im a waiter and i was wondering how can i get my tip increased?

Question

so today, i attended to some folks for dinner. they bought $87 worth of food and only tipped me 5. I go to the gentleman and asked him if my service was ok. he said i was ok, but i then went to ask if it really was because he barely scratched the %15 gratuity fee. he said it was ok and that hell come back. i was so furious because the tip is not affecting me but my coworkers who work for those tips as well. how can i prevent this from happening? i.e. how can i make the person give more tip because we dont get paid by the hour but by the tip. on a side note: if youre going to barely tip at a restaurant, learn how to cook but dont waste our time coming to a restaurant if youre not going to tip.

also for those who have answered. im a waiter in the east village of manhattan. so you get the worst tippers in the world. how is it justified to pay me 5 dollars out of an $87 check? that man should know to tip because i dont get to keep those tips. i put them in a waiter pool to divide between the waiters. you have to confront the patron because we have people from all over the world coming here.

Answer 1

First of all, you should never talk to your guest about the tip that was left. I've fired servers for that. Second of all, some people don't understand that servers make $2.13 per hour and the only way they earn a living is by the tips they earn. Thirdly, don't take it personally. Shake it off, go to the back and have a smoke, vent your frustration out of sight and ear shot of the guests. Next time those guests come in and they sit in someone else's section, you can thank your lucky stars they aren't in yours. In the long run, it will all average out.

Answer 2

Some people do not tip well. The good tippers will tip over 20% if the servers is excellent. Here are a few tips, always keep drink glasses full never let the get empty I mean never! Appear to be happy and act like it's a privilege to wait on them, even if you are in a horrible mood. Be polite and attentive without being a pest it's a fine line. If the kitchen is slow be sure to explain and keep the customer updated. Never put the bill on the table until the customer is finished with the meal. If you do all these tips I have given even the poor tippers will tip more than they usually would.

Answer 3

A tip is not for your wages.A tip is what a customer gives for good serves.
If you don't like the pay get another job.
I worked many years as a waitress.I made some good tips,and some great ones.I gave good service and some days great service.I have received a penny,(my bad service)and nothing (?).
But I worked hard for the money and was thankful to get it.Tonight we went to dinner,the service was terrible.I did leave a tip,even when everyone said not to.But ,I did tell the manager about the food and the service.
If a waiter ever approached me like you did,I would be all up in your face.
We owe you the waiter NOTHING.
My tip to you ,be more thankful.<><

Answer 4

Here in Aus we really only tip for good service, it's not customary to tip and it's not really that common. A good idea, however, is to make sure you are very well presented, like nice uniform and stuff, and friendly and attentive. A way I will tip is if the waiter is friendly, helpful and attentive, I always think it's better to ask people too often if they're ok than not enough

Answer 5

Keep the glasses full, only come to the table a few times you can see from across the room if our glasses are empty. Also extra napkins. I don't like the conversations with the waiters I am not there to have dinner with you so don't be overly friendly. Other than that just do your job and you will get tips. Have fun with it. Good luck.

Answer 6

I'm another Australian who is unaccustomed to your tipping expectations. In Australia it is customary for a waiter to be paid in full by their employer. Any tips received are a bonus given out of generosity and appreciation.

I believe that this difference in our customs may be explained by our acceptance in the philosophy of the "Living Wage". Until at least recently, Australians have lived with the realisation that unless an employer pays an employee a rate of pay adequate for an employee to feed, clothe and shelter him/her-self and their family and frugally provide for a rainy day then that employment was at cost to Australian society.

The rational given by Justice Higgins, when the "living Wage" became law, was that members of Australian society are an asset to that society and that as even a horse lent as labour comes with a responsibility for adequate care, feed, shelter and rest so too does an employee.

It would probably be difficult to convince your employer to increase customer charges in order to provide you with a reasonable wage. Doing so would reduce his competitiveness.

There are a few things that might help though. The boss wants his staff to receive equal shares in the tips because it increases the opportunity for all of his customers being served not just the known good tippers. This means that in order to further encourage a distribution of service he may be open to negotiation. He may be willing to place a sign, cleverly and courteously phrased, that explains the importance of tipping ( especially for people like us Australians). As some waiters will be better at extracting larger tips than others (and you share your tips anyway) the boss may be willing to let you experiment as a team in order to discover the best way to increase overall earnings.

You may have success in improving your lot at this particular restaurant but the reality is that this may not be the only restaurant you work at in the future. If you really want to make a difference you need to influence more than just one restaurant and probably the best way to do that is by supporting a trade union by becoming a member.

Answer 7

I would suggest being as friendly, and out-going as possible. Check on the customer often and before you give them their ticket, make sure and ask if they would care for dessert.
Finally, thank them for their service and tell your customer(s) how pleasant it was working for them and that you hope to see them again, real soon!

While this sounds, silly, you'd be amazed at how often a customer will come back and request you, if you practice being friendly and polite with a smile--just try to make sure that it appears genuine and not over do it; otherwise, they will sense your fakeness and be less likely to leave you a decent tip.

Regarding, your previous customer--some people are just born cheap! You probably couldn't have done anything better or differently, so I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Just do your best and God will do the rest and keep on trucking!

Answer 8

Hello there, I like to tip when I feel that service has not only been excellent but worth getting to know the person who waits on one. The last thing you should do is ask about a tip, it just is not the done thing in England. I personally give tips when I feel the waiter/waitress has been exceptional in his/her attentions not only to myself but to guests of mine, always present oneself well and smile, try not to over ingratiate yourself, even pretend that a tip was not expected you will not only win respect but should have people coming back and seeking you out for excellent service. Good luck and hope all goes well for you (The Countess)

Answer 9

One way to get the tip increased would be to have your restaurant institute mandatory tipping (i.e. a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bill). This does have some flaws though. Guest resent having to pay a tip if the service is poor.

Answer 10

Tipping these days is hard, because restaurant food is so dam expensive, but if I get good & I mean good service I will tip good, I,ve been a waitress & I got fairly good tips, but this was along time ago. All you can do is do the best you can.
Very curious where do you work, that you only work for tips.