[hhkim]

Isint the US one of the only countries where tip is basically a part of the culture? I know in some parts of europe/asia, tipping is not required or even asked for at all.

But here, I've had a few encounters where I left a marginal tip for horrendous food/service and the waiter/manager would chase after me asking for more tip.

Its sad...

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by hhkim

Isint the US one of the only countries where tip is basically a part of the culture? I know in some parts of europe/asia, tipping is not required or even asked for at all.

But here, I've had a few encounters where I left a marginal tip for horrendous food/service and the waiter/manager would chase after me asking for more tip.

Its sad...

Yes, that's a good point. A good friend of mine is from England (Leeds) and she doesn't believe in tipping. I've tried explaining it to her, it's different in the US.

She just doesn't get it. The result is I'm embarrassed to have her buying any meals, so I just pay and include the tip.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by hhkim

Isint the US one of the only countries where tip is basically a part of the culture? I know in some parts of europe/asia, tipping is not required or even asked for at all.

But here, I've had a few encounters where I left a marginal tip for horrendous food/service and the waiter/manager would chase after me asking for more tip.

Its sad...

Yeah I don't get it either. I think people just bought into the whole tipping thing. I mean I tip when I go to restaurants but it's pretty funny when you look around. At most restaurants tips are not required but people do it because they think it's the norm (this has picked up just recently). I don't remember tipping being the norm 3-4 years ago. It's even more noticeable when you go to an Asian restaurant. Most of the time they tip very little or don't tip at all. There is no 10, 15, or 20% tip. And don't say Asians are cheap cus that's just B.S.

I remember one time where a waitress was pissed off because we didn't tip her enough. And it was at a buffet too. Yeah sure we could have tipped more but didn't cus of her pissy attitude. I mean are you kidding me? You want a big tip for filling up our glasses?

[Noc57]

Keep in mind that in other countries it's different. They get paid more/get better benefits/insurance. Tipping is not required to make a living, but it's always a welcome addition.

You know how much the average waiter/waitress makes in the US? like $2.50/hr, even at top end restaurants. Their income and salary is almost entirely tips.

When I worked at PF Changs we didn't even see the $2.50/hr check, it all goes towards taxes. You only made what you walked home with at the end of the night.

[Spec 1]

Originally Posted by ACZakka325i

It is generally NOT expected, at least where I'm at. And where I'm at is one of the nicer towns in the US.

I'll tell you exactly what goes on besides your dime-a-dozen curbside food factory. The chef takes a to-go container instead of a plate. Puts the food in there as he would a regular dish. The food runner (or a waiter) snaps the top on the container and puts it in a bag with some bread.

You aren't a "cheap ass" for not tipping on this. But, wait staff gladly will accept it. But, its not expected.

If it makes you feel like a big shot to break off everyone, sure why not. But, its not necessary.

and FYI, if one of my waiters comes to me to show me a poor tip, I say eat it, because that off-sets the majority of 20%+ tippers we have.

Agreed. This guy is dead on.

Originally Posted by Noc57

A big shot for tipping a couple bucks? No, it's common decency. We're not Frank Sinatra tipping $100's.

I generally tip all waiters/waitresses well, not because I'm a big shot....but because I understand this is how you MAKE YOUR LIVING.

How hard is it for a bartender to open up a beer for you at a club? Do you think that's more work than a curbside/takeout waiter/waitress? Do you not give them a couple bucks?

Please, Yes you are a cheap ass.

You really just called him a cheap ass?

Do you tip the bagger at the grocery store as well then? Do you tip your bank teller? Do you tip the gas station attendant? There is NO need to tip a guy for walking 15 feet from the kitchen to the front counter when he does nothing else. If you want to, fantastic. Nobody is a "cheap ass" because they don't hand out free money to each and every person who walks near them. Most waiters will not expect a tip for take-out. That's from the horse's mouth, my roomy, a waiter at a high-end restaurant.

If you want to tip me $2 for this advice I just gave you, please let me know and I'll PM you my Paypal adress

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by Spec 1

Agreed. This guy is dead on.


You really just called him a cheap ass?

Do you tip the bagger at the grocery store as well then? Do you tip your bank teller? Do you tip the gas station attendant? There is NO need to tip a guy for walking 15 feet from the kitchen to the front counter when he does nothing else. If you want to, fantastic. Nobody is a "cheap ass" because they don't hand out free money to each and every person who walks near them. Most waiters will not expect a tip for take-out. That's from the horse's mouth, my roomy, a waiter at a high-end restaurant.

If you want to tip me $2 for this advice I just gave you, please let me know and I'll PM you my Paypal adress

Have you been a waiter/waitress? Do you know exactly what takeout/curbside entails? If not you can shut your mouth. Do you not tip your bartender a couple bucks for that bottle of bud that took them 2 secs to open?

Grocery store's a little different there bud.....They don't get paid $2.50/hr.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by Noc57

You know how much the average waiter/waitress makes in the US? like $2.50/hr, even at top end restaurants. Their income and salary is almost entirely tips.

I hate to bring up fast food vs sit down restaurants, but even if a server at a sit down restaurant is getting low tips, they will still most likely make more than the minimum wage earner at McDonalds. I don't think the person trying to make ends meet at fast food is a lesser person than a fine dining waiter; both are trying to make a living (otherwise why would they be working?). You can even make the assumption that the 30 year old working McDonalds needs the money even more. I like to tip base on service provided. If all the service staff is doing is charging my credit card and handing me a bag, I don't feel that is deserving of a tip just because I bought something at a restaurant.

Also, not to be a dick, but if the restaurant pulls waiters to do takeout, who's fault is it that the server isn't getting tables? Us the customer or the restaurant he is working at? I don't directly tip my host when they guide me to a table or the busboy when he clears the table(unless server tips out, but I have no control over that).

I'm not trying to pull a Mr. Pink here, your argument just doesn't make sense to me. I'm not saying you're wrong, but your justification just isn't enough for me to follow your advice.

[Spec 1]

Originally Posted by Noc57

Have you been a waiter/waitress? Do you know exactly what takeout/curbside entails? If not you can shut your mouth. Do you not tip your bartender a couple bucks for that bottle of bud that took them 2 secs to open?

Grocery store's a little different there bud.....They don't get paid $2.50/hr.

Whoa, chill out bud. No need to puff up your big internet muscles (which looking at your avatar are much bigger then your real world muscles, haha ). We can discuss it like adults.

Yes, I have been a waiter for 2 1/2 years and worked as a prep cook for a bit longer. I know exactly what is entailed in takeout, otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it. Typically, takout isn't handled by a waiter, but the hostess.

I do tip my bartender for the beer it took them 2 seconds to open, at least $1 usually, even if it's a $3 beer. I stand by the fact it's not expected to be tipped for takeout. If you do, you're in a small minority.

[Leilani]

Originally Posted by Spec 1

Agreed. This guy is dead on.

+1.

Originally Posted by Spec 1

You really just called him a cheap ass?

Do you tip the bagger at the grocery store as well then? Do you tip your bank teller? Do you tip the gas station attendant? There is NO need to tip a guy for walking 15 feet from the kitchen to the front counter when he does nothing else. If you want to, fantastic. Nobody is a "cheap ass" because they don't hand out free money to each and every person who walks near them. Most waiters will not expect a tip for take-out. That's from the horse's mouth, my roomy, a waiter at a high-end restaurant.

If you want to tip me $2 for this advice I just gave you, please let me know and I'll PM you my Paypal adress

I agree. I also don't tip at Starbucks, but I do tip at the bar. Baristas don't work off of tips and bartenders do.

I used to be a cocktail server at a casino and my general rule of thumb was to provide repeat service to those that tipped and avoided those that didn't.

You want that "tall iced mocha" that I have to make by filling a pint-sized heavy a$$ glass with ice, pouring coffee into a styrofoam cup, adding a packet of hot chocolate and sugar, stirring it well so you don't get powder lumps, pouring it into the pint glass, adding cream and stirring, putting whipped cream on the top, sticking two straws in it like you asked and lugging that heavy drink all the way back to you and then having to look for you because you moved from where you were...and now you're gonna tip me a QUARTER??? You better sip slowly and enjoy, cuz that's the last drink you're getting from me...and I'll tell the other servers about you, too!

Anyway, for the most part, it all evens out in the end...I'd get my share of non-tippers (which include those that tip $0.25) and then I'd get lucky once in a while with $100 tippers.

Sometimes people "in the know" about tipping get extras that cocktail servers normally wouldn't provide. Here's scenario #1:

Gambler: I'd like a venti iced mocha with an extra shot, no whip...is $5 enough?
Server: Sorry, you have to be playing in high limit to order Starbucks drinks. Would you like an iced coffee instead?

Here's scenario #2:

Gambler: I'd like a venti iced mocha with an extra shot, no whip...here's $20 and go ahead and keep the change.
Server: Thank you!

[number335]

do you guys leave tips at establishments like pick up sticks where you order and seat yourself but the food is brought to you and sometimes taken away after you are done? I always feel like I should, but I don't see anyone else leaving tips and if I leave a tip some punk kid may take the table and steal the tip.

[DougLikesBMW]

Hell no, they are just doing their job.

Their employer should pay them, not you.

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by Spec 1

Whoa, chill out bud. No need to puff up your big internet muscles (which looking at your avatar are much bigger then your real world muscles, haha ). We can discuss it like adults.

Yes, I have been a waiter for 2 1/2 years and worked as a prep cook for a bit longer. I know exactly what is entailed in takeout, otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it. Typically, takout isn't handled by a waiter, but the hostess.

I do tip my bartender for the beer it took them 2 seconds to open, at least $1 usually, even if it's a $3 beer. I stand by the fact it's not expected to be tipped for takeout. If you do, you're in a small minority.

That's exactly the point dude, it's a couple bucks....we're not talking 20% of the bill. Look, you've got your point of view and I've got mine. Sure I can understand if you think it's just putting the food in a bag how hard is it? You get tips based on your service and how much service do you really get with takeout/carry out orders?...It makes sense.

Then again it depends on the situation. I worked for PF Changs in college, the takeout was typically a waiter/waitress, and yes sometimes the host/hostess. You do get a slightly higher salary than the $2.50/hr reg, but it's still not much. You know how busy we were? The takeout person was swamped 24/7 at dinner hours. Taking tons of orders, having tons of people line up by the bar, running food out to cars, answering the phone, boxing up stuff, closing out bills, etc....There's alot more work involved than you think.

To me it's just common decency, but it's by no means a requirement. Having been a waiter and lived on that side of the world I understand this more than most. A few bucks isn't going to break anyone. We're not talking tipping the guys for Jimmy Johns take out, that's different. Actual restaurants like Outback/PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, etc....there's a little more involved.

As for the "internet tough guy" comment I do have some pretty massive triceps. I've been training since highschool, PT'ed with the Marines in college, and been a personal trainer. Working out has been a huge part of my life. I get fired up pretty easily and I apologize if I came off a dick, I had the testosterone pumping. This is just something I feel strongly about and some people's ignorance offends me.

Btw that's a sweet bike in your pic.

[Blake]

frankly, i hate the whole tipping concept. i think service industry should make set wages like everyone else and just do things like they do in japan.

[kabalm18]

Originally Posted by Blake

i tip 20%+ for nearly everything except take-out, which i'll tip usually about half that. i can't justify more than 10% for take-out.

This.

You guys are cheap! lol

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by Kroy

I hate to bring up fast food vs sit down restaurants, but even if a server at a sit down restaurant is getting low tips, they will still most likely make more than the minimum wage earner at McDonalds. I don't think the person trying to make ends meet at fast food is a lesser person than a fine dining waiter; both are trying to make a living (otherwise why would they be working?). You can even make the assumption that the 30 year old working McDonalds needs the money even more. I like to tip base on service provided. If all the service staff is doing is charging my credit card and handing me a bag, I don't feel that is deserving of a tip just because I bought something at a restaurant.

Also, not to be a dick, but if the restaurant pulls waiters to do takeout, who's fault is it that the server isn't getting tables? Us the customer or the restaurant he is working at? I don't directly tip my host when they guide me to a table or the busboy when he clears the table(unless server tips out, but I have no control over that).

I'm not trying to pull a Mr. Pink here, your argument just doesn't make sense to me. I'm not saying you're wrong, but your justification just isn't enough for me to follow your advice.

I was going to go ahead and refer you to my comment to Spec listed below, but here's an edit.

It's a couple bucks....we're not talking 20% of the bill. Look, you've got your point of view and I've got mine. Sure I can understand if you think it's just putting the food in a bag how hard is it? You get tips based on your service and how much service do you really get with takeout/carry out orders?...It makes sense.

Then again it depends on the situation. I worked for PF Changs in college, the takeout was typically a waiter/waitress, and yes sometimes the host/hostess. You do get a slightly higher salary than the $2.50/hr reg, but it's still not much. You know how busy we were? The takeout person was swamped 24/7 at dinner hours. Taking tons of orders, having tons of people line up by the bar, running food out to cars, answering the phone, boxing up stuff, closing out bills, etc....There's alot more work involved than you think.

To me it's just common decency, but it's by no means a requirement. Having been a waiter and lived on that side of the world I understand this more than most. A few bucks isn't going to break anyone. We're not talking tipping the guys for Jimmy Johns take out, that's different. Actual restaurants like Outback/PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, etc....there's a little more involved.

[Seminole]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

First off a majority of places now have a set aside person that just handles curbside. This person is a waiter in that restaurant that on that night got assigned that duty. They do not get paid hourly because of it, they still require tips to make money.

I'm not trying to call you out, as it may be different where you have worked, but in all the restaurants I worked in while a teenager and in college (Cheeburger Cheeburger, Johnny Carino's, Bahama Breeze) the carryout person was either normally a hostess (in the case of Bahama Breeze and JC) or someone that worked the bar (in Cheeburger). In all the situations though, the people were paid hourly.

That being said, if the person is in a good mood, I'll tip an extra buck or two. But when I have a sit down meal I always, even if the service is less than stellar, give 20%. If I'm out with someone who picks up the tab and I see they didn't leave 20% I'll even throw down a few extra bucks discretely when everyone is getting up to make up the difference. You really have to screw something up to not get 20% from me.

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by Seminole

I'm not trying to call you out, as it may be different where you have worked, but in all the restaurants I worked in while a teenager and in college (Cheeburger Cheeburger, Johnny Carino's, Bahama Breeze) the carryout person was either normally a hostess (in the case of Bahama Breeze and JC) or someone that worked the bar (in Cheeburger). In all the situations though, the people were paid hourly.

That being said, if the person is in a good mood, I'll tip an extra buck or two. But when I have a sit down meal I always, even if the service is less than stellar, give 20%. If I'm out with someone who picks up the tab and I see they didn't leave 20% I'll even throw down a few extra bucks discretely when everyone is getting up to make up the difference. You really have to screw something up to not get 20% from me.

We need more like you.

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by Noc57

We need more like you.

No...we don't.

Tips should be earned. If you're not giving me good service then don't expect a tip.

[u2b]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1ZZWhSvOMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1ZZWhSvOMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/u2b]

[Noc57]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

No...we don't.

Tips should be earned. If you're not giving me good service then don't expect a tip.

[u2b]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1ZZWhSvOMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V1ZZWhSvOMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/u2b]

Lol that's funny as hell....I only wished that someone like Dick Solomon would have sat in my section so I could have waited on him and then dropped his food on the floor,

[Spec 1]

Originally Posted by Noc57

...other stuff

As for the "internet tough guy" comment I do have some pretty massive triceps. I've been training since highschool, PT'ed with the Marines in college, and been a personal trainer. Working out has been a huge part of my life. I get fired up pretty easily and I apologize if I came off a dick, I had the testosterone pumping. This is just something I feel strongly about and some people's ignorance offends me.

Btw that's a sweet bike in your pic.

Understood, man. I personally still won't generally tip for takeout (as mentioned earlier sometimes I do if they go above & beyond), but I can certainly see your point. Those in the industry share the wealth much more, and I've been out of it for about 6 years now. All is skippy, & the hostess would probably like you more than me if we both ordered takeout.

Thanks for the bike comment. It's my girlfriend, Jizelle. Best ride I've had in years. PLUS she doesn't mind when I ride other bikes.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by Noc57

I was going to go ahead and refer you to my comment to Spec listed below, but here's an edit.

Point taken. I do understand where you're coming from, and I respect your point of view. I've worked in the restaurant industry before as well and I think of food service jobs just like any other job. Tipping should be for good service, and if no extra service is provided, I can't justify tipping; especially when back of house is doing most the work(at least in my experience). Guess we can agree to disagree.

[number335]

what about smokin hot strippers vs skanky ho strippers. do you tip them the same amount of money for a lap dance or do you tip the skanky ho less? OR do you tip the skanky ho more since she let you stick your finger in her vag?