how much tips?

[lovegem]

Hi guys, just wondering how much tips is normal for a dinner in US? I usually give 12% in Canada.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Depends on the service. If the service is horrible, the tip gets smaller, but great service deserves a bigger tip. I would say, for normal quality service, 12% to 15% is fine.

DH thinks I always tip too much, though, so maybe I''m not the right person to answer this! LOL!

 

[Shoopy]

Typically between 15 to 18% depending on the restaurant.

My FI and I spent years in the restaurant industry so we are generous with tips (those guys bust their behinds). But standard is 15% for restaurants like TGI Fridays or 18% for higher end restaurants.

 

[curlygirl]

I generally give 20%, more if the service is exceptional.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i ask the same Q before. we have some BIG tippers here on PS. i wouldn''t mind being their waiter.

 

[neatfreak]

I almost always give 20% unless the person is really a horrible server. I still tip, but I''ll only give 15%. But you have to be pretty bad for me to notice and reduce the tip...

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 8/16/2008 8:35:48 PM
Author: curlygirl
I generally give 20%, more if the service is exceptional.

Same here...

ETA: I kind of do the same thing neatfreak does, though...if person is rude, etc., I tip less (15%, a little more, depending on situation)...I never ever used to do that, I would tip 20% no matter what...but as I get older I've come to realize / feel that I work hard for my $ and although I don't expect perfection there is no reason to tip the same for really bad service/rudeness.

 

[purrfectpear]

I overtip (like $5 on a $12 bill) at coffeeshops because I figure the person waiting there probably needs the money

At finer restaurants I tip around 15%. I realize that both waiters are working as hard as each other, but I also know that a waiter at a high end place will make $200-$300 a night or more.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

18-20%..unless the person is pretty horrible..then we may do 15%.

 

[iheartscience]

The norm in the U.S. is 15-20%. I usually do 20% unless the service is terrible. Then I''ll do 10-15%. It''s hard for me to tip poorly for poor service, but when it''s truly horrible I do it!

 

[AprilBaby]

Usually 20% unless the service is terrible...then 10%.

 

[princesss]

Same!

 

[meresal]

20%, and 10% if it''s horrible.

However, at bars we usually tip more, especially if we know the bartender.

 

[vslover]

We give a minimum of 20%

 

[princesss]

Date: 8/16/2008 9:20:59 PM
Author: princesss
Same!

Definitely meant to quote the post above me.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 8/16/2008 9:39:15 PM
Author: vslover
We give a minimum of 20%

Miss vslover are you ready to order yet?

 

[icekid]

We average 20% also, less for less than stellar service...

 

[somethingshiny]

I always give 20% or more if we''ve had good service. For bad service, I leave 10%.

 

[littlelysser]

I waited tables at a country club for two years before I went to law school.

I usually tip 25-30%. Being a server is HARD. I remember how much a good tip meant to me.

The only time I tip below 20% is if the server is just plain rude. Which is really really rare.

 

[little miss sunshine]

Like others, 20% normally, and a bit more for excellent service.... I know I am a "big" tipper, whenever I am out with co-workers I always cringe at what they want to leave, but luckily it''s never restaurants I frequent... I do find that I tip more at places I go often, rather than a restaurant I might eat at once, i.e on vacation or something... My brother and sister both have worked in food service and I know how it would make their nights to get good tips and be a bummer when they didn''t - most restaurants pay servers extremely low wages and they depend on tips.

 

[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.

 

[CJ2008]

Do you guys ever tip more than 20% just because you "like" someone? Or there''s something about them that "touches" you somehow? We do...

I never know what it''s going to be...sometimes it''s a young kid who''s just funny, or a much older lady...or a young person who''s working hard on a Saturday night...

 

[littlelysser]

Date: 8/16/2008 11:33:19 PM
Author: little miss sunshine
Like others, 20% normally, and a bit more for excellent service.... I know I am a ''big'' tipper, whenever I am out with co-workers I always cringe at what they want to leave, but luckily it''s never restaurants I frequent... I do find that I tip more at places I go often, rather than a restaurant I might eat at once, i.e on vacation or something... My brother and sister both have worked in food service and I know how it would make their nights to get good tips and be a bummer when they didn''t - most restaurants pay servers extremely low wages and they depend on tips.

We also tend to tip better at places we often frequent. And we often get a free appetizer, desert, something. Servers really remember the folks that tip well.

I know that when I waited tables I always tried to give better service to the regulars who tipped generously...and avoided the cheapskates like the PLAGUE.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 8/16/2008 11:33:19 PM
Author: little miss sunshine
Like others, 20% normally, and a bit more for excellent service.... I know I am a ''big'' tipper, whenever I am out with co-workers I always cringe at what they want to leave, but luckily it''s never restaurants I frequent... I do find that I tip more at places I go often, rather than a restaurant I might eat at once, i.e on vacation or something... My brother and sister both have worked in food service and I know how it would make their nights to get good tips and be a bummer when they didn''t - most restaurants pay servers extremely low wages and they depend on tips.

I''m with you, lms-I HATE eating out with people who leave crappy tips! Where I live, food tax is very high and if we''re splitting the bill ourselves people always manage to forget about the tax and end up leaving like a 10% tip. So cheap and embarassing! And I always end up making up the difference!

There are actually a few people I''ve been out with who NEVER give enough money for tip or even their food sometimes, so now I refuse to go out with them.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/16/2008 11:51:12 PM
Author: claudinam
Do you guys ever tip more than 20% just because you ''like'' someone? Or there''s something about them that ''touches'' you somehow? We do...


I never know what it''s going to be...sometimes it''s a young kid who''s just funny, or a much older lady...or a young person who''s working hard on a Saturday night...

We TOTALLY do this. If we really like a server for some reason, any reason, we will often leave more than 20%. Especially if its not an expensive restaurant.

It''s interesting to me that many people seem to leave higher percentages at "nice" restaurants. I actually think we do the opposite! We''re much more likely to leave 25-50% on a $10-30 bill than we are on an $80 bill!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 8/17/2008 12:07:54 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/16/2008 11:51:12 PM
Author: claudinam
Do you guys ever tip more than 20% just because you ''like'' someone? Or there''s something about them that ''touches'' you somehow? We do...


I never know what it''s going to be...sometimes it''s a young kid who''s just funny, or a much older lady...or a young person who''s working hard on a Saturday night...

We TOTALLY do this. If we really like a server for some reason, any reason, we will often leave more than 20%. Especially if its not an expensive restaurant.

It''s interesting to me that many people seem to leave higher percentages at ''nice'' restaurants. I actually think we do the opposite! We''re much more likely to leave 25-50% on a $10-30 bill than we are on an $80 bill!

I do this too! I almost always leave at least 20%, unless the service is really bad, but I''ll leave more than 20% if the service was excellent, or if I really just like the server for some reason. DH is NOT a very big tipper, so I usually have to argue with him about it, though.

 

[Rachie]

We also tend to tip better at places we often frequent. And we often get a free appetizer, desert, something. Servers really remember the folks that tip well.


I know that when I waited tables I always tried to give better service to the regulars who tipped generously...and avoided the cheapskates like the PLAGUE.

[/quote]

This is so true! For my regulars that not only tip well, but are just nice people, I try to do what I can to get them a free beer, soup, dessert, etc. Even if they just leave the standard 20%, I like to do something for them. For those that come in all the time and still leave a crappy tip, I don't do anything extra b/c I know that it won't matter.

Unless your service is really horrible, I don't see a reason to leave less than 18-20%. If you can't afford to tip, then don't go out to eat. I know that may seem harsh but for the work that goes into serving, the hourly wage is horrible (I get $2.65/hr) and so tips are what I pay my bills with (along with what I tip out bussers, food runners, and bartenders with).

ETA: That is supposed to be a quote from littlelysser. I cut off too much of the quote. oops!

 

[lovegem]

Date: 8/17/2008 1:05:24 AM
Author: Rachie



Unless your service is really horrible, I don't see a reason to leave less than 18-20%. If you can't afford to tip, then don't go out to eat. I know that may seem harsh but for the work that goes into serving, the hourly wage is horrible (I get $2.65/hr) and so tips are what I pay my bills with (along with what I tip out bussers, food runners, and bartenders with).

I am afraid without those cheap tippers many restaurants would have been closed. Then we wouldn't have to discuss about how much tips to give.

 

[karencluff]

I have served tables for seven years - and still do part time at a fine dining resteraunt at a local ski resort - even though I have a "career" job now.

Tipping 20% is much more standard than it used to be. Poor service certainly deserves a lesser tip but 20 should be a starting point with more for exceptional service.

I live in Utah and servers only make 2.15 an hour (which basically goes all to taxes). So the tip is pretty much ALL they are making. It is also important to remember that a server typically tips out 20 - 35 % of their tips to the bussers, bartenders and hostess. Sometimes even the cooks get a piece.

 

[absolut_blonde]

15-20%. So basically, triple or quadruple the GST now that it''s 5%. What I do specifically depends on the service.