Because tipping threads are fun

[MotionMan]

Everything You Don’t Know About Tipping

This was very interesting and educational.

Do you agree with the conclusions?

MotionMan

 

[NetWareHead]

You've gotta be kidding me. According to that chart, we are supposed to tip baristas and for restaurant takeout. If I were the type of guy to order a coffee with non standard ingredients and make it a big hassle, then yes I would at least give the loose change.

My other complaint is what they recommend for poor waiter service: "Even if the service sucks, never go below 15%" Sorry disagree. 15% is standard for reasonable service and 20 or higher for outstanding service. You give me shitty service and my tip will show. I once ate at Macaroni Grill and they put thick paper tablecloths and leave some crayons so you can doodle on the table if you want. For horrible service I once left a penny, circled it on the table so the guy knew I didn't just forget to leave a tip.

 

[positivedoppler]

Since when did 17-20% become average? It was 10% when I was growing up and 15% was considered generous. Did they poll waiters and waitresses for the poll?

 

[SaurusX]

I tip 15%, but will round up to the nearest dollar. Anything more and you're just a sap.

 

[destrekor]

Since when did 17-20% become average? It was 10% when I was growing up and 15% was considered generous. Did they poll waiters and waitresses for the poll?

I don't know when you grew up, but 10% has been extremely low for awhile now.

15% has been considered the "so-so" service/performance level. 20% or more has been the general "good service" or better tip level.

 

[positivedoppler]

I don't know when you grew up, but 10% has been extremely low for awhile now.

15% has been considered the "so-so" service/performance level. 20% or more has been the general "good service" or better tip level.

Texas, early 80's
Tip is a percentage, so if 10-15% was consider a fair wage for waiters and waitresses, it should be a good rate now. Remember this is a None Skilled labor job and I think the real reason the rates has slowly escalated over the decades is because all the single males trying to impress their date or hot looking waitress.
When I started working early 2000's, 17% was consider generous, few people tipped beyond that, most people still tipped 15%.
Now that number is 20% and beyond.

And one thing the article failed to address is that tip should not be the same rate for all restaurants. One outing at Red Lobster easily set me back $250 for a party of 6. Drop a 20% tip and that's $50 for 1 hour of work that barely includes nothing more than taking order, bringing food, and occasional refill on drinks. That's like $150/hour if she does only 3 tables which is 4 times more than what I make. Not bad for the pretty college girl who will probably never see a $150/hour rate again once she graduates and loses her look.

Lunch at Denny's will set's you back $75 maybe for a party of 6, and the waitress is usually a middle age woman not much to look at trying to make ends meet. 20% there will be $15 for probably the same amount of work and probably the Denny's woman has to deal with more annoying customers.

 

[BergeLSU]

I don't know when you grew up, but 10% has been extremely low for awhile now.

15% has been considered the "so-so" service/performance level. 20% or more has been the general "good service" or better tip level.

The waiters and customers usually polled in these things are the wrong demographics.

People who complain about the level of tipping are the ones going to Olive Garden, spending $40 thinking it was a big deal. The difference between 10% and 15% there is $2. Trying to turn 25 tables in a night, those add up quickly.

I can say that for a busy chain restaurant, you are looking at 20-25 tables on a Friday/Saturday night, totalling between $800 and $1000 in sales. If we say average tips are 15% (pre-tax, which is about right), that's $120-$150. Take out 3-5% of your sales that you owe to the restaurant for tipping out bartenders, bussers, and hosts. You have now made $96-$120.

I waited tables for years. The truth is that if you tip between 13-20%, the waiter won't bat an eye. 30% will get a smile out of them, and a 0 will get them raged (whether or not service was terrible).

If you have someone who gave you bad service, and apologizes for it without an excuse, then I tip them well. They are generally the best ones, because they can recognize that they should and can do better.

 

[JManInPhoenix]

You all do realize that servers make less than half of minimum wage per hour so that tips are actually their livelihood.

 

[lupi]

Everytime I see one of these stories my default amount goes lower to help balance things out.

 

[Anubis]

You all do realize that servers make less than half of minimum wage per hour so that tips are actually their livelihood.

yea thats great, i woudl tip more if they actually did their job properly most places. they however do not.

Im talking about not being attentive, bussing the table when they should not, serving from the wrong side and so on

 

[DrPizza]

You all do realize that servers make less than half of minimum wage per hour so that tips are actually their livelihood.

You did read the posts in this thread, and do realize that the tips can amount to $150/hour or more at nicer restaurants - for a very low skill position. Though, that's not to say that it's completely unskilled. E.g., when my glass is 3/4 empty, it's picked up and immediately replaced with a full glass without asking, and with me barely noticing the waiter/waitress did so (sometimes it's "wtf? how'd they sneak that new glass in?"), versus having my meal interrupted with "would you like a refill?" Taking my glass, being gone for 2 minutes, then returning with it. To me, there seems to be only a weak correlation between quality of waiter/waitress & how expensive the restaurant it.

Fwiw, the restaurant I eat at most often, a typical meal for 2 is $30; even if we get steak dinners, it's under $50. I tip "well." Though, $10 on a $30 dinner for 2 is, well, only $10, so it's not expensive. But since I'd imagine the average person sticks to 15 or 20% as a tip, those extra couple of dollars have ensured that when I eat there, my service is excellent, with the waitresses going out of their way to make sure I'm treated better than the average customer (e.g., our order being placed ahead of orders for larger groups of people.) I just wish we had an Italian place around here with similar prices for meals.

 

[Scarpozzi]

When I get takeout, I only tip if I have to pay in advance.

 

[slag]

I never tip on takeout. I'm the one calling in the order, driving there to pick it up, bringing it home, putting it on decent places, and then cleaning up after myself. The people prepare the food and put it in cheap styrofoam dishes which is part of the cost of the meal.

Never tip baristas either as their sole purpose is to take your order and make your drink. I'm not going to order multiple drinks while I'm there like I would at a bar, so there is no need to tip them.

I tip 15% for normal average service, more if the waitress is hot or I'm feeling generous. I never tip more than $5.00 for a pizza delivery guy as there is normally already a delivery charge added in and all the dude did was drive to my house and bring pizza to my door. I live in a house in a non gated community that is easy to get to, easy to park on the street or in my driveway, and have clear access to my front door with a well lit path. Big woop.

 

[madoka]

Seems everyone feels entitled to tips these days.

Several local fast food restaurants have tip jars in their drive thru windows now.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I tip the woman who cuts my hair 25% and I double that in December for the holidays.

 

[baydude]

Best page on the internet... especially when the waiters dont know they're being trolled.

https://www.facebook.com/bodybuildersagainsttipping

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

If you have someone who gave you bad service, and apologizes for it without an excuse, then I tip them well. They are generally the best ones, because they can recognize that they should and can do better.

I agreed up to this point. And on this point I sorely disagree. You are effectively saying that I should pay someone for poor service because they knew they gave me poor service and could have done better. That's 100% the wrong attitude in my book. They should take the responsibility and lose the payment for the lack of service rendered. If a mechanic finishes with my car and says that he had a bad day and didn't complete the service, but he knows it and will do better next time...I'm not paying him. I appreciate his honesty and he should appreciate the fact that he missed his chance to make money for this customer. Moreover, he should work extra hard to make sure that I don't take the lack of service as a fault of the restaurant and stop coming in.

---and on Barista tipping....I don't do it. I don't tip at McDonalds or subway either. Sorry if that makes me cheap, but fast food is just that. to pay even a penny extra for taking my money and allowing me to purchase from their store is not in my book.

--Here's one that wasn't talked about-- Tipping cleaning staff in hotels. I travel a lot and would love to hear if people do this regularly or at all.

cheers.

 

[DrPizza]

---and on Barista tipping....I don't do it. I don't tip at McDonalds or subway either. Sorry if that makes me cheap, but fast food is just that. to pay even a penny extra for taking my money and allowing me to purchase from their store is not in my book.

I can't figure out how that ever became the norm for some people. I look at it like McD's as well. If I order my hamburger made without onions, I'm not expected to tip the kid in the back for making it special for me - why would I tip someone for putting 2 creamers into my coffee (actually, I drink it black) instead of one?

And, those "tip jar" things sitting next to cash registers... seem presumptuous to me.

However, local pizza shop - when you pay by debit/credit card, it's all done on a touch screen on a computer. After you swipe, the "sign here" is at the bottom of the screen. In the middle of the screen is a "Tip: 10%, 15%, 20%, no tip, other" to make it as simple as tapping the screen to give a tip. Absolute genius. Rather than passively not giving a tip, I now have to actively select "no tip" if I'm not going to give a tip. And, doing so makes me feel like a cheap bastard. So, I always either hit "other" and give a few dollars, else just automatically hit the 15%. I really don't mind though - it's the owners who typically are working, and anything that helps them stay in business...

 

[T9D]

You don't tip the cleaning staff in Hotels. Well I don't. I'm just single guy. I barely even have them come in. Now if I needed them to go beyond the normal then yes. If I had a big family and made a great big mess and always needed extra stuff all the time. Then that would be fair. But even then they are already getting a wage for the entire hours they are there. That covers making sure the guest is happy with the cleaning all that encompasses. It's in their job description already and they are already compensated for that. I don't get a dang tip for my work. If I took a dump and missed the toilet and had them clean it up, then well maybe they deserve a tip then.

 

[fleshconsumed]

You all do realize that servers make less than half of minimum wage per hour so that tips are actually their livelihood.

Do not know about other states, but not true in IL.

http://www.minimum-wage.org/illinois-tipped-employee-minimum-wage

In IL waiters have to make at least minimum wage after all tips are added in. If tips do not make up to the minimum wage, then employer must make the difference.

Not that the minimum wage is great, but I cringe every time I hear the minimum wage argument as it is counterproductive. After tips these guys usually make more than min wage, if they're any good or at any decent place they can make far more than that.

The only reason for tipping IMO is that these people are being screwed over by the system that allows employers to pay less than minimum wage (in states other than IL?). Which to be honest makes me feel kind of shitty by making me a part of this crooked system.

 

[Midwayman]

Bar tips are the worst. $1 to open a beer for me? Gee thanks. I'm already paying out the ass for beer at a bar. You spent 5 minutes making cocktails and expect to be tipped $60-120hr for that service? Lol. Get real.

 

[JManInPhoenix]

I can see there are not a lot of former food service workers in here :hmm:

 

[BurnItDwn]

I tip anywhere from 10-50%
At my favorite local Taqueria, where I go about once a week, almost every week, my meals usually cost around $10. I leave $4 or 5 bucks since they bring me refills on my coffee, and they bring us many chips and salsa and they always bring me the fresh habanero hot sauce...

If I go to a place where 2 people can eat for $100, and the service is slow/crappy, I don't give more than $10 tip.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You don't tip the cleaning staff in Hotels. Well I don't. I'm just single guy. I barely even have them come in. Now if I needed them to go beyond the normal then yes. If I had a big family and made a great big mess and always needed extra stuff all the time. Then that would be fair. But even then they are already getting a wage for the entire hours they are there. That covers making sure the guest is happy with the cleaning all that encompasses. It's in their job description already and they are already compensated for that. I don't get a dang tip for my work. If I took a dump and missed the toilet and had them clean it up, then well maybe they deserve a tip then.

Yes you do. You typically tip at the end of your stay if you've had them cleaning your room everyday.

 

[waggy]

Bar tips are the worst. $1 to open a beer for me? Gee thanks. I'm already paying out the ass for beer at a bar. You spent 5 minutes making cocktails and expect to be tipped $60-120hr for that service? Lol. Get real.

lol /this

what you opened a bottle of beer? that took you 3 seconds? you wan t$1 for that?