what''s the fair % for gratuity when dining out ?....

[katrina_33]

Yeah, I think 20% is standard. We''ll tip 25 - 30 or more if we love the person. If it''s anything between 15 - 17% we''re tipping, we''re making a statement that the service wasn''t too good, even if they don''t know it and just think we''re average or below average tippers! ; )

I don''t think we''ve ever tipped a dollar, or below 10% or anything like that- maybe once we have - can''t remember for sure, but only would do in the case of really insultingly bad treatment, like a major screw up with no apology or something.

 

[MelissaSue]

I am a veteran server.. started when I was 18.. NOTHING LESS THAN 15% is fair unless the service is absolutely awful.. and no.. your food being bad is NOT the servers fault... it is also usually not the servers fault if the food TAKES a long time..

When I go out I almost always tip over 20%.. where i work though, I am thrilled to get 20%.. its somewhat of a rarity (and no its not because i suck.. its just the way it is!)

And servers are NOT paid minimum wage.. their minimum wage is a completely DIFFERENT AMOUNT. Minimum wage is $6 and our wage is $3.86.. that is basically just so they have a paycheck to take our taxes out of. I work 3-4 days a week (Around 20 hours usually) and my weekly paycheck is usually somewhere between $10-$25 dollars, depending on how much tips I declared that week.. lets just say that $10 a week isn''t going to pay many bills! I really feel that a lot of people don''t understand that...

 

[diane5006]

Hi Ho all thought I would chime in here...having waited tables before...and I do disagree with clammer...waiting tables is hard...being a good waitertress is even harder...I suspect that at some of the 'chain' resturants where they have suffiecient staff (other people to actually bring out your food for you) it might be different...admittedly it not brain surgery...but it is still hard work

Justy a note about wages

The fedral minimum wage states "tipped employees may be paid $2.13 per hour here is the link as well as anothe one with state info

Some places pay more but if you are a tipped employee you don't get full min wage

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whd_fs.pdf

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm

and you are also supposed to pay taxes on a as well..on a portion of it (it used to be 8% of you total food sales...may have changed)

 

[windy1365]

I don''t think you should have to tip more than $2 at a Chinese buffet. All they do is bring your drinks out one, and they usually forget to even bring you napkins!

We hardly ever go out to eat... but when we do, my fiancee is a really good tipper... at least 20%. I don''t think you should have to tip at all if the service is awful.

 

[jadeleaves]

Over here in Melbourne (and perhaps Australia in general), there isn''t a huge tipping culture. Most waitstaff gets paid prob in between $15-$25/hr depending on where you work. Sometimes they get paid cash in hand (dodgy!), but that''ll be at least $10 an hour.

I tend to tip at least 10%, and more for good service! This sounds little compared to you guys in the U.S

 

[Mara]

There have been times when also we paid more like 25-30% tip depending on the service, or if we REALLY liked a server. I have often thought that if you worked at a busy, popular restaurant like a Nola''s where entrees are about 15-20 and people drink alot and are quickly shuffled in and out on a busy night, you could make a killing...aka we get seated, an app, two soups/salads, two entrees, a few glasses of wine, a dessert and two coffees within an hour and a half and we leave something like a $18 tip on a $85 bill and we are only one table of about 10-15 that someone is servicing...they would make alot of money by the end of the night in tips. Esp if the wait is an hour starting at 7 and going til 11. Sure you''d be dead tired but if you like the job then it seems as though there are ways to make good money, esp in a restaurant heavy city or area like SF Bay.

That said I would never waitress, I do not have the patience to deal with the public...so if we get a very good server who is friendly, I really appreciate it and we tip accordingly. On the same hand, bad servers drive me nuts...sure it''s not their fault if food is slow but at least check in from time to time so we can ask about it or give me an update. I also hate being ignored if someone is busy, again at least acknowledge your tables...(sorry...small pet peeves!) However I can never really bring myself to leave less than 15%...there may have been a time or two when it was more like 12% but I feel so guilty even if the server was horrible and rude etc. It''s like bad karma!!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The cost of fine dining in USA is very high for us Aussies.
A 10% tip here or anywhere else in the world is considered very generous.

So with your high prices, the tip is sometimes more than we would pay for the entire meal in Australia.

BTW i asked 1 of my best friends for some food tips in Washington - he travels there a lot and lived there for a year or 2 - he said "I can not recomend any resaraunts in USA, I can give you some names, but no recomendations". He gives me great places in every other country, but sadly you guys get a really raw deal in dining out; and then you are expected to pay tips that must surely add up to more than waiters total pays?

I mean are you really telling me that 20% on top of the bill all goes to the staff? Or is that all they get?

And while I am moaning - those guys that open the car doors in Vegas

 

[Kaili]

In different countries, as I understand it, "service charge" is already factored into the bill, so tips aren''t as high.

Mara: I agree, even if a server is busy or if the food is taking too long, the server should at least check in- say "I''ll be right with you" or update you on the timing of the food. When I''m dining, I can understand if the kitchen is slammed and taking longer than expected, but just communicate with me. Also, being acknowledged by a busy server at least makes you feel like you aren''t being ignored or forgotten.

Gary: A server makes a percentage in tips off of the total bill, but then he/ she has to pay from those tips the bartender, the food runner, the hostess/ maitre d'', the bussers, the dishwasher (in some cases), and in a sushi restaurant the chef. In my experience, I have always had to pay out 50% of the tips that I make. If I brought in $100.00 in tips, I would actually take home $50.00. Servers are taxed on a certain percent of their sales. If they don''t make that percentage, they are taxed on it anyway because the government assumes that you are at least making a standard percentage. Many restaurant owners rely on the servers'' tips to the other staff, so they don''t have to pay higher wages. It is, however, illegal for owners/ managers to take tips from staff for themselves.

Serving isn''t highly intellectual, but it is physically and emotionally draining, and in some cases does demand a strong knowledge of food and wine (which is an entire culture unto itself). Those are the trade offs for the flexibility and instant cash from the job.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Thanks for the low down Kali.
No we do not have service charges included. And we do not have divisions of duties.
In most places the waiter is the waiter. We never had slaves in Australia, so we never had under classes, lower classes, middle classes and maitre d''''s. Just waiters.
And it is very likely they are your best firends student children, and they might stop off to discuss world politics etc during a quiet moment. (We really do have a lucky country). The waiter might expect to make around 20% max of their salary in tips. So what I do not get is how come staff do not get paid much in food houses in USA?
Surely Adam Smith would make competiton work and restaraunt prices would fall so low that there would be an over supply of excellent good value restaraunts?

 

[clammer]

Kaili - I'm sorry if I offended you. If you read the next sentence it said except for dealing with the people. I may have misspoke when I said it was not hard I was impling that as a waitress you know what you are supposed to do: Give great service with a smile even when you don't feel like smiling. There are no major decisions of how to do it, you just do it. When I get crappy or rude service I know there is no excuse for it. I'm not heartless. I understand if it is busy or understaffed and I take consideration, but when I have to wait 10 minutes to get my drink I ordered I know there is no excuse because I've waitressed.

edit:
OK - I've been trying to figure out how to word what I meant. Waitressing is hard. It is a pain in the butt to deal with all of the b.s. The concepts that make a good waitress are not (or should not) be hard to grasp. This is what I did as a waitress and this is what I expect (and I think most people expect)

1) Don't act like you're doing me a favor by bringing me my food
2) After you bring me my food and after I take a few bites come and make sure everything is ok
3) if my food is taking a long time come and tell me why. Don't leave me sitting there for 45 minutes wondering
4) If my glass is almost empty ask me if I want another drink.
5) When I'm done bring me my check, and let me know you'll take it up when "I'm" ready
6) When you're getting the stare (anyone that's waitressed before knows what I'm talking about) come and see what I want. Don't try to avoid eye contact .

If you do this you're guarenteed at least 20%. If I'm a pain, we're sitting there for an extended period of time, or you go above-and-beyond I'll leave more.

 

[fire&ice]

Usually, we tip at least 20% - even if our bar bill exceeds our food bill - darn great Barolo''s in Italian restaurants. If our service is bad, I figure 15% down to the penny. If it is really bad, I ask for a different server - usually upfront. Nothing is worse than bad service. That is why we reward good service. We have a couple of restaurants where we ask for a specific server. They remember your preferences.

As far as taxi cabs - I tip big on the one''s who know their way around the city to avoid grid lock (sometimes going around their butt to get to their elbox - but often it''s less expensive a ride in quicker time) - at least 20% if we hire a driver.

I''m confused on how much to tip at the hair salon. My stylist owns the place. Do I still tip? This is probably the only place where I would consider myself cheap. My haircut is a no brainer. It takes her less than 1/2 hour. Sometimes I don''t even want to be blown out. Yet, I pay $45.00. I resent having to pay a tip. Could someone how has worked in a hair salon clue me in - don''t they pay an hourly wage?

I tend to tip everyone else. The maid in a hotel. The news carrier. I give a present to my mailman yearly.

 

[Dancing Fire]

WOW!!! there're some very generous people here,25-30% tip? i guess i'm about avg 15-20% but it really adds up because,i go out for lunch 7 days a week,for dinner 3 x a week.


here's a funny story.....when i first came to the U.S. in 1966 i was 7 yrs old my grandpa gave me a dollar and left me at woolworth dime store, they had a little coffee shop inside,before grandpa left he order a banana split for me because i didn't speak "any english" he told me ,when you finish your ice cream just wait here. he said;i have to go do some shopping across the street i'll be back about 30 minutes. meanwhile i finished my banana split and the waitress gives me the tap,i think it was 51 cents so i gave her my dollar she comes back with the change and i said "keep the change" (i didn't know what it mean) and this waitress jaw fell to the floor

she must of think i'm crazy this little kid giving me a 49 cents tip

... now,this was 1966. i hear customers saying "keep the change" alot times because my grandpa owned a restaurant,so i thought that's what i suppose to say when the waitress brings back the change.anyway i was a big tipper at one time.

 

[Kaili]

Gary: "And it is very likely they are your best firends student children, and they might stop off to discuss world politics etc during a quiet moment. " That is what I loved about working in restaurants in LA... So many servers were supporting themselves while going to school or pursuing artistic dreams. It wasn''t abnormal for my fellow servers to be PHD Candidates or brilliant artists with Ivy League educations. Made for a great work environment!

Clammer: No offense taken at all!

I just had a different take on the experience. I agree that there is a certain basic job description for servers and there is no excuse for rude service. It does not take a college education to be a server, but it does take a specific skill set and saavy to be a good server in a busy restaurant. Not everyone is cut out for the job- nor do they want to be

 

[MelissaSue]

Date: 4/14/2005 10:26

7 AM
Author: fire&ice
Usually, we tip at least 20% - even if our bar bill exceeds our food bill - darn great Barolo''s in Italian restaurants. If our service is bad, I figure 15% down to the penny. If it is really bad, I ask for a different server - usually upfront. Nothing is worse than bad service. That is why we reward good service. We have a couple of restaurants where we ask for a specific server. They remember your preferences.

As far as taxi cabs - I tip big on the one''s who know their way around the city to avoid grid lock (sometimes going around their butt to get to their elbox - but often it''s less expensive a ride in quicker time) - at least 20% if we hire a driver.

I''m confused on how much to tip at the hair salon. My stylist owns the place. Do I still tip? This is probably the only place where I would consider myself cheap. My haircut is a no brainer. It takes her less than 1/2 hour. Sometimes I don''t even want to be blown out. Yet, I pay $45.00. I resent having to pay a tip. Could someone how has worked in a hair salon clue me in - don''t they pay an hourly wage?

I tend to tip everyone else. The maid in a hotel. The news carrier. I give a present to my mailman yearly.

That reminds me too.. about the bar bill/ food bill thing.. We ALSO HAVE TO GIVE A PORTION OF OUR TIPS TO THE BAR TENDERS!! So i don''t see why there should be any distinguishing between food/drink as far as your bill goes for a server.

 

[MissAva]

I waited tables in hs and was paid 2$/hr but I think I was tipped bassed on how well I did. Tip whatever amount you think is deserved. Our bosses know hwo much we get tipped and assign the better tipped girls (guys too!) to the busier shifts becuase that means they are doing better on everage and thus peopl who eat there are enjoying better service. I alwasy rounf up to the dollar and really depends on the service I received. I drink a TON of water or unsweet and will often want a refill if the restuarant isnt busy and you dont come to check on drinks that is really annoying to me and I will drop the amount you are tipped, or if you ge the order wrong. tip how much you feel like you can afford, you waitstaff if not going to want to avoid you next time becasue you didnt leave them an 8$ tip for a 30$ meal.

 

[Iceman]

I know Im going to get zinged for this but, why do we have to suppliment their income when the owner is making all the money ? I never understood tipping. If the job does not pay well enough find another. To many people out there give you bad service because they know you will tip anyway. Over the years I have rethought the hole concept.

Sorry , just thinking outside of the box.


Corey J.

P.S. I have been known to give out $100 tips

 

[heart prongs]

I was a damn good waitress in my day (college and right after) and I used to tip WAY too much. But...I have to say that in general, the quality of service in many nice restaurants has gone downhill in the past, say, decade...

When I worked as a bartender and as a waitress, I was always very aware of my customers...I could read them from the start, and I''d take my cues on what kind of service they wanted that day or night. That doesn''t seem to happen so much today. Servers rarely say "I''ll be right with you." Nor do they often ask you if you''d like another drink in a timely manner. That''s dumb b/c it would up the check, resulting in more tips for them. Also, they don''t always realize that you should be really nice to the customers since that''s who''s going to decide whether their tip is 15 or 25 %. As I said, I used to overtip, now I only do it if I get good service!

Pet peeves about customers...

They know you''re busy, but they insist on letting "little Jimmy" take 10 minutes to order his chicken fingers.

Again, they see you''re running around like crazy and they want to order. When you get there, there still deciding what they want

You tell them that you have italian, caesar, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and they ask if you have blue cheese...Yeah, I was saving that for myself for later!

 

[Kaili]

Date: 4/14/2005 4:44:54 PM
Author: Iceman
I know Im going to get zinged for this but, why do we have to suppliment their income when the owner is making all the money ? I never understood tipping. If the job does not pay well enough find another. To many people out there give you bad service because they know you will tip anyway. Over the years I have rethought the hole concept.

Sorry , just thinking outside of the box.


Corey J.

P.S. I have been known to give out $100 tips

Actually, no zing from me. You are right- it is ridiculous that the owners use the servers'' tips to supplement the income of other employess when it is their business. Restaurant employees complain about that all of the time. Doesn''t seem right.

If the job doesn''t pay well enough, then people would find other means of income, but it is like anything else- You get the kind of employees that you pay for. Have you ever gone into a store where minimum wage employees work? In my experience of these types of places, I don''t usually get good service if I get any service at all... Salesperson chatting on the phone to a friend, staring at you with a blank look when your hands are full, having no knowledge of the products being sold. I''ve even seen it in department stores- less staff on the floors who are handling multiple departments, long check out lines, etc. They can''t afford to staff for proper service.

I do agree too that you should not tip higher than average if a server is giving bad or rude service. If you did, then there would be no incentive for the server to perform well. There is no excuse for a rude person in the customer service industry, and it reflects poorly on the business.

 

[Jennifer5973]

Poor service = 10-15%
Good/expected service = 15%
Very good service = 20%
Exceptional service = 25-30% and up

Once, a waitress hit my husband in the head with a heavy dinner plate, failed to apologize and cursed the whole night at us. Her response to "Um, I'm sorry but I ordered the flounder, not the calamari..." was "oh, f*ck.". She got nothing.

I've had special dinners where the waitperson just made the evening for us. They deserve a very generous gratuity. Plus, my feeling is that if I have it, spread it where deserved. Someday I may not have it to give.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/14/2005 9:20:53 PM
Author: Jennifer5973

. Plus, my feeling is that if I have it, spread it where deserved. Someday I may not have it to give.

hey Jenn

make sure you spread some of those diamonds my way,i deserve it.

 

[ame]

My fiance and I were servers for a while, and we start at 20% and go up or down from there. We have given a 50% tip before and I have been so angry and disappointed that I have left a nickel. If they are ok but slow, 15% but if they are exceptional like the girl we had at Pietro''s a few weeks back...50%

 

[yellowfan]

Love Pietros!!!! So good!

 

[mightyred]

Date: 4/16/2005 12:31:30 AM
Author: ame
My fiance and I were servers for a while, and we start at 20% and go up or down from there. We have given a 50% tip before and I have been so angry and disappointed that I have left a nickel. If they are ok but slow, 15% but if they are exceptional like the girl we had at Pietro''s a few weeks back...50%

I was a server once too (very briefly while on a working holiday in Australia...I was too accident prone so thank god I didn''t rely on tips!) and I am in your camp Ame when it comes to tipping. Each experience decides the tip but average around 20% and go up or down from there.

 

[ame]

Date: 4/16/2005 8:36:26 PM
Author: yellowfan
Love Pietros!!!! So good!

It was up against Favazza''s for the RD but we went with Favazza''s because it''s RIGHT by Tower Grove

 

[callista]

I use to work at Outback and this guy use to ask whoever was serving him to cut up his food. I am not making this up. I would smile and cut it up, but seriously if he couldn’t figure out how to cut up his own food I really don’t think he should be going out to eat. He was a terrible tipper by the way.

Clammer

Why would you cut someone''s food up, especially if you got a crappy tip?! I''ve worked in the restaurant business since I was 12, and I''m 29 now. I was a server for 6 plus years and am now a Manager. I would NEVER expect one of my servers to cut a guest''s food up, but if the server wanted to do so, then so be it. If the guest threw a fit, I would kindly tell them in such a way that this would be unsanitary and we just do do that. If the person couldn''t handle it, I would politely tell them that I''m sorry they feel that way and eloquently say to go eat somewhere else that cuts up food for their guests. I don''t believe this guy was handicapped, besause he was able to pu the food in his mouth, right? Some people are just plain crazy or want to see just how far they can push you to do what they want. That''s the thing with restaurants. Some people go in to restaurants knowing that we have this thing where supposedly the guest is always right. And they like to abuse that fact. I have had so many weird any crazy incidents at the places I''ve worked and managed at that I''ve learned how to say, in a very professional and polite manner that you can''t pull a fast one on me and I''ll kick you out so fast and go tell your friends how crappy we are, when we are not, because I believe the people you hang out are a reflection of your personality and frankly we don''t need more crazies like you dining here! Oh the stories I could tell you all!!!!

 

[callista]

And just to add, although I know it has been cleared up, waiting tables is so messy, dirty, sweaty, stressful and really damn hard at times to do, especially if you are short (hard to reach stuff) and not someowhat fit. It really isn''t a job for everyone.

But it''s easy cash and is a good workout!

Also on another note, some resaurants, depending on location and clientele, will make more or less in tips. I worked as a sever in a chain restaurant at two different loactions and the tipping difference was MASSIVE! They were both in malls too. The only difference was location and one had a mall entrance. Well, also, one mall was more high end than the other one. The differences was in hundreds of dollars, like 3 vs. 5 or 6 with the same amount of hours worked and similar shifts.

 

[ringbling17]

Living here in NY, I tend to just double the tax, which is 8.65%, so on average I tip 17% to 20%, but I always round off to the nearest dollar.
If the service is exceptional, then I may tip up to 35%, but that is unusual for me.
My husband says that I tip too much sometimes, especially if the service was bad, but I never tip less than the 17%.
I do notice that if we go out the eat and the bill is really cheap($15), then I tend to give more of a tip. Example, the bill is $15 so I will give give a $5 tip.

On the otherhand, if I go to the salon, I tend to overtip, example- $5 for a $10 manicure, or $20 to $25 for a full set of wraps($50). I recently got my hair done- cut, color and blow, and it cost me $80, and I tipped the assistant $15, the hairdresser $20.

 

[Mara]

kayla i am the same way on a low-cost bill...

re salons and things like massages etc..it''s hard for me to even want to tip 20%, esp since prices are almost always SO HIGH! aka a cut and full highlight costs me about $160 so add 20% on top of that? UGH! and same with a massage, a 1 hour massage is about $120, so another $25 just for the tip? what part of the actual massage REALLY COSTS $120??

it''s funny and i still do 15-20% on salons and massages (though i heard the min is 20%) but i don''t love it. at the nail salon though, i have no problem paying about 25%-- maybe because i know what i put the girls through re: french manicure perfection.

 

[ringbling17]

Mara,
I think part of the reason why I tend to overtip at the nail salon is because I used to work as a manicurist, so I know what it feels like to get a lousy tip sometimes.

I justify the larger tip for my hair because I only get it done once every 4 to 5 months, so my hairstylist hardly ever sees me!

My husband gets his hair cut every 2 weeks and he gives his barber $3 for a $12 cut.