For the record: I don't declinate.

I inhabit.

You?

Indubitably: For the record: I don't declinate.

I inhabit.

You?

Boo.

Let's get this out of the way

Strap in, this could be a monster.

As a waiter at an 'upscale casual' restaurant, when I get a 25% tip I'm ecstatic. Most people tip somewhere between 15-20%.

Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I have no problem with a 25% tip if the service and food is excellent.

But I want it to be my choice.

You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I once knew a mohel that would leave dried infant foreskins under the salt shaker with his tips.
He was actually one of the first SARS fatalities during the 2003 epidemic.

/csb

What!? I'm just an average tipper now? I always thought I was making a waiter's day by tipping 20% if the service was acceptable and offset the douchebags who never tip. But now you're telling me 15% is an insult and 20% is the standard? I'm NOT going to 25%, go fark yourself NYC.

One of my favorite places to eat when I'm visiting our home office in Columbus, Ohio, is a place called the Northstar Cafe. Great food and service, and service is included in the price. What a concept! The credit card receipt doesn't even have a place to write a tip. It's nice.

The concept of tipping in general isn't a problem for me. The problem is this:
We go out to dinner. I order a filet mignon. You order a hamburger. From the server's perspective, he took both of our orders, gave them to the kitchen, then carried a plate to our table. We got the SAME service from the server, but I am expected to pay them more for it. fark that shiat...

Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

This logic doesn't really compute, at least on the value of the dollar part. If the dollar is worth less you are paying more for the food thus you are paying a larger tip on the same percentage.

super_grass: You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

Maybe they're already earning double what most people in the service industry make, thanks to those tips.

Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

Tips are a percentage of the total bill. Servers and bartenders are the only employees in America outside of government employees who get an automatic raise, without tip creep.

Also, servers and bartenders generally significantly more than minimum wage.

I won't be leaving 25% unless it's my choice and I am overly in love with my server and probably snockered. You'll get 15% if you're average and up to 20% if you are good. Average 17%-18%.

The bonus for you servers is I am a dynamite customer! Very personable. Oh yes... it's true! That will help make up for the additional 5% you'll not extract from my hide for the occasional excursion to your restaurant which, in all likelihood, needs all the customers it can get through its doors.

sorry Mr. Waiter, you're getting double the sales tax as a tip. More if I think you did an outstanding job, less if you fark up.

You're Abe Froman? The Sausage King of Chicago?"

No. You're getting 15%. Maybe 20% if you're extraordinary. If you think 15% is insulting you can go fark yourself.

What if I do not want to make a tip, since I am already paying the restaurant for the service and food, and the restaurant is paying the waiter's salary? Oh, would it be illegal then not to do so? I know everyone wants to experience eating out the best foodies in whole wide world, and so am I.

15% rounded up for normal service. With food getting more expensive, the tip goes up with it. I'm certainly not making any more money to be able to give them more money.

ive worked a ton in the service industry and 20% is still mandatory for me unless the server is absolutely awful.
in which case i tip more just to try to make their day better. i know its not my job to do so, but you would have no idea how much it can turn someones day around to get an excessive tip when they know they gave shiat service.
but i have never faulted people or got angry over a 10 to 15% tip, thats just some peoples standards.
its getting stiffed completely that incites rage.

/insert racist service industry joke here, possibly about 'canadians'

I hate tipping- service at a cheap restaurant could be exactly the same as an expensive one, yet I'm supposed to pay more. Let's just charge more for the meal and make service free already.

...Michael Lynn, who examined 9,000 credit card receipts from a Poughkeepsie, N.Y. restaurant, found that more than a third of diners left tips greater than 20 percent.

Wow, my home town raising the bar? Something tells me I wouldn't recognize the place if I went back. (Haven't been back since 1995.)

meanmutton: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

Tips are a percentage of the total bill. Servers and bartenders are the only employees in America outside of government employees who get an automatic raise, without tip creep.

Also, servers and bartenders generally significantly more than minimum wage.

...........after tips?
there are even exemptions from minimum wage for servers and bartenders. its around 4 bucks an hour, or NOT EVEN WORTH SHOWING UP FOR on a slow day.

LordOfThePings: [starwrecked.com image 850x478]

okay, what movie is this? sorry-- just don't know.

super_grass: You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

Are you high? Oh, right...1/2 of the people working in the restaurants were when I worked at a few in college. How about restaurants pay their employees a living wage and adjust their prices accordingly? It's pretty easy to track performance in the service industry, so adjust their hourly rate to reflect it.

I tip the server ten percent, and the buser ten.

Because fark servers.

/ex-buser

Just pay the goddamn waitstaff a goddamn decent goddamn wage and get rid of this goddamn stupid awful f*cking debate once and for all. Why do I have to analyze the global economic situation and balance it against getting my food stink-palmed every time I want a goddamn steak? Why can't I just pay people money for food?

LordOfThePings: [starwrecked.com image 850x478]

No you cannot have ze duck!

/is that the correct movie?

I'll tip on drinks.....food I'll cook at home.

The problem I have with tipping is that servers expect it no matter what they do good or bad. I'd rather the restaurant just pay people a living wage because I'm tired of hearing about tipping. However, then you'd probably get into the whole would they still provide good service if their pay didn't depend on it blah blah blah....don't know why I commented at all now haha

/would still cook at home unless it's a special occasion or a business thing

The Whore Of Mensa: LordOfThePings: [starwrecked.com image 850x478]

okay, what movie is this? sorry-- just don't know.

L.A. Story

Always a lot of butthurt when it comes to the tip.

super_grass: You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

they should man up, get an education and get a real job

skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: ive worked a ton in the service industry and 20% is still mandatory for me unless the server is absolutely awful.
in which case i tip more just to try to make their day better. i know its not my job to do so, but you would have no idea how much it can turn someones day around to get an excessive tip when they know they gave shiat service.
but i have never faulted people or got angry over a 10 to 15% tip, thats just some peoples standards.
its getting stiffed completely that incites rage.

/insert racist service industry joke here, possibly about 'canadians'

Canadians are really bad tippers. Especially the black ones.

Unless I'm in a large party or with people doing separate checks, I ask them to remove the auto-tip. If I'm tipping, it will depend on your level of service. If it is included, just include it in the farking price.


/What happens if you do a negative tip amount?

Snapper Carr: You're Abe Froman? The Sausage King of Chicago?"

Yep, that's me.

poorjon: Just pay the goddamn waitstaff a goddamn decent goddamn wage and get rid of this goddamn stupid awful f*cking debate once and for all. Why do I have to analyze the global economic situation and balance it against getting my food stink-palmed every time I want a goddamn steak? Why can't I just pay people money for food?

The idea behind it is that it encourages good and prompt service. Go to a country that tipping is not the custom and you will see just how little the waitstaff cares about the customer. The Netherlands is especially bad. They simply do not care about the customer. I'm not saying the system is great, but it sure does punish employees who suck.

/perhaps all industries should work on a tipping system

skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: ive worked a ton in the service industry and 20% is still mandatory for me unless the server is absolutely awful.
in which case i tip more just to try to make their day better. i know its not my job to do so, but you would have no idea how much it can turn someones day around to get an excessive tip when they know they gave shiat service.
but i have never faulted people or got angry over a 10 to 15% tip, thats just some peoples standards.
its getting stiffed completely that incites rage.

/insert racist service industry joke here, possibly about 'canadians'

Canadians are really bad tippers. Especially the black ones.

[i0.kym-cdn.com image 380x288]

yes.

/thatsthejoke.jpg
//I know white people slang

i was just making it obvious for those unaware.
hell, i like you, you can come over to my house and fark my sister.
/i dont have a sister

skullkrusher: Scooby Doo can doodoo, but Jimmy Carter is smarter

"Well, Camus can do, but Sartre is smartre!"

I like to have as much in common with black people as possible, so my very large penised self tips very little.

10-20% depending on how good the service is. If it was exceptional and I'm plastered -- maybe more. If you are really good, I'll leave it as a cash tip so you can not declare some of it. If you suck, I'll leave a penny and a reprint from an old Dear Abbey column that discusses what tipping is about. $1 a drink at the pub unless you turn off the juke box, then I get stingy.

You will get 15% and only 15% from me. Next time I visit New York it will be a hoot...

I only tip whores.

Tip the chef. They have a marketable skill.

Tipping exists to benefit the restaurateurs, not the diners and not the wait staff. It does so in two ways:

1) It holds fixed costs down when business is slow, allowing the restaurant to pay waiters a lower base wage. Waiters have to endure lower income during these times and hope they'll make up for it during busier periods. "Tip creep," especially when encouraged by the management in the form of suggestions on menus or gratuities automatically added to the bill, is mainly a way for ownership to avoid having to give staff raises or raise the price of menu items (see "airline fees"). Waiters themselves probably have no say in the matter.

2) It encourages up-selling. That five percent that you think you are adding or subtracting from the tip to reward or punish quality of service most likely goes completely unnoticed by the staff; it's peanuts compared the extra money they make by persuading you to order an extra appetizer or more expensive bottle of wine. This generates more revenue and higher profit margins for the restaurant, just like that super-size popcorn and coke the concessionaires at movie theaters keep pushing on you.

Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

Math fail. You do understand that food is getting more expensive so tips are already going up? 15% of $10 is less that 15% of $20. (I usually tip 20%, rounding up to the nearest dollar, but that's to keep the math simple). What is actually creeping up is waiter expectations. They are negotiating with the public not to spit in their food. Wait staff essentially have a COA built into their wages. As long as things get more expensive their wages go up. Not to bust on waiters, but my brother, for instance, works as a cashier at a supermarket. He doesn't work any less than a waiter and his wages are stagnating. (And through unconscionable wage practices that give a small raise at 6 mo., a year, 2 years, 5 years, etc. that don't adjust for minimum wage unless minimum wage catches up to them, he'll still be making just a little bit over minimum wage). He's been there nearly 20 years.

If you feel bad about the waiters raise their minimum wage. That will protect them from slow nights and help even out their income, and prevent restaurants from staffing more people than they need at slow times when waiters make sh**. If you own a restaurant and you want mandatory tips, build it into your price and then tell people not to tip. You have the power to pay your employees a percentage of what they serve. A mandatory tip is, however, part of the price and should be listed as such under truth in advertising.

Even better yet, increase the earned income tax credit, or even turn it into a full blown negative income tax. A waiter at a real restaurant (I'm not talking about tip jars at Dunkin' Donuts) is probably out-earning just about anyone else at the low end of the job market with similar training.

I don't mean to sound crabby, but I don't like half-a&& solutions. The entire working class is facing economic starvation. Fixing little pieces of it here and there just divides the voting block that could be used to actually fix it and get everyone who is working hard a living wage.

This is how to tip.

PERCENTAGES DO NOT WORK THAT WAY PUNY MORTAL!

skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney:

that's ok, I don't have a penis.

and for the second time in one day


Smeggy Smurf: Tip the chef. They have a marketable skill.

they get paid a livable wage.

harrydorcas: What if I do not want to make a tip, since I am already paying the restaurant for the service and food, and the restaurant is paying the waiter's salary? Oh, would it be illegal then not to do so? I know everyone wants to experience eating out the best foodies in whole wide world, and so am I.

Don't be surprised if you get shiatty ( or no) service at restaurants you frequent. You can complain to the owner, but most of the ones at good restaurants came up through the ranks.

If the staff at the restaurant would just pool their money and buy larger quantities of drugs together, they could probably get a bulk discount. Tip-creep wouldn't be needed, they'd have more money just by spending less.

To my waiters: You will get 10-15% for average service, 15-20% for good service. For too much service, you are just being annoying and tip-mongering, in which case you get knocked back down to 10-15%. If you suck, the most you'll get is a dollar from me. I work unpaid overtime in a very demanding job for my money. You pour glasses of water and carry plates of food. I'll be damned if I give you more than 20% of a regular bill. You might get a higher percentage if I don't order a full meal, or if it's really cheap, or if I linger.

Let me do some math for people who take offense to that. Let's say my group of three or four goes out for modest dinner and spend 75 minutes at a table and rack up a 60 dollar bill. We get good service and leave a 20% tip - 12 dollars. All the other patrons at the restaurant act similarly. Waiter makes 30-40 bucks an hour. We were more than generous, buddy. If you think you deserve more, get a job that contributes something more substantial to society and takes more than a white shirt, black pants, and one day of training.

/Now all the waiters hate me.
//I'm glad, didn't want to eat at your crappy restaurant anyway
///Once saw my dad (a usually generous tipper) leave a dime as a tip. He said, "that's more than she deserves." He was right.

TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I've never contemplated genital cutting, so I'm not sure if I like it or not.

ramblinwreck: super_grass: You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

Are you high? Oh, right...1/2 of the people working in the restaurants were when I worked at a few in college. How about restaurants pay their employees a living wage and adjust their prices accordingly? It's pretty easy to track performance in the service industry, so adjust their hourly rate to reflect it.

Helluva engineer, but a crappy tipper.

15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

kidsizedcoffin: Unless I'm in a large party or with people doing separate checks, I ask them to remove the auto-tip. If I'm tipping, it will depend on your level of service. If it is included, just include it in the farking price.


/What happens if you do a negative tip amount?

The cops are called?

And the Papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the House of Pretension!"

OhioUGrad: . However, then you'd probably get into the whole would they still provide good service if their pay didn't depend on it

Absolutely. I get bad service, I go somewhere else, like I do with every other farking business.

HideMonkey: And the Papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the House of Pretension!"

+1

crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

That would be true if prices haven't been rising at restaurants (which they have). Have you been out lately? $8 for ten chicken wings?

As those prices rise, then the 15% that they get is larger. But since prices go up AND they want a higher percentage, they are basically double dipping.

Restaurants, and anyone one else in the tipped industry, need to raise their prices and pay their workers an acceptable wage. Relying on the kindness of your customer to pay your employee voluntarily is unfair to the worker and the customer.

stonicus: The concept of tipping in general isn't a problem for me. The problem is this:
We go out to dinner. I order a filet mignon. You order a hamburger. From the server's perspective, he took both of our orders, gave them to the kitchen, then carried a plate to our table. We got the SAME service from the server, but I am expected to pay them more for it. fark that shiat...

Exactly. To start with, most any meal takes the same effort for the SERVER, so why do you tip more on one than the other. Same goes with a $8 bottle of wine or a $60 bottle.

And for the cook, many times a cheaper meal is more difficult to make. Order a sandwich vs a steak, a steak is pretty easy to grill, a sandwich can be difficult, yet the steak is 3x more expensive. Same with lobster, throw it in boiling water, it is done.

Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

I usually start at 20% as my default and work my way down. Don't recall ever getting service that warranted less than 15%.

Had lunch at Pappadeaux last weekend and did 25%. Our waiter was awesome, friendly, and helpful.

/ had alligator for the first time.
//critter that ugly and nasty has no right to be so tasty.

25%?....

Two-five...

Twenty-farking-five-farking-percent tacked on to the bill otherwise I feel like a guilty piece of shiat for the rest of the day...

Ok...

O-KAY!

Fine....

You know what? I'm just not going to go out anymore. I'm going to cook at home now, even if it's just ramen farking noodles and a bag of pre-seasoned vegetables boiled-in-a-bag...

Because you know what?

I can't afford it anymore.

and I can't take the guilt.

And YOU GODDAMN AMERICANS!!!!

Are completely and utterly responsible and to blame for all of this horseshiattery!

This horseshiat that servers need tipping, that they can't earn a living wage, and that tipping NEEDS to exist in order for service to be more than a clanging plate dropped on my table and a drink begrudgingly clonked onto my table without spit in it

Is entirely, completely, here and now, in the year 2012, your goddamn fault.

And Canadian servers will get used to the idea...even though they already earn more than minimum wage...
even though they don't have to deal with nearly the amount of stupid, asinine, utterly self-entitled white-bread 40+-white-soccer-mom-in-a-costco-parking-lot entitled bullshiat that is the BLOODY HALLMARK of American dining

"Hi. Can I ask you a question about the coffee? Is it organic? Okay, I don't want it.

I'd like a bowl of boiling hot water. Boiling... With ice. But I don't want the ice to get all tiny.

And then I'll have the turkey burger, but I want it sectioned into fourteen quadrants; I know that's impossible, but do it.

And then not on a plate, I'd like it dropped from an altitude of ten feet, piece by piece, into my hands with an attitude of regret. Thank you so much. I hate to be a pain!"

All I want is a goddamn meal, and MORE than one farking refill for my $17.45 allegedly "bottomless" watered-down-half-moldy-inadequately carbonated goddamn pepsi...

For which I will now pay for the privilege of having it clanged upon my table by a bitter unmarried 30something harpy to the tune of 25% shame-tax.

And Aussies don't have to tip...

But then again, they don't live next to the entitlement capital of the universe, so they didn't have to adapt tipping as a way to get the friggin' kids out of the goddamn kitchen just to do their friggin' jobs!

Markoff_Cheney: meanmutton: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

Tips are a percentage of the total bill. Servers and bartenders are the only employees in America outside of government employees who get an automatic raise, without tip creep.

Also, servers and bartenders generally significantly more than minimum wage.

...........after tips?
there are even exemptions from minimum wage for servers and bartenders. its around 4 bucks an hour, or NOT EVEN WORTH SHOWING UP FOR on a slow day.

Depends on state law. In my state, if a server's tips plus their $2.13/hr doesn't at least come out to be minimum wage, the employer makes up the difference.
As for bartenders, I'm from a tourist beach. They make BANK! But they earn every penny of it.

Oh boy. Another Fark tipping thread....

Transubstantive: poorjon: Just pay the goddamn waitstaff a goddamn decent goddamn wage and get rid of this goddamn stupid awful f*cking debate once and for all. Why do I have to analyze the global economic situation and balance it against getting my food stink-palmed every time I want a goddamn steak? Why can't I just pay people money for food?

The idea behind it is that it encourages good and prompt service. Go to a country that tipping is not the custom and you will see just how little the waitstaff cares about the customer. The Netherlands is especially bad. They simply do not care about the customer. I'm not saying the system is great, but it sure does punish employees who suck.

/perhaps all industries should work on a tipping system


So why in every other job in America your boss monitors your work and if you don't perform you are fired? Why are waiters/waitresses special where they can only perform if they are getting tips, and managers can't evaluate how well they are doing or even if they are doing their job?

Besides, a lot of tips boil down to if the girl is hot and if she is flirty. Get a fat 35 year old woman as a waitress, she can be the best in the world but won't make great tips.

And this whole "tip me or I will fark with your food" bullshiat... yeah, way to make your case!

OhioUGrad: I'll tip on drinks.....food I'll cook at home.

The problem I have with tipping is that servers expect it no matter what they do good or bad. I'd rather the restaurant just pay people a living wage because I'm tired of hearing about tipping. However, then you'd probably get into the whole would they still provide good service if their pay didn't depend on it blah blah blah....don't know why I commented at all now haha

Here's a crazy idea... treat them like the cooks, and busboys, and prep cooks, and dishwashers, and managers, and hostesses... do your job right or your farking fired! Why is that so hard to process?

Sorry I didn't order the Begging Bowl

Hello, Farkers. Some of you like to write 500 (or more) word explanations about your rules for tipping. Most of us don't really have the time to read through your lengthy tirades, but you might be wondering how your speeches are received. Well, I'm here to help you. To the rest of us, your long, carefully thought out posts come down to this:

I HAVE A SMALL PENIS.

Smooches,
Your Friend,
BnT

skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney:

that's ok, I don't have a penis.

and for the second time in one day
[s3.amazonaws.com image 552x413]

Smeggy Smurf: Tip the chef. They have a marketable skill.

they get paid a livable wage.

ok, that was lie

you are right. they can pay rent and car insurance, but they sure as hell arent making what they are worth to the company in many restaurants.
they should make more, but they make enough to live, so that part is not a lie.
and compared to the paycheck pittance that servers make without tips....

Cyno01: jmr61: I have no problem with a 25% tip if the service and food is excellent.

But I want it to be my choice.

KrispyKritter: the Poughkeepsie area is home to a lot of wonderful restaurants as the Culinary Institute of America is not far. there is lots of very well trained chefs that know how to staff an eatery that makes for a lovely dining experience. good food and good wait staff gets good tips.

if my fat face is happy the minimum is 18%. a attentive server with a nice smile and a good personality may get 50% or more. you make my day, i'll make yours.


The waitstaff have little to no bearing on the quality of the food aside from temperature possibly. Cooks make at least a bit above minimum wage and dont see any of that tip money. Tip for service, and if the kitchen farks up your food, dont take it out on your server unless theyre unapologetic, take it up with the manager.

I was at a burger place one time and ordered sweet potato fries instead of regular. Few minutes later, our food came out, sans my fries. The server apologized profusely and said they would be up in just another minute. Well, a few minutes later, she comes back again without my fries, obviously terribly embarrassed, she doesnt know what the problem is in the kitchen, she said she was told they would be going in the fryer next. I guess they were in the weeds and sweet potato fries were an uncommon enough order that they always had to be done a la minute. A few minutes later, she comes back, still no fries, by this time ive finished my burger, everyone else has finished their food, were all sorta just sitting around waiting for my fries. She says shes already talked to her manager and my meal has been comped. She provided awesome service, and still got a good tip because it wasnt her farkup.

Bullshiat... she prolly didn't fire the order correctly, then blames it on the cooks, who can't defend themselves...

/former cook
//this shiat happened ALL the time... "I forgot to fire back this well done filet... can you put a rush on that for me?" *goes back out to table* "The kitchen is real backed up, it's going to be a few more minutes..."

crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Dick's dickish dicks are expectantly dickish, more dickish than your average dick but less so than particularly giant dicks. Their dickishness is more for performance dicking than your run-of-the-mill dick just being a dick. In essence, their dickfulness is something to be admired and enjoyed rather than becoming a retaliatory dick.

/How many until I have a bagful?

TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I can tell by your attitude that you support the baby-killers at Planned Parenthood.

And probably drink mass-produced canned domestic lagers.

Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney:

you are right. they can pay rent and car insurance, but they sure as hell arent making what they are worth to the company in many restaurants.
they should make more, but they make enough to live, so that part is not a lie.
and compared to the paycheck pittance that servers make without tips....

i really didnt word this right, but i dont care because i am drunk.
yes, they dont make enough for the service rendered, but compared to the servers and bartenders they can live off of their checks and not tips.

Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Dick's dickish dicks are expectantly dickish, more dickish than your average dick but less so than particularly giant dicks. Their dickishness is more for performance dicking than your run-of-the-mill dick just being a dick. In essence, their dickfulness is something to be admired and enjoyed rather than becoming a retaliatory dick.

/How many until I have a bagful?

Your name Dick?

sage37: As a waiter at an 'upscale casual' restaurant, when I get a 25% tip I'm ecstatic. Most people tip take pity on me and give me charity for work I didn't actually perform/performed only basic service minus the golden plated blowjob, somewhere between 15-20%. 

FTFM

Cyno01: wotthefark: I only tip whores.

You know if youre paying them for it, it can be more than just the tip.

Posts like this make me wish I could click "Funny" more than once.

15%, not including tax, is both my standard and floor percentage. And most of the time also my ceiling.

/if an antisocial retard got a real job, why can't you?
//owned

Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Dick's dickish dicks are expectantly dickish, more dickish than your average dick but less so than particularly giant dicks. Their dickishness is more for performance dicking than your run-of-the-mill dick just being a dick. In essence, their dickfulness is something to be admired and enjoyed rather than becoming a retaliatory dick.

/How many until I have a bagful?

//Dick!!

crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Dick's dickish dicks are expectantly dickish, more dickish than your average dick but less so than particularly giant dicks. Their dickishness is more for performance dicking than your run-of-the-mill dick just being a dick. In essence, their dickfulness is something to be admired and enjoyed rather than becoming a retaliatory dick.

/How many until I have a bagful?

Your name Dick?

No, but I did once know a man named Richard Peter Johnson.

Gurlugon: 15%, not including tax, is both my standard and floor percentage. And most of the time also my ceiling.

/if an antisocial retard got a real job, why can't you?
//owned

Yourself?

exvaxman: I always leave cash for a tip so it does not have to be declared. I usually start at 20% and work downward depending on service. Worst tip I ever left was a penny at Berghoff's in chicago. The waiter thought he would embarras me by running out of the place and in a loud voice going "you forgot this sir". My reply in an even louder tone "no, that was all you were worth" had lots of people applauding on the street.

Awesome, you facilitate tax fraud, you farking douche.

Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Dick's dickish dicks are expectantly dickish, more dickish than your average dick but less so than particularly giant dicks. Their dickishness is more for performance dicking than your run-of-the-mill dick just being a dick. In essence, their dickfulness is something to be admired and enjoyed rather than becoming a retaliatory dick.

/How many until I have a bagful?

Your name Dick?

No, but I did once know a man named Richard Peter Johnson.

Snert. You win.

As someone who has worked and currently works in the restaurant industry, they are quite a few misconceptions in this thread. I've used the service industry to pay for college and to supplement my income for my little girl.

1) Almost anywhere in the SE your waiter is making $2.13 hour. I'm not sure about the rest of the country.

2) If you have excellent service it is most often because the server take pride in his or her job and truly values your business. You may not believe this but some folks actually enjoy some if their customers and don't just view them with money sign.

3) With shiatty service leave 10%. Tell a manager. Good server/bartenders want these people gone as much as you do. Any good owner or manager shouldn't tolerate poor service. Go back and get poor service do not return.

4) Added gratuity should on;y be added for parties of 8 or more. Even then it's implied and shouldn't be required.

BuckTurgidson: I can tell by your attitude that you support the baby-killers at Planned Parenthood.

True.

And probably drink mass-produced canned domestic lagers.

Why not accuse me of anally raping your mother while pouring sugar in your gas tank?

machodonkeywrestler: Gurlugon: 15%, not including tax, is both my standard and floor percentage. And most of the time also my ceiling.

/if an antisocial retard got a real job, why can't you?
//owned

Yourself?

I'm proud of my antisocial retardation. A quiz I took online that's as good as a doctor's diagnosis bestowed me the title of "high functioning."

stonicus: OhioUGrad: I'll tip on drinks.....food I'll cook at home.

The problem I have with tipping is that servers expect it no matter what they do good or bad. I'd rather the restaurant just pay people a living wage because I'm tired of hearing about tipping. However, then you'd probably get into the whole would they still provide good service if their pay didn't depend on it blah blah blah....don't know why I commented at all now haha

Here's a crazy idea... treat them like the cooks, and busboys, and prep cooks, and dishwashers, and managers, and hostesses... do your job right or your farking fired! Why is that so hard to process?

That would be nice, but you'd have to start with them getting paid a living wage first, and I don't see that happening any time soon since the food industry seems to be doing just fine how it is (minus the rage any time tipping comes up)

Gurlugon: machodonkeywrestler: Gurlugon: 15%, not including tax, is both my standard and floor percentage. And most of the time also my ceiling.

/if an antisocial retard got a real job, why can't you?
//owned

Yourself?

I'm proud of my antisocial retardation. A quiz I took online that's as good as a doctor's diagnosis bestowed me the title of "high functioning."

Just wondering. I too trend that way, although my people manipulation skills more than make up for it.

15%, adjusted up or down a bit. But 15%.

I would say bring on the duck and fark your tip

This thread makes me feel very fortunate. I typically eat out at a sit down restaurant at least once a week, and have never had "bad" service from a server.

I've had mediocre service a few times, mostly due to the place just being incredibly busy, but nothing below that.

But...I treat my server with respect and friendliness.

Had free-range organic wild blue-winged teal breast tonight, so getting a kick.

I was a waitress at a truck stop diner for awhile. This was a long time ago, so my wage was 2.15 an hour. In addition to waiting tables, I also had to be my own bus boy. It was rough at times, especially nights where people kept flooding in when I was the only waitress on duty.

One night the grill went out and it took the cook around 45 minutes to fix it. I felt bad for the family still waiting on their food, so I paid for their meal out of my tips for that day. It came close to $40, pretty much all of my tips.

/CSB

crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

You don't know Dick,do you?

Obligatory:

Link

/The More You Know

McTruckin: As someone who has worked and currently works in the restaurant industry, they are quite a few misconceptions in this thread. I've used the service industry to pay for college and to supplement my income for my little girl.

1) Almost anywhere in the SE your waiter is making $2.13 hour. I'm not sure about the rest of the country.

This is the problem with tipping nowadays. Employers use it to pay their servers shiat wages and then expect the rest of us to pick up the slack. Tipping has gone from a show of appreciation for good service to a guilt trip.

I tip around 20% on drinks, I know I don't have to but my bartenders know I'm there to drink so they tend to make sure my drink doesn't run dry. This is important to me when the bar is packed and there's a band playing.

I'm willing to drop some coin on really good food & really good service, but I will take crappy table service out of the tip, and there have been times where I left no tip because the service was that bad. If the waitress tries to biatch about it to the bartender I'm sure he'd say "What the hell did you do? She always tips well."

Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment? There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me. The bartender is an artist, a mixologist, a damn multi tasking magician. The waitress is just carrying plates, regardless of what's on the plates, she is still just carrying plates.

BuckTurgidson: TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I can tell by your attitude that you support the baby-killers at Planned Parenthood.

And probably drink mass-produced canned domestic lagers.

You mean to tell me, General Turgidson, that you are unable to consume domestic lagers?

i write pretty sophisticated code and i get $50 / hr salary and $100- $200 / hr contract. why the fark should someone moving plates around a room make more than $20 / hr ?

Well as long as we are asked to tip bigger, how about 100%? 150%? Why not price the riff raff out of the joint? We already go out less because it is too damn expensive.

Mimic_Octopus: i write pretty sophisticated code and i get $50 / hr salary and $100- $200 / hr contract. why the fark should someone moving plates around a room make more than $20 / hr ?

10 PRINT "Weiners and Gonads!!! ";
20 GOTO 10

Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Mimic_Octopus: why should waiters earn a livable wage ?

It's called civility and society. Look them up sometime.

25% ?!?! What do you think I am, a king?

i always pay 20%. at a hotel i leave at least 20$ for the cleaning staff. If I am eating at a 4* restaurant i would expect to pay 20-25%
I will generally over tip when the bill is under 20$. I usually can tell how many turns the business does by the time I have finished my meal 25-30% if they are slow .
I don't know what all the fuss is about . I would think that if anyone gave a dime or some insulting tip they should go to eat at the Walmart and behave like the locust at the free sample booth. Life is too short to be such a cheapskate enjoy a meal and quit being miserable.

crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: Summoner101: crabsno termites: 15% for average service, 20% if you are good. Nothing if you are a dick/

What if they're a dick at Dick's?

Dick for them, then.

Hint: Dick's restaurants have wait staff that are purposefully dickish

Live on the far side of the country. Don't know dick about dick's dick waiters

/like where this is going.

Where this is going:

felixecho: Well as long as we are asked to tip bigger, how about 100%? 150%? Why not price the riff raff out of the joint? We already go out less because it is too damn expensive.

The industry clearly pushed tipping to offset their labor costs and point their employees attention at their customers. But ive seen so many places close in the last few years, even alot of places that had real pottentional. It seems even corporate joints go up and are out in 2 years. I wonder if we've hit the "tipping point" (zing!) On how much we can gouge customers. Drinks is another area, state liquor liscenses seem to have pushed the cost of a drink to several orders of magnitude over what it costs at the store.

Sorry, but if im going out to some suburban burger joint i dont want to feel compelled that i need to pay like im a saudi prince in a miami nightclub. At the rate we're going i fully expect old fashioned speak easies to become a nationwide phenememon. This shiat is rediculous.

WhyteRaven74: Mimic_Octopus: why should waiters earn a livable wage ?

It's called civility and society. Look them up sometime.

yes, so work as a waiter when young, have some roommates, work on a business plan, get a loan and open your own restaurant, hire kids to do what you did then get your own place and no roommates. Oh wait, most waiters want 25% so they can go binge drink and buy coke after work every day into their 40's.

/worked in over 20 restaurants, still have friends that are drunken coked up servers and cooks.

TofuTheAlmighty: BuckTurgidson: I can tell by your attitude that you support the baby-killers at Planned Parenthood.

True.

And probably drink mass-produced canned domestic lagers.

Why not accuse me of anally raping your mother while pouring sugar in your gas tank?

That was YOU?

Personally, when I enter a restaurant, my default "tip" for the server is a sharp jab in their lazy f*cking mug. It's up to them to improve the bargain.

Pincy: Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Why dont we tip everyone?

President Merkin Muffley: BuckTurgidson: TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I can tell by your attitude that you support the baby-killers at Planned Parenthood.

And probably drink mass-produced canned domestic lagers.

You mean to tell me, General Turgidson, that you are unable to consume domestic lagers?

Well, I don't think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.

I can't wait for robot waiters.

ChuDogg: Pincy: Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Why dont we tip everyone?

also, no matter how you slice it, manual labor is not worth several hundred dollars per shift.

Mimic_Octopus: WhyteRaven74: Mimic_Octopus: why should waiters earn a livable wage ?

It's called civility and society. Look them up sometime.

yes, so work as a waiter when young, have some roommates, work on a business plan, get a loan and open your own restaurant, hire kids to do what you did then get your own place and no roommates. Oh wait, most waiters want 25% so they can go binge drink and buy coke after work every day into their 40's.

/worked in over 20 restaurants, still have friends that are drunken coked up servers and cooks.

I know a lot of waiters who loved the job because "they got paid every day", which I gotta admit, 4 days before payday when I was broke, that perk sounded nice.

Snarfangel: I can't wait for robot waiters.

Yeah, i dont understand why places havent just plopped an ipad screen on the table for when your ready for your refill. Its would be much more convenient and in over 10 years of dining is about alli can gather for what consitutes "good service". I guess im in the minority that doesnt need to get buttered up by some effiminate douche that probably hates all his customers anyways.

Mimic_Octopus: WhyteRaven74: Mimic_Octopus: why should waiters earn a livable wage ?

It's called civility and society. Look them up sometime.

yes, so work as a waiter when young, have some roommates, work on a business plan, get a loan and open your own restaurant, hire kids to do what you did then get your own place and no roommates. Oh wait, most waiters want 25% so they can go binge drink and buy coke after work every day into their 40's.

/worked in over 20 restaurants, still have friends that are drunken coked up servers and cooks.

So everyone who waits tables should open up their own restaurant someday? Something tells me there would be way too many restaurants for the demand.

Transubstantive: poorjon: Just pay the goddamn waitstaff a goddamn decent goddamn wage and get rid of this goddamn stupid awful f*cking debate once and for all. Why do I have to analyze the global economic situation and balance it against getting my food stink-palmed every time I want a goddamn steak? Why can't I just pay people money for food?

The idea behind it is that it encourages good and prompt service. Go to a country that tipping is not the custom and you will see just how little the waitstaff cares about the customer. The Netherlands is especially bad. They simply do not care about the customer. I'm not saying the system is great, but it sure does punish employees who suck.

/perhaps all industries should work on a tipping system

Go to Japan where tipping is not the custom and see the complete opposite. They fall over themselves to provide you with good service. Why? Because a happy customer is a repeat customer and repeat customers mean the restaurant stays open and they keep getting paid. THAT is the system that works. Waitstaff want you to come back and do everything they can to make sure you are satisfied before you leave. Tipping does not work. All it does is encourage restaurants to underpay their employees and forces the customer into making up the difference.

silverjets: Tipping does not work. All it does is encourage restaurants to underpay their employees and forces the customer into making up the difference.

And sometimes the restaurant owners demand a share of the tips. Didn't celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich have to pay their staff back millions in tips?

Tipping has gone from a courtesy to extortion.

I will pay 25% as soon as pigs fly. Someone in the restarant industry is smoking some seriously powerful crack. I for one still have not bought into the insanity of 20%. Standard tip is 10%. Really farking incredible service will get you 15% (that only happens maybe once a year when I am feeling generous). For 20% the waitress would need to slip under the table and blow me.

this is my first tipping thread, so i'm going to start working on a Standard Tipping Comment that can be pasted into any tipping thread.

when dining at a restaurant, we should consider the wait-person as our own employee. the wait-person is there to serve us, in expectation of getting paid for their service. so when it comes to tipping, there are only two questions to be asked:

1) how much time did this person spend serving me?
2) what would be an appropriate hourly wage for this person, based on their performance?

and to be generous, round up.

so, if a waiter spent 2 minutes getting your drink order, 2 minutes getting your meal order, a total of 5 minutes walking back and forth to the kitchen to bring those orders and return to your table with what you requested, and about a minute saying 'is everything alright?' twice while walking past, that would be 10 minutes that that person worked as your employee, or 1/6 of an hour.

now we must approximate what this unskilled employee's labor should be worth compared to that of other unskilled workers. some wait-people are decent, and not too annoying, and deserve a decent 10-12$ an hour. some are excellent, and deserve at least 20$ an hour. some are even better than that, but in today's job market 20$ an hour is pretty great for a job that requires memorizing a menu and asking people which of today's vegetables they'd like with their dinner.

of course, lots of waiters aren't worth minimum wage (tho there's no such thing as a waiter that makes less than minimum wage - it's illegal). but let's be generous to the poor wretches.

so, if you have a pretty good, not too annoying wait-person, who would deserve their 12$ an hour in any other retail service job (and that really isn't bad for a retail service job), and that person spent 10 minutes on your table, then they've earned a $2 tip.

if you have an outstanding wait-person, who would be worth $24 an hour (huge for that kind of unskilled job), and they spent 20 minutes (well above average) working with your table, then that person would deserve an $8 tip.

this whole tipping by percentages thing is insane. does the guy who brings me a $40 steak deserve 4x more than the guy who brings me a $10 hamburger? either way, it took 2 minutes of his time. how much do you think 2 minutes of his time should be worth? that's how much you should tip for that service.

Mimic_Octopus: ChuDogg: Pincy: Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Why dont we tip everyone?

also, no matter how you slice it, manual labor is not worth several hundred dollars per shift.

It's pretty obvious that none of my friends in construction is going to be doing any work for you.

Brytanica1: This thread makes me feel very fortunate. I typically eat out at a sit down restaurant at least once a week, and have never had "bad" service from a server.

I've had mediocre service a few times, mostly due to the place just being incredibly busy, but nothing below that.

But...I treat my server with respect and friendliness.

I eat out at least three times a week . I treat the servers with respect (I've dated a few and I know its a harsh industry) but I've had completely awful service a number of times. And not only I have tipped 0% - I have walked out of a restaurant at least three times due to the failure of management or a server. And a place being incredibly busy is no excuse. Its poor planning on the management of the restaurant.

I'm reminded of a restaurant near a hotel in Vegas. This hotel used to get a major conference at the same time every year and this restaurant would get tons of business from that conference. But year after year it would become swamped and one year actually ran out of beef during lunch one year. That restaurant is now out of business. And it completely deserves to be.

25% tip? not where i live unless its a large party and great service.

DWitchiewoman: I tip around 20% on drinks, I know I don't have to but my bartenders know I'm there to drink so they tend to make sure my drink doesn't run dry. This is important to me when the bar is packed and there's a band playing.

I'm willing to drop some coin on really good food & really good service, but I will take crappy table service out of the tip, and there have been times where I left no tip because the service was that bad. If the waitress tries to biatch about it to the bartender I'm sure he'd say "What the hell did you do? She always tips well."

Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment?
Can't help you there. i'm thinking greed

There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me.
Profit on food is 40-60% more or less. You aren't tipping on the price of the food. The price is used as a rough guide. My last bill was $24.04 so my last tip should have been 5.00? We left around $10. She was good. Good encompasses a great deal of real estate. She was fast, communicated well, cheerful, funny, and helped guide us around the diners menu. When I'm eating at the Lobster shack the bill comes to $75 or so I'll tip using the same guide but I don't have to put such a "floor" under my amount. ie $5.00 tip is a non-starter anywhere so I put a floor of $7-8 on it and go from there. At 20% of 75 we're at $15 and that's a good start, now we go up from there and depending on what criteria is useful I add to it. At $75 though I generally drop a $100 and think about if the service was stellar and do I need to drop more.
We eat fast. I mean we all worked in restaurants in this family and so we shove the food in. Bonus for the wait staff, they get an extra turn for the table. We also tend to go early when it's not so busy, it's convenient for us and more tips for the staff. ALL these things get figured in one way or another.

The bartender is an artist, a mixologist, a damn multi tasking magician.
Don't forget bouncer and mediator, bill collector and wingman.

The waitress is just carrying plates, regardless of what's on the plates, she is still just carrying plates.
Um, no. there's far more to it than initially appears. I tended for nearly twenty years. Towards the end I gave waitering a shot. While as a bartender I took orders and served food, it was nothing like waitering. Dealing with multiple tables with multiple customers and one miserable cook, a lousy pantryman, a dishwasher from hell and the most entitled busboy in the world. The cook and I came to blows with the Exec Chef standing there laughing. I had the reach and the speed. He only had a stubby knife. USA 1 - Guatemala 0
Don't begrudge a wait person a tip. The thief of an owner is skimming the cash payments, his partners are skimming him on the booze and the waitress is trying to hold it all together.
I have seen waitresses refuse a tip, and not graciously either.
Come to think of it, you should - hell everyone should work in a restaurant for at least a summer.

I despise tipping. It's a outdated practice and should be eliminated in first world societies. It's embarrassing to the worker as well as the customer.

As to the article, I wish it covered the issue of tipping based on before or after tax is added to the bill. Until three years ago I always tipped based on the grand total. I don't do that any more.

Marcintosh: Don't forget bouncer and mediator, bill collector and wingman.

ah, see, the difference is that most of us aren't talking about tipping at strip clubs. whole different set of rules and considerations there.

Bathia_Mapes: the801: of course, lots of waiters aren't worth minimum wage (tho there's no such thing as a waiter that makes less than minimum wage - it's illegal). but let's be generous to the poor wretches.

Really?

Then explain why some states allow the employer to pay their waiters/waitresses only $2.13 per hour & expect them to make up the rest in tips?

it's so sad that so many people believe this. wait-people are always lying about it to get extra sympathy tips.

the answer is that they do make the rest up in tips. if they don't, the employer has to compensate them up to minimum wage. it's impossible to make less than minimum wage as a tipped employee.

"If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Many states, however, require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees."
- Link - US Department of Labor.

any wait staff who tells you different will say anything to get that next bump of overpriced coke from the dishwasher.

We should just get rid of tipping altogether. Food has the same overall margin as merchandise in stores before the overhead gets tacked on. Give the waitstaff the same wage as a retail employee, they deal with the same b.s. and most company policies don't allow them to accept tips.

Here is the correct amount to tip, 1 dollar per person per hour. You know why? Because if a food carrier can handle 10 people at a time then they get $10 an hour + whatever pittance the restaurant owner gives them. That is a perfectly adequate wage for unskilled labor.

The whole tipping culture just lets restaurant owners exploit their food carriers and avoid taxes. It needs to be done away with. If 3/4 of the sit down resturaunts close down because of it so be it. There is no shortage of places to eat in england and germany where there is no tipping culture and the service is fine there except at the paki places.

But, it's not like the server is walking out with a less than minimum wage check if they're crappy at tips. The restaurant must pay the server at least minimum wage for the hours worked if their tips don't equate to the same or more. They are getting paid, one way or another, the same as the kid at McDonald's or the greeter at Wal*Mart, they're not being especially screwed by the system.

Marcintosh:

Thanks for your reply. You make some good points. I still don't get why a waitress/waiter should get tipped more if I order a steak or she/he has to carry a cheeseburger on the plate. It seems like it should depend more on the number of people at the table/length of time it takes to serve the meal, not the price of the food on the plate.

I still tip well, but it does piss me off to be expected to tip more based on the menu choice. I do it anyway & just secretly hate the stupid thing. Mamma raised me to tip well for good service, I can't shake my good manners even when it does piss me off. I got issues.

bborchar: I hate tipping- service at a cheap restaurant could be exactly the same as an expensive one, yet I'm supposed to pay more. Let's just charge more for the meal and make service free already.

Yeah, THIS!

End the sub-minimum wage, and raise the minimum to $15/hour like Australia.

Then leave a buck or two if the service is amazingly good.

As someone who works for tips, (Pizza Delivery) I'll give better tips than many around my area. For good service, I can go anywhere from 18-30% depending on the price of the meal itself. For mediocre service I won't exceed 20, and for bad/no service it'll go down from there.

Now for me delivering pizzas, I am a tipped employee who has split pay.

Essentially, while I'm out on a run, I'm making $3.63/hr. In the store, I make $7.25 (Maryland minimum wage). Even with what the store pays me for mileage, on a slow night a long delivery with no tip is a net loss for me due to the split pay. If you're someone who orders pizza, tip them please. Even if it's just 3 or 4 dollars. I never expect to be tipped a percentage of the order (Though for larger orders I do generally have better tips) because whether you order 1 pizza or 4, there's no difference in effort on my part. 5 dollars is good, more is great. But please just 3 dollars and I'll happily take your order every time.

Hey- tipping thread! Just went out tonight to a local spot, and the waiter kicked serious ass. Dude knew every item on the menu, could accurately describe the texture and flavor of each dish, knew the wine pairing for it all- guy knew hit shiat, and knew it well. For awesome service like that, I'll kick in 25% with no thought of it, and it was a pricey meal to begin with.

Now, the biatch from a few years back that challenged me to a fight out in the parking lot after I gave her a much-deserved $1 tip for unbelievably terrible service? Fark you. I wasn't about to do anything, but my wife was ready to beat your ass...

If you add a mandatory tip to the bill, I will subtract it and leave a penny out of sheer contariness.

If the food and service is good, then yes, I'll likely leave a 15-20% tip... Or on one memorable bar event, I think we left a 50% tip on a $1000 bar bill, but we ran her ass off...

But then again, I'm Canadian, so I don't expect the waitresses to be slaves, unlike the States...

I know I'm gonna be the bastard here, but I'm gonna say it anyway.

For service that is SUPPOSED to come with the dinner, 0% tip? Don't like that? Get a better job. I'm not coughing up an extra 25% just because you brought a glass of water. Tell you what? Let ME go get the water for myself and save your poor feet some walking. Deal?

For services above and beyond the call, 10%.

For fighting off invading ogres, ninjas, or HK bots while I try to dine in peace, 25%

Money's tight all around. Only a twit would pay more than what they should HAVE to.

the801: of course, lots of waiters aren't worth minimum wage (tho there's no such thing as a waiter that makes less than minimum wage - it's illegal). but let's be generous to the poor wretches.

I think you may be wrong there. I believe in a lot of states there are exceptions to the minimum wage for service type industries where tips are expected.

RembrandtQEinstein: The whole tipping culture just lets restaurant owners exploit their food carriers and avoid taxes.

THIS

"Nowadays, 15 percent isn't an average tip - it's a way of registering displeasure with the service."

What such a pussy looks like:


IMO, if a server is being a moron or a dick, they should be lucky I don't want to speak with the manager and ask for a discount on my bill, let alone leave a tip to reward them for their dcikery. What sort of a pissant is going to give a server extra money whether they do a good job or not?

RembrandtQEinstein: Here is the correct amount to tip, 1 dollar per person per hour. You know why? Because if a food carrier can handle 10 people at a time then they get $10 an hour + whatever pittance the restaurant owner gives them. That is a perfectly adequate wage for unskilled labor.

The whole tipping culture just lets restaurant owners exploit their food carriers and avoid taxes. It needs to be done away with. If 3/4 of the sit down resturaunts close down because of it so be it. There is no shortage of places to eat in england and germany where there is no tipping culture and the service is fine there except at the paki places.

Here's the problem: waiters know how stingy management can be, so they are the last ones who want to see minimum wage for waitstaff made equal to the general minimum wage.

Boomhauer: One of my favorite places to eat when I'm visiting our home office in Columbus, Ohio, is a place called the Northstar Cafe. Great food and service, and service is included in the price. What a concept! The credit card receipt doesn't even have a place to write a tip. It's nice.

I used to eat there all the time when I lived in C-bus. Excellent veggie burgers - the difference to me was always that they didn't try to fool you into thinking that it was meat, but embraced the veggie-ness of the ingredients in the patty. They also serve RC cola, which is a nice change of pace.

If I were paid hourly as a server (we'll say $10 an hour for argument's sake), I'd make a ton less than I do now. I usually make about $550 a week working 30 to 35 hours. If I work those same hours at $10 each, that's $200 less a week, and over $10000 less in a year (not factoring in vacation - I haven't had more than three consecutive days off in five years). I make about $28000 a year, and I live in the third richest county in the country (median household income $104000 in 2011). If my tips were taken away tomorrow and I was told I'd be paid $10 an hour flat, I'd either have to drop out of school and find a second job or move back in with my dad. And yes, I pay taxes. Lots of them. On time.

I'm very good at what I do, and I enjoy it. I'm not the type to show up altered by substances, and I don't have the spine to flirt with my Attractive Female Coworkers instead of making sure you've got enough ketchup and beer. You take away tipping, you take away my incentive to work harder than the guy who doesn't notice you've been slurping on Diet Coke-flavored ice for the last ten minutes because he's too busy checking Facebook on his phone.

I'm okay with the current "standard" of 18% or so, because I'm able to budget around my lifestyle pretty well. I wouldn't mind more, but please don't tell me I should be okay with making $10000 less a year than I do.

Gough: Mimic_Octopus: ChuDogg: Pincy: Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Why dont we tip everyone?

also, no matter how you slice it, manual labor is not worth several hundred dollars per shift.

It's pretty obvious that none of my friends in construction is going to be doing any work for you.

i bet your friends are classified as skilled labor rather than manual labor.

n_carrvoigt: If I were paid hourly as a server (we'll say $10 an hour for argument's sake), I'd make a ton less than I do now. I usually make about $550 a week working 30 to 35 hours. If I work those same hours at $10 each, that's $200 less a week, and over $10000 less in a year (not factoring in vacation - I haven't had more than three consecutive days off in five years). I make about $28000 a year, and I live in the third richest county in the country (median household income $104000 in 2011). If my tips were taken away tomorrow and I was told I'd be paid $10 an hour flat, I'd either have to drop out of school and find a second job or move back in with my dad. And yes, I pay taxes. Lots of them. On time.

I'm very good at what I do, and I enjoy it. I'm not the type to show up altered by substances, and I don't have the spine to flirt with my Attractive Female Coworkers instead of making sure you've got enough ketchup and beer. You take away tipping, you take away my incentive to work harder than the guy who doesn't notice you've been slurping on Diet Coke-flavored ice for the last ten minutes because he's too busy checking Facebook on his phone.

I'm okay with the current "standard" of 18% or so, because I'm able to budget around my lifestyle pretty well. I wouldn't mind more, but please don't tell me I should be okay with making $10000 less a year than I do.

But see, you're just saying the thing servers don't want to say aloud: "We want you to tip more because we're greedy", not because you're needy, not because you're starving and don't make minimum wage. That's ok, that's healthy, but let's be honest about what tip culture is: waiters wanting to earn more than they could if their wages were standardized. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but I've never understood why more servers aren't honest about it.

McTruckin: 3) With shiatty service leave 10%. Tell a manager. Good server/bartenders want these people gone as much as you do. Any good owner or manager shouldn't tolerate poor service. Go back and get poor service do not return.

You shouldn't leave any tip for shiatty service. Good servers/bartenders don't mind because they don't give shiatty service and no tip makes the bad servers/bartenders quit sooner.

gadian: n_carrvoigt: If I were paid hourly as a server (we'll say $10 an hour for argument's sake), I'd make a ton less than I do now. I usually make about $550 a week working 30 to 35 hours. If I work those same hours at $10 each, that's $200 less a week, and over $10000 less in a year (not factoring in vacation - I haven't had more than three consecutive days off in five years). I make about $28000 a year, and I live in the third richest county in the country (median household income $104000 in 2011). If my tips were taken away tomorrow and I was told I'd be paid $10 an hour flat, I'd either have to drop out of school and find a second job or move back in with my dad. And yes, I pay taxes. Lots of them. On time.

I'm very good at what I do, and I enjoy it. I'm not the type to show up altered by substances, and I don't have the spine to flirt with my Attractive Female Coworkers instead of making sure you've got enough ketchup and beer. You take away tipping, you take away my incentive to work harder than the guy who doesn't notice you've been slurping on Diet Coke-flavored ice for the last ten minutes because he's too busy checking Facebook on his phone.

I'm okay with the current "standard" of 18% or so, because I'm able to budget around my lifestyle pretty well. I wouldn't mind more, but please don't tell me I should be okay with making $10000 less a year than I do.

But see, you're just saying the thing servers don't want to say aloud: "We want you to tip more because we're greedy", not because you're needy, not because you're starving and don't make minimum wage. That's ok, that's healthy, but let's be honest about what tip culture is: waiters wanting to earn more than they could if their wages were standardized. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but I've never understood why more servers aren't honest about it.

It's not greed. I earn my keep. Tipping make foodservice the rare business where an employee can make a direct and immediate impact on their earnings. If you go on Fark at work and your boss doesn't find out, you're getting the same paycheck. If you beat your deadlines at work, you're getting the same paycheck. If I go on Fark at work, my tables notice their glasses are empty. If I bust my ass at work, I'll make extra grocery money (which is good, because I'm a culinary arts student and my dinner is basically my homework).

You standardize my wage, and I don't get that immediate critique of my performance or the incentive to go the extra mile. If I get a bad tip, I stop for a second and think about the service I provided, see what I could've done better, and fix it for my next table. If I get an unusually good tip, it puts a spring in my step for the rest of the evening, and my other tables get service that reflects my particularly good mood.

You get a performance review and a raise/bonus/whatever every once in a while. I get one every half hour.

PyroStock: McTruckin: 3) With shiatty service leave 10%. Tell a manager. Good server/bartenders want these people gone as much as you do. Any good owner or manager shouldn't tolerate poor service. Go back and get poor service do not return.

You shouldn't leave any tip for shiatty service. Good servers/bartenders don't mind because they don't give shiatty service and no tip makes the bad servers/bartenders quit sooner.

Depends on the place, really. Some places pool the tips and split them at the end of the night, in which case you *are* punishing the good staff too. (In fact, you're probably punishing them disproportionately, because chances are the bad staff pocket all the tips they can rather than letting them make it to the pool, if they can get away with it.)

However, I'd imagine that this is an incentive for the good servers to make life a living hell for the bad ones, until they leave.

gweilo8888: PyroStock: McTruckin: 3) With shiatty service leave 10%. Tell a manager. Good server/bartenders want these people gone as much as you do. Any good owner or manager shouldn't tolerate poor service. Go back and get poor service do not return.

You shouldn't leave any tip for shiatty service. Good servers/bartenders don't mind because they don't give shiatty service and no tip makes the bad servers/bartenders quit sooner.

Depends on the place, really. Some places pool the tips and split them at the end of the night, in which case you *are* punishing the good staff too. (In fact, you're probably punishing them disproportionately, because chances are the bad staff pocket all the tips they can rather than letting them make it to the pool, if they can get away with it.)

By the same token, you are reward the bad staff by tipping the good servers/bartenders when places pool the tips.

However, I'd imagine that this is an incentive for the good servers to make life a living hell for the bad ones, until they leave.

Exactly.

I thought the tips were all pooled in a jar, and then divided equally between all employees at the end of day.

But you're actually tipping a specific waiter?

I never tip.

It`s not up to me to make some judgement call on service and arbitrarily boost the wages of a person I have not hired myself. The owner of the business wants servers? They can pay them and add the money on to the prices i see advertised even if it is a flat percentage. Hidden costs are illegal in other businesses, why not food? I want to go to the serving hatch myself and bring my own plates to the table. If the food is good, a server does not enhance my meal by enough to make it worth money to me, mostly they detract from my enjoyment of my meal. If I have £10 I won`t order the £8 meal and pay £2 to have it taken from just there to just here, I`ll order the £10 meal and say "I`d rather not have service please if it is extra to the cost of the meal".

I`ve extended the good server/bad server tip/no tip decision to "Is a server worth an extra X% on top of my bill?"

The answer is no. I do not accept the concept that I *have* to have a server at extra cost to my meal.

I'm short on cash. Can I just have shiat on a shingle instead?

skullkrusher: Markoff_Cheney: ive worked a ton in the service industry and 20% is still mandatory for me unless the server is absolutely awful.
in which case i tip more just to try to make their day better. i know its not my job to do so, but you would have no idea how much it can turn someones day around to get an excessive tip when they know they gave shiat service.
but i have never faulted people or got angry over a 10 to 15% tip, thats just some peoples standards.
its getting stiffed completely that incites rage.

/insert racist service industry joke here, possibly about 'canadians'

Canadians are really bad tippers. Especially the black OLD ones.

When my folks or in-laws "treated" my family for a meal, I always needed to "forget" my cell phone or shades so I can go back to the table and augment the embarrassingly small tip they left.

PyroStock: By the same token, you are reward the bad staff by tipping the good servers/bartenders when places pool the tips.

Yes, that's true--but me, I'd rather reward when things go well than punish when they don't, if it's an either-or situation.

James F. Campbell: Don't like tipping waiters? Don't eat out. Simple.

Exactly.

Real simple answer.


Next time you eat someplace where they have a mandatory minimum tip above 15% placed on the bill and the manager refuses to remove it and you are NOT happy with the service received.
Make the waiter wash your car or do pushups until you are satisfied with their service.

One habit I have with tipping is that when I eat someplace cheap, such that a 15% tip would be about $3, I will usually give the server five bucks.

Other than that, it's 15% for service in the adequate-to-good range, more for exceptional service, and less for crappy service.

optikeye: DWitchiewoman: Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment? There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me.

When the manager totals the receipts he/she has to report the total bill for the server to IRS for the workers Taxable income. So if Nancy served 20,000K in food..she's expect to X percent income from tips to IRS.

The IRS assumes a certain percentage of that total reported is in 'tips' to the worker. So, to the IRS it's total receipts---cost of what they served that the IRS goes by to estimate tips for income.
Servers that under-report that...and the IRS should have the total of what they served. Will get audited based on the reported receipts from the resturant the server had that year.

Therefore it's quit possible for a server waiting on a table that stiffs them, or under tips to end up losing money in the final taxes on their income tax than what get from 'hourly wage'.

Doesn't change the fact that the tip culture ensures the boss will pay them the barest minimum and know that people will tip because they feel obligated or bad. This bs attitude spills over to cups at subways, coffee shops, you name it. Seems anyone who does any sort of customer interaction now wants a tip. Too farking bad, if you want to earn more money don't expect the customer to generously add to their cost, get a better job. If you can't get a better job that's your fault and maybe you should go back to school or learn a trade to change that. Just because you take an order, fill some drinks and bring out food doesn't entitle you to anything extra, that's your job. Hell, table-side kiosk + food runners (which most restaurants now use btw) easily replace you.

I spend a fark-ton of time out of the US. In most every other single country in the world they pay their wait staff a regular wage. You leave a tip IF it was OMG WOW service, a wedding, a super special thing, the chef comes to your table and gives you a BJ, etc.

In the US you can pay wait staff shiate and they're supposed to kiss the ass of customers in the hopes that you'll tip them well. THEN they're supposed to declare their tips as income for the IRS and state.

IT'S RETARDED. (no offense, tards)

Please, let's change this stupid american standard. Pay your waiters properly. -And I FARKING HATE being interrupted by young people pretending to be subservient asking me "how's your burger?" when it's farking fine and I'm in the middle of a business lunch, thanks. Fark off. If I need something, I'll wave you over like they do in the rest of the farking world. This is "American Exceptionalism" at it's worst.

Pincy: the801: of course, lots of waiters aren't worth minimum wage (tho there's no such thing as a waiter that makes less than minimum wage - it's illegal). but let's be generous to the poor wretches.

I think you may be wrong there. I believe in a lot of states there are exceptions to the minimum wage for service type industries where tips are expected.

No. The Fair Labor Standards Act trumps all. A tipped employee is required to make at least minimum wage (Federal or State, whichever is higher). If the employee's tips don't make up the difference between their stated wage and the minimum wage then the employer is required by law to make up the difference. If an employer doesn't do this, they are opening themselves up to fines, jail time (for repeated offenses) and lawsuits from the impacted employees. So, basically, a tipped employees "wage" can be less then minimum wage, but at the end of the day their total wages including tips had better be equal or greater to minimum wage.

Also, a lot of those tip pools are illegal as well. Ever been forced to share tips with a dishwasher? Congrats, your boss violated federal law.

Oh, and these "mandatory" tips? They aren't tips. To be a tip, legally, the customer has to have discretion over the amount. If it's mandatory it isn't legally counted as a tip to the employee, it is counted as "wages" from the restaurant to the employee. As more of them do it, a lot of restaurants have been reporting "mandatory service charges" as tips and the IRS is not happy about it.

/a lot of restaurant people don't know the laws covering them

Reverend Monkeypants: I spend a fark-ton of time out of the US. In most every other single country in the world they pay their wait staff a regular wage. You leave a tip IF it was OMG WOW service, a wedding, a super special thing, the chef comes to your table and gives you a BJ, etc.

In the US you can pay wait staff shiate and they're supposed to kiss the ass of customers in the hopes that you'll tip them well. THEN they're supposed to declare their tips as income for the IRS and state.

IT'S RETARDED. (no offense, tards)

Please, let's change this stupid american standard. Pay your waiters properly. -And I FARKING HATE being interrupted by young people pretending to be subservient asking me "how's your burger?" when it's farking fine and I'm in the middle of a business lunch, thanks. Fark off. If I need something, I'll wave you over like they do in the rest of the farking world. This is "American Exceptionalism" at it's worst.

Well, until enough people stop eating out to avoid the situation, nothing will change. Learn to cook or tip, seems pretty simple to me.

Thanks to all the hidden costs, I just don't bother eating in restaurants any more. I can cook, and cook reasonably well.

A tip is supposed to be an acknowledgement of good service, nothing more. What bothers me about it being a mandatory charge is that, well, what you're really saying is "each item on the menu is actually 25% more expensive, but we're trying to hide that charge so you'll order from us." What's worse is that, for some odd reason, waitstaff expect tips in excess of that mandatory charge.

Sorry, no. If tips are optional, I'll provide a tip based on service quality, and I don't break 15% usually. If tips are mandatory, and they're charging more than 15%, I'm just not eating there. If tips are mandatory, and they're charging 15% (I've yet to see anyone charge less), that's all you get.

You've taken one of the few ways I can express dismay or gratitude at service away from me, because your boss is a greedy asshole and your indifferent service means you're making less than your more skilled co-workers. Tough. You don't like it? Tell your boss to pay you a living wage, or figure out how to be better at your job.

Yeah.... no.

If the service is shiat, no tip. Period.
Decent service, 15%.
Good service, 20%.

If the good was fantastic, send compliments to the chef.

Mimic_Octopus: Gough: Mimic_Octopus: ChuDogg: Pincy: Mimic_Octopus: Cyno01: Considering the value of a dollar and how the actual minimum wage is just about the lowest ever, tip creep is inevitable if waiters are to earn a livable wage.

why should waiters earn a livable wage ? it is kid's work. waiting tables is part time shiat you do while working on a career or other schooling /in between jobs. it is not intended to be, in itself, a career.

You can say this about a lot of jobs. So where do you draw the line? Not everyone can be a professional.

Why dont we tip everyone?

also, no matter how you slice it, manual labor is not worth several hundred dollars per shift.

It's pretty obvious that none of my friends in construction is going to be doing any work for you.

i bet your friends are classified as skilled labor rather than manual labor.

Could be, but a lot of days, it seems more like manual than skilled.

A 20% tip is for a job well done. If all you do is take my order and bring me my food lackadaisically, fark off. If you want 25% you better be farking phenomenal.

Reverend Monkeypants: And I FARKING HATE being interrupted by young people pretending to be subservient asking me "how's your burger?" when it's farking fine and I'm in the middle of a business lunch, thanks. Fark off.

Also, this.

Bottom line, it's almost impossible to deserve a tip over 20%...because anything the waitstaff does to try to earn it is just irritating.

TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I am a Christian-hating atheist, but is ok with Islam that thinks 25% should be standard, but I don't want my food served by some genital mutilating immigrant that can't speak the language of this country. Also, meat is murder, but George W. Bush was a great President and we should amend the constitution to allow him to be elected again and to allow gay marriage. I am writing this on a Mac as their hardware is superior, but I have it running Windows because they make the best OS and I definitely stay away from Linux and reddit, but I love the new designs at Fark and digg.


//I feel like I missed some, so please help me out.

roc6783: TofuTheAlmighty: Tipping threads - for those who like internet conflagrations but hate contemplating genital cutting.

I am a Christian-hating atheist, but is ok with Islam that thinks 25% should be standard, but I don't want my food served by some genital mutilating immigrant that can't speak the language of this country. Also, meat is murder, but George W. Bush was a great President and we should amend the constitution to allow him to be elected again and to allow gay marriage. I am writing this on a Mac as their hardware is superior, but I have it running Windows because they make the best OS and I definitely stay away from Linux and reddit, but I love the new designs at Fark and digg.


//I feel like I missed some, so please help me out.

So they're.

mauricecano: If you can't get a better job that's your fault

I hope you receive eternally shiatty service. You don't deserve much else.

My wife has a sigil on her forehead, invisible to all humans except restaurant and customer service staff, which says in no uncertain terms, PLEASE DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO FARK WITH MY ORDER. Food is always a) late, b) cold, c) wrong, d) too spicy, e) flavorless or (the best) f) forgotten because other more important non-cursed patrons are next to us. She's not a biatch, we don't dine at busy hours for this very reason, and we don't create a huge fuss over it.

At first I thought it was because the wife was simply high-maintenance (she has digestive issues mostly), but realized that the 80/20 rule still applies: Most waiting staff could give a shiat less about good service, and the 20% of restaurants that are reputable earned it.

Our best dining experience was at the Flamingo Hotel in Vegas, and the wait staff (and the water guy) earned that 25% tip. Well-prepared food, brought warm and to specifications earns the tip, not ass-kissing, annoying behavior.

/At 17% I barely get the water glasses refilled
//Like Reverent Monkeypants, asking how my food is when my mouth is full is just douchebag behavior.

These are New Yorker servers. They deserve $100k/year as much as the Wall St guys! Besides, $100k/year is wretchedly poor in NYC, right?

15-20 percent pretty much every time here, unless the server dropped my plate on the floor and scraped it back up in front of me in which case it'll drop to 10 or so.
Having said that, I've gone higher in special instances. Like a late dinner with two overly picky co-workers that ran past the closing time of the restaurant, kept the staff through cleanup time, but all handled by the server with a great attitude... I knew the other two would under-tip, so I grabbed the check and went around 25-30 percent. Sure, it was on the corporate card, but still, I faced the wrath of the accountant. I also overtipped last week on a date, but it was worth it.

To reiterate my question from the other tipping thread:

How much do you tip if the waiter gives you a hard time about breastfeeding at the table?

What always amuses me on a tipping thread is that people lose their goddamn mind over a few dollars. 15-20% isn't all that different.

Ctrl-Alt-Del: To reiterate my question from the other tipping thread:

How much do you tip if the waiter gives you a hard time about breastfeeding at the table?


If you're a guy, everything in your damned wallet.

Hey, how about this.

Get the illegals out of the restaurants and make corporate American pay a living wage to legal food-service employees.

/I'm looking at you Chipotle and Pee-Wee Chinese Crap-ola Fest

Mimic_Octopus: i write pretty sophisticated code and i get $50 / hr salary and $100- $200 / hr contract. why the fark should someone moving plates around a room make more than $20 / hr ?

Don't you have to be at the gym in 20 minutes?

/also, no code monkey deserves more than $50/day. It's just typing.

mauricecano: optikeye: DWitchiewoman: Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment? There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me.

When the manager totals the receipts he/she has to report the total bill for the server to IRS for the workers Taxable income. So if Nancy served 20,000K in food..she's expect to X percent income from tips to IRS.

The IRS assumes a certain percentage of that total reported is in 'tips' to the worker. So, to the IRS it's total receipts---cost of what they served that the IRS goes by to estimate tips for income.
Servers that under-report that...and the IRS should have the total of what they served. Will get audited based on the reported receipts from the resturant the server had that year.

Therefore it's quit possible for a server waiting on a table that stiffs them, or under tips to end up losing money in the final taxes on their income tax than what get from 'hourly wage'.

Doesn't change the fact that the tip culture ensures the boss will pay them the barest minimum and know that people will tip because they feel obligated or bad. This bs attitude spills over to cups at subways, coffee shops, you name it. Seems anyone who does any sort of customer interaction now wants a tip. Too farking bad, if you want to earn more money don't expect the customer to generously add to their cost, get a better job. If you can't get a better job that's your fault and maybe you should go back to school or learn a trade to change that. Just because you take an order, fill some drinks and bring out food doesn't entitle you to anything extra, that's your job. Hell, table-side kiosk + food runners (which most restaurants now use btw) easily replace you.

How, then, do you propose I pay my way through college? The tips I earn put food in my fridge, Fark flowing through Verizon's tubes, gas in my car, and textbooks in my backpack. Do you also believe that cashiers shouldn't be paid? That's a job that requires even less skill.

And when you say "most restaurants" use a table-side kiosk and food runners, how about some examples? I've never seen that anywhere.

I really just don't understand why waiters are so hated. Isn't that sort of prejudice usually reserved for high-paying jobs that require moral bankruptcy to do properly, like lawyers and politicians?

n_carrvoigt: mauricecano: optikeye: DWitchiewoman: Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment? There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me.

When the manager totals the receipts he/she has to report the total bill for the server to IRS for the workers Taxable income. So if Nancy served 20,000K in food..she's expect to X percent income from tips to IRS.

The IRS assumes a certain percentage of that total reported is in 'tips' to the worker. So, to the IRS it's total receipts---cost of what they served that the IRS goes by to estimate tips for income.
Servers that under-report that...and the IRS should have the total of what they served. Will get audited based on the reported receipts from the resturant the server had that year.

Therefore it's quit possible for a server waiting on a table that stiffs them, or under tips to end up losing money in the final taxes on their income tax than what get from 'hourly wage'.

Doesn't change the fact that the tip culture ensures the boss will pay them the barest minimum and know that people will tip because they feel obligated or bad. This bs attitude spills over to cups at subways, coffee shops, you name it. Seems anyone who does any sort of customer interaction now wants a tip. Too farking bad, if you want to earn more money don't expect the customer to generously add to their cost, get a better job. If you can't get a better job that's your fault and maybe you should go back to school or learn a trade to change that. Just because you take an order, fill some drinks and bring out food doesn't entitle you to anything extra, that's your job. Hell, table-side kiosk + food runners (which most restaurants now use btw) easily replace you.

How, then, do you propose I pay my way through college? The tips I earn put food in my fridge, Fark flowing through Verizon's tubes, gas in my car, and textbooks in my backpack. Do yo ...

I don't honestly care how you do it, you made the choice to be a waiter and make less than a cashier based on hourly wages. Yet, for some reason you chose waiting tables so you must believe in the end you'll make more than a cashier once you get the tips. Welcome to the real world here's a hint: fark sub isn't needed, verizon sub isn't needed, tv sub isn't needed, internet isn't needed if you are in college as you will have access to the computer lab, and sweet Ramen Noodles keep's people full and wallets less empty :)

I'm not saying the restaurants have put in the kiosk, I'm saying most could put in one and eliminate the waiter's job. Couple cases in point, Jason's Deli has a self checkout kiosk during lunch, you go in and order a salad bar, pay by credit card and get the plate; they even started accepting sandwich orders at our local one so no interaction required. 5-10 minutes later a food runner brings it out to you. Another sandwich shop did the same, not a chain but a local place.

With today's technology, it isn't inconceivable that a restaurant simply provide you with an electronic menu and you click what you want with easy customization for any order and you know it will be rightly written down (don't get me started with waiters that refuse to write down orders thinking its cute or impressive). Drink runner brings out the drinks, food runner brings out the food and a customer satisfaction host goes around to ensure things are all okay like normal. Will this happen, probably not because people like the interaction but I am stating that it easily COULD occur.

15% is standard - a "gentleman's C" in the restaurant world. I usually go for 20% but then again I have almost never had bad service.

There is ZERO obligation to tip at all. Just don't go back if you don't. You had a reason not to tip - it was because it sucked. Express your displeasure fully and go somewhere else.

CxOrillion: As someone who works for tips, (Pizza Delivery) I'll give better tips than many around my area. For good service, I can go anywhere from 18-30% depending on the price of the meal itself. For mediocre service I won't exceed 20, and for bad/no service it'll go down from there.

Now for me delivering pizzas, I am a tipped employee who has split pay.

Essentially, while I'm out on a run, I'm making $3.63/hr. In the store, I make $7.25 (Maryland minimum wage). Even with what the store pays me for mileage, on a slow night a long delivery with no tip is a net loss for me due to the split pay. If you're someone who orders pizza, tip them please. Even if it's just 3 or 4 dollars. I never expect to be tipped a percentage of the order (Though for larger orders I do generally have better tips) because whether you order 1 pizza or 4, there's no difference in effort on my part. 5 dollars is good, more is great. But please just 3 dollars and I'll happily take your order every time.

lol @ 5 dollar delivery tip.

Tipping is easy

One dollar no matter what I order.

It's the same amount of work no matter what so you get the same amount.

super_grass: You end up paying the server either way.

Man up and let someone earn a living wage.

sexist

th0th: My wife has a sigil on her forehead, invisible to all humans except restaurant and customer service staff, which says in no uncertain terms, PLEASE DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO FARK WITH MY ORDER. Food is always a) late, b) cold, c) wrong, d) too spicy, e) flavorless or (the best) f) forgotten because other more important non-cursed patrons are next to us. She's not a biatch, we don't dine at busy hours for this very reason, and we don't create a huge fuss over it.

At first I thought it was because the wife was simply high-maintenance (she has digestive issues mostly), but realized that the 80/20 rule still applies: Most waiting staff could give a shiat less about good service, and the 20% of restaurants that are reputable earned it.

Our best dining experience was at the Flamingo Hotel in Vegas, and the wait staff (and the water guy) earned that 25% tip. Well-prepared food, brought warm and to specifications earns the tip, not ass-kissing, annoying behavior.

/At 17% I barely get the water glasses refilled
//Like Reverent Monkeypants, asking how my food is when my mouth is full is just douchebag behavior.

Why aren't you tipping the cook?

Once I went out to see my cousin because we were working on a project together. After we were done, he was going to meet his old college buddies for dinner at a really upscale steakhouse, and I was invited to come along.

We ordered an appetizer called a seafood tower which was $98, and someone's having said "can we get extra shrimp with that" raised it to $130. My thought when it arrived was, "The waiter's going to get $25 just for bringing that out."

Reverend Monkeypants: And I FARKING HATE being interrupted by young people pretending to be subservient asking me "how's your burger?" when it's farking fine and I'm in the middle of a business lunch,

Seconded

The timing when I'm asked that sucks as well. ( I almost always have food in my mouth )

gweilo8888: PyroStock: By the same token, you are reward the bad staff by tipping the good servers/bartenders when places pool the tips.

Yes, that's true--but me, I'd rather reward when things go well than punish when they don't, if it's an either-or situation.

I agree and that's the whole concept of the tip - it's a reward not an obligation required even for "shiatty service". In a tip pool the bad waiter getting 10% tips instead of 15% isn't going to be as noticeable as the one who gets nothing.

mauricecano: n_carrvoigt: mauricecano: optikeye: DWitchiewoman: Can anybody explain to me why waitresses aren't paid by the owner of the establishment? There's such a huge mark up on food, I don't really understand why I'm tipping more based on the cost of the food to me.

When the manager totals the receipts he/she has to report the total bill for the server to IRS for the workers Taxable income. So if Nancy served 20,000K in food..she's expect to X percent income from tips to IRS.

The IRS assumes a certain percentage of that total reported is in 'tips' to the worker. So, to the IRS it's total receipts---cost of what they served that the IRS goes by to estimate tips for income.
Servers that under-report that...and the IRS should have the total of what they served. Will get audited based on the reported receipts from the resturant the server had that year.

Therefore it's quit possible for a server waiting on a table that stiffs them, or under tips to end up losing money in the final taxes on their income tax than what get from 'hourly wage'.

Doesn't change the fact that the tip culture ensures the boss will pay them the barest minimum and know that people will tip because they feel obligated or bad. This bs attitude spills over to cups at subways, coffee shops, you name it. Seems anyone who does any sort of customer interaction now wants a tip. Too farking bad, if you want to earn more money don't expect the customer to generously add to their cost, get a better job. If you can't get a better job that's your fault and maybe you should go back to school or learn a trade to change that. Just because you take an order, fill some drinks and bring out food doesn't entitle you to anything extra, that's your job. Hell, table-side kiosk + food runners (which most restaurants now use btw) easily replace you.

How, then, do you propose I pay my way through college? The tips I earn put food in my fridge, Fark flowing through Verizon's tubes, gas in my car, and textbooks in my ba ...

I don't have or need Total Fark. My roommates and I split the FiOS bill, and $15 a month for that is negligible. I don't have TV service, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, or anything like that, and I only have Xbox Live because I bought a few one-year cards when they went on sale a while back. And ramen noodles? I'm a culinary arts major. Grocery shopping is basically homework.

"You must believe in the end you'll make more than a cashier once you get the tips. Welcome to the real world..." I believe I'll make more than a cashier in the end because I DO make more than a cashier. If you figure a cashier makes $8/hour, works an even 40 hours a week, and works 40 hours all 52 weeks of a year, my net beats their gross by ten grand.

You're right, the kiosk system is never going to become the standard. People like the interaction, old people will probably struggle to figure out how to place an order, and the industry as a whole would get criticized for eliminating jobs instead of creating them. The restaurant business accounts for 13 million jobs, which is 10% of the US work force. You eliminate waiters in half of the nation's restaurants, and you're probably looking at 5 million people out of work and 8 million who need to be retrained in the new way of doing things.

I'm not going to lower my standard of living because you don't feel like I deserve an extra $6 when you go out. I'm at home by myself drinking a PBR and watching cartoons on YouTube on a Saturday night instead of going out with my friends, and I'm single because I can't afford to date (and let's be honest, there are guys making $100K a year saying the same thing - chicks are expensive). I have three roommates in a small apartment within walking distance of where I work. I'm already pinching pennies as hard as I can. I'm not trying to cry poor, I just don't know why I should take a $10K pay cut when you'd probably flip the fark out if asked to do the same.

And to those saying it's annoying when we check on how your food came out? I completely agree. Many restaurants hire secret shoppers to make sure we're following the corporate-mandated "sequence of service", which includes checking back once you've had a bite to make sure everything came out right. 100% scores on secret shop reports are usually rewarded, and anything less is typically treated like the end of the world. I hate it, but they make me do it. I'm sorry.

After reading some of the stuff in this thread that people have said annoys them when they dine out, I've been keeping it all in mind the last couple nights. I get all worked up when I see a tipping thread, but I figure it's an opportunity to learn how to do my job better. To those of you who left feedback, thank you.

the801: the answer is that they do make the rest up in tips. if they don't, the employer has to compensate them up to minimum wage. it's impossible to make less than minimum wage as a tipped employee.

"If the employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Many states, however, require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees."
- Link - US Department of Labor.

any wait staff who tells you different will say anything to get that next bump of overpriced coke from the dishwasher.

That law does not specify the time frame involved. My cousin worked a place that made up the difference monthly, after making sure that wait staff got two weekend shifts. The big sat/sun crowd just barely put her over minimum wage on the month, but most days she made far less.