Tips & tipping general discussion

[list]

I get approx. $15 an hour (Canadian) when tips are counted. How much do servers get paid in Aus?

In Aus waiters should be getting around $AU15 before tips. I think the minimum is about $12, and obviously if you are working in better restaurants it can go up to $17 or more if it's a really fancy place. We're supposed to also get that X2 on public holidays (although small businesses skip on that).

As a customer, I never tip unless i just got paid that week and can't be bothered waiting for the change if it's under $5. I don't personally believe i should have to subsidise other people's wages, particularly when i don't earn a lot myself. I certainly don't expect people to tip me in my jobs, it's my bosses jobs to ensure they pay a decent wage. If they don't, no one would work for them.

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

[A question--what is the standard tip rate for a drink at a bar, given that the standard price for a drink is (where I've been) anywhere from $2.50 to $4.00 or more? [/B]

I usually tip a buck a drink which really is too much when compared to the 20% restaurant tip I leave. In a busy bar, if I have the extra cash I will tip about $5.OO for my first drink to get better return service.

Nothing I hate more that being crammed at bar while the bartender is figuring out the queue, waiting to be acknowledged. The increased initial tip generally ensures I do not have to wait long.

Besides, I do have lovely breasts that can help in certain situations. Hate to set feminism back but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do......

 

[Urbanhog]

Forgot to mention, I noticed a lot of resturants and cafes often have this big glass for "tips" and often when waitress/waiter receive tips, they all put in the glass together and usually end of the week, fornight or month, they divide the tips evenly between all the waiter/waitress/bartenders, etc....

 

[up all night]

I used to work as a waitress in Australia and was getting $18/ hour before tips and the restaurant wasn't particularly classy.

In Australia I tip if the service was fantastic but I wouldn't leave a tip 90% of the time because I just think it's un-necessary and because, as a student, I normally have just enough money to cover food and drinks.

I found that the biggest tippers were men at business lunches because they were constantly trying to out-do each other and leaving a big tip was just another way to impress their colleagues.

 

[JB]

If you need the tip so badly get a propper fucking job.

Tiping culture is different in England tho, if you are serving in a bar expect nothing especialy if you are one of the ones who refuse to make eye contact with the people waiting, heaven forbid you may actualy server people in ther order they came if you did this. If you work at a stall expect nothing, if your a cabby your most likely a checky wanker who is already ripping me off so expect nothing.

If I got to a nice resteraunt/cafe and the service is good I might tip 20-30%. Equaly if I'm having drinks served to my table I will tip.

A friend and I where actualy talking about this last night, and about when he had been to Florida and bought a hot dog from a stall. The man had expected a tip for the greasy slab of dog meat slapped in to a stale bun.

From a British perspective, he payed over the odds for the piece of crap he was served he certainly wasn't going to tip. It would be seen as being rude for someone in a hot dog stall to demand a tip over here.
Prehapse it helps that there is a minimum wage in the UK of around £5 ($10) so it's not like you are being ripped off so bad by your employer. But seriously if you need more than your being paid don't get mad at the customers get a better job.

 

[Pippin]

its not done in australia basically.
people are tipping more often in recent years, but waitors etc here are paid the usual rate so there isnt such a need.

i've heard that a lot of australian have issues knowing how / wanting to recieve tips when they go work overseas in places like America.

 

[frostyangel]

Okay, let's see where do I begin.

I have been in this industry for almost 10years now. And let me just start of by saying that I recieve $2.83 Hr ..... so believe it or not your tip is what pays my bills and then they take taxes out of that and we also have to health so many end up with a ten a wk paycheck if were luck...
Also after we've been tipped by YOU we have to tip out our bussers and bartenders so they can pay their bills too...

so I make sure I do my job..weather I like you or myself ... I still put on a smile and serve your dinner/lunch whatever... So I do what I got to do, because if I don't get tipped right .. then I'm screwed.

My question is do some of you people really know what 15-20% is? Or do you just guess..

I do agree with alot of people in this thread. Because, I eat out alot. So I'm my own worst critic. If you do a shitty job. Then you get a shitty tip. But alot of it is on communication. If your food sucks tell your waitress.. they are suppose to help you have a good meal. At my job we are aloud to replace it and make you something else if you would like. Second when your half way through a drink and you know you want more... speak up.. were not a mind reader and you are not our only customer.

Now coming in this thread I came in with and open mind... only one person got under my skin about it...

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.

Please go back to first paragraph... obviously you have never worked in the food industry... weather you think it or not we are one of the most disrespected industries. We bust our ass to earn what we earn and we get shit on by everyone.. customers, cooks, managers... And we don't wear buttons that say "we cook and serve"

And yes micheal it is our job... but we are paid hourly by you ... I can suggest mcdonalds $.99 menu if you feel this way.. at least then you don't have to spare the tip.. And let me just say that you should have respect because these people are busting their ass, so you can sit on yours and eat your dinner. And you ever want anything done right or the way you want it done right, then it's usually called eating at home....

Thank you and please drive through....

 

[blahblahblah]

at a bar, depends how drunk I am ... and how bad the waitress hits on me, free drinks usually means a big ol' fat tip.

 

[michael]

one of my favorite sever complaints is that now it should be 20 or more percent because the standard of living has gone up in the same time. of course the price of eating out has gone up as well, but it doesn't seem like people remember that.

 

[Squeaks]

one of my favorite sever complaints is that now it should be 20 or more percent because the standard of living has gone up in the same time. of course the price of eating out has gone up as well, but it doesn't seem like people remember that.

So what you are saying is since the standard of living has gone up and servers NEVER get raises from there measly $2.83 per hour that tipping standards should still be the same as is was back in the 80s??? 15% was good in the 80s but nowadays most big cities add 18-20% gratuity for large parties NOT 15% simply for the whole reason you think we forget.. Because it costs a helluva lot more money to live in the world today than in the past!

As most have stated if you get shitty serrvice then you get a shitty tip plain and simple but honestly leaving below 15-18% is just wrong if that server did everything they felt they could to make your meal enjoyable......

As FrostyAngel said "SPEAK up!" we are not mind readers and if you have a problem with something tell us instead of saying "fine" and then stiff us...

Just the other day I asked a table how everything was and at three occasions the table said fine... when I dropped the check off I was told that my tip is going to reflect the fact the portion sizes were smaller and inconsistant..... Now why should my tip suffer for that???
I truly believe some people forget we are human beings and are not robots...

I say if you don't have enough money to tip a server for thier good service then you should go eat fast food or cook at home... Because no one like to work for "free" or even worse get stiffed on a table when they gave good service and then have to take money out of thier own pocket so they can tip the bartender who got them the drinks for the table or the busser who just cleaned the table off or sometimes even the food/runner who took your food to the table...

 

[michael]

i don't think i said anywhere that people who earn it shouldn't be tipped well, but if you seriously think that walking back and forth to the kitchen once or twice is worth more than $4-5 for a $30 dollar meal you need a fucking reality check.

 

[Web]

All of you food service members need to chill the fuck out. People are entitled to their own opinions, wether you agree with them or not.
People are fucking cheap, and YOU KNOW THIS. Bitching about it won't change a thing. No one is accusing any of you of not being good at your job... especially with those of you who have been doing it for a while. If you weren't good at it, you wouldn't be in that line of work. The people that ruin it for you are fucking high school kids doing the summer job thing even though they would rather be out... doing whatever it is teen-agers do these days... they don't want to be there, they don't want the job and they don't care. Then you have the people in the industry that are just there because they don't have anywhere else to go, and are fucking bitter about it. These people are ass-holes and terrible servers... and their tips reflect it.

The bottom line is, treat people the way they want to be treated, and you get tipped. Sometimes you will get tipped well... but most of the time you'll deal with cheap fucks, so get over it.

 

[Centipede of Horus]

18-20% good service
15% mediocre or less than average
14% and lower only if the server is hostile, scary, condescending, ect.

I like servers with personality, but who don't nessecarily talk your ear off.

 

[Benefit]

Okay, let's see where do I begin.

I have been in this industry for almost 10years now. And let me just start of by saying that I recieve $2.83 Hr ..... so believe it or not your tip is what pays my bills and then they take taxes out of that and we also have to health so many end up with a ten a wk paycheck if were luck...

OK, I understand that whatever state you live in has shitty labor laws and tips really do supplement your income. In a case like that, I can understand tipping because your employer is basically paying you nothing. But in California, tips are in addition to whatever your hourly wage is. In that case, I just don't see why I should automatically fork over an extra 20 percent to someone for doing doing their job, and already being paid 6-7 dollars an hour for it (min. wage around here is like six bucks).

I mean I still tip, just because I don't want people to think I'm cheap, but I really don't agree with it philisophically speaking. No one is paying me a bunch of extra money just to do the job I'm already being paid for; tipping to me should be viewed as an incentive, not an entitlement.

 

[frostyangel]

^^Your right... I know that alot of place do get paid more of a base pay based on where they live.. that's why I was trying to make that point.. because alot of people are under the impression that we make much more... I just don't everyone to think "hey these people already get paid" I live in pennsylvania.. I don't know how anyone else gets paid to be a server.. now I do think that as a worker in cali.. that 6-7 dollars usually equals to what were making.. because you have a higher cost of living .....

The people that ruin it for you are fucking high school kids doing the summer job thing even though they would rather be out... doing whatever it is teen-agers do these days

I would like to tell you that, in this case that is wrong .. I have seen teenagers in this area that come in to be our best tippers. They actually understand the value of tipping. It is the older generations that are stuck back in the old standard of tipping...

ll of you food service members need to chill the fuck out. People are entitled to their own opinions, wether you agree with them or not.
People are fucking cheap, and YOU KNOW THIS

I love ya to death honey.... but this our opinion to. Are we aloud to agrue the point to. And we are making a statement and if we are alittle mad about this situation, we're here to educate on how things work on this side. And when some posted this they should of know that there would be some server out there that was going to have a very strong opinion on this.

Which in a way micheal is right.. about leaving 5$ on a $30 check it is almost 20% but some tables require more work. And if a table runs you ragged then I think they deserve to tip you more.

No one is paying me a bunch of extra money just to do the job I'm already being paid for; tipping to me should be viewed as an incentive, not an entitlement.

What do you do? And don't you recieve a paycheck at the end of the week? If you read my post.. It states how after that 2.83 an hour they take out taxes on what they believe we made for the week, YES they tax that $2.83 on hour on our tips... I don't even know what to say to this because no one is just giving us a bunch of money. That is "our" paycheck. We work our asses of for it.. and most days we don't even make what a normal minium wage person makes. And they why I see it, if you are laziest enough not to cook your own dinner why not tip the person who caters to your every need.

And then you might ask why do this.. because serving is one of the most flexible jobs you could have.. when your in school.. you can work whenever... switch shifts with someone whenever...

and for you not an entitlement... it's like a law. When you go out to it and it requires you tip 18% in the city I'm in.. says it right on the menu.

 

[JB]

^yeah exactly minimum wage in UK for over 18's is around £5 ($10ish) an hour. So you really can't ask for a high tip for everything.

perhaps the guys in places with bad labour laws should look in to joining a Union.

Altough I guess if there are always people willing to work for $2.88 an hour wages will never increase.

 

[gothfaery3]

I tip fairly well. Usually atound 20% unless they fuck something up (i've been a waitress, i know their duties and whatnot)
What i DONT understand, however, is when people are sat with 5+ tables an hour and then they bitch when one table leaves them $3. I work in retail now making $8 an hour, and I can sure as hell bet that the money that waitresses make on an average night (even with some shitty tippers) absolutly blows my salary out of the water. I make $8, but I actually take home a little under $6 an hour after taxes. Waitresses in most places average at LEAST $10 an hour if you work in a normally busy, not too expensive place, and its TAX FREE. Im sick of hearing them bitch when they walk home with $60 on a good night! Thats HALF OF MY WEEKLY PAY and I work the same hours as they do! You guys are NOT getting shafted here...and if you think you are, get a better job!
Also- wtf is the deal with places like coffee houses having a tip jar? HELLO you get paid $6 an hour to make my damn coffee. I dont see you putting any special love into it, or even being unusually nice. Why the hell should I tip them??

The best place I ever waited was at a privatly owned place where we had a tip jar that was split evenly throughout the ENTIRE staff- everyone from the managers to the dishwashers got an equal share. However, we were all paid hourly wages as well based on our job- dishwashers made around $6 and the cooks and waitstaff (we were also the bussers) made $7.50. It was a pretty awesome deal, because I would end up with usually around $4 an hour extra in cash (up to $9 on a good night) to take home weekly, plus a very decent paycheck biweekly. It was pretty awesome, and then everyone was motivated to do their job well...cooks, waitstaff, managers included.

 

[SFLraver]

What I usually do is if I am at a bar I tip a dollar a drink. If the bartender sucks and makes watered down drinks I give a 1 every other drink but most bartenders are good here in Florida.

If I am at a restaurant and I get the bill and it's let's say 45.60 I just double the first number and that's the tip so I would have left 8 or 9 dollars. Even if the server did just an ok job I usually still tip really good. I only leave a shitty tip if there are a lot of problems like drinks taking too long to come, shitty service or if I need a refill and the waiter is no where to be found.

Honestly I always tip good cause when my BF and I go out its usually to places we go all the time and the people know us and treat us really well cause we tip and take care of them too.

 

[Benefit]

And then you might ask why do this.. because serving is one of the most flexible jobs you could have.. when your in school.. you can work whenever... switch shifts with someone whenever...

and for you not an entitlement... it's like a law. When you go out to it and it requires you tip 18% in the city I'm in.. says it right on the menu.

All my comments were in reference to California labor laws. In states like yours I can understand the need for tips; but since in California waiting staff is getting tips in addition to hourly wages it just kind of bugs me that they expect to be given a pretty sizeable amount of extra cash just for doing their job. I'm sorry but a lot of people I know work really hard at their jobs and don't expect an extra 20 percent.

 

[Cyc]

Actually, tips where I work are anywhere from 200-300% higher than the wage I'm paid.

If I work 20 hours a week and bring home $100 in wage, I can expect about $200 in tips for that same week.