15% Tips for great service are no longer acceptable. (insurance, buyer)

[Tampa Homes]

Originally Posted by Occifer

I'm saying that the rising cost of restaurant meals, which is factored into the tip, adjusts the tip for inflation.

Perhaps I read your post wrong, since I agree with you on this.

[Tampa Homes]

Originally Posted by 8635angelvalley

Servers do much more than just take orders and bring food. I have been a server for over 30 years and there is "side work" which involves cleaning and prepping the restaurant for business. So basically servers also get paid $2.50 an hour(varies by state) to do things like vaccum the dining room, prep veggies and make salads,whip cream,cut desserts,clean the bathrooms,clean the chairs,preportion sour cream,butter.Set up salad dressings set up condiments,cut lemons,fold tons of napkins,stock up the dining room with all the glasses and silverware that are clean from last night.Not to mention putting it all away and doing some cleaning at the end of the night. At my last job this took about 2 hours everyday before we even opened.Most people are not really aware of this.

What is your net hourly? If you have two hours of sidework and four hours of waiting tables (100 net after tip out for instance) then that's 100/6=16/hr. Are you looking at your hours that way?

[Tampa Homes]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Many places already put a .15% gratuity when there are groups of 6 or more, not 20%.

We ate at Berns for our 10th anniversary last week and I could not figure out why they put on 12%. I wrote in the rest in to make it 20% (I really liked our waiter, he had been there 10 years and considered himself "low on the totem pole.") but did wonder why 12%? Does anybody happen to know why that percentage? I meant to ask but forgot.

[carolyninfl]

I do more than fine as a server in a breakfast and lunch, I get out of there by 2:30 in the afternoon.

Its not an easy job, but I have fun too. I like the people.

I am not a drunk, or druggie and do not have a criminal record.

I am a college grad. I have a 2year associate degree...but so what I never liked the office jobs I had. I went back to waitressing.

I come home with at least 150.00 a day more on the weekends.

I am not bragging , some might think that is good money some may not.

I do and I am happy with my job. Its in my blood, and I am good at it

I will say if you cant afford to tip make some toast and eggs at home.

[baiaxaba]

why not tip 30% or 40% then ? why stop at only 20%?

I also work in a field where I make no base salary, I have no benefits, no pension. Sometimes I go visit clients and after driving 1 hour we do not close the deal. Funny enough, no one ever gave me any tips.
Tons of people dont make enough money, yet only servers feel entitled to demand more tips or a higher percentage. People working at grocery stores, drivers, etc. Do we tip them too?
When you visit Mcdonalds or Wendys... do you tip?

I hate the fact that now we are creating a new standard in the industry. In the food industry, the cost and responsibility for labour costs is not on the owner, rather it is on the clients that now MUST cover those costs. Why not make this the standard everywhere? Maybe owners of matress stores should not pay their sales reps any base salary (or maybe pay next to nothing) and buyers should tip 10% of the total purchase price, to help the poor sales guy make a decent living.
Dont forget to tip the guy at Publix 20% of the total bill, for packing the groceries with a smile in his face. We should also tip hotel maids 20% minimum, for doing they work. After all, they dont make enough.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by himain

You people who have never worked in the industry just don't get it. I do more than be happy and take your dishes. I make sure your food comes out correct when you customize your dinner. It's not as easy as you think it is. So get off your high horse and maybe actually work in the restaurant industry and get behind the scenes before you say something that makes you look (more) unintelligent.

If you can't afford the WHOLE dining out experience then stay at home!!!!

You have a very valid point in the fact that waiting on tables is not as easy as some people make it out to be, to do a good job you have to be on the ball and be able to think ahead.

I did it during college and during the summers I was home, but I also knew it wasn't something you wanted to make a career out of.

The OP who started this must at least be in her early 40s, as she said she has been doing this for 20 yrs.

In that time she could have gone to school even part time and earned a degree.

Sounds like she is new to Tampa and is going to be in for a rude awakening.

Some of the snowbirds left early this year due to the price of gas going up daily. Wait till the summer hits and gas is over $5 a gallon, one of the first things people cut out is going to eat.

She may find herself standing around and hoping that the tables that do come in leave 15%.

[intelfan11315]

If you are in a very nice restaurant with good service and do not have the decency to tip over 15% you should consider dining in a cheaper family friendly restaurant.

[neptunefix]

Originally Posted by slowdog101

Servers don't get bonuses. And in many places, they get paid much less than minimum wage, like $2.50 an hour.

Sounds like servers should get paid more by the employer. Have you tried asking for a raise? I once was a waiter myself, but it was many years ago. We had to take the bad with the good.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by himain

Oh I get by just fine trust me. No whining here. I pay my bills and have plenty of money to play with. Don't hate me because I'm talented and beautiful..

Then you have just proven most posting in this thread right. You are getting by fine and have plenty of money left over after you pay your bills.
If we take your posts about how good at the job you are and how you always get 20% then we can assume that those making 15% are going to be doing OK.

And the whole talented and beautiful thing is just like someone talking on the internet about how much money they have. No one really cares since most times it is not verifiable.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by burgler09

If you are in a very nice restaurant with good service and do not have the decency to tip over 15% you should consider dining in a cheaper family friendly restaurant.

That really makes no sense. If I go somewhere and my meal is $120 for 2 people, the tip would be $18 at 15%.
If you go to a run of the mill place the meal may be $40 and at 15% that would be $6.
That would be 3 times at much at the nice restaurant, why is a higher percentage needed.

I didn't want to say it at the beginning of the thread but actually I usually leave 20% even though the standard still is 15-20%. After reading all the whining and about how much some wait staff make I am going to be rethinking my tipping policy. I think I will start at the 15% and if I am duly impressed you might get more, if I have an empty drink at my table for any length of time it may go down.