your thoughts on mandatory tipping in resturants

[The Critic]

I usually see the minimum 15% gratuity charge for parties of 10 (or 12?) or more around here.

I only tip 10% at Chinese restaurants if the service is decent. That's what most people do around here. If it's an American restaurant, then I tip 15-20%.

 

[ConfederateTyrant]

If you are a decent waiter/server, then 15% minimum. If you're worthless, then I just round up to the next dollar. However, if it's at a place where the only thing they do is take your order and bring the food, then the tip isn't necessary (as they didn't do anything else).

I do see waiters/waitresses busting their a** for some people who do nothing but b**** and complain about everything, and then leave nothing. Well for those people, karma is a b****.

 

[eljefino]

I was at an order-at-the-counter pizza restaurant and the chickie tried to convert it to a sit-down by bringing us our 'za to our table on a slow night.

Nice try, no tip.

Tip cups at dunkin donuts etc are pretty lame and I ignore them too, but perhaps b/c $1.70 for a small coffee leaves them enough to pay a living wage if it's demanded of them...

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: pickled
Living off tips is tough!


Not always. I was having a few drinks with a bunch of friends and friends of friends at a busy table in a lounge one night and one woman, who waitresses, mentioned that she's been making $300 a night in tips lately. The guy across the table, who cooks at the same restaurant as she waitresses, informed us that he gets about $50 in tips for a whole month.

I think I'd prefer mandatory tipping to arbitrary tipping. Then I'd just consider it part of the meal cost instead of a gift to someone who potentially makes more than I. But I generally just avoid going anywhere that tips are expected. I don't want to tip, nor do I want to insult the staff. So fast food and take-out works for me!

 

[Primus]

The practice to include a tip (usually 10 %) in the bill is not so rare in our area. I see it mostly on a resort where waiters work from 2 to 6 months/year. Quite possible restaurants can make it for tax reasons.

As for tipping, normally we give 7-12 % depending on total amount and service. But if you need to spend $50-100 per person, 20 % as a tip looks too much irrespective of a service.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
One should try not to put a tip on a credit card; the restaurant will skim some off in the name of credit card fees; A tip is between the waitstaff and the customer; there is no need for a middleman.


sorry, but I use my GM card where I get 5% towards a new car. I put all my charges including tips on it. Yes, I do pay my card in full every month. so I don't worry about finance charges. In regards to tipping, I tip 15% if the service is good. If it's excellent, 20%. if it sucks, 0%. food takes too long, food tastes bad, our family being ignored by a waiter, not being offered refills, or being rushed out of a restaurant. One time I got the appetizer, entree at the same time.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I really like the guy who eats with a large group, makes sure everyone in the group has left after the meal before he leaves, and then pockets the tip left on the table.

 

[Shannow]

I didn't know that you hung out with teachers.

Mum used to be one and said that she wouldn't go out with large groups, as usually, the first few to leave would "forget" to pay, the ones that ate the lobster would insist on averaging the bill...etc.

 

[Barkleymut]

Averaging the bill is the worst. I once had a boss who insisted on doing it. I told him I had a calculator on my cel phone and it would take 1 minute. He said no just divide by 4, that's too much work. Later in the day he asked me to do something that was in his job description not mine and I said thats too much work why don't you just divide by 4. He knew how little I was paid at the time and yet he wanted to shift $5-$6 onto me. I really don't understand people like that.

 

[eljefino]

Going dutch is weak when the "pot" comes up low... then someone invariably says, "c'mon, everybody put in another dollar", and I wind up paying $8 for a $3.75 meal.

That and nobody brings change... which is why ATM $20 bills are called "yuppie food stamps".

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
I usually see the minimum 15% gratuity charge for parties of 10 (or 12?) or more around here.

I only tip 10% at Chinese restaurants if the service is decent. That's what most people do around here. If it's an American restaurant, then I tip 15-20%.


I didn't think you would tip at all.

 

[mechtech2]

Why should the tip be predicated on the amount of the bill?
A cheap plate of pasta is no harder to serve than an expensive plate of lobster and filet.
This makes no sense. We are punished for eating more expensive food.
I am a good tipper, but I hate the whole forced or semi forced situation.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

The problem with mandatory tipping is that it rewards bad service with $$$. A good server or an awful server still see money in their tip bucket. That's just sick & wrong. I never tip a single penny if I'm forced to pay a mandatory tip on the bill.

Recently I was in Orlando at the Universal Loews hotel for a conference. The drinks had tips on them, the salads had tips, etc. 18% mandatory tip. Ridiculous.

Beef O'Brady's (read: grease pit with bad service) is another culprit. They put mandatory tips on their meals. No thanks, I'll eat elsewhere.

 

[sciphi]

I've had to live off of tips. They weren't mandatory, though. Although some people treated the delivery charge as a tip. If the person asked if the delivery charge was a tip, I told them it was compensating me for the gas and vehicle maintenance required to have a working car to bring them their food.

On busy nights I'd be busting my butt (well, right foot) to get people their food in a timely manner. Often it worked for getting a good tip. Oh, and being polite and taking the time to address complaints, even when other stuff was piling on. After all, I win if the angry customer turns into a satisfied customer. They may even get food at the restaurant again!

Mandatory tip, no thanks. Delivery charge, that's different.

 

[alreadygone]

Have allways seen a tip as just that. A bonus for good service. Left a good waitress a decent tip Sat. morning for one of the worst breakfasts we've ever been served. Did complain and owner knocked $2 each plate off.


As far as I know, never been in a restraunt with mandatory tips. If service was ok, could live with it, if not, I'd raise enough dispute, cashier,manager,owner, whoever would take tip off.

Rather feel that maybe I didn't leave enough, than to be unwilling to tip because of bad service. Though I have been known to leave one cent, tail down just to let em know I'm unhappy instead of chap.

Someone mentioned being unwilling to tip someone who makes more than they do,,,,maybe they're worth a higher wage?

Bob

 

[firemachine69]

I love leaving my two-cent tip to waitresses who are just clueless, and think shoving their old worn out cleavage or (man-genatalia

) in my face will instantly be rewarded...


Now if she's young, cute, single, and leaves a phone number... Well, I guess I can let it slide once or twice. (Ten bucks on a sixteen dollar meal? Check!)






Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: pickled
Living off tips is tough!


Not always. I was having a few drinks with a bunch of friends and friends of friends at a busy table in a lounge one night and one woman, who waitresses, mentioned that she's been making $300 a night in tips lately. The guy across the table, who cooks at the same restaurant as she waitresses, informed us that he gets about $50 in tips for a whole month.

I think I'd prefer mandatory tipping to arbitrary tipping. Then I'd just consider it part of the meal cost instead of a gift to someone who potentially makes more than I. But I generally just avoid going anywhere that tips are expected. I don't want to tip, nor do I want to insult the staff. So fast food and take-out works for me!


Too few restaurants do 'tip-out' (which equates to taking a certain percentage of the total tips, and give it to the 'rear-line' folks).

That being said too many waitresses cheat on tip-out by not showing the cash tips at all - I know, many a weeks back in a seafood restaurant, the waitress would boldly announce she got next to nothing for tips, yet I saw her walk away from a group with a twenty dollar bill.

I never, ever pay with cash at restaurants anymore, and always ask if they "tip-out". If the waitress gives me a blank look, I won't be shy to give my tip to the kitchen staff if the food was fantastic, but the service sucked.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: firemachine69
I won't be shy to give my tip to the kitchen staff if the food was fantastic


Uhm, not to be the proverbial fly in your soup, but if you were to ever see what's going on in a "professional" kitchen, you'd probably pass out.

 

[firemachine69]

I worked in a very low-end place, and made it out often to some higher-end places as well.

Perhaps we locals usually just took pride in the food we served?


Then again, I've been out of the biz for nearly five years, so I may not be speaking in volumes of accuracy.

If you're wondering, in 99% of the cases that this sort of tipping occurred, the waitress was yapping away, and the disgruntled cook brought me out the food with sincere apologies. And I read people like books, so to hear the 'apology' of the waitress ("Oh I'm so sorry I am so busy!" translates to: "I'm so stupid I thought that the supper rush was a good time to chat with co-workers!") always smacks me as arrogant - hence making sure the waitress knows she doesn't deserve a worthwhile tip - Hey, just like her service!

 

[01rangerxl]

As for eating with groups...separate checks always. People should pay for what they eat and not expect coworkers or friends to help cover their meal.

As for tipping, I tip for services provided. I don't tip for take out, or any situation where the wait staff doesn't really have to do anything. I have not had poor service in a long time (a product of being a "regular"), but if I did I'd tip accordingly. I usually tip 10%-20% at sit down places depending on the quality of the service.

I don't see the point in mandatory tipping. A tip is supposed to be a reward...something you earn.

 

[Matt_S]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
One should try not to put a tip on a credit card; the restaurant will skim some off in the name of credit card fees; A tip is between the waitstaff and the customer; there is no need for a middleman.


That varies in my experience. I always use credit cards and I've seen plenty of places (usually the types of places where you pay at a register on the way out) where thy just pull the amount of your tip right out of the register and hand it directly to the waitress. It depends on the management.