What do you think of restaurants who demand a tip?

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NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: brigden
Nik's tune would change if he were a waiter.

He probably isn't a waiter because he doesn't want to get stuck potentially making $2.15 per hour. Can't say that I blame him.

This is exactly why I'm not a waiter (or a waitress :p). I know that all I'm entitled to is $2.15 per hour and I live a lifestyle that requires more than that. So, to solve the problem, I went out and got a real job instead of being foolish by taking the $2.15/hr job and expecting my customers to make up the difference.
 

dderidex

Platinum Member
Mar 13, 2001
2,732
0
0
Originally posted by: Nik
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: Nik
I do not ever tip anyone who demands it or expects it. Bitch, you get a goddamn paycheck. Need more money? GET A DIFFERENT JOB. :|

grr...

</rant>

Sounds like you are tripping over your words.
I will repeat, "ALL WAITERS EXPECT TO GET TIPPED."

That's a lie.

Just FYI, friendly piece of advice here.

RE: that "The bill comes to $70. How much would you tip?" example? If you REALLY wouldn't tip a THING, I *STRONGLY* suggest you never eat there again.

All waiters and waitresses DO expect a tip if they think they did their jobs, period, regardless of WHAT you think.

And if you rack up a $70 bill and don't put a healthy-sized tip down, they ARE going to remember your face, word will quickly get around the wait staff about the 'jerk who ate $70 of food and didn't put anything down' and the next time you eat there, you will notice a very substantial difference in how you are treated.

Whether you personally agree with tipping or not is irrelevant - the wait staff expects it, they are paid assuming they will get it (most states allow lower-than-minimum-wage pay to jobs with 'gratuity' options, and all businesses will take advantage of that), and if they don't....they WILL take that as an insult.
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
Originally posted by: dderidex
Originally posted by: Nik
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: Nik
I do not ever tip anyone who demands it or expects it. Bitch, you get a goddamn paycheck. Need more money? GET A DIFFERENT JOB. :|

grr...

</rant>

Sounds like you are tripping over your words.
I will repeat, "ALL WAITERS EXPECT TO GET TIPPED."

That's a lie.

Just FYI, friendly piece of advice here.

RE: that "The bill comes to $70. How much would you tip?" example? If you REALLY wouldn't tip a THING, I *STRONGLY* suggest you never eat there again.

All waiters and waitresses DO expect a tip if they think they did their jobs, period, regardless of WHAT you think.

And if you rack up a $70 bill and don't put a healthy-sized tip down, they ARE going to remember your face, word will quickly get around the wait staff about the 'jerk who ate $70 of food and didn't put anything down' and the next time you eat there, you will notice a very substantial difference in how you are treated.

Whether you personally agree with tipping or not is irrelevant - the wait staff expects it, they are paid assuming they will get it (most states allow lower-than-minimum-wage pay to jobs with 'gratuity' options, and all businesses will take advantage of that), and if they don't....they WILL take that as an insult.

*yawn*

no new content that hasn't been addressed and defeated in this thread already... stupid idiots who don't know what real customer service is shouldn't be in customer service jobs.
 

Nebben

Senior member
May 20, 2004
706
0
0
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: diablofreak
i hate tip jars. wtf is tha a begging tool?

also i hate the mandatory 18% for party of 6 or more. now here in nyc some restaurants have the gall to put in service charge/tips for a small party of 2 and put in 18%.

I dont mind tip jars. I go to a little dive of a bar and they have one. nobody gives the bartender a tip they just throw it in the jar.

beer is $1 a draft (10 oz though) and free drinks for sober drivers. Cheesburgers are $2-3 (with fries). If you dont like classic rock or country music this aint the place to go. oh seen 3 fights there in 2 years heh.



I went to one place with 4 people for dinner. They put a 20% tip on the BILL! the service was terrible so there was NO way i was paying 20%. I was going to leave about 10% (there was a tag team on drinks etc. one was good one sucked). I asked for a different receipt one without the tip added. The waitress said they couldn't do that. I asked for manager and explained that service sucked and i was not paying 20%. He said that is part of the bill and if i dint pay he will call the cops. I said go ahead and sat down and asked his name for when i call corprate and tell them about htis. he went back and got me a new reciept.

I still called corprate and got a $10 coupon heh.

when did being cheap become something to be proud of?? :roll:

first you and nik talk about waiters shouldn't get what they don't deserve and then you go off and steal another $10.00 from the company?

btw, nik and waggy, you guys are prime examples of "free riders" or bums. you get the service in restaruants because the rest of us pay tips, therefore you are doing the same thing your claiming the waiters and waitresses do. you are expecting to get for free what everyone else pays for.

you disgust me.


heh I'm a thief?

lets see.

a) the service was crappy. They did not deserve the 20% tip
b) i was threatened with arrest by the manager
c) i called corperate to tell them what they did and they sent me a $10 coupon for it.

now again how am i a thief? i would consider the restaurant a thief. They wanted me to pay an additional 20% of the bill for crappy service.

A tip is NOT mandatory. it is a reward for service (why we pay them a tip for average service is beyond me). They do a crappy job i refuse to tip.

I was still paid %10 tip because one waitress was good. to bad she left after getting the drink order.

So after all that i'm a thief? man you are screwed up.
 

Nebben

Senior member
May 20, 2004
706
0
0
Speaking as someone who routinely works in all aspects of a locally-owned restaurant, I don't expect a tip just for preparing food and giving it to a customer, be it in our dining area or the drive-thru. I don't *expect* a tip, EVER. The idea of tipping is that it's an optional gesture of appreciation for a service, and it's become like a standard "give me 10-15% regardless of how I performed".

I strive to do the best I possibly can, and customers generally notice that. I've been regularly tipped by regular customers for a long while, and it's worth putting in the effort. There's a guy who called my boss to let him know that I'm his favorite person to see when he comes for lunch, and he basically got me a raise. How's that for a 'tip'? ;)


As for the waiters and waitresses that stumble through their jobs and generally don't give a crap about the service they provide, I don't tip them either. Maybe they can have the change from the extra bill on the table...

Leaves me extra cash to give to the next guy that really tries.

This 10% standard is BS.
 

xirtam

Diamond Member
Aug 25, 2001
4,693
0
0
Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

Waiters usually average pretty good pay. They learn how to earn their tips. It's no different from someone earning commission, except you're paying them a commission on their service. If they haven't sold you on a good experience, you're not obligated to pay them their commission.

I don't suppose you tip the car salesmen for showing you around, do you?
 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
67
91
I've said it before and I'll say it again: what I hear here is a lot of rationalization for being a damned cheapskate. I HAVE stiffed waiters when I've had bad service, but in the main I feel crappy when I tip less than 15%, because waiting tables can be a tough job, and 20%+ tips are a perfectly fair and appropriate way of recognizing that. I also tip at least 15% even when I get take-out (unless the service sucks). This costs me little and makes someone else feel good, which I consider a Good Thing.
 

Nebben

Senior member
May 20, 2004
706
0
0
I suppose some establishments generally have higher tips that could make up for that. I know that tips in bars can be pretty crazy, probably because when people start getting drunk they start getting pretty generous :)

I've got a friend who works in a place of that type, and his tips can vary a lot depending on the night... it's a little bit too unstable for my tastes, though. Sometimes he gets very little, other times he rakes in a fortune.
 

Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

Waiters usually average pretty good pay. They learn how to earn their tips. It's no different from someone earning commission, except you're paying them a commission on their service. If they haven't sold you on a good experience, you're not obligated to pay them their commission.

I don't suppose you tip the car salesmen for showing you around, do you?

Apples and oranges.
 

Nebben

Senior member
May 20, 2004
706
0
0
Originally posted by: DonVito
I've said it before and I'll say it again: what I hear here is a lot of rationalization for being a damned cheapskate. I HAVE stiffed waiters when I've had bad service, but in the main I feel crappy when I tip less than 15%, because waiting tables can be a tough job, and 20%+ tips are a perfectly fair and appropriate way of recognizing that. I also tip at least 15% even when I get take-out (unless the service sucks). This costs me little and makes someone else feel good, which I consider a Good Thing.


:thumbsup:

There's a guy I used to see every Friday night who got food for his family, and he'd tip around $8 on a $30 meal. Those were back in my night shift closing days, and I was still in high school, so the extra cash really helped.

And you can bet that he got the best food he possibly could have, every time.
 

xirtam

Diamond Member
Aug 25, 2001
4,693
0
0
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

Waiters usually average pretty good pay. They learn how to earn their tips. It's no different from someone earning commission, except you're paying them a commission on their service. If they haven't sold you on a good experience, you're not obligated to pay them their commission.

I don't suppose you tip the car salesmen for showing you around, do you?

Apples and oranges.

The difference is arbitrary. You could tip the car salesman if you wanted to. You're just not guilt-tripped into it.

If a tip is mandatory, it's not a tip anymore. Tacking on a gratuity is no different than raising the food price and having the company pay the waitress a service commission rather than having the customer display his appreciation.

I have no problems with tipping for service. But I don't like being forced to, and if I were on the other end, I wouldn't want people paying me because they felt like they had to... I'd want them to pay me because they wanted to reward my service.

That said, I think it's lousy that wait staff get paid so little base pay. But that needs company-corrected, not customer-corrected.
 

Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: DonVito
I've said it before and I'll say it again: what I hear here is a lot of rationalization for being a damned cheapskate. I HAVE stiffed waiters when I've had bad service, but in the main I feel crappy when I tip less than 15%, because waiting tables can be a tough job, and 20%+ tips are a perfectly fair and appropriate way of recognizing that. I also tip at least 15% even when I get take-out (unless the service sucks). This costs me little and makes someone else feel good, which I consider a Good Thing.


:thumbsup:

There's a guy I used to see every Friday night who got food for his family, and he'd tip around $8 on a $30 meal. Those were back in my night shift closing days, and I was still in high school, so the extra cash really helped.

And you can bet that he got the best food he possibly could have, every time.

Making people happy by tipping a buck or two extra makes a difference. You can tell the people who are happy with their life and the miserable bastards who aren't. I make sure i tip well at the restraunts (and other places that people might tip) i go to, they remember me, give me free drinks, and give great service.
 

Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

Waiters usually average pretty good pay. They learn how to earn their tips. It's no different from someone earning commission, except you're paying them a commission on their service. If they haven't sold you on a good experience, you're not obligated to pay them their commission.

I don't suppose you tip the car salesmen for showing you around, do you?

Apples and oranges.

The difference is arbitrary. You could tip the car salesman if you wanted to. You're just not guilt-tripped into it.

If a tip is mandatory, it's not a tip anymore. Tacking on a gratuity is no different than raising the food price and having the company pay the waitress a service commission rather than having the customer display his appreciation.

I have no problems with tipping for service. But I don't like being forced to, and if I were on the other end, I wouldn't want people paying me because they felt like they had to... I'd want them to pay me because they wanted to reward my service.

That said, I think it's lousy that wait staff get paid so little base pay. But that needs company-corrected, not customer-corrected.

So are you saying in your opinion, that there is no difference in tipping between a car salesman and a waiter?
 

xirtam

Diamond Member
Aug 25, 2001
4,693
0
0
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: buck
Originally posted by: xirtam
Originally posted by: Nebben
Originally posted by: xirtam
Last I checked, there was a city in Nebraska that started wait staff at $2.15 per hour.

Wow. That's insane.

I live in a $435/month apartment here, and it's comparable to a $600-700 apartment in pretty much any city of substantial size. Here the minimum 'gratuity' pay is $3.45, normal minimum being $5.15. I can't imagine $2.15/hour... someone should get on that :)

Waiters usually average pretty good pay. They learn how to earn their tips. It's no different from someone earning commission, except you're paying them a commission on their service. If they haven't sold you on a good experience, you're not obligated to pay them their commission.

I don't suppose you tip the car salesmen for showing you around, do you?

Apples and oranges.

The difference is arbitrary. You could tip the car salesman if you wanted to. You're just not guilt-tripped into it.

If a tip is mandatory, it's not a tip anymore. Tacking on a gratuity is no different than raising the food price and having the company pay the waitress a service commission rather than having the customer display his appreciation.

I have no problems with tipping for service. But I don't like being forced to, and if I were on the other end, I wouldn't want people paying me because they felt like they had to... I'd want them to pay me because they wanted to reward my service.

That said, I think it's lousy that wait staff get paid so little base pay. But that needs company-corrected, not customer-corrected.

So are you saying in your opinion, that there is no difference in tipping between a car salesman and a waiter?

I'm saying that you'd make either of them happier by tipping them a buck or two. Doesn't mean that you should feel obligated to tip either, but if they provide a high degree of service and you want to tip them, that's what a tip is supposed to be for. Granted, in our society, tipping wait staff is far more expected, but it's still arbitrary. The tip is a recognition of service, not an additional surcharge that you're supposed to grudgingly produce our of a sense of obligation, which is exactly what you're going to produce by going around calling everyone who doesn't tip cheapskates and pressuring them to dig into their pockets.

Oh, and my standard tip is 15% unless I find the service to be sub-par. All you have to do is give me the expected level of service, and I'll tip 15%. If you provide exceptional service, I'll be inclined to tip more. If you provide sub-par service, I might drop the tip to 10%, and if you completely ignore me and make me wish I'd never come to the restaurant, yeah, you're probably not going to get a tip.
 

VIAN

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2003
6,575
1
0
yeah, right - like I'll deal with that BS.

I give about 10% tip, because I believe that 10% is a lot of money. It sounds small, but it's a lot.

If the guy sucks, then I may not give him a tip.

If the guy is fantastic, few of those, I'll give him 20%.
 

Jhill

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,187
3
0
It's not really hard.

If a waiter puts a lot of effort into my meal they get 20% at least. If a waiter half asses it they get absolutely nothing. If they give me decent service they get 10-15%.

Question for Nik and xirtam. If you go to a restaurant and on the menu it says (a certain % will be added to large parties of 6 or more) do you walk out or not pay it?
 

NikPreviousAcct

No Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
52,763
1
0
Originally posted by: Jhill
It's not really hard.

If a waiter puts effort into my meal they get 20% at least. If a waiter hal fasses it they get absolutely nothing. If they give me decent service they get 10-15%.

Question for Nik and xirtam. If you go to a restaurant and on the menu it says (a certain % will be added to large parties of 6 or more) do you walk out of not pay it?

I'll assume that you're insinuating that I would be with at least five other people. In that situation, no because I'm notified ahead of time -before I obligate myself to paying by eating something. I either choose to pay it if we go to a restaurant that requires it, or I choose not to go.

Even if they don't require it, it's very easy for one person to screw up service with large parties. If I'm with a large group of folks and I get the same level of service that I would get alone or with a small group, I would consider that to be exemplary service because the job is that much harder -thus, tipping and tipping well. :)
 

TomKazansky

Golden Member
Sep 18, 2004
1,401
0
0
Originally posted by: Nik
Originally posted by: chrisms
Originally posted by: Nik
I do not ever tip anyone who demands it or expects it. Bitch, you get a goddamn paycheck. Need more money? GET A DIFFERENT JOB. :|

grr...

</rant>

Expects it? As a pizza delivery driver I expected it.. if people didn't tip you'd be paying a $3 delivery charge instead of $1 to pay for my gasoline and maintenence fees.

Like I said, you GET A PAYCHECK. If you want more money, GET ANOTHER ONE or GET A DIFFERENT ONE.

You don't deserve anything other than a paycheck. You're a fvcking ape if you think you deserve to receive any money other than what's on the ticket from me and what's on your paycheck from your employer. I earned my money goddamnit and just because you chose to take a job driving around in no way entitles me to pay you anything more than what's on the ticket. Fvck off.

as far as i can tell, you have been either f*cken spoiled or you never have been to the low level.

lets see how you will feel if you live on $5/hr on a 10 hr shift waiter job and i say that to YOU. Sure you can get another job, it'll take you months before you can find another waiter job. Maybe you live in somewhere east or mid-east but its way different in the west.

 

misterj

Senior member
Jan 7, 2000
882
0
0
Originally posted by: cjgallen
I'd rather pay more for food than deal with all the fvcking DRAMA over tipping.

amen. it's the employers scamming the country.

an employer pays his employee to do the job right and treat the customer well *every* time.

unfortunately, some people will still tip, thus setting the bar for everyone else, thus allowing the employers to lower the wage. 15% average? wow that's 15% employers get to save on average. don't allow them to receive tips?

how do those europeans do it, and how can we do it..

btw, i always tip of course, but i don't have to agree with its efficiency..
 

NeoPTLD

Platinum Member
Nov 23, 2001
2,544
2
81
Receipt usually say "gratuity/service charge of x% is automatically added to a party greater than x people"
 
Nov 11, 2004
10,855
0
0
Originally posted by: NeoPTLD
Receipt usually say "gratuity/service charge of x% is automatically added to a party greater than x people"


When that happens, I go to a different place.

I tip differently depending on who it is.
For example, there's one of the owners of a local pizzaria. They handmake all their pizzas, when he delivers them, I send a large tip his way. Since his pizza is great and it's always *right* out of the oven.

When I get bad server, I'll tip maybe a few dollars, and if they're really bad, don't even expect a tip at all.

Plain and simple. I'm cheap if they're cheap. If they're willing to provide, I'm willing to pay.