Thoughts on tipping?

[Frs x3]

I'll tip generously when service is adequate but when the waiter/waitress is completely absent then I'll leave nothing. Don't get me wrong, I realize that most servers income is from tipping but I believe one should earn it.

[MonoRaven]

I agree they should earn it and if the service is really bad I never leave nothing, they might think I just forgot. Instead I leave a nice note on the receipt letting them know why they didn't get a tip or sometimes just tell them they need to find another job.
Also really bad service can also land you a free meal if you complain to the manager after you are done eating.
But if I get outstanding service they will get a nice tip and I will be sure and let the manager know what a good job they did. I know managers usually only hear complaints and it's really good to hear positives once in awhile.

[MokSpeed]

My opinion on tipping:


I tip based on service as well. I do believe as a customer you are not required to tip. However, should you choose to dine like this you are required to disclose this to your server at the beginning of your meal. That way there is no false incentive for your server to provide any additional service outside of the bare minimum. Should you choose to simply dine in expecting excellent service fully knowing you're not going to tip then you are just a cheap ass.

[Ultramaroon]

I waited tables for a bit in college. It's no picnic and I know how much a good tip is appreciated. If the service is lousy I tip the standard, maybe a little less but I follow up with a polite discussion with the shift manager or maybe even the wait person if it feels appropriate.

People that know me also know I'm a pretty gregarious person in public. I'm extra generous if, on top of decent service, the wait(er/ress) isn't afraid to dish it back to me. I just love good sharp banter.

[justatroll]

Originally Posted by MokSpeed

... I do believe as a customer you are not required to tip. However, should you choose to dine like this you are required to disclose this to your server at the beginning of your meal. ....

You are kidding right?
I would never do that.
Unless you WANT a little "something special" in your meal.

My policy is to never complain or ask for anything to be fixed until AFTER I have all of my food. I will typically just live with something wrong unless it is just not edible.

And even then, I rarely ever accept anything that has been 'remedied'.

I just got back (literally) from Outback where I ordered the steak and crab cake.
The picture on the menu, had huge chunks of crab falling out of a beautifully cooked crab cake.
What we got looked more like a mushy lump of mashed potatoes with nothing whatsoever that looked like crab in it.

I just told the waiter that was unacceptable, showed him the picture in the menu, and asked that it be taken off the tab.
I did not want any other food to compensate.

[Kiske]

I hate the idea of tipping. That being said I always do it.

I just think it is absolutly ridiculous to expect me to tip more than I make in an hour for 2-5min of there time... especially if it isn't good service.

[whip]

Where I live servers make half of the minimum wage per hour, and all of their hourly money is taken by taxes. They literally get 1 cent on their pay checks, (because legally they have to receive something) and therefore are totally dependent on the tips they receive to pay bills, get gas, eat, etc. if you are the type of person that doesn't like to tip, don't go out. You will not make any difference in the tipping culture of the USA, and you're likely just screwing somebody out of the money they need. I agree that tipping is a strange concept, but it's the culture of this country and servers depend on it to survive. Acceptable tip is %15, anything lower is literally insulting unless you received terrible service. A good tip is %20, and you should consider that before you go out. If you can't afford to tip or are just stubbornly refusing (like mr. Pink in reservoir dogs) you should learn how to cook for yourself, or go to mcdonalds.

[Teseo]

I dont give tipps because need money for car parts, unless the waitress gave me her number

[FnFast]

I served for 8 years. It was my main income through the later years of high school & college. I tend to only serve at non-corporate restaurants like Cheesecake factory, Applebees, etc.

I do tip well, especially, if my dining experience was more than just receiving my food. The minimum tip is for someone who I see not even busy, but just lazy is when I will give 10%.

A server that is extremely busy, hustling, running around and doing their best.... still give 15-20%.... they must me working for the amount of 2 people because someone called off and rather loose $50 a shift than go through hell again.

[Muaddib]

It is not my fault that those people work at places that the employer sucks the living life outta you. If you feel like you are not getting compensated enough. Feel free to find another job.

[Cole]

I top between 8 and upwards of 25%. All depends on the level of service provided. If my waitstaff is bad, I leave a bad tip, simple as that. I shouldn't need to remind them that they should do a better job.

Though, whenever I give them my order, and they don't write it down, I remember that. If ANYTHING in that order is wrong, I'm automatically tipping less, regardless of how the service is. If you can't get orders right because you don't feel like writing them down, you're obviously bad at your job and a low tip should be a reminder that you shouldn't do things off memory.

[pushrod]

I only tip because it's a social norm and I don't want my food spat in. I'd rather pay more for the food/service itself and know they're compensated fairly.

I also have an inverted tipping scale with females. The hotter she is, the less she gets. I do this because every other schmuck out there does the opposite. I don't get the reasoning behind tipping a hot waitress anyways. It's not like she's going to corner you on your way out and say "hey baby, thanks for the extra $4, what are you doing later?".

[JellyForSale]

I work in retail, I like @Ultramaroon know that shit really does just happen sometimes, so unless they are verbally abusive, they will get the 20% standard no matter what. Slow to deliver food is not always the waitstaff's fault, so I tend to blame the restaraunt, not my server for that.

I'm a line cook. Servers should get paid proper wages, instead of having to rely on tips.

I also think tipping is bullshit because line cooks generally work their asses off, more so than some of the servers I see, and typically don't make half of what a server makes in terms of tipout or overall pay. I overhear some servers walking out with 200 bucks a night, I'm lucky to get anywhere near 100 in a WEEK. This varies from restaurant to restaurant obviously. But what stays the same is the bullshit idea of tipping. Pay people properly and you won't have an issue.