Tipping

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Apr 14, 2007
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#1
What are your thoughts on tipping, specifically at a dine-in restaurant?

1. How much do you tip for average service?
2. What do you consider to constitute "average service"?
3. How much do you tip for less than acceptable service?
4. Is it ever okay to tip nothing to your server, and if so, when? If not, why not?
5. Should you tip more if you were difficult (had finicky kids, a complicated request, etc)?
5.1 Should you tip less if you were pleasant (acted very politely, altered your order to make the server's job easier, etc)?
6. Any other thoughts on the subject?
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#2
Many articles have been written on this subject... So many that anything I say here would be superfluous. Fortunately for my sanity I have largely disregarded all these articles. I just tip what I feel I should.
 
S

ServantStrike

Guest
#4
15-20 percent, with 18 percent being my normal range at lower end restaurant. Mid range and higher, 18 percent for good service, 15 percent if it needs improvement.
 
S

Shouryu

Guest
#5
As I live in the United States, where we have legalized a slave wage for servers because they MAY receive gratuities...

1. How much do you tip for average service?
--15-20%

2. What do you consider to constitute "average service"?
--Polite, timely service, with few delays within the server's control (I never hold the server accountable for the kitchen's issues or if there are delays caused by inconsiderate customers they might also be serving)
3. How much do you tip for less than acceptable service?
--15%. Once again, servers in the US are paid a slave wage, less than half the legal minimum wage. Furthermore, EVERYONE HAS BAD DAYS. Maybe my server is injured and is moving slowly. Maybe they received some terrible news earlier in the day and are emotionally distraught. Maybe it's just one of THOSE days where no matter how hard they try, nothing seems to go right. That totally means we should make their day worse by ensuring that they receive absolutely NOTHING for the time or effort they've invested (even if it's not to a good result), because that's totally how Christ would do it, yeah? Oh...wait.
4. Is it ever okay to tip nothing to your server, and if so, when? If not, why not?
--No. See above. I may not be Peter or John, and cure someone's lameness, but the least I can do is offer a blessing that might put food on their table or gas in their car.
5. Should you tip more if you were difficult (had finicky kids, a complicated request, etc)?
--Hm. I don't know. I actually make it a point to not be difficult. Those poor people put up with enough as it is.
5.1 Should you tip less if you were pleasant (acted very politely, altered your order to make the server's job easier, etc)?
--No; once again, less than minimum wage.
6. Any other thoughts on the subject?
--Sure. If our government did not allow for restaurants and bars to shirk the responsibility of paying their employees an ACTUAL WAGE, this wouldn't even be an issue. Seriously. By it's very name, a GRATUITY is supposed to be a gratuitous payment, something I should not feel obligated to give. But because I am aware that the restaurant industry is allowed to pay these people less than $3 an hour, what I give is no longer gratuitous, but instead, an additional fee in order to make sure my server is properly compensated.

As you can see, I feel very strongly about this; were it within my power, I would undo whatever stupid legislation went into place to put servers in such a crappy place. The vast majority of the civilized world has this all figured out already: my server should be paid by their employers, and if my server is gratuitously amazing in their duties, then I can choose to be gratuitously gracious in thanking them monetarily. If I choose to tip, it should automatically be a blessing, rather than an obligation.

Servers are not lesser people. They do not deserve to be treated as such.
 

Desdichado

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
837
113
#6
I'm a high tipper. I can't help it.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,097
6,480
113
#7
I tip according to the quality of service I receive, the quality of the meal also plays a role. No set amount. On occasion though, a great waiter/waitress has received a tip from me that the quality of the meal did not deserve simply because they are not responsible for the preparation of the meal.
 
W

WolfGaming

Guest
#8
lol I was a waiter for a bit man one night I got like 70 something out of every body there and I was not the only waiter I loved that job and not just for the money.

Ok
well how much should you tip 4 to 5 dollars depending on how good the servers.
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,029
3,240
113
#9
I have always stuck to the rule of 15-20% for tipping. If I'm just getting coffee and pie with someone I'll probably tip considerably higher than 15% just because we sat there and tied up their table for quite a while chatting and had a minimal bill.

If service is less than expected, it really depends on the circumstances. Obviously if the place is slammed and understaffed quality of service is going to suffer but that is not the server's fault, however if the server was rude or completely inattentive their tip is going to reflect it and the manager is going to hear about it.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#10
I have to agree with what Shouryu said. My mother used to be a waitress. I still can't figure out why they made such a low wage legal.

I will also add something to that - where my mother worked the tips were collected in a pool and split between the waitresses who worked more than a certain number of hours. Part-time waitresses got nothing from the tips. As a result, these days whenever my mother feels the waiter or waitress was a good one she inquires about company policy regarding who keeps the tips. If it is as it was where she used to work she makes sure to specify "This is a gift, not a tip" and she hands it to the waitress instead of leaving it for the busboy to find.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,097
6,480
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#11
Not the norm, but there are Restaurants/Clubs where the wait staff PAYS the Owners to work there. The tips are so good that they are required to do this.

I do not like the tip sharing policy either, but in certain cases can understand it. Buss boys aren't the only ones who steal tips. Other wait staff do as well...........one stealing from another.

As well, there are times when a customer may specify to the waiter/waitress............"This is your tip, and this is for the Cook/Chef......." Rarely does the Cook/Chef ever see that tip I assure you.

There is a move afoot in the Food Service Industry to do away with tipping all together............we will see if it actually happens or not.
 

Fenner

Senior Member
Jan 26, 2013
7,507
111
0
#12
I tip 20 percent. I have tipped maybe 18 percent if the service is bad. Many time's I tip higher then 20 percent because I was a waitress for 10 long years and I know what it's like.
 
C

cmarieh

Guest
#13
There was one time I was at a restaurant and I saw the waitress getting a lot of flack from her boss for little things and I felt so bad for her that I tipped her 25% because it was obviously not her fault and I saw how it affected her confidence.
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
113
#14
What are your thoughts on tipping, specifically at a dine-in restaurant?

1. How much do you tip for average service?
2. What do you consider to constitute "average service"?
3. How much do you tip for less than acceptable service?
4. Is it ever okay to tip nothing to your server, and if so, when? If not, why not?
5. Should you tip more if you were difficult (had finicky kids, a complicated request, etc)?
5.1 Should you tip less if you were pleasant (acted very politely, altered your order to make the server's job easier, etc)?
6. Any other thoughts on the subject?
Stratocaster,

There's information on this all over the internet.

1. I'm curious why you're asking this here, on a Christian site.


2. I'm curious what you encountered that prompted you to ask about this.
Have a bad time at restaurant?
Wager with a buddy?
I'm just curious.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,097
6,480
113
#15
Boy, how bad I want to toss a wrench right into this thread..... :) But I won't..........sigh.........Still I would love to. :)
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#16
Stratocaster,

There's information on this all over the internet.

1. I'm curious why you're asking this here, on a Christian site.

2. I'm curious what happened that prompted you to ask about this.
Have a bad time at restaurant?
Wager with a buddy?
I'm just curious.
Well I know what would prompt ME to ask.

I found a chicken feather in my "Filet'O'Schnauzer" entree and BOY was I upset...

I could understand a hairball... but a piece of chicken??? REALLY??? In a dog entree???

I can tell you that cook's tip... flew right out the coop.
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#17
Here's a tip: Come to Australia where we don't tip.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
14,940
4,581
113
#18
Here's a tip: Come to Australia where we don't tip.
I would love to visit the Aussie Wonderland. ;)

But isn't it also true that Australia is much more expensive? (And therefore, makes up for the tip.) Just something I've heard...
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#20
I would love to visit the Aussie Wonderland. ;)

But isn't it also true that Australia is much more expensive? (And therefore, makes up for the tip.) Just something I've heard...
It's true that some things are more expensive here, not all things though. And TV dinners are basically unheard of. ;) Also, the average wage is a little higher, so it probably evens out. Petrol is certainly more expensive though.