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I have always tipped 15%, docking it to 10% if my drink ran out (something the server can control).
But a friend in the business says 20% is the new 15%, and it's because servers need to make a living wage.
Ok, but then what do I tip if I'm eating a single sushi roll? It's a $7 roll, so I pay the server $1.40? No she says you have to pay them a decent rate as they are working.
Ok, but then what do I tip if I'm eating a $150 dinner? Surely $30 for an hour at the table is too much. No she says, they earned it.
Ok, but what if I have a coupon. Pre coupon cost she says.
But why. They need to make a living wage she says, they only get paid $2.13/hr.
Ok, what about California, Washington, and Nevada, those guys all get full state min wage. No they need 20% too, they need a living wage.
What the heck, this is crazy.
It's 20% everywhere, unless it's a cheap meal then its a flat rate? Even when servers are paid a full wage?
I'm going $12.97/hr from now on. No matter the place, no matter the service (since it's wrong to leave a tip according to service).
30 minutes for a $50 outback lunch or a $7.49 dragon roll, $6.49.
An hour for a $150 real date night dinner, $12.97.
The server gets the oft noted $15/hr living wage, and I get to redistribute the wealth (no more of the attractive servers at Ruth's Chris making more for the same work as the plain servers at Denny's).
Don't be a cheap ass. If you don't want to tip....don't eat out. Don't overthink this either. Set your standard and keep to it, regardless of where you are.
I don't that's being a cheap skate, I'd be paying more for the cheap meals and less for the expensive, it all would even out for me.
Just think Flemings vs Outback. Same parent company, the former charges 2x as much. The service provided to me is the same, so why do I pay the Flemmings server 2x more for the same amount of time.
And I'm not their only table, they are not hovering just out of sight. So on a slow day they've made $15/hr, and if they have 3-4 tables they're making $39-51/hr (plus some turnover). It'd be less in states that already pay a living wage, or a full min wage, but the cost of labor has already been rolled into the food price.
I don't that's being a cheap skate, I'd be paying more for the cheap meals and less for the expensive, it all would even out for me.
Just think Flemings vs Outback. Same parent company, the former charges 2x as much. The service provided to me is the same, so why do I pay the Flemmings server 2x more for the same amount of time.
And I'm not their only table, they are not hovering just out of sight. So on a slow day they've made $15/hr, and if they have 3-4 tables they're making $39-51/hr (plus some turnover). It'd be less in states that already pay a living wage, or a full min wage, but the cost of labor has already been rolled into the food price.
I've never worked in the service sector, so I'm not 100% sure, but I don't believe the server keeps the entire tip. I think it gets split up among the staff, including busboys, bartenders, hostesses, etc.
Servers usually have to split their tips among the other non-tipped employees. Some put them all in a pot and split equally because it's not always about individual performance, a great server can end up with a table that stays for hours and leaves no tip.
I do 20-30%. The cheaper the meal, the bigger percentage I tip. If I grab a $5 breakfast, I'll tip $2-3, my gosh, these people work hard and you can see they're not rich, pay it forward. Probably helps them way more than staying in my pocket. And if they screw up something, I usually tip more just because they won't expect it.
I think 20% is way too high. (it's not like they just have my table.... And yes I did it in his high school)
My solution is to leave it entirely up to the server. (sadly decent service is hard to find)
I warn them that they likely want to bring me a 2nd drink or pitcher, (it's supprising how few do this.) and the tip reflects service.
I've left a $0.02 tip and I've left a tip more than my steak dinner.
Last time I went out I flat out told the server I'd add to her tip if she had my food cooked the way I like (the place screws it up about 1/2 the time, but its GOOD when they get it right)
She did and I bumped her tip by about 25%
She left me thirsty 1x but all together it came out to 25-30%
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