how much tips?

[phoenixgirl]

Thing2of2, you just reminded me of something I''d forgotten. The realtor wife of a close friend of DH''s who I was complaining about in the Pampered Chef thread (made me go to those parties and buy crap, then "broke up" with us anyway when we didn''t use her as our realtor . . . the kicker is that DH told her husband we were buying with someone else, and he didn''t have the balls to tell his wife and then pretended not to know already when she found out through the grapevine . . . if he''d been honest, I bet we''d still be friends, albeit with a high maintenance leach). Anyway, the last time we all went out to eat, their food cost was at least $10, not including 10% tax or any tip, and she said, "Oh, we only had the soup" (um, yeah, and a drink) and left $8.

 

[Lauren8211]

I waited tables and worked in restaurants for years, so I''m a good tipper.

20% minimum for me for average service. You have to be REALLY bad for me to give 15. Usually 25-30% if I was impressed by you.

By impressed I mean, don''t make me ask for drink refills. That''s my pet peeve. You should NEVER have to ask!

 

[Haven]

Typically 20% of the bill before tax.
More if the service is great, less if it''s disappointing.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 8/17/2008 8:48:42 AM
Author: phoenixgirl
Thing2of2, you just reminded me of something I''d forgotten. The realtor wife of a close friend of DH''s who I was complaining about in the Pampered Chef thread (made me go to those parties and buy crap, then ''broke up'' with us anyway when we didn''t use her as our realtor . . . the kicker is that DH told her husband we were buying with someone else, and he didn''t have the balls to tell his wife and then pretended not to know already when she found out through the grapevine . . . if he''d been honest, I bet we''d still be friends, albeit with a high maintenance leach). Anyway, the last time we all went out to eat, their food cost was at least $10, not including 10% tax or any tip, and she said, ''Oh, we only had the soup'' (um, yeah, and a drink) and left $8.

That''s exactly the type of person I HATE to go out with! I''ve gotten to the point where I just call people out and say "That''s not enough-you need to give X more dollars for tax and tip."

 

[meresal]

Date: 8/16/2008 11:39:40 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
I tip 20% unless the service is lacking. Well, I might be just under 20% for normal service to get to the closest dollar. I''d be sure tip at least 20% at a nice dinner place.

I think once I tipped 11% for the worst service ever and a lame, incoherent apology from the server that did more damage than damage control.

I''d tip 22-25% for really good service.

In my area (VA) and circle, it''s passe to tip only 15%. My sister has a friend who always loudly declares that you don''t tip on drinks or tax before leaving precisely 15% on just the food, so my sister always has to sneak back and leave more tip for the both of them. I understand the idea of not tipping more because you got the $80 bottle of wine instead of the $28 bottle (same cost for them to open and pour), but I don''t understand deciding that you don''t have to tip at all for the alcohol.

Of course, norms vary from place to place. In France you only leave a Euro or two no matter what the bill is.

Phoenix, there was a thread on this quite a while ago, and it became well known that in the US the hourly pay (apprx. $2.50/hr) is far less that the hourly average rate that some European countries pay. If our waiters/waitresses made upwards of $10/hour then I would assume that our tipping would reflect that as well.

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 8/17/2008 9:48:02 AM
Author: elledizzy5
I waited tables and worked in restaurants for years, so I''m a good tipper.

20% minimum for me for average service. You have to be REALLY bad for me to give 15. Usually 25-30% if I was impressed by you.

By impressed I mean, don''t make me ask for drink refills. That''s my pet peeve. You should NEVER have to ask!

Our "thing" is bread - we are big bread eaters so all through growing up I would hear my parents be horrified if they had to ask for it or for them to bring more. You don''t leave a table of Argentineans w/o bread haha

Part of the reason I tip well is because when we moved to the US, my dad worked as a waiter for many many years, and so did my uncle. They then opened up a restaurant (which they just sold not to long ago so they''re retired now

) but when you''re in the restaurant business you are just so aware of how hard these people work.

I''ll also add that I''ll forgive bad service much quicker than I will forgive rudeness. Especially if the bad service comes from the person just clearly not knowing what they''re doing (i.e., overwhelmed), as opposed to not caring.

 

[Honestly]

I always give 20 but in the US 15 is customery. the easiest way is to double the tax (comes to about 16%)

 

[loriken214]

I always tip well and leave extra. My DH used to leave the bare minimum, but now he leaves extra, too.

Lori

 

[MMT]

I usually give 20% unless the service is really bad. I''m in Va.