Should we give tips?

[Fist and Faith]

The waiter should refuse to take lousy food out to the table. I refused to take it out, and I've sent it back when I was the customer.

[sgt.null]

when I was a cook it used to make me angry that i would make great food and the waitron would get the tip. when tipping i base it on the service. and we have bitched about bad service. cost one guy his job and got us three free meals.

[Fist and Faith]

On the flip side, I've written letters to managers about outstanding service. On the outside chance they don't know who's good, and who should be training new people.

[sgt.null]

if we get an outstanding waiter we tell the manager.

[Avatar]

I'm gonna have to revisit this topic (nice one Darth) tomorrow, 'cause I'm outta here, and haven't even read all of page 1. Having been a waiter/barman myself, I always tip if I can afford it, and if the service has been even mostly good.

I feel their pain. (I'll definitley be getting back to this one. )

--A

[matrixman]

Wayfriend, thanks for the "tip."

I very much sympathize with waitrons, as Fist put it. I can imagine the crap they get from jerk-offs who come in and complain about the slightest "flaw" in service just because they can. At my job, one of the things I do is provide coffee and other beverages for meetings, and that's fine, but they shouldn't expect me to do lick their shoes while I'm at. Four-star service and serious booty-kissing? Sorry, bud, you got the wrong guy. Try the luxury hotel next door.

[High Lord Tolkien]

How about those tip jars at registers at Dunkin Donuts?
Hello? You just put 3 donuts in a bag and you expect me to toss my change in there as a tip?
I understand that some customers come in there everyday with large orders and have developed a relationship of some kind and get great service but a few times I've actually had my change tossed into the tip jar without my asking.
That's just about when my head explodes in midmorning cafeine deprived rage.

[[Syl]]

A few times! I'd go ballistic. I get annoyed when people ask me if I have small change (caveat: it's different if they say something like "I'm out of quarters; are dimes ok, then?" or if they preface it with something like "I'm really low on pennies until the manager gets back" but 2/3 of the time it's done with an attitude of annoyance). I don't carry change. When I have it, it comes out of my pocket at the end of the day and onto my dresser (whereupon my wife usually snags it. she, on the other hand, always has change) or else it sits on my center console until I clean my car. Sometimes, I even want the change to put air in my tire, play a video game, or whatever. I'm the customer. You do things at my convenience, not the other way around. Don't get me wrong. I've done my share of working behind the counter, so I'm always very polite. But cross over that line... well, cross over that line, and I'm still polite... but not happy.

[Sunbaneglasses]

#1 Most wait staff are poor.
#2 They recieve much less than minimum wage.
#3 If you eat at the restaraunt often,you are likely to recieve excellent service if you are known as a good tipper.
#4 Base the tip on service provided,not the price of the meal
#5 If you are a crappy waiter,you ain't getting crap from me!

[Avatar]

Well, back as promised. Some good posts folks, and I agree that if you fetch it yourself, you don't need to tip.

Syl, you guys pay to put air in your tires? Weird. And taxed based on an assumed tip? That's just plain unfair.

Tipping standard over here is usually 10% and lot's of waiters need it. Fixed service charges are very rare, and some places, waiters, (or waitrons, damn I hate that term), don't get any wage.

They get a 2% commission on what their table buys, and tips, and a meal. That's it. Most waiting here is done by school/college students, only in the really fancy places can people make any kind of living off it.

Having been there and done that, I know when it's not the waiters fault, and I'm pretty forgiving, especially if they tell me what's going wrong, etc. By far the majority of my service industry work was behind a bar though, so tips usually came as drinks...a bugger, 'cause I've never drunk much, and every time I quit, the bar owed me quite a few drinks.

Yeah, it's a crappy job, and you have to take grief from a lot of people for every person who tips decently, or is understanding about just what a lousy job it is.

Be friendly, be helpful/accomodating, and I'll tip without hesitation. The worse the service though, the lower the tip, all the way to non-existant, because I've got no problem not tipping if the service is bad either.

--A

[wayfriend]

How about those tip jars at registers at Dunkin Donuts?
Hello? You just put 3 donuts in a bag and you expect me to toss my change in there as a tip?

Well, there's no harm in trying, right? But the last time I checked tipping etiquette, you don't need to stick anything at the tip jar at the register.

Tip Jars
They're showing up everywhere -- tip jars. Most people hate them. Where is it appropriate to leave a tip in a tip jar? We'll cover some of the basics.

Star bucks - Nothing.
Any fast-food restaurant - Nothing.
Buffet-lines or cafeterias - Nothing. If there is a person who comes around and keeps your tea glass full, tip him personally $1-2.
Donut, bagel or coffee shop - Nothing.
Sports arena concession stands - Nothing.
If you get the idea that tip jars are inappropriate at any food-service establishment that does not actually bring the food to your table and keep your drinks refilled, then you are correct.
Laundry service - Nothing.
Car wash - $2-3 for a car; $3-5 for an SUV or large vehicle. If there is a tip jar, leave your tip there. It will be split among the workers. Otherwise, tip the person(s) who did the cleanup after the wash.

[CovenantJr]

#1 Most wait staff are poor.
#2 They recieve much less than minimum wage.
#3 If you eat at the restaraunt often,you are likely to recieve excellent service if you are known as a good tipper.
#4 Base the tip on service provided,not the price of the meal
#5 If you are a crappy waiter,you ain't getting crap from me!

#1 Most people are poor.
#2 a - Not here they don't. b - Get a different job.
#3 Fair point, but I don't eat anywhere often enough for that.
#4 A good idea. Tipping in advance is also a good idea, but it takes balls and a certain self-assurance to carry it off.
#5 Erm...not sure on this one.


15% is an average tip for average service? No. Average service gets you no tip; average service is what you're paid for. Make my experience noticably above average and you'll get a tip. Amaze me and you'll get a larger tip. I'd be all in favour of reverse tipping for really shoddy service.

Here, the minimum wage is the minimum wage - occupation has nothing to do with it. So being expected to tip for average service is almost insulting. Having said that, as someone else has commented, anything above 10% is considered somewhat excessive.

With regard to American waiting staff being badly paid: Get a different job. Seriously. Don't dump the burden of your livelihood on me, I have enough trouble with my own. Take some responsibility for your life.

[The Laughing Man]

all tipping philosophies aside, just a word of "warning", that if your steak isn't cooked right, or you have some other problem with the food that requires it be sent back to the cook, then returned to you, DON'T DO IT! (most cooks hate their job, and now they hate you. think about it. )

[sgt.null]

it is true Esmer, some cooks are less than trustworthy.

[Avatar]

Is that the voice of a man who's jumped up and down on a steak to tenderise it? Maybe added a little "spice" to the gravy? It happens...and it's not just the cooks either. waiters are often just as guilty.

Actually, in my brother's kitchen, (when he had a kitchen), if a diner sends something back for pretty much any reason, the whole meal goes in the bin, and is remade, from scratch. (He also used to insist that tips are pooled and shared between the ffront of house staff and the kitchen staff, unless the kitchen staff were paid more to make up for loss of tips.)

--A

[sgt.null]

you should always toss the offending food. you don't want to throw a chewed steak on your grill.

[Sunbaneglasses]

In highschool I had an afterscool job at a pizza place(name withheld)there was this particularly hateful,rude,and demanding woman who used to come in quite regularly.A fellow I worked with who we will call 'Mark' used to take the dough ball her pizza would be made from and swab the inside of the toilet with it befor he stretched it out and made the pizza,although I never suggested he stop it,I never actively participated either.

[Fist and Faith]

#2 They recieve much less than minimum wage.

#2 a - Not here they don't. b - Get a different job.

Glad to hear about "a."

I truly hope patrons tip, rather than "b" being the result of them not tipping. I thoroughly enjoy going out to eat at restaurants. If everybody quit after finding out that, on top of not getting a decent salary, nobody thought tipping should be obligatory, there would either be nobody waiting tables - and, therefore, no restaurants - or a constantly changing staff of inexperienced waitrons.

In highschool I had an afterscool job at a pizza place(name withheld)there was this particularly hateful,rude,and demanding woman who used to come in quite regularly.A fellow I worked with who we will call 'Mark' used to take the dough ball her pizza would be made from and swab the inside of the toilet with it befor he stretched it out and made the pizza,although I never suggested he stop it,I never actively participated either.

Since I don't know who "Mark" is, please try to make sure I never shake his hand. Eeewww!

[High Lord Tolkien]

In highschool I had an afterscool job at a pizza place(name withheld)there was this particularly hateful,rude,and demanding woman who used to come in quite regularly.A fellow I worked with who we will call 'Mark' used to take the dough ball her pizza would be made from and swab the inside of the toilet with it befor he stretched it out and made the pizza,although I never suggested he stop it,I never actively participated either.

Hahaha...
Oh gross!!
Sadly I have a similar story.
A friend of mine who worked at a major burger chain: *BURGER KING* also had a regular rude customer.
He says he used to wipe his ass with the burger before putting it in the bun.
I never asked if it was before cooking or not but know this guy he probably didn't care either way!

[Avatar]

And this is why you should always be polite and friendly to your waitrons.

--A