Do you tip waiters/waitresses?

Question

And would you do so even if the service was awful?
I myself always make a point of tipping them.

Thank you

Answer 1

in USA you tip all good service, but in UK I have a set of rules that i abide too.
1. if the food is good but service poor, ask to see the chef and tip the chef
2. if the food is good and the service is good tip 10% off total bill
3. if the food is poor but the service is good, tell the waiter/ess you are not leaving a tip because the chef cant cook
4. if the food is poor and the service is poor ask for the manager and tell him/her how disappointed you are
5. if the food is excellent etc leave 15%
however i have another tip which i use regularly for instance..
in the pacific cafe in SF this year i ordered a burger with all the trimmings, the service was spot on. I asked for a medium burger and it duly arrived overcooked. i sent it back as i often do, and within minutes a secomd one came it was dry and very overdone.
i went to the kitchen and asked to speak to the grill chef, she came out and i asked her how she described the way it was cooked. she said well done, so i said yeah i ordered medium and what was she playing at, after a further 20 mins with the manager i saw the chef leaving with her knife set in her hand. shehad been sacked. harsh, i think not if i pay good money for good food, i expect good food. if its worth tipping then tip

Answer 2

I always tip unless the service was terrible, in which case I calmly notify the manager. I've worked in enough restaurants to know the differnece between a good server and bad server, as sometimes it is the kitchen's fault.

For diner service, a lot of times they get a good tip because I don't feel right giving them 20% on a $7 tab. Usually the food is great, quick and hot but less expensive. No reason you should penalize the server because it's cheap.

If I'm at a nice full service restaurant and paying over $20 a plate, I expect better service so I think I am harder on those servers.

Answer 3

Yes, I do. Most aren't making a lot of money wage wise. I tip depending on service. If the service is really, REALLY horrible, I won't leave a tip, but if it's that bad, I always talk to the manager and tell them the service is bad, and that I won't be leaving a tip. I have done that only twice in the last 15-20 years...so it's not often. I try and remember that the wait staff only has so much control over my order being messed up, or cold, or late, etc. Anyway, I used to work in the restaurant business, and I know it's hard work.

Answer 4

I'm defiantly a tipper. I will not tip if the service is horrible. It's earned not something that we have to give. That's why a customer service in the restaurants has gone down, because a lot of the waiters/waitresses feel they have a right to the tip regardless of their performance.
The tip I leave for those who give horrible service is......"Look both ways before you cross the street." I write on the receipt.

Answer 5

I always make a point of tipping the waiter or waitress. More often than not, these individuals rely on these tips to make ends meet.
If the service was not as one would expect, I would not tip as much. Sometimes, I have made a point of explaining why I was disappointed. A person cannot correct something if they don't realize that there is a problem.

Answer 6

Yes, I definitly tip that is a hard job. I have a habit of "over tipping" but good service is worth it. I only lower my tip if it was the servers direct fault that I am unhappy. For example if the kitchen messes up i don't penalize my server. If the waiter or waitress has an attitude problem they won't get very much at all. I can't imagine anyone not tipping that seems weird...

Answer 7

Absolutely. Waitstaff get taxed on their tips, whether they get tipped or not. They have to "claim" a certain percentage of their sales for tax purposes. In many states, servers don't even make minimum wage.They could very well be making $3 or $4 per hour without tips.

I always tip 20% for decent service, more if it was really excellent. If there was some sort of problem, I take into consideration how the server dealt with it.

People should NEVER not tip because they didn't like the food; the waitress wasn't the one who cooked it. (Unless you said something and the server said "that's too damn bad, eat it anyway," haha :) ... or if the food took forever... again, that's the kitchen staff's fault!

So, yes... to answer your question... I always tip!

Answer 8

Depends where you're from. In Europe, tipping is not at all expected, and in some places, is even considered rude! If you do tip, 5-10% is considered a great tip.
In the US, tipping is expected because waiters get paid less than minimum wage with the implication that they will make the rest of their money through tips. Therefore, 15-20% is average. If service sucks, I give 10-15%, if it is outstanding, 25%.

Answer 9

When I was in the US and Canada I left a 15-20% tip (even though I was informed that tipping isn't really expected in Canada because waitstaff are paid the full minimum wage and are not expected to make up their wage in tips)

In Ireland, never more than €3-5, if I even tip at all. That's because the minimum wage rule applies to all staff in all jobs and there's not really a tipping culture in Ireland, but I've come across Irish waitstaff bitching on blogs that since US waitstaff get 15-20% tips, then they should also be getting 15-20%.

Well since Irish mimimum wage is about $11 compared to the $4 per hour US waitstaff receive, then I think the Irish waitstaff should suck it up and stop being so greedy. If they want to earn US style tips, they should move to the US. If they don't expect tips then they won't be disappointed

Answer 10

A waiter/waitress always deserves a tip. A lot of things to remember are that even if the food sucks, that's the cooks fault. The waitress just deliverd it. If she goes out of her way to try to correct the problem, the tip just went up. If it's a crowded place at the time remember other people deserve as much attention as you. If they're really trying to meet your needs...better tip. If they haven't checked on you and their just sitting in the corner suckin on a cig the tip just went down. Either way, leave a tip. it's more of a wake up call if you only leave a dollar than if you leave nothing at all. They're paying bills too.

Answer 11

Yes, I always tip. My wife used to wait tables so she has reminded me over and over about how hard they work and the idiot people they sometimes have to deal with. Even a good waiter/waitress can have a bad day. If the service is horrible I usually only tip 10-15% but if it's great I will tip 20-25%.