How much to tip when eating out?

[HardWorkingDem]

The wife and I have four young children and dispute the amount to tip when eating out.

The way I look at it is this: if the service is lousy, ten percent but if the service is pretty good or outstanding, I will go at least 20 percent.

Also, regardless of the bill and unless it is a buffet style restaurant, I think I should put down at least a dollar for each of us at the least and will go even higher if our children make a mess or are "bad." Also, if the children to make a mess like dropping food on the floor or the like, I will pick up before we leave.

My wife thinks I tip on the high side too often (I have to be honest, unless the wait staff is TERRIBLE, I'm usually very forgiving and tip on the high scale. Also, I don't punish the wait staff for obvious bad management).

Thoughts?

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. Similar to you...

10% for really bad service

25% for great service

Buck a head at the buffet.

[TommyO]

33. Similar here as well

I average 20%, but if I'm dining alone, I have gone as high as 50%, not wanting to screw the waiter or waitress who gets stuck with one person at a four top.

[Lorien]

2. I tip exactly as you do

I did my time in food service. It ain't fun, so I figure that they deserve the tip just for being stuck in such a crappy job!

[AlCzervik]

3. always at least 20-25%.

my mother was a waitress and cook for 20 years so i always tip well. Even at buffets because people are frikkin slobs and make a damn mess and i really feel for everybody that has to clean up after them.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I don't think you're tipping too much...

We always tip 20% when the service is good...

But I have no idea about what to tip in a buffet restaurant, sorry!

We feel as though most wait staffs are way overworked and underpaid, and we like to reward good service...

And since we tend to be repeat customers, we want them to treat us well...

So we tip on the high side!

[begin_within]

5. If it's really bad or neglectful service, tip nothing and leave a note why. Also,

don't let last-minute attentiveness make up for poor service throughout the meal. I've noticed that they very often become highly attentive and friendly right as the "tip time" gets close, so that you will forget how crappy and thoughtless they were for the rest of the time you were there.

[davsand]

6. Always at least 20% and ask for a manager if service is less than expected.

I never leave les than 20% and if my server is not up to expectations I ask for a manager and discuss it. They can't fix it if they don't know about the problem.

Sometimes it might be the kitchen is slow and the food just isn't coming out, sometimes they are understaffed, an sometimes your wait is just lousy. In ANY case, the manager is the only one to fix the problem and it does no good to not tip. It only hurts a wait and sometimes the problem is beyond their ability to fix.

When you talk to manager it is about the concrete problem: "My food got here cold." "I got no refill on my coffee." "I never got my salad." "I saw the wait spit in my soup.."

YMMV, but I strongly urge everybody to work their way up the restaurant food chain when stuff is not how you think it ought to be.


Laura

[yewberry]

7. I waited tables for many years, and I think you're right.

Truly bad service does warrant a bad tip. Good service does warrant a good tip. Picking up after your kids is incredibly rare and incredibly awesome. You are a hero to waitstaff!

Be aware of your state minimum wage, though. Many states allow a $2.13 per hour wage for tipped employees, so it's good to be sensitive to that.

It gets even more complicated in a structured tipping environment. In my second-to-last restaurant job, I worked in a restaurant in MA ($2.63 per hour) in which we were required to tip the bar 1.5% of our total sales and the bussers 3% of out total sales. So, imagine a $100 total bill with a $10 tip. The bar gets $1.50 and the bussers get $3, leaving the server with $5.50. Now look at taxes...we're still required to claim tips based on sales, not on reality. Also, claiming 10% is a very quick route to an audit, and even if you claim the $10 tip as it is, taxes take $3, leaving the server with $2.50.

Great, huh?

I know its just my own history, but a buck makes a big difference to a server.

[tjwmason]

19. What's the point of a $2 minimum wage?

I can understand the thinking behind lower minima for tipped employees (though I think it's a nonsense really), but calling $2 a minimum just seems pointless to me.

[Gormy Cuss]

24. The point of the server minimum is to ensure that they get something.

Some unscrupulous restaurant owners would have them work for tips only if they could. The server minimum + an average tip level is expected to meet or exceeded the federal minimum wage. Not all states have the separate standard. The West Coast states and a few others use the higher, standard minimums for servers.

[tjwmason]

53. I think it's the phrase "expected" which worries me

I can understand the principle, but I'd rather see something like the U.K. system where tips can count towards the minimum wage but if there is a short-fall this has to be made-up by the employer.

[yewberry]

42. Gormy Cuss is right, and it's also

an attempt to have a certain on the books so that taxes can be taken out without having the server have to submit cash tips. (Doesn't always work.)

[TK421]

57. Not to be snarky...I was discussing this with a bartender down the street

a few weeks ago, but HOW in the hell do you survive off of those numbers? He told me about tips being taxed ( I never knew that...never gave it much thought ). I'm pretty sure they operate the same way your job did as far as the wait staff giving a percentage to the bartender, because I've seen them settle out their paperwork at the end of their shifts.

By the way, I always tip around 20-25%

[RoyGBiv]

8. You're doing it right ...

While not wait staff or any other vocation that brings tips, I have been in customer service of one form or another my entire working life, and I base my tips on that experience.

I do go lower than you, as I am unforgiving of terrible service. I refuse a tip at all in those cases. (And I do mean terrible, bad service that is clearly the fault of the waiter or waitress, not the cook or what have you.) On the other hand, I've been known to tip 50% or more for incredible service during events that were particularly important to me. Generally, I don't really go by percentages anyway. I'll use them as a guide, but not a hard one. For example, at a bar, I'll tip half the cost of a beer if my glass never gets dry and is always refilled without the bartender having to ask what is supposed to be in it.

[LeftyMom]

9. Usually reciprocating is thanks enough...

Oh wait, that's not what you mean, is it? :blush:

[ghostsofgiants]

12. Haha, I knew I wasn't the only one thinking in those terms.

[LeftyMom]

16. Could the last pervert to leave the lounge please turn off the lights?

It's a little sad it took that long for somebody to make the obvious sex joke.

[Tektonik]

10. I double the tax, so that's almost 16% here

Sometimes I round up. If I use a coupon at a chain restaurant, I always use some of that amount as the tip, for example I use a buy one get one entrée free coupon and save nine bucks, I'll make the tip nine bucks even if the order is for like 15.00.

[ghostsofgiants]

11. You're supposed to tip? My girlfriend must be PISSED!

:P

(Sorry, couldn't resist the double entendre.)

[1]

13. if the service is lousy? a penny...

if the service is good, 10 to 15% depending of your definition of good.

if the service is great? 20%

that's how i roll...

[LostinVA]

36. For good service they deserve more than 10-15%

And by you tipping only a penny, the servers just LOST money waiting on you.

I hope you don't eat out much.

[1]

50. you're right. and i've never tipped 10% in my life...

i've always thought 15% was fair. and on great service i tend to go big on tips.

but i stand by my .01 for lousy service. if i get attitude and shitty service, a fuck you to me and my dining experience?

you get a penny. a fuck you back.

[quakerboy]

14. Well

for work I get to eat out in a few places that I cannot even come close to affording for myself, and when expensed out I am allowed to do only up to 15%. Granted, that 15% generaly comes out to more than I spend on the rare date out I can take my wife on.

[CreekDog]

66. even when travelling for work, i tip the full amount even if they won't cover it

like in hotels, i don't know how to expense tipping the housekeeper, but i do it anyway. if they only reimbursed me for 15% tip at meals, i'd go 20% out of pocket.

i look at it this way, i have a good job and just like shelling out the $50 for the Christmas party that i don't want to go to, it's just the cost associated with my job, overall i come out way ahead. and i come out far ahead of the people i would be denying a full tip. most of them make far less than i do and it's miserable work in comparison.

:hi:

[khashka]

15. Should be 15 percent

If the service is really good, I'll tip much higher. If it sucks, nothing. But 15 percent is standard.

Khash.

[UndertheOcean]

17. 20 % is the minimum , those guys work hard.

[tjwmason]

18. Over here 10% is the norm.

But I know plenty of folk who don't give that. Several places add a "voluntary" service charge to the bill which is usually 10% or 12.5%.

Note, though, that our minimum wage is £5.52 (about $10) - some tips can count towards this (I'm not an expert so don't know the details), but the earnings do have to be at least £5.52 and if tips fall short the employer has to make up the difference.

Personally I think that standard tips are a ridiculous anachronism, as a reward for particularly good service - absolutely, but as a standard I'm not keen.

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. 25% is standard, regardless of service

don't be cheap.

If the bill is $40, tip $10.

If the bill is $20, tip $5.

If you order something extra, like an extra drink or something, or take your food back, drop an extra dollar on the table.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. i never tip below 15. mostly tip at 20%.

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. Also, as a licensed hairstylist, it's nice to tip your barber/stylist

more than a dollar or two for service as well. They often get screwed and are usually on a fee split commission or booth rental.

[hyphenate]

37. I usually give my hairdresser

$5. I don't get much done, though, just a shampoo and cut, and at the place I'm going now, it's only about $20 for both. I do have to go soon, because my hair has gotten unmanagable.

I color my own hair, though, most often with professional supplies, which are actually cheaper than the kits most of the time. And a more predictable result as well.

[flvegan]

40. The girl that cuts my hair gets 50% from me.

Seriously. The guy that used to do mine and ran the salon sort of up and left the state. She took over his clients that didn't go elsewhere, but did so much more cheaply. I still pay the same for my haircut (when I bother to go get one), I'm still as satisfied, the girl just gets a bigger tip.

She's also hot, which ain't hurting her either.

[shanti]

51. question:

if your hairdresser is the salon owner, is tipping necessary? i was told that they aren't tipped. the problem is that she often delegates duties, such as shampooing, blowing out. sometimes not. also, she touches up my brows too.

what do you think? i've always felt uncomfortable not tipping, so much so that i usually debate not going every time :shrug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

52. If she delegates I would split the tip.

When I was first starting out, I would often shampoo or apply a tint and, sometimes but not often, would receive a tip (usually a buck or two) from conscientious patrons). In all of the salons I have worked in all of the stylists accepted (and needed) tips, including the owner. If it is a smaller, lesser known, shop especially. Those people are barely keeping their own heads above water most times.

[dropkickpa]

23. 15% is my base, the lowest I'll go unless

service was truly atrocious (I speak to management if this is the case). And I've been known to go as high as 40% if the service was stellar (I always tip very well when going anywhere with my mother, she's a waiters freakin nightmare). My typical amount is 20-30%.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

25. I typically go about 15% over $20...

Higher under $20 because the waiter/waitress works just as hard.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

26. I usually do 20-25%.

[unpossibles]

27. IBTL

[MrScorpio]

28. 20% is easy for me to figure out and that's what I tip

Servers are usually happy with that amount

[Rambis]

29. 20% minimum

I left a 5 the other day for a 14.65 bill. I didn't have any change and I could never be a hostess/waiter I don't have the patience for it.

[Carnea]

30. Breakfast Waitress 40%

Regular waiter or waitress 18 to 25%

Buffet 2 bucks

Haircut gal 30%

Masseuse 40%

Starbucks Barristers and other counter personnel 0%

[grace0418]

38. I always give breakfast waitstaff a bigger tip. They work just as hard but

but the meal is less expensive.

[Rhythm]

68. Now dang it... there goes my idea. I was going to put up a 'tip jar' on the counter

of the store where i work... and now you've gone and spoiled my plans. :P





:sarcasm:

[DS1]

31. I tip well, but I believe the concept of percentages is crap

A 60 dollar steak and a 5 dollar omelet take the same amount of energy to walk from the kitchen to your table, right? So why should one server get 9 dollars and the other get 75 cents for the same job?

[bicentennial_baby]

43. I see your point, and regardless of the dish, a server deserves

a decent tip if the service is good, due to the f'd up server min. wage that exists in many states, last I checked.

[NewJeffCT]

32. I am usually pretty generous - esp. at places we frequent

There is a local Friendly's near our home that I go to with my daughter at least once a week or so for the past 18 months, if not longer.

I usually tip a good 25% there most of the time, but we also get fantastic service because they all know us there - the managers usually always make it a point to come over to speak with my daughter. There is one server there that is almost always terrific, and great with my daughter, and I try to give her at least 30-35% because she's a struggling college student. She even bought my daughter some gifts for her 4th birthday a little over a year ago... unfortunately, she's been working more day shifts lately.

But, at a typical restaurant, I give around 20%.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

34. Your wife

needs to stfu.

She is cheap --- sorry but you know that already.

I worked as a bartender for 7 years and I probably over tip --- but... I know a cheap skate when I see one...

[hyphenate]

35. I round the bill up to the nearest $10 amount, and give 15% on that.

Like last night, the bill was $38, so I tipped 15% of $40. It was $6. Some people say you're only supposed to tip on food, before the tax and drinks are actually added in, and at 15%. I take that into account, like I take a lot of other things into account as well--service, quality of food, etc. You're right--don't want to punish the wait staff, but I will often say something if the food is particularly good or bad, and there are some websites now that allow you to write reviews which I gladly do if there is a particular reason to do so.

[av8rdave]

39. I do 20%. The math is easy that way. If the service is bad, I do 15%

Waitstaff counts on tip money as part of their income. In most cases, they really earn and deserve it!

[Dora]

41. $1 per person, or 20%, whichever is greater. nt

[Bucky]

60. I used to do that, but recently updated to $2 for the table plus a dollar per diner.

If you eat at taquerias, either 20% or a dollar per person can still be a shitty tip.

[Mutley]

44. Always 20%.

Unless the server is downright nasty, they always get 20%.

[bigwillq]

45. I usually give 20-25 percent

usually never lower unless the service was awful. tips is what a lot of the people we give tips to live on.

[Dangerously Amused]

46. I tip pretty much the same as you do.

And for all the same reasons.

[mopinko]

47. if i can make someone's day with a couple of dollars, i sure do.

i am a sucker of a tipper. i waited tables, my kid waited tables. it sucks as a way to make a living. i keep it closer to 15-20% range in higher end places, but in cheap places, diners, waffle houses, etc, it is 20% plus a few bucks. no one should have to do that job and make $5 a table.

[fizzgig]

48. about 20 percent unless the service is abysmal

and i don't think i've ever had truly terrible service. i've gone out with people before who will tip 15 percent, even for stellar service and that simply astounded me.

however, my sister tells me i'm cheap for not tipping the kid at the coffee shop who simply hands me a cup for my coffee. i'll tip if they make me a drink or i order food, but don't if i'm getting just a cup of coffee :shrug:

[laylah]

55. Hana left

a $5 tip once just for coffee because she had been sitting at the booth for about an hour and felt the waitress had missed out on at least that much while your sister was just hanging out. Yup, we be "cheap" honey...:rofl:

These days I leave what I can, not as much as I used to but something is better than nothing.

[LostInAnomie]

49. I think eating out is a pretty good tip by itself.

The ladies always seem to appreciate it.

[datasuspect]

58. especially when you wear gold chains

[Midlodemocrat]

54. Always at least 20%. Sometimes quite a bit more.

[Maine-ah]

56. I'm a server at a chain restaurant

I bust my ass at 3 bucks and change an hour. I'm training on a management position, I know I do my job well. I consider 20% a good tip. 15% is the average tip, anything less than that is rude, unless the service warrants that type of tip. Especially since I know I turn out good service to my tables.


For buffets, you should be tipping 10%. And when you do tip, you should include the beverages, not just the food.

:hi:

[Bucky]

59. Tip cash. Otherwise the IRS gets its cut and even some restaurants get a cut of the tip.

I know that's shitty, but that's what they're doing now.

[NJmaverick]

61. I have heard 15% used as the standard. I will tip at least 20%

unless the service is poor, then it's 15%.

[Patiod]

62. I tip higher for breakfast

Same amount of work for way less tip, so I tend to go overboard.

And I tip a little less on a very expensive meal -- same amount of work for WAY more money.

[LanternWaste]

63. I use the traditional 15% as a base-line...

I use the traditional 15% as a base-line. It can increase or decrease by up to 10 points depending on service (although the more harried the server, the more slack I cut him/her).

Having waited tables in college (at a Bennigan's, no less), I tend to empathize with the staff much more than with the other patrons.

[Tikki]

64. As a former waitress...

'Feeding Feeds My Family'....I tip a lot and a lot, lot more for
exemplary service.



Tikki

[Tommy_Carcetti]

65. It depends if there is a screaming baby at a neighboring table...

...and it is interrupting your sushi dinner.

If so, tips are an automatic 0%!

[CreekDog]

67. Generally 20% (more if alone)

I have a lot of generous friends (not highly paid either) that put me to shame. typically when we eat out as a group, the check goes around and we end up with extra, you can never get folks to take any money back. usually the group says, give it to the server. :applause:

so much better than in college!

[leave iraq]

69. be generous

[Rhythm]

70. I go an average of 20-25%... more if the service is exemplary

I believe that the size of the tip is a good way of giving feedback to the server as to how well he/she does the job. Unless the server is HORRID (nasty attitude, ignoring our table for extended periods, etc.), i generally tip somewhere in the 20 - 25% range, but even the horrible will get a token couple of bucks, because servers make such a pittance. However, for service above and beyond, I have been known to go as high as 50%.

Also, the tip is strictly based on the server's job performance on the floor... nothing that the kitchen does is held against them. I've worked in far too many restaurants, so i know what goes on behind the scenes, and mistakes with an order are just as likely to be the fault of an inattentive line cook as they are of a server who put an order in incorrectly.

[myrna minx]

71. 20% minimum, but I tip more for breakfast because the ticket is

much smaller than lunch or dinner. I have had friends who are servers and I know what a difficult job it is.