should you tip a waitress when you pay for dinner?

Question

=)

Answer 1

ABSOLUTELY!! I realize that tipping isn't "mandatory," however, it is a well known concept that when you walk into a full service establishment that it is appropriate and, honestly, it is expected. As mentioned in previous answers, servers generally make about $3/hour (sometimes more, sometimes less, but most always a small portion of minimum wage). Serving is not a fun job. People are demanding, sometimes rude, and other times down right mean. That doesn't mean that all people are like that, but most often a server will encounter at least one customer like that a night...more on busier nights. Servers do not bend over backwards to attempt to please the unpleasable for $3/hour. To be completely blunt, we often hold back the obsenities flowing through our minds because our income depends on it. Having a rude customer affects the overall morale of the server for a good majority of the night. In the same respect though, there are often customers who are the nicest people, very patient and personable who at the end of the meal tell you what a great job you did and how great everything was (known in the restaurant industry as the "verbal tip") then leave a poor monetary tip. Not that the complement is taken in haste, but we have bills to pay too. We can't call our local electric company and thank them for their stellar service this month without power interruption, and expect that to suffice for that months energy usage and have our bill be paid. Your server doesn't expect that either. We rely on you, the customer. We appreciate your business because it means we keep a job and can feed our families, or get through school, and in some situations, such as my own, both.
With all that said, there are definitely times when you go to a restaurant and you truly have bad service. Your server is rude, or nonattentive...it happens, I have seen it, and in that case, no they do not deserve an outstanding tip. However, I have been on the outside looking in and I know what it is like to have a bad night filled with rude people and bad tips. That is no excuse to take your frustrations out on another table. It is obviously not their fault, but I do try to remain understanding to the fact that they are still serving you dinner, drinks, possibly dessert and cleaning up after you that evening so that you don't have to do it yourself at home. I strongly believe that that does still warrent gratuity beyond $3/hour.
I apologize because I am on a tangent tonight...after a long night of serving rude people and bad tips (and no, my attitude does not change after this...every table gets my best, regardless of the last) but I just have to mention that when considering a tip, you should also consider if the reason why you may be unhappy is really under your servers control. If you order your steak medium rare and it comes out medium well, we understand your frustration and we are happy to fix the error, however, when calculating a tip, please remember that WE did not cook that steak wrong and we should not be penalized for it. We are actually the ones who rectify that situation, requiring more work on our part...and often for less money. Also, if you go out and your meal comes out wrong and a manager compensates your meal, please tip according to the price before adjustment. Just remember, your server is taxed on the pre-comped price of your bill.
After all is said and done, your tip should very on quality of service. For your standard, nothing over the top service, you should plan on a minimum of a 15% gratruity (obviously less in extreme circumstances). When your service is better than what you might have expected, 18-20% is acceptable. If your server really goes out of their way to please you and you feel that they have really tried to make your dining experience special and memorable, tack on a couple dollars. Believe me, they will appreciate it, and they will remember the next time you are in and work extra hard to please you.

Just remember...if everyone tipped poorly or not at all, service would begin to reflect that. It's kind of like buying cheap or expensive shoes. You get what you pay for.

I think I gave a little more than you were asking for, but I really hope this helped!

Answer 2

This is my basic guidelines: I look at the official receipt and if the total amount includes 'service charge'(it could range from 5% to 20% of the cost of all food ordered) or whatever name the restaurant may call it, I don't usually give the waiter/waitress a tip. This is because what the restaurant management usually does is to pool the total service charges collected and distribute it equally among the waiters and waitresses. Now when the management does not charge anything and when the service was good or exceptional, that's the time that I give a tip which may range from 10% to 20%.

On the other hand, when the service is very exceptional, despite a service charge of say 5%, it is in this instance that I can make an additional 5% to 10%.

Answer 3

Are you kidding?? You absolutely have to tip your server when you go out to eat. Unless your server was god awful, you should tip around 20%, if they are terrible or if they were phenomonal feel free to decrease or increase what you leave to send the appropriate message, but 20% is considered to be the norm these days. Aside from the fact that the majority of servers in this country make $2.13-$3/hr, they are providing a service which is considered to be a luxury. Most people also don't know that the average server has to "tip out" to the bussers, hosts, and bartenders. That amount is usually 3% of their total sales, so if you tip 20%, they will actually get 17% and so on. So those of you that dont tip or believe that $5 is acceptable regardless of the check size, think again. Chances are if you ordered $100 worth of food and drinks, your server had to do much more work for you than if your check was only $50, so please tip accordingly. Bottom Line: If you cant afford to tip your server, dont go out to eat.

Answer 4

Ummmm, let's think about this... YES! Let's ask a few questions to prove my point. Are you picking up the check for a group of friends? Then if you are, you can afford a twenty (20) percent tip. Are you taking someone on a date? Then yes, etiquette says you tip. Did you accept cash from the other table occupants to put towards then bill? Then collectively, you should tip twenty percent. The short story is (do you see where I'm going with this?) under no circumstance should you NOT tip your waiter/waitress/server! Servers work very hard, and put up with a LOT of B.S. to make a living. And honestly, are you that immature that you actually have to ask that question, or is Sizzler the only place you gifted with your presence...

Answer 5

I have had bad service before and thought "OK when I get the bill I am not tipping very much". Then I think about it and realize that usually bad service is caused by understaffing and I try to think how happy I would be working hard and making 3 bucks an hour. I don't believe they should add it automatically though. Some servers are with more than 20%. I do not leave less than 15%. No matter how bad the service is. I do also try to get them to smile or laugh if I notice poor service in the beginning. It works. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

What you are asking (I'm assuming) is should you be on the hook for the tip if you are picking up the bill. If you are with friends or something and you pick up the check, they should offer to pay the tip at least. On a date, if you are picking up the check, yes. You don't want to come off as a cheapskate. As a matter of fact, the way you treat your server, financially or otherwise is a reflection on your personality. Do you want to show off that you're insensitive? Also, attitude is more important than actually receiving good service. If the person is trying and is obviously busy, let them know you understand. You may end up helping yourself.

Answer 7

A tip is usually considered a gratuity. However, it is actually an acronym T. I. P. which stands for, "to insure promptness".

Being a waitron unit myself I never expect anyone to go out of their way to tip me. On an average night I will run 20% of my sales regardless of the people who decided they could not afford a tip, or think giving their waitress a dollar is a great gift.

I will tell you, that if you plan on frequenting a restaurant on a regular basis, tipping your waitress 15 to 20% of the pretax bill will ensure good prompt service.

If you are one of my customers and I know you do not tip, you will be the last person who's order is put in and refills on your coffee will not be forth coming. At a whopping $3.15 p/h I cannnot afford to waste my time on people who cannot appreciate my effort to serve them good food and try to make their expereince in my restaurant pleasant and fun.

I cannot only remember two instances where I did not tip my server. One was a young girl who asked to bum a cigarrette from me. And the other was a waiter who answered his cel phone while I ws trying to order.

Answer 8

Yes. If you get good service, tip 20%. If you get great service, tip more. Waitresses work for tips - they only make like $3/hour or something like that. A good way to calculate 20% is to take the amount of the bill ($25.00) and know that $2.50 is 10%, so $5.00 is 20%.

Answer 9

When I was a waitress, it was up to the server to add the tip into the computer. It might just be an error on the waiter's part. On most charge slips it has the tip line, the bill amount and then the total. Even if you skipped the tip line, it was still up to your server to add the tip. A credit card payment is a two step process for them. If you gave them a total, then they should have finished it since you didn't.

Answer 10

Tipping is Standard accepted behavior in this day and age. WHAT you tip is up to the type of establishment and the service you receive. Keep in mind, you are not getting your own beverage, you are not getting your salad, you are not preparing the meal, you are not refilling your drink, you are not cleaning up after yourself, and you are not paying taxes on a tab whether or not you get paid for it. Servers are to be tipped. If you don't want to tip- Go TO BURGER KING. DON"T sit down, expected to be waited on hand and foot, and then say, NAh... Thanks, but I don't appreciate that i did not have to do a bloody thing except sit there and eat.