Why do some people tip so poorly at sit-down restaurants?

Question

I was eating dinner tonight at a California Pizza Kitchen in St. Louis, and listening to the table behind me chatter about what tip to leave after their meal. I heard one guy say, "She was pretty good" (about the waitress), followed by another person saying, "Leave two bucks," and the first person said "I'll leave a dollar twenty-five."

The guy ordered a pizza and a soda. That's gotta be 15 bucks, so this person was leaving anywhere between a 13 percent and a 7 percent tip, and decided that was acceptable for a waitress who did good service.

I always thought the standard tip was 15 percent, and I usually tip around 20%. Do people not understand that most waitstaff make $2.13 an hour? Or do they just not care? Is there a general feeling of "it's not like he/she has to pay for anything?" What's going on?

And what do YOU tip?

I realize that this is a pretty big question and a lot of really existential-crisis type subquestions.

Not sure if I made the who-ordered-what part clear enough. The person who was talking about leaving the 1.25 tip ordered a pizza for himself (CPK pizzas aren't really all that large, for those not in the know). The other guy had his own food.

Because someone said "they did away with" the 2.13 an hour bit for waitstaff - no, "they" didn't. Minimum wage for non-tipped staff is 5.15. It's true that a waiter's wage is bumped up to 5.15 an hour if your tips come out to less than that, but still - that's 5.15 an hour. That's a grand total of 200 dollars a week - not good money. Waiters work for tips...it's what keeps them going.

Anyway, I know that in Europe waiters aren't tipped because their wages are higher, and included in the food cost. Some restaurants in New York City do this as well - should it be a more widespread thing?

Answer 1

I usually tip between 15 and 20 percent. Perhaps some people are just clueless. Maybe you should get a stack of those tip tables and if you hear someone like that again, hand them one of those cards :). lol. Actually, if I am with someone and they are a cheap tipper like that, I usually try to enlighten them that the servers don't make that much and that the tips are part of their income.

Answer 2

Depending on service I tip between 15% to 20%, but if I get lousy service it goes down to 10% or less if it is super horrible. So many servers now think they just deserve the 15% without doing anything for that tip, especially when sometimes all you see is the server once to take your food and then at the end to give the bill. With 3 other people coming to the table with food or drink and no one asks how your food is or if it is even right.

Overall, there is a general lack of ability in the service industry and lack of politeness and niceties while out for dining.

On the other question - "Do people not understand that most waitstaff make $2.13 an hour? Or do they just not care? Is there a general feeling of "it's not like he/she has to pay for anything?" What's going on?"

It is their choice to work as a waiter/waitress no one is forcing them to be a server and receive lousy tips. Perhaps if they gave outstanding service they would receive higher tips as well. Mediocre service gets mediocre tips.

Unfortunately, everywhere any service position is asking for tips now, and that makes more people turned off with the idea of tipping, for those who do not make much more than that and aren't tipped at their jobs, it is ridiculous.

Answer 3

I was a server for 8 years and it's amazing how little people tip sometimes...I've had people tell me what wonderful service I gave them and then leave me 10%!

When I'm with people who do not tip I make sure that I enlighten them on how much servers make. Usually we make 2.13 an hour, the rate goes up to 3.15 if the server has to have their shirts dry cleaned everyday.
People who do not tip because they do not feel it is an obligation are wrong, if we did away with tipping the price of a meal would go up so that the restaurant could cover the cost of the server. Then think of the service you would get if the server was guaranteed their money regardless of what they did for you...do you really want McDonald's service at an expensive restaurant?
Not that there ia anything wrong with McD's but yo ushould not recieve the same service there as you do at a sit down place!

I am so glad that I am no longer a server, tough job with little recognition!

Answer 4

I use to be a server and I always tip at least 20% if the service is good which is the standard for the U.S. If there was absolutely no excuse for the bad service then I will leave a $1.00. If the service was not great, but the server genuinely tried to provide good service, but other factors prevented them from doing so then I think between $4-5.
Financial reasons is no excuse not to tip well. If you can barely afford the meal, tax, and the gas to drive to the restaurant or if you just don't think you should have to tip someone for doing their job and that person should have chosen a different line of work then
YOU SHOULD NOT GO TO A RESTAURANT!!!
Not everyone can be a brain surgeon, astronaut, or president of the U.N.
EVERYONE has to start some where. A lot of servers are college students trying to become somebody. No one has the right to judge any one else when they don't know their situation.
Just because someone has a better job then someone else DOES NOT make them a better person. There are a lot of jobs more prestigious then being a server, but my respect goes to the one making an honest living. Working at the restaurant might be that server's second job trying to earn money to become debt free, or earning money for their kids. Are you going to look down on somebody for that?

Answer 5

If the service is good and the waiter/waittress is friendly and competant my rule is to double the tax and add $2.00. Of course if the service sucks all bets are off. Sometimes I over-tip when the service is great. My wife alwys gets on my case about over-tipping but I don't mind if the person goes out of their way to provide good service.

As a side note it is one of my pet peevs that people are always whining about the tips left for wait service yet for some reason, in most restaurants I've eaten in lately, the waiters/waitress's are more concerned with bullshitting with each other than prioviding good service. You would think that people that rely upon the goodwill of their customers for the livelihood would put a little more energy into their job performance. The worst are the young ones at places like Chili's, Applebees and TGIF.

Answer 6

Ms. Lise
To your comment about putting gas in the car. If you can barely afford to put in gas in the car why the HELL are you going out to eat. People go out to eat at a sit down restaurant for the "experience" and to be "waited on" I am not your servent. I would like you to think about how you act in a restaurant. I had a table the other day that ran me around like I was their personal servent. Nevermind that I had 6 other tables. They were by no means polite they were just telling me what to do. They left me a fifty cents on a forty dollar tab.

By the way if all you cheap *** people that feel you shouldn't have to pay my way. It is a custom in this country to tip your server. It is the way that it is. Also if you would like to go paying waitstaff what they deserve then you would all be complaining about how expensive the food is.
Go do some research on how much it cost to have an event like a wedding or such to be catered. It is that expensive because they pay there waitstaff $15 per hour.

I make $20-30 an hour waiting tables and this is on average what people would expect if they weren't being tipped. It is a very tough job. You would then be paying $20 for a hamburger anywhere you went.

Why is it that the people the don't tip have the highest expectations from your servers.

I AM NOT YOUR SERVENT!!!~!!!!!

Answer 7

I think that you hit the nail on the head when you said that most people don't realize that servers only make $2.13 an hour. However, I know a woman that does know this, but she thinks that people who do that type of work are below her, and should be priveldged to serve her. It makes me so mad , and I'm sure there are other ********out there that feel the same way. Sad because a good server works really hard, and does deserve at least 20%-I too tip 20-to25%. And if the service is good, it is well worth it to me to have a good meal and be served by a pleasent person who is my equal.

Answer 8

Mostly I think people are cheap.
Personally 20% is my starting point-for average service.
If the service is really poor I speak with the manager before leaving and I don't leave a tip.
I don't think it has to do with how much the wait staff is making as a base salary. I don't consider it my business-just like they don't know how much I make and expect a tip based on my salary. It's a custom and I pay based on expertise.
Anecdontally, My grandfather tipped one dollar each time he went out for his whole life. Whether it was coffe at the local diner or a 5 star restaurant. Whether the service was great or lousy. One dollar. Most of us (family) would conspire to go back into the restaurant after to leave a proper tip. It was a family joke. He tipped lousy because he was cheap.

Answer 9

Tipping is not a city in South East China, for those of you that think it may be! Tipping is a not a mere way of showing someone that you want to give them some sort of "gift". If that were the case, every server and bartender throughout the United States could reduce the amount of the income that they declare by $10,000.00, and lord knows our government would never let that happen. If you "think" you have enough money to go out and DINE you should know you are expected to tip accordingly based on the amount of the check combined with the degree of service provided. For those of you that choose to set a dollar limit such as the $2. per head, or double the tax, where on earth did you come up with such a cockamammie conclusion? Your grandparents who only ever dined out once a month during WWII. Get with the times and realize what it is...if you want serviced...just like in the old days...you gotta pay to play.

Answer 10

Not "being able to afford" a tip along with a the cost of a meal is no excuse to not tip the server. If going out to dine, the tip should be a factor in the decision. If the service was at least average, our customs and culture dictate that an average tip is 15%. Everyone knows this, whether they want to actually abide by it or not. Indeed, we all have the choice if we want to treat others in our society in a decent manner, diners included. We know that tips are a part of servers wage even if we don't know the particular dollar amount they are making. If one is leaving less than a fair tip for fair service, they are not only cheap, but are selfish. I am not nor have I ever been a server. I would not want to be, but appreciate the people that are doing this job so I can enjoy myself when I go out to eat.
So, in my opinion, if you cannot afford a tip, but you still want to go out to eat, go to a fast food restaurant.

Answer 11

I never tip according to a percentage of my bill. I tip according to service. If a waiter/waitress if very nice, attends to my needs, they will get a good tip. However, if I have to beg and plead for any service at all, that server is getting nothing from me. That is the way it should be. Why should I give money to someone who hasn't done anything for me? I work hard for my money and I'm not giving it up to poor service. A smile, kind words, and an attentive nature goes a long way in my book.