I have just left the serving industry for good because i have had it with ignorant customers.
Tipping is not mandatory at a restaurant, but in our society (and most others) some sort of tip for service is expected. The amount has changed over the years, but 18-20% is a good tip for good service.
I work at a very casual restaurant in downtown Chicago and let me tell you…it was not an odd thing to be stiffed AT LEAST 3 times a night…absolutly insane.
I consider myself a great server. I get orders correct, i actually have a personality, and i have tons of years of experience. But it was not uncommon for a group of four people to come in, order 4 steaks and alcoholic drinks, get a $100 check and leave me $4. That is wrong. Absolutly wrong. And to have this happen to you and all your fellow servers several times a night is discouraging and frustrating.
So what do you think?
Sometimes when really young kids come in, i think they just dont know any better, but i am talking about regular adults.
Also, since i am a server, that doesnt mean i tip all other servers outstandingly. I believe that a server has to earn their tip through great service. If i have an awful server with an awful personality and they forget about my table for a half hour and take a half hour to get us our check (things that the server control, not the kitchen) Then i dont think they deserve a great tip.
I also know, since i am already in the industry, that some things arent the servers fault, but that is when they go get a manager out there to smooth things over. Like the food isnt correct, or undercooked, for late.
…what i am saying is that a 5% tip is increadibly usacceptable.
Tipping is simple…for a 20% tip you just put $2 for every $10 that the bill is. Then you can work from there. And i am not saying 20% is necessary, but now-a-days, that is how it goes. Some servers make a career out of their jobs, and TRUST ME, they will remember you if you come back! I am sure most servers dont spit in food or anything, but we will definelty not make that table a priority.
I dont know where everyone is from but here in the big city, 18-20% is average. 15% is defienlty outdated. and 10% is unacceptable unless your service sucked.
Also, so what if your bill is $100, jsut becasue it is that high doesnt mean that you dont tip correctly. You order $100 in food you should expect to tip at least $16 or dont order the food, or dont expect such good serivce next time your server or their co-servers see you.
…restaurants that add gratuity to a check ususlly add 18%, not 10-15%, thats crazy.
#1 by joyceeleann on April 26, 2010 - 11:36 pm
I don’t know..I just double the tax. You need to remember..everyone is on a budget and its not about you or a reflextion of your work.
#2 by cyber2nd on April 27, 2010 - 12:07 am
For good service I give at least 20%, crappy service will still get close to 10%.
But to answer your question, that is very wrong!!
#3 by mrcslnch_nnsh on April 27, 2010 - 12:42 am
Alot of people really do leave alot of crappy tips. It is suppose to be atleast 15% of the total cost of your order.
#4 by wvucountryroads on April 27, 2010 - 12:55 am
I tip 20% across the board as a starting point. No exceptions, and no lower.
If the service is excellent, it goes up to 50%. Pregnant waitresses are a different story- I typically tip anywhere between 80-200% for them.
These people bust their a55, and still have to split tips, and make below minimum wage.
The tip never includes tax- its almost 11% on sit down meals here.
I’ve never waited tables, either.
#5 by Tony on April 27, 2010 - 1:35 am
No way 10% and 15% if the server was actually good
#6 by Mr. Niceguy on April 27, 2010 - 2:25 am
You are supposed to leave 15% of the total amount of the order but most people dont because a $80 meal is like a $12 tip. Thats $92 total from $82. Its pretty expensive. It adds up.
#7 by Billy C on April 27, 2010 - 3:00 am
My wife has been a waitress for the past 40 some years and she still believes that it would be great to still get stiffed three times a night, and wonders what that has to do with waiting tables?
#8 by Aeirlys on April 27, 2010 - 3:10 am
I worked as a server for a while in college. I feel your pain. Generally, I start at 15% for average service, and add or subtract depending on the quality of service. I’ve left tips of 25% for really great service and 10% for piss poor service.
#9 by Tattoo QT on April 27, 2010 - 3:25 am
Well my hubby & I usually leave 10-20% of total bill…sometimes we we just leave 5bucks which is more than the % sometimes! On holidays we tend to leave at least 8 bucks! Most places though suggest atleast 10-15%
#10 by Wide Awake on April 27, 2010 - 4:23 am
Sorry, 15% is considered standard in most every city I have been in, and 20% if the services were exceptional. So my range is between those values.
Doubling the tax is a good estimate in those juristdictions where the tax rate is around 8%.
I think one thing that people often forget is that if something is “comped,” you should still tip on the full amount. For example, if you sent back your steak because it was overcooked, and they brought you a new one but subtracted that entree from the bill, you still should tip on the amount including the “comped” steak.
I think people who stiff waitpersons are cheapskates and incredibly inconsiderate.
#11 by sherl on April 27, 2010 - 5:17 am
i always leave a tip. even if service sucked.
my husband was a waiter. (not anymore. thank the powers that be) i know how important it is. you guys work your butts off, and it isn’t easy to cater to customers that belong in a preschool.
if service is good i’m generous.
#12 by legioner on April 27, 2010 - 5:36 am
Yes we restaurant customers have some terrible guilt of underpaying the tip. In my sense if there were 4 people then they should pay tips $2 per person for normal quality service maybe $2.5 for good service and maybe $1 for satisfactory service. I mostly pay $1 above the expected amount.
#13 by smartypants909 on April 27, 2010 - 5:50 am
If the service is just OK, I will double the tax, 7.75% here in southern cal, for the tip, if the service is great I will tip more. My father was always a terrible customer, snapping his fingers and yelling at the wait staff, and I always wondered what kind of tipper he was. Some of the restaurants I have been in, especially up in San Francisco, have an automatic gratuity added to orders over $50.
#14 by AnnieD on April 27, 2010 - 6:12 am
Work at a restaurant that adds the gratuity to the check! You may still get a personal tip on top of what the restaurant charges for you.
#15 by Moo2u001 on April 27, 2010 - 6:58 am
My husband and I start out at 20% minimum, if service is outstanding the tip goes up, if the wait person is not so hot the tip goes down. We do not reduce tip for things out of the servers control such as kitchen incidents or other restaurant issues. I worked my way through high school as waitress and my husband had friends in college who work the industry. I know tips have to be claimed whether you get it or not and also that wait staff makes less than $3 an hour generally. I feel your pain.
#16 by keri_23062 on April 27, 2010 - 7:35 am
I tip 20%, but don’t agree with it. Why should the tip be related to the dollar figure?
I’ve been to a Denny’s where the tab was $15, and the gal busted her hump. I’ve also been to a fancy place where dinner for me and my wife was $130. That girl did NOT deserve $26 for the few times she stopped by.
I also like to tip more if I bring my kids, because I know they make a mess, but that isn’t reflected in the bill. (2 kids = $7 = $1.40 extra tip)
Also, I don’t believe in tipping based on the dollar value when it comes to alcohol. It takes about 3 seconds longer to pour a beer than it does a soda, but it’s triple the price.
I believe that if the industry is hurting this bad because of poor tippers, then restaurants should raise their prices, pay wait staff more per hour, and create a “no tip” environment.
#17 by psycho-cook on April 27, 2010 - 7:56 am
I think a lot of people are just rude, insensitive, snobs! My husband was at a convention with 3 old college buddies of his and they all went out to a very nice steakhouse in Atlanta. There was a bus boy for each table and the waiters each only served two tables at a time. The service was incredible. Any time my husband started to think about something he needed it was placed on the table! He dropped his napkin without realizing it and a new one was unobtrusively substituted immediately. You get the idea. The bill was around $50 per person and his buddies were bucking up $5 a piece in tips! He had to put in a $25 dollar tip to bring it close to acceptable! He was so disgusted since these guys are all making much more money than him and have less responsibilities! He thinks it is a lack of respect for people who do “service” work. He won’t go anywhere other than McDonald’s with them anymore!
#18 by Erin on April 27, 2010 - 8:55 am
Under most circumstances I tip very generously. If my food isn’t cooked right, or tastes bad, that’s not the server’s fault but the cook’s. What I consider good service is friendly personality, attentive to my needs (making sure water glass is full, if I want dessert, etc.), and can handle any mistakes/problems with grace. If they don’t live up to that basic service and keep me waiting, I leave 15% or less. If the service is really attrocious, I don’t leave anything, but speak to the manager. If the basic service is met, I leave approximately 20%. If the service is exceptional and beyond the call of duty, I’ll give significantly more than the 20%.
#19 by george p on April 27, 2010 - 9:47 am
5 %
#20 by disneychick on April 27, 2010 - 10:33 am
When I sit down at the table, the tip is automatically 10%. I usually tip more than that around 15%, but it is completely dependent upon the server. If it’s good service, 15-20%, if it’s average 15%, if it’s bad 10%. For horribly bad service I will not tip and I will tell the server before I leave why they are not getting a tip and I’ve probably involved the manager at that point. I enjoy going out to eat, but servers have to earn their tip from me, it is not something that is just handed out freely. I don’t doubt that you are good at what you do, but you have to admit there are a lot of other “servers” out there that just expect the 20% and don’t do a single thing to earn that generous of a tip. But, yes, there are jerks out there who skip out on tips and that is not right if the service was decent enough.
#21 by Cyn on April 27, 2010 - 11:30 am
I typically will tip 20% as a standard at a restaurant — if service sucked they will get MUCH less. If it’s great, I will usually add a buck or two over the 20% amount.
My dad tips on the amount of the order only …. he subtracts out the tax. I can’t say that he’s wrong in doing that either.
Getting a 5% tip is terrible. Sometimes people run out of money, or they’re on a budget and tip as much as they can afford. I’m sure not all who stiff on a tip do it intentionally…. and depending on the size of the group – they may already believe it’s added into the bill. (which personally I hate – and have them remove promptly. It’s MY decision what to tip – not any one elses.)
#22 by lalabee on April 27, 2010 - 12:23 pm
it really gets me when people look at tips as an “extra.” like look, gee, the meal is already so expensive, so I really can’t tip 15%-20% on top of that.
the tip should be something you factor into the cost of the meal every time you sit down at a restaurant. These people are paid LESS than the mininum wage legally BECAUSE they are expected to pick up a certain amount in tips. If you don’t like it, don’t eat in a restaurant with table service. If you can’t afford the “extra” than don’t order an appetizer or drinks so you have enough to leave an adequate tip.
and yes, many people who are otherwise generous don’t consider that if any portion of the meal is comped or discounted, than the server should still receive his percentage on the original price of the items.
I can’t imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t tip. Maybe if the waiter threw food in my face and cussed me out. Terrible service gets 10%, adequate 15%-20%, good to great over 20% and those super diner waiters and waitresses I don’t really think about percents when the tab is so small – i mean like if it’s a $6.17 meal I would leave a $10 bill on the table.
#23 by jetaunbraese on April 27, 2010 - 12:46 pm
If you are going to buy $100 worth of food, you should be able to leave a 20% tip, 15% minimum, 10% if the service was poor. Bottom line, you should tip always. If the service is that horrendous where you don’t leave a tip, then you need to contact the manager. Waitress’ make about $2.50-$3 a hour, tips are expected at a sit down restaurant. Obviously, you don’t tip at McDonald’s. If you are on a budget, you should also figure in your tip. (I’m not a waitress, but I do know how it can be, and I ALWAYS tip)
#24 by katiat325 on April 27, 2010 - 1:23 pm
a 15% tip isn’t outdated. Its the norm. If the server has been good, then you go up. But really, for a “casual” restaurant, what do you expect? Not everyone that goes there will know proper tipping rules. Sometimes ppl are short on money. Of course I agree that anything under 10% is deplorable, but if its between 10-15%, then give that person some leeway, at least they did halfway decent tip…better than 4%! And really, to expect a 20% tip is too much. So for a $100 meal I’d have to pay you $20, that’s quite a bit, especially since I already pay $100, plus any possible tax, plus a tip! Dang, I feel you, but 20%!?
#25 by Goose&Tonic on April 27, 2010 - 2:20 pm
For average service I will leave 15-18%; for outstanding service I will leave 20-25%.
I was going to say that I would never stiff someone, having worked as a server in NH and gotten stiffed by the French-Canadians plenty but that isn’t true. A few years ago we left a quarter to our server at Denny’s because she was truly awful and we had never had such horrible service in our entire lives.
You give good service and (most importantly) keep my drink full and I will be a happy customer and thus, a good tipper.
#26 by geminitaurus on April 27, 2010 - 3:11 pm
Most people don’t realize that servers only make $2.15 an hour (at least they do where I live). So servers RELY on tips. I think that that is ridiculous. We depend on customers to pay our house and car payments, NOT the establishment we work for. I ALWAYS tip 20% because I’ve been in that situation before.
I think a law should be passed where servers should make minimum wage, IF NOT MORE, and not have to claim tips. A tip is a tip, a thank you from the customer, not wages.
Also, serving is HARD work. People are idiots. It’s like customers lose all manners when they leave their house. Not unless they never had any before!!
I AM A SERVER, NOT A SERVANT!!!!!!!!