Tipping

[BlackToxic]

So recently someone on this Forum who works as a waiter was having a discussion where they were complaining that a table where they worked at had paid $120 for a meal but only gave them a tip of $4, then went on to call them cheap (in the conversation, not actually to them) because they don't get paid well. I Did go to write a reply to said person but i changed my mind and thought it would be better to make a seperate discussion/topic out of it because giving tips is something that has always baffled me and i wondered if others shared the same view on it. This topic isn't about that person but more about tipping in general.

 

 

In Britain it seems we only tip four people and we'll tip them even if they don't deserve it (and they usually don't), they are; waiters, taxi drivers, food delivery guys and hair dressers/barbers.. why? i really don't know.

 

Personally i never tip the waiter, i've never seen a reason to do so. Most of the time people are tipping them for just bringing their food, something they are paid to do anyway, it's not like they are going out of their way for you to do it, it boggles my mind why we tip waiters, it boggles my mind even more when i see people tip the waiter when they've had a meal they didn't even enjoy and the waiter hasn't even been on time and they leave complaining to eachother but STILL tip, maybe that's just how stupid the british are but i always see people doing it.. don't even get me started on "it'll be an hour" food delivery men who seem to expect a tip when they knock on your door with your now stone cold food after repeated "yeah i'm just coming down your street" phone calls to him half an hour later then the already pathetically long time they predicted when you ordered.

 

It's even worse when people tip taxi drivers, something that takes absolutely no skill or professional service that would warrant a tip, it's bad enough they charge you an insanely high price for a lift in their car in the first place, if anything i should get a tip off him at the end for having to spend 10 minutes of my time pretending that i care if he's been busy or not and having to listen to his nonsense for the rest of the drive (usually ranging from a rant over taxes to a rant about jobs being stolen, all of which will end with random racism). The only people i do tip are Barbers/Hair Dressers and that is only when they've done a really good job.

 

I Can see the point of the member who made me think of this topic, i understand that waiters don't get paid much and tips are their way of getting by because they can make more money through tips than through their actual wage, but is it our fault their boss doesn't pay them enough money in the first place? i really don't see why waiters (or society as a whole) should feel that we are supposed to all collect together and pay for the other half of their wage.

 

It's not as if we even tip the guys who really deserve tips for doing good jobs either, i've never known anyone to tip the ambulance driver who rushed them to hospital and saved their life (yet it's "the done thing to do" to tip the arrogant fat guy who drives you across town) or even on a smaller scale, why don't we tip the chef/cooks instead? surely they are the ones doing the actual hard work in the back, not the guy bringing it to you, yes i'm pretty much a crap Mr.Pink on this issue but tipping is something that bothers me and it's not because i'm tight, it's just because i don't see why the "tippee?" should expect it, especially when they've often done nothing at all to deserve it.

 

Rant over, do you tip? do you disagree with my wall of drivel? what are your thoughts on tipping?

[kreay fufu]

[PewPewPew]

I put a string around a £5 note, put it in the waiters hands and as he walks away, I rip it out of his hands using the string.

[Spyder78]

I see your points very well..I agree on the waiter/waitress part the most thou..Yeah they just jot down the order and walk it back to you when ready, not much skill there. I only tip the cab drivers that actually help me with my bag when I am out shopping or whatever, if they go the extra step to carry my stuff seeing I am disabled and not just sitting on their fat ass then yeah will throw a few extra bucks their way.

 

And yes I do tip my barber when I go in for a haircut, if I haven't done it myself to save a few buck with my own razor..Which I have been doing past few times, with the crazy prices they have now..hard to find one under $15 nowadays >_<

[*Tristany*]

i do not tip since there being paid to do a job anyway.

[Oresama]

I tried to tip once but they got confused about why I left a tip, then I had to explain why I left it and it was quite awkward so I don't tip anymore.....

[RVD 4:20]

Great post BlackToxic, you made me laugh at a couple of the points. Fist of all, only tipping $4 for a $120 meal is cheap. Personally, I'd pay somewhere between ten and twenty percent of the bill at a restaurant (I'm not counting fast food restaurants, but I usually put something in the charity box), usually dependent on factors such as whether I have to break into a new note or not (coins can be a pain), how good the job was, etc. For hair dressers/food delivery guys/taxi drivers, I just let them keep the change. Unless I'm paying with a fifty pound note (which happens rarely), in which case I'll just round their price up to the nearest ten and let them keep the change.

 

I noticed they don't quite do the same in New York as they do over here in the US of K . When I went in the summer, if we went to a restaurant, they would add a tip on themselves, which they labelled 'gratuity' and was around fifteen to twenty percent of the overall bill. Personally, I felt that was wrong. We would've tipped them anyway, but it's a little cheeky that they add it on themselves, yet essentially it is your tip. Although I think people that don't tip (unless they've had a poor experience or poor service) really should, I think it's wrong to not let them make that decision themselves. We would've tipped anyway, but I guess not everyone would. Then again, it's a different culture over there, and I suppose as tourists that should be respected. I really wish they wouldn't though .

[Predator.]

I agree completely. I don't agree with tipping, although when out on dates, I do it so I don't look like a douchebag.

 

But I take my nephew to a sports bar to watch every WWE PPV, and our waitress took literally 45 minutes to get his refill, and I left no tip at all.

 

I always tip my barber because he's a good friend of the family. Plus he knocks down the price for me, so with the tip it's like I'm only paying for the full price of a hair cut anyways.

[Whiterhyno333]

DAMN IT!!!! There are so many of you that I've grown to love on CAWS... and then this topic come up...

 

(Sigh) Everyone should wait tables to see what a shit job it is... I worked in F&B for about 9 years (between bars, resteraunts and bars in resteraunts) Tipping is HUGE for that industry.

 

You see there is this little thing called serving wage that is actually lower than minimum wage and every service establishment uses it as a way to save cost. (When I was in F&B it was $2.10 and hour...) The basic understanding is that waiters and bar tenders are expected to make at LEAST 15% percent of their total sales in tips. Then there is this thing that every corperate resteraunt has come up with called TIP OUT. That is where 3% of a servers sales are taken out at the end of the night to tip the hostess, bartender and bus boys. This is non-negotiable... A server cannot refuse to do it.

 

By stiffing a server you are ,in effect, costing them money... In addition, you are taking a table away from him/her that could possibly make money off of that actually does tip.

 

Its a social norm and if you don't agree with it...fine. My suggestion is to NEVER go back to the same resteraunt twice if you feel that strongly about it. Servers have LONG memories and look out for one another. In addition, cooks look out for servers. That really isn't a threat as much as a sad reality. The simple truth: DON'T *censored* WITH THE PEOPLE THAT BRING YOU FOOD.

 

It may not be as ominous as it sounds; it may. Depends on the server and the staff... If anything, you will NOT get your food quickly. Don't expect refills. And if you think a server will waste time on someone who won't tip when he can be taking better care of a table who will... we just don't live in the same world.

 

For those of you who think, "thats there job. They don't deserve tips." That is a fair point. There job, however, is to deliver your food and drinks. The speed in which they do so and speed in which they tend to your requests are up to you. If you find that thought horrifying and infuriating, well, go to another place to eat. That is sort of the point of what a server is trying to get across, most of the time.

 

As bartender, tipping is just as important. His job is to get you drinks. The speed in which he does so is up to you. Who do you think he is going to wait on... the guy who tips or the guy who doesn't?

 

A server/ bartender's main priority is NOT ( I repeat) NOT to bust his ass to make sure you have an awsome time. His or her main priority is TO MAKE MONEY. If giving you an awsome time is what he has to do to do that...he or she will. If he is going to get the same tip from you whether he or she does a good or bad job...what is his incentive?

 

My favorite non-tipper stories...

 

1) Guys comes into my resteraunt, runs up a $110 dollar tab and leaves me a $1.50... I'm pretty annoyed, take a mental note and go on about the night. I close the resteraunt, and drive out to a party that is being held at a lake house in the middle of nowhere.

 

On the way there, I pass a broken down car and see someone walking down the road. Guess who?

 

I roll down the window and recognize the guy and just smile on the inside. He explains to me how his car has broke down and he was trying to get to this party and really appreciates me stopping.

 

I tell him that I'd love to help him out, but I work in a resteraunt and some ass stiffed me. I'd love to help him but can't afford the gas. Pull out with a smile and leave his ass out there in the middle of the night...

 

Go out to the party and tell everyone. A majority of the people are servers I work with and we all get a laugh out of it. 3 hours later, Johnny-No-Tip shows up. Turns out his sister invited him, but she rode out with one of my friends. The guy is pissed, but won't say a damn thing to me becuase he doesn't have a ride and I'm sort the sort of guys most people don't *censored* with.

 

He starts asking people for help, but everyone has the same story about getting stiffed and nbot being able to afford it. He than asks to use the phone. Sorry man, tips pay the phone bill, too.

 

At this point, he gets all sulky and asks his sister for a ride... she sweetly asks my friend who brought her out there and he says... "Sweety, I'll take you wherever you want to go, but my backseat's full and I'm not about to clean it up for your cheap ass brother. His ass can afford to walk back and call a tow truck because he saves a shit load of money not tipping people like me."

 

That was the start of a beautiful friendship that led to him being in my wedding several years later...

 

 

Next story...

 

Loud asshole customer at my bar stiff me on a 200 bar tab... Real pushy guy that was trying to work me for drinks all night and thought he expected his drinks over every other person waiting at the bar.

 

3 years later... (3 years, mind you. What kind of impression do you think he made?) I'm the route manager at a distrabution place (shortly before I joined the Army) and guess who comes in for an interview.

 

He has no idea who I am and I'm not quite sure if its him or not...(Actually I was, but I wanted to make 100 percent sure.)

 

So we do the interview and he tells me how he really wants the job. I believe he said it would be a "God-send" for he and his wife. I just listen and nod.

 

I inform him that four other people have already put in for the job and have strong resumes as well. He gets all silent and tells me how he has great people skills and works well with others.

 

At which point, I ask him about my old bar and if he's ever been there. The guys face just changes because he recognizes me. He tries to be my buddy and talk about all the people he knows there... We have a few more minutes of small talk and he casually mentions how he always wanted to go in there more, but he got busy..yada yada...

 

At which point, I suddenly act like I recognize him... "I remember you! You came into the bar one night when I was really busy. You like Jack and Coke right?" The guy just nods and tries some more small talk at which point I cut him off... "No, Mr. So and So. This interview has gone really well and I think I have a good feel about who you are and what you can offer this company. We'll be in touch."

 

Bingo. Never felt so good in my life...

 

Moral of the stories: The kindness you show others resonates. The unkindness/apathy you show them resonates even louder.

[Kush™]

I tip sometimes, depends on the person and how they talk to you, if the waiter makes jokes and talks to me of course I will give him a tip.If a waiter comes and just gives your food with a face that would crack if he smiled,HELL NO!

[aV Echelon]

i do not tip since there being paid to do a job anyway.

But they're not being paid that much to begin with, so to not leave a tip makes you seem like quite the ass.

[The Shockanator]

Whiteryhno, you took the words out of my mouth, i spent a good 15 minutes thinking how i would explain something exactly like that. I'm a chef in a large hotel, and although chefs get paid a fair bit more than servers (average waiter/ess wage at my hotel is £5.50p/h, I make £10.05p/h) tips are crucial to the industry and to the people that work in them. The hours are long, it's a stressful job. I always tip minimum 15% unless it's extremely poor food (you can forgive poor service but not poor food) and I never eat out past 9pm purely because I know the chefs and foh staff have probably bust their asses all day, and at that time you just want to go home, not serve more. It's hard work for shitty pay. When I finish a shift I refuse the shared tips because I know I make almost twice a servers wage.

Tbh this is a biased opinion seeing as I actually work in the industry, but lovely job Whiterhyno for explaining it a helluva lot better than I could/did.

 

I always tip a cabbie, just because I only use cabs when I'm drunk, and tbh who'd want to drive drunk people around at all.

Pizza guys always keep the change, normally about £4, and I shave my own head so it's free.

[Whiterhyno333]

Whiteryhno, you took the words out of my mouth, i spent a good 15 minutes thinking how i would explain something exactly like that. I'm a chef in a large hotel, and although chefs get paid a fair bit more than servers (average waiter/ess wage at my hotel is £5.50p/h, I make £10.05p/h) tips are crucial to the industry and to the people that work in them. The hours are long, it's a stressful job. I always tip minimum 15% unless it's extremely poor food (you can forgive poor service but not poor food) and I never eat out past 9pm purely because I know the chefs and foh staff have probably bust their asses all day, and at that time you just want to go home, not serve more. It's hard work for shitty pay. When I finish a shift I refuse the shared tips because I know I make almost twice a servers wage.

Tbh this is a biased opinion seeing as I actually work in the industry, but lovely job Whiterhyno for explaining it a helluva lot better than I could/did.

 

I always tip a cabbie, just because I only use cabs when I'm drunk, and tbh who'd want to drive drunk people around at all.

Pizza guys always keep the change, normally about £4, and I shave my own head so it's free.

 

I tip well and always get taken of by barbers, bar tenders, waiters, delivery guys and cab drivers. Its just good kharma and 20 bucks to me means a lot more to a server. Part of me is just trying to pad the pain they get from non tippers and 2 dollar guys.

 

I can never really explain to non FB folks how important tipping is, but I'm glad to hear my points resonated with someone.

 

Not eating out two hours before closing time is a huge one for me as well... I hated guys that came in at closing time.

[Dolfan.]

See what most of you don't realize is servers/bartenders/bussers and what not make way below minimum. I work at Olive Garden as a Server and make $4.25 and hour. This is why TIP(ing) you server is crucial. This is where we make all of our money. If we did not recive tips, how are we supposed to make a living when we only get pay between $2-4 and hour. It is custom to TIP usually 20%. But I do understand when you don't, it varies on how well you server is, so that is completely understandable. For all of you that said serving is easy, well how about you come and try it out. It is very stresssful. There is a lot you don't know. You think its just taking and order, and then getting you food. No where near that. First off many servers have multiple tables, with different needs for each table. Here at Olive Garden, we also have Unlimited Soup, Bread-sticks, and Salad refills which add a challenge itself. There is a lot of work. A LOT more than just taking orders and delivering them. So overall not to rant, but people that don't feel there is a need to TIP, well let me lower your wage to $4 an hour and see how you like making that. That's is the reason for TIPing overall, remember it is how US SERVERS and any one usually in the RESTAURANT BUSINESS, not fast food and whatnot, make there money through TIPS.

[The Shockanator]

I find the £1/£2 tippers worse than the no-tippers to be honest, it feels more like an insult. I remember once when I was waiting on, I had a table of 25 people, bust my ass the whole night, the whole deal, flirting with the Grandma, talking to random members of this family, I actually sat down with them and had some birthday cake. £350 final bill, £60 tip because the service was, and I quote 'amazing'. This one table took up my whole night, they had 4 course dinner, coffees, liqueurs, everything. Roughly 20% tip, I

was chuffed, and to this day a couple members of that family still come in, I still remember them, they remember

me. Always has the Seabass...

 

Anyway customers are a lucky dip, I would have put in all that effort on any table of that size, some would leave less, others nothing and you really can't tell.

 

I think without the premise of cash, tax free tips, you would be hard pressed to find anyone actually willing to work in this trade, I mean who would want a job that's this difficult, stressful and low paid if you weren't getting tips to fill it out.

 

And are US servers really paid that low? Jeez I really feel for you, I thought my guys got paid shit all.

[SniperOps]

I tip hairdressers, pizza guys, waitresses 2 bucks. Maybe 3 to the waitress or hairdresser if shes nice.

 

However I don't tip car hops at Sonic because they're there only ONCE and the order is always under 10 dollars, and they use their damn roller skates so it's not like they need to walk the 10 feet from the door to the stall. Most people do tip them however after I said this on Facebook.

The first Sonic opened here in my state in June.

[Ewok_3000]

I don't tip, as it's not asked for over here. However, if I were to ever travel to the States, I'd definitely make sure to tip. I even bought a book on New York which explains how much you're meant to tip.

[Shindol]

F*#k all of them. They get paid to do their job. Give people money for doing what they're paid to do?

[BlackToxic]

To the people who said that it's not fair if people don't tip because waiters don't get enough pay, why is that our fault or our problem? You chose the job, not us. Your Goverment set those rules, not us. It's tipping that allowed your boss/goverment to set your wage lower than minimum rate to begin with (which isn't the case in Britain by the way, waiters get minimum wage anyway or are supposed to), maybe if we all stopped tipping then you'd get minimum too. There are plenty of jobs out there like Sales jobs where they also depend heavily on people buying a product from them or they barely get any pay, should we start buying their crap just so they can make ends meet too? I Will never tip a waiter, not even if he has brought me my food fast (which i personally don't like anyway because it's a sign that it's just been pre-made and heated up in the microwave) and my drinks fast all night, he's doing his job and if he doesn't like it then either change jobs or complain to the boss, it's your boss who is being cheap, not the customer.

 

See i think that is the worst part of it, waiters expect tips and not just expecting a tip but expecting to be tipped well by each table just because they brought a few drinks and some food. What is so hard about the job? i can think of TONS of minimum wage jobs who surely work a hell of a lot harder and don't get tips or a bonus, yes in America they are making more than a waiter (if the waiter wasn't getting tips) but again that is the fault of the waiter's gov/boss who screwed them. I've never seen a waiter and thought "Damn she works hard" anyway, i'm usually waiting on the waiter, waiting for her to stop talking to the bar man and come take my order already.

[RVF]

I noticed they don't quite do the same in New York as they do over here in the US of K .

Had the same problem when I was over there, cab driver wanted a larger tip becasue it was raining...

 

I tip all the time, if they've went out of their way to provide a good servie then I'll either let them keep the change or leave extra money, depending on where I am and how good the service was.

[*Tristany*]

i do not tip since there being paid to do a job anyway.

But they're not being paid that much to begin with, so to not leave a tip makes you seem like quite the ass.

there paid minimum wage to provide a service i'd sooner put whatever "tip" there supposed to have in a charity or donation box .

[Southern Comfort]

Damn, what happened to etiquette? I've never worked in a service field, however I have several friends who have. If my service is at least adequate, I'll give anywhere from a 10%-20% tip. I'll even leave a tip if the waiter/waitress/bartender is an ass, though it won't be much.

[Whiterhyno333]

F*#k all of them. They get paid to do their job. Give people money for doing what they're paid to do?

 

Ahhhhhh, my only hope is that you break down in the middle of the night and your server gets the same oppurtunity I did...

 

To the people who said that it's not fair if people don't tip because waiters don't get enough pay, why is that our fault or our problem? You chose the job, not us. Your Goverment set those rules, not us. It's tipping that allowed your boss/goverment to set your wage lower than minimum rate to begin with (which isn't the case in Britain by the way, waiters get minimum wage anyway or are supposed to), maybe if we all stopped tipping then you'd get minimum too. There are plenty of jobs out there like Sales jobs where they also depend heavily on people buying a product from them or they barely get any pay, should we start buying their crap just so they can make ends meet too? I Will never tip a waiter, not even if he has brought me my food fast (which i personally don't like anyway because it's a sign that it's just been pre-made and heated up in the microwave) and my drinks fast all night, he's doing his job and if he doesn't like it then either change jobs or complain to the boss, it's your boss who is being cheap, not the customer.

 

See i think that is the worst part of it, waiters expect tips and not just expecting a tip but expecting to be tipped well by each table just because they brought a few drinks and some food. What is so hard about the job? i can think of TONS of minimum wage jobs who surely work a hell of a lot harder and don't get tips or a bonus, yes in America they are making more than a waiter (if the waiter wasn't getting tips) but again that is the fault of the waiter's gov/boss who screwed them. I've never seen a waiter and thought "Damn she works hard" anyway, i'm usually waiting on the waiter, waiting for her to stop talking to the bar man and come take my order already.

 

Did you ever think that was because she knew you didn't tip and didn't want to waste her time?

 

Don't tip, man. Just don't expect service worth a damn and try not to visit the same establishment twice. If you continually stiff wait staff in the same establishment, you'll probably eating a hell of a lot more than what you paid for.

 

The wait staff is obligated to take your order and bring your food out to you. The speed in which they do so, the amount of refills you get and any other considerations are sort of up to you.

 

Who would you wait on better, the guy you know that doesn't tip or the guy that COULD potentially tip you? If you think *censored*ing with the people that prepare your food is a smart idea, go ahead.

 

i do not tip since there being paid to do a job anyway.

But they're not being paid that much to begin with, so to not leave a tip makes you seem like quite the ass.

there paid minimum wage to provide a service i'd sooner put whatever "tip" there supposed to have in a charity or donation box .

 

fraid that isn't true.

 

Damn, what happened to etiquette? I've never worked in a service field, however I have several friends who have. If my service is at least adequate, I'll give anywhere from a 10%-20% tip. I'll even leave a tip if the waiter/waitress/bartender is an ass, though it won't be much.

 

You ,my friend, are a gentleman.

[kreay fufu]

Does it count as tipping if I just say, "keep the change"? Because I have to do that an awful lot down to my cuprolaminophobia.

[Sacrilegium]

I used to work in a tipped job, so I know how it is. I always tip at least 15% for adequate service and I usually go around 20% or more. Very very very rarely do I undertip or not tip. The service has to be really bad and it has to be obviously my server's fault that it's bad.