Let's Talk Tipping

[The Butcher]

Knew this thread was a Reservoir Dogs argument waiting to happen.

 

[Ty Burna]

I usually try to tip around 15% for meals. Probably too high, but I've always gone by that number for tips.

However, I probably tip my bartenders 98% of the time. $1 for a drink or two, if it's for a table or group, $2. Real easy reason for this, a tip will ensure that the bartender will look to take care of you. That being said, I won't tip if it takes forever to get my drink. It's clear at that point that others are a higher priority for the bartender, so I'll finish my drink and go to another bar.

 

[BaconBits]

I start tipping for dine in and delivery at 20 percent. That's even if the service is shitty. It goes up from there if the service is good. And yes, it's true. I worked in the food service industry for years. Now that I've carved out a rather nice living for myself doing some other shit, I can afford to be a fat tipper.

Tip jars usually get whatever bills I have in change. Usually a couple more if my change isn't but a few bucks.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

If my friends and I go out to dinner and the waitress/waiter does a good job and is friendly we usually leave about 20%. If they don't do a good job and they are rude (granted this has only happened twice) i'll chip in a buck or 2 to the tip and it ends up coming out to about 15% cause 1 of my friends is a very kind tipper no matter what.

Delivery, it usually depends on how much it comes to. If it comes to like 15-18 i'll hand them a 20 and tell them the rest is for them, if it comes to anything over 20 i'll throw in an extra 3-5 bucks depending on how long it took for my food to arrive.

Tip Jar I usually leave nothing, the little ice cream shops around here have those and the only time I leave anything is if I get change cause I hate carrying coins in my pocket so I throw it in. Though one place is run by a bunch of kids I went to high school with so i'll give them a dollar plus my spare change for that reason alone because I know they are dealing with college loans and things like that.

 

[Dirk]

Knew this thread was a Reservoir Dogs argument waiting to happen.

It's worth noting that Mr Pink is the only one who made it out of that bloodbath alive.

 

[Miko]

Probably because you're being an asshole?

Cultural differences perhaps but I don't see it, they're doing a job. Do you tip street cleaners or garbage men?

That, and you seemingly don't care. You may notice this, but without waiters, your order doesn't get to you.

Whether or not you realize it, those waiters are working hard. And trust me, without waiters, your food gets messed up. Except, they don't have a minimum wage; their wage is off of working hard.

Basically, what you're saying is that I don't care that you made sure my food doesn't get fucked up, that it gets to you in a way the chef understands (which I assure, isn't exactly what you think it is), and that you're not paying for a service provided.

Again, asshole

Without street cleaners or garbage men people will be living in their own shit, does anybody tip them?

I will tip - either a percentage or rounding up to a whole note amount. However, tipping in general makes me feel uncomfortable as in many cases, particularly in the US, it helps perpetuate a broken system.

Agreed, the more I think about it and the more people say tipping is basically essential the less inclined I am to do it, good job I drink a lot and am a generous drunk.

I defend the girls at Sonic because they aren't tipped for shit. When I worked at like, an actual restaurant the servers ended up making more than I did. I was making 8 bucks an hour while these chicks would usually clear 100 bucks a night in tips on the weekends.

This, I knew a guy that owned a branch of McDonalds, before that he worked in Dominoes? Maybe? Anyway, when he told me what some of the waitresses were getting in tips there it was on a par and even above what I am earning, and I've got a trade. I am officially a "skilled worker" apparently but a pair of tits and a nice smile while walking around with plates would serve me better. Provided he wasn't bitter and talking horse-shit.

 

[justinsayne]

That's a shit example, for one street cleaners are paid by the city, & make a very good living, with very good benefits, also they're paid out with my tax dollars, two I pay a monthly garbage bill, & around Christmas I have the option to add a little extra & I do, normally about $5-$10.

Also I've been to a McDonalds that had a tip jar on the counter, it gave me a good chuckle.

 

[The Butcher]

It's worth noting that Mr Pink is the only one who made it out of that bloodbath alive.

This forum needs more Mexican standoffs.

 

[shattered dreams]

That's a shit example, for one street cleaners are paid by the city, & make a very good living, with very good benefits, also they're paid out with my tax dollars, two I pay a monthly garbage bill, & around Christmas I have the option to add a little extra & I do, normally about $5-$10.

Why does what someone is paid matter? Why is the consumers job to give them more money? That isn't capitalism by any definition I have ever heard, unless you are the fatcat owners chuckling at the beneficial environment you have carved out for yourself. Why do we let these lying waiters complain that they only make 2 dollars an hour? I'm tired of the con job. You make more than that and the reason you don't have enough money is that any able bodied person can do your job and you thought it was cool to fail PE in High School.

 

[Gelgarin]

I'm not sure I buy the broken system argument. I get where it's coming from and used to think the same thing myself, but then I started moving around parts of the world where tipping isn't customary and was frankly shocked by the poor quality of the service.

I see tipping simply as a method of incentivizing service staff to give a shit, and it works. The service in the UK and America is pretty exemplary, and a thousand miles away from the service in countries that do not perpetuate the broken system we have here.

Tipping is worth every penny.

 

[shattered dreams]

I'm not sure I buy the broken system argument. I get where it's coming from and used to think the same thing myself, but then I started moving around parts of the world where tipping isn't customary and was frankly shocked by the poor quality of the service.

I see tipping simply as a method of incentivizing service staff to give a shit, and it works. The service in the UK and America is pretty exemplary, and a thousand miles away from the service in countries that do not perpetuate the broken system we have here.

Tipping is worth every penny.

I am not advocating getting rid of tipping. I agree it has a solid purpose. I think most of Europe the standard is more like 10% which is probably a good system in my opinion. In the US the standard is 20% and that is the real issue. It should not be entirely on the consumer to motivate an owners staff.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I was shocked at the amount people tip when I first went to America, even for bad service. KB and I went for a meal one night; the waitress got my order wrong twice and we complained about her to a manager. I eventually just ate the meal that was wrong as KB had finished his food by this point. I therefore could not believe, in my English frame of mind, that he still left her a tip!

I also do not understand the attitude some of you have towards those who don't tip - surely your attitude should be aimed at the managers who get away with paying waiters/waitresses so little, rather than the people who choose not to pay for their food AND the salary of the employees?

Besides, don't the company have to make up the difference if the server doesn't make minimum wage with their tips? I therefore see no truth to the $2 an hour rate that gets thrown about - they make at least minimum wage. Now, minimum wage may be set too low, but that's a different argument entirely.

As for 'That's still too low for what they do' - which of us don't believe we get paid too little for the amount of work we do? Yet there is no thought to tip other people in low paid jobs who may work just as hard, if not harder.

I'm not someone who won't tip, though I don't eat many places in the UK for it to be an issue, but I think the obsession with how you 'MUST' tip is crazy in the USA. It's at your discretion and, to me, based solely on service I received. There shouldn't be a 'you're an asshole' frame of mind if you don't do it.

 

[Барбоса]

I'm not sure I buy the broken system argument. I get where it's coming from and used to think the same thing myself, but then I started moving around parts of the world where tipping isn't customary and was frankly shocked by the poor quality of the service.

I see tipping simply as a method of incentivizing service staff to give a shit, and it works. The service in the UK and America is pretty exemplary, and a thousand miles away from the service in countries that do not perpetuate the broken system we have here.

Tipping is worth every penny.

I can perfectly understand the "incentive" side of tipping and how it can be used to give the customer a better standard of service.

However, I still see a major part of the tipping culture to be broken, especially in places where those tips are the most needed. When there are people who rely on that extra buck just to make up their wage to a subsistence level or only get paid in tips full stop, then to me that part of the tipping culture has been taken advantage of so much that it is not fit for purpose.

 

[shattered dreams]

I also do not understand the attitude some of you have towards those who don't tip - surely your attitude should be aimed at the managers who get away with paying waiters/waitresses so little, rather than the people who choose not to pay for their food AND the salary of the employees?

This is what I am getting at in case my rants have become tangential.

The owners get the same cut no matter if the person is cheap or lavish, that isn't a coincidence. Willful ignorance of how the system works isn't a good excuse for misplaced vitriol.

 

[Dave]

Funny story about tipping. Or at least I thought it was.

When I was in Florida last year, we went to a steak house but I can't remember what it was called for the life of me. That said, I don't think it was a massive chain restaurant - just a small steak house off the main road. When we went in, weren't seated right away and it must have taken us about an hour to finally get seated and get our starters out.

The food was okay but nothing special I would say. The steak was a little rarer than I would like but it was still a good attempt. Nevertheless, we asked for the bill and it came back around 30% more than what we were expecting to pay. When I looked at the bill for the 6 of us, I noticed that they had added a "Tip" line to the bottom of the bill. The "tip" was actually added to the bill! What the fuck is that!?

Obviously, the service and food didn't really merit it but we felt as though we had to pay it since it was part of our bill.

Am I way off? Can I refuse to pay that or is it just like a tax or something?

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Funny story about tipping. Or at least I thought it was.

When I was in Florida last year, we went to a steak house but I can't remember what it was called for the life of me. That said, I don't think it was a massive chain restaurant - just a small steak house off the main road. When we went in, weren't seated right away and it must have taken us about an hour to finally get seated and get our starters out.

The food was okay but nothing special I would say. The steak was a little rarer than I would like but it was still a good attempt. Nevertheless, we asked for the bill and it came back around 30% more than what we were expecting to pay. When I looked at the bill for the 6 of us, I noticed that they had added a "Tip" line to the bottom of the bill. The "tip" was actually added to the bill! What the fuck is that!?

Obviously, the service and food didn't really merit it but we felt as though we had to pay it since it was part of our bill.

Am I way off? Can I refuse to pay that or is it just like a tax or something?

It is pretty shit but a lot of places here in the States add between an 18 and 30% gratuity to your bill if you have a party of six or more. It is supposed to protect the server from getting a small tip, ie each person only throwing a dollar in, but if your service is absolute shit you can take it up with a manager and some will take it off, but since it is posted on the bill you can be charged with theft if you don't pay it.

Back in June I went to dinner with my girlfriend and two other couples she was friends with and I went to tip and the guy seated across from me asked why I was tipping; long story short if they add the gratuity to the bill, a tip isn't expected.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

but I think the obsession with how you 'MUST' tip is crazy in the USA. It's at your discretion and, to me, based solely on service I received. There shouldn't be a 'you're an asshole' frame of mind if you don't do it.

this is the actual way that it is. People got it twisted, tittybabying servers. This post above is acutally how it is. People have bastardized the system so badly that it confuses people.

 

[hatehabsforever]

When I go out to a restaurant, I don't know, nor do I care, about the details of my server's pay. Do they get minimum wage or are they paid better? Do they share their tips or does it go directly to the individual? How does their pay compare to other spots? Don't know, don't care.

At the end of the day, if I'm pleased with the food and the service, I'll tip reasonably well. If it is really good, I'll tip generously. But if the food and/or the service is poor, I've got no problem whatsoever with tipping poorly or not at all. The whole idea of feeling compelled to tip or I'm an asshole, to hell with that. And having the gratuity automatically added on, I'm dead set against that.

Take the experience Dave mentioned. Why should they get a tip? Slow being seated and poorly prepared food. In other words, bad food and bad service. Why should they receive a tip, not to mention 30% and added automatically. If that was me, I guess I would pay it but rest assured, they'd know of my displeasure, as would everyone in earshot or anyone else I knew planning to go there another day. And I'd never go back.

 

[Miko]

That's a shit example, for one street cleaners are paid by the city, & make a very good living, with very good benefits, also they're paid out with my tax dollars, two I pay a monthly garbage bill, & around Christmas I have the option to add a little extra & I do, normally about $5-$10

A jobs a job though, you're paying for a service provided, its right there in the bill. Why are we chucking money at plate bearers other than some misplaced sense of sympathy?

 

[ScreaminNormanSmiley]

I don't have much money so I leave inspirational notes instead.

 

[jmt225]

$5 for a delivery, $10 at a restaurant. Pretty much every single time. Makes things a whole lot easier than thinking of percentages or judging someone's performance. I always walk into places (restaurants, grocery stores, malls, online shopping, etc.) with a clear idea of how much money I'm going to spend. I'm very anal that way.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I started work today at 12:00pm and ended at 1:00am at €9.50 an hour, making €42.60 in tips.

 

[klunderbunker]

I was shocked at the amount people tip when I first went to America, even for bad service. KB and I went for a meal one night; the waitress got my order wrong twice and we complained about her to a manager. I eventually just ate the meal that was wrong as KB had finished his food by this point. I therefore could not believe, in my English frame of mind, that he still left her a tip!

I also do not understand the attitude some of you have towards those who don't tip - surely your attitude should be aimed at the managers who get away with paying waiters/waitresses so little, rather than the people who choose not to pay for their food AND the salary of the employees?

Besides, don't the company have to make up the difference if the server doesn't make minimum wage with their tips? I therefore see no truth to the $2 an hour rate that gets thrown about - they make at least minimum wage. Now, minimum wage may be set too low, but that's a different argument entirely.

As for 'That's still too low for what they do' - which of us don't believe we get paid too little for the amount of work we do? Yet there is no thought to tip other people in low paid jobs who may work just as hard, if not harder.

I'm not someone who won't tip, though I don't eat many places in the UK for it to be an issue, but I think the obsession with how you 'MUST' tip is crazy in the USA. It's at your discretion and, to me, based solely on service I received. There shouldn't be a 'you're an asshole' frame of mind if you don't do it.

She got my part right (after I explained what I wanted because she didn't ask) so I left her a buck I think.

 

[Nate DaMac]

I started work today at 12:00pm and ended at 1:00am at €9.50 an hour, making €42.60 in tips.

Can you translate that to real money?

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Can you translate that to real money?

A little less than $14.75 an hour, about $66 in tips. AKA: ***** got paid!

Shit, never mind, the Euro is a little less than the British pound in currency translations. Still, a shit ton more than any American in his position would make.