Tips & tipping general discussion

[Cyc]

I've worked in the hospitality/service industry for three years now. One thing I've noticed about people is that some tip... and some don't. Some tip small, some tip big and most (75%.) tip reasonably.

Personally, the only time I won't tip is if I can't afford it and that's usually very embarassing because my philosophy is if you can't afford to tip, don't go to the restaurant/hotel/hair salon/taxi cab in the first place.

Some trends I've noticed is that a higher percentage of younger people don't tip. I chalk that down to socio-economic standing, which is a reasonable assumption. In one instance, two good-looking girls came into the restaurant, we chatted a bit, they asked me what good clubs were hopping that night and we were having a good time. They had bar drinks, appetizers, a meal, then dessert. I only charged them for the meal. They got about $30 taken off their bill. So what did they leave as a tip? Absolutely nothing! There was no justification. Because of this instance, I've stopped giving away free food unless it's for good friends.

As a rule, if a server gives you free food, you pay for that food in way of a tip. - It's a win/win situation. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the implied situation here. Your server isn't stupid and just forgot, so don't pat yourself on the back. Quit patting and start scratching.

Another trend is 1st-generation immigrants leaving nothing. You would assume that deciphering broken english on top of good service would entitle you to something. Also, given the high number of said immigrants working in public service positions, you would think they of all people would be sympathetic in the tip dept. - Wrong! Do not pass go, do not collect $2.00.

I make $5.95 an hour + tips. The tips subsidize my wage BIG TIME and without them, there wouldn't be anyone working in these positions. If you leave nothing, keep in mind that you're putting the burden on other people to leave more to subsidize the wage.

Here's a general rule of thumb.

The service was excellent - 15-20%

The service was ok - 10-15%

The service was meh - 10%

The service sucked and you're never coming back - 5% or stiff.

Anyways, that's my philosophy, biased as it may be. - What's yours?

 

[buzzy]

Tip is 20% when I walk in the door. Everything that they do wrong from that point on deducts from the tip. If they are rude enough and service is bad, they don't get anything.

 

[honEbee]

Well for the immigrant thing, some countries do not tip their waiters/waitresses because they are paid decent wages. Australia is one of these. It took a lot for my husband to begin to tip people (I had to explain the shitty pay wait staff gets).

I personally tip 15-20% depending on if the person was good (didn't hover but didn't totally ignore you). But even if they were bad I usually tip at least 10%. If you don't get a tip from me you have to be a complete ass.

 

[chrissie]

Tip is 20% when I walk in the door. Everything that they do wrong from that point on deducts from the tip. If they are rude enough and service is bad, they don't get anything.

and if theyre really good then they get more. i think sometimes we tend to overtip, but i dont mind so much.

as for first generation immigrants... they might not know that it is customary to tip. i know that they dont tip in england. im not sure about other countries

 

[shannabanana]

If the service is fine, then 15%. If the service is good, then 20%. If the service is great, we tip up to 30%.

And if the service is ppor, no tip.

 

[ElaStiK Clouds]

i try to tip 15%-20%. If i go to eat at a small mom-and-pop kind of place, i try to tip 20% since they probably need the money. At a regular resturant like carrows or dennys, 15% is good enough, that is unless the service is excelent. At a really expensive, high-class kind of resturant, ill give 20%-30% tip. I try to tip well.

The only exception is if the service is absolutely horrible (and i mean horrible!) then i just get up and say "im going to McDonalds so that i can get a real meal" and just leave.

 

[Web]

The tip is purely based on the service I get. If my glass stays empty for more than 5 minutes, you can forget about a good tip from me. If you are one of those bitchy waitstaff that thinks you automatically DESERVE 20% just for being there, I might give you a piece of my mind, along with a 5% tip.

 

[DigitalDuality]

It truly depends on my economic state and current situation.

if i have money, (which i haven't in a couple of years), i normally tip 15-20%. But lately people are lucky that i tip 10% or at all. It's not that i don't think they deserve it, i just can't afford an extra 5 bucks out of my pocket.

If i'm on a date i normally tip better too, but i don't do it intentionally, i just happen to subconsciously. Maybe it's that whole "impress her" shallow bullshit. I dunno.


I also agree with the last two posters, if the service is horrible, regardless if i have the money to spare or not, no tip.

I do frequent bars though where bar tenders will not my tab off by 50 even 75%. In cases such as that, my tips can be about 40-60%

 

[staind rose]

i think a lot of people should NOT be allowed in restaurants...

if you got everything you needed and service was standard 20% should be the fuckin lowest you should tip. 15% is not adequate in 2004. if service was really terribly, tell a manager. sometimes it isn't even the servers fault. i hate people who punish ME if their steak isn't cooked right or if their fuckin kids are crying.

people who get excellent service (drinks never empty, plates cleared right away, never have to ask for anything, etc) OFTEN leave 10% tips. people are cheap. families that drive Lexus's and can't leave a 20% tip?

all of you that said 15%-20% if service is excellent maybe shouldn't go out to eat anymore.

 

[michael]

i say bullshit 15% isn't adequate. anywhere you eat anymore is goint to cost you at least $30. if you think you deserve more than $5 to walk to the kitchen and do your job, you might want to think about another line of work.

i have no problem tipping well for good service, however there are as many (if nor more) bad servers as there are bad tippers. it works both ways.

 

[shannabanana]

people are cheap. families that drive Lexus's and can't leave a 20% tip?

I don't know any families that drive a Lexus. In fact, I often wonder how anyone I know with children can afford to go out at all.

 

[Web]

all of you that said 15%-20% if service is excellent maybe shouldn't go out to eat anymore.

You sound like some people I know. See the following quote:

If you are one of those bitchy waitstaff that thinks you automatically DESERVE 20% just for being there, I might give you a piece of my mind, along with a 5% tip.

 

[fizzygirl]

Haha web...i sort of agree. Many of my friends went into waitressing after they got their degrees because they made more money that way!

I generally follow Kyk's guidelines. Minimum tip is 10% though, even if they suck.

Another trend is 1st-generation immigrants leaving nothing.

As honEbee mentioned, some cultures simply don't have the same practice of tipping. It might be included in the cost of the dish and then passed on through wages. In many larger international cities you see the tip included to avoid problems with this.

I tip my bartenders about a dollar per drink (drinks are around $4), and then 15% or so for haircuts/pedicures, depending on service.

 

[doofqueen]

We don't really tip in australia but i think that's because we get paid decent wages and don't have to rely on tips while in america the wages are pretty shit so therefore you have to reply on tips to make up that income. correct?

 

[buzzy]

^^^ correct. It's probably a good thing though, if you had high paid servers there would be no incentive to give great service.

 

[JV]

^i have a question....what happens if an american is in your country and gives a tip not knowing you guys dont tip? do you guys politely turn it down or what? i ask this because i could see myself going to another country and not even thinking about it and leave a tip.

i do not tip anything at all if the service is bad. i leave at least a 20% tip when the service is great. but some of the times, i cant afford to tip and usually tell the waiter/waitress i couldnt leave one.

what i dont understand is people tipping when they get a beer at a bar. when i get a beer, i dont leave a tip, unless i get change back. im not going to give them a dollar for grabbing a beer and popping off the top. how hard is that, really? beer is also a LOT more expensive in bars. if i get a mixed drink, however, i will leave a dollar tip, because they actually have to do something then.

 

[Larr_E]

For some reason when I entered this thread I thought it was gonna be about cow tipping.

I usually tip by how cool the person is. Anywhere from a penn (if they are dicks) to 100% (if she's fine as hell).

 

[doofqueen]

^i have a question....what happens if an american is in your country and gives a tip not knowing you guys dont tip? do you guys politely turn it down or what? i ask this because i could see myself going to another country and not even thinking about it and leave a tip.

people still sometimes "tip" but it's more like just leaving a bit extra. I'm sure they wouldn't decline it and i think in some fancy and expensive places it might be expected but i don't know because i never go anywhere thats expensive.

 

[fizzygirl]

what i dont understand is people tipping when they get a beer at a bar. when i get a beer, i dont leave a tip, unless i get change back. im not going to give them a dollar for grabbing a beer and popping off the top. how hard is that, really?

Sometimes that depends on what kind of bar it is. If you're talking about a really crowded bar where you have to wait for a bartender, I'd tip when I got a beer just for the service. That bartender will remember you and would probably be likely to get to you faster the next time

 

[buzzy]

If you tip a bartender, eventually if they are good you'll get a buyback, where you get a round of drinks on the house.