Why do you have to leave a percentage of the bill for a tip?

Question

I understand that the cheque is used as a gauge. Presumably, the more the bill is, the more work the server did bringing it to the table. Why can’t I just leave a $2.00, $5.00 or $10.00 tip and be done with it?

Answer 1

You dont have to leave a percentage of the bill for a tip, but I am a waitress and I just wanted to give you a chance to walk in my shoes. I am a Masters student who completes 40 hours a week in a school counseling students, 20 hours a week in classes (not including homework time) and 20 hours a week at the restaurant. This is a life a majority of waitresses have. I dont have time to spend with my family, however, I do spend time waiting on people and thier families. I go to work with a smile on my face even though I am exhausted, and push down the hurt feelings when tables swear at me because the cooks made their rare steak medium rare. I make $4.00/hr + tips. Ten percent of my alcohol sales go to the bartender, sometimes leaving me loosing money on waiting on a table that drinks a lot. Please dont think that I am a bad server in your defence, I just wanted to express the feelings of a waitress, feelings which I dont think you understand. Treat your waitresses and waiters with respect, they are people, they are daughters and mothers, sons and wives. Would you want ignorance interfering with your loved ones jobs?

Answer 2

I don't like automatic gratuity. I like when they show it on the check broken down at 10,15, and 20% so that I may decide. I you had bad service talk to the manager and complain about the wait staff. I woul dbase a tip on how conciencious the wait is and how attentive. This is how America has set up pay for wait staff. In the Neatherland s they pay them $18 an hour. pay what you like but if the price of a hamburger is 2.00 and 10.00 somewhere else and the effort is the same tip 10% or what you like.

Answer 3

I don't know if I understood your question wrong or right, but I think the percentage-of-bill is just easier for people to figure out than something less arbitrary like time spent working for you. I think if you sit there for four hours drinking two coffees, you should leave as big a tip as if you scoffed down a 2-pound steak in 20 minutes. More or less, anyway.

Answer 4

You can leave whatever you want! It makes me mad that tips are now expected rather that earned! I would leave a $5 tip if I just had coffee, if I never had to ask for a refill and I got offered water and the waitress was friendly!
I would also leave nothing if I spent $100 and the waitress gave horrible service. I think they need to be givin based on service, not on how much the bill is!

Answer 5

beacuse the server only makes $2.13 an hour ( yes i said two thirteen an hour ), and if you want to make sure you have enough to drink, then you would live a decent tip.

would you work for $2.13 an hour????, walking back and forth to a table that runs your *** off and thinks that they are the only table you are waiting on, then you have to clean the table after the guest leave.

what about their kids? their bills, electric bill so they have lights so the kids can see or have a hot meal to eat, what about when they have to put gas ( which is high ) in their car to or they will run out going home.

would you work your *** off ( and some guests will run you around like you are a puppet ) and how would you feel after doing all that work and getting $1.00 or $2.00, and then again maybe nothing )

so next time you lay down $1.00 think about all the work they did for you ( don't forget that they make $2.13 an hour, and they have other tables ) would you want them to do this to you or your mom??????
see you and i can work all day and make our money, but they have to work their butts off just to make $50.00 that day.

Answer 6

In the U.S., wait staff doesn't make minimum wage. They make considerably less. The problem is, when we're put in the position of deciding on a tip, we're effectively becoming their boss for that time period that they're waiting on us. If they do a good job, they kind of deserve to earn a tip that will make the job their doing worth while to them. However, if they're really doing their job poorly, it's hard for us to not dock them for not actually doing much of anything.

If they were to start paying wait staff regular wages, their would be no incentive for them to do a really good job. They'd be making their pay check either way and we'd just have to put up with the good and the bad. It's a rough situation. Service jobs aren't fun. I used to do one. The public isn't very kind or understanding. They often take out their bad days on the staff, and the staff isn't exactly compensated generously.

Eat at home. It's better for you anway.

Answer 7

You can leave any tip you choose, or none at all. Fifteen percent is a guideline for satisfactory service and if the service is especially good, or bad you can tip accordingly. Some restaurants INCLUDE a tip in the check (I hate that!) so before you tip make sure you haven't already contributed to the server.

Answer 8

You can leave whatever you want, but you may be looked upon as a dillhole if you don't at least leave 15%, if it was good service anyways. I personally don't leave 15% all of the time. If it's horrible service it's 0%, if it's decent then 15% and if it's great then 20%. That's just me though. I've been a waitress.

Answer 9

It was the waiters/waitresses and restaurant owners (who don't pay the waiters/waitresses enough) that must have come up with this ridiculous rule. I believe as a customer we should be able to leave what we like if we like. Twice I have refused to even pay the 10%, one just accepted my decision nicely, the other made such a song and dance, I thought it was to embarrass me, but I stood my ground and repeated how bad I thought the service was and I would not pay!

Answer 10

you can leave as much or as little as you wnat to for a tip at most reataurants. If the server isn't good then I won't leave a tip. When I go out I expect the best service that is how it sould be. I'm paying them to do a job and they need to do what I ask them to.