What is the best tip to give in a restaurant if you didn't really like the food and the service wasn't great?

Question

10%, 15%? im in the US so i guess nothing is never an option.

Answer 1

Well, I guess there is much room for interpretation in what you mean by 'not great' service. Looks like most people read that as 'horrible' and recommend stiff the waiter. I eat out serveral times each week, and I usually get good or very good service, but only rarely do I get 'great' service, so I'm reading your experience as 'pretty good.'

The bottom line is that the tip is just part of the cost of eating out, and its for the waiter's service, not the food. If you spend $100 on a meal, the tip is not the proper place to look to save $5 or $10.

15% is the standard tip for standard service, so you should tip that most of the time.
If you get very good service, tip 20%,
and if you receive substandard service, tip 10%.

Enjoy it and have fun!

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P.S. I am shocked -shocked- that so many people have recommended leaving no tip. Either they are very young and very inexperienced, or they are very rude. I hope I am never in a restaurant when they are there, because it's just embarrassing for everyone when patrons act so sh!tty high and mighty toward a food server. Tipping is simply part of the deal when eating in a restaurant. And people who don't like to tip should avoid the inconvenience of a sit-down restaurant and prepare their own food at their own homes.

Also, there is little to no point in making a comment to the waiter or manager. Knock yourself out if you really want to, but its probably better to make the comment with the tip - here's how:
5% says you were terrible;
10% says that was just ok;
15% says, good job, thank you;
20%+ says you are the best, I wish every server was like you!

Answer 2

Serving in a restaurant is like any other job. If there aren't enough servers, things will be slow, but it's not the servers fault. If the kitchen, messed up your order, that's the kitchen's fault. If the server brought you the wrong order, that's the servers fault. Put the blame where the blame is due. Talk to the manager before you leave. Be sure management is aware of the situation. I waited tables for 20 years and in the US, a server gets minimum wage, after tips tax, which is about 1/2 of the minimum wage, so a 40 hour a week paycheck winds up being about $120 - $150. A servers main source of income comes from their tips, not from their paychecks. Please think of that before you tip.

A tip is for good service, not the food. A chef makes good money whether the food is good or not. The average tip for good service is 15%. Great service would be 20%. Ok service would be 10%. In my area it's easy to figure out. Tax is 6.5%, so if you double the tax you have 13% of the bill.

Answer 3

Nothing is an options. A tip is a gratuity, not an obligation. But if the overall service is bad enough for you to feel you shouldn't leave a tip, then speaking to the manager might also be in order. However, if you want to do something that shows you were dissatisfied with the service and not just stiffing the server, then leave something very small, like a few pennies, as the tip. That gets the message across that you didn't like the service, not that you're just cheap.

Answer 4

Well...usually you are 'tipping' for the service - not the food.

If I go to a restaurant, and I don't like the food - I don't eat it. I return it and won't pay for it. I work hard and I'm not going to waste my $$$ on food that isn't good.

If the service wasn't great (I'm not sure what you mean by 'not great' - did she/he never come to your table to refill drinks? did you order and then never see your server again?) - anyway - if the service was not great - truthfully - I would leave a small tip (5% and a note to the server on why the tip was so small.)

I've worked as a server and on the rare occasion I did receive a small tip, most of the time I knew why - but once in a while - you think "What's his problem" If you leave a small note stating the issue, they can fix it. "You never came back to refill my tea and my dinner was not as satisfying without something to drink."

The small tip tells the server you are not a total jerk and the note puts the small tip into perspective.

I hope that helps :D

~Maxie

Answer 5

If the service & food were terrible I do not leave a tip at all. If the service was great I leave a large tip (about 20%) to the waitress. If the food was great but the servei was lousy, I take the tip directly to the chef (or the counter).
There is no law that says just becasue you live in the states you have to leave a tip. Restrarant prices are inflated enough---what you pay for is the service, the chance to relax & be waited on properly. If you are not satified you do not have to leave a tip.

I know some people that leave one penny only, just to make it quite clear that tha had not forgotten to leave a tip---it was just not deserved.

Answer 6

Taking in consideration that you are in the US and i am under the assumption you were in a big city! here's the rules if the party is less then 5 before or after 12 pm there is no mandatory tip, if the party is 5 or more the gratuity is taken out already !.. If your party is four or less it again is up to you what you tip! you are not by any means obligated to tip bad service, in fact you should complain.then you are not even obligated to pay for the meal... If the food is bad don't ever eat it all leave enough on your plate to show how disappointed you were.

Answer 7

If you didn't like the food, and the service wasn't great, why tip at all? Tell the manager, this helps the restaurant improve on the food and service. It shows that you are not a deadbeat who doesn't tip, but an intelligent consumer who demands good service. The manager will probably show his/her gratitude by giving you a complimentary dinner card to use on your next visit.

Answer 8

It really depends on the situation. If it is just bad food--that's not the server's fault. And to deprive them isn't right. You should DEFINITELY tell the manager or owner if the food was bad. If you also had TERRIBLE service--then you would leave nothing. If they did everything they could to make you happy and the food just took too long--that's the kitchen's fault and again you should tell the manager. Servers are paid minimum wage, and as we all know, that is not a livable wage. They have everything to gain from doing they're job as best they can. Sometimes, the kitchen makes that impossible. Now, if your server was rude. Leave nothing.

Answer 9

Nothing is always an option, but if you feel like that would not be right, give whatever you are comfortable with. But follow that up with a polite note to the server or manager that you were displeased and doubt that you will recommend the establishment or return. That gets more attention than insulting the staff or stiffing the server. Any good owner or manager will want to insure his establishment is not defamed in any way. Its just not good business.

Answer 10

who's fault was the poor service though. If the food was late because of the cooks leaving a poor tip for the waiter isn't really fair now is it. As for the food also that's not the waiters fault. You should always give a good tip, unless the waiters a complete jacka$$.