How much do you tip?

[Lindagerr]

I agree about tipping more if you are with someone who takes up extra server time or effort. When I used to go out with my Mother in law she would ask a million questions then spend 10 minutes explaining why she asked those questions then an extra 5 minutes of conversation every time the server delivered something to our table. By the time we were done I always felt like the server would probably pay us just to go away:-) My MIL is also a stingy tipper so I would usually just leave what the tip would normally be(hidden under a plate or cup) and what my MIL left was extra for her difficulty level.

[Lindagerr]

TaxProf Blog: WSJ: IRS Rule Leads Restaurants to Rethink Automatic Tips!

Interesting article about tipping

[taylor]

TaxProf Blog: WSJ: IRS Rule Leads Restaurants to Rethink Automatic Tips!

Interesting article about tipping

I saw this on the news the other day. I guess even the restaurants calculate pretax for automatic gratuities based on that receipt. I guess I'll start doing that too.

[SIlentphantom0]

Tipping is a ridiculous way created by the restaurant industry to save money on paying waiters and waitresses. Most restaurants probably are only paying their servers around $3 per hour. The servers rely on tips to make money. It's ridiculous that we are required (only by ethical beliefs and social norms) to tip. However if we don't, that server is hurting. Don't hate on the servers, hate the industry!

[taylor]

I'm in Shanghai China right now. For those of you that don't know, Shanghai is like NYC except more modern looking and clean. And not once have I tipped during my stay and I got to say the service has been no worse or no better than in the United States. Servers even refuse tips. Can you believe that? With the 15-20% I've been saving on tips I'm buying my daughter a nice gift. Now I'm going to McDonald's because all I want is a cheeseburger, been eating too much Chinese food at too many fancy schmancy restaurants.

[taylor]

A NYC sanitation worker was fired for receiving a tip. Maybe our tipping culture is changing too. Yahoo! Funny I'm waiting for some exercise equipment right now that I paid $120 for delivery and installation. These guys are LATE but I'll still probably begrudgingly tip them $20 with a smile on my face.

[hicandle]

I just spent the day at a hospital with DH (turned out well) and we used the valet service as DH cant walk too far or too fast. They are forbidden to accept tips. The whole hospital is full of volunteers doing all kinds of things, escorting us to our appointments, even staffing the gift shop. I asked a nurse if the hospital hosted a party to thank the volunteers and she laughed and said no way. I asked the volunteer how many of them were there. She guessed around 600. I started wishing I had some kind of non profit skills so I could put together a thank you banquet with gifts for them. I tip 15 to 20 percent. At a serve yourself buffet we leave a few dollars, up to 5 for the person busing our table. In the hotel room I leave at least 10, sometimes 20 dollars for the maid and a note thanking them and sometimes a little gift of chocolate. We have a favorite waitress that usually waits on us when we go for chemo or check ups. We tip her outrageously and love doing so. Once I spilled my food all over the floor and tipped the person that cleaned it up 20$. My mom worked as a school teacher and part time waitress at night to support us kids, so my heart is definitely for them. Tip 'em, I say! Tip 'em high!!!

[Harpda]

I was paid $2.16 an hour when I was a waiter. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and even well after closing time the servers are still working away. Some folks may believe that a server doesn't deserve compensation because they only bring drinks and food -- this is not true. Non-tippers are well-known and hated. While it is un-skilled labor, waiting tables can be an absolute frenetic pace, non-stop for 12 hours and does deserve adequate compensation. If someone doesn't want to tip, or cannot tip due to financial constraints then honestly they should go eat somewhere that tipping isn't expected. 15-20% is adequate and appropriate, unless you are neglected, and in that case don't tip them so they get the message. But sometimes the server is getting 'blown out' and cannot handle the pace, so understandably, their attention to your needs will diminish with each extra person who he/she is waiting on -- this should be factored in during very busy times.

[Thatch]

I live in Germany now and much prefer the style of tipping here. Servers are servers by trade, get paid a fair salary and basically only take 'round up' tips, a euro or two as a thank you, not nearly a quarter of the billed amount as some sort of unwritten line item charge. I do hate american style tipping. I find it a strange exercise in social shaming to force the direct support of the waitstaff onto the patron. The waitstaff here fall more consistently into the 'adequate' category (in US service terms) with much less 'bad service' or 'exceptional service' experiences than I have gotten in the states. They tend to just do thier jobs, which at the end of the day is all I really want. The few times I get really exceptional service I know it's because the person is generally just a nice person and it isn't an act to elicit a higher tip.

[Prloko]

I live in Germany now and much prefer the style of tipping here. Servers are servers by trade, get paid a fair salary and basically only take 'round up' tips, a euro or two as a thank you, not nearly a quarter of the billed amount as some sort of unwritten line item charge. I do hate american style tipping. I find it a strange exercise in social shaming to force the direct support of the waitstaff onto the patron. The waitstaff here fall more consistently into the 'adequate' category (in US service terms) with much less 'bad service' or 'exceptional service' experiences than I have gotten in the states. They tend to just do thier jobs, which at the end of the day is all I really want. The few times I get really exceptional service I know it's because the person is generally just a nice person and it isn't an act to elicit a higher tip.

I mentioned something earlier in this thread to the same effect and was hounded by tip defenders. It shows that tips are NOT a necessary evil and instead of villianizing customers who only want to not have to cook their own meal, the industry should receive the brunt of the blame.

This is coming from the child of a career waitress; If you don't like depending on tips, get another line of work. When the restaurants can't seem to find enough staff willing to work for nothing, they'll get the message and will start paying a better salary and perhaps even benefits on their own. Stop blaming customers, they are the reason restaurants are in business, they don't exist to line your pockets.

I do agree with waiters on one thing, it is completely unfair that they receive less than minimum wage, especially when a large part of their job is doing tasks unrelated to waiting (cleaning silverware, filling salt shakers, general cleaning etc). In my opinion, once a waiter is performing tasks related to general restaurant upkeep, that time should be paid AT LEAST minimum wage.