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Tips & tipping general discussion

related reading:

Tipping for bad service?
Your philosophy on tipping?

(from one of those threads) i have learned that people who are shitty, tight-wad tippers won't be swayed by discussion and, very generally speaking, don't give a shit about anybody but themselves....

that's fine. if stiffing a server a few bucks makes them feel great, it's their money and they're entitled to spend (or not spend) it however they like.

i console myself with the fact that they will surely be reincarnated as a server who earns $3.00 an hour, depends on tips to live and, in the next life, has to serve only people (like themselves) who don't tip :)

alasdair
 
^ Thanks alasdair, just merged all three of these together. Seemed to be a popular enough topic over the years to be deserving of a mega thread.

Me personally, I tip very well if the service is at least tolerable given the circumstances. If the service sucked, they get nothing. Harsh? Might be, but they always tell me I get what I pay for, so I find the reverse logic to be just as fitting.
 
I don't see what's the big deal. Tipping is suppose to be optional! All my friends who worked restaurant industry start off making an extra $40 in tips (host) then server/busser (80-120) + $7 an hr for a 5 hr shift. I mean, that's not bad at all!

I grew up in retail and we start off at $8/$9 an hr and yeah, NO TIPS. All my friends used to make so much money compared to what I made. I think having a retail background--I really don't see the big deal or feel the need to pity any of these servers. I mean, even when I worked 100% commission--yes, NO HOURLY. And everytime a customer returned stuff--guess what? NEGATIVE ON YOUR PAYCHECK. We didn't get tips but were required to give above and beyond service. This was standard--not because of "tips".

Anyhow, my boyfriend and I still argue about it. He needs to tip 20% at least (even for shitty service)-- but he's gotten better (after two years of dating lol). I'm usually more in the 10% for average service and 15% for good. I don't think I've ever gotten really good service. Percentages don't apply to extremely expensive places with shitty service.
 
A server won't see a 10 percent tip and think, "This person thinks I did okay." Rather, he or she will think, "Either this person thinks I gave shitty service or he or she was short on money." A server receiving 15 percent will likely think it a signal that service was just "acceptable".

ebola
 
I always tip at least 20% unless the service is remarkably shitty....and I always, always way over tip breakfast and diner wait staff.

That is a hard job. I also threw in extra when my child was small and dropped shit all over the floor, and would write a note saying, "thank you for being sweet to my kid" or something like that...
 
Beachcat said:
I always tip at least 20% unless the service is remarkably shitty....and I always, always way over tip breakfast and diner wait staff.

That is a hard job. I also threw in extra when my child was small and dropped shit all over the floor, and would write a note saying, "thank you for being sweet to my kid" or something like that...
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You are both a great customer and a great mom and I dig that about you so much.
 
I tip twenty percent for good service and fifteen percent for "meh" service. I'm usually pretty lucky and get great service, and bump up to thirty percent. It's only been once when I left no tip, and this was because our waitress was flat-out rude to us!
 
ebola? said:
A server won't see a 10 percent tip and think, "This person thinks I did okay." Rather, he or she will think, "Either this person thinks I gave shitty service or he or she was short on money." A server receiving 15 percent will likely think it a signal that service was just "acceptable".

ebola
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So let's say my meal with my friend was $50 and we tipped $5. That's $5 for 30 minutes. Do you not think that's enough money? Do you think that server (with many other tables) deserved to get $10 extra for 30 minutes? I think not. That's waaay too much. Our waiters get $7 per hr here.
 
Honestly, I've been in the business for fifteen years...mostly back of the house till now. U really should be tipping the kitchen. Its hot noisy, dangerous and grossly underpaid. Usually you work longer shifts, and you do harder work. There are exceptions to the rule, but shit...serving is easy.

The hardest part of the job is carrying the food to the table...and you have someone that does that for you...the food runner.
 
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^ i have worked in places where there's a food runner and other places where servers run their own food.
Illyria99 said:
That's what I always thought, but apparently there's a lot of servers who think we should supplement their pay checks...no matter how good or bad the service is. 8)
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that's a rather simplistic analysis of a complex issue which spans many cultures.

here's my simplistic response. i have learned that people who are shitty, tight-wad tippers won't be swayed by discussion and, very generally speaking, don't give a shit about anybody but themselves...

alasdair
 
^^^ truer words were never spoken Mr. Alasdair. I think that in a restaurant every employee should be paid a flat ten dollars and tips should be pooled and spread out over each position equally. It would lead to everyone working harder to help everyone else.

Still it is a pretty dick move not to tip at all especially knowing that 4.75 an hour doesn't go very far. People can raise the question of why do you stay if the pay is so low? Lots of folks just don't have many options.
 
alasdairm said:
^ i tend to agree with ebola. your tips are, very likely, not sending the message you believe you are sending.

alasdair
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Maybe my message is that servers should have a little more gratitude.

But then again, I really couldn't give two shits about sending any messages.
 
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