Tipping a server

[Coys1882]

I tip fairly because society has conditioned me to do so.

Otherwise tipping is quite possibly the biggest farce in the world. Lots of people make crap salaries and aren't subsidized by the customer; how did it get such a strong foothold in the restaurant industry? I didn't make them be a server and no one is holding a gun to their head to work there - why is it my responsibility to help make ends meet through tips?

The other thing I hate is that if you question or debate the merits of tipping -people will often just discard your argument as you being cheap or quote the Mr. Pink phenom. I think that's a form of Godwin's Law to be honest.

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

^

Go to McDonalds?

Think you need to take another shot at reading that

[sworkhard]

I tip based on a combination of the quality of service and how long I was at the place. I've gone to a little small town restaurant with a few guys for 2 hours before and tipped something near 500% (All I bought was a coffee with free refills for around $2 and the service was great). I tend to tip around 15-20% on average, with the tip varying from 0% for a terrible place to around 35% when the food and service are both exceptional. On occasion, if it seem like most people are getting good service, but I feel I'm not, and I think I'll be a regular, I'll tip really high on my first visit to establish a good reputation. When I come back a week later its amazing how much the service improves.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by Notorious Honey Badger

I refuse to tip when I get take out. Wtf am I tipping? I paid for my food. I'm coming to get it.

Because the kitchen, who in almost all places restaurants get tipped out, have put in the same amount of work to prepare your meal. It's a busy night at the restaurant, it's full and the kitchen is preparing your meal, along with the front of house staff getting it together for you. As I said in the original post, it should not be viewed at all as the same as sit down service, but throwing so much as a toonie can go along way in getting takeout and is something I practice. You can feel free not to.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold25

Do you also tip at McDonald's, grocery stores, clothing stores, electronics stores and basically every other business you purchase goods and products at? If not, then maybe you should. Otherwise, I think your advice is ridiculous.

I don't know how in the world you went from me saying people should leave at least something for a trip when getting takeout, to that point.

#1) Those people do not rely or work on tips. They have set hours, bonuses, work of commission, bonuses exc.

My only point was that it can go a long way and in my mind, people should leave at least something when getting takeout. Especially on a busy night in a restaurant.

[Ace]

I pretty much always tip the norm 15-20%, I can't think of one single time that service was so bad I wouldn't tip anything. I generally believe that there are people pretty much looking for any excuse to lower the tip or reduce it, and honestly it's just a few dollars, I mean enjoy the meal, stop waiting for a mistake to be made. I hold the belief that customers that don't want to tip will usually either A) Find any reason why the service sucked, B) have a terrible attitude that leads to the bad service (I mean honestly, if you are a jerk do you really think the server is going to go out of their way to try and earn an extra $6 bucks)

On another note, service in canada is pretty much terrible compared to almost anywhere in the US.

I've never been a server...

[flames_1987]

Almost all servers rely on tips as their primary source of income. Making $9.25 or $10.00 an hour is a very nice and I'm appreciative, but serving shifts can last as short as 1 or 2 hours . You are not guaranteed any hours, it's very uncommon to work anything close to a 40 hour work week in the industry. I'm not complaining about it, nor do I feel entitled that no matter what the service or the quality of the food, I should be tipped regardless. I just believe there's a lot of people who are very ignorant to the industry because of one or two bad experiences and tip accordingly.

[Slava]

I think it's funny how we all say (myself included) that we tip for service, when really the best service and fastest is at a fast food restaurant! You order exactly what you want and its given to you in minutes. If we were really tipping for service that would be hard to beat.

I'm not taking a shot at people tipping, because I do it as well. I just think we tip more as a custom rather than for service except in rarer cases.

[Clarkey]

Since when did 15% become customary?

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by GGG

....

A tip, unless you are a regular customer, is not a method of feedback.

not true at all, if someone is a crappy server and people actually tipped them as they should, 0-5% max for crappy service, that server would be making very little money and would move on to another job they can do poorly at.

I worked as a server at Denny's and its amazing the amount of money you make. Most of the good servers there made about $25-30 /hour with wage + tip, even the bad servers were making 15+.

If people started tipping again for good service instead of the automatic tip then those bad servers would be making even closer to min wage and leave opening that spot to someone who wants to be there and does a good job. So when I leave a bad tip for bad service it is improving the service industry as a whole. You are welcome

as a note I leave 15-30% for good service. but have no problem leaving change, I had a server 'thank' me once for my $0.25 tip and had no problem telling her how she earned it.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Slava

I think it's funny how we all say (myself included) that we tip for service, when really the best service and fastest is at a fast food restaurant! You order exactly what you want and its given to you in minutes. If we were really tipping for service that would be hard to beat.

I'm not taking a shot at people tipping, because I do it as well. I just think we tip more as a custom rather than for service except in rarer cases.

If that is what you are looking for but we all have different needs

[Notorious Honey Badger]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Because the kitchen, who in almost all places restaurants get tipped out, have put in the same amount of work to prepare your meal. It's a busy night at the restaurant, it's full and the kitchen is preparing your meal, along with the front of house staff getting it together for you. As I said in the original post, it should not be viewed at all as the same as sit down service, but throwing so much as a toonie can go along way in getting takeout and is something I practice. You can feel free not to.

I certainly will.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

The server has to tip 3% to the kitchen regardless how much tips they make from a table. So if you receive bad service, you shouldn't even have to gve the 3%.

I serve PT on weekends. I wish people would tip 0% more often if they get bad service. I work with so many lazy servers, and they still make decent tips.

Just wanted to clarify that every restaurant has a different tip-out. I worked in one a few years back that was at 4.75% (Moxies) and have a friend who works at WEST and she tips out over 7% of her bills.

[SeeBass]

^7%!!! holy crap

[jammies]

I tip 15-20%, 25% if the service is exceptional and 10% if it sucks. Occasionally I'll also write on the back of the bill if it really, really sucks.

Don't be a d-bag, tip your server. "Oooh society wants me to tip - society don't tell daddy what to do!" Get over yourself, you're not instigating some social revolution, you're eating a meal. Regardless of the reasons for the custom, these people rely on tips to live, and you're just being a gigantic d*ck if you put your wallet away out of so-called "principle".

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by anyonebutedmonton

Just wanted to clarify that every restaurant has a different tip-out. I worked in one a few years back that was at 4.75% (Moxies) and have a friend who works at WEST and she tips out over 7% of her bills.

Very true. I just used 3% because that's what is required at my restaurant.

My main point was that if you wanted to punish the server for bad service you don't need to tip anything. People were saying you should tip 3% (or whatever the tip out percentage is) so the kitchen doesn't get screwed. My point was that you can actually tip 0% because the kitchen will get their share anyway.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Since when did 15% become customary?

Not sure if serious...

15% seems to have been customary for quite a while. If anything I would say it's actually on the low end.

[BlackRedGold25]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

I don't know how in the world you went from me saying people should leave at least something for a trip when getting takeout, to that point.

#1) Those people do not rely or work on tips. They have set hours, bonuses, work of commission, bonuses exc.

My only point was that it can go a long way and in my mind, people should leave at least something when getting takeout. Especially on a busy night in a restaurant.

Why does the kitchen staff at some place like Milestones be treated any differently than the kitchen staff at McDonalds?

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by BlackRedGold25

Why does the kitchen staff at some place like Milestones be treated any differently than the kitchen staff at McDonalds?

Really?

[JohnnyHowDoO'duya]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Almost all servers rely on tips as their primary source of income. Making $9.25 or $10.00 an hour is a very nice and I'm appreciative, but serving shifts can last as short as 1 or 2 hours . You are not guaranteed any hours, it's very uncommon to work anything close to a 40 hour work week in the industry. I'm not complaining about it, nor do I feel entitled that no matter what the service or the quality of the food, I should be tipped regardless. I just believe there's a lot of people who are very ignorant to the industry because of one or two bad experiences and tip accordingly.

so? lots of jobs have unreasonably low pay, my solution would be to quit and go find a job that pays a better wage.

i hate the concept of tipping servers, hairdressers, taxi drivers. i dont tip the grocery store cashier or the bus drivers. if a hair dresser wants $40 for a hair cut instad of $35, then ask for it in your pricing. making me leave a tip or feel the shame of these public expectations really grinds my gears.