Man Arrested for Leaving Small Tip

[Qwyksilver]

I am typically a very generous tipper, but that is because my Grandmother raised my mom and two uncles as a waitress and I know how miserable the job can be. The pay is lousy, and tips are how they break even. I typically start at 20% and work up or down from there. I'm fairly demanding of my service though and expect the person to be prompt, knowledgable, and accurate. Again, having family that worked the job, and took pride in the work, I have certain expectations. I hate waitstaff that do a half arsed job, and then expect a big tip just because they are working at a restaurant. I absolutely hate mandatory tips added to bills, even for large groups. I have found that by experience, the service tends to be poorer when the tip is already included.

 

I understand that wait staff typically are paid a lower minimum wage, I think it is $4.50 per hour for service industry, but could be wrong. However, I am not going to supplement their wage if they do a very poor job. Take pride in your work and do it right, you get a good tip. Show up and expect it, and do nothing. Get your horrible wage.

 

If you really liked your service, and are paying by credit card, a good way to help the waitress out is to give $0.00 tip on the credit card slip, and given them their tip in cash. Wait staff are expected to report all tips as wages, but reality is, most don't add more than the "minimum" 15%. A credit card bill though is recorded and they would need to report that tip.

 

Pet peeves I have when dining out, or ways to get a good tip for me...

1. If my cup of coffee or water is filled regularly...huge bonus. It's easy to do and shows you're being attentive.

2. If my bill is $11 for lunch, and I leave a $20. Do not ask me if I need friggen change. Of course I do, who the hell leaves a 90% tip. On the converse, just coming up and saying "I'll be right back with your change." Even if it seems clear I am leaving the bill and tip combined is a huge bonus.

3. Messing up the order and not apologizing, or passing the blame. I had one waitress once tell me that was what I ordered. Now I have never ordered a steak cooked more than medium rare. If I could get it raw, I'd not complain. So don't EVER tell me I ordered one medium well, and it looks well done.

4. A waitress who is inattentive and practically absent during the entire meal, but is suddenly prompt and cordial when the bill is there. Bad, bad, bad gold digger.

5. I am not fond of my meals stacking. When I place an order and it takes 20 minutes to get my salad, and my entree comes 2 minutes after that. It means someone isn't watching their queue. And my meal is going to get cold.

 

Yes, I'm a fairly demanding bastard, but good service gets very good tips from me, usually 20-25%. I've left a penny before too. (but then I spoke with the manager, got a gift certificate, and never saw the waitress there again).

 

Oh, and the tip cup at a coffee place. You're charging me 4 bucks for a cup of coffee, and you want me to give you tips too, for pouring a cup. Hell, even the $2 Dunkin donuts... you're pouring me a cup of coffee. That's just ridiculous.

 

<QS hops off his soapbox> Next!

[CripDyke]

yeah, I start with a $1 tip if i ordered $5 or less. I start with 20% if I order more than that.

 

Bad service does lower it, but it takes REALLY bad service to get it below 15%. Of course, really bad service does happen - a couple of times a year, & I eat out about once/week on average (so 2/50 or 4% is something i consider "really bad" service). In those cases, I leave 8-10% tips. In all other cases, 15% is the minimum. 20% is the most common, and about 1/5th of servers get 25% or more.

 

I really believe in tipping well...but i definitely defend my right to tip low. How else do I make sure people get the message that I don't like being insulted or having my order screwed up?

 

Of course, if they screw up & then apologize & give me my meal free - well, that's good service in a bad situation...they still get about 20% (in this case of what the bill WOULD be if they charged for all entrees).

 

I guess all this is to say, man...i'd really be pissed if I got arrested for a low tip, 'cuz i know i'd only do that with a really good reason.

[Digital [email protected]]

Well DM just keep in mind that for that hour of work your server gave you, if you don't tip then they may be only earning $4 for that work, instead of the $9 or $10 they would normally earn. Mandiatory tips or the practice of underpaying servers aren't the servers's fault, but the management's/owner's.

 

Damon.

I know, but how do you protest the process. If servers make poor wages then they will quit and find new work and the owners will have to pay them more. I was a server through college and made pretty good money. I do tip servers 15-20% for excellent service, but will often tip 10% is service is slow, food cold, empty glasses sitting on the table etc. I don not feel it is my responsability to pay, a tip, but an option of gratitude. If I received poor service, food or whatever then I have less gratitude and they get less gratuity.

 

I tip the guys at the car wash and my haircut lady (I get $12 hair cuts). I even gave the guy who did my concrete a gift certificate large enough to cover he and his wife at their favorite steak house. He was very helpful, couteous, excellent communicator, honest and did an superb job. IMO, he earned the my gratitude. I do tip, but I don't think it is fair for companies to think we will pay ther employees for them and therefore I do not feel obligated. People should not expect tips, but earn them and be happy when they get them.

[Cade]

Digital [email protected],

 

Here's why I like the tip system:

If a restaurant pays a server a flat fee, they have no incentive to work hard, be extra nice to me, or do anything beyond the minimum. The tip system allow the customer to decide how much a server get. This way, I can give more to server who really do good, and less to ones who don't. Most salemen work on commission, not a flat salary. Commission doesn't work for a restaurant, tips do.

 

Now, where I live, most servers are hired at about $2.50 an hour. Everything else they earn is tips. So, if I don't tip, they are really screwed. Also, restaurants are required to track sales. Servers are not taxed on an assumed 20% tip. If you ever leave less than 20%, that server is being taxed on money he/she didn't earn.

 

Even if you don't like the system, your server didn't create it. He/she doesn't derserve to be punished because you don't like restaurant policy. I still like being able to reward good service. Servers remember who treated them well and who didn't. There have been places where, since I tipped well on good service, the servers who knew me would always go out of there way to service me. It's like getting 'preferred customer' status.

 

As for the article...

 

The customers complaint was that the food was bad. That is not your servers fault. You don't skimp on tip because you don't like the food. That's the cooks/restaurants fault. That's like blaming grocery bagger for coke being out of stock. Your server's job is to bring the food to you, get you drinks, check on your needs, etc. So, that excuse is b.s. Also, if you are mean and cranky to your server, you make it very hard for them to do their job well.

 

Now, I support a restaurant's right to make their own policies, whether it is gratuity, smoking/non-smoking, drinking, etc. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. Provided that the gratuity rule was on the menu and the server mentioned it, I think the guys are in the wrong, but that's heresay.

 

Did they eat all the food? If they bring out bad food, don't eat it, refuse to pay for it, but then still tip your server. Management will usually remove it from your bill. However, don't pound down a table full of pizza then say it wasn't good enough.

 

BTW, I still think that California smoking ban is b.s. I'm sorry, if I buy a piece of land and build my own bar, it's my property and I should set the rules. If I want it to be smoking than it should be. If you don't like, go somewhere else. Private business owners should be allowed to create their own policies.

[Lars Porsenna]

OK DM I thought you were just not tipping whether you had good service, bad service, or no service at all.

 

It's not always easy to go find a new job, as I'm sure a lot of people here would testify. I've been underemployed for the past year and haven't really found anything else. Despite a desire to find something else, something else just isn't available. Also keep in mind that some servers are college students or members of the marginal side of the economy, so its very likely they NEED that money. My fiancee's friend is a good example; she escaped from a physically abusive marriage, but with no education beyond HS had a lot of trouble finding steady work that would allow her to support her kid. She worked as a server and every cent counted...

 

Damon.

[Cadaver]

I'm a big tipper, Which is really odd since I'm so conservative.

 

A few years ago I used to go to this Karaoke bar, I had just stated a new job and I hadn't got paid yet, So I told the bartender, "Hey, I know I 'm not tipping you now, but when I get paid, I'll make that up."

She just looked at me and said,"Yeah, OK."

 

Payday came and I went to the bar and ordered a Crown and coke, I handed the bartender a $50 and said, "Keep the change."

 

She ended up being the best bartender I ever knew, from then on she gave me Service Industry discounts and made all my drinks doubles.

 

My girlfriend even got free cokes since she didn't drink.

 

Tipping is good for you and it makes the other person feel appreciated

 

*edit*

It didn't hurt that she was drop dead gorgeous, either.

She would have made the Victoria's Secret girls jealous.

[Unglef]

This is not cool. That's it, I'm not tipping anymore. Guess I'm next for incarceration. I'll still tip bartenders, though.

[Digital [email protected]]

When did tipping go from 15% to 20%?

 

I am leary about the tip to performance argument. Out of all of the jobs out there I would have to say 90% of them do not pay tips, commissions or bonuses tied to your performance. All of you data entry, accounting, engineers, support staff, receptionist, mechanics etc do not get tips and I am willing to bet that most of them are hard workers.

 

I lived in Germany for three years and had excellent service and there employees are paid a flat rate. Coogle said they don't have tips and I bet the waiter is not any worse than what I get here.

[Smokin']

but with no education beyond HS had a lot of trouble finding steady work that would allow her to support her kid. She worked as a server and every cent counted...

I have 3 words "Learn to type"

 

- Oops, that should have been in the 'guess the film quote' thread

 

Why is it called a 'gratuity' (that which is given freely) when it's mandatory?

 

When did tipping go from 15% to 20%

 

When did it go from 10 to 15? If they give excellent service, they get 10% or whatever I have in my pocket. If they don't, they get nothing extra.

 

Tipping probably isn't as expected in the UK.

[Orsino]

I'm a big tipper, Which is really odd since I'm so conservative....

Well, bravo!

 

My wife and I, who have both done grunt-work in restaurants, always tip 30% or more. Knowing that the waitperson might have to pool the money, or that management might skim, it behooves us to make sure that as much as possible makes it to the lowest-paid person in the chain. When we remember, we try to leave cash at the table rather than tacking on a tip to the check. When done consistently, tipping well ensures really good service, and is therefore self-reinforcing.

 

We had the misfortune to take a meal during DragonCon at the same table with someone who seemed ignorant of the common practice of adding a gratuity for large parties (or when splitting a check several ways). We cringed as he loudly denounced the restaurant and staff, and again when he similarly acted up at another meal. We overtipped to negate his plan to stiff the staff (don't want anyone to think DragonConners are cheap in addition to being rude), and are determined not to dine in his company again.

 

It doesn't take a liberal to tip well--just someone who has been in the trenches, so to speak. It's very much in the spirit of trickle-down theory, anyway, with the added bonus of actually working.

[Unglef]

Your heart just drips constantly, doesn't it, John?

[Orsino]

Tipping probably isn't as expected in the UK....

Customs vary. In Germany, I was fortunately taught to hand a tip to the waitperson before I could embarrass myself. Leaving a tip on the table is apparently insulting. The personal touch seemed to be appreciated in France and Austria, too.

[Cade]

When did tipping go from 15% to 20%?

Over the years, there has been a push, maybe from the restaurant service industry to tip 20%. More officially though, in the last few years, some tax law was passed that taxed servers income based on a 20% tip, so blame Uncle Sam. My feeling is, if they are taxed assuming a 20%, then I pay 20% if I get the service level I expect. (Disclaimer - I haven't researched the specifics on this. They are taxed assuming a certain percentage of tips, I haven't verified what percentage, but everyone tells me 20%)

 

Although you can give good service paid hourly, there is still that middle ground where servers do enough to not get complaints but not so much to impress. Also, if they do eventually get canned, they are making good money until they are fired. If a server in the states gives bad service, they feel the economic impact right away.

 

Besides, if a server wants to take the risk and work for tips, I'm all for it. If they work really well, they earn more. In a flat rate system, you are encourage to only work as hard an everyone else. With the tip system, some really good servers go above and beyond and are rewarded extra for it. I like that notion.

 

How much do servers earn in Australia?

I've know many servers in the my area that earn $12 to $14 per hour at decent restaurants. Great servers/bartenders at very populars restaurants or clubs can earn over $15 per hour.

[TheBachelor]

I'm opposed to the principal of tipping, believing that the restaurants ought to provide their employees with a fair living wage, rather then it being on the customer to supplement their income.

Of course, if things where the way I think it ought to be, I'd be the king of all of Latvia and have hot and cold running chicks.

So, realizing that not tipping would only punish the victim of this intolerable arraignment, I not only tip, but I over tip.

After all, those who don't tip will be amongst the first against the wall when the revolution comes. Right after advertising executives and just before people who talk in the theater.

Okay, I’m done ranting now.

[Cade]

Part of going out to eat is also enjoying being out, the environment of the restaurant, enjoying the company of who you are with, etc. Eating out is usually, not always, about an experience for me, not just food. I figure at the end of an enjoyable stay at a restaurant, how much is it going to affect me to tip an extra dollar or two of "average". It's really not. If you can afford the luxuary of eating out, you can afford to be a little generous. At the same time, if everyone does this, then it really does make a difference to your server.

 

I also take into account how long I'm at the restaurant. Sometimes I'm relaxing and chatting and spending a lot of time there. If that's the case, then that is time that the server might not be able to get another table and no one can take mine, so I feel the server deserves to get paid for that time. He/she is checking on your needs, even if you don't have any. So, if I sit down and have one or two beers with friend, but I'm there for over an hour, I tip a lot more than 20%.

 

The percentage is just an easy guideline. Lets say that a server can only have 4 tables in his/her section. Let's say he/she makes $2.50 an hour. If all 4 tables stay for 2 hours and only tip $2, then that server only made $5.25 an hour before taxes. I personally think someone service is worth more than that.