Are you a big tipper?

[SilvrT]

Came across this and since it's something that gets "under my skin" from time to time, thought I'd bring it up just to see what others do and think about it.

 

http://travel.sympatico.msn.ca/Travelling+Heres+when+to+tip++and+how+much/TravelFeatures/ContentPosting.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=237015&feedname=TRANS-HOMEMAKERS&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc

 

Personally, I believe in tipping when I get good service. I don't believe that I should tip "just because". People get hired to do a job at a specific rate of pay. "Just because" they work in a restaurant does not mean that they are entitled to a tip irregardless of how they go about serving me. At least around here, their rate of pay is about the same as people in other businesses...do they get a tip?... not...yet they may well still be in a service-related industry!

[Guest ReinyRooster]

I tip if the service deserves it, and then the amount corresponds to the level of my satisfaction.

[Freebird]

I know that most places in the USA don't pay the waiter and waitresses that much. They really depend upon tips to make their money. I think I'm a good tipper. I really don't try to figure out how service at one place is as opposed to another. Sometimes it is better than others. If I get decent service, I tip a minimum of 20%. When I say minimum that doesn't mean that I sometimes tip a lot more, I just mean that I round things up. If my bill is $23.00 for example, I will usually tip as though it was $25.00 and leave a $5.00 tip. There have been very few times where I felt that the service was bad enough that the tip was not deserved. In those cases, I will usually tip NOTHING rather than try to figure out if it was worth 10%, 15%, etc. I figure it was worth my usual tip or NOTHING. NOTHING has actually happened maybe twice in the past 2 or 3 years and I eat out at least 6-10 times a week due to traveling so much.

[DANJ]

I always tip 20% for good to excellant service. No tip for medeocre or poor service.

 

DJ

[halfwitt]

I am a very good tipper. With a dinner, I start the night at 15%. Friendly, timely service and the number goes up. Crappy service or a lousy attitude, the number goes down. A couple of weeks ago I left a 0% tip for dinner. That's the first time in years I stiffed anyone. But when everyone at the table has empty glasses and we've been waiting for 15 minutes or more to order dessert, and THEN - I see the waitress sitting at a table talking with some friends, well - my tip reflected my satisfaction! But typically I leave around a 20% tip. When my twins were little and made large messes at a restaurant I left even better tips. Back when I had more hair, I tipped the barber well. If I have a lot of bags, I will tip a bellhop well. I refuse though, to leave a tip in one of those jars that are popular now that have the sign "Tips Appreciated".

[Tom]

I tip 15-20% IF the service is good. IF the service is BAD,I still tip.....only a penny though. Tom

[Mariner Fan]

We tip 20%. It's a decent tip and easy for us to figure out.

[MrRadi8]

Having both the wife and I lived the other side of it, I'm a good tipper in the 15-20% or better range for service that deserves it. I neither desire nor require you to kiss my ass or jump though hoops, but I'm out to have a good time. Don't bring your issues to my table and I won't give you mine when I'm conversing with you. And I don't hold the server accountable for what happens in the kitchen. I'm not a jerk at the table though. They are my server, not my servant.

 

I also make it a point to speak to management when it is terrible. If the manager doesn't know there is a problem, then they can't fix it. I also make it a point to tell the manager when I've had fantastic service. They always hear from the complaining customer so I feel it's nice to give them accolades when appropriate.

[Snarley Bill]

i always tip 20% and i hate it.i don't like tipping at all.it's not that i'm cheap,it's a pain in the butt.i would rather the people that serve me get paid more and i'll pay more for the service.why should i have to bribe some one to do a good job washing my car ,or giving me a decent hair cut.the hardest workers are the waitresses and waiters .they need to get paid more.and if they do a lousy job of serving you tell the management.when it comes to food with me money is no object.i don't care how much it costs if i get good service and a good meal.just my 2 cents plus tips.lol

[Freebird]

I always give a nice tip to the lady who cuts my hair. She does a good job and gives a GREAT head massage. I really don't care how good the haircut is, she is HOT.

[Snarley Bill]

I always give a nice tip to the lady who cuts my hair. She does a good job and gives a GREAT head massage. I really don't care how good the haircut is, she is HOT.

hey don, now thats another situation.never thought of it that way,.trouble is a guy, does mine. i bet your wife does yours.lol , bill

[hig4s]

Well, I usually tip 10% plus the round up to the nearest dollar. I know some don't like this, but I do not see why anyone should be tipping 20% unless it was something really special.

 

I also, when ever I have cash tip in cash as the government taxes service industry people on their tips by looking at gratuities on credit cards nationwide and taxing the average. Every time you leave no tip on the card and tip cash you help the entire industry.

 

Employers should be required to pay a reasonable amount. Restaurant or not minimum wage should be minimum wage IMHO. If we keep going the way we are now tips will be up to 30 or 40% and service employees will soon be taking positions for no pay just to get the tips. We are in effect pushing the the service industry to be legalized beggars.

[SilvrT]

Well, I usually tip 10% plus the round up to the nearest dollar. I know some don't like this, but I do not see why anyone should be tipping 20% unless it was something really special.

 

I also, when ever I have cash tip in cash as the government taxes service industry people on their tips by looking at gratuities on credit cards nationwide and taxing the average. Every time you leave no tip on the card and tip cash you help the entire industry.

 

Employers should be required to pay a reasonable amount. Restaurant or not minimum wage should be minimum wage IMHO. If we keep going the way we are now tips will be up to 30 or 40% and service employees will soon be taking positions for no pay just to get the tips. We are in effect pushing the the service industry to be legalized beggars.

 

I'm with you... I'm ok with 10%...maybe even 15% and doing it in cash but again, I will only tip if the service is good and frankly, that's not hard to determine these days because in general, good service more often than not, doesn't exist. I'm also a believer of paying these folks better wages and doing away with this tipping thing simply because too many expect to be tipped. Tipping as it is now is not the same as it was 30 or more years ago. What we had then was a whole lot cheaper so 20% wasn't such a big deal. For example, 30 yrs ago, 4 people could go out for dinner for $25 total. A tip of $5 would have been a good tip. Today, ya can hardly have dinner by yourself for $25 so is it reasonable to give the server $5 on top of that? And where do ya stop? Today it wouldn't be uncommon to go out for dinner and drinks at let's say a fancy Japanese Steak house with 3 other people and rack up a tab of $200-$300. So, is a tip of $60 (20% of $300) reasonable??? Not in my book...so where does one draw the line? I draw it at generally 10% to a maximum of $10 coz I don't think anyone deserves $20, $30 or more as a tip for serving me and my 3 guests $300 worth of food and drinks, especially when I'm paying more because it's a "fancy" joint.

[mini-muffin]

I've always been a good tipper. Around here we only have a few decent places to eat, and at one point most of the waiter's and waitress' were kids my daughter new from school. If we knew the kids and they did a good job we gave a really good tip towards a tank of gas, most of the kids were in college. I don't tip that well now, but I taught the muffinman how to tip.

Mind you we got great service when the kids new they'd get about a tank of gas out of it.

 

Margaret

[Midrsv]

I usually tip in the 15% to 20% range depending on how the check rounds up and I then I adjust from there depending on the level of service. The thing I hate are the places that add a 15% gratuity for large parties. The servers get shortchanged there because most people tip more. And, I find that the service isn't as good in those cases because the server knows the tip is already earned when the order is placed. Last summer while in Jackson Hole we ate at fairly expensive restaurant, the Cadillac Ranch I think and had horrible service. We had a large party and we refused to pay it. The manager started getting huffy with us and said that the tip was a requirement just like the other resaurants in town. I calmly asked him if he would expect me to pay for a meal that wasn't served and of course he said no. I then explained to him that he was asking us to pay for service that wasn't received, case closed.

 

DT

[SilvrT]

I've always been a good tipper. Around here we only have a few decent places to eat, and at one point most of the waiter's and waitress' were kids my daughter new from school. If we knew the kids and they did a good job we gave a really good tip towards a tank of gas, most of the kids were in college. I don't tip that well now, but I taught the muffinman how to tip.

Mind you we got great service when the kids new they'd get about a tank of gas out of it.

 

Margaret

 

It's a whole different ball game when you live in a small town and everyone knows everyone (so to speak). I've lived in small places too and can relate to what you're saying. One tends to be more generous in those situations. But, I've also noticed that even if you don't tip a lot, those people who know you will still give you good service (unless of course they don't like you LOL). Seems smaller towns tend to be more "service oriented" and friendly than big citys like here.

[Older...]

The last place we went and had a less than satisfactory meal was the Roadhouse. My carrots were so hard they were raw. I asked for the manager, and believe it or not she said it was cooked to their specifications and policy guidelines. It wasn’t the waitress’s fault so we tipped her our normal 20%. The wife’s meal was outstanding, and all drinks were cold. Bottom line is we will not be back to Roadhouse unless we’re invited with another couple to join them. Not because of the food, but because of management’s attitude.

[hig4s]

I usually tip in the 15% to 20% range depending on how the check rounds up and I then I adjust from there depending on the level of service. The thing I hate are the places that add a 15% gratuity for large parties. The servers get shortchanged there because most people tip more. And, I find that the service isn't as good in those cases because the server knows the tip is already earned when the order is placed. Last summer while in Jackson Hole we ate at fairly expensive restaurant, the Cadillac Ranch I think and had horrible service. We had a large party and we refused to pay it. The manager started getting huffy with us and said that the tip was a requirement just like the other resaurants in town. I calmly asked him if he would expect me to pay for a meal that wasn't served and of course he said no. I then explained to him that he was asking us to pay for service that wasn't received, case closed.

 

DT

 

There was a case in NJ this year where a large party got bad service and refused to pay the gratuity that was added on. The person ended up being arrested for failure to pay the bill, and went to jail for a night, then went to court where the judge ruled you cannot force someone to pay a gratuity. I believe there was a civil suit against the owner for making a false claim of non-payment (the guy paid everything but the gratuity) and that the owner ended up losing the restaurant, but I'm not positive about that.

 

Just as a note, if you go to Disney with a large party, they do not add a gratuity, they add a service charge for large parties. That you have to pay.

[jneed53]

Having spent the overwhelming portion of my life in the restaurant business (43 years) I know how the servers rely on tips. Until the recent minimum wage increase the usual rate of pay for these folks was $2.13/hr. In some places they have to pay a portion of their net sales to a pool that is disbursed to bartenders, bussers, do ho's, and such. Granted, if the service is subpar a good tip is not warranted. I also understand that many things we ry to hold servers accountable are not really in their control. Food coming out slowly is a function of a kitchen either getting slammed with a huge rush at once or understaffing. If I discern that the server(s) are just screwing around and not taking care of business I will adjust my generosity accordingly and also comment to a manager. I tend to be a liberal tipper when the service exceeds expectations. Also do not forget the pizza delivery guys. They are driving their own vehicles and burning their own gas. I never tip less than $5 to those people. If the order is late it is usually not their fault. Been there all too often helping out. I'm gonna get off the soap box now.

[Marcarl]

Let's see, a good waitress\waiter, works one hour, serves four tables minimum, 2 people per table, minimum, $25.00 per person, that's eight times twenty five equals $200.00, times a minimum of 10% equals $20.00 per hour minimum plus their wages, ok, when do we start tipping butchers?

I tip but only if the serve deserves it. If I have to wait and wait and wait and then wait for my bill to show, sorry you've taken tooo much of my time already, and if they auto add it, well I always have to wonder why.

Now I don't travel so that part of it I can't speak to, but it just wants me to stay home more.

[hipshot]

Having spent the overwhelming portion of my life in the restaurant business (43 years) I know how the servers rely on tips. Until the recent minimum wage increase the usual rate of pay for these folks was $2.13/hr. In some places they have to pay a portion of their net sales to a pool that is disbursed to bartenders, bussers, do ho's, and such. Granted, if the service is subpar a good tip is not warranted. I also understand that many things we ry to hold servers accountable are not really in their control. Food coming out slowly is a function of a kitchen either getting slammed with a huge rush at once or understaffing. If I discern that the server(s) are just screwing around and not taking care of business I will adjust my generosity accordingly and also comment to a manager. I tend to be a liberal tipper when the service exceeds expectations. Also do not forget the pizza delivery guys. They are driving their own vehicles and burning their own gas. I never tip less than $5 to those people. If the order is late it is usually not their fault. Been there all too often helping out. I'm gonna get off the soap box now.

 

i have to agree, here, with you , jon.

i too was in the restaurant business for a while.

hated it.

nowadays, though, if the restaurant has an "automated menu", that goes straight to the kitchen(the touch screen type), the wait person is charged 8%tax on every ticket.so if the bill for four people comes to fifty bucks, and you only tip10 bucks, then the waitperson loses $4.00 of that tip, right off the bat!

just jt

[Redneck]

I always leave a tip I am not real picky if they do a decent job they deserve a tip if they do a way above average job I reward them for the extra effort. I have been known to leave a penny if the service is really bad I want them to know I did not forget and I was not happy.

[Eugene]

The small town living has been mentioned and that's where I am. I usually tip in the 20% range and, like most, if the service sucks - no tip.

I also hate the "tip jars" and I especially hate those restaurants that have a built in gratuity on the menu (usually in the larger cities). In those places, I do not eat - I just walk out as I refuse to leave a tip before getting served - I think that's a bit arrogant! I, like some previous posters, worked in a restaurant and I appreciated a decent tip for decent service!

[Eugene]

ps - for those who don't know a TIP means To Insure Promptness and was first used many moons ago BEFORE being served and to ensure a good table.

[Gray Ghost]

I have had two sons deliver pizzas. The areas with the more expensive homes were always the lousiest tippers, some not even tipping at all. Of course they were also the first to raise cain if they perceived there to be any problems. My youngest now works in a local steak house. Wages are $2 something an hour plus tips. For me, as long as the service is decent, I tip 20% and usually round that up so that it comes to an even dollar amount.

 

Yep meals are more expensive than they were thirty years ago. But then again, in 1975 I was making $300 a month as a Sergeant in the Army. I am proud to be able to afford to pay a 20% tip, and don't want to go back to the "good" old days.