Are you a good tipper?

SpeedoMike

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In America, which is what we are talking about in this thread. Waiters and waitresses make around 3 dollars an hour. Would you work for 3 pounds an hour? I think not, and the servers in this country don't either, they work for the tips, it's as simple as that.
The federal minimum wage is approximately double that amount. :argue:

As for stealing from the waitperson by not leaving at least a 10% tip... the IRS considers that as average and does NOT collect more when the tip is greater than 10%.

I'm apparently a tightwad cuz, on my limited Social Security Disability budget, I "make" a lot less than those poor overworked people. I would be much more agreeable if tips weren't based on the amount of the check. I have to look at the price column before I decide what I want to order, and I don't receive any better service if I order a new york steak rather than a hot dog.:mad:

And why do people only talk to the manager when they are dissatisfied? I like to compliment good service.:dunno:
 

tripod

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The federal minimum wage is approximately double that amount. :argue:

You obviously have never looked at the federal mandated minimum wage poster at your workplace. It was $2.09 for servers the last time I checked, they are not like non tipped wage earners... you are wrong.

As for stealing from the waitperson by not leaving at least a 10% tip... the IRS considers that as average and does NOT collect more when the tip is greater than 10%.

You are CORRECT!! :smile:

It's all good people...
 

B_Italian1

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Ive never understood what and why Americans tip?

In the UK a tip is optional and usually only give when you recieve extremely good service, but 99.9% of the time, people dont tip and are not expected to either.

Why do you tip in America?

Arn't waiters and waitresses actually being paid to do the job anyways? It's a little rude to expect a tip for just doing your job.

It dosent make sense.

It doesn't make sense.

They get minimum wage so we are expected to make up the difference and then some. I've always resented tipping. I usually give 15%, sometimes a little more.

The owner should pay them enough so we don't have to. The benefit is the owner is making plenty of money because we are paying his staff. The waitstaff are doing really well, but the kitchen help are the losers in the deal--except for the chefs, who can do fairly well if the place is upscale.

They encourage you to drink more and buy appetizers, because that adds to the bill, which in turn adds to a higher tip for them. People also forget that the waitstaff have more than one table they're doing at a time. In an hour they may get a $15 tip from one table, $10 from another, and $5 from another. That's $30 for one hour plus their minimum wage.

I know a girl who was making close to $1000 a week waitressing when she was in college. She was working in a very fast paced diner type place near a major college. There was a quick turn around of people, very busy all the time, and she worked Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday, not even close to 40 hours.
 

njreg

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I routinely tip 30-35%, because I think to myself, "that could be me trying to earn a living that way." I worked as a bartender at the Indianaoplis Colts games this past season and earned a more than generous hourly rate. I never expected to be tipped, but it was always appreciated when I was.

I have only not tipped twice in my life, and that was because the service was absolutely horrendous. I got complaint cards from those restaurants and named the location, time I was there, and the server's name.
 

jorpollew

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Months ago on another website, a controversial thread got started about tipping. At the risk of hijacking this thread, I won't mention what the controversy was. But it bothered me so much that I was compelled to do my own research by casually talking to waiters/waitresses at several restaurants.

I was surprised to learn that at many restaurants the servers are required to share a percentage of their tips with the busboys and bartenders. Some of the complaints that I heard from several servers were:
  • many customers do not know how to figure out percentages
  • customers should only dine at restaurants they can afford
  • the busier the restaurant, the more tables they serve at the same time; so customers should take that into account
...And why do people only talk to the manager when they are dissatisfied? I like to compliment good service.:dunno:

Definitely!! I always aim to acknowledge exceptional customer service.
 

sdbg

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After 18 years in the restaurant business, I know how hard people have to work to make a living. 20% is my standard tip if the person does a good job and makes an effort to see that I enjoy the experience. If the person gets the food on the table, but otherwise can't be found, 15% is what they get. There have been times that I've given 25% -30% because the server did such a fantastic job and demonstrated such outstanding commitment to excellence that I had to reward them.

I hate going out to dinner with people who look for all the ways to cheat the server because they are cheap. I'll call them on it. If I have to kick in an extra $10 or $20 to save face at a place that I frequent, I'll tell the people that dine with me that if I have to pick up your slack with the tip, I won't go out to eat with you again.
 

HazelGod

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I was surprised to learn that at many restaurants the servers are required to share a percentage of their tips with the busboys and bartenders.

I firmly believe that anyone who dines out at restaurants should be required to have some service-industry experience. I'm always amazed by people who don't know that service personnel are usually paid around $2.13 per hour.

When I waited tables, we had to tip out 1% of our sales for the shift into a pool that was shared by the hostesses and busboys...plus another 1% went to the kitchen staff.

I usually tip around 20% for good service...slightly less for mediocre service, considerably more for excellent service. It's not a difficult job, but it's a rarity these days that we run across a remarkable waiter.
 

SpoiledPrincess

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many customers do not know how to figure out percentages
  • customers should only dine at restaurants they can afford
  • the busier the restaurant, the more tables they serve at the same time; so customers should take that into account
quote]

I tip and I tip quite well if the service is reasonable - but we're not obliged to tip and I wouldn't appreciate staff deciding I couldn't work out percentages or that I couldn't afford the restaurant if I didn't tip what they'd have liked me to tip. It's up to me what I tip not up to the staff.
 

B_ScaredLittleBoy

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The only time I might tip is in a taxi. If its £4 and I have a fiver, I'll give him the fiver. Sometimes its £3.50 though and I'll give him the right change (if I have it).

Generally, it depends what I have in change. I don't tip at restaurants because they're expensive enough :tongue:
 

dong20

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The only time I might tip is in a taxi. If its £4 and I have a fiver, I'll give him the fiver. Sometimes its £3.50 though and I'll give him the right change (if I have it).

Generally, it depends what I have in change. I don't tip at restaurants because they're expensive enough :tongue:

The economic model (and expectation) in the UK is a little different to that in the US so I suppose it's hard to draw a direct comparison. Tipping in the UK is really intended to reward service over and above what should be expected though these days a more US type model seems to be evident and tipping is expected unless service is bad.

I eat lunch in the same cafe a few times a week and I don't tip every day - like SLB, for me it depends on the cost and rounding but I tip once a week. Even if nothing else with the tipping rates some folk here claim if I tipped 50% or 100% I'd go broke!

In the US tipping seems to be regarded as a normal supplement to a low wage, and any amount over above a minimum of about 15% fulfils the role it has in the UK of rewarding exceptional service. That's my general understanding and how I play it there.

That said regardless of expectations - if wait staff are rude and or plain incompetent, they don't deserve to be paid, let alone tipped so I won't. Rewarding poor service justifies it doesn't it?

Many countries actively discourage tipping, it's borderline offensive in some.
 

B_cigarbabe

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When I worked as a waitress, a number of years ago ,the
pay was only $1.90, I believe. I couldn't believe how some people
would expect you, to run yourself crazy,and then not leave a tip!
Now when Mr. Ed and I go out,usually I like to frequent places
that I know. Mr. Ed tends to way overtip, even for crappy service.
I like to leave more if they were good ,since I always expect them to be mediocre.
I'm thrilled when they're good,that way!
cigarbabe:saevil:
 

B_Italian1

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I'm not a good Tipper, but I've heard that Al Gore's wife is.

LOL :smile: Did you make that up?


I routinely tip 30-35%, because I think to myself, "that could be me trying to earn a living that way."

If I ever become a waiter (not likely), I want your table all the time.
 

dong20

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When I worked as a waitress, a number of years ago ,the pay was only $1.90, I believe. I couldn't believe how some people
would expect you, to run yourself crazy,and then not leave a tip!

Presumably (as alluded to by HG) they were not aware that you earned only $1.90 per hour. Despite HG's expression of surprise at that, why would they - especially if they were not regulars or tourists?

Alternatively they did know, and didn't care, or were just tight-fisted sadists.:rolleyes::biggrin1:
 

Principessa

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It's up to $2.20 per hour now in NJ.

When I worked as a waitress, a number of years ago, the pay was only $1.90, I believe. I couldn't believe how some people
would expect you, to run yourself crazy,and then not leave a tip!
Now when Mr. Ed and I go out,usually I like to frequent places
that I know. Mr. Ed tends to way overtip, even for crappy service.
I like to leave more if they were good ,since I always expect them to be mediocre.
I'm thrilled when they're good,that way!
cigarbabe:saevil:
 

swordfishME

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Here they add a service charge of 15% to your bill regardless and tipping is not expected and even discouraged, but people do leave tips of an additional 10-15% just to show how generous they are.
 

ruperty

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i'm not a good tipper tbh. in england at a meal, i'll probably tip £1 at the most. though if there's a group doing that, it's a good tip i suppose. in new york, a couple of weeks ago, i tipped about 10% at restaurants if it wasn't already added to the bill (in one place, the waitress actually told me that i should be tipping more than 10% - "15% for normal service and 20% for good service". she explained that she'd worked in england for some time and that the hourly wage is decent (usually minimum wage of around £5.50/$11 p.h.), and in usa, the wages are useless. she even said that the u.s. government had started taxing what they believe they are making in tips - is that true??

say, for example, a british waiter/waitress works a 5 hour shift and earns £27.50 from minimum wage, the U.S dollar equivalent is roughly $54 for that 5 hour shift. if you compare the british pay to the average 5 hour pay for an american, including tips, how much would you expect to earn?
 

ruperty

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...and does the 15% service charge entirley go to waiting on staff? or does management take a cut of it?
 

invisibleman

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I tip 20%. (For usual and great service.)

I tip 5%. (For negligable service.) For first offenses.

If I get really bad service repeatedly and the product was bad, I don't go back.

I don't tip all the time though. Who gets tips or raises a lot on jobs? I surely don't.