Thread: Tip or no?

Do you tip at restaurants? I usually do, but the amount they get is dependent upon whether they did a good job or not. If I barely see them, they might get a written tip. If they bend over backwards to make sure my drink is always full and I've got what I need, they get a generous tip. I also don't tip at places like Sonic or where they just bring me my food and that's it.

I tip anywhere a person has to do everything for me at the restraunt. As stated the tip reflects their performance. If it stank.. I leave two pennies, it shows that I thought about the tip and they need to improve there abilities.

Not leaving a tip just gets dropped as a guest issue, leaving 2 cents worth sends a different mesage shape up or get out...

careful, a new site has been up, offline and is about to come back called the Shitty Tipper Database http://bitterwaitress.com/

When it was up, they would list the restaurant, the customers name, the bill and the tip and then the waiter/waitress would leave a nice comment

like...the guy came in with his bimbo mistress and...

quite lovely.

In Ontario, floor/bar staff is paid sub-minimum wages so tips are mandatory.. The person would have to be a real jackass not to get a tip from me. Average service gets about 15%.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

In Ontario, floor/bar staff is paid sub-minimum wages so tips are mandatory.. The person would have to be a real jackass not to get a tip from me. Average service gets about 15%.

Having been a waiter and room service server at hotels, I always tip well. As FireStart points out, these people are not paid minimum wage. Now, if someone is a real jerk, the tip will reflect it. As long as they make an honest effort, they will get a 20%+ tip from me. And remember, its not always their fault if the service is slow. Sometimes its the bartender or kitchen that is screwing up.

And I never tip for counter (starbucks, etc) service. They have not earned a tip and probably make minimum wage.

Jordan

I will tip at a restaurant, and bar, but only min at the bar. Seriously, the beer was $3 and I am supposed to give $1 (33.33333%) for popping the top and handing it to me???? That's outrageous. I will usually open a tab with my card and then give one tip at the end of the night. If it was mixed drinks i give more because there was more work. Beer, not so much.

Restaurants usually 20%, if the service was bad, 8% with a written notice to the manager.

Counter service 0%

In my opinion, tipping has gone completely overboard in the US. I actually saw a tip jar at McDonald's.

I have a different view on tipping than my fellow bartenders here. If the service is ...no tip for you.

I'm with shaving samurai on pricing and tips. example:

I work at a college bar. I make my money on pure volume and cheap beer (drafts go for $1 - $2...yes, cheap)

There is another club called the W. They charge $8 a beer.

so I serve say 10 beers and get a dollar, when the W serves 2 and gets $1.60?

If the service is the same, why the difference?
Tips should be based on service not price. I've tipped more that 50% for great service and tipped nothing on service that was horrible with a large bill (saw the waiter twice)

Don't most places in the US specify a 10% tip? Not that that's too bad given your prices.

Tipping is completely optional over here any many people don't bother at all but there is a minimum wage of something like $11 an hour. It seems the more money people have the less likely they are to tip.

Back when I started working I went to people's houses and sometimes got tips. More so at Christmas and New Year or if I'd managed to knock the price down a bit by forgetting to list some parts. It was always the working class people who tipped well and the posh people with more money than they knew what to do with that wouldn't give you a penny or would hand you something like 50 cents.

I usually leave a tip at most places, apart from bars but sometimes I only leave a small tip like 10 dollars if I wan't impressed.

I've never been in a place here in the US that automatically charged a tip except when there is more than 6-8 people at the table... then they usually add 15% as the tip amount automatically. Some restaurants put a statement on the menu that says something like "gratuity (ie, tip) is not included in the price of the meal and that the customary tip is 15-20%"... that kinda pisses me off a little in a way... I'm sure I don't tip as well when I see that as I would normally.

It used to be that we tipped bartenders pretty well, even if the bartender was the bar owner. And we usually got a free beer for every 2-3 we bought. But that's changed... I haven't gotten a free beer in a bar for a good while. So I don't tip nearly as well in bars anymore. Come to think of it, now that they want anywhere from 2.50 to as much as 4.50 for a beer, I don't drink as much in bars anymore, either.

I visited New Orleans last year and was shocked by the high prices. Furthermore, I was shocked that you had to pay for soda refills and there was usually a "seating fee". After paying $3 for a soda with no refills and upwards of $15 for a simple dinner plus zero service, let's just say not many people got tipped on that vacation.

For the places that did offer refills and competitive prices, I tipped accordingly for the service.

As soon as we left New Orleans, I was relieved to have normal prices and service again.