curious about tipping

[SmokinLoon]

%5 if the service is bad.

%10-15 if service is in the middle area.

%20+ if the service is very good.

I always leave a tip because sometimes the bad service is not the fault of the server.

[gyrene81]

if the service is real bad and the food sucks...penny in water glass.
if the service is bad and the food is ok...$1
if the service is mediocre, $2
if the service is good, 20%
if the service is outstanding and the waitress is hot 50% 

[CAP1]

one of the simplest things, that almost guarantees a very excellent tip from me.......


 i drink a LOT of soda when i eat a meal. i know it's not good for me, but oh well.
they never bring a pitcher......just a glass at a time. i generally ask for "a swimming pool full of coke". there's a place right around the corner from my house....it's called nifty fifties. pipz....that's reasonably close to you i think..right on blackwood clementon road near laurel road.
 it's not anything high class, but rather it's styled(as the name would imply) after a 50's style restaurant....they play old music, etc. their food isn't excellent, but in my opinion, it is very good.
 well....when i go there........i notice that when my glass is nearly empty, suddenly another mysteriously appears. it keeps happening that way. very simple thing. but that very simple thing, says to me, that this person cares about their job, and is doing whatever it takes to make/keep their customers happy. that simple little thing ALWAYS garners tips well beyond what they should be for the prices that that place charges.

[Nypsy]

Most of the places I eat at are local here and there's a pretty good chance I'll be there again, which brings me to a personal policy of mine "always be nice to people who handle your food".

So I tend to tip fairly well.

QFT

[morfiend]

Leaving no tip sends no message about the service. The waitress just thinks you're a tightwad. Leave a token tip of 1 or 2%. That sends a clear message that you thought the service was bad. In a restaurant that pools or reports tips it's embarassing. The management and other waitstaff will make sure it gets fixed or the slacker is outa there.

   


   QFT!

  I was raised in the resturant business and back when the wages were a buck an hour the waitresses made 8 dollars a shift.My father used to say to the girls if your not making 20 dollars in tips a day then I dont want you! and you know most the girls made that and more,on weekends even I used to make 8 to 10 bucks in tips pumping gas!
  People working in the service industy work hard and make minimum wages so tips are important to them but if the service isnt very good a small token speaks volumes more than no tip at all.



     

[dkff49]

When I calculate tip I usually figure the 10% amount then round up to the next dollar for average service. I use this formula for the sake of keeping the math easy. (example $25 bill would be $3). My wife always tells me I don't leave enough.

For real crappy service it will be nothing and I don't feel bad one bit. I see where many of you are coming from with the "they don't learn anything" but really a tip is a token of my appreciation for good service not a life lesson. If they haven't learned by that time then they probably won't anyway.

For excellent service or even if it's not quite excellent but it seems like the place is extremely busy I will increase that amount accordingly.

[Tupac]

I don't go in anywhere that I'm not a regular at. I always leave a 20% tip. If I dont have the change, I'll ask for it.

[Jayhawk]

I don't go in anywhere that I'm not a regular at.

You will live a sad boring life.

[Tupac]

You will live a sad boring life.

I should say - During the summer. I try to avoid all the touristy places.

[Vulcan]

I honestly only tip when the waiter does provide a service above and beyond what is expected of their job. If the waiter is just rude I simply do not return to the restaurant and e-mail the manager the day after.

Today it seems they expect a tip for merely taking your order,bringing you food and asking if you want refills every 30 minutes. I mean, really? Thats what you were hired to do!

Two weeks ago I went to a sushi place that had opened recently with a friend of mine who had very limited knowledge of sushi. To him, sushi was california roll that you can buy in supermarkets (awful!).

The waitress was awesome. Seeing my friend was confused and undecided as to what he should get she went up to the sushi chef, talked to him, and returned with a small plate with 1 piece of 5 different sushi rolls for him to TRY OUT.  

Let me tell you that girl got herself a big tip and the chef got his too. When we got home we emailed the manager praising her and the chef for the deed. That is excellent service!

How did you find it over here - people generally freak if you tip.

[tmetal]

I average a 15% tip. If the service is terrible the only thing I leave is a written "tip-of-the-day" on the receipt about how the waiter could have earned a monetary tip. 

I do get a good laugh when I don't leave a tip at those places where you pay at the register and the cashier gives you the stink eye for not tipping.  I actually had one tell me after seeing I wasn't going to leave a tip "we encourage tipping here sir."  I suggested that if they had encouraged a better work ethic in the wait staff, there wouldn't be a need to remind customers to tip at the register.

[shiv]

I tip well, 20% at least. In a big group when we've gotten good service I like to leave an outrageous tip sometimes and make the person's day. Easy enough to do anyway if you've got enough like-minded people with you, and most of my friends are big tippers. 

But then I've been on the other side of it a lot in my life - bartending, pizza delivery, catering and so forth, so I know what a drag dealing with the general public can be sometimes, and I have no desire to be part of the problem.

If there is bad service it's something that can be fixed usually by pointing it out and asking if there's a problem somewhere, or even by a pre-emptive tip if you sense there might be trouble. If you're in a bar or at a wedding it's a good idea to ask your bartender how long they're going to on for, letting them know you want to be sure to tip them before they go. Pretty much ensures you'll be getting premium service.

And what the hell anyway, life is too short to fight with waitstaff. You're out to have a good time, and in general the establishment you're in wants you to have a good time.

[Tac]

How did you find it over here - people generally freak if you tip.

My first week in Auckland I learned the hard way. The waitress kept insisting I paid too much and I was trying to explain to her the extra was for her to keep. Her initial horrified face is forever engraved in my brain hahaha. She was very nice and explained the tipping thing to me.

I almost tipped her for that too 

[SIK1]

Leaving no tip sends no message about the service. The waitress just thinks you're a tightwad. Leave a token tip of 1 or 2%. That sends a clear message that you thought the service was bad. In a restaurant that pools or reports tips it's embarassing. The management and other waitstaff will make sure it gets fixed or the slacker is outa there.

+1

[RightF00T]

I've worked food service...if they bring me my food with no frills....15%....if they're really good and made my day/meal extra enjoyable 20%+++.  If they're mean/unattentive I eat my food, leave a 10% tip and give them a few words.  It's only right.

Giving no tip, just gives them a legitimate reason to explain why you were a bad customer.


I worked delivery as well, which means you're making a conscious effort using your gas and time to take someone their damn food....when they didn't tip I literally wanted to kill them.   This is why delivery charges exist, but sadly half the time those don't even go to the driver.