Tipping In Restaurants/Bars

[schmendrik]

I think it is cheapass for the restaurant industry, and others, to get away with that as they are allowed to pay someone under minimum wage as their wages are being made up by the tips they receive; as well, since their tips comprise most of their wages, they have to report those tips as income.

So here's something I've always wondered about this: How come other countries can afford to pay their servers decent wages?

In the US, not only do they (restaurants) not pay a living wage so you'd be basically below the poverty level without the tips, but they are always in a hurry to get the customers finished with their meal and out the door so they can reuse the table.

We have people from the UK, I don't know what things are like there. But in Europe, Italy for example, tipping is rare, only a token amount of 5% or less if the service is really extraordinary. Servers are paid a decent wage. And you aren't hurried out of tables. You can sit there all night if you want, nobody would think of bothering you, asking if you want anything more, or giving you the check or any hint you should leave unless you ask for it. So how come Italian cafes can afford to behave like that and American ones can't?

[AndyC]

In the US, not only do they (restaurants) not pay a living wage so you'd be basically below the poverty level without the tips, but they are always in a hurry to get the customers finished with their meal and out the door so they can reuse the table.

That's the weird thing. I find the service at restaurants fairly speedy until it's time to pay. When I'm done eating, I want my bill right away, here's my card, run it through and I'll sign and be on my way. This would seem to be in line with the restaurant's goal of speedy turnover, but that's when things seem to slow down. I ask for the bill, I have to wait several minutes, then they bring it and disappear for a while, then I almost have to start trying to make eye contact with the waiter (which was not necessary before or during the meal), and then finally I get to pay. Lori and Ro have, in this time, both gone to the washroom, gotten their coats on and gone out to wait in the car.

I'm aware that some people want to look over the bill, divide it up, stare at it until the other guy picks it up, dig for change or whatever. But if it's just a couple and a kid having a simple dinner, would it hurt to wait just a moment while I reach into my pocket? Lately, I've taken to having my card out as soon as I'm ready for the bill, so I can wave it at the server.

[asimpson2006]

I tip at restaurants, and my rare trips to bars and that's it.  My sister is a waitress off and on for the most part, and when she works weekends, she usually makes more than I do during a 2 week working period. 

If I paid to get my haircut (which I don't since my mother is a barber manager) I would tip.  I sometimes tip the local pizza places but that's not often, usually only if I feel generous, which is not often.

[Psycho Circus]

I never, ever tip anybody for anything....ever! 

If I pay for a service, whoever it is, provides it. You get what you want, they get their money, everybody should be happy with that. Why on earth should you fork out more to someone just doing their job, what they're supposed to do, that they get paid for already? I expect people to do their jobs well anyway and provide good service, that's what being professional is. What I will do though, is allow stores and such like to keep change if it's only a couple of pence.

I know some people will find that to come across as tight or "stingy", but that's just my view on this.

Agreed.

You ladies should do drive-ups more often.

As Geeze said, waitresses depend on those tips to make their wages.

I think it is cheapass for the restaurant industry, and others, to get away with that as they are allowed to pay someone under minimum wage as their wages are being made up by the tips they receive; as well, since their tips comprise most of their wages, they have to report those tips as income.

You are right, it is pretty cheap to expect someone to wait on you and not even be paid minimum wage.

I do also tip hair stylists. With the glut of franchised clip shops, they don't get paid very well up front. If they are renting a booth at a stylist shop, then they have to pay that rent out of whatever they make for that day.

Though it's not about trying to make someone's wages better. If someone provides a service that was well done, and even makes it enjoyable by their presence, not only is it a way of showing appreciation, it is also a way of paying it forward to keep good service in the future.

Of course, if you are a cheap bastard and never tip anybody, if you someday discover spit in your food, well...you probably earned that.

I've worked in the catering industry, I worked hard too, for a pathetic wage. I've seen what people do to good and bad customers, so I'll do whatever the hell I want. I don't care if you think I'm a "cheap bastard". 

[ghouck]

I tip, usually pretty decently. One of the many flaws in Mr. Pink's argument is the idea waitresses get minimum wage. Often they do not. This is the way I look at it: They get paid less than MW because a standard tip is ~15%. Ok, so if they do a decent job, they get 15%. Keeping in mind that the cost of the meal is lowered by the establishment paying the waiting staff less than MW, it works out pretty even. If they want to do a poor job, they get poor pay, rather than having it already added to the menu prices. If they do a great job, they get a better tip. I also, keep in mind that if they have the time to do a GREAT job, they probably aren't making much do to slow business, and if it's not slow, they're really working their ass off.

The McDonalds analogy is very flawed, since a) they don't bring your food to you, b) they DO get >= minimum wage and c) you pay BEFORE you eat, and part of the tip is related to the quality of the food. I see 'Subway' has a tip line on their receipts, I don't tip there (unless the girl working the cash register has really big boobs  ).

All in all, if there were no tipping, and the menu prices were raised enough to make up for the lost tips, service would SUCK, as there would be no reason to try and do good, yet you'd still pay just as much. Even with tips these days, waitress jobs don't pay so well that people are lining up for those jobs, so they'd have to pay at least close to as well. We can't really expect BETTER service when paying them LESS.

[CaptnTripps]

I tip because it makes me feel powerful.

[Menaaard!!!]

I've worked in the catering industry, I worked hard too, for a pathetic wage. I've seen what people do to good and bad customers, so I'll do whatever the hell I want. I don't care if you think I'm a "cheap bastard". 

Don't poke the Ymir.

[The Burgomaster]

In restaurants, I generally start around 18% and then adjust up or down based on certain factors (primarily service).  I used to leave quite a few 20% tips, but over the past few years I have found that most of my tips have been in the 15 - 18% range.

One factor I always consider is how much time I spend in the restaurant.  If I'm at a table for a long time, I figure the waiter or waitress could have seated another party at my table and received another tip instead of having me hang around.  For instance, on my wedding anniversary a few years ago, I told the waitress at the beginning of the meal that my wife and I were in no rush and would like to work our way slowly through the evening.  We ended up staying around 3 1/2 hours and had everything from cocktails to appetizers to Caesar salads to entrees to desert and coffee.  The waitress was excellent and never made us feel rushed.  The bill came to around $280 and I gave her $100 tip.  But this is a rare example associated with a special occasion.  Normally, I would not do this.

At bars, I usually run a tab and pay the tip at the end.  I usually give about 20% or maybe a little more if the bartender was extra attentive.  But there's usually more than just beer involved . . . probably several mixed drinks and maybe a special request or two.  If I pay every time they bring a drink, I usually either tip $1 or round off the tip to something close to $1 based on the price of the drink (so, if the drink is $3.25, I'll give $4.00 and let the server keep the 75 cent difference). 

[Menaaard!!!]

But there's usually more than just beer involved . . . probably several mixed drinks and maybe a special request or two.

Kinky

[BeyondTheGrave]

I don't go to restaurants often but I usually tip on how the service was and work from there.

Bars have become a problem here in NYC. I don't go to bars often like I to used but everytime I go that service seems horrible. Not opening the cans, rarely any buy backs and I'm talking about being in the place for 4-6 beers a shot and with a friend. I'm not talking about some fancy place or club I'm talking dive bars here. If you don't know the bartender your pretty much screwed. This happened to me in couple of different places so I rarely bother with bars anymore and just pick one place.

Even with the one bar I go to (my bartender switched shifts for awhile so I have to deal with...subpar service) I don't leave a tip if the person doesn't open the beer. Or I leave change. It happens damn often too. Its always me and a friend buying so its two beers. Forget about buy backs too. We actually cut out spending time there till "our" bartender is back and get some decent service.

I'm not a cheap tipper either. My regular bartender when shes working she gives up lots of buy backs and great service where we stay longer just because its just better experience.

[schmendrik]

Bars have become a problem here in NYC. I don't go to bars often like I to used but everytime I go that service seems horrible. Not opening the cans, rarely any buy backs and I'm talking about being in the place for 4-6 beers a shot and with a friend. I'm not talking about some fancy place or club I'm talking dive bars here. If you don't know the bartender your pretty much screwed. This happened to me in couple of different places so I rarely bother with bars anymore and just pick one place.

I heard something about the tipping in NYC that sounds like it's really getting out of hand. I will sometimes feel like giving an extra $20 at the end of the year to my mailman or my trash collectors, but that's because of great service. NPR did a story about how it has become almost mandatory to draw out $1000 or more at Christmas time and give $100 tips to "service" people you barely know. Not only your doorman, but the aerobics instructor at the gym and somebody who came into feed your fish once (I exaggerate, but only a little).

Just how bad is the end of year tipping situation in New York?

[RCMerchant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ODhIFawfs
	Small | Large

...actually,I'm a very generous tipper. But I like this clip!

[BeyondTheGrave]

I heard something about the tipping in NYC that sounds like it's really getting out of hand. I will sometimes feel like giving an extra $20 at the end of the year to my mailman or my trash collectors, but that's because of great service. NPR did a story about how it has become almost mandatory to draw out $1000 or more at Christmas time and give $100 tips to "service" people you barely know. Not only your doorman, but the aerobics instructor at the gym and somebody who came into feed your fish once (I exaggerate, but only a little).

Just how bad is the end of year tipping situation in New York?

Well I never tipped a service person in my entire life. I live in the ghetto and tipping my super,mailman,doorman (which I don't have) or anything like that is non-existent. The service is horrible anyway and the mailmen are never the same so and again not that great. It my granps day yeah that was a standard but now I don't know. Most people who are middle class to poor I know don't tip like that either.

That article you read must have been about hipsters and rich Manhattan folk. So it not that out of hand. 

[CheezeFlixz]

I'd say I'm a good tipper, I tip 15%-20% on average ... servers only get about $2.50 an hour so the tips in their wages. Now if the service sucks I will not tip and I'll leave 2 cents under a glass upside down full of water (this only works with plastic menus) that is the ultimate server insult. Since I'm known to tip decently at the places I go, I get excellent service and generally larger portions and free desserts. seated quickly and prompt service, more importantly I get the inside scoop of what I might want to avoid that day, or what's exceptionally good that day.

I give only a very minimal tip at buffet if they keep my glass full, maybe $3-$5 depending on the buffet cost.
I'm NOT tipping my trash guy, I get a huge bill from them every 3 months, not tipping the postman when they keep raising the price of a stamp, not tipping a doorman for getting the door, I'm not helpless I'll get my own door thanks.

If you don't tip, don't be surprised to find a big juicy booger in your burger.

Trust me bad tippers ... the servers don't forget who you are anymore than they remember good ones.

[HappyGilmore]

Waitresses or servers (as they like to be called now) at  sit down restaurants get paid something like half the minimum wage and have to use tips to make up the difference.  My wife has been a waitress before and is quite aware what these people have to do to make a decent wage.

Our standard is 20% for good service and maybe a little more if the place is busy and the person serving us still manages to do a good job. 

Yeah, that's true for the most part.  The place I'm at, the waitresses/servers and busboys get something like $2.43 an hour.  Fortunately, I'm not a server/busboy, so I get much more than they do.  I've seen them not get tipped for meals that cost something like $50 or more.  On a Friday night no less, when there's a line out the door.