What percentage of your check do you tip your waiter or waitress while dining out: 10%, 15%, 20%, or more?

Answer 1

10% use to be the standard, then it was 15%, now it's 20%.....but I do my own math! honsetly it depends on what kind of place i'm dining at. If it's a nicer place I tend to go on the lower end of the scale because the avg. tab is higher so I feel they make more money in the end. and places like applebees, or bennigans I tend to tip on the higher end since it's only a $10 meal anyway!....then I also figure in SERVICE.....no matter what establishment, people should still give good service!

Answer 2

15

Answer 3

I tip 20% regardless but if the waiter or waitress has worked extra hard I tip more. I used to be a waitress and my daughter is one now. I think 10% should be a thing of the past. Cost of living is up and people need to remember when they go out that your Waiter or waitress is trying to make a living to.l

Answer 4

Most servers only make minimum wage, which is hardly fair for how demanding the job is. You should always tip at least 15%, 20% for really good service. Also take into account other factors such as how large your group was, did your kids make a mess, did you stay and talk long after you were done eating (thus taking up a servers table and preventing them from making tips off of other customers) ... if so a little extra should be added to their tip to make up for these things. Don't underestimate the amount of work that is done by your server... there are many things "behind the scenes" that are required of them. Of course not all servers are perfect, but those that try their best should be rewarded!

Answer 5

I believe that there is either good service or poor service and nothing in the middle.
I always tip 20% or more for good service and tip nothing for poor service. People seem to forget what a tip is. A tip is and should not be expected unless the server is doing their job correctly and professionally.
I have experienced a waitress working her a-- off because the restaurant was so shorthanded on help and she kept apologizing for not being as attentive to me as she should have. I realized her dilemma and witnessed her running around like crazy trying to do her best. I tipped her 30 % because she was truly a hard worker and cared enough to take the time to apologize.

Answer 6

I used to do 15% all the time. Now it depends on the restaurant & what the servers have to do. If the server is the only person to my table it's probably going to be 20 as opposed to where someone else brings the food etc. I never tip below 15 unless they are really, really bad. I hate when people blame the food on the server...they're not back there cooking too. It is a hard job & they don't make much of any hourly wage ($2.30 hr here). It's hard work & I do it too.

Answer 7

if i would receive anything less than 20% i would think the person was cheap or i gave bad service. i ussually find out what 20% is and then round it up to the nearest $5.00. if i like the service (like if i get hooked up with something extra) or i know the person then i always tip more. i guess being in the biz you have a better appreciation for the service industry. a lot of those people have to do a lot of side work other than waiting on people that may require them to work an extra hour or more a day. even though its not really legal, a lot of the more busy non-chain places won't even pay the wait staff or bartenders the minimum wage of like $3.00 an hour or whatever they are supposed to make. i worked one place where they got around this by not considering you an actual employee, my sister used to get paid but her paychecks would bounce. so many places tips really are very very important.

Answer 8

I have always heard to tip 15% of the check. If the meal included alcohol then you should tip 20%. Personally if I have had great service I will usually tip 22% to 30%. But if the service was extremely bad, I will tip nothing at all.

Answer 9

Depends on the service I receive.

If my server is polite, attentive, and makes for a pleasant experience - regardless of the quality of the food, or how quickly it was served - I will tip 20% or MORE!! I've been known to tip as much as 30-35% for outstanding service. Slow service happens. I waited tables and know what it's like to be double or even triple sat. Food gets burned. It's not the server's fault. How attentive they are to me, how nice they are to me - even when they're screaming busy - they can control that, and I base my tip on that.

If my service is decent - the standard 15-17% will suffice.

If the service is poor, I'll leave $1 or less - usually less.

Answer 10

Depends on the quality of the service. Sometimes I refuse to pay the whole bill if the service has been rubbish. I make sure the staff are aware of my disatisfaction with the service and their remedy when it occurs though, rather than spring it on them when th bill arrives. On the other hand, if the service is good, the tip is likewise.

I get great service from all the places I visit regularly.