Question: What are your thoughts on "tipping" waiters/waitresses?

[Vinny]

We were at a Cracker Barrel up here a few months ago. There was this table behind us of 3 heavy hitters. The lady wanted to substitute an item on her order for an extra chicken finger. This gets better. As my wife and are going through our tip calcuator to see how much of a tip to leave, we leave at least 20%. The lady after not getting her extra piece of chicken decides to bring her plate to the area where the food staff bring out the food and bellows out "where's my extra piece of chicken" and " I want to see the manager". My wife didn't want to leave because this was getting better than anything that we would see on TV. The manager came over and all the complaining began. I'm not sure what the outcome was, but I have a feeling this group ended up eating for free.

 

[ValuJet]

I'm a Hilton Honors Diamond Member. I've had one complaint and it was a DUMP of a Hampton in Batesville, MS. It was not an original Hampton....some sort of dump hotel that Hampton bought, did a fair remodel, but the manager doesn't do maintenance very well. Anyhoo.....I complained about dirt and bugs in the wall HVAC unit, ladybugs in the room and bed, the hat rack fell off, the ballast in the bathroom buzzed and flickered. Each item, individually, was no big deal but the room had ALL the issues at once.

The manager didn't offer ANYTHING. No comp, no refreshments, nothing. So when I did my survey like I always do, I told the truth. No exaggerations, just the truth. I got a call from Customer Service and I think they gave me some points or something.

I say all that, somewhat jokingly, to say that Hampton doesn't always comp you a room!

What the hell were you doing in Batesville?

 

[It's On A Slab]

I'm a Hilton Honors Diamond Member. I've had one complaint and it was a DUMP of a Hampton in Batesville, MS. It was not an original Hampton....some sort of dump hotel that Hampton bought, did a fair remodel, but the manager doesn't do maintenance very well. Anyhoo.....I complained about dirt and bugs in the wall HVAC unit, ladybugs in the room and bed, the hat rack fell off, the ballast in the bathroom buzzed and flickered. Each item, individually, was no big deal but the room had ALL the issues at once.

The manager didn't offer ANYTHING. No comp, no refreshments, nothing. So when I did my survey like I always do, I told the truth. No exaggerations, just the truth. I got a call from Customer Service and I think they gave me some points or something.

I say all that, somewhat jokingly, to say that Hampton doesn't always comp you a room!

Hampton Inn has a full-refund policy...at least now it does. I complained about the smoke emanating out of the rooms on supposedly non-smoking floor at the Hampton Inn in Clinton, MS......the mgr called me and offered to refund my entire two nights' stay. I told him, that was my only complaint and it was more of an advice.....for the site to go smoke-free llike every other chain is now going. I was impressed nonetheless.

Dont get me started on Doubletree. I had a bad experience there (loud drunks on the hallway all night long).....and was basically told "tough ####" by the mgt. and the corporate management. They didn't even offer a discount breakfast or some sort of customary relief. I'll never stay at a Doubletree again.

 

[Bamaro]

Are you folks figuring these percentages before or after taxes? There are places where taxes add on more than 10% to your bill.

Before tax

 

[bamanut_aj]

What the hell were you doing in Batesville?

LOL....wondered the same thing!

No, I was on a new construction job in Oakland, MS and Batesville was the closest Hilton family hotel. Good dining choices in Batesville, for the most part, but that Hampton was horrid.

 

[bamanut_aj]

Hampton Inn has a full-refund policy...at least now it does. I complained about the smoke emanating out of the rooms on supposedly non-smoking floor at the Hampton Inn in Clinton, MS......the mgr called me and offered to refund my entire two nights' stay. I told him, that was my only complaint and it was more of an advice.....for the site to go smoke-free llike every other chain is now going. I was impressed nonetheless.

Dont get me started on Doubletree. I had a bad experience there (loud drunks on the hallway all night long).....and was basically told "tough ####" by the mgt. and the corporate management. They didn't even offer a discount breakfast or some sort of customary relief. I'll never stay at a Doubletree again.

oh, yeah, they do have that policy in place, but I didn't ask for it, and it would take unbearable conditions for me to do so. They DID come and replace the ballast, fix the coat rack, clean out the HVAC the next day. I felt the mgr should have at least offered SOMETHING, but since she didn't I figured the best way to handle it was with my survey.

 

[dayhiker]

Heh! If you're in the restaurant from "Pulp Fiction" and the Buddy Holly look alike takes your order, I think "What'll ya have, buddy?" would be OK.

A $5 milkshake is not as shocking as it was in '93, is it?

 

[ValuJet]

A $5 milkshake is not as shocking as it was in '93, is it?

You'd probably do good to even find a $5 milkshake today!

 

[BamaJeff]

If the waiter/waitress was friendly, brought me what I ordered, and checked in on my table from time to time, I would leave a tip. I don't demand 5 star service.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I'm not trying to bring the tip amount down, but I have certain standards that must be met before I lay extra money on the table. In that light, let's just remember what tips stands for: To Insure Proper Service.

It originally meant "To Insure PROMPT Service."

 

[Jon]

15% for service
10% for poor service

20% to much more for good to great service

waited tables and cooked through college so I always tip well and always on the full bill

Most people do not know that the Government taxes servers on the assumption of 15% of sales so if the waiter doesn't earn 15% on their sales for the night they are taking a hit.

If I use a coupon or get comped anything I tip my usual percentage against what my bill would be, not what my bill ends up being. Got a Groupon for $40 of food for $20 somewhere recently. Total bill ended up like $35 with Alcohol etc so I tipped against $55 rather than $35.

J

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Like I said. It is rare that I don't leave a tip. Normally I can say we get "tippable" service. But there have been those times that a waiter/waitresse's attitude has rubbed me in such a way that I simply refused to give a tip. We were at Cantina Laredo here in town which is a slightly upper scale Mexican Restaurant. Someone's attitude is a big deal with me. We were there with a party of 6 and everyone was in a very "chipper"/good mood. I'm not sure if this girl was having a bad day or what but her demeanor and attitude toward us the entire time was cold, disengaged and less than personable. Her actual service was a bit less than what I would call "the expected standard" but combine that with her attitude there was no way in the world I was going to leave her a tip. As much as people in this field use "I only get paid $2.13/hour and I depend on those tips to pay bills etc.", If it was that important, no matter how I felt I'd be dang sure I'd put my best foot forward. When I worked for Harrah's Entertainment our Food & Beverage Managers use the motto to all their employees. "Leave your personal problems in the parking lot."

 

[cbi1972]

I was at a Johnny Carino's with my girlfriend one weekend night and the waiter was really nervous. He let us know that it was his first night waiting tables, ever, and we tried to put him at ease. It was extremely busy, though, and naturally the service wasn't great, and he was apologetic for slow refills, but we were in no hurry. We overheard another table, a large one, really giving him hell, over everything you can possibly think of, even stuff that wasn't his fault, and it was making him a wreck. I could tell they weren't going to give him a tip, and he seemed like a nice guy doing his best, so he got an extra $20 from me, plus a handwritten note blasting the other customers.

 

[uafan4life]

Wow, some of people are cheapskates.



Here are my 10 Rules for Tipping:

1. However you tip, be consistent in how you figure your tip. (As for tipping based on pre-tax or post-tax totals - I know a lot of people say to tip pre-tax, but I tip post-tax. That's just me.)
2. When you tip, your are tipping for the service you received - consider only your tip, not the other patrons' tips. Most places either do not share tips or share a relatively small portion of their tips - see dwarrior's earlier post.
3. Tip your waiter. Your tip is not for the kitchen or the bus staff. Your tip is purely for the wait staff, specifically the wait service. The price on the menu is for the rest of the staff.
4. Tip according to how well they did their job. The server's (waiter's, waitresses') job is to take your order, brink you drinks, bring you food, and make sure that you have what you need to enjoy the meal. If you have a problem and you do not inform your server, then that is your problem and not their problem. It should not affect your tip. Neither should the condition of your food, with the exception of all the food at your table being cold. Even that should be brought to the attention of your server. If your burger/steak/whatever is over-cooked or under-cooked then that is not your server's fault. You should bring it to their attention and they will do what they can to fix it. If they can't, then a manager should be able to. As long as the server does what they can to fix the problem, then that problem should not affect your tip.
5. Don't be a cheapskate. In my opinion, the minimum tip for acceptable service should be 15% or $2.00 per person at the table, including children, whichever is greater.
6. Be prepared to tip big. You should tip at least 25% for great service. Some say 20%. As a former server, I say 25%. You should also factor in a great-service tip when considering where to eat or what to order. If leaving a $10 tip on a $40 order for two people seems too much to you, then eat at a cheaper restaurant.
7. Be prepared for a big bill. Your tip % schedule should not go down the more expensive the restaurant. However, it is fine to raise your expectations. If a place averages $20 an entree then they should have better servers than the restaurant that averages $10 an entree. What is good and great service at a cheaper restaurant may be only acceptable and good service at a more expensive restaurant, respectively. Again, if you don't want to leave a $25 tip on a $100 order even if you get great service, then eat at a cheaper place.
8. Keep an eye on the clock. There is an "x" factor with regards to your tipping: time. While time should not significantly decrease your tip, it is possible that it should greatly increase your tip. Servers don't make a lot of money at a table. And they can only serve so many tables at a time. For the server, time is most definitely money. The longer you spend at a table, the higher your tip percentage should be. Some people eat slow, some people eat fast. However, as a general rule, it shouldn't take you more than half an hour to eat your food after it arrives. Add another 15 minutes if you then order dessert. If you spend longer than that at a table, you should tip more. If spend another 45 minutes at a table sitting and chatting, and your server continues to serve you even if it is just refilling drinks, then you should probably double your tip. It doesn't matter whether or not there are empty tables nearby. When it is slow, the patrons get divided up among the wait staff, and your server may only have one table. As long as your are sitting there, then you are that one table. A server typically wants to average one hour or less per table. If you sat there for two hours, then you just took up two tables worth as far as the server is concerned, unless it took you an hour to get your food. At that point, your issue should be with the kitchen and the manager, not the server.
9. Be realistic about your expectations. If a server is courteous, comes around to the table often enough to address any needs or issues you have and takes care of them quickly, never leaves your drink empty for more than a minute or two, and takes the time to answer your questions without making it feel like a hassle then that is great service.
10. When in doubt: over-tip.

 

[RedStar]

I grudgingly tip. I hate that I have to do it. It's the restaurants job to pay their employees, not mine.

I say this having worked in the service industry. Trust me, I loved getting tips, I know I made more than minimum wage when tips & pay were combined. I just don't like to tip on principal alone.

I know if somehow restaurants had to pay their employees minimum wage, they'd pass that cost along to us with an increase in meal prices. It just bothers me that the customer is having to pay the employees.

That being said, I still tip. 15-20% for a good experience, and 10% or under for a bad experience. But like others have said, that goes down with the price of a meal. If my meal cost $100, I'm not tipping $15-$20. If my meal cost me $100, then I know the restaurant is making enough to pay their employees minimum wage and at that point, the waiters/waitresses should be asking for higher pay. There's no way a restaurant that charges $7.99 for a hamburger & fries and a rotating restaurant overlooking the river where an entrée is $49.99 should both be paying their employees the same amount.

 

[uafan4life]

I grudgingly tip. I hate that I have to do it. It's the restaurants job to pay their employees, not mine.

I say this having worked in the service industry. Trust me, I loved getting tips, I know I made more than minimum wage when tips & pay were combined. I just don't like to tip on principal alone.

I know if somehow restaurants had to pay their employees minimum wage, they'd pass that cost along to us with an increase in meal prices. It just bothers me that the customer is having to pay the employees.

That being said, I still tip. 15-20% for a good experience, and 10% or under for a bad experience. But like others have said, that goes down with the price of a meal. If my meal cost $100, I'm not tipping $15-$20. If my meal cost me $100, then I know the restaurant is making enough to pay their employees minimum wage and at that point, the waiters/waitresses should be asking for higher pay. There's no way a restaurant that charges $7.99 for a hamburger & fries and a rotating restaurant overlooking the river where an entrée is $49.99 should both be paying their employees the same amount.

Yikes. You should probably expect bad service on your second trip to any nice restaurant.

 

[Jon]

Wow. I can't conceive of the notion of higher costs meals lowering tip percentages. Typically in a higher cost restaurant you are going to get much more experienced wait staff and better service. Plus they are taking much more time with you and therefore getting fewer tables to serve on the night. Standard tipping rules still apply.

I had an $1100 dinner recently, the Tip was $250 on the credit card and an extra $50 in cash out of my own pocket, company gets a little squirly over big tipping on the expense account, but the staff was awesome and deserved the extra cash.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Wow, some of people are cheapskates.



Here are my 10 Rules for Tipping:

1. However you tip, be consistent in how you figure your tip. (As for tipping based on pre-tax or post-tax totals - I know a lot of people say to tip pre-tax, but I tip post-tax. That's just me.)
2. When you tip, your are tipping for the service you received - consider only your tip, not the other patrons' tips. Most places either do not share tips or share a relatively small portion of their tips - see dwarrior's earlier post.
3. Tip your waiter. Your tip is not for the kitchen or the bus staff. Your tip is purely for the wait staff, specifically the wait service. The price on the menu is for the rest of the staff.4. Tip according to how well they did their job. The server's (waiter's, waitresses') job is to take your order, brink you drinks, bring you food, and make sure that you have what you need to enjoy the meal. If you have a problem and you do not inform your server, then that is your problem and not their problem. It should not affect your tip. Neither should the condition of your food, with the exception of all the food at your table being cold. Even that should be brought to the attention of your server. If your burger/steak/whatever is over-cooked or under-cooked then that is not your server's fault. You should bring it to their attention and they will do what they can to fix it. If they can't, then a manager should be able to. As long as the server does what they can to fix the problem, then that problem should not affect your tip.5. Don't be a cheapskate. In my opinion, the minimum tip for acceptable service should be 15% or $2.00 per person at the table, including children, whichever is greater.
6. Be prepared to tip big. You should tip at least 25% for great service. Some say 20%. As a former server, I say 25%. You should also factor in a great-service tip when considering where to eat or what to order. If leaving a $10 tip on a $40 order for two people seems too much to you, then eat at a cheaper restaurant.
7. Be prepared for a big bill. Your tip % schedule should not go down the more expensive the restaurant. However, it is fine to raise your expectations. If a place averages $20 an entree then they should have better servers than the restaurant that averages $10 an entree. What is good and great service at a cheaper restaurant may be only acceptable and good service at a more expensive restaurant, respectively. Again, if you don't want to leave a $25 tip on a $100 order even if you get great service, then eat at a cheaper place.
8. Keep an eye on the clock. There is an "x" factor with regards to your tipping: time. While time should not significantly decrease your tip, it is possible that it should greatly increase your tip. Servers don't make a lot of money at a table. And they can only serve so many tables at a time. For the server, time is most definitely money. The longer you spend at a table, the higher your tip percentage should be. Some people eat slow, some people eat fast. However, as a general rule, it shouldn't take you more than half an hour to eat your food after it arrives. Add another 15 minutes if you then order dessert. If you spend longer than that at a table, you should tip more. If spend another 45 minutes at a table sitting and chatting, and your server continues to serve you even if it is just refilling drinks, then you should probably double your tip. It doesn't matter whether or not there are empty tables nearby. When it is slow, the patrons get divided up among the wait staff, and your server may only have one table. As long as your are sitting there, then you are that one table. A server typically wants to average one hour or less per table. If you sat there for two hours, then you just took up two tables worth as far as the server is concerned, unless it took you an hour to get your food. At that point, your issue should be with the kitchen and the manager, not the server.
9. Be realistic about your expectations. If a server is courteous, comes around to the table often enough to address any needs or issues you have and takes care of them quickly, never leaves your drink empty for more than a minute or two, and takes the time to answer your questions without making it feel like a hassle then that is great service.10. When in doubt: over-tip.

This is where I've gone back and forth on this tippin' thing. If my tip to the waiter is based on their service alone and not for how good or bad the food is that comes from the kitchen then why should my tip amount be based on prices that are inflated based on the quality of the food compared to Chili's or Applebee's? When I go to Ernest in Shreveport (which is a very high end establishment) the menu prices reflect the higher quality of food I will be getting. And it's obvious when you taste it. It is on a different level than if I was to order that same style dish at a place such as Applebee's or Chili's. But if I'm tipping my waiter based on THEIR service alone of how timely they keep drinks refilled, check back into the table etc. then why should someone use the basis of ticket price to determine their tip if the menu price isn't factoring in the service by the wait staff? Because if the prices on the menu also reflected the type of service one would get then there'd be no need to tip. In a since that would be almost like "double dipping". I'm being charged a premium in the menu price for the service I'm getting AND the premium on the quality of food coming from the kitchen. Then on top of that I tip the waiter for his service based on the mark-up that is already included in the menu price for it as well.

My tips for my family's ticket normally range from $3.00 to $5.00 on average. If we get what I call outstanding service I'll give $10. But that's about as high as I'll go no matter what the ticket price is.

 

[RedStar]

Yikes. You should probably expect bad service on your second trip to any nice restaurant.

Maybe so, but I also expect those restaurants to pay their employees accordingly. A waiter/waitress at an upscale restaurant is entitled to more pay (from their employer) than a waiter/waitress at a meat and three restaurant.

 

[Jon]

Maybe so, but I also expect those restaurants to pay their employees accordingly. A waiter/waitress at an upscale restaurant is entitled to more pay (from their employer) than a waiter/waitress at a meat and three restaurant.

yet no matter what you do the restaurant is not going to pay their staff more. Servers get below minimum wage and then are taxed based on 15% of their sales if your bill is $100 the IRS assumes they got a 15$ tip and they are taxed accordingly.