Do you tip?

[Loco]

TL;DR, I tip well, generally speaking. I'll do 20 or even 25% even for "mediocre at best" service. I'll tip 30-50% for good to excellent service. The most I can recall tipping in a restaurant is somewhere in the 70 something percent range, for what was easily the best service I've ever experienced and probably the best I can imagine ever experiencing again. You have to work pretty hard for me to give you a bad tip, and even then you'll probably get at least 10% out of me. I've only ever stiffed a waitress once, and that was because I had to get up from my table and wander the restaurant to find another waitress to take care of my table.

The reason basically comes down to this; I couldn't do it, nor do I want to. Customer service is not my thing (I'm too inclined to tell people they don't know what the **** they're talking about) so having to plaster a smile on my face and interact with people who are likely to be predominately assholes... yeah, not if I can help it. I worked retail for maybe three weeks, and that was bad enough- I quit and have never looked back. Beyond that, I've been in the position of needing a shitty job like that. I've been flat broke, and bummed around on peoples couches begging rides out of friends while I'm on the instant ramen diet, so I know what it's like to need every last dollar. I'm at a point in my life where I make more money than I really need for myself, and I figure if I can afford to go out and do things and have a good time in ways that many people can't afford to, the very least I can do is tip generously. I've seen how a $20+ tip can absolutely make someones day.

I don't agree with managers forcing waiters to rely on tips just to get by, But why should I tip more then I already am? Waiters, Waitresses, Servers, whatever, are doing their job, and it does not take them any more effort to serve a meal that costs 100 dollars then it does to serve one that costs 10 dollars.

You're basically right about that Phil, but delivering my food is not necessarily what I tip the waitstaff for. A bus boy could deliver the food just as easily. Hell, they could probably train a monkey to bring food to the tables. But I'm not tipping the delivery itself, I tip the manner in which I was waited on. Improving my dining experience is something I'm willing to pay money for.





Now, as for all of this haircut talk. I pay $20 for a haircut at the barbershop, which is only a little above average for the area, but I also get complimentary cocktail service, edged up with a straight razor, my hair rinsed out, and a free cleanup within two weeks of each cut... plus, the girls aren't hard to look at. I tip pretty well there too- $10 for a regular haircut, $5 for a cleanup even though it's free, and I've been getting my haircut by the same girl for a couple years now, so I do $20 on Christmas and her birthday.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

But why should I tip more then I already am? Waiters, Waitresses, Servers, whatever, are doing their job, and it does not take them any more effort to serve a meal that costs 100 dollars then it does to serve one that costs 10 dollars.

They are barely making any money as it is. If the meal is $100, virtually all of that is going to the restaurant itself, not the employee. So the ownership and management makes much more from you, while the server gets basically nothing.

 

[Phil]

They are barely making any money as it is. If the meal is $100, virtually all of that is going to the restaurant itself, not the employee. So the ownership and management makes much more from you, while the server gets basically nothing.

They are still getting good money if they get reasonable tips. If they wait on Forty people and get $5 from each of them, that's still a lot for one day for just taking orders, refilling drinks and bringing food and bills. That is assuming they earn a tip for doing their job. If I have to wave down a waitress or wait twenty minutes to place my order or get a drink refilled, then no tip from me.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

They are still getting good money if they get reasonable tips. If they wait on Forty people and get $5 from each of them, that's still a lot for one day for just taking orders, refilling drinks and bringing food and bills.

Except it's not that simple. Tips don't go directly to the waiter. In most restaurants, the tips that all servers collect are combined together at the end of the day. They're then divided evenly between each server, regardless of the quality of work each one performed and regardless of who brought in what. A server could bring in X amount of money in tips and still get less than that at the end of the day. Which is yet another way of screwing the worker.

That is assuming they earn a tip for doing their job. If I have to wave down a waitress or wait twenty minutes to place my order or get a drink refilled, then no tip from me.

I refer you back to what I said earlier about how a variety of factors can go into what customers egotistically think is poor service from an individual server. Unless you have to flag down a server from texting or having casual conversations or whatever, there is almost always a good reason for what you see as a poor performance, and that reason is rarely the server's fault. Consider the whole situation and all the potential factors before stiffing someone for a tip.

 

[Phil]

Except it's not that simple. Tips don't go directly to the waiter. In most restaurants, the tips that all servers collect are combined together at the end of the day. They're then divided evenly between each server, regardless of the quality of work each one performed and regardless of who brought in what. A server could bring in X amount of money in tips and still get less than that at the end of the day. Which is yet another way of screwing the worker.

I'm aware of that, my sister goes through it at Starbucks where she works. Even when a customer tips her and tells her "this $10 is for you and you alone", she still has to put it with the rest of the tips. But if all servers earn a good amount of tips in one day and it's all divided evenly, it's still a good pay off. Even if one did better then others and no one slacked off, it's all about team work. No "I" in team.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I'm aware of that, my sister goes through it at Starbucks where she works. Even when a customer tips her and tells her "this $10 is for you and you alone", she still has to put it with the rest of the tips. But if all servers earn a good amount of tips in one day and it's all divided evenly, it's still a good pay off.

No, it's really not a good pay off. They're still being paid virtually nothing. It's not enough to make a fair living.

Even if one did better then others and no one slacked off, it's all about team work. No "I" in team.

Platitudes about team work do not justify people getting screwed by a system where the owners and the management make a much fairer wage while the workers are paid a slave wage. They then have to rely on the performance of others and hope that there's enough in the collective tip fund at the end of the day so they have enough money to actually live.

 

[Phil]

No, it's really not a good pay off. They're still being paid virtually nothing. It's not enough to make a fair living.

It's still something. From someone who has been unemployed for awhile, then employed with severely cut hours in the past, I learned to appreciate what I get and it's better then earning nothing at all. It's not my job to provide for them, a tip must be earned, it's all on them how they divide it evenly, even if I don't personally agree with some things.

 

[Intratec]

Generally tip 18-20% even if the service is poor. Better than most of my family. Heck, my grandmother, doesn't matter if she had the best meal of her life with excellent service tips a scant two dollars every time.

 

[Raydo]

Honestly, If you can't afford the extra 4-5 $ on a 20$ meal, you should be at home cooking for yourself. I have ate with people who withheld a tip because their food was prepared wrong. Punishing a server for the mistake of cooking staff is just about the most ridiculous thing ever. If you can afford to eat out, you can afford not to be an ass.

 

[Phil]

Punishing a server for the mistake of cooking staff is just about the most ridiculous thing ever.

That is one thing I never judge a server on. Most of the time too I can see them writing the order down and they'll repeat it to me. If the order is still wrong or it's just prepared badly, whatever the case, it's on the chef/cooking staff, as you said.

I'll still tip a server if they did a great job and the food was poor.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

It's still something. From someone who has been unemployed for awhile, then employed with severely cut hours in the past, I learned to appreciate what I get and it's better then earning nothing at all. It's not my job to provide for them, a tip must be earned, it's all on them how they divide it evenly, even if I don't personally agree with some things.

One of the biggest things that's wrong with America (IS NOTHING, BECAUSE WE ARE AWESOME! FREEDOM FORVER! GOD BLESS PRESIDENT REAGAN!) is that there's no sense of solidarity. There's a pervasive attitude that says people should just be grateful for the pittance they are given because it's better than nothing. Instead of saying "Man, I've been screwed before and don't get paid well, and neither do you, so let's band together and do something about that," we instead get things like the above quote. Where people say "I got screwed, you got screwed, I guess it is what it is."

 

[Phil]

One of the biggest things that's wrong with America (IS NOTHING, BECAUSE WE ARE AWESOME! FREEDOM FORVER! GOD BLESS PRESIDENT REAGAN!) is that there's no sense of solidarity. There's a pervasive attitude that says people should just be grateful for the pittance they are given because it's better than nothing. Instead of saying "Man, I've been screwed before and don't get paid well, and neither do you, so let's band together and do something about that," we instead get things like the above quote. Where people say "I got screwed, you got screwed, I guess it is what it is."

In November 2013, back when I was the Senior Delivery Driver, I asked my manager if a raise was possible for me after a year and a half of working there. So he and my district manager agreed I deserve one and brought it up to the President of the company, and he said he would give me one when the new year started. January came and passed, and I asked my manager, who asked my district manager, who in turn asked the President who promised me said raise. His answer: When sales pick up, bring this up to me again. Still no raise as spring came and went, summer came and went(Which is our busiest season since Radiators blow more during the heat I guess), and still no raise. It wasn't until I started covering for my current Manager messed his back up and I had to cover for him from middle of August until Febuary when I was promised, and actually given, a bonus for every week I had to cover for my manager until they finally made me the Manager a few weeks ago.

Long story short: I don't think banding together all the time will work. That, or it's fear of angering their boss or losing their job that prevents them from doing so.

 

[Vulpes]

Are you supposed to tip at Sonic or a Buffet? My friends and I were wondering that the other day.

 

[Loco]

At a buffet, no. If you are serving yourself then why tip? At a sonic, I would actually tip a couple bucks for the delivery, especially if it's one where they still skate.

 

[dwenrhod]

15%.

 

[Logan]

I'll tip if you deserve it.

 

[Saul]

I only tip when I feel the employees working at the place rely on tips for income. I do not tip at Asian restaurants like Pho places (they do standard wages), buffets, when I do takeout, etc. I will tip at places where I am a known regular, breaking the above rule.

I also only give 10% tip to my girlfriend on days she's been bad.

 

[Lucid]

Yes. 20%.

You sir, are a very good person.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

You sir, are a very good person.

I would not tip you.

 

[Lucid]

I would not tip you.

You ever been chased down the road by a server?