Tipping the owner
- What about tipping when the owner or the owner's spouse is your server? Great question, Gina! Here's your answer: http://culinarytravel.about.com/od/planningculinarytravel/qt/Restaurant-Tipping-Etiquette-Should-You-Tip-The-Owner.htm --Alison Wellner, Culinary Travel Guide.
- —Guest Gina
yes!
- I just started serving tables myself (im in college) and i will say that being new and without any help is HARD, and when you have to bust your butt running around when no one will help you, attempting to be as courteous and sweet to tables, it's a struggle. When i work really hard for a table that orders a lot and tips me poorly, i LOSE money on that table. i have to pay hosts and bartenders in accordance to my net sales, not my tips. it's very unfair, because some nights these coworkers dont help me at all (in fact sometimes they mess me up--seating me outside my section without alerting me, double seating me, etc). If i don't want to spend money on a tip, i dont go out to a restaurant where you have to tip! i go to a fast food place, or make food at home. tipping is CUSTOM in America, and because the government allows the food industry to pay servers 2-3 dollars an hour and requires them to do all the cleaning in the restaurant and all teh sales, yes it's necessary you tip.
- —Guest pumpkin
TIPZERO For Bad Service
- Let's make a stand and together we'll make a difference. I was very pleased to run across this discussion. My company is going to spark some controversial debates about this very subject (BAD SERVICE). I think TIPZERO.COM is going to shake things up! Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwvNs0Mev_g
- —tipzero
20%
- I tip 20-25% on a regular basis, more for an exceptional experience, maybe down to 18% if there were a lot of service problems (NOT food issues). But realistically I probably average at about 22%. I think a lot of people forget (or simply don't know) a lot of things abot how restaurants work. Proper service from waitstaff is a prompt greeting, timely order-taking, friendly demeanor, prompt clearing of dishes, and correctly calculated check. If you have food issues, be it an incorrect entree, bad or cold food, etc, more often than not it is a kitchen or food runner issue that the server had no control over. As long as they correct the problem, you shouldn't punish them for it by tipping less. As mentioned by others, server tip out bussers, bartenders, food runners, and sometimes hosts and kitchen, and leaving a tip of under 5% makes them actually pay to take your table, which is never right, even if there were issues.
- —Guest Crystal
I'm not the best tipper, but..
- There are times when I've went to a place, looked in my wallet and simply had no money to tip. I didn't mean it, but it happened. i do feel bad for not leaving a tip and wish I could tip more. Believe me, if I had more money i would tip way more then I probably should! Because I understand how hard people who make minimum wage work compared to the big guys who make 6 figures. I just think they deserve some respect.
- —Guest Carley
A fair amount
- I tip 10% for a fair service, It is a generous amount for something that is NOT mandatory. To all the people say that "tipping is mandatory" does not understand what tipping means. If the service was beyond excellent, and the meal was beyond excellent. I no longer think in percentage, and will often be very generous and give anywhere from 15-40%.
- —Guest Crim
Is it that hard?
- To put down another dollar? I am a server myself, and those of you who say that just leaving a bad tip won't help them, are completely right. If you're going to leave a bad tip, at least tell them what they did wrong, so they know what happened and what they should have done better. Because when someone leaves me a bad tip and I think I've worked my ass off for them, was kind to them, and got them everything they need, I just think they're rude and cheap. Is 3 more dollars really going to break your pocket? Come on. Whether you tip or not, we still get a ton of taxes taken out of our paychecks and have to tip out other employees. Also, watch to see how busy your server is and how many tables they have besides you who are also running them.So try to be a little more kind hearted next time you tip your server.
- —Guest Lauren
It's called karma
- I always tip over 20% unless service was bad or server was rude. What goes around comes around. I have also travelled to other countries- primarily Europe and have experienced firsthand the type of minimal service minimum wage employees will give their customers. I actually agree with the USA mindset that you should tip your server so you get better service. Besides in America servers automatically have to pay 3-5% of their total sales to tip out the bartender for making their drinks, the busser for bussing their tables, the host for seating their tables and sometimes the cooks too. Servers also have to pay a credit card fee on all credit cards used each night, so in reality servers who are tipped 20% all night are lucky to take home 15% for themselves, and in some states they make less than $3 an hour with no benefits. If this is an issue for you, you can stay home, eat fast food, go to a diner where your service (& food) will be a certain quality or stay in your country of origin
- —Guest Beeekah
Hmmmm
- I always tip. I leave 15 % for mediocre lunch service but have left 25% or more for excellent. At Dinner in a nice place 20% would be the minimum but for excellent dinner service 40% or more. If the service is bad I bring it to the managers attention before the tip is considered. You can usually tell from the manager's reaction what that person's tip should be. An apology with a valid excuse tip well. But, if you can tell that you got stuck with someone that didn't want to work I leave 2 cents (As in this is my 2 cents your service was bad tonight). I have tipped at drive in restaurants where all I get is a soda and just give the car attendant $5.00 with keep the change. It all depends on the situation and the server's attitude. If I want a bad attitude I'll go to McDonald's and I don't think they expect tipping there.
- —tippertoo
USA Shame
- It is absolutely disgraceful that a minimum wage has not been set for USA service staff. In Australia and NZ these minimums apply and therefore tipping is very much optional. Why should customers pay the restaurant owners staff??
- —Guest Grant
Tipping
- Ok after reading all these responses..and to some i appreciate and agree..and others I am extremely appalled. I am a student, and i have been waiting tables since I was sixteen. The fact that some say that its our fault for choosing to work an in industry where we aren't paid a salary is ridiculous. I currently take 20 hrs a semester and work full time just to pay for classes, since I don't get finaid (another topic i don't want to get into) and i know most of the servers out there are students who are in the same boat i am. If your server is horrible awknowledge that fact, but still tip even if it is 10 percent. I however never tip less than 20 and more often times than not ill leave a 40 percent tip if the server knows what they are doing and are kind. I think that everyone should wait tables once in there lives, it creates people skills and patience, especially for those cheap tables who run u like crazy and leave you nothing to show for it!
- —Guest server123
South America
- I have traveled a fair amount in Brazil and Paraguay. Any amount over the bill is greatly appreciated. The 10% in the article must be a figment of the author's imagination. In Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, Brazilians are notorious for not tipping. But tipping simply is not part of their culture. Hi Andy: I think you misread the article. In Brazil, a 10% tip is included in the bill. Leaving anything over the amount of the check would be appreciated, but not be expected. Thanks for your comment! - Alison Wellner, Culinary Travel Guide
- —Guest Andy
Perplexing questions... :-(
- TIPS = To Insure Prompt Service Does this hold true if the server tends to the customer??? And, I concur that the % rate should be on the cost before sales taxes, but why are restaurants trying to fleece us when their computer provides printed tipping guidelines on the receipt - and these guidelines provide suggested percentages with the sales taxes included??? Fair tipper: It's apparently an urban legend that TIPS was ever an acronym. You can see this article on this history of tipping for more on that. http://culinarytravel.about.com/od/planningculinarytravel/qt/History_of_Tipping.htm I actually hadn't noticed that those tips calculated at the bottom of a receipt were after sales tax! That's pretty tricky! -- Alison Wellner, Culinary Travel Guide.
- —Guest Fair Tipper
Varies
- I'm really not concerned with the whole "part of their wages" argument. No one forced them to work there. That said, I appreciate good service and make it a point to express my gratitude with a gratuity (funny how those words work together, eh?). In the last month, I have been across several states and experienced varying level of restaurant service. At a Thai restaurant in Arkansas, I love the servers and staff so much that I have tipped 50%+ on multiple occasions. At a Mexican restaurant, however, we had to ask another waitress for refills after waiting almost 30 minutes for our own server (who, it turns out, was outside smoking). Think of a tip as an incentive or a reward, but don't think of it as necessary. If you are a lousy server, I have no problem leaving you nothing (and filing a complaint with the manager and regional office).
- —Guest Scott
I tip! always ... no matter what...
- I´ve been reading all the responses and I have to say I do tip! I was also a waitress and the worst part is when you get people at your table and you are nice, attentive, dont forget a thing AND get them to the show they have to attend across the street on time ... and oh surprise, they dont tip! It is the most annoying thing to experience this, cause to be honest, servers are not the ones to blame when the salary is decided. Believe, we wsih we have one on a regular basis and a good one so we wont worry if we didnt make enough for rent, medicines or feed our kids when we get home. I, when being served to my expectations, tip a 25% of the bill and even when the service is bad, well, the best to do is tell them or point out what they did wrong and still I tip between 15 - 18%. Servers in general, need this as their income and we either like it or not, well they are serving us and we decide to come in the restaurant ourselves. TIP OUT PEOPLE!!! YOU WILL LIKE IT TOO!!!
- —veromarrou17
