Tipping...and I'm not talking about pushing cows over!

[Jim Robeson]

We were talking about tipping at restaurants and how we usually tip according to the price of the food that we ordered and not for the actual service. Now, don't get me wrong, I will always tip at least 20% as long as the service is good and it is how I ordered the dish. But here is an example that we thought about...say we both go into a place and we have the same person waiting on us. I order a steak, cost of my dinner is $40.00. You order a hamburger, cost $10.00. Now, the person waiting on you didn't take any longer to get you my steak or your hamburger and the service was the same...very good. You both actually leave at the same time. Now, my tip would be $8.00 and your tip would be $2.00. Was my service really worth $6.00 more just because I ordered a more expensive meal?? I'm not a cheap ass but had really never thought about that way. And it won't change the way I tip.

 

[BigN8]

I always thought the tips get divided up amongst the bar tenders and bus boys, so it all averages out in the end??

 

[Jim Robeson]

I don't have a clue. It's been a long time since I worked in a restaurant.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

My wife was a server for about 8 years. When she bartended all the tips were split at the end of the night. As a server she keeps all tips made from her tables to her self and then would pay out the bartenders and hosteses a set percentage at the end of a shift. (Not saying it is the way everywhere)

As for your scenario @Jim Robeson that is an interesting point, and I can tell you that out of all the tipping disagreements my wife and I have been through over the years, this has never came up. I will any interested what she says. And if she makes a point for the discussion one way or the other I will post back.

 

[Jim Robeson]

Thanks @GiddYupJoe ... would be interesting to see what she has to say.

 

[Lspeedss]

Service based on percentage of bill... Better service better tip. Poor service.. Watch out..

 

[txav8r]

Tipping. Ugh. If it were for decent service and a nice time. I hate the idea that it is expected. For instance, you go to a walk up counter and order take out...and they fully expect 15-20%! Sometimes I put it in, other times I say wtf! Either way, if a staff deserves it, I put it in there, I never leave less than 15% even for crappy service, but I should!

 

[Julian]

An interesting idea....I think tipping on the total is just the easiest way to provide a guage of how much to tip. If you took this same appoach, then you would be compelled to tip much less at an expensive steak house as they provide the same service as a less expensive restaurant...but get tipped more because the food is more expensive.

As for tipping at a counter....10% max....sorry, but if I have to stand and come to you...it isn't worth as much. If I sit at the bar and your service is outstanding...then I'll go up from 10%.

For waiter service I tip from 15-25% depending on the quality....if you really mess up...I'll go below 15.

I've often wondered about making a "Tip-O-Meter"....something you put on the table that displays the tip and has an up and down button in increments of 1%. Good service and you see it go up...bad/average and you won't. Of course this would never work in the real world!!! But amusing to imagine!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I tip a minimum of $5. If I ordered a $4 lunch, I would pay out $9 or $10 otherwise it's a 20% tip unless the server really stressed me out.
The $5 rule also goes for walk up bars (place where you have to run to the bar for drinks and no tabs are allowed) I'll tip $5 on my first beer or round and tip less on future trips depending on amount of money spent.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Thanks @GiddYupJoe ... would be interesting to see what she has to say.

I explained your scenario and After being called an a$$hole for sugesting such nonsense she explained to me that tipping on the total bill is the social norm and asked why I would consider going against those norms. I ensured her that this was not going to be my new method of tipping.

Now... Do you tip the % on the total bill with tax or just the total pre-tax. Pretty sure we have that discussion every time we go out!

 

[txav8r]

Tax is a government assessment on top of the total bill. While it may be the "norm" to the server, they are FOS if they think they are entitled to a tip on top of the bill total! That doesn't mean that I don't do it 99% of the time, but a tip should be based on total bill, not on total plus tax! That is crazy too, because some places have established some very high tourism taxes and the consumer is then paying the bill, the state tax, the hotel/tourism tax, and then the server expects to receive a percentage tip of the total combined. How is that fair? A place outside of that tourism charge doesn't get that added to their bills, why wouldn't that server be entitled to that portion too? Is their service less worthwhile than a place in a suburb across the street that has a government body that chooses to rob folks from spending their dollars in their community? I should boycott Hawaii...they have exhorbinate taxes added because of these things. Rent a house or condo, pay 13.40% in taxes demanded by the hotel industry to keep the places from competing with the hotels. Sorry, I am getting off my soapbox now.

 

[Ronnie]

I've never thought about basing tips on the value of the service instead of the food, it does make sense but is totally against the norm. I have thought about excluding the tax before calculating the tip but the difference is so small it's usually not worth the effort.

I ramped my default tip percentage down to 10% from 15% a few years ago. I also try and distinguish server mistakes from cook or restaurant mistakes. If the server put in the order and it's late not their fault, if the server didn't put in the order or doesn't keep my drink full, their fault. Generally, I give all servers one break, after that I'm reducing the tip 50% per mistake, three mistake and there is no tip. Four or more mistakes and I'm talking to the manager and/or leaving a written tip on the bill "be a more attentive server". At places like fuddruckers, where I have to stand in line to order, pick up my food when its ready and refill my own drink, I don't feel obligated to tip at all. I'm not cheap but from my perspective I have to work hard for my money so my server should have to earn it from me. The other thing I've learned to watch for are those places that automatically add a 15% to 20% tip to the bill, usually for parties of 6 or more. Service is usually crappy when the tip is mandatory and if you don't scan the bill they have no issue with you leaving another, discretionary, tip on top of the mandatory one.

Maybe the order in which we tip needs to be re-examined. Consider this, TIPS is short for "to insure prompt service" so by definition the tip used to come before the service. If I go to a bar and start by dropping a tip in the tip jar before ordering I'd bet I'd get better service the entire time I was there. Transfer that logic to a restaurant, estimate what 20% of the meal would be, lay it out on the table and let the waiter know that's his tip if all goes well. If it doesn't, the stack will get progressively lower.

Last thought, I had an instructor once suggest the following way to make money at a restaurant, leave a negative tip.

 

[BigN8]

Try figuring the tip out on a $3500 tab at Centerfolds in Houston! Not a good feeling

 

[txav8r]

Try figuring the tip out on a $3500 tab at Centerfolds in Houston! Not a good feeling

Is that with or without TAX?

 

[GTBRMC]

Try figuring the tip out on a $3500 tab at Centerfolds in Houston! Not a good feeling

How large is a stack of 3500 $1 bills?

 

[Britboater]

20%!!!!!!!! No wonder I get torrid looks at restaurants, but then again, us Brits are known for poor tipping .
But seriously, isn't a restaurant employee paid by the owner and your tip, what ever it might be, is just a thank you, from you for efficient, kind service. When a waitress starts to expect a tip whatever the service, then it just won't happen from me.
And while we're on the subject, cruise ships, pre payment of gratuities , why would anybody pay for a sevice they haven't had yet?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

In the states, wait staff can be paid a couple of dollars per hour plus tips. So tips are how they make up the lacking hourly wage.

Living in a tourist town, I've heard that the cheapest region of visitors are the Canadians.

 

[Britboater]

I've heard that too, but my Daughters father-in-law is coming to stay Sunday, so that just might change

 

[brockhals]

I usually tip 20% of the bill for the three of us, but I can keep them running with refills, etc as well. If I do carry out, I figure 10% is more than enough for the chefs cooking, and I'm taking it on faith that it's right as I don't go thru the box and look for every detail. This is where the steak vs hamburger debate comes in. The cooks (Surely) get a percentage of the tips too and suffer when the server sucks, so if my steak is cooked how I want it they deserve the higher tip amount

 

[Jim Robeson]

My wife always tells me that I tip too much. I guess it's because I know they don't make much in an hourly rate. For some reason it just occurred to me yesterday that we really aren't tipping for total service, just total bill and you will get the max if you do your job right. Interesting takes from everyone especially about the walk up counter. About the only place I tip at the walk up counter is at our local Chinese take out...that's because the girls are really cute and give me extra duck sauce!!