If you dine out, you should read this...

[lbaker]

As someone who worked in restaurants for years, supporting two young children, I agree totally. No time to properly respond at this moment but will have some to add later this evening. One thing that used to drive me MAD CRAZY would be when people would look down at the menu and mumble or talk to the menu... exCUSE me... the menu can't hear and I would appreciate it if you would look at ME when asking a question or placing an order

[jackie]

OK, I am one to disagree.

Last year when I went to Canada, I sat in one place for more then 10 minutes before even being approached by a server. She then acted bored to have to serve us (hello, it is your job, put a smile on your face or get a new job), the food took ages, and we had to flag her down at least four times to get the bill. The most emotion on her face was when we didn't leave a tip.

I do tip, but not for nothing. If the service is reasonable, I will tip, if it is excellent, I will over tip, if it is horrible, I wont leave a penny.

[Catlady711]

I do tip, but not for nothing. If the service is reasonable, I will tip, if it is excellent, I will over tip, if it is horrible, I wont leave a penny.

Pretty much same here, except if the service is awful I leave 2 pennies as my two cents worth for a comment.

Although, my pardons to servers, I always thought a tip was supposed to be a VOULUNTARY expression of grattitude for service well done, not a mandatory way to supplement someone's else's income.

[Catty1]

Although, my pardons to servers, I always thought a tip was supposed to be a VOULUNTARY expression of grattitude for service well done, not a mandatory way to supplement someone's else's income.

It was supposed to be. But today's reality is, restaurants don't pay worth **** because they figure the staff will live off their tips - so they have no reason to increase the unliveable base wage.

When managers raise the wages - maybe then. But they won't, and are letting tippers pick up the slack.

JME

[critter crazy]

My question is, there are tons of jobs, that only pay minumum wage, and they dont get tips. And they manage to survive?? So why must we be pretty much be ordered to pay a tip, when others dont get one??

I also will not tip if the service is bad! Just a few weeks ago, when my parents stopped over, after my dads testing for his cancer, we went out to dinner. The service was horrible!! We sat at the table for 20 mins, before even being asked what we wanted to drink, then the food took over 45 mins to get to us, and half of our food was ice cold. Then it took well over 30 mins, trying to catch the guy for our check! I was furious, my poor dad got a drink spilled on him, and they took forever to bring us something to wipe it up with, then he almost fell cause they didnt clean up the floor! Needless to say they didnt get a tip, nor will we ever to to that place agian, family restaurant my butt!!

I am a very good tipper, but bad service=bad/no tip!

[Karen]

Minimum wage for food servers is often far lower than what the rest of the community gets paid as minimum wage. Sad, but true.

Anna, I often get take-out, and don't tip them, and no one has ever suggested that I do. That is not the same as serving a table - they
A. take the order,
B. type it into the cash register, and then
C. put the food in a bag for me when it's done and hand it to me.

How does that remotely compare to
A. Greeting and seating me,
B. Giving me a menu and reciting the daily specials
C. Answering question about the menu
D. Getting me drinks
E. Taking my food order
F. Checking and refilling my drinks, inquiring about the food,
G. Inquiring about dessert,
H. Bringing me my check,
I. Asking whether I want to take anything home, boxing it up if I do,
then after I leave,
J. Bussing and cleaning the table for the next person

Just curious ... places where I regularly get take-out are always friendly and glad to see me, so they don't seem angry that I haven;t been tipping them ...

[Alysser]

When me and my friends go out to applebees, we usually tip the reccommended amount, but last time our waitress took forever to return the change. We waited over 15 minutes! So, we gave her a $3.00 tip. Since the service was not terrible(she was nice), we gave her something. Trust me, if someone was rude to me and took forever they will not get a tip. They don't deserve it if they act that way!

[jennielynn1970]

I waitressed when I was in high school and after high school. One of the places was a nudist resort where we didn't get tipped (hello... they wore no clothes, they had no pockets!), but they did have to pay minimum wage. At least around here, if you're working a job like waitressing, if you don't make at least minimum when you add in your tips, payroll has to make up the balance.

Most of the waitress and waiters I know these days make some damn good money. My one boyfriend worked 3-4 nights a week, and pulled in about $600 minimum just in tips for those nights.

When I tip, I normally do 15% as a base. If they are excellent I'll do 20%. My delivery guys get at least 25% cause they have to drive to get to me as well. My chinese delivery guys are the best, and I always tip them well. I may not be rich, and I may be tight on money, but I know how I would feel if I were them, and they need to make a decent living as well. I've never not left a tip... even if they sucked. I figure some days I suck at work, and I wouldn't want to not get paid.