topic Re: What is your tipping policy? in SmorgasBoard

What is your tipping policy?

wmarat — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:36:53 GMT

I tip 15% if service is OK and 5% if service sucks.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:40:20 GMT

generaly 15 across the board (maybe less if lots of alcohol is on the bill), 20 if they impress me, around 10 if they are bad, less if they tick me off in the process.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:12:59 GMT

Why would you tip somebody at all if they were bad?

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:21:04 GMT

Cheapskate wrote:
Why would you tip somebody at all if they were bad?

because servers are not paid a minimum wage on par with the true minimum, and the fact that they served me (even if poorly) merits some compensation. if i tip them less i'm communicating the fact that i appreciate thier effort, but they need to raise thier level of service to get better compensated.

my wife and i fight over this very subject when it come up.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:22:11 GMT

I was a server for a little while. It was in the NoVa area with lots of business folk. I always thought 15% was for good-great service and 10% was for bad-lousy service. When I served I usually expected at least 18% for good service. 10%-15% if it was bad. 0%-5% if something went horribly wrong or if I was a jerk to someone.

Realize that in many places, servers have to tip out to everyone else in the restaurant: bussers, runners, bartenders, etc, and their hourly wages are usually $0 after taxes. I earned $2.15/hour when I served. After taxes, since I didn't make enough to have to pay state taxes, I earned about $0.25/hour.

Anyway, it's a very humbling experience to work in the service industry, and as a result, I'm sure to tip appropriately. I give 20% if they do a good job and if they do a great job and were especially attentive I'll give 25% or more. 15% if they're okay. 10% if service is pretty lousy.

Trust me, if you leave a 10% tip, they'll know they did something wrong. The only way to justify less than that is if they're a total jerk to you, in which case feel free to leave as little as you'd like.

Message Edited by jaybird201 on 09-20-2008 10:22 PM

Re: What is your tipping policy?

haulingthescoreup — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:22:08 GMT

15% bare minimum. I guess I'm lucky, I usually have good service. Up to 25% if they were great.

My first job paid $1.80/ hour, plus 10% of the waitresses' tips. Makes me tilt toward generosity.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

MattH — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:22:19 GMT

Usually 20% for good service -- and for bad service they will never see me again. I wonder how this breaks down according to whether somebody has ever worked in food service; I know exactly what it is like to work for tips, so now that I am more prosperous I remember and tip accordingly.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:23:03 GMT

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
15% bare minimum. I guess I'm lucky, I usually have good service. Up to 25% if they were great.

My first job paid $1.80/ hour, plus 10% of the waitresses' tips. Makes me tilt toward generosity.

I hear ya. Puts things in perspective!

Message Edited by jaybird201 on 09-20-2008 10:23 PM

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:24:37 GMT

also something to keep in mind, (from what i've heard) servers would rather have tips in cash than plastic. something about taxes.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

MattH — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:29:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
also something to keep in mind, (from what i've heard) servers would rather have tips in cash than plastic. something about taxes.

The IRS rules on tips are very complicated, but one controversial aspect is the IRS extrapolates from tips paid with plastic (because unlike cash, they IRS can get the data for tips paid with plastic, with cash they must depend on what the server reports). Trouble is, if the cash customers actually do tip less than those who put the tip on credit cards it can be difficult to convince the IRS of that.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

fused — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:30:28 GMT

- 20% for food servers (including delivery drivers), higher if an upscale restaurant

- 33% for my hairstylist

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:36:20 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
also something to keep in mind, (from what i've heard) servers would rather have tips in cash than plastic. something about taxes.

I'm pretty sure there aren't any tax benefits, we did prefer cash to credit though, but for a completely different reason.

We tipped out 10% of our tips to bussers and 5% to runners and then up to 5% to the bar. So at the end of the night, if we sold $1,000 in food and averaged 15% in tips ($150), we'd leave with $150 - $30 = $120.

If we sold $1,000 in food and averaged, let's say 25% in tips ($250), when it came time to cash out, we might say we only made $150-$200 in tips so that we'd tip out less to the bar or the bussers (Usually a great tip is the result of excellent service, not excellent bartending or bussing).

If they give you cash, there's no paper trail. If they pay with credit, the percentages are automatically taken out of your tip, so you don't really have a choice.

Message Edited by jaybird201 on 09-20-2008 10:36 PM

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:39:06 GMT

I imagine former servers are by far the best tippers. I also waited tables for years and I tip very generously. For me personally, it's more about attitude than anything else. I would rather have a server who acknowledges me immediately and is clearly making an effort and serving me with a smile. I care a lot less about the specifics of their service and I remember how many things can be going on behind the scenes that customers are unaware of, so I try to cut them a lot of slack.

If some one is slammed and the place is swamped, but they take the time to stop by immediately, apologize for the delay, and let me know they will be with me just as soon as they can, that makes all the difference to me. I'd end up leaving that person 25% or more.

What I can't stand is a server who walks by my table and doesn't even take a second to acknowledge I'm there or someone with the attitude that they're doing me a big favor by even taking my order. That's just inexcusable. I would leave 10% or less (if they at least bothered to get my food to me and refill my iced tea) and a word to the manager if they did a table visit. Thankfully I've been fortunate to receive really good service most of the time. We tend to be regulars at a handful of places and they know I tip really well, so they're usually fighting for us lol.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

llecs — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:39:54 GMT

I also used to wait tables. I'll do a min. of 20% up to 40% depending on the total. I'll always give a min. of $5, even for a cup of coffee. But if service is bad, I have no problem dropping 2 cents. I went to a Spanish restaurant once and while I enjoyed DW's company, the waiter never refilled our drinks, never asked us how things were, and took 1 hr (no exaggeration) to clear our table after we finished our meal (which he never did, the bar tender did, and apologized only to be tipped by us). Two cents to the waiter may have been too generous.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

athensguy — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:47:49 GMT

I start at 20% with a minimum of $1 (for when I'm buying something like a $3 beer). I add or subtract points depending on service, but if I'm considering going below 15% I probably had some seriously bad service.

Remember to never blame bad food on the server, they didn't make it

Re: What is your tipping policy?

MattH — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:50:09 GMT

@MattH wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:
also something to keep in mind, (from what i've heard) servers would rather have tips in cash than plastic. something about taxes.

The IRS rules on tips are very complicated, but one controversial aspect is the IRS extrapolates from tips paid with plastic (because unlike cash, they IRS can get the data for tips paid with plastic, with cash they must depend on what the server reports). Trouble is, if the cash customers actually do tip less than those who put the tip on credit cards it can be difficult to convince the IRS of that.

Here's an official IRS policy on an optional method for tip reporting:

http://www.irs.gov/irb/2006-31_IRB/ar11.html

The key point is, the "formula tip rate" used for calculating taxable tip income is the "charged tip rate" minus two points, so they assume customers paying cash tip a little less than do customers paying with credit cards. This also means each customer who pays the bill with a credit card and pays the tip in cash lowers the "charged tip rate" and therefore the server's taxable income.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:02:47 GMT

Hmm, in highschool I was a seating hostess which also required me to bus tables, walk food and sometimes take drink orders, I also had to close down the bar (which requires cleaning all the glasses in that fun multi wash-rinse process, cutting tons of limes and lemons and carrying like 50lbs buckets of ice to replenish behind the bar) help the pervy kitchen boys break down the salad bar and deal with a manager/owner who grabbed my a$$ and commented on my ta-tas all for minimum wage!

When I was 18 I was also a server in the same restaurant...I'm sure you can imagine the fun times...

This all took place in a seafood restaurant and the smell of fish makes me want to puke!

Needless to say, I NEVER leave less than 15%...and that's if I really, really thought the service sucked!

Message Edited by UpUpUp on 09-20-2008 11:02 PM

Re: What is your tipping policy?

MattH — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:07:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hmm, in highschool I was a seating hostess which also required me to bus tables, walk food and sometimes take drink orders, I also had to close down the bar (which requires cleaning all the glasses in that fun multi wash-rinse process, cutting tons of limes and lemons and carrying like 50lbs buckets of ice to replenish behind the bar) help the pervy kitchen boys break down the salad bar and deal with a manager/owner who grabbed my a$$ and commented on my ta-tas all for minimum wage!
When I was 18 I was also a server in the same restaurant...I'm sure you can imagine the fun times...
This all took place in a seafood restaurant and the smell of fish makes me want to puke!
Needless to say, I NEVER leave less than 15%...and that's if I really, really thought the service sucked!

Message Edited by UpUpUp on 09-20-2008 11:02 PM

Yep, those of us who've been there know exactly how it feels to get little or no tip from somebody!

Re: What is your tipping policy?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:33:11 GMT

I tip 18% or minimum $2 per person. I don't eat out much.

Re: What is your tipping policy?

cadavis0609 — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:44:42 GMT

Depends, how good looking is the server?