My daughter worked her way thru college as a server. She would tell me stories of cheapos leaving a $1.00 tip on a $25.00 tab. I am trying in my own way to even out the situation. I will never leave less than $5.00, even on a $7.00 bill. My usual tip is 25-40%. The upside is that the servers all recognize me when I come in…and I leave the tip in cash so that the credit card company doesn’t get a percentage of the tip.
thats what happens to me at hooters,I go for the 90% tip and around 70% at other places
Yeah, my daughter’s a server also and she’s seen the same thing. I tend to ‘overtip’ too. I also like to see a stranger, an older single person, or a military member (or vet) and pick up their ticket without them knowing about it.
You’re a good man Rev!
I guess it’s probably selfish in a way. I’m doing it because it makes me feel good, but I never know how it impacts the person.
Hey Rev- If I’m ever in a restaurant down your way, remember this: I’m an older single person, and I’ve been told I’m strange…
DJ, I imagine plenty of folks would pay to get you out of the restaurant…(they do me…)
My late friend Mel and another guy I know were working together and stopped by an all-you-can-eat restaurant for lunch one day. After they had taken advantage of that offer and were about done, the manager came over to their table and told them if they didn’t eat any more and left they wouldn’t have to pay.
Can’t speak for other countries, but basically everything it says about Germany is wrong. You don’t tip unless you really want to make a point that you enjoyed the service. Service charge is always included; in fact, it’s not even an item on the bill.
And I’d be very surprised if many bars took dollars. Individual servers might take them as a novelty memento, but otherwise, get Euros.
Exactly the same with Australia. Usually I’ll only tip (and this is normal) if the food or service has been excellent. It’s more to make a point and affirm the staff than to give them money. The other situation is when paying cash and rounding up – in that case the service doesn’t have to be quite as good to get a tip but the tip itself will be a bit smaller, though for example if I was paying cash for something worth $19.80 I wouldn’t just leave a $20. If the service was bad, I’d make sure to get my 20c change. If it was good (though not necessarily excellent) I’d add a $2 coin to the $20 note to avoid a possibly insulting tip.
The expectation of a 20% tip is ridiculous. It’s not the customer’s responsibility to cover for the wages that the employer does not pay the servers. People in NY started this whole 20% thing. They can eat my shorts.
If the server is great with good service, they get a good tip. I have however not left a tip for some servers as they were idiots. (Not new ones, or over worked ones etc.) It depends on my eyes as a customer to decide what they deserve. I used to be a bar wench on the side and if you want nice tips, you better be on your toes.
Oh and BTW, it seems like everyone here has a tip jar in front of them now even if you serve yourself. Go figure.
On a recent trip west of Denver, my girlfriend and I visited the Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs. They and a brief video, a brief demonstration and then an extended self guided tour. There were tip jars all over the place. I didn’t see a single employee there do enough to even warrant a thank you let alone a monetary payment. As we were leaving, I heard them discussing the daily haul.
Man, that place sounds like a real gold mine….Oh wait….
Here in Finland you don´t have to tip anything, only if service is really good it´s nice to tip something. Nightclubs door men will remember you, if you leave them tip on your way out ja if it is a big tip, you might get past the line next time.
I usually eat alone at restaurants, and so tip up to account for that. Plus I have been self-employed, and hungry, before so 20% is for average service and I take allowance for a crowded room or a new server. When I worked for a British company and folks came over to visit, we had a talk and I watched them. I once had to go back and turn an unhappy server of a large group from unhappy to very happy – she had signed and the Brit payer – the boss – had only rounded up.
She had SHINED. Editor is broken.
A week ago my local radio station was talking about a news story saying in New York, its expected that 25% is the standard.
I am admittedly a great tipper, I’ve had too many close friends that were servers. That being said, my server needs to make and effort to serve me to get a good tip. I have been many places where I have to flag down the server after 10 minutes of having an empty beer, I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable (in most circumstances). I will say that I observe what’s going on and sometimes the server has a huge section or has a big difficult table, I take these things into consideration. I will also admit that the lower my bill the more I probably tip, meaning below $10 I might tip 50-75%, where say $100, I’m tipping closer to 20-25% for average service, For great service I’ve been known to tip more too.
All that being said, the thought of a server thinking they are ‘entitled’ to a MINIMUM of 25% is crazy! My thought is yes, I know that servers only make $2-3/hour, but if they are going they are going to make a lot more then that figuring in tips. I remember talking to friends that were servers and on the end of an average night, the good ones would pull in what came out to $15/hour and a busy night could easily pull in $30/hour. They are making that much with the 15-20% idea. So yeah, can you imagine how much they would make if 25% was the ‘acceptable’ level.
Sorry for the rant, I’m still fuming from that story. I look at it as if the server does their job, they will be compensated appropriately. If they aren’t so good, there is no way I’m paying them X percent, just because its the ‘acceptable’ level. What I tip is MY CHOICE, the idea of expecting 25% or more just really burns me.
Nice Guy Eddie: C’mon, throw in a buck!
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don’t tip.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don’t tip?
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don’t believe in it.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don’t believe in tipping?
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make shit.
Mr. Pink: Don’t give me that. She don’t make enough money that she can quit.
Nice Guy Eddie: I don’t even know a fucking Jew who’d have the balls to say that. Let me get this straight: you don’t ever tip?
Mr. Pink: I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice.
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn’t anything special.
Mr. Blue: What’s special? Take you in the back and s**k your d**k?
Nice Guy Eddie: I’d go over twelve percent for that.
My advice to all servers wishing to get a decent tip from me: Don’t disappear when I’m done with my meal and looking to leave, and contemplating my tip. My tip decreases a little every time I have to crane my neck to look for my server to get the check or the credit card slip.
Where I work, we have to give percentages of our sales to different people. 4% of our kitchen sales, 5% of our sushi sales and 6% of our alcohol sales. So sometimes, when people don’t leave a tip (which happens more than you think) I am actually paying to serve you. Which sucks.
One time, I had a regular come in who I’ve been taking care of for a couple of years. They paid with a credit card and left a $20 bill too. I thought it was a little gift for saying thank you for always taking care of them so I thought it was generous. If that happens, I usually save it for next time a customer comes in, I take care of a few beers. They came in a week later saying they didn’t mean to leave me that money and they wanted it back which I had to, because my manager told me to. They apologized to me months later because they realized how tacky and rude that was. They come in every week too.
I am a generous tipper, only because I work in this industry. I also take care of items on a tab for people, most of the time it’s not even noticed but I am not the type to say “hey, i hooked you up” I only do it because I want to. I also have a weird quirk where I won’t pick up your book with the credit card receipt/cash until the guest has left the table. It’s a pet peeve when servers do. I don’t want the guest to think I am more concerned about my tip than giving them good service.
I can tell you I’ve had many nights where I just plopped on the couch and cried because of such cruel people.
Oh and leave a little note in the book if they did a great job, I love getting little notes… makes my night!
My daughter worked her way thru college as a server. She would tell me stories of cheapos leaving a $1.00 tip on a $25.00 tab. I am trying in my own way to even out the situation. I will never leave less than $5.00, even on a $7.00 bill. My usual tip is 25-40%. The upside is that the servers all recognize me when I come in…and I leave the tip in cash so that the credit card company doesn’t get a percentage of the tip.
thats what happens to me at hooters,I go for the 90% tip and around 70% at other places
Yeah, my daughter’s a server also and she’s seen the same thing. I tend to ‘overtip’ too. I also like to see a stranger, an older single person, or a military member (or vet) and pick up their ticket without them knowing about it.
You’re a good man Rev!
I guess it’s probably selfish in a way. I’m doing it because it makes me feel good, but I never know how it impacts the person.
Hey Rev- If I’m ever in a restaurant down your way, remember this: I’m an older single person, and I’ve been told I’m strange…
DJ, I imagine plenty of folks would pay to get you out of the restaurant…(they do me…)
My late friend Mel and another guy I know were working together and stopped by an all-you-can-eat restaurant for lunch one day. After they had taken advantage of that offer and were about done, the manager came over to their table and told them if they didn’t eat any more and left they wouldn’t have to pay.
Can’t speak for other countries, but basically everything it says about Germany is wrong. You don’t tip unless you really want to make a point that you enjoyed the service. Service charge is always included; in fact, it’s not even an item on the bill.
And I’d be very surprised if many bars took dollars. Individual servers might take them as a novelty memento, but otherwise, get Euros.
Exactly the same with Australia. Usually I’ll only tip (and this is normal) if the food or service has been excellent. It’s more to make a point and affirm the staff than to give them money. The other situation is when paying cash and rounding up – in that case the service doesn’t have to be quite as good to get a tip but the tip itself will be a bit smaller, though for example if I was paying cash for something worth $19.80 I wouldn’t just leave a $20. If the service was bad, I’d make sure to get my 20c change. If it was good (though not necessarily excellent) I’d add a $2 coin to the $20 note to avoid a possibly insulting tip.
The expectation of a 20% tip is ridiculous. It’s not the customer’s responsibility to cover for the wages that the employer does not pay the servers. People in NY started this whole 20% thing. They can eat my shorts.
If the server is great with good service, they get a good tip. I have however not left a tip for some servers as they were idiots. (Not new ones, or over worked ones etc.) It depends on my eyes as a customer to decide what they deserve. I used to be a bar wench on the side and if you want nice tips, you better be on your toes.
Oh and BTW, it seems like everyone here has a tip jar in front of them now even if you serve yourself. Go figure.
On a recent trip west of Denver, my girlfriend and I visited the Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs. They and a brief video, a brief demonstration and then an extended self guided tour. There were tip jars all over the place. I didn’t see a single employee there do enough to even warrant a thank you let alone a monetary payment. As we were leaving, I heard them discussing the daily haul.
Man, that place sounds like a real gold mine….Oh wait….
Here in Finland you don´t have to tip anything, only if service is really good it´s nice to tip something. Nightclubs door men will remember you, if you leave them tip on your way out ja if it is a big tip, you might get past the line next time.
I usually eat alone at restaurants, and so tip up to account for that. Plus I have been self-employed, and hungry, before so 20% is for average service and I take allowance for a crowded room or a new server. When I worked for a British company and folks came over to visit, we had a talk and I watched them. I once had to go back and turn an unhappy server of a large group from unhappy to very happy – she had signed and the Brit payer – the boss – had only rounded up.
She had SHINED. Editor is broken.
A week ago my local radio station was talking about a news story saying in New York, its expected that 25% is the standard.
I am admittedly a great tipper, I’ve had too many close friends that were servers. That being said, my server needs to make and effort to serve me to get a good tip. I have been many places where I have to flag down the server after 10 minutes of having an empty beer, I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable (in most circumstances). I will say that I observe what’s going on and sometimes the server has a huge section or has a big difficult table, I take these things into consideration. I will also admit that the lower my bill the more I probably tip, meaning below $10 I might tip 50-75%, where say $100, I’m tipping closer to 20-25% for average service, For great service I’ve been known to tip more too.
All that being said, the thought of a server thinking they are ‘entitled’ to a MINIMUM of 25% is crazy! My thought is yes, I know that servers only make $2-3/hour, but if they are going they are going to make a lot more then that figuring in tips. I remember talking to friends that were servers and on the end of an average night, the good ones would pull in what came out to $15/hour and a busy night could easily pull in $30/hour. They are making that much with the 15-20% idea. So yeah, can you imagine how much they would make if 25% was the ‘acceptable’ level.
Sorry for the rant, I’m still fuming from that story. I look at it as if the server does their job, they will be compensated appropriately. If they aren’t so good, there is no way I’m paying them X percent, just because its the ‘acceptable’ level. What I tip is MY CHOICE, the idea of expecting 25% or more just really burns me.
If anyone wants to read the story, here is the link: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/food/tipping_the_scales_7miRf5GE1QGH63gDe6FaVO
Nice Guy Eddie: C’mon, throw in a buck!
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don’t tip.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don’t tip?
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don’t believe in it.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don’t believe in tipping?
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make shit.
Mr. Pink: Don’t give me that. She don’t make enough money that she can quit.
Nice Guy Eddie: I don’t even know a fucking Jew who’d have the balls to say that. Let me get this straight: you don’t ever tip?
Mr. Pink: I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice.
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn’t anything special.
Mr. Blue: What’s special? Take you in the back and s**k your d**k?
Nice Guy Eddie: I’d go over twelve percent for that.
My advice to all servers wishing to get a decent tip from me: Don’t disappear when I’m done with my meal and looking to leave, and contemplating my tip. My tip decreases a little every time I have to crane my neck to look for my server to get the check or the credit card slip.
Where I work, we have to give percentages of our sales to different people. 4% of our kitchen sales, 5% of our sushi sales and 6% of our alcohol sales. So sometimes, when people don’t leave a tip (which happens more than you think) I am actually paying to serve you. Which sucks.
One time, I had a regular come in who I’ve been taking care of for a couple of years. They paid with a credit card and left a $20 bill too. I thought it was a little gift for saying thank you for always taking care of them so I thought it was generous. If that happens, I usually save it for next time a customer comes in, I take care of a few beers. They came in a week later saying they didn’t mean to leave me that money and they wanted it back which I had to, because my manager told me to. They apologized to me months later because they realized how tacky and rude that was. They come in every week too.
I am a generous tipper, only because I work in this industry. I also take care of items on a tab for people, most of the time it’s not even noticed but I am not the type to say “hey, i hooked you up” I only do it because I want to. I also have a weird quirk where I won’t pick up your book with the credit card receipt/cash until the guest has left the table. It’s a pet peeve when servers do. I don’t want the guest to think I am more concerned about my tip than giving them good service.
I can tell you I’ve had many nights where I just plopped on the couch and cried because of such cruel people.
Oh and leave a little note in the book if they did a great job, I love getting little notes… makes my night!