How do you feel about tips in restaurants?

[Castor_Troy05]

While I usually do tip in most instances, I prefer it to be at my discretion. Not being from the US where it's expected I believe, I usually tip between 10-15% depending on the quality of service received.

I tip cab drivers too but never service employees like garbage men and postmen. Especially as I'm the one who does everything except press the button on the garbage truck to put it in there. The postmen down under ride motorbikes right up to your mailbox so again, no reason to tip there either

[robertlouis]

I'll give a larger tip when even although the service might not have been that great, it's clear that the waiter or waitress has been doing their level best in an overworked place. However, if food is under or overcooked or otherwise unsatisfactory, I'll make my point politely and am unlikely to tip.

Here in the UK the best service is usually to be found in Asian or Indian restaurants. The rule of thumb is the higher the price, the worse the service, and if the place has pretensions, just get a takeaway.

[BeardedOne]

I was unaware you postmen were not supposed to accept tips. Mine has never refused (and he is a good guy anyway.)

In the US the posties are allowed to accept 'gifts' so long as they are under a certain value. Many of the carriers and clerks where I work might get something around the holidays as a recognition of good service and less than surly behaviour. Sometimes it is a gift card for one of the local stores or a small food item, but rarely cash. It's never expected and always appreciated. The carriers like Newman from Seinfeld and Elmer from Funny Farm are consistently ignored at these times and often bitch about how 'cheap' their customers are.

There ought to a mandatory 15% service charge. This is not a "gratuity." It is a charge. The extra 5% or whatever you give should be contingent on service.

Most chain restaurants and larger independents will add 15-20% automatically if it is a party of six or more. That's what happened with the Applebee's check in this nonsense (And the pastor and her group asked for separate checks to try and get out of it, as can be seen in the amounts on the offending check). So, not only is the 'pastor' a bitch, but a cheating cunt as well.

I use to be a cab driver (4 & 1/2 years), and while I never expected a tip (knowing the human condition) when I did receive one it really made my day at best (2 separate occasions tipped $100) and would at least put a smile on my face ($1-$5). In my book every little bit helps, and so I've always gone with if you are servicing me I'm going to leave a minimum $5-10 tip and usually around $20. I will admit that I don't usually do the math and give the exact percentage though.

Remy, you and I have to trade tales some day. I drove taxicrabs for four years in Boston and limos in Boston, Philly, NY, and DC. Our cabs operated on a 50% meter commission, but in Boston proper most were leased and every penny counted. I always gave the best service, fastest/most comfortable ride I could and was rewarded accordingly. I never complained about the amount of a tip (One regular always tipped a shiny new quarter, the same tip he'd given to the driver every day since the 1920s, never adjusted for inflation and rising cab fares) and never stressed over it. I must have been doing something right, as my tips often paid the rent when the fare split didn't.

That said:

I've seen two things throughout the thread that have not been clarified. One being that restaurant servers aren't getting the legal minimum wage. The painful truth is that they ARE getting the legal minimum wage for servers. The current Pennsylvania minimum wage is $7.25 an hour but is only $2.83 per hour for tipped employees. This is on par with minimum wage in other states/nationally. There is fine print in the PA law that states that an employer is supposed to make up any difference between that minimum + tips that doesn't meet or exceed the $7.25 amount, but I've never known an employer to do that (One would assume that the tips for an hour's work would usually exceed the minimum).

The other inaccuracy is the claim that tips are 'tax free'. While gratuities make up a significant part of the underground economy they are NOT 'tax free'. Employees are expected to claim their tips to the employer to be reported in their weekly income. If no tips are reported, some employers will insert an estimated amount, based on some formula of hours worked, or leave the slot blank and leave it up to the IRS to come knocking on the employee's door later down the road. And trust me, the IRS is one, nasty mistress and will err on the high side in any kind of income discrepancy audit. If someone claims income from a tipped profession (Restaurant server, transportation, hotel, etc.) and doesn't show some reasonable amount under the gratuities section the little red lights start flashing at the IRS.

[Antonpbar]

I tip anywhere inbetween 5 and 15 percent and only on a few occasions not tipped at all when service was terrible.

Over here in the UK minimum wage is flat depending on what age you are no matter what job you do, that said one of my friends worked at Frankie and Bennys and could get £30-£50 for a 6 hour shift just in tips.

On the flip side I am a telecoms engineer and am completely forbidden to take tips of any kind other than a cup of tea/coffee and at a push a biscuit.

One thing i remember about when i spent time in the USA me and a three of my collegues went out to eat, we had just finished a late shift and all of us still wore our military uniforms. When time came to pay for the Bill the waitress told us someone at another table had already paid for it in a way of saying thank-you to how we helped out as he put it "our boys". We where flattered and very greatfull of this, but because we at that time were on food allowance we decided to give all the money we would have spent to the waitress in tips (roughly 140 dollars as we all had steaks and beers etc) she asked us are we sure so we told her she had to take it, and ofcourse for the next couple of months until we left for the UK we tipped well and got excellent service every time.

[Audrina.Marie]

I wait tables at the moment in the U.S. and let me tell you leaving a note on the check doesn't get a managers attention like one put it. No management ever sees a signed check unless that costumer calls in to dispute something and they need to pull it out of records for verification. Secondly for you cheap fuckers out there who think you don't have to tip get a grip and get off your high horses. Servers are people too and need to be treated with respect. We aren't your god damned slaves so remember that. Yes we get paid $4.30 an hour or some crap like that but honestly i cant tell you the exact amount because most of us don't receive anything on our paychecks. That 95% of the time gets taken for taxes and insurance. I think i got maybe 5 checks last year and all where for less than $1. Another thing no one brought up was that a server needs to tip out as well. Now that amount depends on the restaurants policy but for me its 4.4% of my total shifts sales. So if you feel like your too cool for school and want to tip me $10 on a $100 check because your $15 alcoholic drink wasn't strong enough, then Im actually only pocketing $5.60 for that hour you've been sitting at my table. 15% in the United States is mandatory. 18% if you had a good time the table was kept clean, drinks refilled, clean silverware was brought for desert, plates delivered to share, etc. and 20% if they went above and beyond and that varies depending on each guests needs but some like to be left alone and some like to be chatted up during their meal. Some like you to personally box up their left overs some don't. Some want you to take pictures of the table, keep their kid occupied, or sing a birthday song or whatever that establishment does. But all of this isn't because we are lifelong best friends people. Its so that you have a good time and tip me well.

[Dino Velvet]

I was a manager and used to love defending my waitresses in front of unruly customers. They'd tell me, "We'll never come here again!" I'd respond, "Tell your friends too!" So many people act like they never even leave their own homes. Social misfits. That's who Swanson TV Dinners are for.

[Remy757Photog]

Remy, you and I have to trade tales some day. I drove taxicrabs for four years in Boston and limos in Boston, Philly, NY, and DC. Our cabs operated on a 50% meter commission, but in Boston proper most were leased and every penny counted. I always gave the best service, fastest/most comfortable ride I could and was rewarded accordingly. I never complained about the amount of a tip (One regular always tipped a shiny new quarter, the same tip he'd given to the driver every day since the 1920s, never adjusted for inflation and rising cab fares) and never stressed over it. I must have been doing something right, as my tips often paid the rent when the fare split...

I actually liked the way it works down here in the Hampton Roads area, we lease the cab for a flat rate and keep all that's made during shift. I leased mine on weekly basis so can stayed with me 24/7 allowing me pop out and work whenever it suited me. I generally spent 4 days earning the lease money and rest of the week on profit. I passed out my own business cards to decent people for repeat business directly to my cell. Also would run the meter but give flat rate to regular customers so they know how much they saved riding with me.

[Willie Escalade]

Speak on it, Audrina!

[Quiet Reflections]

Good service=good tip, Bad service = bad tip plain and simple. Sure the wait staff are people and need to earn money but don't fault the customer all the time. Sometime those bad moods and cigarette smoke come through to us no matter how hard someone tries to hide them. If im coming out to spend my money and you want a little more of it on top of what im paying for my food at least have the ability to know the menu, keep my glass filled and smile. I don't want a hand job at the table I just want someone to be polite. I never bitch at wait staff for poorly cooked food because that isn't their fault unless they put in my order wrong. However before the food gets there and after it is on the table they need to at least check in on my table with a bit of manners. Lets not pretend every waiter deserves a tip just for showing up, its called work for a reason.

[broncofan]

I was a waiter and people would tip even when I made mistakes if they could tell I was trying. It was extremely rare that I got stiffed. Bearded one is right that tipped employees are supposed to get more than the minimum wage when tips are added in.

Unless the waiter or waitress is trying to be rude I always tip (one time in my life I did not). Sometimes I hesitate but I just don't have the heart to stiff them.

Also got to appreciate Dino's post. People think they can abuse waiters and waitresses and threaten the restaurant with a loss of business. Nice to have a manager stick up for their wait staff if they're right and the customer is being an asshole.