When is a tip not a tip?

[grislyatoms]

"I normally tip 15% - 20%. Lower range for "average" service, upper range for "exceptional" service."

For the most part, that's what I do. For truly awful service, $1. When it has been that bad, I usually don't go back, either.
For truly exceptional meal/service, 25%.

I always tip delivery drivers well. 25%.

[lupinus]

Depends on where I am at, what was served, and service.

Formal restaurants that have the service level to match? These guys get 20-25% easy. And the formal type places that we visit on occasion have service staff that are worth it. If they aren't I don't care how good the food is, I'm not dropping that kind of money in the place. There are some factors I suppose, I might go a bit towards the lower end of the scale if the bill is unusually high due to an unusually expensive ingredient, but it's not a huge factor.

But then at the small homey places we go to much more often, it easy to hit 20% or more as well. But then when breakfast for the two of us is MAYBE 15 bucks, it doesn't take a big tip to exceed 20%. Same places for dinner at the same way. A 20ish dollar bill doesn't take a large tip to exceed 20%.

ApplechiliGarden House? 15-18% usually. I'll go over if they do their job exceedingly well, but I have no problem going less for *expletive deleted*it service. I always leave a tip though. Always. Lowest I've left was a penny a person on a couple of particularly bad experiences. But I always leave something so the server knows I didn't just forget.

And service effecting the tip is always based only on the service. If I'm at Texas Roadhouse it's not my waitresses fault the guy in the back screwed up the temp on my steak. Oh and counter service. I never tip for counter service or take out.

[Jamisjockey]

[archer] Just the tip! [/archer]

[Hawkmoon]

Correct.

I meant that a restaurant should not add sales tax to the tip amount.

Correct. And I compute the tip as a percentage of the base bill, not the amount after tax. I'm tipping the waitperson and the restaurant staff, not the state department of revenue enhancement.

Out of curiosity, what do y'all think is a fair tip for the waitperson at a Chinese buffet? Yes, they hover around and remove the used plates, but other than bringing a pot of tea they don't actually take orders or serve anything.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Correct. And I compute the tip as a percentage of the base bill, not the amount after tax. I'm tipping the waitperson and the restaurant staff, not the state department of revenue enhancement.

Out of curiosity, what do y'all think is a fair tip for the waitperson at a Chinese buffet? Yes, they hover around and remove the used plates, but other than bringing a pot of tea they don't actually take orders or serve anything.

for me?  its usually 2 for lunch and i tip a buck a trip for trips they bring me something   drink or some non buffet item

and any delivery driver to my house gets 10 bucks minimum. its a ways.  i try to work off "what would i want/think is fair if i did the same job

[grislyatoms]

"i try to work off "what would i want/think is fair if i did the same job"

That's what I was getting at but you said it better than I did.

I ordered two "drag it through the kitchen" deep-dish pizzas last week and a 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. Bill came out to $38. Driver got $10. I used to give $5 for stuff like that but with his expenses and all, I figured $10 was more appropriate.

We don't go out/order delivery very often so it's not much of an issue. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

its 14 miles round trip from closest place to my house  5 miles on a winding country road.  i think one of my neighbors was a bit miffed when i pointed out that 3 bucks meant he was losing money coming to my place.  the neighbor is a liberal ows supporter.  or wants to wear that uniform. got a house hold income over 400 k and cheap sob

[RevDisk]

I tip 20% usually. I leave 2 cents for a tip if the service is bad.

[French G.]

I tip well when it is deserved.

Why not pay the servers a fair wage, and eliminate the tipping completely?

No matter how you slice it, the consumer is paying for the service anyway.

Because the restaurants that do that well would be far outnumbered by the ones filled with lazy staff that hadn't been fired yet. Want more money? Move quicker, get the orders correct.

I tip well, hate eating with cheapskate tippers. Left 2 pennies once. Generally wait staff tries to do well is my experience, the awful don't last long.

[Tallpine]

its 14 miles round trip from closest place to my house  5 miles on a winding country road.  ...

You live right downtown 


It's 80 miles round trip from our place to the city, via the closest route of which about 30 miles each way is gravel/dirt 

[seeker_two]

I tip well when it is deserved.

Why not pay the servers a fair wage, and eliminate the tipping completely?

No matter how you slice it, the consumer is paying for the service anyway.

Then it would be like getting good service from a state gov't.....

[grislyatoms]

Huge disparity, there.

One is given willingly. The other is taken.

[Hutch]

At a buffet, I tip a buck for the first tea refill, and another buck for refills 2-n.  I eat out at a sit-down restaurant 6 or 8 times a week, and generally tip ~ 20% because it's easy to figure.  My favorite servers usually get a $50 tip sometime near to Christmas.