nowadays....is it a norm for restaurants to ....

[Deelight]

We don''t have a tipping system here in Australia you can tip if you want and don''t have to if you don''t want to.

 

[blondie23]

This is slightly off topic, but I just wanted to add that being a server was the single best job I have ever had. It taught me so much about the human condition. I served at 5 different restaurants over an 8 year period (expensive, national chain, family-owned, etc) and at each restaurant you run into the same types of people. Most people truly don't realize that being a server is hard work!!! I have had a person throw a porcelon plate at me which gave me a black eye and concussion (and it wasn't even my table...he ordered a portebello mushroom burger which is the vegetarian option but he thought it came with the burger and the mushroom...i was walking by when he stopped me, grabbed my arm, and threw the plate in my face)...I've had some people call me stupid for being a server (i'm like "thank you very much but I go to an Ivy league school that doesn't offer scholarships so i have to work jobs like these to pay rent!"), but I have also had people who are wonderful...kind, generous, caring...you see it all. If you want to know a person's real character, look at how they treat people in service (janitors, servers, etc)...I feel like it tells you a lot....

of course there are always exceptions...if a server is bad then obviously don't tip (i'm usually a GREAT tipper but if the service is sub-par and it is strictly the server's fault, I don't tip as well)

Anyway, sorry for the detour but I just wanted to add that

 

[Delster]

We don''t have the tipping system either for small parties. It''s entirely at your discretion and 10% - 15% is considered a generous enough tip. A lot of people just leave whatever small change is left over, or leave a few euros on the table. Most restaurants apply a service charge (generally around 10%) for groups of about ten or more.

It feels very weird to us when we visit the States to have to tip everybody. Over here, I''d rarely think to tip a taxi driver or a hairdresser or a beautician. We just pay people more to begin with so they''re not relying on tips! I''m curious as to how tipping culture in the States came about and why it survives?

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:23:02 AM
Author: Delster
We don''t have the tipping system either for small parties. It''s entirely at your discretion and 10% - 15% is considered a generous enough tip. A lot of people just leave whatever small change is left over, or leave a few euros on the table. Most restaurants apply a service charge (generally around 10%) for groups of about ten or more.


It feels very weird to us when we visit the States to have to tip everybody. Over here, I''d rarely think to tip a taxi driver or a hairdresser or a beautician. We just pay people more to begin with so they''re not relying on tips! I''m curious as to how tipping culture in the States came about and why it survives?

In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don''t know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

 

[Delster]

Yes I knew about the wages paid to waiting staff being piddling! Lots of my friends on J1''s worked hard for their tips or they wouldn''t be able to eat

Is it an attempt to foster entrepeneurship by keeping labour costs down for employers?

Date: 6/18/2008 11:31:10 AM
Author: OUpeargirl

In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don''t know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

I don''t follow this?

 

[brooklyngirl]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:13:57 AM
Author: blondie23
This is slightly off topic, but I just wanted to add that being a server was the single best job I have ever had. It taught me so much about the human condition. I served at 5 different restaurants over an 8 year period (expensive, national chain, family-owned, etc) and at each restaurant you run into the same types of people. Most people truly don't realize that being a server is hard work!!! I have had a person throw a porcelon plate at me which gave me a black eye and concussion (and it wasn't even my table...he ordered a portebello mushroom burger which is the vegetarian option but he thought it came with the burger and the mushroom...i was walking by when he stopped me, grabbed my arm, and threw the plate in my face)...I've had some people call me stupid for being a server (i'm like 'thank you very much but I go to an Ivy league school that doesn't offer scholarships so i have to work jobs like these to pay rent!'), but I have also had people who are wonderful...kind, generous, caring...you see it all. If you want to know a person's real character, look at how they treat people in service (janitors, servers, etc)...I feel like it tells you a lot....

of course there are always exceptions...if a server is bad then obviously don't tip (i'm usually a GREAT tipper but if the service is sub-par and it is strictly the server's fault, I don't tip as well)

Anyway, sorry for the detour but I just wanted to add that

I hope that guy got jailtime! Disgusting!

I agree that you can tell a lot about people basedo on how they treat those who work for them (i.e. subordinates, service staff, etc).

 

[FrekeChild]

What always freaked me out was hearing stories about people who stiffed their waiter for no apparent reason or left without paying (I witnessed this at the other one of our restaurants in town once) and the waiter followed them outside.

In our chain someone did this and got run over by the customer''s car and died. I bet that customer wishes they had just left the money.

And I totally agree blondie! You find out so much about human nature by waiting tables. And most of the time they do just assume you''re stupid and can''t do anything else.

The best waiter I ever had was at Gramercy Tavern in NYC-it was his career-not just a job and he made the experience almost magical. I bet he knew all about human nature...

Anyone here read waiterrant.net?

 

[meresal]

Date: 6/18/2008 12:17:56 PM
Author: FrekeChild
What always freaked me out was hearing stories about people who stiffed their waiter for no apparent reason or left without paying (I witnessed this at the other one of our restaurants in town once) and the waiter followed them outside.

In our chain someone did this and got run over by the customer''s car and died. I bet that customer wishes they had just left the money.

Freke: I worked with a girl that didn''t get any tip on one of her tables.(BTW she was a GREAT waitress and woman in general, just clueless people) She followed the couple outside, and tapped the woman on the shoulder. She handed her back the cash that they paid for their meal and politely said, "Obviously you need this more than I do." She then paid for their meal out of her own tips that night, just to prove a point. My jaw dropped!!

 

[partgypsy]

I have a funny story from my husband, who has worked both as a waiter and a bartender. He was waiting on a group of women who were very demanding and complaining, saying the sweet tea wasn''t fresh (he had them make fresh tea for them), running him around for all sorts of things, but took it in stride. They wanted the check split all different ways, they all ask for doggie bags. So he bags up all their food and puts on their table. They pay the bill and guess what? Leave him nada for a tip.
It wasn''t for bad service, just because they felt like it.
They forget their doggie bags and leave. At that point, he takes their food and sweeps it into a trash can. They cluster outside, realizing their mistake. Finally after discussion they send in one to get their doggies bags. The lady confused asks where are their doggie bags? And he says, politely but apologetically "Oh your food? I''m sorry, I threw it away."

 

[partgypsy]

Oh I wanted to say normally my husband doesn''t complain about tips because he doesn''t have to, he is very good at what he does and gets higher than average tips. However I believe there is just no pleasing some people and they may take out their bad mood or their annoyance of a high bill on the waitstaff.

 

[Lexie]

Date: 6/18/2008 10:54:51 AM
Author: meresal
SO listens to a radio station here in Houston that has a 'Bad Tipper Board'. Restaurant managers around the city know about it, and can mail/fax credit card receipts in that have little or no tip, obviously in comparison with the price of the meal. Well, they announe all these names once a week, Wednesday's I believe (just their first initial and last name), and then they post them on a bulletin board, on their website... with the restaurant name, price of meal, and tip.


The radio personalities are very thorough to make sure that the receipts are legitimate, and that absolutely NO CASH was left on the table as a tip. This list comes with a 100% guarantee.


They do it because they say that waiters get a bad rap, and this is to warn the waiters about bad tippers!!! I love it!!!

Hm.. I work at a restaurant in Houston, and I wonder if there are any submissions from my restaurant, because it's not unusual for the waiters to receive horrid tips or no tips at all

We're considered a "fine dining restaurant", and the food can be somewhat pricey, and although the service is usually good, some people just don't feel the need to tip. It's ludicrous

And then that affects me, since I'm a hostess and end up getting tipped out. Less tips.. the smaller the paycheck

 

[Deelight]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:31:10 AM
Author: OUpeargirl

Date: 6/18/2008 11:23:02 AM

Author: Delster

We don't have the tipping system either for small parties. It's entirely at your discretion and 10% - 15% is considered a generous enough tip. A lot of people just leave whatever small change is left over, or leave a few euros on the table. Most restaurants apply a service charge (generally around 10%) for groups of about ten or more.



It feels very weird to us when we visit the States to have to tip everybody. Over here, I'd rarely think to tip a taxi driver or a hairdresser or a beautician. We just pay people more to begin with so they're not relying on tips! I'm curious as to how tipping culture in the States came about and why it survives?

In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don't know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

$2.13 an hour

thats insane, I didn't realise it was that low. I looked up the average wage for wait staff and for an adult it is between $16-$24AUD an hour which is about par with the USD.

 

[meresal]

Lexie: I''m working on finding the link for Houston...

Everyone:
I have found some national ones as well... for the US. I couldn''t find any blogs for Europe/Spain/Australia/etc. This one gives a full name(yikes???) and the restaurant.

http://www.bitterwaitress.com/std/

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/18/2008 12:17:56 PM
Author: FrekeChild
What always freaked me out was hearing stories about people who stiffed their waiter for no apparent reason or left without paying (I witnessed this at the other one of our restaurants in town once) and the waiter followed them outside.

In our chain someone did this and got run over by the customer''s car and died. I bet that customer wishes they had just left the money.

And I totally agree blondie! You find out so much about human nature by waiting tables. And most of the time they do just assume you''re stupid and can''t do anything else.


The best waiter I ever had was at Gramercy Tavern in NYC-it was his career-not just a job and he made the experience almost magical. I bet he knew all about human nature...


Anyone here read waiterrant.net?

That''s one of the reasons why I love the Gramercy Tavern. I get fantastic service every single time I eat there.

I know that I personally like to leave more than the minimum. And I tend to leave college students more. I had a friend that waited tables when we were in college.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:35:27 AM
Author: Delster
Yes I knew about the wages paid to waiting staff being piddling! Lots of my friends on J1''s worked hard for their tips or they wouldn''t be able to eat

Is it an attempt to foster entrepeneurship by keeping labour costs down for employers?

Date: 6/18/2008 11:31:10 AM

Author: OUpeargirl


In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don''t know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

I don''t follow this?

We have to report our tips when we hand in our cashout. And somehow the better tips you make, the smaller your paycheck is. I don''t really get how it all works either. But, once I started working there a lot my checks came out to $0.00 no matter how many hours I worked.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ours were claimed automatically. (Well CC ones and I worked in a nicer restaurant so there wasn''t that much cash). I NEVER got a paycheck and owed a lot came tax time. We also shared 5% of our tips with bar/host/SAs so if you left 0% I would PAY to have you eat. That is not right. Even in horrible service I give 10%. My restaurant was known for service and people still got bad tips. We only had 3 table sections so we could give really good service. Some people just don''t get it. Tips paid the bills. I learned a lot about human nature. Some people treated us like slaves, camped out all night, complained about things that were out of the server''s control, etc...Everyone should have to wait tables for one day. I have a feeling it would open a lot of people''s eyes.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Date: 6/18/2008 4:50:27 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Ours were claimed automatically. (Well CC ones and I worked in a nicer restaurant so there wasn''t that much cash). I NEVER got a paycheck and owed a lot came tax time. We also shared 5% of our tips with bar/host/SAs so if you left 0% I would PAY to have you eat. That is not right. Even in horrible service I give 10%. My restaurant was known for service and people still got bad tips. We only had 3 table sections so we could give really good service. Some people just don''t get it. Tips paid the bills. I learned a lot about human nature. Some people treated us like slaves, camped out all night, complained about things that were out of the server''s control, etc...Everyone should have to wait tables for one day. I have a feeling it would open a lot of people''s eyes.

It sounds like I work in a place very similar to where you did!

 

[crown1]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:23:02 AM
Author: Delster
We don''t have the tipping system either for small parties. It''s entirely at your discretion and 10% - 15% is considered a generous enough tip. A lot of people just leave whatever small change is left over, or leave a few euros on the table. Most restaurants apply a service charge (generally around 10%) for groups of about ten or more.


It feels very weird to us when we visit the States to have to tip everybody. Over here, I''d rarely think to tip a taxi driver or a hairdresser or a beautician. We just pay people more to begin with so they''re not relying on tips! I''m curious as to how tipping culture in the States came about and why it survives?

i am so with you on this. life would be much simpler if everyone got the correct wage for the job they are doing and tips were abolished. i know that the prices would be higher but it just seems right to me.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/18/2008 4:36:26 PM
Author: OUpeargirl

Date: 6/18/2008 11:35:27 AM

Author: Delster

Yes I knew about the wages paid to waiting staff being piddling! Lots of my friends on J1''s worked hard for their tips or they wouldn''t be able to eat

Is it an attempt to foster entrepeneurship by keeping labour costs down for employers?

Date: 6/18/2008 11:31:10 AM

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean your checks came out to $0? Didn''t you get paid for working?
Author: OUpeargirl



In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don''t know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

I don''t follow this?

We have to report our tips when we hand in our cashout. And somehow the better tips you make, the smaller your paycheck is. I don''t really get how it all works either. But, once I started working there a lot my checks came out to $0.00 no matter how many hours I worked.

 

[mia1181]

Date: 6/18/2008 1:25:28 AM
Author: FrekeChild

Date: 6/18/2008 12:17:19 AM
Author: mia1181
Freke- I used to be a server too and that has definitely impacted my tipping practices. I always tip pretty well, in the 20-25% range. But if a server is ever purposely rude to me or my party I wouldn''t hesitate to stiff. I think its one thing to mess up on my order, or whatever and a whole ''nother to blatantly neglect my table.

Overall though, I think my fiancee (who was also a server) and I try so hard to be nice it''s a problem. We have waited obscenely long periods of time for or food because we don''t want to have to say anything. We also tend to leave a super nice tip to ''teach them a lesson'' when we are in an upscale restaurant and we feel the server is neglecting us because we look young and they assume we won''t tip. It probably doesn''t get our point across but it makes us feel a little better.

But I think we generally go easy on servers because I can admit that I wasn''t a particularly good server myself. I sure tried hard but I would get overwhelmed and make stupid mistakes every now and then.

I probably wasn''t that great of a server either-so I know how that goes-but I ALWAYS cared about my job and I was always trying to do my best-even if I didn''t accomplish it as well as someone would have liked.

This one time I had the worst 3 table section (bad spacing of all three 4tops-really really close together) and these 4 ladies sat at one of them. Well they sat there for 3 hours. They ordered 4 of the most expensive items on the menu. They sat there and calculated DOWN TO THE CENT how much each of them owed (I know this because all of the math was all over the receipt-literally all over it-and I still have it somewhere but it''s 6ish years old so who knows how it''s aged). And what did they leave me as a tip? A pile of change. Maybe 2 quarters. Mostly pennies. And because of the bad table placement-they were one of 3 tables I had all night....UGH.

Anyway if he had been busy, distressed, at least apologetic or something else besides nonchalant, I probably would have tipped the usual 20% (27% for BF''s birthday dinner). I mean it when I say that it was SO BAD that it almost ruined our evening. BF was POed-and it takes a lot to do that to him-he doesn''t notice unless something is really wrong.

Besides the stuff I talked about-he never refilled our drinks. That is my biggest pet peeve. And BF had ordered Buffalo Wings for dinner-so he stopped eating them when his drink ran out. At my old restaurant we would get yelled at if any of the managers or head servers walked past our tables and our tables'' glasses were less than half full. If they don''t want to be at work-go home or quit your job-don''t waste my time and P me off.

For the most part though, if they are putting an effort into it-rushing around, new, whatever-we''re forgiving and tip 20%.

AAHHH! I was laughing thinking about your FI passing on the Buffalo Wings because he had no drink! I have the same problem all the time, my FI and I both drink a lot with our meals and neither of us can eat without having a drink at the same time. So the first thing we notice about a server is how well they bring the refills. We instantly fall in love with a server that is quick on the refills. But my biggest pet peeve is at Mexican restaurants when they bring you chips and salsa right away and then you wait forever for the server to come around so you can order drinks and no water on the table. I am a total wimp when it comes to spicy food so I can''t eat anything until I get a drink! Once I couldn''t resist and the salsa was so spicy that my mouth was burning and our server never came! Finally FI had to go up to the bar and get me some water! The funny thing about that was the bartender felt so sorry for us he kept coming over to our table for refills for the rest of the meal. We made sure to stop by the bar and leave him a huge tip on the way out.

 

[OUpearlgirl]

I forget who, but someone asked where the U.S. custom of tipping started? I randomly had this conversation at work tonight, and my coworker told me this.. Years and years and years ago, people would put down a $10 or whatever they felt like before the waiter ever came to their table. It was To Insure Proper Service... Thus they came up with the name "TIPS." So, if someone gave you a $20 bill at the beginning you knew they expected great service. At some point, it switched over to tipping based on how well you served and not how much you expected to earn.

Tonight, my coworker had an elderly gentlemen give him $30 before he took his drink order, so that''s how this all came up. Odd, considering the present thread!

 

[mia1181]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:13:57 AM
Author: blondie23
This is slightly off topic, but I just wanted to add that being a server was the single best job I have ever had. It taught me so much about the human condition. I served at 5 different restaurants over an 8 year period (expensive, national chain, family-owned, etc) and at each restaurant you run into the same types of people. Most people truly don''t realize that being a server is hard work!!! I have had a person throw a porcelon plate at me which gave me a black eye and concussion (and it wasn''t even my table...he ordered a portebello mushroom burger which is the vegetarian option but he thought it came with the burger and the mushroom...i was walking by when he stopped me, grabbed my arm, and threw the plate in my face)...I''ve had some people call me stupid for being a server (i''m like ''thank you very much but I go to an Ivy league school that doesn''t offer scholarships so i have to work jobs like these to pay rent!''), but I have also had people who are wonderful...kind, generous, caring...you see it all. If you want to know a person''s real character, look at how they treat people in service (janitors, servers, etc)...I feel like it tells you a lot....

of course there are always exceptions...if a server is bad then obviously don''t tip (i''m usually a GREAT tipper but if the service is sub-par and it is strictly the server''s fault, I don''t tip as well)

Anyway, sorry for the detour but I just wanted to add that

Blondie- I''m so sorry that happened to you how awful. Once I had a guy yelling at me and pointing his finger in my face calling me the worst insults ever like "retarded" and "worthless". I cried for the rest of my shift. He had every right to be mad because he had been sitting for a while and noone came to his table. His table was not in my section though and in fact was across the restaurant, but I noticed he was sitting there for a while. I went over and asked if anyone had helped him and that''s when he got in my face. I was so scared.

 

[that_someone_special]

A few I''ve been to lately are parties of 6+ are added 18%..

I went on a trip to the bahamas.. LOVELY.. but they added tips on everywhere (fine) then wanted MORE TIPS!! Gotta watch for that.

 

[Rachie]

Date: 6/18/2008 4:36:26 PM
Author: OUpeargirl

Date: 6/18/2008 11:35:27 AM

Author: Delster

Yes I knew about the wages paid to waiting staff being piddling! Lots of my friends on J1''s worked hard for their tips or they wouldn''t be able to eat

Is it an attempt to foster entrepeneurship by keeping labour costs down for employers?

Date: 6/18/2008 11:31:10 AM


Author: OUpeargirl



In the U.S. A server is paid $2.13 an hour, so they make their money off of tips. I know that in Europe and several other places tipping is optional. Also, we claim our tips to the government, so my salary means nothing. My checks come out to $0.00. I assume the waiters are paid closer to $10 an hour in those places where tipping is not common. I don''t know how this came to be or why it has stuck around, but it has!

I don''t follow this?

We have to report our tips when we hand in our cashout. And somehow the better tips you make, the smaller your paycheck is. I don''t really get how it all works either. But, once I started working there a lot my checks came out to $0.00 no matter how many hours I worked.

I am also a server and when it comes to claiming tips, if your company automatically claims your cc tips they are what you pay taxes on. So, if they are more than what you make over a one or two week period with your hourly wage, then you end up with $0.00 check. The restaurant I work for just recently changed computer systems and so it automatically claims the tips and the only time I get a pay check is when I bartend b/c I make $5/hr vs. $2.65/hr when I serve.

I agree that you see people''s true colors in the way that they treat service workers. I work in a middle of the road restaurant and so I see all walks of people and it is amazing how horrible and wonderful people can be. It sucks when you don''t get a good tip, but if the people are at least nice, it''s not as bad.

Blondie ~ I can''t believe that someone did that to you! That is horrible! I had a lady call me a peon (sp?) once b/c we ran out of one of our steak specials one night! Like it''s my fault that so many people had ordered it before her! I didn''t have anything to say except "what?" and gave her a wide-eyed stare. Oh, and it wasn''t even my table.

Meresal: That is so awesome that your co-worker did that!

I have always wanted to do that to one of my tables that left me a crappy tip. I have never had the guts! (Plus, I would get fired)

 

[FrekeChild]

Hee hee hee hee hee...it''s very interesting reading everyone''s stories. I happened to work in the chain that the movie "Waiting..." was based on, and I think my favorite part was where the main character guy got basically screwed on one of his tables and he caught up to him and told him "You need this more than I do." and then the guy got all POed and demanded all kinds of stuff...

BTW the one thing that restaurant was really really good at (at least when I worked there) was their training. Because of that, I go to other restaurants that are similar and the difference is enormous a lot of the time. Which kind of sucks.

Yup. Biggest pet peeve is when I''m thirsty and no one is bothering to refill my drink. And I almost always drink water-so it''s not like it''s hard. I''d prefer that someone leave a pitcher of water at my table if they aren''t going to be around to fill it.

I once heard the philosophy that you should leave a dollar (or 50 cents- can''t remember) for every time the waiter comes to your table or brings you something. I always thought that was an interesting way of thinking about it.

 

[Anna0499]

Here in Indiana I think the norm is more around 15%, with higher tips than that for exceptional service. Maybe that''s just me, but my friends and I usually use that as a basis when determining how much to leave. The cost of living here is not very high compared to other areas of the country so maybe that plays a role. It never fails that whenever I go out to eat we have bad service...not all the time but I would say about 7/10. I try to be polite to the waiter/waitress while making then aware that I am not satisfied with their service (i.e. asking if our food is ready or if we can have a refill), hoping that they will recognize this and shape up. Sadly, most do not.

I don''t agree with the posting/announcing of "bad tippers" because I think it leaves a door open for bad waiters/waitresses to make customers look bad when they might be the problem and do not realize that they can usually affect how much they are tipped simply by smiling more and being more attentive to customers. I know there are a lot of bad tippers but the majority of people will respond to good service with a higher tip. I also wonder if there is any action people can take against the posting of their names in a public forum; I know when I give a waiter my credit card to ring up a bill I do not expect/want them to keep the copy of the receipt and hand it to third parties! Scary thought actually. My mother doesn''t even give her card to waiters in restaurants where she cannot see where they swipe it because she''s afraid her numbers will be written down and stolen. Anyways, I''m going off on a tangent here! I agree with Freke that it''s not exactly the BEST service that will garner a high tip, but the effort and desire to serve customers is what affects my decision.