Question about tipping at restaurants.....

[Just Jack]

just proving that this community is one step ahead of the general population!

Or that Poojer is psychic (or is it psychotic)

[Ramius]

Feel free to continue to shell out your money, while they make jokes about you in the kitchen...

 

Travel to Germany. Read the term..."price inclusive". One of the prevailing, persistent myths is that serving tables is poor-paying occupation. Not only can you pocket a bundle of cash money that you may or may not report, you get to plead poverty and get saps to pet you about your poor lot in life.

 

Like you have to train, go and pay for higher education to get into the biz...please...

 

I hope you dont ever visit anywhere more than once or twice. If you have and follow your little "tipping" rules, you've eaten more than your fair share of pubes, boogers, dingleberries, etc.

 

But hey, keep doing it if it makes you feel good about stiffing high schoolers or college kids making $3/hr. You're sure showing them.

[rockpile]

Another question--do you guys tip hairdresses/barbers? If so, why? They're providing a service for which you're already paying. (My wife and I argue about this from time to time).

My youngest daughter works at a classy salon. She gets paid by the hour, and it is not a lot - like a waitress or bartender as an example. Tips make a BIG difference to her.

 

My daughter has to buy all her own tools (and good ones are very expensive). She provides a shampoo, cut, and/or color; since she works the Man's Shoppe side, she also provides straight razor shaves (hot and cold towels). She also serves complementary drinks, from coffee to scotch!

 

When I needed a barber I tipped him.

 

Heck, the cook and bartender do all the work and the waitress just brings food and drink to you, why tip HER? LOL!

 

Just a perspective.

[Booster4324]

I hope you dont ever visit anywhere more than once or twice. If you have and follow your little "tipping" rules, you've eaten more than your fair share of pubes, boogers, dingleberries, etc.

 

But hey, keep doing it if it makes you feel good about stiffing high schoolers or college kids making $3/hr. You're sure showing them.

 

Bit more blunt than I put it, but true.

[Chandemonium]

I usually tip around 20% at restaurants unless the service is bad just because that is what is considered socially acceptable, but I never really understood why the tip is based on the total bill. To me it seems like it would make more sense to tip by the number of plates. If I go out with my girlfriend and we both order $20 steaks, the waitress isn't doing any more work than she would be if we both ordered a $7 cheeseburger, so why should the tip be more than twice as much?

[The Poojer]

expanding on that statement, why is a steak 3 times more expensive than the hamburger...isn't there labor(cost) involved in turning that steak into hamburger, not to mention the additional materials involved in creating and serving that cheeseburger(buns, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion...)?

 

I usually tip around 20% at restaurants unless the service is bad just because that is what is considered socially acceptable, but I never really understood why the tip is based on the total bill. To me it seems like it would make more sense to tip by the number of plates. If I go out with my girlfriend and we both order $20 steaks, the waitress isn't doing any more work than she would be if we both ordered a $7 cheeseburger, so why should the tip be more than twice as much?

[Just Jack]

expanding on that statement, why is a steak 3 times more expensive than the hamburger...isn't there labor(cost) involved in turning that steak into hamburger, not to mention the additional materials involved in creating and serving that cheeseburger(buns, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion...)?

Well, yes, but hamburger is usually considered to be made from cheaper meat.

 

Side note : Grocery store I used to work at, at the beginning of the month when all the food stampers would come in, the buthchers would take the 'about to expire' steaks, etc, and grind it into hamburger, then sell it in 10lb bags. We'd call it "Bag 'O Meat".

[BB27]

Well, yes, but hamburger is usually considered to be made from cheaper meat.

 

Side note : Grocery store I used to work at, at the beginning of the month when all the food stampers would come in, the buthchers would take the 'about to expire' steaks, etc, and grind it into hamburger, then sell it in 10lb bags. We'd call it "Bag 'O Meat".

 

When I used to live in NYC occasionally you would get a steak home and begin cooking it and all you would smell is vinegar. Then I found out that they pour vinegar on brown meat to make it look red and fresh, and change the sell by sticker. OC in NY was always doing this and selling the meat to grocery stores at reduced prices. Of course the stores didn't really have a choice as to whether or not to buy the reduced price meat......

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

My youngest daughter works at a classy salon. She gets paid by the hour, and it is not a lot - like a waitress or bartender as an example. Tips make a BIG difference to her.

 

My daughter has to buy all her own tools (and good ones are very expensive). She provides a shampoo, cut, and/or color; since she works the Man's Shoppe side, she also provides straight razor shaves (hot and cold towels). She also serves complementary drinks, from coffee to scotch!

 

When I needed a barber I tipped him.

 

Heck, the cook and bartender do all the work and the waitress just brings food and drink to you, why tip HER? LOL!

 

Just a perspective.

 

I actually get that, and know hairdressers who have said the same thing re. buying their own equipment. It's just--when you're paying for a service, where do you draw the line? And do you need to account for how your "server" is getting paid? That is, if you know your waitress is only making $2/hr, does that mean that you should tip her more, as opposed to if she's making $10/hr?

[bills_fan]

Since I prefer my bags arrive at my destination the same time I arrive, I usually tip a skycap far more than $1 per bag.

 

A couple of the others seemed a little chintzy, too. This seems like a bare minimum guide for Cincy.

 

 

Yeah, I typically overtip everyone, based upon that guide, for even average level service. Its kind of amazing how a 50% tip on a small bill will really brighten someone's day.

[The Dean]

I actually get that, and know hairdressers who have said the same thing re. buying their own equipment. It's just--when you're paying for a service, where do you draw the line? And do you need to account for how your "server" is getting paid? That is, if you know your waitress is only making $2/hr, does that mean that you should tip her more, as opposed to if she's making $10/hr?

 

If you are in the USA you can safely assume the waiter or waitress makes a salary that is below minimum wage.

[CarolinaBill]

I am Canadian and I tip pretty well.

thats not what he meant

[CarolinaBill]

I usually tip around 20% at restaurants unless the service is bad just because that is what is considered socially acceptable, but I never really understood why the tip is based on the total bill. To me it seems like it would make more sense to tip by the number of plates. If I go out with my girlfriend and we both order $20 steaks, the waitress isn't doing any more work than she would be if we both ordered a $7 cheeseburger, so why should the tip be more than twice as much?

because usually steaks come with salads which is extra work, and also because that server is tipping out to other "utility" employees based on a % of sales, which comes directly out of their tips. Don't be a cheapskate, if you go out to eat tip based on the bill, not # of plates, thats trashy

[rockpile]

I actually get that, and know hairdressers who have said the same thing re. buying their own equipment. It's just--when you're paying for a service, where do you draw the line? And do you need to account for how your "server" is getting paid? That is, if you know your waitress is only making $2/hr, does that mean that you should tip her more, as opposed to if she's making $10/hr?

 

If you can afford a $25 shave, you can afford a nice tip for good service.

I can only afford to go there because I get in free - LOL!

[DrDawkinstein]

I think a valid question for this discussion is:

 

Who here has worked in the food service industry? Fast food doesnt count, I'm talking waiter or bartender.

 

It's always been a belief of mine that anyone who goes out to eat at restaurants should have to wrk in one for at least 6 months at some point of their youth.

 

I've had 4 different serving jobs ranging from fine dining to a high-end cafe.

[stuckincincy]

I think a valid question for this discussion is:

 

Who here has worked in the food service industry? Fast food doesnt count, I'm talking waiter or bartender.

 

It's always been a belief of mine that anyone who goes out to eat at restaurants should have to wrk in one for at least 6 months at some point of their youth.

 

I've had 4 different serving jobs ranging from fine dining to a high-end cafe.

[/quote

 

I worked in eateries in my youth. Including waiting. I also busted my nuts in grocery stores, stocking shelves, shagging carts through snow-covered lots, bagging groceries till my back ached. The cashiers on their feet banged keys with their right hand, often non-stop. That was far harder work than walking a dish out to a table, or having to listen and jot down a customer's request.

 

Yet - no tips for me, or the cashiers, eh? We never uttered inanities like "Hi! I'm stuckincincy! I'm your server! My name is xxx! Is everything OK? No problem!"

 

I've had it up to here with this poor plight of the downtrodden server mantra. If it's so bad, get another job...jeeze...that crowd (and their fawning acolytes) should keep their sob stories to themselves and not use them in craven, selfish effort to extract extra cash from the hide of the buying public.

 

I'm glad that with the state of the economy, people are wising up and discovering that that 20 buck meal can be made for 5 bucks at home.

 

 

With no lip.

[thebug]

I think a valid question for this discussion is:

 

Who here has worked in the food service industry? Fast food doesnt count, I'm talking waiter or bartender.

 

It's always been a belief of mine that anyone who goes out to eat at restaurants should have to wrk in one for at least 6 months at some point of their youth.

 

I've had 4 different serving jobs ranging from fine dining to a high-end cafe.

 

I worked in eateries in my youth. Including waiting. I also busted my nuts in grocery stores, stocking shelves, shagging carts through snow-covered lots, bagging groceries till my back ached. The cashiers on their feet banged keys with their right hand, often non-stop. That was far harder work than walking a dish out to a table, or having to listen and jot down a customer's request.

 

Yet - no tips for me, or the cashiers, eh? We never uttered inanities like "Hi! I'm stuckincincy! I'm your server? My mane is xxx. Is everything OK? No problem!"

 

I've had it up to here with this poor plight of the downtrodden server mantra. If it's so bad, get another job...jeeze...that crowd (and their fawning acolytes) should keep their sob stories to themselves and not use them in craven, selfish effort to extract extra cash from the hide of the buying public.

 

I'm glad that with the state of the economy, people are wising up and discovering that that 20 buck meal can be made for 5 bucks at home.

 

 

With no lip.

 

 

 

Yeah, or the poor plight of the downtrodden customer mantra, having to put up with people actually talking to them. Those low life servers have a lot of nerve.

[mead107]

Do women get better tips then men?

[The Poojer]

they do from me

 

Do women get better tips then men?

[mead107]

Another question, do large breasted women that show a lot of cleavage do better in tips as to small breasted women?

[thebug]

Another question, do large breasted women that show a lot of cleavage do better in tips as to small breasted women?

 

 

Yes!

[stuckincincy]

I worked in eateries in my youth. Including waiting. I also busted my nuts in grocery stores, stocking shelves, shagging carts through snow-covered lots, bagging groceries till my back ached. The cashiers on their feet banged keys with their right hand, often non-stop. That was far harder work than walking a dish out to a table, or having to listen and jot down a customer's request.

 

Yet - no tips for me, or the cashiers, eh? We never uttered inanities like "Hi! I'm stuckincincy! I'm your server? My name is xxx. Is everything OK? No problem!"

 

I've had it up to here with this poor plight of the downtrodden server mantra. If it's so bad, get another job...jeeze...that crowd (and their fawning acolytes) should keep their sob stories to themselves and not use them in craven, selfish effort to extract extra cash from the hide of the buying public.

 

I'm glad that with the state of the economy, people are wising up and discovering that that 20 buck meal can be made for 5 bucks at home.

 

 

With no lip.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, or the poor plight of the downtrodden customer mantra, having to put up with people actually talking to them. Those low life servers have a lot of nerve.

 

Don't be thick. See - you call them low life. My wife and me take a Saturday breakfast out, at a chain named Frish's. Two eggs and dry rye toast for her. Me...1 egg, 2 white toast, hash browns, 3 pc. bacon - one piece forked over onto my wife's plate. Bill? $11.08. 2 dollar tip. We are there about 45 minutes.

 

In that time, my rather elderly waitress probably waits on 30 other tables. Gets that reduced minimum wage. but probably pocketed

50 bucks in tips. Got a guess about how much that was reported as income? She told us in January about her fab cruise to the Caribbean in December. A trip to Branson is in the works.

 

The outfit (not unusual) has a strict plan to allocate tables to this or that waiter or waitress. We once seated ourselves ( ) and witnessed a fight over who had the rights to the table. We mere downtrodden customers had to watch a loud fight.

[The Dean]

I worked in eateries in my youth. Including waiting. I also busted my nuts in grocery stores, stocking shelves, shagging carts through snow-covered lots, bagging groceries till my back ached. The cashiers on their feet banged keys with their right hand, often non-stop. That was far harder work than walking a dish out to a table, or having to listen and jot down a customer's request.

 

Yet - no tips for me, or the cashiers, eh? We never uttered inanities like "Hi! I'm stuckincincy! I'm your server! My name is xxx! Is everything OK? No problem!"

 

I've had it up to here with this poor plight of the downtrodden server mantra. If it's so bad, get another job...jeeze...that crowd (and their fawning acolytes) should keep their sob stories to themselves and not use them in craven, selfish effort to extract extra cash from the hide of the buying public.

 

I'm glad that with the state of the economy, people are wising up and discovering that that 20 buck meal can be made for 5 bucks at home.

 

 

With no lip.

 

 

So, if good waitresses and bartenders should get better jobs who would do the serving work? The least competent people with no other options?

 

Sure, that's where I want to go eat and drink. A place where the people who work there are only there because they can't get something better.

 

Even McDonalds pays minimum wage or better.

[rockpile]

I actually get that, and know hairdressers who have said the same thing re. buying their own equipment. It's just--when you're paying for a service, where do you draw the line? And do you need to account for how your "server" is getting paid? That is, if you know your waitress is only making $2/hr, does that mean that you should tip her more, as opposed to if she's making $10/hr?

 

Actually when it comes to tips, I consider that part of the service. If the service has made my dining experience more pleasant and relaxing, I do not mind tipping.

 

If a hair stylist really does a great job on my wife's cut/style/color, and it was a relaxing "time-out" from her real world, she tips accordingly.

 

If the service was poor, do not expect a tip from me. I am not the government and do not subsidize incompetence.

 

I got a set of windshield wipers from a parts store that installs them for you (usually a sixty second no tip perk). I had a broken piece on the blade assembly the guy had to find, fart around with for almost a half hour, and charge me and extra buck fifty for; I gave him ten bucks and told him to keep the change. Yeah, ten bucks is not a lot but I am unemployed again, so it was a lot for me! I always reward good service as best as I can.