what is the proper amount to tip a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. I say its 15%, my husband says 20%.?

Question

we usually do tip 20% but I still think that 'they' say that 15% is ok. If the server isnt that wonderful, I think 15% is fine, he says NO it has to be 20%. HELP me settle this.

Answer 1

15% is considered to be an acceptable industry standard. For exceptional service the tip could relect that and be higher, the same holds true for poor service and be lower.

Answer 2

just keep in mind that most everywhere your server only makes a couple of bucks an hour. I work at a chain restaurant and I don't even receive a paycheck. after uncle sam gets to my 2 bucks, my paycheck comes to me saying VOID.
servers live off tips, so all of you people thinking it's OK to not leave anything are dead wrong.
now to deal with the question at hand. 15%-20% is standard. anything 20% or above will get you remembered by the wait staff, and will ensure that you are always taken care of in the restaurant.
anything 15% or less will get your food spit in.
I've seen it, so don't think I'm joking.
a good rule of thumb is always frequent the same restaurants, and if possible, always ask for the same server. after they develop a relationship with you, you will never want for anything again.

Answer 3

15% is usually a minimum for bare basics service. Most of the time, servers are making much less than minimum wage per hour (it was $2.13/hr a few years ago when I was doing it), and the bulk of their income comes from tips. Also, anytime you order alcohol while dining out, you should tip more because the server has to tip the bartender based on alcohol sales (usually somewhere around 2% of all alcohol sales), and I've had tables before that actually cost me money because they drank so much and tipped so little that by the time I tipped out the bar, it was negative income!

Answer 4

I don't think you need to give 15 or 20%. you may give less than 10%. People are forgetting that Tip is the gift to the waiters who assist you during the meal. when you are satisfied, then you give 10%, and if you are not, do not give! I used to work at restaurant and what is the usual. 15% or 20% is far too much.

Answer 5

I am a generous tipper, so I like to tip 20% for okay service, even more for better service. But, I also frequently dine alone, and am sometimes ignored for the bulk of my visit, and in that case, I tip 15%. Just remember that many waitstaff workers make money off of their tips, not just what the restaurant pays them. I used to make $2.13/hour plus tips, and it was hard to live without those tips!

Answer 6

I think that 15% can be appropriate if the service was poor - as a former waitress unless the tipper was from the "bad tipper demographic" (45 + middle classers) I would look at a 15% tip as a sign they did not like my sevice...

Answer 7

Servers have to claim 10% of the tickets total dollar amount for each day. I like to tip according to service

Answer 8

My rule is if it is under 20 dollars but above ten they get three dollars.If it is over 20 but under 40 they get five.If it is over 40 but under 60 they get 8..If it is over 60 but under 80 they get 10.I have never eaten anywhere for more then that and I don't know what the percentage is.I just deal in amounts and if they give excellent service I double or even triple my tip.And if the service is bad they get little or nothing.

Answer 9

Based upon service, the amount for meals before dinner could be 15%, many people always do 20% which I think is standard for dinner.

Answer 10

I base it completly on service. If it is wonderful, 20% or higher. Good is 15%. You need work is 10% and a penny (tails up) if it was horrible.