When tipping your Server at dinner..........?

Question

Do you belive the following is true if the service was excellent?
10% is rude
15% is not the best but okay
20% is what most waitress expect for great service
More than 20% is going to make their day.

Also did you know that a waitress makes less than minimum wage?

I am a waitress, im just trying to get an idea of what most people think. Because i will get some customers who absolutly love me and will joke with me all night and tell me that they will not let anyone else wait on them again and that I did such a great job they were happy with me and then leave me like $8 on a $120 check or have a huge party of 7 and have them all leave a dollar or two because their check was small and because thats what the gratuity added up to, to insure that i atleast made something.

Answer 1

I never tip less than 15%. If food is slow coming out etc. it may not be the servers fault, I just don't know the reason so I just never tip less than 15%. Servers in Michigan get paid $2.25 an hour. Tips are how they earn their money. If someone is rude at McDonald's we don't take away their money, why would you take money away from a server? I always tip 15%, 20%-30% for good/great service. If I have a problem with service, I take it up with a manager, not the server. I learned this from my father. He took my mother, sister, and I to a very fancy restaurant while on vacation when I was about 10. We had all ordered prime rib and it took an hour for our food to come out. Then it was overcooked. We had to wait roughly two hours for our food. The waiter was excellent to us though. He even made balloon animals for my sister and I. It ended up that our meal was comped by the manager with many apologies. My father left the waiter a hundred dollar bill. My father said none of it was ever the waiters fault, and he was superb. I guess that shaped the way I feel about tipping.

Answer 2

I think you pretty much nailed it! I used to have customers who had a great meal, everything was great, but wouldn't leave a tip because I was the owner! Hello? I still waited on you hand and foot?!? They thought for that $40 meal I just took the money home at night...no, that paid the restaurant bills, not mine!

Then there were parties where they only left a couple bucks for 10 people because they thought the tip was built in. So I changed the menu stating that for a party of 6 or more it would be 18%. Then they'd get ticked off, if they even noticed it. If they didn't read the f*n menu, they'd leave more cash all over the table. (Score!)

You can't trust people to read or understand. All you can do is do your job great and pray for the best.

Answer 3

if service is excellent, a server should expect MORE than 20% as standard. if a server goes above and beyound expectations of the guest, it should be reflected in the gratuity for sure. i have worked in a 4 diamond restaurant for 25 1/2 years and on many tables average 25% to 30% because i give the service that i would expect if i were the guest. and yes, i only make $2.35 HR so i go above and beyound to get better gratuity but there are stilll those who give the verbal tip and tighten the pocket book when it comes to actually leaving the monetary reward. can't take "oh you were the best server we have ever had" to the bank and pay rent with it --only cash works for that

Answer 4

My daughter has waitressed for many years. So we have heard many stories. We don't carry a tip card with us as some do. We round it off. We tip at least 20% based on the service and the friendliness of the server.
A server would have to be awfully rude and inept for us to give them less than 15%. I know you make less than minimum wAGE and you depend on your tips. And sometimes you have to tip someone out etc. But the poor server may have been having just a bad day so we usually give them athe benefit of the doubt. (UNless it was really really bad service, but we hardly ever get that.)

Answer 5

15% is the accepted norm for a tip. If the service is exceptional I will base the tip on the service and the tab. If you come to EXPECT 20% or more you are relying too much on your tips and the service needs to be "over and above" all the time. I have found that most servers are in the job for an income supplement. The fact that you are paid sub-minimum wage is something that needs to be addressed with the individual employer. If they pay you more, they charge me more for food and beverage and the more you expect in a tip. Its a vicious circle with no end.

Good luck!

Answer 6

10% buffet or poor job
15% regular tip for full service
20% outstanding
more=lucky

remember always, if someone is making nice it doesnt always mean they are going to tip you well, they just are giving you tips in the form of nice words. it sounds odd and probably not even morally correct, but bring up how you are poor and that you hate when people leave 8$ for 120 check. theyll feel guilty. also just a hint, write the tips calculations on the bill so they understand what you consider to be adequate.

example: 120check 10%=12.00 15%=18.00 20%=24.00
consult your manager if you are worried you might lose your job. its alittle extra work but i increased my tip per night between $50 and $100 more. i got the idea when i went to a resturant that had it printed on the bill.

Answer 7

Yes. Overall your chart is a good guide.
For excellent service, 20% is appropriate; if you can go over that (especially when there is a large (4+) group), it is particularly appreciated.

As to salaries of waitstaff, Yes, in almost all establishments they make (considerably) less than minimum wage, because it is assumed that the greatest portion of their income will come, in fact, from their tips.

Most waiters and waitresses appreciate cash tips more than on a credit card because they typically then under-report their tip earnings to the IRS and hence increase their take-home wage. I don't support that practice because I think we should all pay our taxes equally but regardless, that is the typical practice of most waitstaff vis-a-vis their tax reporting.

Answer 8

It depends on service quality, friendliness, and (if it's a female) hottie factor :) I've never tipped less than 15%, but I have tipped close to the amount of the meal for an excellent and hot waitress. :D I'm sure I'll get some upset, but it's the truth. And yes, I am aware of the $$$ they make, I've dated more than a few waitresses. ;)

Answer 9

We leave what we can to our wonderful server at our favorite bar & grill usually around 15% but often more. Yes I realize a waitress makes less than half of the minimum wage. The owners are scrooges.

Answer 10

I think 10% to 15% is a good deal for great service and is not rude. Any thing more is just being generous.