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

[Ginger's Mom]

What I would object to is the 18% minimum tip. For two reasons, first I object to being told what the minimum tip/contribution/voluntary payment of anything is. Second, the reasoning is faulty. This says that because the cost of living has gone up since 1960 the percentage of the tip should go up. But the cost of the meal has also gone up since 1960, so the actual monetary amount being left as a tip has kept stride with the cost of living. The percentage does not have to be increased. For example, I would have paid $4.00 for a meal in 1960 and left a .60 tip. In 2007 I will have to pay $12.00 for the same meal and will leave a tip of $1.80 (probably will round it up to $2.00), an increase of 230%, and that is without raising the "minimum" tip.

[cassiesmom]

Okay, dearies, since it has been brought up, I'm going to hit you with all my questions...

Sunday brunch buffet (or any buffet). I've heard it said that it's okay to tip less at a buffet than a sit-down meal. Is that correct? The last 2 brunches I have been to, we had a gratuity added on to the check because of a party of six or more.

At a place like the Old Country Buffet, where there is not a server per se except someone who clears your plate, should a tip be left?

What do you do with your tips at the end of your shift? Do you give them to the restaurant manager in exchange for bigger bills? How do you prefer to receive a tip? Do you hate receiving change in a tip for that reason? Is it even correct to use coins for a gratuity anymore? What happens when I write the gratuity onto my credit card receipt - do you get it?

If I need to split a $20 bill, do I tip the bartender who takes care of that for me? If I'm waiting with a friend for a table in a restaurant (say, T.G.I. Friday or Applebee's), and we get soft drinks from the bar while we wait, do I tip on those?

What about Starbucks or Caribou Coffee? That jar on the end of the counter - I am never quite sure what to do.

[jazzcat]

Does this bother anyone else? I hate when I pay for a meal and the server asks if I would like change back. I think they should always bring the change back unless the told to keep it by the customer first. Sometimes they will say "I'll be back with the change" and I'll say just keep it and that is fine but to flat out ask if I want change back is a little too presumptuous.

[moosmom]

I try to be as close to 15% as possible. If the service sucks, I don't leave one.

[Suki Wingy]

Thank you for posting this. I've never been a server but my mom was for years. I work where I have to cater to people's every need too, and honestly I HATE it. The least they could do is be nice. I don't eat out on my own except for fast food but my family always leaves a big tip. My mom usually gives 20% for good service.

[jennielynn1970]

So did they bother with lobster bibs?

Love, Columbine

Do you really want to know what they did or didn't wear, lol!! Some things were very odd (napkin rings where I never want to see them stacked again, and clear plastic shorts... why??? ).

The funniest sight was the handy man who was also a member... steel toed boots, athletic socks, a tool belt with all the tools, and a baseball hat. And that was it! Oh, and a guy who had legally changed his name to Santa Claus... I thought that was just sick cause he looked like Santa, but rode around on a golf cart naked. Who wants to sit on THAT Santa's lap?! EEK!

[lbaker]

my goodness Jen... you really can give a visual image!!!! um, maybe too visual ~ That's hysterical

[anna_66]

Ewww I don't think I'd like to work at a nudist resort

I totally understand why a lot of you don't agree with my post but
have you ever waitressed? Try it for a few days, it's not quite as
easy as it looks.

At Red Lobster I do almost everything except cook the food.

I make my own drinks (except alcoholic drinks)
I make my own salads
I dress my own food (with the exception of the weekend)
I make my own desserts
I bus my own tables and clean them (again with the exception of the
weekend)
I do lots of side work during and after my shift ends

And for all of this I get paid $3.43 (we just recently got a raise
from $2.13-$3.43)
I NEVER get any type of pay raise.
I also have to pay the bartender 5% of my bar sales-I TOTALLY DON'T
AGREE with this because our bartenders make much more above minimum wage and get tips from the bar tables, guests who are at the bar and take outs.

I would be happy if the restaurants would pay us a normal wage.

This was posted in Ginger's Mom's thread "Question on Tipping"
(I'll post in that thread when I have more time)

If you are working for a tip you work harder!

This is SO NOT TRUE!
I work just as hard for guests that I know for a fact leave me nothing as I do for the ones that leave me a fat tip! Any GOOD server will.

I know a lot of the wait staff suck, I work with quite a few of
them.
But that's not me. Well at least not most of the time
I try to treat my guests the way I like to be treated when I go out.
But as jenn_librarian said:

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

Now if you know the server is purposely just being nasty I agree
with not leaving a tip.

Does this bother anyone else? I hate when I pay for
a meal and the server asks if I would like change back.

I can understand why you feel this way but this is my experience...

I always say "I'll be right back with your change" and the guest
will say alright. I'll come back and the people will be gone

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.

I don't know how it is in other places Karen, but at my work during the day shift the bartender is the take out person. Not only do they do what you said they also have to dress the food (get it ready). I've seen them spend up to 1/2+ getting food ready for a big take out.
I can understand why people don't tip on carry out and I still don't know how I feel about tipping for it, guess that's all up to you

Sunday brunch buffet (or any buffet). I've heard it said that it's okay to tip less at a buffet than a sit-down meal. Is that correct? The last 2 brunches I have been to, we had a gratuity added on to the check because of a party of six or more.

At a place like the Old Country Buffet, where there is not a server per se except someone who clears your plate, should a tip be left?

What do you do with your tips at the end of your shift? Do you give them to the restaurant manager in exchange for bigger bills? How do you prefer to receive a tip? Do you hate receiving change in a tip for that reason? Is it even correct to use coins for a gratuity anymore? What happens when I write the gratuity onto my credit card receipt - do you get it?

If I need to split a $20 bill, do I tip the bartender who takes care of that for me? If I'm waiting with a friend for a table in a restaurant (say, T.G.I. Friday or Applebee's), and we get soft drinks from the bar while we wait, do I tip on those?

What about Starbucks or Caribou Coffee? That jar on the end of the counter - I am never quite sure what to do.

OK, this is MY take on your questions...
I've eaten at a buffet and if they come and take my plates and keep my table clean I'll leave a few bucks because I appreciate it. But that's up to you. I've never been to one that adds gratuity to the bill.

If you have drinks at the bar, tip them what you want but do tip. They also have to claim their tips.

I'm not sure about the Starbucks thing. We don't have one around here. I guess if you were treated especially nice and feel like giving...do

Our computers automatically tell us how much we "should have" made (at least 10%)
All credit card and gift card tips are automatically added but we have to put what cash we made.
I get my credit card tips at the end of ever shift (I also am the cashier for my tables)
I can't exchange large amounts of change for bills and I can't change lots of $1 bills for larger bills. I don't care how you leave me a tip (as long as you leave me one)

To be honest, i think all the points could
have been said in a much nicer way. Calling epole names, and
talking of Castration sure does put one in a foul mood.

It wasn't my words, it was something I got from one of my friends
so please don't take it personally.
I just posted it because I wanted to know how others felt.

[RICHARD]

OMG....

This is so stupid, but laugh away and post your comments.


I actually wipe down the table when I finish a meal at a restaurant.

I also make sure my plates are stacked so the server doesn't have to do it.

--------------

When I was working, I'd go grab a coffee at the machine and fix it at the sugar/creamer area....If some messy AH spilled stuff on the counter, I'd take the damp cloth that was next to the coffee machine and wipe up the mess.

Some of the cafeteria workers weren't happy with me but they learned they could not be everywhere at once....

[NicoleLJ]

Personally, and yes I was a waitress for 5 months(I know not long but long enough to know what it is like), I do not agree with it being mandatory or even that it should be a set amount. And I find it completely offensive for anyone to think that if someone does not have enough to leave a tip or an 18% tip that they should not go out. Just because you bring back change, no matter how much it is, how do you know that change is not already budgeted for bills or other more important expenses?

Not all people can afford to leave a tip of that sum. Not all people can afford to even leave a tip. Many times people in low incomes save for a while to just be able to go out once in a blue moon to enjoy a special night out. Wait staff are not the only ones that are in a low wage bracket. Many people are. And to say they can't go out to a nice place if they don't have enough to tip is just plain insulting.

Tips have never been mandatory. They are ment to reward the hard work and pleasant service recieved if the person can and feels like leaving it. I try to leave at least 10% when I leave a restraunt if the Service was good. But I never leave more then that unless the Service was excepcional and also if my kids left a mess(rarely happens but can). I have never heard of recieveing 18%.

I am sorry but I do not see it as my DUTY or JOB to pay someones wages. I am there to enjoy a night out(which I rarely do) and if I have enough and thought the Service was good then I will leave something in appreciation. But I do not believe it is a must. If a job is not paying enough then look for another, go to school to get a better job, or look at other prospects.

I know this will sound harsh and I am sorry but it is how I feel about the subject.
Nicole & Sheena & Ajax

[RICHARD]

P.S.

About the Little Devils, Evil Spawn, Unruly Little....I'll stop there...

I don't think that servers or busser should have to clean up after you or your kids...My peeves?


Self serve Ice Cream Machines and Salad Bars.

1. Any kid that goes to the ICM will waste ice cream trying to "see how high they can get this cone" or "I love crumbled Oreos and sprinkles and gummi bears and M&Ms....."

I do like them all too! but not all over the counter. TAKE A MINUTE TO GET OFF THE CHAIR AND WALK YOUR KID OVER TO THE MACHINE. If it was your kitchen you'd have and S-fit if they made that mess on your counter.

2. Being over six foot, I have to scooch down to get to the chick peas at the back of the salad bar.

Your kid doesn't have to, so.....

Don't let your kid serve themselves, they usually will play with the tongs, drag their long sleeve skateboard t-shirt across the food to get to the broccoli they want to pick up, inspect and toss into the bean sprouts.
(I have seen kids wipe the snot off their nose with a sleeve, then stick said sleeve under the guard.)

Watch them so they do not stick a finger into the dressing to see which they like.
Watch them so they do not stick the Italian dressing ladle into the Ranch.
Watch them so they do not stick their fingers to grab a few of the crunchy noodles with their dirty hands.
Watch them so they do not load up on a dish, dress it and leave it when realize they don't like Blue Cheese dressing.
If they remotely have the sniffles or a cough -
keep them away period!

I absolutely hate to see kids serve themselves GIANT bowls of Jello, take a bite and leave the rest-That pretty much goes for all self serve food.

dAgain, if it happened in YOUR KITCHEN.....

--------

We used to go out to a Sizzler, It has since burned down-and we made friends with a server who was the greatest!

A few times she walked away with a 50 dollar tip on our tickets-we were about 10 diners and I figure we spent about 15-17 bucks a piece.

She took extra special care of us, she'd show up with extra plates for the Salad Bar.....During the all-you-can-eat
specials you'd get extra BEFORE you asked for it.

Of course, she probably cost the company a few bucks for doing that, but she made the company money by keeping us as customers.

------

I say, tip and tip big.....

As I heard a pizza driver say once.....I am alone with your food!

[Cataholic]

Tips are optional. Anyone that thinks they "deserve" a tip is probably not in the right industry.

I might not eat out as much as I used to, since Jonah, but, I have to stretch my mind far and wide to think of a time I was given such service to justify a 18% tip.

Let me share a few of my own opinions:

1) You might not like it, but, my son is part of MY dining experience. Treat him respectfully, and chances are good your tips will increase. Putting a hot pizza plate within his grasp is probably not the brightest thing you could do. And, same goes for knives, full glasses of anything not specifically ordered for him. Giving him crayons that look like they lived under the table for the last 6 months is just plain gross. If you can't afford crayons, or choose not to display crayons (which is totally fine by me, as I bring my own 'supplies'), fine. But, don't hand my son- at the dining table- something gross. He might be young and uneducated, but, his momma ain't.

2) I am not your associate server. Sure, I am nice, and helpful, but, I don't want to pass out your plates, go get my own napkins, silverware, or remind you who had what.

3) When I want to order my meal when you want to only take a drink order- note that I am here to be served, not to accomodate your wishes. I don't need 20 minutes to make a meal decision. Maybe others do, and that is fine- for them. It doesn't work for me- the CUSTOMER.

4) Wiping down a table with a bar towel, so that the crap falls unto the seats is gross. Not sanitary, shows a real lack of respect for the next diner, and did I mention is not sanitary?

5) If I ask you to please box up the left overs- do it. Don't just bring me the box. Does your "service" end with the delivery of the meal? Okay, then, my tipping will reflect that as well.

6) I am paying, presumably, for a dining experience. If I want to linger over my coffee, and pie, let me. I didn't rent a booth for a set amount of time, and, while you might be making an hourly wage, that can't be my concern.

[jennielynn1970]

Ewww I don't think I'd like to work at a nudist resort

Honestly, I met some really great people there. You've got your weirdos who are just there to swing, but you also have your Nature People and others who had skin conditions that the sun helped. Most people you wanted to ask them to put the clothing back ON... But that was part of the whole place... everyone was allowed to feel comfortable in their own way.

All waitresses and cooks HAD to be clothed. It was a hygenic thing. I just worried about serving because I'm a clutz and spill everything. Coffee and gravy were my biggest worries!!

Sometimes we got tipped at the end of the season (October), but some people are just cheap and don't tip anything at all (it was mostly a few seasonal regulars who did tip, but they tipped their favorite waitress only - the one who was also a drug dealer ).

Look up Sunny Rest Lodge or Resort in Pennsylvania. It's one of the largest on the east coast, and been owned by the same family for decades. Even my mom delivered newspapers there when she was a young girl, and she's now 67.

[cassiesmom]

Our computers automatically tell us how much we "should have" made (at least 10%)
All credit card and gift card tips are automatically added but we have to put what cash we made.
I get my credit card tips at the end of ever shift (I also am the cashier for my tables)
I can't exchange large amounts of change for bills and I can't change lots of $1 bills for larger bills. I don't care how you leave me a tip (as long as you leave me one)

Thank you, Anna! I hate to leave change as part of a tip because I always feel like a cheapskate when I do that. I also hesitate to leave smudgy, crumpled bills as part of a tip. I have a friend who was a waiter in a very popular restaurant, and he told me some of his ex-waiter pet peeves -- so I try to respect them.

[Miss Z]

Tips are optional. Anyone that thinks they "deserve" a tip is probably not in the right industry.

I might not eat out as much as I used to, since Jonah, but, I have to stretch my mind far and wide to think of a time I was given such service to justify a 18% tip.

Let me share a few of my own opinions:

1) You might not like it, but, my son is part of MY dining experience. Treat him respectfully, and chances are good your tips will increase. Putting a hot pizza plate within his grasp is probably not the brightest thing you could do. And, same goes for knives, full glasses of anything not specifically ordered for him. Giving him crayons that look like they lived under the table for the last 6 months is just plain gross. If you can't afford crayons, or choose not to display crayons (which is totally fine by me, as I bring my own 'supplies'), fine. But, don't hand my son- at the dining table- something gross. He might be young and uneducated, but, his momma ain't.

2) I am not your associate server. Sure, I am nice, and helpful, but, I don't want to pass out your plates, go get my own napkins, silverware, or remind you who had what.

3) When I want to order my meal when you want to only take a drink order- note that I am here to be served, not to accomodate your wishes. I don't need 20 minutes to make a meal decision. Maybe others do, and that is fine- for them. It doesn't work for me- the CUSTOMER.

4) Wiping down a table with a bar towel, so that the crap falls unto the seats is gross. Not sanitary, shows a real lack of respect for the next diner, and did I mention is not sanitary?

5) If I ask you to please box up the left overs- do it. Don't just bring me the box. Does your "service" end with the delivery of the meal? Okay, then, my tipping will reflect that as well.

6) I am paying, presumably, for a dining experience. If I want to linger over my coffee, and pie, let me. I didn't rent a booth for a set amount of time, and, while you might be making an hourly wage, that can't be my concern.

I agree whole-heartedly, couldn't have said it better myself.

I was a little shocked to read the last section in which teenagers are scolded if they don't tip. I must say if I was dining with my parents and was asked to tip myself, I would be horrified, as I'm sure my parents would be. Funnily enough, I need my money too, and I don't hand it over to any Tom, Dick or Harry who reckons they've earned it.

We only ever tip if the waiter/ess in question has gone out of his/her way to provide us with excellent service. That doesn't just mean service with a smile or some free bread rolls. That means an actual effort at light-hearted conversation, a willingness to explain the dishes and professional service skills. That can sound a bit harsh, but the world of business is cut-throat. You work as hard as you can and you'll be rewarded, I've always believed in that.

Plus, I believe tipping is mostly linked with culture. Tipping, here in Britain, is relatively uncommon and in certain circumstances is frowned upon as a piteous gesture. The only time we ever really tip is when on holiday, as most southern European resorts are accustommed to receiving tips.