Tipping is now at about 20% for good service

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Freakonomics just had a podcast on this with a restaurant in New York. That was, according to the resto, a success for them.

I feel like if they are losing servers, they haven't priced the wages correctly. Increase wages to appease servers, keep no tipping policy.

The thing about wages is that they're reported to the Government and dont easily slip into pockets and become lost.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by GGG

I cut back to 12% with the increase to minimum wage. In the US in states with low minimum wage I tip less.

I do not tip based on service.

Sorry GGG, did you mistype or do you actually tip less in states with low minimum wage?

If it's the latter, you're tipping less because minimum wage increased (fair enough)..but where minimum wage is low you also tip lower?

I've found myself basing my tipping more and more on quality of service. I've also found it's less to do with percentage. Since I'm used to tipping $5-10 on a $40 dollar meal at night with drinks and deserts. Now when I go to lunch I throw down a 5 or 10 despite the bill being maybe $15 since it's lunch and I'm getting water. It's not like the waiter is doing much difference of a difference.

[TheAlpineOracle]

I honestly can't remember the last time I got what I would consider exceptional service in Calgary worthy of a 20% tip outside of Escoba on 8th Avenue downtown. Every time I travel it's a real eye opener to me as to how crappy the service industry is in this city.

If you are having looking for an exceptional dining experience, give Escoba a try. The name of the main waiter there escapes me, but he's great. Always tip him at least 20% (and I don't generally go above 15%).

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by _Q_

My standard tip for adequate service is 18%. Good service gets you 20%. Below average service gets you 15%. Incredible service gets you 25% or 30%. Horrible service gets you anywhere from 0% to 10%. I realize that servers owe the kitchen staff a tip out, so if I give 0%, the server is actually paying out of their pocket for my meal. But there have been occasions where I really don't care and actually enjoy the idea of the server having to suffer for being such an idiot.

I also make it a rule not to tip less than $1 on very small orders if I'm going to tip.

This is exactly how I do it to. I'm not having some"expert" tell me what to tip.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

I honestly can't remember the last time I got what I would consider exceptional service in Calgary worthy of a 20% tip outside of Escoba on 8th Avenue downtown. Every time I travel it's a real eye opener to me as to how crappy the service industry is in this city.

Yeah, if you don't get out of Calgary much you can develop a badly distorted frame of reference for good service.

[Kswiss]

Man, I just came back from Japan. No tipping with exceptional service. I loved it.

I think it is getting absurd here in Calgary. 20% for doing your job?

I've had situations where you get a beer on special (mentioned by the waitress) then drink too much, only to have the waitress charge the regular price when it comes to bill time, AND to have that stupid machine auto-tip 20%. Of course they are banking that you don't want to be cheap in front of your friends. Actually that should to in the GRMG thread.

[malcolmk14]

I tip 15% rounded up to the nearest dollar.

18% for exceptional service.

8% for poor or non-existent service.

0% on take-out orders or any sort of place where I'm not being waited on.

[Northendzone]

I typically tip between 5 and 10%.

when my bonus increases to 15%, then I will tip more

[DiracSpike]

Clearly the stupid "tip out" phenomenon has caused this mandatory tipping effect where the waitress is hostage to the customer by automatically being in the hole. The solution seems pretty simple, don't tip out the chefs, bus boys ets. If they want tips so bad they can be servers.

I tip 15% no matter what now since the practice is not performance based at all. Sometimes 20% if a server does something above and beyond like change a specific TV to a basketball game when there's only hockey on all the tv's.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Sorry GGG, did you mistype or do you actually tip less in states with low minimum wage?

If it's the latter, you're tipping less because minimum wage increased (fair enough)..but where minimum wage is low you also tip lower?

I've found myself basing my tipping more and more on quality of service. I've also found it's less to do with percentage. Since I'm used to tipping $5-10 on a $40 dollar meal at night with drinks and deserts. Now when I go to lunch I throw down a 5 or 10 despite the bill being maybe $15 since it's lunch and I'm getting water. It's not like the waiter is doing much difference of a difference.

Typo, I tip more in the US except Seattle and California. I try to base tipping on a living wage concept.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Clearly the stupid "tip out" phenomenon has caused this mandatory tipping effect where the waitress is hostage to the customer by automatically being in the hole. The solution seems pretty simple, don't tip out the chefs, bus boys ets. If they want tips so bad they can be servers.

I tip 15% no matter what now since the practice is not performance based at all. Sometimes 20% if a server does something above and beyond like change a specific TV to a basketball game when there's only hockey on all the tv's.

Or better yet, have two separate spots to tip: the servers or the kitchen staff

You decide who gets what portion of the tip!

Im not going to lie, the portion sent to the kitchen staff would be a lot larger than the servers'

Or even better, don't tip.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

I tip 15% rounded up to the nearest dollar.

18% for exceptional service.

8% for poor or non-existent service.

0% on take-out orders or any sort of place where I'm not being waited on.

You give 8% for poor service? I imagine a lot of lazy servers would be quite happy with that. Do a bad job, receive hundreds of dollars in tax free income every week for your troubles. Assuming most people tip that way of course.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

A lot of people do it that way. I tip 15% in almost every situation. On the rare occasion the service significantly improved my dining experience, I tip 20%; on the rare occasion that the service noticeably diminished my enjoyment, I tip 10%. If my experience was ruined such that I'm actually in a bad mood afterwards, I tell whoever is in charge about it and tip 0%.

[Jason14h]

I'm amazed how much 'Poor Service' people actually get. Where are you eating with this terrible service?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I'm amazed how much 'Poor Service' people actually get. Where are you eating with this terrible service?

I consider poor service any time I run out of a drink while eating and have to sit there for 10 minutes before someone comes by.

In Calgary that happens probably 5 out of 10 times.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I'm amazed how much 'Poor Service' people actually get. Where are you eating with this terrible service?

Poor service/ frequency:

I'm seated for 5 or more minutes before anyone takes my order / 25%
I'm seated 10 or more minutes before anyone takes my order / 10%
Something in the order is screwed up / 20%
I wait 5 or more minutes after asking for the bill before I get the bill / 30%
I wait 10 or minutes after asking for the bill before I get the bill / 15%
General lack of professionalism and expertise by the server / 25%

Obviously, there will be a lot of overlap in these categories of poor service. But the upshot is I get poor service about 30% of the time I to out. But I still tip 15%. Unless someone hits about three of the categories - then it's 10%.

Again, it helps if you compare the service experience in other cities. The severe labour crunch in this city for the last 12 years or so contributed to a marked decline in service in pretty much every industry. In most restaurants and bars in this city, any woman who has a pulse and looks good in a skirt can get a job as a server.

[Fuzz]

Oh man, I hate it when they don't bring the bill. Look, server, you are literally throwing away money the longer I sit here. The weirdest is when you have good service, then they vanish after you ask for the bill for 10 minutes. Usually I just get up and walk to wherever the money terminal is. If I have gone that far, your tip has absolutely been diminished. I don't get it. And I swear, it happens probably 30% of the time I go out.

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by GGG

To many factors like the 1hr for food our outside of the servers control for them to be evaluated on.

HOW is it "outside" their control?

The NUMBER ONE THING, FORGETTING TO PUT IN AN ORDER! Read on:

Ask yourself these questions as a server:

1. WHEN do you put in my order? Do you wait or do you go put it in immediately after taking it? If you are double sat or triple sat, you can still go put in each order into the computer after taking each table’s order. By not doing that can result in a much longer wait and that would be YOUR FAULT.

2. FORGETTING to put in an order. My husband and I have experienced this for REAL that servers ADMITTED to our faces they have FORGOTTEN TO PUT ORDERS IN. All of them were appetizers, bar drinks, and a cup of soup.

3. Did you put in the order CORRECTLY into the computer? Have had many times servers ADMITTED to our faces they did not do that correctly. Have had wrong entrées before due to our server putting in the order wrong. Have had wrong bar drinks too due to the server putting in the order wrong.

4. Did you FORGET ANYTHING I ORDERED such as a SIDE DISH? We have had this happen a number of times as well.

5. Did you DROP anything I ordered? Luckily, we have not had this happen, but I have seen a server once drop some fries from a plate before and I did have a waiter spill some margarita martini when pouring into a martini glass. In other words, it is possible, not likely, but very possible.

6. Did you remember to GET my food? We have had a server do that before. Also, we have had a number of servers forget bar drinks.

7. Did you bring out my food obviously correctly if you bring my food out? Do you realize how many times OUR OWN SERVER brings out DUH mistakes like the side dish is wrong, the entrée is wrong, something obvious is not correct bacon that isn’t covered up isn’t extra, extra crispy when you can clearly notice that it isn’t without touching anything, etc.? Every DUH mistake you bring out is YOUR FAULT I am waiting for what I did order by you wasting my time bringing me the wrong item or wrongly prepared item or forgot something. While we all make mistakes, I would have to say a good 90% of the time, servers NEVER COMPARE THE WRITTEN ORDERS TO THE FOOD, because they are TOO LAZY and DON’T CARE!!

8. Servers DO wait to put in entrée orders when appetizers, side salads, or cups of soup are ordered. THAT *IS* THE GOD’S TRUTH! Sometimes it’s TOO LONG THEY WAIT! If it’s another server, it still doesn’t make it the kitchen staff’s fault I have the wrong side dish for example since that is something that’s obvious. It’s either my server that didn’t put in my order correctly or this other server that didn’t compare the ticket to the food or that this other server did compare the ticket to the food, but just missed it(HIGHLY UNLIKELY, but possible).

9. WHEN do you come to GET MY ORDER? That part is covered in #2 below.

10. WHEN do you DECIDE to LET ME ORDER? That part is covered in #4 below.

11. WHEN do you decide to DELIVER MY FOOD? That part is covered in #1 below.

12. Do you, because they are out of something, decide to assume everyone wants the closest thing so you do the ordering for me? That part is covered in #3 below.

13. WHEN do you decide to check up on WHERE the food is? If the kitchen staff somehow lost the ticket, did you wait 30 minutes and then decide to find out that or did you check after 10-15 minutes to see that our food was getting started on?

1. Once, we had a Red Lobster waitress had our 2 entrées on the tray as well as 2 side salads that were for a couple that wasn’t even there when we ordered. Anyway, instead of bypassing their table to hand us ours first since WE DID ORDER FIRST(common sense would tell you that it takes more time to cook food than it does to fix a side salad anyways even if it wasn’t our server that delivered our food, but it was our waitress that delivered our food), she decided to hand them theirs first off the tray. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE SERVER’S CONTROL TO HAND OUT THINGS OFF THE SAME TRAY IN THE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS ORDERED IN!!

2. Once, we had a waitress that greeted us which we ordered an appetizer as well as our drinks when greeted. I saw she tucking in chairs at empty tables and pretty much doing everything but coming back to get our entrée order. Well, I found out what happened. She brought out our appetizer and when I asked she said that she wanted to wait to put in our entrée orders. The thing is, that delayed us more by not at least coming to GET our orders. That way, when the appetizer was ready, we wouldn’t have gotten delayed eating our appetizer since we then had to give our entrée orders when we could have given our entrée orders WELL BEFORE THAT and we would have gotten our entrées faster due to that she could have just left to put our entrée orders into the computer after delivering our appetizer instead of taking time to order when our appetizer was sitting in front of us. The point is, SHE delayed our entrées as well as to be able to start eating our appetizer because she could have at least TAKEN our entrée orders and then when our appetizer would have been brought out, could have immediately gone to the computer to put our entrée orders in. What she did was make us wait while our hot appetizer was sitting in front of us, we couldn’t touch it, because we had to order our entrées and could have done that wayyy before that. She also delayed our entrées because we had to spend extra time AFTER our appetizer arrived to give her our entrée orders when we could have done that wayyyy before that.

3. Once, we had a waitress that assumed that because they were out of raspberry topping for a cheesecake slice when we had ordered dessert that she’d bring us strawberry. Turns out, she knew when she put in the order that the computer had it the manager told us. So she did it on PURPOSE to be so lazy and uncaring as to not come to ask if we wanted the next closest thing. We didn’t, we sent it back, so she had MORE WORK. Also, she didn’t even think about what if someone is allergic to strawberries. I just honestly can’t believe someone would do that. If they are out of something, common sense would be to come to see if the next closest thing is ok. Not everyone wants the next closest thing. So it wasn’t like it was just getting the order wrong by accident or by not verifying the written order with what she was bringing or putting in the order wrong by accident, this was on PURPOSE to be LAZY and to ASSUME. I didn’t know at first that she did that. I thought at first she just was that stupid(or truly just messed up(highly doubt it)) to bring us strawberries on top of a cheesecake when we ordered raspberries.

4. Your server delays coming to get your order or delays you ordering due to personal conversation. We have had that before as well. Once, we had a waiter that we didn’t know after waiting 15 mins. for a table on Mardi Gras day ask us BEFORE we ORDERED ANYTHING “How’s y’all’s Mardi Gras” “Go to any parades.” See, I don’t mind chit chat with a stranger, but be considerate to do it AFTER we have our orders into the computer so you don’t take up our time.

We have also had servers not come to get our order due to playing around. Sometimes taking a long time or a longer time has A LOT to do with the server: My husband and I have had 3 TIMES where servers FORGOT to put food orders into the computer. We also have 8 times servers forget to get bar drinks from the bar. Once a waitress forgot to put in a bar drink into the computer. Two of the 3 times it was an appetizer and the servers ADMITTED doing so. The third time was a cup of bisque which is normally served before a meal just like a side salad is. My husband and I also have had delays due to that the servers delayed putting orders into the computer when they COULD have such as deciding to buss a table first or decide instead of a mini-greet(I’ll be right with you all), one waiter I saw decided to take a party of 6 people’s drink/appetizer orders instead of putting in our food orders into the computer. I can understand if they call you over, but if they don’t, you should be putting that order into the computer not delaying our food. The longer you wait to put in orders, the LONGER WE WAIT!! So truly think about that MOST of the time when you wait a LONG TIME for your food or bar drinks even, it could be the server’s fault. 9 times out of 10, your server had *SOMETHING* to do with the delay in most cases! That’s the GOD’S TRUTH!

[Springs1]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

There it is in a nut shell.

Most customers will accept that things are slow/the kitchen is backed up/somebody didn't come in today. What people won't accept is being ignored or the perception that they are being ignored. If a server doesn't come round and explain the delay people will usually assume it is the server that E'ffed up.

It's not in an nut shell if it's the SERVER'S FAULT WHY the delay happened.

Ask yourself these questions as a server:

1. WHEN do you put in my order? Do you wait or do you go put it in immediately after taking it? If you are double sat or triple sat, you can still go put in each order into the computer after taking each table’s order. By not doing that can result in a much longer wait and that would be YOUR FAULT.

2. FORGETTING to put in an order. My husband and I have experienced this for REAL that servers ADMITTED to our faces they have FORGOTTEN TO PUT ORDERS IN. All of them were appetizers, bar drinks, and a cup of soup.

3. Did you put in the order CORRECTLY into the computer? Have had many times servers ADMITTED to our faces they did not do that correctly. Have had wrong entrées before due to our server putting in the order wrong. Have had wrong bar drinks too due to the server putting in the order wrong.

4. Did you FORGET ANYTHING I ORDERED such as a SIDE DISH? We have had this happen a number of times as well.

5. Did you DROP anything I ordered? Luckily, we have not had this happen, but I have seen a server once drop some fries from a plate before and I did have a waiter spill some margarita martini when pouring into a martini glass. In other words, it is possible, not likely, but very possible.

6. Did you remember to GET my food? We have had a server do that before. Also, we have had a number of servers forget bar drinks.

7. Did you bring out my food obviously correctly if you bring my food out? Do you realize how many times OUR OWN SERVER brings out DUH mistakes like the side dish is wrong, the entrée is wrong, something obvious is not correct bacon that isn’t covered up isn’t extra, extra crispy when you can clearly notice that it isn’t without touching anything, etc.? Every DUH mistake you bring out is YOUR FAULT I am waiting for what I did order by you wasting my time bringing me the wrong item or wrongly prepared item or forgot something. While we all make mistakes, I would have to say a good 90% of the time, servers NEVER COMPARE THE WRITTEN ORDERS TO THE FOOD, because they are TOO LAZY and DON’T CARE!!

8. Servers DO wait to put in entrée orders when appetizers, side salads, or cups of soup are ordered. THAT *IS* THE GOD’S TRUTH! Sometimes it’s TOO LONG THEY WAIT! If it’s another server, it still doesn’t make it the kitchen staff’s fault I have the wrong side dish for example since that is something that’s obvious. It’s either my server that didn’t put in my order correctly or this other server that didn’t compare the ticket to the food or that this other server did compare the ticket to the food, but just missed it(HIGHLY UNLIKELY, but possible).

9. WHEN do you come to GET MY ORDER? That part is covered in #2 below.

10. WHEN do you DECIDE to LET ME ORDER? That part is covered in #4 below.

11. WHEN do you decide to DELIVER MY FOOD? That part is covered in #1 below.

12. Do you, because they are out of something, decide to assume everyone wants the closest thing so you do the ordering for me? That part is covered in #3 below.

13. WHEN do you decide to check up on WHERE the food is? If the kitchen staff somehow lost the ticket, did you wait 30 minutes and then decide to find out that or did you check after 10-15 minutes to see that our food was getting started on?

1. Once, we had a Red Lobster waitress had our 2 entrées on the tray as well as 2 side salads that were for a couple that wasn’t even there when we ordered. Anyway, instead of bypassing their table to hand us ours first since WE DID ORDER FIRST(common sense would tell you that it takes more time to cook food than it does to fix a side salad anyways even if it wasn’t our server that delivered our food, but it was our waitress that delivered our food), she decided to hand them theirs first off the tray. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE SERVER’S CONTROL TO HAND OUT THINGS OFF THE SAME TRAY IN THE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS ORDERED IN!!

2. Once, we had a waitress that greeted us which we ordered an appetizer as well as our drinks when greeted. I saw she tucking in chairs at empty tables and pretty much doing everything but coming back to get our entrée order. Well, I found out what happened. She brought out our appetizer and when I asked she said that she wanted to wait to put in our entrée orders. The thing is, that delayed us more by not at least coming to GET our orders. That way, when the appetizer was ready, we wouldn’t have gotten delayed eating our appetizer since we then had to give our entrée orders when we could have given our entrée orders WELL BEFORE THAT and we would have gotten our entrées faster due to that she could have just left to put our entrée orders into the computer after delivering our appetizer instead of taking time to order when our appetizer was sitting in front of us. The point is, SHE delayed our entrées as well as to be able to start eating our appetizer because she could have at least TAKEN our entrée orders and then when our appetizer would have been brought out, could have immediately gone to the computer to put our entrée orders in. What she did was make us wait while our hot appetizer was sitting in front of us, we couldn’t touch it, because we had to order our entrées and could have done that wayyy before that. She also delayed our entrées because we had to spend extra time AFTER our appetizer arrived to give her our entrée orders when we could have done that wayyyy before that.

3. Once, we had a waitress that assumed that because they were out of raspberry topping for a cheesecake slice when we had ordered dessert that she’d bring us strawberry. Turns out, she knew when she put in the order that the computer had it the manager told us. So she did it on PURPOSE to be so lazy and uncaring as to not come to ask if we wanted the next closest thing. We didn’t, we sent it back, so she had MORE WORK. Also, she didn’t even think about what if someone is allergic to strawberries. I just honestly can’t believe someone would do that. If they are out of something, common sense would be to come to see if the next closest thing is ok. Not everyone wants the next closest thing. So it wasn’t like it was just getting the order wrong by accident or by not verifying the written order with what she was bringing or putting in the order wrong by accident, this was on PURPOSE to be LAZY and to ASSUME. I didn’t know at first that she did that. I thought at first she just was that stupid(or truly just messed up(highly doubt it)) to bring us strawberries on top of a cheesecake when we ordered raspberries.

4. Your server delays coming to get your order or delays you ordering due to personal conversation. We have had that before as well. Once, we had a waiter that we didn’t know after waiting 15 mins. for a table on Mardi Gras day ask us BEFORE we ORDERED ANYTHING “How’s y’all’s Mardi Gras” “Go to any parades.” See, I don’t mind chit chat with a stranger, but be considerate to do it AFTER we have our orders into the computer so you don’t take up our time.

We have also had servers not come to get our order due to playing around. Sometimes taking a long time or a longer time has A LOT to do with the server: My husband and I have had 3 TIMES where servers FORGOT to put food orders into the computer. We also have 8 times servers forget to get bar drinks from the bar. Once a waitress forgot to put in a bar drink into the computer. Two of the 3 times it was an appetizer and the servers ADMITTED doing so. The third time was a cup of bisque which is normally served before a meal just like a side salad is. My husband and I also have had delays due to that the servers delayed putting orders into the computer when they COULD have such as deciding to buss a table first or decide instead of a mini-greet(I’ll be right with you all), one waiter I saw decided to take a party of 6 people’s drink/appetizer orders instead of putting in our food orders into the computer. I can understand if they call you over, but if they don’t, you should be putting that order into the computer not delaying our food. The longer you wait to put in orders, the LONGER WE WAIT!! So truly think about that MOST of the time when you wait a LONG TIME for your food or bar drinks even, it could be the server’s fault. 9 times out of 10, your server had *SOMETHING* to do with the delay in most cases! That’s the GOD’S TRUTH!

[KelVarnsen]