15% Tips for great service are no longer acceptable. (Ruskin, Tice: living, restaurant)

[tiluha]

Originally Posted by crazynip

Find a better job. When I go somewhere to eat, the last thing on my mind is how much everyone in the place makes.

This is just reality. I dont care, and newsflash: neither does anyone else.

Chances are 90% of the people who work in restaurants have some sort of criminal record.

Are you serious!?

Your username is appropriate, sounds like you've been over "nipping" ...

[Occifer]

Etiquette guidelines still say that the acceptable tip at a restaurant is 15-20%. Fifteen percent is definitely still an acceptable tip, and the only people who argue that it's not enough are the ones who are getting the tips. The average restaurant check has increased over the years, so the dollar amount that the tip is based on has increased. If you don't understand that then you don't understand simple math.

My tips are always based on the level of service as well as the type of restaurant. If you expect a 20% tip then go work at a fine dining establishment. You will get more per check in tips but will turn less tables. For instance, look at a place like Bern's where the average table is only turned once per night. A server at a place like that gives better service on average than a server at Chili's, and that's why the tips are different.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by Chaser199

About 8 years ago, I went out to eat with my family and my parents. There were six of us. The tab only totaled about $40, which wasn't much considering the size of our group. The service was fine so I left an $8 tip.

To my absolute shock, I see the waitress waiving around the $8 to two other waitresses and she said, "Look at this, there are six of them and this what I get."

I am normally a calm person, but I went ballistic. I walked over to her at the waitress station and I was so angry that I was shaking. I said, "Before you open your stupid big mouth and start insulting your customers, why don't you go back and finish fourth grade so you can figure out that I left you a 20% tip."

The manager then came over and asked what the problem was and I told him. He looked at the waitress with this priceless expression that mixed amazement and anger and then he apologized to me and said he'd take care of the matter. He comped our dinner.

Obvious sense of entitlement some people have nowadays. I find it amazing that people who work in jobs that require virtually zero skills (waitress, host, fruit picker, janitor, etc) seem entitled to something they are not.

Historically a waitress was a job limited to the following:

1. students
2. criminals, people with serious felony records
3. people with zero "life or job skills"
4. people with no education
5. people not legally eligible for real jobs (illegals)
6. lazy people who really cant do any real job
7. retired people or people too old to do real work
8. people who want something more than "walmart greeter" and less than "receptionist"

I absolutely hate eating at a place which automatically adds tip to the bill for "more than 6 people", sometimes I have gotten comments if you dont tip ABOVE that.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by Occifer

Etiquette guidelines still say that the acceptable tip at a restaurant is 15-20%. Fifteen percent is definitely still an acceptable tip, and the only people who argue that it's not enough are the ones who are getting the tips. The average restaurant check has increased over the years, so the dollar amount that the tip is based on has increased. If you don't understand that then you don't understand simple math.

My tips are always based on the level of service as well as the type of restaurant. If you expect a 20% tip then go work at a fine dining establishment. You will get more per check in tips but will turn less tables. For instance, look at a place like Bern's where the average table is only turned once per night. A server at a place like that gives better service on average than a server at Chili's, and that's why the tips are different.

It wasnt that long ago that 10% was an acceptable tip. I dont know when the 15% thing happened, but it's borderline in my opinion in a lot of places, especially considering some of the attitudes I encounter.

[City Guy997S]

This thread strokes me the wrong way in many instances. I will start off that I am a traditional 20% tipper and eat out 5+ times a week. Most of my regular servers don't even come to the table without a tray full of drinks for us before we even place an order (we are that frequent of a customer and usually order the same thing). Going out to dinner costs me $1500-2000 a month of which 1/3 of that is for tips/overpriced drinks, not complaining but just outlining it as part of the expense (20% is tip, easily 13% more for $5 beers that cost $1 in the store, $2.50 sodas/ice tea etc).

Last night I ate alone at a local Italian restaurant, sat at the bar. Never even glanced at a menu, ordered dinner and had 2 beers. Tab was $26, I gave the old guy (been there 25+ years) $35 (a 20, 10 and 5). I fully expected to get some change and he never came back to my side of the bar. He is an old guy and was hustling so I just laughed it off and left. I gave a 35% tip! I would have kept $3 had I gotten change. I honestly think $6 was a lot considering it was cracking two bottle beers and serving them 5 feet away and carrying dinner from one end of the bar to me (food runners bring all food to a corner of the bar, bartenders carry to patron). I like the guy and at his age (75+) he is working harder than anyone should have to so I don't care about the $3.

Same restaurant a few months back. Sat at a table with my kids. Order came out wrong, waitress disappeared for 15 minutes at a time and seemed more interested in texting than working.....I was steaming, bill was $38 and she got a pair of 20's. Are you here to work or socialize (both physically and electronically).

Make the experience great and the tip will follow. Make it a hassle and you will be paid like it. At a local hibachi restaurant the chef is always tipped $20, but then again my kids have flipped eggs on the grill, the food is cooked very specifically to my liking and is rarely anything but spectacular. Several times my table is cooked for first despite others waiting. I enjoy the restaurant and easily spend 5K a year there. I recently had a party there, 25 people (eating everything on the menu from lobster/filet mignon on the hibachi to sushi boats, open bar etc). Dinner was $700 total, each waiter got $100 and each chef got $40. I still can't figure out the bill, diiner for 4 is usually $100 plus $20 for the chef, not sure how 21 more people ate/drank for $600 more!

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by crazynip

I absolutely hate eating at a place which automatically adds tip to the bill for "more than 6 people", sometimes I have gotten comments if you dont tip ABOVE that.

I am ok with it but usually don't tip above the 18% they tipped themselves.....However it makes me insane when they don't mention it! Dimly lit restaurant, a few drinks and 90% of the clients don't realize it and tip on top of the included 18%! This recently happened at a comedy club (2 drink minimum, tip included) but they didn't mention it and most patrons were drunk or too involved in the show to catch it.

My regular places never do it btw.........even my party of 25 they didn't put a tip on for themselves.

[10-23]

Originally Posted by crazynip

I absolutely hate eating at a place which automatically adds tip to the bill for "more than 6 people", sometimes I have gotten comments if you dont tip ABOVE that.

My situation wasn't one of those. The tip amount was completely within my discretion. I, like some others in this thread noted, start at 20% and then work up or down from there. Most of the time I leave the 20%. But this waitress I guess believed the amount of people served has a bearing on the total tip amount. I wouldn't have given a rat's azz if she wasn't happy with her tip, but she so openly and loudly waived it around in a ridiculing manner.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by crazynip

Find a better job.

Chances are 90% of the people who work in restaurants have some sort of criminal record.

2 absolutely rude comments.....and in this economy the guy working at Chili's may have been your mortgage broker/realtor 5 years ago!

90% criminal record? Seriously can you show any facts on that one?

[Occifer]

If you work at a place where six adults can eat for $40 then you shouldn't have extremely high expectations when it comes to your tips.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I find it offensive also. My dad was a career server and he busted his hump. It was a HARD, HARD job, and people were damn cheap. As a result we ALWAYS tip at least 20%, even when maybe service could be better. Serving is an extremely difficult job, and those servers really earn their tips. They don't have benefits or get paid squat, they work holidays, nights, weekends - stuff most of us would not want to do. Quit being so cheap, people! As a bonus, when we go back, we are remembered and treated very well!

Anyone who can't or won't leave a proper tip should not be eating out.

Or eat at a cafe type place with self service.....

Truly poor tippers have never worked in a tipping job before. I have parked a lot of cars and cleaned a lot of golf clubs in my high school/college days. The good tippers got the best of everything, best service, best parking spots, best golf carts....whatever they wanted. A $5 tip was impressive back then, especially to a kid making $4 an hour!

A poor tipper simply got IGNORED!