OT - Tipping

DoubleEgger

It looks like millennials are the cheapskates when it comes to tipping. No surprise there. Where do you fall on the scale? 

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/millennials-worst-tippers-survey-says-120422248.html

ColtsFan

I'm 38 and almost always do 20% unless service is just terrible. 

PoppasGrill

I’ve always been in the mindset that “tipping” is based on the quality of the service. If you give crappy service, I might leave a couple of bucks. If the server has a good attitude and doesn’t mumble at a fast walk when they pass my table, to see if all is well, then I will go 20% or better.

Legume

American tipping culture sucks.  I’d rather restaurants pay servers a fair wage so tipping is less obligatory and more about a job done well.  I understand that means menu prices will rise to accommodate, I’m ok with that.

nolaegghead

I tip above 20% unless the service is terrible, then it's 10-15.  I was in the restaurant business through high school and college. 

The one thing I hate, almost more than bad service, is having the tip added to the bill.  I will not supplement that unless the service was phenomenal.

nolaegghead

Eoin

Do service staff get paid a wage, or just tips? 20% is a lot here, 10% is generous which is what I do. Germany is the lowest I ever came across, lots of people used to round the bill up to the nearest Mark / Euro, just leaving the coppers on the table.

Legume

nolaegghead said:

I tip above 20% unless the service is terrible, then it's 10-15.  I was in the restaurant business through high school and college. 

The one thing I hate, almost more than bad service, is having the tip added to the bill.  I will not supplement that unless the service was phenomenal.

Agree.  The smart servers override and take it off on a larger party and let you know.  They always get more from me than what the restaurant would’ve added.  I’ve seen some restaurants add mandatory 18% for parties if 5 or more.  That pisses me off, it shouldn’t start until something like 8, if they’re going to do it.

lkapigian

20% as a minimum, if it's no good I just don't go back not uncommon if it's good to do a matching tip especially if it's somewhere I will return, it's a type of investment 

lousubcap

As I recall the concept and execution of tipping for service is quite different on each side of the pond.  Doubt much has changed.  

CtTOPGUN

 Always struck me as odd that consumers should tip on amount of the check. In almost all other areas wages are determined by amount/difficulty of work, skills required, and amount of time. 

 Tipping has gone from the old standards of 10% drinks-15% food in the 80s to 18-20% on the bill now. Not sure how those percentages rose when the tab was already rising. Still, I have no problem doing the right thing for good service. But good service seldom occurs. Over 90% of my frequent outings I order the food. Then when the food comes out these "professionals" stand there and have the nerve to ask who ordered what. This is part of the job. It is a pet peeve of mine, and it is out of control. There are so few servers that actually care enough to do a good job. 

 I do believe that servers should negotiate a fair wage for what they do. Of course food costs would rise as a result. I too am in a service industry. Tips are few and far between. Appreciated but not expected. I negotiated a fair wage for what I do.

lkapigian

nolaegghead said:

I tip above 20% unless the service is terrible, then it's 10-15.  I was in the restaurant business through high school and college. 

The one thing I hate, almost more than bad service, is having the tip added to the bill.  I will not supplement that unless the service was phenomenal.

Totally agree with the adding to the bill, especially if it's just 2 people 

Killit_and_Grillit

At least 20%. If the food is sub par, that's almost never the front of the house's problem. If the service is garbage to the point I don't want to come back, I have been known to tell the manager that someone needs to find a new profession. 

Bad waiters/waitresses come with the territory. I worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade. But when I moved to upscale restaurants there is no more room for that rif raf BS in the FOH. You can lose quality regulars over one or two bad experiences. 

RalphieBoy

I have a buddy that is a “Trust Child”. He is 55 years old and retired when he was born. I have known him since we were 4 years old. His entire life has always tipped the same regardless or service. A Quarter. If it’s Waffle House or Ruth Chris he never forgets to tip a Quarter.

johnnyp

Eoin said:

Do service staff get paid a wage, or just tips? 20% is a lot here, 10% is generous which is what I do. Germany is the lowest I ever came across, lots of people used to round the bill up to the nearest Mark / Euro, just leaving the coppers on the table.

They get paid virtually nothing.  It's typically an amount that is far below the minimum wage, therefore rely on tips as their income.

nolaegghead

Eoin said:

Do service staff get paid a wage, or just tips? 20% is a lot here, 10% is generous which is what I do. Germany is the lowest I ever came across, lots of people used to round the bill up to the nearest Mark / Euro, just leaving the coppers on the table.

@Eoin (from wiki)

The American federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips. If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any week, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate.

Me: it was 2.01/hr when I was last in the business over 30 years ago.  So it looks like they got a $0.12 raise from the restaurants. They must have some powerful lobbyists.  And unions are being weakened, so basically, go to college and avoid the liberal arts, one should tell their kids. 

The end is looking more and more like Idiocracy.

YukonRon

20% minimum for excellence, typically more. Lack of service, 15% maximum. 

Gulfcoastguy

20% at a full service restaurant, a couple of bucks at a buffet. Judging by the reactions of the staff I tip well. If I can’t afford to tip I stay home.

fishlessman

its very rare for me to tip, i dont eat out much. the local diner i tip the 20 percent and toss a few more dollars down so call it 40 percent. still see folks toss some spare change down for breakfast food.  will never tip for a cup of coffee to go.  heard this morning babysitters get 14 dollars an hour now, im way out of the loop

Surveyor_Egg

20% plus for good to excellent service and 10 for lousy service.  If the place is overloaded and understaffed, I don't "take that out" on the server.  Mostly a gut call on that one.

blasting

Every time I've gone out for a sit down meal in the last few years I leave feeling let down.  Not that the food was bad, just that it costs a lot and I could have done better at home for a fraction of the money.

Add to that the tip (I always do 20% to answer the question) and this is a lot of money for an average experience.

After the last time, I kind of swore off dining out.  When I get the urge to eat out, I'll put something special in the grocery cart and do it myself.

pgprescott

20+ on the whole tab including drinks 

HeavyG

From the article:

"What’s interesting is that millennials said they would rather pay more for food when dining out instead of leaving a tip. "

I'm with millenials on this. We need to do whatever we can to kill the whole practice of expected tipping.

GregW

I'm in the minority, I would leave no tip if the service was terrible. Thankfully I don't recall the last time I did that. (I would make and exception if it wasn't the servers fault)

I look at it this way, if my employer wasn't happy with my job performance, they wouldn't pay me 20%, they would pay me nothing and show me the door.

I do feel sorry for the low pay the servers receive and would gladly pay higher food prices if the workers would be paid better.

nolaegghead

pgprescott said:

20+ on the whole tab including drinks 

Including drinks!?  You're supposed to tip on drinks?!!!!

TEXASBGE2018

This may come off as rude but I don't really care. I tip around 16%-18% or so(Double the Tax in Texas) if you provide me with quality service. If you are outstanding based on my mood it could go as high as 50% which I have done on several occasions. But if you suck and ignore me and my party you don't deserve anything. I am usually pretty good at figuring that out by watching my waiter or waitress. If they are running around to 10 tables because they are understaffed I wont knock them for that, but if the building is half empty and you disappear for 20min at a time and don't seem too stressed you clearly are being lazy and don't deserve anything. As others have said Tipping is based on the service I have received. It shouldn't be looked at as a requirement. Those of you who tip regardless do you do so out of a feeling of guilt that if you don't the person waiting on you will starve or something? I think tipping or better yet (Gratuity) as its called should be an option. People tipping bad wait staff just make the problem worse. You are rewarding people who do a crap job simply so you don't feel bad. If you in your job did a crap job would your boss say "Hey sure here's a 15% raise, keep on being mediocre" I think the answer is pretty much always no.

MaskedMarvel

I wait tables for a living, if anyone has any questions. 

GrillSgt

The wife and I used to eat out 4-5 a week. Fairly high end. A lot was on the expense account but a lot was on us also. Over the years we became fairly friendly with a lot of the wait staff we got to know. Wedding presents, grad presents, baby presents. I'm a guy that believes in sharing the wealth and am a good tipper. Average service usually gets 20%, poor service gets 10 plus an admonishment to get out of the business. Barkeeps get extra good tips. Excellent table service can get 50% for a small inexpensive meal. 

We usually take the whole fam out to a restaurant in Louisville 1-2 a month. Bill usually in the $500 range. That usually would be $150 tip.

For you Louisville guys, try out Roc.

TEXASBGE2018

Clearly the answer here is Robots right? Replace all wait staff with robots and problem solved.......

tarheelmatt

I'm 20% starting out. If the service is terrible, I try to be positive and think they're having a bad day and hopefully this will help and still do 20%. 

JohnInCarolina

MaskedMarvel said:

I wait tables for a living, if anyone has any questions. 

If I come to your restaurant on a day when you're working, can I request you?  That is my question.  

By the way I am the gigantic tipper type.  YUGE, even.