Tips and gratuity... what's your opinion of the practice

[Werewolf]

To all the waiters, waitresses and other folks out there that think it is my duty to pay part of their wage I say *expletive deleted*ck YOU! Get a real job.

Then don't eat out, asshat. Keep your snobbish butt at home and cook for yourself. Then you won't have to worry about it now, will you.

Brad

Ahhh... straight from the mouth of a guy who either has too much money and tosses it around to impress people or more likely can't get a real job.

[Brad Johnson]

what do you guys tip a decent bartender??   by the drink, or when closing the tab?

If you know them well, keep a tab and tip them at the end. If you don't start out paying by the drink and establish yourself as generous.

At my local hangout I tip $10 on a tab, any tab. Quite often the tip is more than the tab itself. In return, I only pay for about every third beer. At $3 a pop for the beer I drink I come out ahead pretty quick. And I get the best service at the bar. The place can be wall-to-wall, but all I have to do is get up from my table and one of the bartenders is grabbing a glass and pulling another one for me. I don't even have to ask. I just get up and head for the bar. In the short time it takes for me to get up from the table and walk across the room to the bar there will be a fresh, frosty glass of my preferred beverage sitting there. And I don't drink that much. Once a week usually, maybe twice a week if there is something special happening. Even when I stay really late my tab is never more than nine or ten bucks and I get treated like I own the place. All because of something as simple as knowing the bartenders by name and showing my appreciation accordingly.

Brad

[Brad Johnson]

To all the waiters, waitresses and other folks out there that think it is my duty to pay part of their wage I say *expletive deleted*ck YOU! Get a real job.

Then don't eat out, asshat. Keep your snobbish butt at home and cook for yourself. Then you won't have to worry about it now, will you.

Brad

Ahhh... straight from the mouth of a guy who either has too much money and tosses it around to impress people or more likely can't get a real job.

Funny, I'm not the one telling hard working people to F* off and "get a real job". Last time I checked, lugging trays around for unappreciative pricks was as real as it gets. Especially given the level of piss poor attitude most servers have to put up with these days. 30 years ago people knew that waiting tables is hard work and did what they could to help their server help them. Now, people look down on them like they are some lower class of society.

I don't need money to impress people. I do that by just being me. I do, however, use money to congratulate my hard-working servers for their attentiveness and effort. You might try doing the same. It would amaze you how much the service improves when you're not being an arrogant .

Brad

[Declaration Day]

It would amaze you how much the service improves when you're not being an arrogant .

Brad

Amen!

People deserve to be treated with respect, even if you are paying them for their time.  

Any manager or business owner will tell you that they will do whatever it takes to please you.  In the real world, your level of service will depend on your attitude.  

Do as you will, but even if I weren't a gentleman, I know better than to play the spitburger lottery.

[Guest]

what do you guys tip a decent bartender??   by the drink, or when closing the tab?

If you have a tab then you pay when closing, if your buying one drink at a time them you tip on each drink (same with cocktail waitresses at casinos). The amount of the tip kinda depends on the kind of place it is. Really tipping at a crowded bar is more of an investment than anything, when there are 50 people crowded around to a get a drink from the two bartenders, that generous tip you made on your last drink gets you to the head of the line pretty fast.

[jefnvk]

Why don't we just start requiring that waiters get paid minimum wage, so there isn't this whole 'if they don't get tipped they get squat' argument?

Then, if they give good service, the tip is a reward, not part of their base salary.

[Guest]

Why don't we just start requiring that waiters get paid minimum wage, so there isn't this whole 'if they don't get tipped they get squat' argument?

Then, if they give good service, the tip is a reward, not part of their base salary.

On the other hand I think its nice that some people in this country actually get paid based on their performance.

[Paddy]

I always tip in the 20% neighborhood for good to excellent service.  Plus, I'm always polite to my waitperson "please, thank you, etc." and my attitude is almost alway reciprocated.  On the very rare occasions I get a rude waitperson, I'm still polite, but leave no tip at all.

[Brad Johnson]

Why don't we just start requiring that waiters get paid minimum wage, so there isn't this whole 'if they don't get tipped they get squat' argument?

Then, if they give good service, the tip is a reward, not part of their base salary.

There is actually more truth in there than you realize, though not quite from the perspective that you intended.

Min wage is about double the going rate of most service employers. By upping the base hourly pay you can A) ask more of your service staff and B) have a better selection when hiring. The end result is that you will, in all probability, have more satisfied customers and far less turnover in your staffing. Both of which result in healthier and more manageable establishements along with an improved bottom line.

Brad

[280plus]

Good point Brad. Then maybe more restaurant workers would actually show up for work too.

[secamp32]

Does anybody tip on takeout?  I was at one restaurant that had a sign that stated that the wait staff madeup the takeout orders and should be tipped.  Any ideas?

[Werewolf]

I don't need money to impress people. I do that by just being me. I do, however, use money to congratulate my hard-working servers for their attentiveness and effort. You might try doing the same. It would amaze you how much the service improves when you're not being an arrogant .

Brad

If you really believe you're getting all that good service because of your personality there's a bridge in brooklyn I own for sale.

You're getting all that good service because you're paying for it. Bribery is a better term. What's worse is you have to do it to get the service you should get without it.

I've said it befor I'll say it again - it is not my job to pay a waiters salary - it is the restraunts job. Too bad that the law makes exceptions on minimum wage for wait persons - not my problem.

[Brad Johnson]

I've said it befor I'll say it again - it is not my job to pay a waiters salary - it is the restraunts job. Too bad that the law makes exceptions on minimum wage for wait persons - not my problem.

Oh.. my... - The economic ignorance in that statement is absolutely staggering. I am truly at a loss for words.

Brad

[Justin]

You know, I was being facetious when I posted the dialogue from Reservoir Dogs.

[M14rick]

We usually tip @ 20%, given good service. I take into account the waitress's work load when service seems a little delayed. Having worked facing the public more than 20 years gives me a good deal of insight. IMHO, customers that get a bad attitude, and take it out on the help, haven't had to satisfy the public day in and day out. A kind word and a smile will get you farther than a frown.
     My younger daughter works in a restaurant, tending bar and waiting tables nights and weekends. She is a taechers aide weekdays. She makes enough to make her car payment from the restaurant. BTW, the tips dp vary by the customer's age, sex, and ethnic group.

[280plus]

In my drinkin' days I knew that if you tipped the bartender well enough and acted all nice and polite, a couple of those drinks might be free! Or you at LEAST wouldn't get gypped on the alcohol content.

I'm probably a bad boy for saying that...

[Werewolf]

Oh.. my... - The economic ignorance in that statement is absolutely staggering. I am truly at a loss for words.

Brad

Oh.. my... - The condescension in that statement is absolutely staggering. I am truly at a loss for words.

NOT REALLY!

Maybe if waitpersons were paid a decent wage food service businesses could hire a better class of person instead of the snot nosed, college and high school kids they get now who mostly believe the world owes them a living and that they're doing the business a favor by even showing up and that the people they serve are lucky to have them bring what they paid for.

Would the price of a meal go up - hell - of course it would but maybe not as much as one might think. Training costs go down because turnover would be reduced and the costs of administering the nightmare that is a restaurant's payroll would be reduced (less turnover, don't have to fool with calculating tip withholding based on weekly revenue, fewer W-2's to send out etc etc).

Higher price to get decent service from folks adequately paid who actually want to do the job and not have to bribe them for it. You betcha.

[Brad Johnson]

You seem to miss an important point - Bribery is getting someone to do what they do not want to. Tips are incentive for persons already employed to do a better job.

Maybe if waitpersons were paid a decent wage

The good ones already are. That's the point of this whole thread.

Brad

[Declaration Day]

Maybe if waitpersons were paid a decent wage food service businesses could hire a better class of person instead of the snot nosed.....

This looks good in theory.  However,  the "better class of people" you speak of usually don't want these jobs, either because they think they're above that kind of work or they have an education that qualifies them for something better.

college and high school kids they get now who mostly believe the world owes them a living and that they're doing the business a favor by even showing up and that the people they serve are lucky to have them bring what they paid for.

A lot of today's kids come from parents who spoil them, teach them no responsibility, and think that handing their kids excessive material goods is a good thing.  Of course not all parents do this, but I am relatively young and remember growing up with many spoiled kids who act exactly as you describe.  But I'll leave it at that so I don't hijack the thread.

You might say it's "not your problem", but if it bothers you as much as your posts suggest, it clearly IS.  What to do? Get carry out, eat at home, find a place that DOES offer good service.

[Werewolf]

You seem to miss an important point - Bribery is getting someone to do what they do not want to. Tips are incentive for persons already employed to do a betterjob.

Maybe if waitpersons were paid a decent wage

The good ones already are. That's the point of this whole thread.

Brad

Exactly - waitpersons today want to do as little as possible. Lower expectations from employers and customers. The result is that excessive tipping is required to get a level of service that 40 years ago one got for the customary 15%.

It seems from reading this thread that only those who tip generously, are know by their servers and are regulars get really good service. And that is tantamount to paying someone to do what they otherwise don't want to.

I guess it is all a matter of perspective. Is the glass half full or half empty? When it comes to restaurant service these days it is mostly half empty.

Do I tip? Yes - when the server is genuinely friendly. Few are these days. They do their jobs at best like robots and at worst like they're doing you a favor. I for one refuse to play that game. They're not getting a penny from me if they don't meet a minimum expectation. It seems my expectation is a bit higher than those of others here.

[Brad Johnson]

waitpersons today want to do as little as possible.

When it comes to restaurant service these days it is mostly half empty.

It's been my experience that most people create their own circumstances. I create mine by being congenial, polite, and generous. I rarely get bad service. In fact, I would say that 9 out of 10 times I get excellent service. All because I walk in with a smile on my face and a kind word to the server.

I am a people watcher. It's a hobby of mine, as well as coming in handy in my current profession. I watch people in the restaurant or bar to see the interaction between the customers and staff. If there is a constant among people who always seem to get bad service it is this - the customer's attitude. Customers with a poor attitude usually end up getting hellishly bad service. Customers with a good attitude usually end up getting incredibly responsive and courteous service. Indifferent customers get average service.

The opposite is also true. People who talk about getting consistently good service are usually upbeat, positive, and very likeable. They are the people who walk down the street with a pleasant look on their face whistling to themselves and waving at passersby. People who complain about getting consistently poor service are usually bitter, pessimistic, and generally unsociable. They are the kind of people who can effectively suck the life out of everyone in the room just by their mere presence.

Brad

[crt360]

I generally get good service and tip 15-20%.  The joints I frequent are mostly family owned Mexican, Chinese, or Southern good eatin' (chicken-fried steak, fried catfish, fried chicken, etc.).  The big franchise restaurants are where the service is usually lacking.  The last time I went to Chili's, we were seated for nearly an hour before someone took our order.  No one checked to refill iced tea or ask if we needed anything.  After sitting for about 15 minutes with an empty glass I finally saw a waitress close enough to flag down.  It was at least an hour after we ordered before our food showed up.  My plate had obviously been sitting awhile before it got to me.  Waitress didn't say a thing when she brought them out.  We went in for lunch and I swear the sun was setting by the time we got out.  I like Chili's food and I thought their service was decent most of the time, but this was unreal.  Tiny tip.  I doubt they'll spit in my food next time, none of them came near our table long enough to see what I even looked like.  That was 9 months ago and I haven't been back.

[280plus]

I'm not a big fan of the franchise restaurants. For one thing they usually DO hire snot nosed college kids to cook and serve. If I'm going out to spend big money on food, I want some pros in charge of it, not some kid working part time for beer money.

[Declaration Day]

It's been my experience that most people create their own circumstances. I create mine by being congenial, polite, and generous. I rarely get bad service. In fact, I would say that 9 out of 10 times I get excellent service. All because I walk in with a smile on my face and a kind word to the server.

I am a people watcher. It's a hobby of mine, as well as coming in handy in my current profession. I watch people in the restaurant or bar to see the interaction between the customers and staff. If there is a constant among people who always seem to get bad service it is this - the customer's attitude. Customers with a poor attitude usually end up getting hellishly bad service. Customers with a good attitude usually end up getting incredibly responsive and courteous service. Indifferent customers get average service.

The opposite is also true. People who talk about getting consistently good service are usually upbeat, positive, and very likeable. They are the people who walk down the street with a pleasant look on their face whistling to themselves and waving at passersby. People who complain about getting consistently poor service are usually bitter, pessimistic, and generally unsociable. They are the kind of people who can effectively suck the life out of everyone in the room just by their mere presence.

Brad

Well said!  That is exactly how I feel, too.

Creating your own circumstances is surprisingly easy, yet when I explain it to people it seems to go in one ear and out the other.  A big smile and a friendly hello can turn someone's day around.  At the very least, it tells a grumpy person that it's not necessary to be rude to you in order to get what they want.  I am a business owner, so I use these tactics all the time.  They work 95% of the time.

It seems like people with a negative attitude towards others (and about life) think it's an asset.  They act like it's empowering or that it's going to get them something.  In the end, they receive what they dish out, and the problem compounds. So few of them ever figure it out.

[280plus]

"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar"

Corny but true...