Question: Tipping in Restaurants, for Services, ??

[BegintheBeguine]

When I have to deal with a waitress serving my husband and not me, I usually leave a tip for the service he recieves, and don't for me.

As to maid service in hotels, I was taught it was customary to leave a tip the day you leave in an envelope on the dresser. Back in the day when I was going to alot of comic and anime cons all over the US, it got to be a pretty hefty tip, but with 6+ people in a room, they certainly deserved it.

You are so right on both counts. Just last week I was talking with a friend who is a maid at a Hilton in Central Florida and she said people leave her one or two or so QUARTERS for tips. Guess they brung 'em cos they figgered they'd be one a them vibratin' beds in the room.

 

[green papaya]

do you ever eat out and not leave a tip?

I often dine alone and order a simple meal with ice water, not much service expected just bring my food and Im usually done in 10 minutes

sometimes I dont leave any tip, especially if the food wasnt very good or the serv ice was slow, etc, because I dont plan on comming back so if I dont leave a tip it doesnt make much difference.

 

[scottyrocks]

I have to have a pretty good reason to not leave a tip. And if I dont, its usually accompanied by a talk with the establishment's manager as to why I didnt leave the tip.

 

[Feraud]

That is just wrong..

 

[JennyLou]

I always leave a tip unless the service was extremely terrible.

 

[Inusuit]

I always tip at least 20%, often more.

Most servers make less than minimum wage and depend on tips for the bulk of their income. My son and daughter-in-law worked in restaurants through college and after, so I have some knowledge. The things you complain about are not the fault of the server. They don't cook the food or schedule the kitchen output. They may have more tables than they can adequately service. If I can afford to eat out, I can afford to tip generously. And I do it unless the server does something so egregious that I am justified in also talking to the manager.

It does make a difference to the server, who is depending on tips as a part of their salary.

Feraud said it more simply, it's just wrong.

 

[Tomasso]

That is just wrong..

Ditto. Go to a fast food joint if you have a problem with tipping.

 

[JennyLou]

Most servers make less than minimum wage and depend on tips for the bulk of their income. My son and daughter-in-law worked in restaurants through college and after, so I have some knowledge. The things you complain about are not the fault of the server. They don't cook the food or schedule the kitchen output. They may have more tables than they can adequately service. If I can afford to eat out, I can afford to tip generously. And I do it unless the server does something so egregious that I am justified in also talking to the manager.

It does make a difference to the server, who is depending on tips as a part of their salary.

Feraud said it more simply, it's just wrong.

I agree with all you said. I use to work a food job in college and the tips helped me out a lot. I even used to have customers who would leave more tip than what the item they bought was worth. The one time I didn't tip was because the server made a mistake and started cussing. Other than that, food servers really have a hard job and deserve their tips.

 

[Paisley]

Does your employer dock your wages if you're slow about getting something done?

***​

I don't tip for carryout.

However, poor food isn't the server's fault, and slow service might be the cook's fault. But unless the server is downright obnoxious, I'll give a standard 20% tip. They depend on tips.

 

[Diamondback]

General rule, I probably overtip--to the point that, since I usually keep a few of the "unrestricted" variety of movie passes in my wallet, I'll occasionally give a pair of those if I'm short on cash and tell 'em "take someone special out to a movie, on me". (That's about $20 worth, so it's almost always more than even the tab! One of the perks of occasionally freelancing for employees of a major corporation that keeps such things in the "on-the-spot recognition" drawers... )

Heck, I'll even tip at "semi-fastfood" like Subway if they've gone the extra mile or it's someone I've dealt with a while...

 

[scotrace]

Bump, and I am plowing two of these together.

 

[Lefty]

I really don't use many services, so this is seldom a question for me. Unless I'm given cause to walk out (only once), I always tip 15-25%. Though I usually get my hair cut for free, when I go to a barber, I just give him a $20 for the $15 cut. I've tipped tour guides and taxi drivers on the rare occasions I've needed them. I always carry my bags and park my car.

I don't tip at coffee shops or other counters. Bring me my food and I leave a tip. Make me get it when you call my name and you're on your own. I've never tipped a hotel maid.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Minimum 20% for me, often rounded up a bit higher. I receive a fare amount of cash in tips from my caricature customers who want me to know they appreciate the art beyond paying me the fee that I charge. So I send the karma along. I left a $20 bill folded up under my coffee mug as tip for a plate of eggs I ate at Denny's on Christmas Eve last year. Oh, and I haven't been back and for all I know I won't be. Not the point with me.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I've never tipped a hotel maid.

Really? How come? [huh]


.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

One of the pleasant surprises of living in Chile is that the standard tip percentage is only 10%. It really encouraged me to dine out more.


.

 

[Foofoogal]

I've never tipped a hotel maid.

my honey gets upset with me as I will pretty much clean the room and then make a big point of tipping the maid as in making sure they get it and not someone inspecting the room after.
Long ago I was the inspector of a la-di-da resort place so if the maid does well I tip her.
Waitressing and cleaning rooms are very hard jobs.

 

[Lefty]

I don't know enough about them - in 2 senses. First, I never see the person who cleans my room. To me, a tip is about both performance and interaction. An attentive but indifferent server will probably get less of a tip than a friendly attentive server - but even then, at least I see the server.

Next, I don't know if the person finding my tip will be the person who cleaned the room the prior day or if they have a general pool of tips that's divided later. Finally, I'm sure that these aren't great jobs, but they are full time, and with the incredible gouging done by hotels (and the cities that tax the hell out of them), I've spent enough.

 

[Foofoogal]

this is all true. usually I am able to put it in their hand personally.
Depending on the place some will take what is not theirs.

 

[dostacos]

A few things I hadn't seen mentioned are the specifics for bellhops and maid service (in hotels).

I had learned a generic rule of "a buck a bag" for bellhops, and "a buck a bed" (per night) for maid service.

I tend to 18-20% for wait staff myself. I sometimes tend to round up a bit. I'm not quite as generous as the previous poster with my bootblack. The shine is, I think, $3, and I just give him a $5.

My little pet peeve is many of my friends like to tip cash, I believe on the idea that taxes can then be avoided. I only tip cash if paying in cash - adding it to the credit slip is too convenient, and hey, I don't get to skip taxes myself.

Take out I'm not sure on - I guess if it's a place that regularly does take-away, I tend to not tip. But I have read (on places like waiterrant.net) that sometimes take away can be more work than table service…

the IRS employees are some of the worst tippers in general they tip in the 4% range {a study I read a while back} BUT tipped staff are expected to declare something like 15% regardless of the amount tipped unless it is on the receipt. {like diners, where you pay a register} any time I get a bill that does not have the amount of tip on the receipt I tip on the credit card at 5% and make up the difference in cash on the table, just a little effort to help out the bad tips that have to be over reported.

 

[Viola]

I always tip cash even if I'm paying on my debit card. I don't go to hotels but I eat out and I always tip 20% unless the server is actually mean - which hasn't happened in years. Bad food will make sure I don't go back, but it's not the waiter's fault. Withholding tip does not punish the chef.