's a great thread, and one that always evokes discussion, which is healthy I think.

I really question the habbit on tipping based on percentage. It's not the waiter who makes the prices and serving a free glass of water is the same effort as serving a 100 $ glass of wine. We don't tip where we live, but if I tip I do it according to the work and effort a waiter puts into his work and not based on the amount of money on my bill. Why the hell would I want to pay a waiter three times a normal worker's daily salary for serving me a nice dinner? That is totally out of proportion.
Most female staff will make way higher tips than guys, from my experience. LOL

I don't tip.

Just increase the bill by 20% and pay the waiter what they deserve.
I don't see why a 20% increase in bill is a bad thing.
Please clarify...

LOL-Blaster said:

I don't tip.

I don't see why a 20% increase in bill is a bad thing.
Please clarify...

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Your post is a bit confusing, you asy you don't tip and then you say it's not a bad thing.


Tipping goes to the waiter (or is shared among the workers, not the owner) . You spend $100 let's say, $0 of that goes to the owner (Besides their monthly salary), and the owner is not serving you, but the waiter is. They are "SERVING" you, why would you not tip them


Luka

LukaB said:

Your post is a bit confusing, you asy you don't tip and then you say it's not a bad thing.


Tipping goes to the waiter (or is shared among the workers, not the owner) . You spend $100 let's say, $0 of that goes to the owner (Besides their monthly salary), and the owner is not serving you, but the waiter is. They are "SERVING" you, why would you not tip them


Luka

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In my country, when you provide a service, you must provide the best you can. Tipping is optional and not a must.

Fixed the post, hope it make more sense to you.

SEO_Alchemy said:

Bottom line is unless you've worked the jobs, your comments here are besides the point. If you don't tip well, you're just going to be that @sshole that doesn't tip, and your server is probably going to spit in your food, or better yet, throw your gratuity on your check and not tell you about it. So when you think you're making a point about how you think the service should have been, and tipping 10 %, you're actually tipping them 30 %. The good ol' double grat. I wonder how many of the poster here have been taken in by that scam

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So now we should tip out of fear? This is getting ridiculous, and you are coming off as a troll, pure and simple. Any server who would ever consider spitting in someones food or giving them less than great service because of a low tip are not only terrible at their job, but horrible human beings.

infoasian said:

I really question the habbit on tipping based on percentage. It's not the waiter who makes the prices and serving a free glass of water is the same effort as serving a 100 $ glass of wine. We don't tip where we live, but if I tip I do it according to the work and effort a waiter puts into his work and not based on the amount of money on my bill. Why the hell would I want to pay a waiter three times a normal worker's daily salary for serving me a nice dinner? That is totally out of proportion.
Most female staff will make way higher tips than guys, from my experience. LOL

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And this is a huge problem with this idea of % tipping. I have seen waiters and waitresses complaining about only getting a $20.00 tip for bringing a customer an expensive bottle of wine. A $20.00 tip is basically 3 hours of a normal persons wages (that includes your normal low per hour wage.) So unless you were forced to serve only that table for 3 hours, I can't see you justifying your complaints. But somehow, they try.

And the excuse "don't eat out if you can't afford to tip" is a completely uneducated thing to say. If people stop eating at restaurants, the restaurant doesn't turn enough profit to keep you employed. It is an idea that destroys the economy. If people stop spending money, the world stops. I would rather my food items cost increase by 10% and the wait staff start at minimum wage with regular wage increases after 3 months/1 year/2 years etc. This would encourage long term commitment to one restaurant, and therefore encourage better service.

almir said:

It's a bloody stupid system, the owners should provide their wages, not customers.

I leave a change most of times but US tipping system is crap.

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You are joking - right? If not, it shows how uninformed you are.

Allowing tips is the only reason you get decent service at any sit-down restaurant.

If the business was forced to pay the full salary of minimum wage, there would be less servers per shift and more tables to care for per server. Therefore, you would get less service and a worse experience.

If you do not like the tipping system, eat at McDonald's.

Have you ever owned a retail business? Unless us IMers, they have insurance, rent, salary, stock, and other overhead expenses. That is why so many go out of business.

15% as customary if service is good (I mean better than average)

10% for just ok service.

15-30% if they go above and beyond any expectations I might have (extra food :d, expansive knowledge of something that interests me, hilarious, or if I'm just in a good mood).

If I feel like I've been snubbed, they get fuck all. Might even flip them off on the way out. In the past I'd actually been known to run out on the bill if I really hated the service (A long time ago. I was an angsty teen). By snubbed, I mean a server going out of their way to make my time there not enjoyable.

I live in BC, Canada. 15% is customary here.

Hadouken said:

I would rather my food items cost increase by 10% and the wait staff start at minimum wage with regular wage increases after 3 months/1 year/2 years etc. This would encourage long term commitment to one restaurant, and therefore encourage better service.

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It's easy for you to say that knowing that isn't how the system works.

Servers receive good tips because we know how little they make hourly. If you knew the server made the same wage as the gas station clerk, would you tip them as much? Of course not. In fact, some wouldn't tip more than a dollar if that.

I tip based on service. I drink a lot of soda when I am eating and getting constant refills is big for me. If someone is slow, I'll leave a not on the bottom of the receipt along with a smaller tip. How can people get better if they do not know what is wrong. Having said that, I take everything into consideration but if I see the server talking to the others around the corner and hanging out, that is poor service.

Earn less spend more this is the philosoply of America. That's the reason their economy is fu***d.

Tipping is like a thanking gesture in most of the countries. No matter how much you tip,a tip is a tip. 25% of the bill is ridiculous.

I m from India and i don't tip more then 10 Rupees no matter how much is the bill. Waiters are already getting paid to serve on the tables.

Servers do make minimum wage, its just the company is exempt from paying them the full amount if they make enough to reach minimum wage though tips.

Business that relies on tips like donations online is not a reliable business at all. I seldom go to real restaurants as they are pricey, mostly fast-food restaurants (yeah, as username implies) but I believe that it's the owner's responsibility to pay them,waiters shouldn't rely on tips, they should seek work where they get paid the whole amount through salary.

CoyoteAssassin said:

Servers receive good tips because we know how little they make hourly. If you knew the server made the same wage as the gas station clerk, would you tip them as much? Of course not. In fact, some wouldn't tip more than a dollar if that.

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So the waiter would get market wage (guaranteed at least to minimum wage) + tips (reduced). That 's better that most of the rest of the same class of jobs. So, the problem would be...?

Roparadise said:

Servers do make minimum wage, its just the company is exempt from paying them the full amount if they make enough to reach minimum wage though tips.

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If that 's true, I 'd say the waiters and their employers have a nice "sympathy scam" going on

CoyoteAssassin said:

Servers receive good tips because we know how little they make hourly. If you knew the server made the same wage as the gas station clerk, would you tip them as much? Of course not. In fact, some wouldn't tip more than a dollar if that.

I tip based on service. I drink a lot of soda when I am eating and getting constant refills is big for me. If someone is slow, I'll leave a not on the bottom of the receipt along with a smaller tip. How can people get better if they do not know what is wrong. Having said that, I take everything into consideration but if I see the server talking to the others around the corner and hanging out, that is poor service.

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I can't say it enough. The servers low wage is irrelevant. They can not make less than the normal minimum wage, which is the same as the gas station attendant, and the cashier and every other establishment you visit throughout your day. Imagine if we tipped 10% for every cashier we visited when we went to buy new clothes? The concept would seem ludicrous, but it is what people are asking us to do.

Also keep in mind, not all establishments give free refills on Soda, or breadsticks, or anything, and customers are charged for those. So when the waiter or waitress if bringing you extras, they are making the company more money, and people like you are setting the expectation that they will recieve a 15-20% tip ON TOP of that. So you are paying $4.00 for every glass of Soda, + $0.40 to the server who brings it to you. Does THAT seem right to you? $4.00 for a glass of $0.15 Soda.

jazzc said:

So the waiter would get market wage (guaranteed at least to minimum wage) + tips (reduced). That 's better that most of the rest of the same class of jobs. So, the problem would be...?

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This is exactly the point. What people are really concerned about, is they don't believe minimum wage is enough for being a food server. But that is what most customer service jobs start out at, until you prove yourself as a reliable and hard working employee who is valuable to the business. The $2.15/hour is irrelevant because no employee can make under minimum wage per hour worked. It isn't legal.

jazzc said:

If that 's true, I 'd say the waiters and their employers have a nice "sympathy scam" going on

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It is pretty much a sympathy scam. That is why you will hear waiters and waitresses say they only make $2.15/hour so often. When you hear $2.15 per hour in North America, or in any developed nation, you will cringe and obviously feel burdened to tip them, but it is completely misleading. $2.15/hour is what they will get paid ON TOP of any tips received. And IF they receive no tips, they will just be paid the normal minimum wage for every hour worked.

In my country(India) I had not seen people usually giving tips in average restaurants. However, when I am paying the bills, I do leave some change from the money I get back after deducting the bill. I know that they get paid for the job and it is duty but still, I find it very hard to ignore the tip (all of them expect the tip).