Tipping: Thoughts & Opinions..

[COOLCAT88]

Ahh, the age old practice of giving someone a few extra dollars for performing exceptional/above and beyond service performing a service.

My question is, How do you decide as to how much to give? Does how well or how fast a person performs a service influence your decision? Even if you work in the service industry, I would like to hear your opinions...

 

[Korastus]

Yes. How well a person does their job is directly proportional to how much I tip. Quick, efficient, friendly service always deserves a good tip. I'll still tip for slow or poor service, but it won't be nearly as much. Rude people don't get a dime from me.

 

[Bugman]

Ahh, the age old practice of giving someone a few extra dollars for performing exceptional/above and beyond service performing a service.

My question is, How do you decide as to how much to give? Does how well or how fast a person performs a service influence your decision? Even if you work in the service industry, I would like to hear your opinions...

If I eat at a sit-down restaurant I'll usally tip 10% minimum, even if the service is slower then I would like. It is not always the servers fault afterall.

It could be they have too many tables assigned to them, or the kitchen can't keep up. Maybe they are new to the job and learning. If I see what seems to be obvious neglect, that will factor in. The best thing to do about poor service is speaking to the manager on duty, or the owner if possible.

 

[Mitchell]

My maternal grandfather influenced my tipping practices, even though I was 17 the last time I ate a meal in a resturant with him, as he got sick and died in the late 1980s.

He used to say "Mitch, these waiters and waitresses depend on tips. They don't make much in salary. You need to tip well." I dont remember exactly what percentage he gave, but, I know he was always a generous tipper.

I eat at many all you can eat buffets here. As I understand it, standard practice there is to tip $1 per person, even if the meal costs only seven or eight dollars.

I know that the "standard tip" is usually 15% in a diner, etc, and 20% at a good place. I usually split the difference at a diner, and.. give.. 17 to 18 percent on, say a $15 meal. At a more expensive place, like... the Outback, or a really fancy place, I tip 20%. When I took my father out for his 60th bday, at his favorite fancy chinese place in NY, Shun Lee Palace, our bill for lunch was $75, and I gave the guy a $16 tip, a bit more than 20%.

I have one friend, who infuriates me with his method of tipping. If he doesnt like the service, he'll say.. "No tip". This especially bothers me if he does it down here, in a place I'm known, and that I go to all the time, so,, if they see me the next time I eat there, they can be like "There's the guy who was with the asshole who didnt leave a tip".

Anyhow, back to the point of the thread, I usually tip between 15 and 20 percent, always, unless I have a particularly rude waiter, or terribly bad service. My grandfather taught me well, I believe.

Mitch

 

[sasaxrah]

I almost always tip 20%. It's pretty standard in NYC. If service is particularly horrible (hasn't happened that much) then I bump it down to 15%. I agree with Mitchell that the serving staff really depend on tips, and the extra dollar or two mean much more to them than it does to me.

 

[RobAce]

I give a standard 20% tip. For lousy service I will leave 15%, for exceptional service 25%. The only change to this is if I eat by myself and have a meal of lets say 9.00, I will leave 3.00, which is about 33%. That is pretty standard for me.

I have waited tables in the past so I am little more understanding than the next. I find those that have worked in the food service industry at some point in time in their lives tend to be more generous with tipping than those that have never done so.

At least in my experiences.

Rob

 

[General Zod]

20% or so at the truck stop diners.even for the buffets. I know the wait staff works hard,and has to deal with some cranky truckers.

 

[Bugman]

I have waited tables in the past so I am little more understanding than the next. I find those that have worked in the food service industry at some point in time in their lives tend to be more generous with tipping than those that have never done so.

Rob

Indeed. I have never waited tables or been a bartender, but I have known many people who have. They tend to tip more then other people because they know what it's like. Neither job is as easy as many people assume.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

I used to drive a taxi, many years ago.

That tip means more than you can imagine, 'cause, let's face it, it's hard making it on the split. I had developed a sixth sense as to who would tip, and who wouldn't, but that never precluded a pleasant surprise or two.

Your tipping means that you appreciate the service. What that means, is, if it's eleven-thirty on a Sunday night, and it's pouring buckets, you might call me, and it's a judgement call, really-I can leave my spot here on the line at the train station, and drive out eight miles to pick you up, and take you to your job around the corner, for a $6 fare, and the knowledge that, because of past history, or pure speculation, you don't appreciate this enough to leave me something extra for my trouble...well. Get your umbrella out of the closet. Boots would be helpful, too! If you had tipped me in the past, without question, I'm coming out to get you. You appreciate my labor.

I tip well myself. Unless you're such a fucking asshole, that you get the asshole tip from me- a quarter. Rather than leave nothing, and have you speculate on whether or not I had forgotten, George Washington's profile speaks volumes.

 

[BlackestLily]

I had a friend once tell me that no matter how small her bill was in a restaurant, she would tip them minimum 5 dollars because they are going out of their way to serve her in some shape or form. Generally she stuck around in places for an hour or less. And is 5 dollars for an hour of staying some place worth it? I'd say so.

I tip around 20%, unless the service was extremely crappy, then I go for around 15 or 10.

 

[milagros317]

In a restaurant, I tip 20% unless the service is bad, in which case I'll give only 15%.

 

[Helena]

I got my hair cut yesterday at Super Cuts. I got a shampoo but skipped the blow dry because I always need to take a shower after I go there. Hair gets everywhere, but it's all I can afford while in school.

Anyway, I paid 18 dollars for my hair cut, and gave my hairdresser 5 dollars for a tip. I brought a picture of the haircut I wanted, and she did a really nice job.

I never have bad service at places that I eat. I have my favorite reasonably priced restaurants, and stick with those. I don't drink and usually don't order an appetizer unless I'm someone's guest. LOL My bill is always under 15 dollars, and I leave a 3 dollar tip.

Even though cash is tight, I leave what I can afford.

 

[Mitchell]

Another thing on my mind is that food is heavy to carry. I've been a waiter too, but not in a resturant. My experience as a waiter came in summer camp, at age 14, back when I was pencil thin. I used to have to serve three meals a day, to two different parts of the camp, in two different shifts, at several tables, with at least 10 to 12 people at each table. Believe me, that food was HEAVY to carry, so I know exactly how much lifting and bending wait staff has to do. For such, I was paid a token salary of a few dollars for the summer "Work experience", and believe me, it was. The only good part was is that the waiters and waitresses used to be able to hang out in the kitchen, and eat whatever we wanted.

I dont ever recall leaving an intentionally "low" tip. Even to a slow waiter, or even someone who may be rude, I leave at least 15%. Between what I wrote about my grandfather's advice, and my own experience as a waiter for just two months, I would feel badly if I didn't leave a good tip.

Mitch

 

[me4o]

In Bulgaria, the standard tip is 10%. I always tip, even more than those 10%, and if I'm very happy with the service I tip even up to 20-25%. I used to work as a bartender some time ago, and I really understand how hard jobs like that can be. People might think it looks easy, but believe me-12 hours a shift, and in the end you feel like crap. So some extra money can make you at least a bit happier