Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

    Should the amount of Tips left when eating out should be based on your check or the service received?

    Just this morning I had no breakfast yet so I was in SF on my day off and found myself at Dennys. I was quickly seated and got the usual what would I like to drink followed by my server who took my order.
    Got my food promptly and what made me wonder.....
    Why did'nt the guy follow up on me asking.......

    Is everything fine or Is there anyhting else would you like me to get you?
    Ya know the final close before being handed the bill.
    As the guy handed me the bill it seemed like he quickly fled.
    But then again he could have had the opporunity to do his final close there.

    Sheesh!

    Well I leave a standard tip based on the total on good prompt service but like I mentioned............... Ahhhhhhhh the amount just went down a bit.

  • #2
    Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

    A good rule of thumb is to start at 20% of the bill, then feel free to go up or down from there, based on the service you received.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

      Tipping is a subject of much debate on certain food-focused forums. I tend to tip quite generously because I worked in restaurants off and on while going to school and at other times. If I'm at a place like Denny's, all I ask is that the server take the order quickly, deliver it while it's still hot and make sure I have coffee/water, etc. and that's all I ask. At a restaurant like this I will leave 15 percent. At a more upscale place, I'm more critical. High prices should come with superior service. I'm much more likely to reduce the tip in a place like this if the service isn't excellent. If the service is up to par, I'll leave a 20 percent tip.

      Regardless of the restaurant, if I make special requests, change my order or otherwise present the server with unusual demands which are graciously fulfilled, I'll leave 25 percent to show my appreciation.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

        These are just my personal, but flexible, guidelines...
        20% or more if above what's expected
        15% for what's expected
        10% or less if less or much less than what's expected

        I find that different people have different expectations. If I go out to eat with my friend who manages the Bali Restaurant then I acquiesce to her expertise!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

          Originally posted by tutusue View Post
          If I go out to eat with my friend who manages the Bali Restaurant then I acquiesce to her expertise!
          OT - she is just fabulous at her job! We had the best experience there last fall and I wish more people would think of Bali when they plan a celebration dinner.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

            How busy was this Denny's? You should keep in mind that the servers at these "family style" places have a certain number of tables to keep serviced and sometimes have to do some of their own clean-ups and set-ups. I would be satisfied that I got seated promptly & got my order in a reasonable time, especially for breakfast. and I would also appreciate that these servers are minimum wage earners who depend on tips. If the server was pleasant & did his/her job - give them a good tip. They don't have time to stop & chat. and also remember - if the food is bad, it's not the server's fault. Make a complaint to the manager. If the service is bad - let the server know what they did wrong but still give them a tip.

            I totally agree with GlossyP - it depends on where I am when I'm deciding how to tip.
            "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
            – Sydney J. Harris

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

              Originally posted by glossyp View Post
              OT - she is just fabulous at her job! We had the best experience there last fall and I wish more people would think of Bali when they plan a celebration dinner.
              OTx2! I took my parents to the Maile Room when she managed that restaurant. My dad spent the entire evening watching her and remarking about how incredible she was! She has eyes in the back of her head and a 6th sense! Many of the long time customers at the ML followed her to the Bali. And, yes, the Bali is wonnnnnnnnnderful!!!

              Back on topic...My daughter treated me to the Bali and was so impressed she left a 40% tip!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                I tip based on service, I knwo it sounds rude but I have had waiters complately ignore my asking for water and forget my order completely and I have eaten several cold meals after everyone else is done because they forgot to put in my order.
                Oregon has a minimum wage law so they get paid 8...something an hour no matter what...
                So if I eat food 20 minutes after everyone..NO TIP.
                If I cannot even get a glass of water and end up getting up 15 minutes later and getting my own..NO TIP.

                OH yes, and not to mention the GLOVE in my sandwich!! NO TIP.

                One waitress asked for my ID and told me I was too old to have pink hair and I should get a life, she got no tip and I wrote on the reciept, here is your tip...try being kind. And I talked to the manager.

                Reading what I am typing I see I have had alot of bad service LOL

                Good service?? 30% or more. I can afford it from all the times I don't tip! hehe
                Since when is psycho a bad thing??
                Sharing withother survivors...
                www.supportandsurvive.org

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                  I'll probably sound like a scrooge but tips of 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%??? What happened to customer service as standard service? I feel like the whole tipping deal is getting outta hand, I have to bribe the waiter to get service? Sheesh.

                  The argument that waiters/waitresses get barely paid means the employer's mistreating the employees, not the customer. Do you tip the flight attendent when you get service on a flight? What about the mechanic who just changed your tires? What about the grocery boy that bags your purchase? Whoever started the whole tipping concept should have been shot.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                    When I was a poor college kid, I resented tips, and left nothing (or a passive aggressive ten cents or something) now and then. But after getting to know folks in food service, and realizing that even as a poor college kid the luxury of "eating out" includes tipping, In a tipping situation, now I can't imagine leaving absolutely no tip anymore. It's not about abused or exploited workers or anything like that. It's just being a nice guy. Do I have to? No. I want to.

                    I could never work in a service industry. So I respect those who do, whether they want to, or have to. And I definitely love to reward good service.

                    I mean, if I got that upset about service, that's a discussion about expectations and personnel that needs to happen, with a manager if neccessary. Just fuming and exacting revenge without actually bringing up my complaint, IMHO, makes me a bad customer (which makes bad service even worse).

                    If I get fed and leave alive but was otherwise unimpressed, 15 percent is where I usually end up on the low end. But 20 is my guideline, mostly because the math is easier! (What? I have a journalism degree!) I also tend to tack on more as a "messy kid tax."

                    That means at a family-friendly sit-down restauraunt with relatively cheap food, I might leave a ridiculous tip, percentage wise (sometimes I'll take out $60 for dinner, and with a $42 bill, just say, 'what the hell'). And since we're usually in a hurry to get out before the kids explode, that's even better for the server. Apart from all the noodles on the floor...

                    As to the Denny's experience that opened this thread, I gotta say, breakfast is a different world than dinner. I'd tip well because of prompt, no fuss, no upsell, no wait for the bill when I gotta go service. So I didn't get the chitchat, the six water refills, the "crouch down" for the order taking and the strategic shoulder touches. I don't need that stuff when I'm on my way somewhere else.

                    I agree in part with joshuatree that the expectation of tips can go too far. Tip jars at fast food joints bug me, for example. And the grey areas where there's some standard of service but not full service (buffet restaurants, hybrids like the "Sizzler model") can get tricky. And I've even had friends chased down and confronted by servers for poor tips. I mean, in both cases I agreed with the server, but starting a fight about it was even worse!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                      When eating out, I tip based on service. I had a friend whose pet peeve was people who tip on the final total (which includes the tax) instead of the pre-tax amount. The tax usually isn't big enough for me to fuss over whether it's included in the amount when I'm calculating the tip.

                      I sometimes get confused over when to tip, though. I tip the person who cuts my hair (although I have been told that if the person cutting my hair is the owner of the salon then there is no need to tip). If I go to a hotel, I tip the maid and, if there is one, the bell hop. I tip cab drivers. Do I tip the person who delivers office supplies to my office? The person who delivers flowers (in addition to the delivery fee) if I am sending or receiving flowers? When I went to Japan, I was told by the tour guide not to tip in restaurants there. That the wait staff there don't expect tips and consider what they do part of their job with any additional gratuities.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                        Originally posted by pzarquon View Post
                        .

                        If I get fed and leave alive, 15 percent is where I usually end up. But 20 is my guideline, mostly because the math is easier! (What? I have a journalism degree!) I also tend to tack on more as a "messy kid tax."

                        I also add a ~Sorry my kid was screaming tax!
                        Since when is psycho a bad thing??
                        Sharing withother survivors...
                        www.supportandsurvive.org

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                          Originally posted by joshuatree View Post
                          I'll probably sound like a scrooge but tips of 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%???
                          The upper end equals exceptional customer service which is defined differently by different people. Also, tips are usually split amongst other employees such as the busperson; those behind the scene employees who don't come in direct contact with the customer.
                          What happened to customer service as standard service? I feel like the whole tipping deal is getting outta hand, I have to bribe the waiter to get service? Sheesh.
                          No...it's a reward for good service (or lack of reward for bad service), not a bribe for service.
                          The argument that waiters/waitresses get barely paid means the employer's mistreating the employees, not the customer.
                          I know a bartender who gets no hourly rate...just tips. I don't think that's legal but she's not willing to blow the whistle because she makes great tips. That said, I believe wait staff can legally work for under minimum wage due to the tips they're required to report. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
                          Do you tip the flight attendent when you get service on a flight? What about the mechanic who just changed your tires? What about the grocery boy that bags your purchase?
                          With the exception of the last example the others can make decent money. FAs are unionize, iirc. I do tip the bag boy/girl if I need them to help me to the car.
                          Whoever started the whole tipping concept should have been shot.
                          I somewhat agree. It's too bad people can't be paid what they're worth but, otoh, tipping should be an incentive to provide excellent service. My business is service based; I provide a service, not a product. Tipping is not involved but I get paid nicely for those days I'm casting. Tipping would be totally inappropriate.

                          One industry you neglect to mention is the beauty industry...hair, massage, facials, etc...all expensive services that are tip oriented. If I get a massage from a masseuse, a tip is expected. If I get one in prescribed physical therapy, no tip is expected. Hair stylists cost some decent bucks yet tips are expected. I'm not complaining, just comparing!

                          Tipping is an interesting subject.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                            I always tell new servers to constantly scan the restaurant as they walk by. In other words be aware of your surroundings, as this will help locate customers in need of service. There are times a customer goes un-noticed until it`s too late. They`ve already been sitting for awhile without any contact. This is a no-no and contribute to walk outs and complaints. Customer service is highly important in the Restuarant Industry and this is where tipping comes #1 in this catagory.
                            bin dea-dunn dat.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Leaving A Tip When Eating Out...

                              Originally posted by pzarquon View Post
                              mostly because the math is easier! (What? I have a journalism degree!)
                              That's the best cross-thread reference I've seen in a long time - and funny, too.
                              Originally posted by Adri View Post
                              When I went to Japan, I was told by the tour guide not to tip in restaurants there. That the wait staff there don't expect tips and consider what they do part of their job with any additional gratuities.
                              Tipping is strongly discouraged in a number of countries, such as Japan. In Australia, it's insulting to tip, as it sends a message regarding the implied inferiority of the service-person. Equality among individuals is a supposed cornerstone of the culture there. (I say "supposed," because xenophobic and racist behavior are also extremely strong there.)

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X