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My wife and I usually tip about 20% but far less if the service is lousy or the server is rude. If the food is lousy it isn't the wait staffs fault so we don't take it out on them by leaving a lousy tip.
99% of the time I don't leave my spare change in a tip jar but my wife does most of the time.
My dilemna is when there is already a gratuity added to the bill. We took a client out to a real fancy place for dinner and the bill was $275 which already had 18% added to it so what was I to do? Should I have thrown in another 2% to bring it up to 20% ?? In retrospect I should have rounded the bill up to $300. Just who does get that 18% that ws already added? I like to think it went to the serving staff.
Tipping can be a source of stress like who and how much.
I only tip for food when we go to a restaurant, and now I’m starting to see how silly it is to do that. Why should I give people my hard earned money for doing THEIR JOB they are getting paid for. I don't get extra money for folding clothes in a stock room working min. wage. Why should I give someone else money just because they bought me food and don't make very much money for it? They are already getting paid, so I’m starting to wonder why bother? I've got my own bills to pay, when someone starts forking me over money to do my own job I’m already getting paid for, I may be a bit more open with my money. I'm actually starting to consider not leaving tips at all, seems like such a waste. If I’m working min wage and making it no since in feeling so sorry for everyone else working min wage and handing them what little bit of money I make all because of what...they bought me some food. Well dang that IS their job, which is WHY they already receive a paycheck. Not as if they are working for free. Same could be said about any job...bagging grocery's for someone, building someones house, and so on. If you are doing something for someone then how come we don't ALL receive tips. After all you are preforming a service for someone.
Anyone else starting to think it's absurd to leave tips, esp. if you are working min wage as well?
You raised the same point that I've had for some time now. Many will tell you that restaurant servers 'depend on tips to supplement their income'; well, all that says is that by tipping, we (the customer) are enabling the employer to reap more profits by paying low wages and having customers pay extra for their meals.
You are spot-on regarding all the workers who perform a service for customers, and why aren't they tipped? I've had sales ladies in clothing stores bring me another size to try on and she didn't receive a tip; employees in grocery stores have spent time helping me find a product, and that person didn't receive a tip. There are numerous incidents where employees are paid minimum wage and the customer doesn't 'supplement their income' with a tip.
Somehow I can't help but think that some restaurant owner dreamed up tipping to keep wages low and put customers on a guilt trip if they didn't tip.
You raised the same point that I've had for some time now. Many will tell you that restaurant servers 'depend on tips to supplement their income'; well, all that says is that by tipping, we (the customer) are enabling the employer to reap more profits by paying low wages and having customers pay extra for their meals.
You are spot-on regarding all the workers who perform a service for customers, and why aren't they tipped? I've had sales ladies in clothing stores bring me another size to try on and she didn't receive a tip; employees in grocery stores have spent time helping me find a product, and that person didn't receive a tip. There are numerous incidents where employees are paid minimum wage and the customer doesn't 'supplement their income' with a tip.
Somehow I can't help but think that some restaurant owner dreamed up tipping to keep wages low and put customers on a guilt trip if they didn't tip.
Nope. If the restaurant were to pay the full salary of the server, it would just be added into your meal.
Tipping means that you, the customer, get a say in the compensation given to the server based upon performance.
As a waiter, I preferred it this way. As a customer, I prefer it this way.
I only tip for food when we go to a restaurant, and now I’m starting to see how silly it is to do that. Why should I give people my hard earned money for doing THEIR JOB they are getting paid for. I don't get extra money for folding clothes in a stock room working min. wage. Why should I give someone else money just because they bought me food and don't make very much money for it? They are already getting paid, so I’m starting to wonder why bother? I've got my own bills to pay, when someone starts forking me over money to do my own job I’m already getting paid for, I may be a bit more open with my money. I'm actually starting to consider not leaving tips at all, seems like such a waste. If I’m working min wage and making it no since in feeling so sorry for everyone else working min wage and handing them what little bit of money I make all because of what...they bought me some food. Well dang that IS their job, which is WHY they already receive a paycheck. Not as if they are working for free. Same could be said about any job...bagging grocery's for someone, building someones house, and so on. If you are doing something for someone then how come we don't ALL receive tips. After all you are preforming a service for someone.
Anyone else starting to think it's absurd to leave tips, esp. if you are working min wage as well?
At last..... some common sense. Yes, why should you give someone a tip for doing their job? It is absurd. I read these types of threads, and you always get someone boasting about how generous they are with their tips. Why do you do it? Yes, I know some tipped jobs are paid below minimum wage, and yes, I know the food would cost more if workers were paid properly. I've heard all the excuses for tipping. No one should have to depend on the generosity of customers to earn a living wage. Service would be poor unless servers jumped through hoops so they will get a tip.... I've heard it all. Sorry folks it's demeaning and unnecessary. I eat out in America, and here in England - no difference really, and servers don't expect a tip here. I don't go in a bar and have to tip someone for serving me a drink - it's not expected..... know why? Because they are paid to serve drinks!!
I'd prefer to know exactly what the meal will cost per what is written on the menu.
That is the way it is here. I don't look at a menu and think, "right plus tip, it'll be...." it is ridiculous people! I'm waiting for, "don't eat out if you don't want to tip", all the usual stuff. "Servers have to pay tax on tips." Well, if they didn't get tips, they wouldn't have to pay tax would they?
They should be paid by the owner, not the customers. It's not like eating out in America is cheap compared to England..... I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. Two friends took us out to a Mexican restaurant. This is a long way from the strip, where local people go to eat. We had very little to eat, I hadn't eaten Mexican food before, so I couldn't tell you what we had. Just a plate each of something our friends picked, nothing to write home about..... plus three margarita's and a coke. The bill with tip was over $100. I'm not sure if that sounds reasonable to you, but it sure seemed a lot, for what we had, to me!!
The server came to the table every few minutes to ask if everything was OK. Very nice..... I don't need it thank you. I've got my food and drink, I'm fine. I love visiting America, but as others say about tipping, they feel obliged to do it. That can't be right can it? Many folks in the US earning minimum wage these days. I can quite understand them getting upset at feeling they have to tip or listen to calls of 'don't eat out if you don't tip.' Servers get upset, and say, "I pay tax, if I don't get tipped, it's costing me to serve folks." It is a ridiculous situation. Please don't get upset folks...... you know what I say is true.
You should only receive to tip if you earned it. Great serve = tip....If you feel like it.
I get what you're inferring; however, should not all employees give good/great service? Whatever happened to people taking accountability for their performance and actually 'earning' their paycheck? Bribing employees to do their job effectively is ridiculous.
Many businesses the tips is most or ALL of the income. No, I don't bother tipping fast food and carry outs but a sit down restaurant gets 20% and a bar, well at least 20%. bartenders work their but off serving me my drinks so I'm going to compensate them, They don't take the job to work for free. If you plan to go to those types of places a tip should be part of your pre planned expense. If you don't want to tip then IMO you shouldn't go to those kinds of places where it is customary to tip.
I guess I have that outlook because I work in a field where your tips are your pay. No tip, no pay, and that is 12+ hours on the water plus a couple hours prep before hand and a couple hours clean up afterwards. Now the business I am starting I don't work for or expect any tips. It's service oriented as well but I give a quote before I begin based on my hourly rate and how long I think it will take. Some things have a set price.
I personally don't see why people get so upset over having to tip. I would think with the overhead in a restaurant or bar, it would be unaffordable to be able to hire the number of bartenders and wait staff needed for their business to be successful if they had to pay full hourly wages. So they can pay them less and hire more so the customers have the service they require. A win win for everyone. I mean, the customer is going to pay it anyway, this way it gives them a a bit of control whether to pay more or less. The bartender/waiter wins because if they work their butt off and are quick they get paid more, and the business owner wins because with the staff working harder the customers are more likely to return.
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