I would like to hear other's opinions on tipping servers in restaurants?

Question

I have been waitressing for about 12 years, i really enjoy it even though it's really stressfull. i am now a manager of a bar and grill type of restaurant. and i am always surprised at people. (part of the reason i love my work) my very best server had a table last night with 4 people, all of their drinks and courses were courteously served in a timely fashion, i even make it a habit to take a run through the dining room to be sure the customers are properly taken care of. talking to them briefly, if they are not too engrossed in their own conversations. these particular customers never complained and i believe recieved excellent service. they did not tip the server!! why do you think that is?? any ideas??

Answer 1

That's unusual. I can't imagine why they wouldn't!



My frined once gave 100 dollar top for a I wanna say $40 meal lol..

Answer 2

Nuts. If someone is at a restaurant that serves people at tables/etc., they receive excellent service, the server was polite, and they found no reason to complain about out loud, then a tip is almost necessary. "Tip" actually comes from an acronym that means "to ensure promptness." If you don't pay, then you won't be served 'til doomsday, armageddon, or ragnorak.



Rubbish.



A tip is a kindly gift that means that the customer enjoyed the food, service, and everything else and thought of adding something to the server's paycheck. Fifteen percent is for an okay, good, or just plain tasty meal, twenty percent is the equivalent of saying "I loved the place and I will eat here for many times to come!" Higher is plain ridiculous, but if the restaurant was REALLY TRULY ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, then you could leav twenty-five or thirty percent.



Some people are just in the habit of not leaving a tip. Leaving something for good service is not prevelant in other countries (aren't you supposed to give excellent service anyways???), some people might expect higher from waiters/waittresses and want them to perform higher, some people don't have the dough, moolah, bucks, iron men, dead presidents, greenbacks, bills, checks, lire, pounds, pesos, dollars, or M & Ms to tip the server, and some people are just pains in the Equus asinus. (That means donkey, by the way.)



Perhaps the money was stolen. Other pains in the Equus asinus steal, I mean STEAL, the tips from under the plates or beside the place-mat or whereever someone may put one.



Last bet: some people have NO IDEA what the heck things cost these days. When I still read Captain Underpants comics, it said about real grandparents: "...and they don't know what things cost."



"Here's a dime to buy a video game."



"Thanks. (Sigh.)"



The robot grandparents: "...and best of all, they don't know what things cost!"



"Here's $10,000 to buy a candy bar!!!"



That obviously is NOT true, but sometimes you run across a person who thinks gasoline still costs $0.95 a gallon. They may just not tip for that reason. OR they think the tip is in the paycheck, so they don't tip.



-Your Eatery Expert

Answer 3

I have known many servers in restaurants over the years. We have always given them very good tips anywhere form 25% to 50% of the bill. I know that must sounds crazy but I have always noticed that it is really a very hard job to be able to please customers (the eating public) and I have often seen sometimes that they take abuse from people.



Most people will give a tip but in today's changing America. this is not the america that I knew years ago and at the risk of sounding politically incorrect. I have found that many newcomers (foreign immigrants) do not tip because maybe in their country it was not customary.



I have spoken about this topic with a few truste servers of teh places where we often eat and they have said that certain ethnic (immigrant) groups generally tend not to really tip at all and so the place has automatically had to add a 20% service fee to the bill to insure that the server gets a tip.



If this is not who the people were in your example then perhaps they were just insensitive but most longtime americans know that it is proper to give a tip of at least 15% nowadays with the cost of living so high it should be the custom to give at least 20%



When I go to vacation in Fort Lauderdale in Florida many of the establishments automatically add the tip to the meal as a 20% service charge as there are large amounts of European tourists that come to Fort Lauderdale and in Europe (I know because I have travelled there) most times the guests do not leave a tip becasue they think the tip is included in the bill.



that also could be another scenario as to what happened in your establishment on the particular day that you speak of.



I hope this has added a different apsect to why that happened.



Also I have learned to make sure that the server gets the tip right in his or her own hand as many times people have been known to walk by ands steal the money form the table before the server can get the money.

Answer 4

i dont know why they didnt tip

some people are just cheap and dont actually consider that waitresses dont make much beyond tips..

some tourists may be used to the way things are in there homeland where perhaps servers are actually paid to serve rather than paid by customers



i base my tips on 2 things: the service i receive and how many cutomers are in the place



bc i know that if i am in a place for an hour or so and it is dead that basically her/his whole pay for that time period is what i give



if the service is good i give 25% all the way up to 40 or 50%



if the service is bad(and i have myself been a waitress), and they tried to make it better, 15%-20%



if it was bad and they couldnt give a care which makes it worse, they dont get anything at all...



in fact, i have not tipped anything to a very bad server who had attitude and tipped the waitress at the next table for at least smiling and trying to help

Answer 5

I too have been a server for a while, 5 years, and in 4 different states, and am now a manager in a popular Bar/Restaurant.



SERVERS make $2.13/hr and no they won't be getting a raise with the rest of the country!



i think that your server got screwed, but it happens to all of us from time to time... wtf did I do? , usually the answer is nothing.



If somone can't afford their food and their service - GET TAKE OUT! or yeah, drive through-



If a restaurant was expected to pay 30 servers a day $5.00 more an hour that cost would automaticaly be placed back on the consumer, so your $8.00 burger would soon cost you $11.00 , so I guess if people really don't want to tip than they can get ready to pay higher food costs.

Also if your server wasn't expecting anything from you, and knew that they were making the same no matter how they treated you, they would not do anything special for you what-so-ever... they would not run all over the place to get everything for you, and they would never refill your drink, including that second or third beer you wanted. If you have been outside of the U.S. think about the service that you may of had somewhere else, when we were in Korea we had to flag down servers to get anything, and more often than not our drinks were empty more than half of the time- there it is rude to tip... (no offence to anyone in Korea- just needed a true example) ---



POINT IN ALL THIS--- The table was terrible, not the server... and people need to learn to TIP or STAY HOME!

Answer 6

I never tip for just average service. A tip originated as something extra for doing something above and beyond the basics- something extra! Example- I always ask when ordering breakfast, that my OJ be brought out w/ my food so it will be cold. An IHOP waitress came right back after taking our order and said she had tried the OJ and it wasn't terribly cold, but she had put a glass in the freezer so that it would be when my food was ready. THAT is very tip worthy!!! I think we left a $15 tip for a $20 tab. Taking an order, serving it and leaving a bill just is expected service, not something a tip should be left for just because restaurants don't pay minimum wage. The wait staff knows that when they take the job, so they should be knocking themselves out to give EXROIDINARY service to each and every customer. It's their paycheck after all. Since the customer can't speak to the cook, it's the wait persons job to be the go between. If I order mayo or salad dressing on the side and it's on the food item, I don't leave a tip. The wait person should have caught that and never brought it to the table any other way. Also, if I nicely ask for fresh fries for example and they come out cold, I don't leave a tip. Most sane people won't send anything back these days for fear of someone spitting in their food, etc. I am not leaving a tip for cold food. As a manager, you need to check what is going out to your customers. Another example is a scortched baked potato. A manager needs to keep an eye on the freshness of the food. Also, there's nothing worse than getting a drink like a Pepsi that is supposed to be cold, paying $3 for it only to have it served in a still hot from the dishwasher glass. Another no tip guarantee for us is if, after waiting a long time to get a table and another long wait to get our order taken, the wait person goes to a table of 6 or more and spends 10 minutes explaining everything on the menu to them, before even taking our order to the kitchen. That's just lazy and I would think that backs up the cooks as well. A second one would have to be if the wait person complains about how busy they have been or says they are tired or even worse, sits with us in our booth, I don't leave a tip. On the later, I ask them to please get up. If you are paying good money for a relaxing dinner you don't want to hear them complain. So, you may believe these people received excellent service, A final note- if I see or hear a wait person complaining about the amount of a tip, or lack of one that a previous customer left, I don't forget that and would never leave that particular person a tip on subsequent visits no matter how great the service was. So, as a manager, you have the power to change all of the things I mentioned. You may think they received excellent service, but that is SO much more than the basics.



AND, based on the answers above, most even leave a tip for crappy service, so where's the incentive for a wait person to do any better?



Forgive typos- spell checker isn't working and I have an eye infection.

Answer 7

Hey, some people are total jerks -- they are cheapskates. But many people simply are not able to leave a tip, no matter how "small", because of their financial situation. Yeah, I know..."If they can't afford to tip, they should stay home!" Well, if you really need the tips to "make ends meet", you should get a better job.



I tip according to the server's politeness, accuracy and timeliness -- AND how much I can actually afford to part with. I have bills to pay, too, and I also need to get away from the stove/microwave once in a while.



Tips should NEVER be included on the bill as an "automatic gratutity" (especially at 15% - imagine having to save for six months, and then having to pay out $22.50 on top of the $150 just because you wanted to treat your "significant other" to an Anniversary Dinner!)...they should be EARNED, not taken as granted just because you "work hard". Give great service, get good tips. It's that simple.



And if you want stress....try getting an order for 1500 ATV plows delivered (not just shipped) less than two weeks after being told about the order -- when it normally takes three weeks to make 1500 ATV plows and get them ready for shipment. If the order doesn't arrive on time, you loose the account.... THAT is stress!

Answer 8

A few reasons:

1. They lack proper etiquette, and are idiots (most likely).

2. They thought the prices were too high to tip.

3. They didn't like the food, but didn't want to complain.

4. Every place they enter has a tip jar begging to be stuffed, and they're finally fed up with tipping.

5. They may believe that the employer should pay the servers' salaries, not the customers.



Trust me, people have expressed one or more of these sentiments -- I know. I've never been a waiter, but as a customer I've sat across from some of the worst customers a waitress could have, while she was providing the best service in the world -- and felt sorry for her.

Answer 9

I agree with "the singer". As a server it is hard when we bust our butts catering to people and get nothing out if it. When we could have taken a table who would have tipped graciously. Most servers, depending on states, don't even get a paycheck, so they live off tips alone. Not getting a tip and getting small tips really hurts us financially. Thank you and your parents for the good head in your shoulders. As for your friends. They come and go. And you realize who your true friends are.

Answer 10

Some people know that as a general rule in most places a server makes very good in tips by the end of their shift. Yes I have worked as a server and a cook for many years. My mother has always owned a restaurant. I know that even in a small town USA you can make anywhere from 60 to 100$ in tips. I realize that the server is running doing all the leg work but less we not forget that it is a combinded efford on the part of the sever and cook. Because of the knowlege that a server makes good tips and the fact you just have people that think they have paid enough for the food. Some people I feel are just too stingy to tip.

Answer 11

I just wonder how many of the @sses answering this question have waited before. I personally think your server got screwed, but that's the nature of the beast. I just got off an 8 hour shift, and my percentages varied, but thats the way it goes.



As some of the folks answering this question are concerned, wait tables for 6 months. Quit your job, and go to work. Then you will understand what life is like as a server. I work fine-dining at night and work another job in the day. If I don't want to leave a tip, I'll eat at God Damned McDonalds. Tipping is obviously expected, duh. If you don't like to tip, don't eat out. and you people that think you're martyrs for tipping 15, you're not, 15 is worthless. I much rather not get a table than get 15, I am worth alot more than that, but I am good at what I do...

Answer 12

Were they foreign? If so, a lot of countries include the tip in the bill and there is no need to additionally tip on top of the bill OR servers gross wages much higher than minimum wage and do not rely on tips, thus rendering tipping unnecessary.



If that's not the case, maybe they forgot, ran out of money, or....just suck at tipping. I've been out with people who have left 50 cents on an entire dinner (4 people) despite excellent service...unfortunately, there are people out there who just do not tip. A lot of members of younger generations do not understand tipping so they either never tip, tip too little for the quality of service, or tip way too highly.



I don't think your server did anything wrong, but s/he may have just had a bad table.

Answer 13

Could of they thought one of the other tipped you? I can't understand not tipping, if the service is really bad I have gone as low as 10%, if it is really good I always do 20 and try 25 if I have the money to at that time. Could of they thought you were the owner and didn't tip for that reason. Ah they were just losers.

Answer 14

My guess is that the table forgot to tip. It is possible.. we have actually forgotten to tip and came back an hour later to make sure the waiter got a tip, it was pure luck we realized we hadn't left a tip.



I don't give everyone a tip... and I give poor waiters a crappy tip, fill out a comment card and explain the problem. If a manager comes to my table.. I tell them whats wrong.

Answer 15

Where were they from? Some cultures do not tip... I am working in Australia right now and tipping is not done. (their minimum wage is pretty high, so it is not necessary)



If the people were "locals" and tipping is part of their culture, then they either overlooked the tip, or they are simply cheapskates.



If they did not provide any feedback positive or negative, if I were you, I would just ignore it... if they cannot provide the feedback with a 0 tip, then chances are they simply overlooked it. (that can happen with parties of several people... one thinks that the other is getting it or something like that.)

Answer 16

Tip your server 15% if they do a good job. If they are exceptional, and you are likely to come back, tip 20%.

Answer 17

some people are idiots. frankly, 15% should be a MINIMUM. anyplace I go as a regular, I tip about 25%. And guess what? We get treated like kings when we go back because everyone who works in the restaurant knows who tips and who doesn't!!!

Answer 18

Being inconsiderate and very rude. If the service is the type you described they should have left 15% to 20% . that's more than fair.

Answer 19

thats crap

im 16 and i dine out alot with friends and stuff

we all chip in a dollar or two. leave at least $3-5. my mom tells me to leave atleast a $5 and thats wht i do. even if the meal was liek $20

the waiter/waitress remember you better and seem to treat you better in my opinion

Answer 20

Instead of all of them getting together and chipping in for the tip, each one of them thought the other one was going to leave the tip, so no one did.

Answer 21

where they japanese tourists? some countries like Japan the tip is already included in the meal. otherwise my other guess would be someone actually left a tip and some other customer took it...

Answer 22

I think the entire system of tipping is silly. I tip but sometimes I wonder why the restaurant can't just pay the waiters/waitresses enough to begin with. Tipping should be something you do for excellent service, not just for service. In America it is just understood now that everyone should tip. Reason why is because everyone knows that they are underpaid for such a busy and hard job. So the American public has to pick up the bill and pay for the employee's paycheck and then leave a tip. In my opinion the restaraunt should be paying the employee that 15% in their paycheck. I wish that I could tip for a great job, and not for every single meal I eat out. Just because someone checks my drink and askes me how my meal is doesn't mean they did an excellent job.



Having a smile. This isn't great service. This is mandatory politeness. It doesn't make me feel important.



Doing that on top of favors such as changing the channel for my entertainment. Always bringing the food him/herself so they know my order is correct before bringing it to me. This is so anything incorrect can be fixed before I see it. When someone else brings it out they don't know what I ordered .. and they don't take my requests as the bring the food serious. When I go out to eat I only want to see one person after I sit down and that is my personal waitress/waiter, or the manager. Seeing a bunch of people makes me feel less important. While filling my drink they can wait for the appropriate time to ask if I need anything, not when I have food in my mouth and can't answer. I know they are busy, but I shouldn't feel rushed to ever give my answer. I don't want to be rushed when I'm eating. Don't bring the bill with my food. This is rude. It says to me that you are done with serving me and I can leave asap, so someone else can sit down and leave 15%.



After saying all this you might think I'm a horrible tipper. I'm not actually. I have the money to tip and I expect that I will get great service. I'm prepared to pay the server for the great service and the employers part of what should have been included with the waiter/waitress's paycheck.



Sometimes out of curiousity I ask the managers, as they come around asking how my meal and serive are, how much the waiter/waitress makes starting out. Every answer is way too low. I don't care that they make 80-140 in tips on the weekends. I care that I have to leave 15% more to cover the expenses that the manager should be covering. I tell them that also. Most times I leave restaraunts upset with management and happy with service. I usually plan to return and complain about management and complement service again.



If you as management put up a sign that said "TIP FOR GREAT SERVICE, NOT JUST FOR SERVICE" then actually paid your employee's what they are worth without factoring in what they make in tips, you would have much happier customers. The reason is simple enough. Waiters/Waitress' are having to work extra hard at being nice, but don't have to worry about making enough to pay the bills. Customers can actually stand out as someone who had a great experience with their service and not just another person who gave 15%. People would tip only if they felt the service was wonderful. The person who brings me to my table should make sure to say one last time before my waiter/watress shows up "Please tip if you had great service, not just for service."



Everyone should ask themselves why they are paying 15%. Notice I didn't say tip 15% because it is expected by everyone to get and give 15% so it is not a tip anymore. Tip by definition is to reward someone with a sum of money for good service [1]. It is not give a sum of money that is expected for service, but that is how America views it when dinning out.



When a foreigner tips you should know you did a great job, because they normally only tip for great service. This is the correct way a tip is to be used.



A side note.



A tip should not be added into income for the waiter/watress. It is a gift and a gift is not taxable. Everyone is allowed to give gifts from one person to another without the government taxing it.



Another side note.



Automaticly adding gratuity is a slap in the face. It is saying that no mater how my meal went the restaraunt will expect the tip. That is not a tip anymore. It is just charging me extra money just for sitting down. Not only that but many people don't even realize that gratuity is there and tip anyways. In America the people that tip 15% on top of a 15% gratuity are tipping 30% for service and not for anything else. Did the waiter/waitress do anything special to enhance your meal. Probably not. I refuse to eat anyplace that has automatic gratuity on principal.

Answer 23

Tip them based on their character and their sincerity. Some people just don't believe in tipping, trying to keep the little man down (or, yes, other financial situations).

Answer 24

they're cheap. or some just don't realize that tipping is the appropriate thing to do...(if the service is good, if not, we usually don't tip as well as we do for good service, but we always tip)!

Answer 25

i think u shud tip ive had times where i tipped only a coupole of bucks and one where i tipped 12

even if it is just a little bit

and if u get a rude person then..maybe u dont have to.....

Answer 26

They were rude and cheap. They should have left 20% for good service.

Answer 27

They were poor? maybe a special occasion and only had money to dine out not tip. Hate it for her/him....I am a good tipper...tell them to wait on me next time.

Answer 28

Maybe because they didn't have any extra money except for what they had to pay the bill. Just because people can afford to pay the bill doesn't mean they bought diamond rings after wards either.

Answer 29

Some people are just cruel. Sorry that most people aren't like those.

Answer 30

have you seen waiting? maybe they were foreign. in other countries the tip is included with the price of the meal alot of the time, perhaps they misunderstood. or they could have been assholes.

Answer 31

mabye they tipped cash and the busser stole it.

Answer 32

if service is bad noo tips.............