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10% is being cheap -- UNLESS the service was poor - in which case it's justified. We were out at Outback over the weekend. Got seated - and then there was apparently confusion about who our waitress was supposed to be. 12 minutes later I'm flagging down someone to get it figured out. Then after the meal (which was very good, by the way) our waitress disappeared and we wait 10 minutes or so before I get someone else to bring us our check.
That's a 10% tip.
I had similar scenario at a decent/nice-ish Italian restaurant, I tipped 20%. My kid was with me, she wouldn’t tip any less.
If i have to chase someone down to take an order , or if i have to practically cook it myself or chase down a check, its a low tip, i dont care how busy it is.
We were also at outback steak house. It was an all you can eat shrimp and steak dinner night or special. Tge place was practically empty. I always time waiting period s at restaurants. Took 18 minutes to even see our wait person. FIL was with us. Hes stubborn. He wanted no steak and double shrimp, cant do that so she spent 5 minute s explaining he had to take the steak, too.
Afterall he was getting all he could eat shrimp anyway.
From the time orders were placed it was 25 minutes with half full restaurant. Then each refill took another chasing her down. By the third shrimp refill she got smart and asked if a fourth order should be put in? Yes my FIL said. ( he wanted to try to eat enough that they would lose money, lol) Took 3 hours for one person to eat 4 orders of (5) shrimp, one to eat 3 orders of (5)shrimp, and i ate a regular dinner.i understand "cooked to order" but they were the dinky shrimp, not jumbo. But really over three hours?
3 1/2 Hours!!!
Then we had to ask the hostess to chase down our server for the check after she disappeared yet again. Another half hour.
3 1/2 hours later we left. FIL paid the check, we paid the tip. It ended up to be about a 12% tip, and that i thought was too much.
31/2 hours could have been a 4 course dinner at a fancy restaurant where they fuss over you.
I will either leave a small tip (5% ish) or won't tip at all if I am dining out in a city/state with a so-called "living wage" that also applies to waiters, etc. My argument is that tips were used in the past to account for the fact that waiters were paid a fairly low base wage. But if the cost of my meal is going up to cover an actual "living wage" for restaurant workers, why should I bother to tip?
Are folks like me, who live on Social Security or other fixed income, justified in reducing the level of tipping?
The prices of restaurant meals have gone through the roof, partly to cover higher minimum wage (currently $11.50 in my state, rising to $13.50 in 2020; higher in some cities etc)., but way beyond that, to really outrageous levels — at least where I live.
I used to automatically tip 20%, but now with restaurant prices where they are, I just can’t afford it. I’m lowering my standard tip to 10%.
How about you?
I've never "automatically" tipped 20%. My norm is 15% unless the service is very very good. Then I go 20%.
If it's bad service, they are lucky if they get anything.
i can't say we ever did 25% . but whenever we go out with others and we all just split the bill 20% is just the norm . it is never something that is even discussed .
I recently tipped 25%. It wasn't a high-priced place and the story is a little weird.
My bill was $20 and I just wanted to pay and leave a tip in cash. I had only $20 bills. So I asked the waitress if she would break a $20 so I could leave her a tip. She took my $20 and came back with two $10 bills. I looked at her and said (before thinking), "I don't intend to leave a 50% tip, can you break this down some more?" She gave me a funny look, but she did and I ended up leaving a $5 tip (25%).
I just couldn't believe the woman gave me two $10s for a tip on a $20 bill. I wish I didn't say "I am not leaving you a 50% tip," I didn't need to say that. I just didn't think before speaking. I figure she was either horrible at math or had chutzpah. But the service was good (basically just taking my order, bringing my food, and one drink refill) and it easy to leave a $5 bill so there you go.
Are you serious? What do you mean by cook properly? I was at a restaurant. They are supposed to cook for me.
that was just a joke. but you did choose to go to a restaurant where you cook yourself. it probably required the same level of service from the waitress though.
I recently tipped 25%. It wasn't a high-priced place and the story is a little weird.
My bill was $20 and I just wanted to pay and leave a tip in cash. I had only $20 bills. So I asked the waitress if she would break a $20 so I could leave her a tip. She took my $20 and came back with two $10 bills. .
I had similar scenario at a decent/nice-ish Italian restaurant, I tipped 20%. My kid was with me, she wouldn’t tip any less.
Why?
The point of a tip is for service. I start at 15%. If the service is C-, that's what you get. If it's worse than C-, it's not. Better than average service I have no problem tipping 20-25%. Also depends how long I monopolize a table. I go out mostly for breakfast and if it's at a peak time and we're there an hour and a half, which isn't uncommon, at an inexpensive diner I tip way more than 15% as long as the service is good. I usually go to the same places and know most of them so they're not so subtly making the hints to vacate the table so they can get someone in. I'll tip 30% or more since by sitting there taking up the same amount of time as two parties would. Since I do and they know I do, the coffee keeps coming around even after the "here's your check and take your time" which is the usual sign for forget about this table so they get the hint and get out.
Are folks like me, who live on Social Security or other fixed income, justified in reducing the level of tipping?
The prices of restaurant meals have gone through the roof, partly to cover higher minimum wage (currently $11.50 in my state, rising to $13.50 in 2020; higher in some cities etc)., but way beyond that, to really outrageous levels — at least where I live.
I used to automatically tip 20%, but now with restaurant prices where they are, I just can’t afford it. I’m lowering my standard tip to 10%.
How about you?
If you're ok with them bringing half of your food and keeping the other half for themselves, then yes. Those people most likely have mouths to feed and babies to clothe. Why should you be able to pay them half because you can't afford it? Do you also get to pay only half the price of a pair of pants?
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