how can people tip $5 on a $95 check and feel good about themselves?!

I took on a job as a waitress and it's just awful how ungrateful it is sometimes... Most of the times it's fun bc you work with people and I love it. But some people just scare me! they have me running around them all night, don't know the expression "excuse me" instead they yell: "Heeeeeeeeeey!" from the top of their lungs and they leave without tipping!

Anyone can tell me how to deal with that?

They don't have to tip, but you shouldn't worry about it.

If I spent $95 on a meal and felt that badly about the service, I doubt I'd leave a tip at all. Better to make a statement that the service was absolutely horrible rather than let the waiter/waitress think I'm just cheap.

If the service is adequate, I will never tip less than 15-20%, and none of my friends do either. It's completely rude to do less unless you have real reasons for doing so.

I tip because convention states to do so. I have to wonder, however, why the food service industry has this benefit. I can think of many other low-paying professions which get no tips at all.

When I was a server, our wages were 3.50 an hour.

The tip is our paycheck.

Would it be better if they tip $3 or maybe 2 cents ?? I understand your unhappy you gotta take down $95 worth of food and then bring it out. However from the person ordering it, it maybe not seem like a hard job, also it depends on how much the food costs, i know at some 4, 5 star places one steak is close to $30.

They don't have to tip, but you shouldn't worry about it.

Seriously? When I worked as a server, I made $2.65 an hour so the tips WERE my wage. Yes, you HAVE TO TIP. My god.

I never tip less than 20%. Ever. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to go out.

Seriously? When I worked as a server, I made $2.65 an hour so the tips WERE my wage. Yes, you HAVE TO TIP. My god.

 

I never tip less than 20%. Ever. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to go out.

My thoughts exactly.

The tip is part of the meal. I typically tip extremely high 30-40%.

Would it be better if they tip $3 or maybe 2 cents ?? I understand your unhappy you gotta take down $95 worth of food and then bring it out. However from the person ordering it, it maybe not seem like a hard job, also it depends on how much the food costs, i know at some 4, 5 star places one steak is close to $30.

So? If you can't afford the 15-20% tip on a $95 bill, go somewhere less extravagant. It's really quite simple.

My lowest tip is 20%. If you do a good job I pay higher than that.

The tipping thing annoys me. Your employer should be the one to provide you with the pay cheque, not the customers. I was a waitress, so I understand but still... it's stupid that customers have to tip on top of paying for the meal. It makes no sense to me.

I understand some people may not have money. But some consideration would help, if you can't afford to tip, don't make me run back and forth only to your table causing me to neglect other people.

Before I started this job it happened that I didn't tip for very bad service. But for decent service always decent tip. Now I understand that even if the service isn't super fast it's not always waiter's fault. Don't cut on my tip bc eg. your french fries were cold: 1. I didn't cook them so how could I know. 2. They were replaced immediately.

The tipping thing annoys me. Your employer should be the one to provide you with the pay cheque, not the customers. I was a waitress, so I understand but still... it's stupid that customers have to tip on top of paying for the meal. It makes no sense to me.

That is the thing. The industry does not want to provide the paycheque. That costs money so they pass it onto the customer.

The tipping thing annoys me. Your employer should be the one to provide you with the pay cheque, not the customers. I was a waitress, so I understand but still... it's stupid that customers have to tip on top of paying for the meal. It makes no sense to me.

I agree with you completely.

If businesses put the actual price of the meal on the menu, less people would go out to eat. It's a hidden cost that no one really thinks about. If that cost was added into the meal and on the menu, people wouldn't pump so much money into the industry.

The tipping thing annoys me. Your employer should be the one to provide you with the pay cheque, not the customers. I was a waitress, so I understand but still... it's stupid that customers have to tip on top of paying for the meal. It makes no sense to me.

That is the thing. The industry does not want to provide the paycheque. That costs money so they pass it onto the customer.

I always wondered why too. It''s probably bc you try harder, are faster and nicer if your "wage" depends on performance.

But then again look at commision based jobs like salespeople - they get their percentage from the house...

I always wondered why too. It''s probably bc you try harder, are faster and nicer if your "wage" depends on performance.

But then again look at commision based jobs like salespeople - they get their percentage from the house...

Well everyone's pay cheque depends on performance, it is just in waitressing it is pretty blatant.

I'm confused: if tipping is part of the wages, then why is it a percentage? Shouldn't I tip $1 per plate carried? Is it twenty times harder to carry a $100 steak than a $5 burger? Someone please help me out here.

I'm confused: if tipping is part of the wages, then why is it a percentage? Shouldn't I tip $1 per plate carried? Is it twenty times harder to carry a $100 steak than a $5 burger? Someone please help me out here.

Just like salesmen, we are paid for what we push. If we make the restaurant 700 dollars, you deserve a bigger commission than someone who makes 100 dollars.

Also, the large tables are harder to serve and have the highest bills.

A two top will probably have a 60 dollar bill and isn't hard to work. Meanwhile a 12 top will have a giant bill and be quite difficult to serve.

I tip a minimum of 20%. I know full well that their hourly pay is LESS than minimum wage here BECAUSE it's expected they will get tips - and that's just to survive. It's part of their wage.

If I can't afford the meal + tip I don't go - simple.

How someone treats wait staff to me is very telling as to their character. Same with receptionists, etc. When I am with someone I will always notice how they behave.

Now, having said all that, I have tipped very low if treated rudely or downright ignored as a customer. I don't penalize the wait staff for something the kitchen has control over, however.

I'm confused: if tipping is part of the wages, then why is it a percentage? Shouldn't I tip $1 per plate carried? Is it twenty times harder to carry a $100 steak than a $5 burger? Someone please help me out here.

It is not REQUIRED, it is EXPECTED lets put it that way. The industry pays them a paltry amount and expect the customer to pick up what the person SHOULD make.

Before I started this job it happened that I didn't tip for very bad service. But for decent service always decent tip. Now I understand that even if the service isn't super fast it's not always waiter's fault. Don't cut on my tip bc eg. your french fries were cold: 1. I didn't cook them so how could I know. 2. They were replaced immediately.

Super fast service doesn't matter to me. Take care of me and I take care of you. If it's a busy night as long as when you finally get around to my table you make sure I'm set on things I'm more than happy to tip. I don't tip based on the food, just how good the service I receive from you is. If I ask you for napkins but you never bring me back any and it makes my meal troublesome to eat, that's on you. If my steak is too rare or cold or whatever, that's on the cook.

maybe you need to evaluate your service... i have had waitresses and waiters do everything they should... but they seemed annoyed about the entire thing and it took away from the dining experience...so my attitude is .. I worked hard for my money .. took crap from my boss all day so WHY should i give you my hard earned money if you had an attitude the entire meal?

If you aren't getting good tips .. maybe you need to evaluate your attitude and how you serve.. or change your profession to something that isn't paid based on tips.

If don't i dont perform well during the year... and i want bonuses and raises i have to perform... bottom line... same with the service industry

I usually tip about 15%, sometimes 20%. It really depends. I try to be nice about it because I know how it is to be a waiter/waitress (had some friends who did that in college). My ex used to tip 20% every time because he had a service job and knew how tough it could be.

I agree with the others, if you can't afford to tip, don't go out to eat.

I'm confused: if tipping is part of the wages, then why is it a percentage? Shouldn't I tip $1 per plate carried? Is it twenty times harder to carry a $100 steak than a $5 burger? Someone please help me out here.

Tipping in the US frustrates me, for all the reasons already given: that's it's expected regardless of service, that it just doesn't make sense (as said karv), that I think it's a very sly system that the employers have going on, that I hate that 20% of the cost of going out to dinner is hidden, that I hate that the "minimum" correct tip keeps going up - in 2003, it was 10%, then 15%, and now 20% is an absolute minimum! ... and on and on ...

But that being said, I like eating out. So I go, I tip 20% regardless of the service, and I pretend I'm just paying an extra tax.

I still think waitstaff should remember that a tip IS optional, and remains optional. Waitstaff also make quite a bit more money than similarly skilled professions, so it's probably not such a bad deal.

Just like salesmen, we are paid for what we push. If we make the restaurant 700 dollars, you deserve a bigger commission than someone who makes 100 dollars.

 

Also, the large tables are harder to serve and have the highest bills.

 

A two top will probably have a 60 dollar bill and isn't hard to work. Meanwhile a 12 top will have a giant bill and be quite difficult to serve.

Okay, so like a salesman if you manage to push a larger bill on the customer, for the benefit of the restaurant, you deserve a larger commission. Fine. Except that's FROM THE RESTAURANT. I don't recall people buying goods from salesman also then paying the salesman's commission! The company does that, because the company is benefitting. So it should be in a restautant, by your own argument.