I don't feel like leaving a good tip for bad service, but is it worse to leave a really small tip, or is it better to leave nothing?
2006-12-30 10:47:00 · 33 answers · asked by Soundguy 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
It's definitely ruder to leave a small tip. If you don't leave a tip, it could be interpreted as forgetfulness. If you leave only a few cents, it means you were purposely stingy.
2006-12-30 10:48:49 · answer #1 · answered by kittenpie 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't know where you're from, but where I come from, the government decided that they liked tips too... so every waitress or waiter has to pay them 8% of their total billing of customers... so if you don't leave anything, the waitress is in the red by 8%... Depends on if you think you should pay that %... or her... either way, the governement wins again! And what about people that are tourists and think tip is included? Or the client just had enough cash available to eat that time... and couldn't leave a tip... And some people do just forget...
If you really want to send a message, almost any waitress will tell you that what is commonly known as telling a waitress or waiter the service was the pits, is to leave one penny. And one penny only. If you want to let them know the service was very high, leave a nice tip. If you want to let them know that the service was EXCELLENT, leave a nice tip, add one penny to it and one penny only, AND make sure to put in a good word for her or him with the manager before you leave.
I wonder what life would be like if a waitress could add on a % to the bill for every rude, impolite or obnoxious customer she had to serve.....hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm.... I'd have been rich before ever getting to college...!!!
2006-12-30 11:27:20 · answer #2 · answered by The ReDesign Diva 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A penny is worse than no tip. But is it really the waitress you were unhappy with? If the food was bad that's the cook's fault. If the food was late, that could be the kitchen's fault, or possibly the restaurant's fault for understaffing.
Remember that waitressing is a hard job, and their hourly pay can legally be less than minimum wage because tips are calculated into their paycheck.
When in doubt, leave 10-15%. If you really feel you got bad *service* then leave no tip. Or you could pay with a credit card and on the tip line write enough to round up the price to the nearest $5 (or $1). Easier when adding your expenses, and then it looks like you were just rounding.
2007-01-01 00:40:02 · answer #3 · answered by Suzie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know from experience that it is worse to leave something along the lines of pennies, it makes you feel like a piece of crap when someone leaves without a tip but when you leave a penny it feels a hundred times worse. I used to be a waitress and I would get really good tips all day and there would be that one jerk who would leave me five pennies and that really hurts. If you don't like you server then be respectful and at least leave a dollar, if they sucked then let the manager know what went on.
2006-12-30 10:58:22 · answer #4 · answered by kylenefrank 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have been a server for years. Pennies or anything less than 15 % is an insult. Anything over 15% is appreciated no matter what money form- pennies are extra change that people leave sometimes on top of a tip. Having said that... the people that split tips at the end of the night are usually the bar back and hostess. Restaurants do this differently. Some make the server and bartenders give the others of percentage of their sales for example. But the server usually keeps all of their tip besides that.
2016-05-22 22:07:42 · answer #5 · answered by Linda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leaving no tip at all might lead the wait person to believe you just forgot to leave the tip or that you thought someone else at your table was going to take care of it. But if the service was really terrible you would really send a message by only leaving a small amount.
2006-12-30 13:06:17 · answer #6 · answered by Nancy S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I reserve stiffing, single penny, and 9 pennies (service wasn't worth a dime) for really really bad service. As in, I asked politely for something to be addressed and got either rudeness, attitude, or ignored completely. You reap what you sow. Likewise, below average service may be just that, bad day, overworked on tables, rush hour, things happen. It would be appropriate to leave a smaller tip, say 10% if the service wasn't up to par, but to be fair you must be just as willing to bump that tip up to 25% or more if the service is outstanding and above and beyond. Tipping is exactly that, a recognition of service received. The one thing I never do however, is tip based on the quality of the food. As long as the waitperson is attentive, does their job in a polite and professional manner, and corrects/apologises for errors or deficiencies, there is no reason to dock a tip because you didn't like the food itself.
2006-12-30 11:01:47 · answer #7 · answered by Curtis H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
leaving a small one like a penny. Off course bad service deserves a slap in the face with a penny. So it depends on how worse.
2006-12-30 11:17:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the service is poor, leave a small tip, or no tip. Talk politely to the manager, or send a note detailing what you believe was lacking in the service. Do not leave a penny. It is a juvenile, indefensible, and utterly classless act,
2006-12-30 11:00:49 · answer #9 · answered by Fred C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It says more if you leave a very small tip than if you leave none. I have worked in the restaurant business for 15 years and the waitresses are really bothered by the smalllll tips. If you don't leave a tip they just think you forgot where a small one lets them know you didn't forget but that you just didn't think they deserved more.
2006-12-30 10:58:40 · answer #10 · answered by crazy nana 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When I was a waitress, is was more rude to leave a penny than nothing because if a penny was left, you know the customer actually had to make an effort to put it on the table and that there was thought behind it.
2006-12-30 10:50:39 · answer #11 · answered by Elizabeth C. 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋