How much do you tip?

Question

FYI: the standard tip is 15% of your bill. Less than that means you received bad service. More than that means you received above average service.
Did you know that servers only get paid about $2.35 an hour.
I was once a waitress, and I know how they feel.
How much do you tip & why? What things do you look for if any that make a difference in the amount you tip?

Answer 1

I am a server, and no, I don't expect a hugh tip with every table. Any server will tell you that there are certin tables that don't tip well no matter how good the service. When I go out to eat, I tip at least 20%-good service up to 50%.

Also, when your food takes longer then you think it should next time you go out, take a minute to think about this, your server isn't cooking your food, all we do is put it into a computer,which then sends it to the kitchen. Also, if the resturant is busy, your food may take a little longer then normal, what with so many people ordering at or around the same time. Also, if you order an appitizer and the table next to you didn't, then they will get their food first. Depending on the kind of app that you order, your server may not put your dinner order in until that comes out, since you don't want everything out all at one time.

And another thing, if you need your server's attention, don't snap your fingers at them, we are not your dogs or personal slaves. You are not the only person in the building that we have to take care of. If a table snaps their fingers at me, I will ignore them. Try not to be rude to the people serving your food, it is not life and death, its dinner. We get to see and handle your food before you do, so do the smart thing and treat your server with a little RESPECT. After all, to most of us this is just a job to pay our way thru school (not all of us have parents that can pay for us).

Answer 2

I was a waitress too! I was a good one too! I almost always got more than the normal 15%. Made the other waitresses mad. Anyway, knowing what I know about that job, I simply base it on my service, just like you said. What I think is really bad is waitress pooling. Never heard of it? It's where they take all of the tips for the evening and split it amongst all the waitresses to try and make it " fair". I think this is crap! If you go above and beyond to get that good tip, why should you have to share it with another person?!? Now, I always ask the waitress if there is pooling there. If there is, I leave the basic tip of 15%. If there isn't, then it depends on the service I receive. Did she keeps my drinks filled? Was she nice and helpful? Did she have an attitude problem? Sometimes I leave a note explaining why I left what I did. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Thanks and good luck!

Answer 3

Normally, I leave $11 as a tip (if I'm a regular with either the restaurant or the server). If I'm not a regular and I receive good service, I leave about $6.

The reason I leave odd amounts is because, in the case where I leave $11, I use a $1 bill to hide the $10 bill (so it doesn't look as attractive to someone who might steal it). Same goes for the $6 tip (a $5 bill masked by a single).

I like to be generous when it comes to tipping, as it really seems to pay off in the long run. Servers will seem to remember you, and you will often get your order right and be guaranteed great service--and you can make a new friend! About the only things that could detract from me leaving a large tip would be poor service, which I equate to not checking on drinks being refilled, rudeness, etc.

Answer 4

i really don't care how much a waitress makes per hour! They chose that profession so they can live with the 2 dollars a hour. What I do care about is if they give me good service then they should be paid for it. If i eat dinner with my wife and we spend about 20 dollars for a meal and the service was good, then I usually give them a 6 or 7 dollar tip. If my drinks are always refilled and if they just have good attitude overall then I appreciate the service and I will pay accordingly.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate waitresses I just don't like when someone tries to make me feel sorry for anyone because they only make so much. I make decent money and have been a waitress before! It was hard but it payed my way through college and I don't regret making the 2 dollars a hour. Most of my money was made in tips but I always had a smile on my face and my service was usually good.

Answer 5

We always tip generously. I was once a waitress. Not only are they paid very small wages, but they have to give 8% of the bill to the government in taxes. Meaning it actually COSTS them, (the waitress/waiter) if a person doesn't tip at least 8% of their bill.

We generally tip 20% or more. Even if I get lousy service, I will always tip the 8% so the server can pay their taxes.

Good service is a friendly attitude. Never making an "empty-handed trip" as he/she walks about. Being attentive and polite.
We're also not afraid to let management know when we've had particularly good service, or bad.

Answer 6

I usually figure 15% then round up to the nearest dollar to make my bill an even amount, if the service is average. If the service is excellent, be it at the Waffle House or at a 5 star restaurant I will tip at least 25%, but have been known to tip $20 to $25 on a $15 lunch for incredible service. I have also not tipped at all, but will write a note on the receipt to the wait staff explaining why I didn't tip them and what they might try to do to improve.

Answer 7

If it was good service I give 20% or $5.00, whichever is more. Good service to me means friendly, fast (I can understand if it's the cooks fault), refilling my drinks without me having to ask several times and clearing the excess off of the table when we are done. I can understand if a waitress is busy and can't get to me as quickly. You can tell those because they apologize alot for not getting your food as quickly.

If it's a little below average service, I'll give 10%.

If it's plain bad, such as the waitress being rude, rolling her eyes, not giving me a refill the whole time and basically acting like she doesn't want to be there, then she won't get anything from me. Plus I'll talk to the manager and get my food discounted because there is no reason to get rude service and bad food if I'm paying all of that money to eat there. It's a total package when you go out to eat.

I used to be a waitress and I know that you get out what you put into the service. A good majority of the time a waitress expects that a good tip will automatically come to them just because they don't make much money hourly. That's not the way it works. If you know that you don't make much normally then you should work harder to ensure that you make it up with the tips. Just my opinion though.

Answer 8

We go out to eat with the intention of tipping 15%. If it is a more expensive place ($40.00 per person or more) we plan for 18%.
We almost always pay the 15% or 18% except when the service shows neglect on the part of the server - then we calculate accordingly.
We just look for what we can reasonably expect - food in a timely manner ( check in a timely manner too), information as needed, a few checks for additional needs, being pleasant but not intrusive...
My daughter is a waitress, and my son was a busboy at a very high end restaurant. You certainly earn your money, and it is not widely recognized. You are people too!

Answer 9

TIP is defined as "To insure prompt service"
Originally you tipped your server before the meal.
Nowadays, your tip should be a reflection of the meal and the service
Unless your party is rather large (more than 8 people) 15% of your bill is the standard
By the way, if you feel the meal was not good or the service was poor, do tell someone (ask for a Manager)

Answer 10

Unless I have really bad service, I tip 20%. I do this for two reasons: 1. it is a hard job and most waiters/waitresses deserve to be tipped well, and 2. people always have such hard time figuring out 15% or 18%. With 20%, all you do is take $2 off of every $10 and you're set.