Well, I gotta agree with a lot of what PFogle said.
Tipping was something you did to show appreciation for the person providing a service to you. This wasn't something that was required then, nor is it now. It is, again, to show appreciation. A big problem is that people have become lazy and self centered. They simply "expect" people to bend over backwards to accomodate every whim. They forget, these people working do have real responsibilities, and have other people to deal with. It's not easy work, as any waiter/waitress that has done it for a long time will tell you.

Some here have a pretty lousy attitude. I suppose pay raises, Christmas bonuses and giving to charity annoy you too. All that help thy neighbor stuff. Man, I hope you never have to "lower" yourself to a job that relies on the kindness of your customers for your income. There are some poor folk in world that can't get great jobs. There are less than generous employers. And apparently, less than generous customers too. Glad I don't do this kind of thing for a living. Some folks would wait a LONG time to get fed.
Maybe I'm just misinterpreting. I hope so. OK, I'll stop now.


Personally, it depends mainly on the service I get. If the server spends more time BS'ing with friends/other customers/co-workers than doing their jobs, or if I have to leg-tackle them to get a glass of water, chances are they're SOL.
If I get good service, I tip well. I have been known to drop 100% tip after getting excellent service. IMO, as much as other people are quick to point out "bad service", perhaps it would improve if folks also reward good service to the same magnitude.
Maybe it's just me, but when I go out, I want to be treated well, and enjoy my meal/drinks. If I can't afford a few more bucks to tip the person providing this service to me, I stay home and do for myself. But some folks don't feel that way, I guess.

EDITED - Comment retracted.

 

I agree with tx splash & braindamage. TIP means To Insure Promptness. I've left tips near equal the meal price (along with a note), and I've also left a single penny for crappy service. I figure they're getting paid minimum wage, if their service is above minimum wage I'll tip, usually 10%-20%. If they just seem to go completely out of their way to make your service the best it could possibly be the tip keeps getting bigger. If their service is equal to minimum wage or less - they get the penny, hopefully they take that "tip" and improve their service. I tip the service, I don't tip because its a habit.

As for contractors who do work on my place, I have never given cash, but if they have put in a good day's work a case of beer or a fifth or two of Jack Daniels seems pretty cheap to help with moral.

 

Tax here is 8.25 percent, so for average service I just leave double the tax, 16.5 percent. At my "regular" places, where I always get the same waiter or bartender, they get a minimum of $1, even if I just order coffee or a beer.

Jim

 

I haven't got the time or patience to be doin' all that kinda rubberneckin'. I average 15%, but as some others have mentioned, a couple pennies if the waiter/waitress was ignorant or rude. One thing I never saw mentioned here, and hope that it is for the right reason, is "What do you do if the service is excellent and the food is trash?"

I tip anyway. According to the service. It ain't the service staff's fault if the 'chef' can't cook. We tend to find this a lot in sit down fast and not so fast food dispensaries in the area that I live. Harvey's, Casey's, Finn McCool's and others tend to try to get you drunk and then serve garbage disguised as food. Well, if the server did their job, I'm drunk and don't care and everybody gets a tip, I guess. <chuckle> If the food gets sent back and the server makes sure the cook don't spit in it - she/he gets a really good tip. I really try not to send back food, doncha know.

I hope most of you see the humor in sending back food .........

 

Been in the business too long....I always tip too much, wait staffs don't get paid squat and they have to put up with rude customers who demand 4 star service at 1 star restaurant. Leaving a penny is bush, maybe its the kitchens fault and you took it out on the server.

 

Check out www.stainedapron.com
The site hasn't been updated in a couple of years, but it is still very funny. I was a bartender for years...read "A Rant From The Bar"
James
This site is NOT totally family friendly (language)

 

I have been on all 3 sides of this issue. Server,Manager, & Customer.

If the service good or great....I leave a tip (gauged on how I feel at the time)

If the service is bad or crummy, I leave a note or a novel behind, depending how I feel at the time.

 

My wife was a waitress while in college so she makes sure I give decent tips. If they're good, I'll give them 20-25%, especially if it is our usual place. For average service, 15% and for bad service, they'll get 5-10%. For REALLY bad service, I'll leave a penny under my plate and don't care what the wife says. I have even gone back and got dollar bills she left b/c the waiter/waitress didn't deserve it.

 

I have adopted the rule of Tipping more close to home. I tip well at the places I eat often. Out of town I tip 10-13% if the service is good, and nothing if the service is crap. I had a waitress confront me once, and I flat out told her why I didn't tip her, she huffed and puffed, and most people in the place laughed at her. That may sound cruel, But I am also understanding.. if the place is packed, I am more tollerant of poor service - they are just busy. If the place is empty I should never have to ask for a refill. Just my $.02

 

i think anyone that spends 10$ - 50$ on a meal for himself but welches on the tip is cheap and has no class. 15% tip is part of the price on a meal. it's split between waitresses, busboys, dishwashers, sometimes management and everyone else who works for **** pay so you can eat cheap food

when i delivered pizzas i made a buck more than minimum and kept whatever tips i got. also had to provide my own car and pay my own gas. on most 20$ orders i'd get 1$ and change in tip. that's nowhere near 15% and it doesn't begin to pay for my costs in delivering the food. i did a little better delivering BBQ chicken and ribs for a restaurant but even 2$ and change isn't much when gas is almost 80 cents a litre.

you get a lot of people that stiff you, want all their change, or pay credit card and don't tip at all. or the ones send their little kids to the door with exact change. big house, two cars, new furniture. like to order food three times a week but too broke to spare a couple of bucks. i do this now and then for extra money. and it's rare i go out to eat or order food but when i do i never cheat the help out of their tip. they need to eat too

 

If delivered Pizza is $18.00 > I say make it $20 ...

If Michelle & I have had a lunch at $13.20 > server gets $1.80.

If my meal is $6.00 ...server gets $1.00

I usually round up to the nearest Dollar.

But remember my earlier comment about a note or a Novel.

The owner gets a novel about the experience.
The server gets the note with explanation of why no tip.


One thing though about eating out is the server's attention to detail.
When the 2 of us are out & both order something, I don't expect the server to ask:"Now, Who gets what"?

 

Some of you guys totally remind me of the breakfast scene in Resevoir Dogs. I rarely tip less than $5. Usually it's closer to $10 and on big meals (like Outback Steakhouse) I do $20. If the service sucks I like to just give them a dollar. If you don't give them any tips then they think you're just a stingey jackarse that doesn't tip. Give them a dollar and they know they screwed up. What's really getting to me though is all the fast food resturants that now have a tip slow on the credit card receipts. They throw my food in a paper bag and want something special for it . . . crazy.

On a side note: I never bought into the whole "they only make minimum wage" gargbage. I say anybody who doesn't like it needs to get a new job. I tip because I want to, not because I feel obligated to support the server. How they pay their bills is their own problem.

 

 

My tips strictly depends on when i was asked hows my food taste or if everythings okay, if my mouth is full of food when asked, I tip less, if they wait till after I'm done with my first or second bite....then ask, I tip more.
If they can't tell that i have a mouth full of food, they are not paying attention.
...and generally I will tip well..

 

What about other service people? Bellhop, Valet parker, Cleaning gal at the hotel/motel, guy who dries your truck off at the car wash?
I usually tip these folks a buck or 2, I always tip my Barber, because I feel guilty only paying him $7.00 for a haircut, with a neck shave. I don't know how the guy makes a living...
I do contruction work, and I have had folks bring us treats/cold drinks, and maybe even a beer after work. That kind of thing goes a long way with a tradesman, as far as doing the little extras for a customer like that.
Compare that to working for people that are constantly nitpicking your every move, acting like you are cheating them somehow on prices, changing their mind and wanting you to make changes for nothing.
I even had a lady tip me once because she was so happy with the job we did! She owns a hair salon, and probably understands from her work how to treat people to get the best from them.
Greg58