Cheap tippers tick me off

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The so-called tipping trick is to double the tax amount, instead of tipping on the post-tax total. So, essentially, CNBC's big revelation to save yourself money is at the expense of your server. Tip less, they're saying. No #, that will save you money, but it's also, uhh...rude?!

Many hundreds of years ago I was a waitress. I was a good one, but man did that job suck. I wish we were more like the European system where you don't tip and servers get a wage.
One of the things I pounded in my kids head was never to do work that relied on the generosity of others, ever. Thank God they listened to me.

Some people go out to eat and never tip, doesn't matter what the service is. Some people will only tip if the person serves them
like a king. Then there are a very few people that are decent and tip a normal amount. I'm an awesome tipper, very rarely do I go below 20%

Some people say they shouldn't have to supplement the restaurant on their workers wages. Sure, but we all know it doesn't work that way, at least in America. If you don't want to pay for the service stay home and serve yourself.

I've never done anything, but I know many waiters and waitresses that
remember people that stiff them, some even keep a log.

We never stiff someone.

However, standard service gets the standard tip. Poor service gets less than that. Outstanding service gets an outstanding tip. We make allowances though. If a place is clearly getting slammed and the service is slow, getting slammed is getting slammed. It's understandable.

I recall this one guy who used to wait at one of the restaurants we eat at. His service was always impeccable. He also always earned an outstanding tip.

a reply to: ketsuko

We kinda go by a simple rule, since both of us have waited tables before.

Crappy service is 10% of the bill.

Standard service is 20% of the bill.

Outstanding service is the same as the bill.



ETA... if the place is slammed we obviously will make allowances for that... the wait staff is not in charge of number of employees and someone calling in sick.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm the most generous tipper you can imagine with good staff. Even the average server usually gets an above average tip from me.

I have never stiffed a server. If I'm getting exceptionally bad service, I will tell management why I'm leaving--and that's only ever happened 2-3 times in my whole life.

I get seriously offended by people who don't tip. This is why I don't eat out with co-workers and such. I can't believe how many people think leaving 1 dollar for 4 people on an 80 dollar check is acceptable.

Lucky me, we don't tip , even the taxi driver doesn't get tips. Thank goodness for the Asian culture, but I understand now in the large cities here they put the service charge on the bill.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I get seriously offended by people who don't tip. This is why I don't eat out with co-workers and such. I can't believe how many people think leaving 1 dollar for 4 people on an 80 dollar check is acceptable.

I ate with a large group. My friend said she wasn't leaving a tip because my tip should cover hers too.

As an Aussie, we just do not have a tippy society.

I fail to understand how tips are necessary when the staff are paid the minimum wage.

Great service may get tipped here but otherwise we don't.

How do the bosses get around not paying the minimum wage.

I believe in celebrating the differences in cultures, but this one is hard for me to understand.

P

a reply to: JAGStorm

I worked as a server, bartender and eventually managed at a country club.

I always tip because I remember the grind, and I tip well as long as I can tell there is genuine effort. I never go low.

A folk lore goes that tip or tips is actually an acronym. To ensure promptness or to ensure prompt service. Whether or not that's true, the concept works, and that is to offer part up front as a show of good faith to ensure good service. If you get good service throw them a good bone at the end too.

I typically only do it if I can tell a place is busy to help my odds.

originally posted by: pheonix358
As an Aussie, we just do not have a tippy society.

I fail to understand how tips are necessary when the staff are paid the minimum wage.

Great service may get tipped here but otherwise we don't.

How do the bosses get around not paying the minimum wage.

I believe in celebrating the differences in cultures, but this one is hard for me to understand.

P

As OP said, this isn't about questioning why and wherefore and comparing cultures. Believe me I don't understand either why the service industry is allowed to pay below min. wage on the hopes that tips will cover their staff's wages.

It is what it is. And just because you don't agree with it or don't understand it doesn't mean it's okay to not tip good service.

If you're an American living in the USA or just visiting, you better leave a tip. Otherwise you may as well just spit on the server and take a dump on the table.

originally posted by: musicismagic
Lucky me, we don't tip , even the taxi driver doesn't get tips. Thank goodness for the Asian culture, but I understand now in the large cities here they put the service charge on the bill.

I refuse to eat anywhere that automatically adds the tip to the bill. F'em, you get a crappy server in a sushi bar bringing you the wrong stuff, wrong amounts and always way late, they deserve a pot in the ass, not a tip. We did get crappy servers like this, $270 bill, $50 of it was tip for lousy, seriously lousy service.

I have actually tipped 4 times the bill, when the waiter was really good and fixed kitchen order problems.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: pheonix358

Here they have to pay minimum wage if the tips don't meet it, granted benefits are rare.

It does create a self performing attitude where hunger hypothetically gets rewarded if you can perform. Work at a higher end restaurant and handle many tables well... 2,000 in tickets at 15% is 300 dollars. That's concervative and implies you do 300 in tickets an hour for six hours.

You can stack some serious coin during the evening hours while you got something else going on during the day on weekdays.

I get where you're coming from, but you could still make a life out of it here, but I wouldn't suggest it.

I go by the standard 20%. My rule is, never blame the waiter/waitress for a under performing meal, they didn't cook it. If your going to go out and spend a hundred or more on dinner, pay the guy/gal 20 bucks, they make minimum. However I have given 5 bucks to a few who we're just terrible.

a reply to: Sabrechucker

I go by the standard 20%. My rule is, never blame the waiter/waitress for a under performing meal, they didn't cook it.

Unless I was in the weeds I checked my food before it went out.

Made sure it was accurate to my ticket and if I was doing my rounds to the kitchen quick I expected that the chef's staff didn't let anything sit in the window while they build a ticket.

If you got a steak I'd throw on a vinyl glove and make sure it was cooked as ordered by lightly pressing it. I got tipped well because things were right.

originally posted by: pheonix358
As an Aussie, we just do not have a tippy society.

I fail to understand how tips are necessary when the staff are paid the minimum wage.

Great service may get tipped here but otherwise we don't.

How do the bosses get around not paying the minimum wage.

I believe in celebrating the differences in cultures, but this one is hard for me to understand.

P

In America, in some places (maybe all but I'm too lazy to look it up- I know where I live that the following is the case), the server's wage is less than 2 dollars an hour. It's the standard server wage in the DC/northern Virginia area. So there is zero way that a server around here can make a living without tips. They are probably below the poverty line even WITH tips, judging by how most people tip. And again, where I live, minimum wage (though again- servers here don't make minimum wage) is not a liveable wage. When I worked retail as an extra job for a few years, I just hurt for the kids who worked there 40 hours a week. They got $11/hour, which here is a good wage for retail. These kids had to live in places with 6 or 7 roommates and they still had zero money.

What's the minimum wage in Australia??

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: ketsuko

We kinda go by a simple rule, since both of us have waited tables before.

Crappy service is 10% of the bill.

Standard service is 20% of the bill.

Outstanding service is the same as the bill.



ETA... if the place is slammed we obviously will make allowances for that... the wait staff is not in charge of number of employees and someone calling in sick.

The penny tip is the worst!

Before I went into nursing. I worked at a very successful downtown Austin 6th Street bar( fire department would come to check occupancy- that is how busy we were) as a cocktail waitress; then they decided to serve a full menu during busy cocktail times. It was insane trying to navigate a huge tray of food through the crowd. Even drinks had to be carried above your head with your arms outstretched balancing a dozen drinks in the air. I got a penny tip one time at a food table; I don't blame them though- I did do my best.

I still tip well because I remember how it was. I don't know what hourly wage is now for a waitress or waiter; it was $2 and some change in the 90's.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Even if the service is shippy (for no discernible reason like low on staff, etc), I'll still almost always tip between 15-20%. If it's average to good I'll tip 20% plus. This system we have in the US where servers have to rely on tips is crazy. And most people think that they get a regular wage before tips- they don't realize that no, they legit get a wage of like $1.79 an hour.

Some people are still shippy tippers even when they know about the $1.79.

I grew up with parents who used tips to make a statement to the server. My dad's thing was, if the service was poor (and he often thought it was poor), he would leave a tip of a penny. And he would do it loudly, too. He would clunk the penny down on the table and keep the tip of his finger on that penny while raising his chin and saying loudly, "I am leaving a penny tip." Mortifying.

So, because I grew up with that, I always tip at least decently.

It's weird, though- and maybe just a part of that generation- that my dad and mom were such awful and judgemental tippers, because in the rest of life theybare compassionate and incredibly giving.

If I'm dating a guy and he is a cheap tipper? The river goes dry for me, INSTANTLY. Quickest way to turn me off is to tip cheaply.

ETA: To Onlyyouknow: OMG, you must have served my dad! 😂 I'm so sorry.

a reply to: Onlyyouknow

Being a waitress as a second or sometimes third job got me where I am now.

I've been not tipped for the food (I didn't do that), steadily tipped 2% by an older couple that I always took care of and once I got a $100 dollar tip from a guy that brought me to tears.

I needed that so much not just monetarily, but mentally at the time.

It was one of the high points in my life.

So now when $100 doesn't mean the difference between decent food for the kids or the electric bill, I figure I'm just helping make the next person like myself.

Remember where you came from.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I worked at a TGIF's when I was 16 or 17, not a ton of experience. I was part time, playing hockey mostly but, it does go both ways. If I remember correctly we we're tipped a percentage of the servers nightly total. A restaurant shift needs to be an all in effort.

a reply to: Sabrechucker

I get it and when people work hard they should be rewarded. No matter where it's at in that industry people are working their tails off. People working a double can easily walk five miles.

There does come a point where you get to uperscale places and induviduality can make people and the establishment shine.

I had the benefit of working with members only, I knew everyone by name and their tendencies. You had some people who wanted to hear the deals, and others who wanted to hear the specials.... Best to know who wants which so you don't waste your time or theirs.

Get to know chef, what's he got fresh quality stuff he needs to get rid of before it's not. Know your people who want to be offered something other people don't get offered. Win win. Know who wants to be talked up, and throw an Andrew Jackson to the new cat who's slow to keep the easy drinks going to the fish while your eyes glance at the mixed drinks of your high rollers.

Mixing the drink? Use cocktail straws to dip and test (this also helps the edge) 😉

It can be a craft, it can feel like an orchestra.... Or a garage band.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Your an Orchestra man!, and full disclosure.. I was fired for stealing a bottle of Jack Daniels sauce. That was some good #