Tipping Question (Those Are Always Fun, Right?)

[sonnyjane]

I consider myself to be a good tipper at restaurants, primarily because I used to work in one, but last night while out at a wine bar with a friend of mine, I realized that I'm not sure how to tip in this particular situation:

I frequently go to this particular wine bar for Happy Hour. It is one of those wine bars that has wine "vending machines". You go to the counter, put money on a card, then use the card to pour your own glasses of wine from the machines. They also offer food at this wine bar, but to order, you walk up to the bar and place the order yourself. They bring it out to you and take your plate away when done, but that's the extent of "service" you receive if you order food. They even have a pitcher of water at the front where you fill your own glass. It's very self-service.

Here's a breakdown of my bill last night:

Wine Card: $20
Food: $17

20% of the entire bill would be $7.40
20% of the food portion alone would be $3.40

I left $5, figuring I should really only tip on food, since the wine part was me doing all the work, but my friend said she thought you should tip based on the total of everything. I'm not opposed to increasing the amount I tip, I just was curious what you guys thought was appropriate? Would you tip on your entire bill, or just on the part that involved receiving service?

 

[Karl_K]

This is semi-fast food so many people don't tip.
At least around here that is the case.
I would have left a five and called it good.

 

[AmeliaG]

I left $5, figuring I should really only tip on food, since the wine part was me doing all the work, but my friend said she thought you should tip based on the total of everything. I'm not opposed to increasing the amount I tip, I just was curious what you guys thought was appropriate? Would you tip on your entire bill, or just on the part that involved receiving service?

I would have done the same as you. Tipping is for service and the only portion for which you received service was the food portion.

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks you two. I just wanted to make sure I was on the right page, as I go to this place often and didn't want to be "that girl" lol.

 

[AmeliaG]

Places like this don't make it easy for customers to figure it out. I never understand why places like this don't just do away with servers altogether and make everything self-service.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I think $5 is totally sufficient in this scenario. And this is coming from a chronic over-tipper!

 

[rubybeth]

Eh, this sounds more like a Chipotle or Noodles & Co. type of establishment, and I don't tip at those places. I mean, maybe a couple dollars at most, I think $5 is kind of excessive for bringing you a plate and then taking it away, but if you want to be a good tipper, then I think you've definitely achieved that with a $5.

 

[Anastasia]

I think $5 was perfect. They really didn't do much for you, but I would have a hard time leaving less than $5. (I am guilty, like DeeJay, of being an overtipper!) I agree that this type of establishment makes it really hard to figure out what to do.

 

[VRBeauty]

I think $5 was generous. Usually these counter order type places have a tip jar. I tend to leave $1.00 to $1.50 per $10 of the order total, which includes tax...

 

[kenny]

As the tip-worthy percentage of the service becomes more vague the tip percentage becomes more vague.

For that reason customers who tip a smaller or larger amount on the same meal should feel no guilt.

 

[Dancing Fire]

your a generous tipper..

 

[sonnyjane]

I think $5 was generous. Usually these counter order type places have a tip jar. I tend to leave $1.00 to $1.50 per $10 of the order total, which includes tax...

It's a bit fancier than that... leather chairs, high-top tables, candles, art on the walls... it's technically a "lounge".

 

[zoebartlett]

I've never heard of this kind of wine bar before. I see your point, sonny (and others) and I don't disagree with it, but I think I probably would have tipped based on the total bill and not just the food. Maybe. I think...

 

[Missy]

Yanno, I am a very generous tipper but this kind of thing annoys me. I like tipping for good service but I resent tipping for no service! I have never been to this type of establishment so I cannot for sure say what I would do in this circumstance but I find it annoying if tips are expected for self serve. There are all these self serve yogurt places around and I just go where there is full service and tip. If I was to go to a self serve place then I don't think I would tip on the self serve part. It's getting a bit out of hand to expect tips for no service IMO.

I think you were a good tipper under these circumstances so no worries.

 

[amc80]

I've been to a place like you're describing. If you went and got no food, wine only, would you tip? I wouldn't think so, since there's no person providing you with any sort of service. When buying food in addition to the wine, I'd use the same logic.

 

[sonnyjane]

I've been to a place like you're describing. If you went and got no food, wine only, would you tip? I wouldn't think so, since there's no person providing you with any sort of service. When buying food in addition to the wine, I'd use the same logic.

Ha come to think of it, I think I've always ordered at least SOMETHING to eat there lol. If I didn't, then no, I don't think I'd leave anything.

 

[mary poppins]

I think you did the right thing. Tips are for service. There was some service (minimal, really) for the food and none for the wine. I also think you were generous in light of the food total and level of service provided.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

You were generous in my opinion. I go to restauants for a buffet meal. I get my own food and a busboy (are there busgirls?)comes along to ask what you want to drink--soft drinks. We usually have one soda ande thats it. We saw him once and I leave two dollars. Some say thanks, and then I wonder if i had to leave a tip.

I have a case about tipping. My friend and I went on a prepaid vacation to New Orleans. The travel company combined classes on New Orleans history with trips to neat places there. The brochure says all meals are covered and all gratuties are covered in the trip fees. We go to the New Orleans restaurant scene and the first night my friend, who I have known for ages, decides to tip. Everyone at the table gets sqirmy, but ends up leaving a tip--everyone but me. In the room I remind her gratuties are covered and pointed out that everyone followed her lead. She said she can't not tip--no matter what the brochure said.

Well, the next morning at class, the tour guide announced a no tipping policy. Someone had complained, but didn't have the nerve not to tip. Thank goodness, my friend stopprd tipping, except for the van driver going home to the airport.

Annette

 

[MissStepcut]

Sorry to threadjack, but I also have a tipping conundrum. I recently got a massage at a chain called Massage Envy. All over the salon, there were little placards suggesting that your tip should not be based on the actual cost of your massage, but some silly inflated "retail" price that everyone enjoys a discount on. Now usually, I do tip on the non-discounted amount, but in this case the "discounted" price is only a little under comparable massage rates in the neighborhood. I left a tip that was around what I would have tipped at any other salon, under the recommended amount the little placard prompted me to leave, and left feeling both guilty and manipulated. I probably won't go back. So, would you have followed the guidelines or not?

 

[Missy]

Sorry to threadjack, but I also have a tipping conundrum. I recently got a massage at a chain called Massage Envy. All over the salon, there were little placards suggesting that your tip should not be based on the actual cost of your massage, but some silly inflated "retail" price that everyone enjoys a discount on. Now usually, I do tip on the non-discounted amount, but in this case the "discounted" price is only a little under comparable massage rates in the neighborhood. I left a tip that was around what I would have tipped at any other salon, under the recommended amount the little placard prompted me to leave, and left feeling both guilty and manipulated. I probably won't go back. So, would you have followed the guidelines or not?

I think that's pretty nervy telling you what you "should" tip. Tipping is still optional (with certain exceptions) and should be (IMO) left to the discretion of the client. Otherwise, they should just increase the bill and do away with tipping in its entirety and give the charge increase amount to the server. Period. So to answer your question I would have tipped based on the service I received. That is, what I wanted to tip based on the service quality I received.

MSC, do not allow them to make you feel you did anything wrong and I agree- if you feel uncomfortable there are many other establishments you can give your business to who would appreciate it!

 

[AprilBaby]

I would have tipped 10% on self serve and nothing if I didn't actually have someone come to my table.

 

[MissStepcut]

Sorry to threadjack, but I also have a tipping conundrum. I recently got a massage at a chain called Massage Envy. All over the salon, there were little placards suggesting that your tip should not be based on the actual cost of your massage, but some silly inflated "retail" price that everyone enjoys a discount on. Now usually, I do tip on the non-discounted amount, but in this case the "discounted" price is only a little under comparable massage rates in the neighborhood. I left a tip that was around what I would have tipped at any other salon, under the recommended amount the little placard prompted me to leave, and left feeling both guilty and manipulated. I probably won't go back. So, would you have followed the guidelines or not?

I think that's pretty nervy telling you what you "should" tip. Tipping is still optional (with certain exceptions) and should be (IMO) left to the discretion of the client. Otherwise, they should just increase the bill and do away with tipping in its entirety and give the charge increase amount to the server. Period. So to answer your question I would have tipped based on the service I received. That is, what I wanted to tip based on the service quality I received.

MSC, do not allow them to make you feel you did anything wrong and I agree- if you feel uncomfortable there are many other establishments you can give your business to who would appreciate it!

Thanks for the feedback. Obviously it was still bothering me. I feel badly if the service provider got the impression I was unhappy, but then again, what gives on the guilt trip!

 

[Maria D]

I've never been to an establishment like this but just reading about it annoys me. No wonder unemployment is such a problem, jobs that used to exist don't anymore! So this place gets away with not having to hire bartenders or real wait staff? Tipping $5 (or at all) for a person to walk over a plate of food and clear your plate when done is ludicrous, in my opinion. If the establishment is paying the worker minimum wage to do that job, it doesn't deserve a tip. The bagger at a grocery checkout gives far more service with no tip expected. If the establishment is paying less than minimum wage, then they should change their model to the standard restaurant, where the customer gets to sit and enjoy being waited on and the employee can *earn* tips. They shouldn't expect their customers to make up the difference in fair pay without the employee actually doing something to warrant it.

My husband and I always get into it about this self-serve garage that I refuse to use. They charge the same or more per hour as other garages but refuse to employ a parking attendant - you have to pay at one of those machines. I'll walk an extra mile in the rain before I park there!