TIPS

[Yar]

I tip, and I tip well. I've been known to give $5 to pizza deliverers and tip well at sit-down restaurants.

My grandparents don't tip, at all. It's embarrassing. Sometimes when we're leaving they refuse to tip, so I have to lay some money down for our waiter or waitress. Big jerk faces.

My dad tips, but it's not a lot.

Do you tip? How much do you tip?

(I'm asking this 'cause I just ordered pizza. :D)

[Shoeberto]

I'm an old push over. Unless the person was just flat-out terrible I always leave something. I feel guilty about them not getting higher than minimum wage at restaurants.

[Tama2]

I give them whatever change is in my pocket. I am doing them a favor, while they are doing me one.

[Mirage]

Depends on how good the food was.

[Bunny]

Depends on how good the food was.

But you're tipping the server, not the chef.

Dick Solomon taught me everything I need to know about tipping people.

[Depression Moon]

Depends if I can afford to and if I feel like it, which means there's a 0.7% chance that I'll leave one.

[Yar]

Dick Solomon taught me everything I need to know about tipping people.:lol:

If you tried that I'd bet you'd get knocked on the head with a pepper grinder.

[Miriel]

I could rant for days about tipping.

I am more than happy to tip if I am given service ABOVE AND BEYOND what is required. Seriously, sometimes good service can make or break a meal. If a server is extra attentive, friendly, etc, then I think they definitely deserve something extra for their efforts. But I don't understand the point of paying someone for doing their job. If someone does what they're supposed to do (ie: brought the dish from the kitchen, to your table, brings water or refills when asked, takes your order properly) why are you expected to pay EXTRA just because someone met the minimum expectations of service?

I hate hate hate how even in situations where you're given downright BAD service, you're still expected to tip. There have been so many times where I have had :skull::skull::skull::skull:ty service and yet there's still this crazy guilt associated with not leaving proper tip. What is that? It's like it's been programmed into our brains and to do otherwise takes an enormous amount of will power.

For the longest time I gave people 15% tip because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. It's what people told me I was supposed to do. Then I grew some balls and realized that I was just giving away money for no reason. I don't even understand the percentage thing.

If I order a plate of kobe beef, why should I pay more tip than if I had ordered a salad? The work involved is still the same - bring out one plate from the kitchen. Why should it matter how much your meal costs? Is there some sort of assumption that if you're able to afford an expensive meal, it means you should also be able to leave an outrageously high tip? :skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull:.


I know there are plenty of countries out there where tip isn't expected, required, or even welcome. South Korea, New Zealand, etc.

Even while thinking rationally about tip, it's hard for me NOT to leave tip no matter what. I do it out of pity mostly. I feel bad for people who work in the service industry, and that's the main reason why I tip these days, not because I was given really good service. And that's just dumb.

[LunarWeaver]

I think in a lot of places they are allowed to pay waiters under minimum wage because it's assumed they'll get tips. They basically survive off of them. That's why you give one out. At least, if they're nice and good at their job, I say. I dunno why restaurants developed into such a state, but there it is these days.

As for me, I barely ever eat out, and when I do someone else takes care of all that for me. I chip in and then let them do whatever because I'm an incapable little girl.

[o_O]

I tip if the service was somehow exceptional, but it's not expected that you tip in NZ. Waiting gets you a fair bit more than minimum wage here though.

I never understood why not tipping is so frowned upon in other parts of the world. :p

[Markus. D]

Customer Service.

[TyphoonThaReapa]

A'yo, I'm black...:rolleyes2...lol I love stereotypes...:cool:

[Caraliz]

I tip well, I think.

Fyi: Servers make about $3 an hour, give or take in some places, so tips are completely relied upon to make a living.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

I always tip between 15-20% depending on how well my brain is working and how generous I feel.

In Quebec, people are expected to make tips automatically get taxed on it based on their sales. So if you don't tip well, they won't make much since it will go to covering the taxes. Also, they get a lower minimum wage as well. :/ Thus I tip well. :D

[rubah]

I tip if the service was somehow exceptional, but it's not expected that you tip in NZ. Waiting gets you a fair bit more than minimum wage here though.

I never understood why not tipping is so frowned upon in other parts of the world. :p

Because they[sometimes] get paid half of minimum wage. They're expected to break even with tips.

[Tavrobel]

Divide by the total bill by five, and then round the result. That's the tip I leave, because I cba to do the math for anything less.

[Kes]

I tip between 15% and 20% usually. If the service is crappy I'll tip 10%. If the restaurant is crowded and I'm there forever, or if I'm with a lot of people and we're being obnoxious I'll tip above 20%.

Most waiters get <i>under</i> minimum wage and from what I understand they have to pay a percentage of their weekly tips to the people bussing as well.

The one thing I cannot stand is when a "service charge" is added into my bill if the waiter doesn't say anything (and usually they don't). I know people notice it nine times out of ten, but I feel like they expect me not to tip in that situation, and most of the time, I was planning on giving them more than what they put on the bill. *shrug*

Edit: Also, in addition to tipping the acceptable amount of money, I like to add silly things too. Sometimes I'll put stickers or individually wrapped candies. I have friends who make cute little origami things, doodle, or write silly notes as a thank you. It's incredibly silly, but when I remember to do it, I hope that I can brighten someone's day a little.

[Miriel]

I tip well, I think.

Fyi: Servers make about $3 an hour, give or take in some places, so tips are completely relied upon to make a living.

Well that's pretty ridiculous. I don't understand how that's possible. Doesn't that literally go against the definition of minimum wage? I know California doesn't operate like that. Minimum wage is minimum wage (which is $8.00 in this state) and tip is just extra.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Quebec sets the minimum wage for those who get tips lower than normal minimum wage. :/

[Caraliz]

I tip well, I think.

Fyi: Servers make about $3 an hour, give or take in some places, so tips are completely relied upon to make a living.

Well that's pretty ridiculous. I don't understand how that's possible. Doesn't that literally go against the definition of minimum wage? I know California doesn't operate like that. Minimum wage is minimum wage (which is $8.00 in this state) and tip is just extra.
There's a minimum wage for servers/bartenders. It's a different ballpark, I think. That's how it was in New Hampshire and that's how it is in Illinois too. Tips aren't really extra, per se. I'm pretty sure it's the same in California, but not completely positive.

[Miriel]

Googled it.


Q. My employer pays me less than the minimum wage because he includes my tips in my hourly pay. Is this legal?

A. No. Unlike under federal regulations, in California an employer cannot use an employee’s tips as a credit towards its obligation to pay the minimum wage. California law requires that employees receive the minimum wage plus any tips left for them by patrons of the employer’s business. Labor Code Section 351

That's the only way to do things that makes sense to me. The fact that other states do it differently kinda boggles the mind. Tip is entirely voluntary, how can employers act as though that's part of a employees regular pay?

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

May be voluntary but it is expected thus why they tax on tips based on the sales made by the server here, which is stupid but if you make good money not bad. So working a busy night and selling a lot but making poor tips can do more harm to a server than working a slow night or a short shift at times anyways.

[Caraliz]

Googled it.


Q. My employer pays me less than the minimum wage because he includes my tips in my hourly pay. Is this legal?

A. No. Unlike under federal regulations, in California an employer cannot use an employee’s tips as a credit towards its obligation to pay the minimum wage. California law requires that employees receive the minimum wage plus any tips left for them by patrons of the employer’s business. Labor Code Section 351That's the only way to do things that makes sense to me. The fact that other states do it differently kinda boggles the mind. Tip is entirely voluntary, how can employers act as though that's part of a employees regular pay?
Wow, that is crazy. I didn't think Cali would be different but I guess so. I want to work there now. xD

[Samuraid]

For poor service: about 7%, the minimum the IRS expects the server to make.

For good service, generally about 15% (2x the California sales tax at 7.25%)

[Ouch!]

Clearly, I need to move to California.

Edit: I tend to tip well unless service sucks. As long as they're friendly and do their job, I leave a pretty good tip. They always get a bit extra out of me since I compulsively use the tip to make my bill a nice even dollar amount.

[rubah]

Why don&#39;t waiters and waitresses get paid below minimum wage? - Yahoo! Answers (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081226033510AAA9q6R)

[KH-Cloudy]

When I'm at my friend's house and they order pizza, they usually give how much the total is and ask them to keep the change. :)

[Yar]

When I'm at my friend's house and they order pizza, they usually give how much the total is and ask them to keep the change. :)What if your total comes out to $19.99?


:(

[Big D]

Tipping just isn't really part of the culture where I live. Some cafes and restaurants have 'tip jars' on the counter, but aside from that there's no real expectation that customers should hand over a bonus.

[Loony BoB]

Most people I've spoken to don't even get to keep their tip, they have to share it with other people involved in the restaurant or (shockingly) they don't get any at all, it just goes down as a service charge which is considered profit. I only tip at very nice restaurants because of this (Tiger Lily, Vittoria's). And sometimes I've tipped the waitress if she's really hot. :shifty: But I've not done that for ages, really.

I dislike the idea of tipping in the first place, though. I think people should pay for whatever they eat and if the service is bad then just don't go back. None of this "paid below minimum wage" crap. I don't want to be bothered by a waiter unless I need him for my own reasons, so I find it annoying that I should feel obligated to pay for an increased service that personally I'm not interested in.

[Clouded Sky]

California is the first of that case that I've ever heard of. As has been stated many times, most people working in this industry need their tips to get by. I've been on the back end. Not getting paid what I should. Getting pissed when I was stiffed. That's what people don't seem to understand. Even some of you on here. People need these. (Apart from California, I guess.)

I can speak for the other side as well. I'm in Japan right now where there is no tipping custom. However, prices on food seem to be slightly higher - the service is figured into the prices to begin with.

Personally, I think this system is better, because it makes the "tip" necessary, whether you think about it or not. We could do the same thing in the states, but you couldn't call it the "service fee". People would get quite angry. It's really a system that's hard to get out of. You start charging more, and the people who get good deals by not tipping will start to complain.

I think I'm making sense?

Anyway, I always tip 20% unless something goes really bad. If they don't work up to a standard they're expected, they don't receive the the money they've expected.

[Momiji]

My cousin, who is a waitress, came to live with us recently. She sometimes complains when it's a slow night (she works at a fancy Italian restaurant) because she doesn't make much in tips, and she isn't getting paid nearly enough for the double-shifts she always works.

Seriously, the poor girl often works from 11am to 10pm, just so she can afford to go to college. So when she isn't working, she's in class or sleeping.

[KH-Cloudy]

When I'm at my friend's house and they order pizza, they usually give how much the total is and ask them to keep the change. :)What if your total comes out to $19.99?


:(

Sadness for the delivery person :(

[Avarice-ness]

I give 10$ everytime unless the bill is more than 70$, then I tip 15$ or 20$.

Bad waiters get a 3$ tip. =D

[Loony BoB]

I don't understand why anyone would tip for bad service.

[Bunny]

Because it could be a really busy night or the server could be having a really bad day or about a hundred other reasons that would make it understandable to have bad service.

[Aerith's Knight]

I usually tip 25%, but have been known to tip 50%.

I'm one of those freaks who tips way too much. ^_^'

But I always enjoy the smiles I get when they realize how much money they can make off of me.

[Peegee]

Tipping is a cultural phenomenon and thus there's no 'objective' or 'good' reason to do it.

My general opinion is that minimum wage is crappy enough as it is, and so (and especially if) getting paid less than that warrants me to pay a little more. It never amounts to much anyway -- the last time I paid a 15+ dollar tip was years ago.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Sometimes it is not even the server's fault. There could be a problem in the kitchen too (among a million other things). Also, servers usually tip out. At work, they tip out to the bussers and the bar. Some places tip out to the kitchens as well. So yeah, between the tip outs and taxes, it ca b hard to make any decent money if they are poorly tip. I know the servers at work have been tipped poorly before and it is not because they gave bad service either.

If I notice it is busy then I will tip good still. I understand well enough being overloaded. Like once me and my friend went to a restaurant and the computers were down, it was busy and they were getting audited by the franchise. Yeah, not cool day for them. The waiter was nice and all and apologized and me and my friend were like, we understand. Then we gave a nice tip.

One complaint I have heard from servers is that students will go "Sorry, I'd tip but I am a student". I think that's dumb. If I go out to eat, I make sure I have enough to tip too. Can't tip, won't bother. I am a poor student too, so I really don't see their point.

[Rocket Edge]

We don't tip out here, not unless your at a fancy restaurant or if you really go out of your way to help someone. When I was over in the states I sub-consciously had this mindset and tipped like Mr. Pink until friends of mine told me to tip more.

[Rye]

I also tip well. Class ALL the way. I even give $5 tips to the Subway delivery guy on campus who only has like, a 2 minute drive to my dorm. If a college student with no income at the moment can afford to tip well, anyone can. If you can't tip, get your butt over to Burger King or something.

The only time I won't tip well is if the WAITER/WAITRESS was terrible, which is so rare. If the food was bad or something, I still tip average because it's not their fault. Anyone who refuses tips to waiters and waitresses themselves because the restaurant is good, but they were still waited on well is an asshole of the highest degree and needs to try to work in a customer service job so that they learn. Waiters and waitresses make the worst wages out of any job, except for sweatshop workers, and they NEED tips to make a living.

I won't dine with people who do the above. I will walk out, embarrassed, or I'll give the waiter/waitress a bigger tip privately and apologize for my friends.

[Loony BoB]

As far as I'm concerned if the manager doesn't want to pay them minimum wage and they aren't capable of carrying out a decent service then that's not my problem, that's the problem of the idiot who decided to work at a place where they're not going to get tipped because everyone around them sucks.

Also, I suffer stressful situations on a regular basis but I don't get stressed. Do I earn anything extra for that? No. I don't. So if the waiter is stressed then again, that's his problem. I'm not going to pay him for it. Get a new job!

[Rye]

BoB, most people who work in those situations are teenagers who really CAN'T get another job, because it's their starter job to get into better things, like office jobs and such. They deserve money for their hard work and stress too. ;;

[Loony BoB]

Why don't they get a job at a supermarket, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King or somewhere else that pays minimum wage?

If it's the only place in the entire town that they are able to get a job at and they are still stressed then again, that's not my problem and I shouldn't have to pay extra for it. If they just increased the price of the food by a minimal amount then the stores could pay them above minimum wage but they don't. I'd be interested in knowing what a waiter/waitress would prefer, actually - working below minimum wage with tips, or working minimum wage with all tips for service going towards management only. Because surely they would collect a fair sum throughout the day, if they can even manage a good service for a few tables in the hour.

[edczxcvbnm]

I hate tipping and I tip low. Hell, here in Illinois, minimum wage is 4.65 for a waiter and 7.75 normally. I don't think I should ever give anything more than a 3 dollar tip for expected service. That 3 bucks gets them to minimum wage from just me when they are serving other tables as well. Sorry the industry you work in is fucked up but tips are suppose to be for awesome service and not standard service.

I always go pick up pizza when I order it because there are no extra charges and I don't have to tip. Pizza delivery is :skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull::skull:.

Very rarely do I get outstanding service.

[Miriel]

Y'all are also really focused on tips for waiters and servers, but the tipping phenomenon has spread FAR beyond that. These days you're expected to tip for EVERYTHING. Tip for getting your hair cut, tip for the people who change out your bed sheets at a hotel, tip for taxi drivers, tip for manicures, etc.

It has nothing to do with class in my opinion. Tipping a lot all the time just means you either have a lot of disposable income or you just don't really care all that much about saving the money that you do have.

I think from now on, I'll do tips the way edczxcvbnm does it, cause at least that makes some sort of sense. Tipping by percentage is just so silly to me. Carrying out a plate of lobster shouldn't earn you more money than carrying out a grilled cheese sandwich.

[Big D]

I like that the minimum wage is a legal matter in my country. If the boss is too cheap to pay minimum wage, then he's not just a prick, he's breaking the law.

I work in a high-stress, high-pressure job with a big workload and a lot riding on the decisions I make. But I'm ethically obligated not to accept gifts of any kind, except in extremely rare circumstances. And even then, I won't get to keep any of it for myself...

[Meat Puppet]

I used to work as a waiter and I never got any tips. I suppose it was just the area... too many artsy-types and musicians, I guess. The only two people at the place that I ever saw get any tips was this one little Argentinian gal and this really psychedelic bearded fellow named Paul.
Paul wasn’t actually a waiter as much as he was some sort a currency transferring operative, but I guess he did talk a spiel or eight to the customer. Man, that guy could go on. He was always talking about Sundays for some reason. I think he talked so much ’cause he wasn’t too smooth with the register itself, and I guess he was trying to smooth over his fumblings or whatever. I recall the boss and an odd employee or two complaining about his retardation behind his back, but I always thought he was a swell enough guy. Oh, I could go on forever.