The new way of calculating a restaurant tip

[pb4uski]

I see no reason to tip at carryout.

+1 Many years ago, DD worked at a Chinese restaurant that was mostly take-out and had a few small tables that people could eat at (but no wait service... you ordered at the counter and they called you when it was ready) but like many such places they had a tip jar by the register. I was genuinely surprised at the amount of tips that she brought home as I never thought much about tipping in such situations... what has the person done to deserve a tip other than run the cash register?

 

[meierlde]

I think you misunderstand how this works in the US. Restaurant wait staff are subject to a minimum wage-it is just lower, acknowledging the fact that these are tipped employees.

And trust me, wait people in the US are not living on $5 an hour. But on the other hand, if they dislike their wages they should seek higher compensation in other industries.

Having said that, as a former waiter, i felt well-paid and my pay was linked to performance: a clear benefit for me, my customers and my employer.

Cheers!

Note that it is not the case in California that tipped employees get a lower minimum wage, they get the same minimum wage as all other employees.

 

[Sunset]

When someone tips a penny, they usually have a grievance of some sort, which may have nothing to do with the waitperson, the service, or anything else within the control of the waitperson. ......

For me, it's incredibly rare, only 1 or 2 times in life, and it was because of the wait staff ignoring me.
Yes, the wait staff could fix it by doing their job instead of chatting amongst themselves in full view of the tables

If I disapproved of tipping, or thought tipping was not allowed, I'd leave nothing.

 

[FI by 2024]

I'm going to question that 5% they would be few and far between, but really if I leave a 20% tax pre tax, why should I worry about making up for the poor tippers? That's not my problem.

I'd say it depends on what you consider few and far between. The 5% tippers comprised probably around 10% of customers at the two restaurants I worked in, both in a small southwest US town. That was an average, some (bad) servers noticed much higher percentages of low tippers and the really good servers always got 15%+.

But I don't think you should worry about making up for poor tippers. I'm just explaining the mindset of the former waitstaff who say they tip high, since someone asked.

 

[FI by 2024]

No people have no way to know unless you make it obvious. So tipping just on the food does not make someone "cheap". The amount could be the same, more, or less than someone else who tips on the total, rounds up, rounds down, or whatever.

Having said that, tipping is not traditionally motivated by a desire to help people pay their bills. If it were, then you would probably be tipping fast food, clerks, and other lesser paid workers on that same theory, would you not?

I tip "high" for anybody I suspect is getting less than the non-tipped minimum wage, which is why I will tip higher in some states than others. Somebody mentioned California, for example, as a state where even tipped positions earn the normal minimum wage. My tips are smaller in Cali than Nevada or Arizona for equivalent service. My goal, and this is my goal only, is to make sure the person makes at least minimum wage for the hour or so I interact with them.

But to answer your question, yes I do tip other low wage workers. Fast food, delivery guys, etc. I tip them a much smaller amount than I tip wait staff since I know they are making full minimum wage, but I tip them. I make plenty, they don't. A dollar means a lot more to them than it does to me.

 

[audreyh1]

We always tip well in restaurants that serve breakfast. They deliver water, juice, coffee several times, mains and deserve a good tip, better than 15% probably.

Dad's not spending much these days, and eating out breakfast and lunch is a major social interaction. Pretty much at the same places. These places are very cheap, and he's a regular. So he tips big. Sometimes the breakfast place even checks up on him if he hasn't been seen for a short while. Very small town and lots of regulars his age go there almost daily.

 

[FUEGO]

But to answer your question, yes I do tip other low wage workers. Fast food, delivery guys, etc. I tip them a much smaller amount than I tip wait staff since I know they are making full minimum wage, but I tip them. I make plenty, they don't. A dollar means a lot more to them than it does to me.

How do you tip at a fast food restaurant? I've never seen a tip jar at McDs/Burger King/Taco Bell type places. I see them at Starbucks. That's the entire universe of fast food places I visit I guess.

I worked at Jersey Mikes back in the 1990's for about a year. I received a tip exactly once. I think it was $1 or $5. The guy reached over the counter and handed me the money directly. Maybe I loaded his sandwich up with tons of meat (wasn't properly trained on portion sizes, I'll admit).

We also had a tip jar there, but I think the manager used it to buy drugs since we never got a penny of it (he was later fired for coking it up while on the job and stealing $ out of the register - my register!).

 

[FI by 2024]

How do you tip at a fast food restaurant? I've never seen a tip jar at McDs/Burger King/Taco Bell type places. I see them at Starbucks. That's the entire universe of fast food places I visit I guess.



I worked at Jersey Mikes back in the 1990's for about a year. I received a tip exactly once. I think it was $1 or $5. The guy reached over the counter and handed me the money directly. Maybe I loaded his sandwich up with tons of meat (wasn't properly trained on portion sizes, I'll admit).



We also had a tip jar there, but I think the manager used it to buy drugs since we never got a penny of it (he was later fired for coking it up while on the job and stealing $ out of the register - my register!).

I don't visit places like McD's/Burger King/Taco Bell so I'm not sure about them. My Chipotle has a tip jar, and so does the local taco shop. That's about the extent of my fast food. At carry out places like Chinese and Thai food, they have a line on the receipt to add in the tip.

 

[Philliefan33]

We left our server a 78% tip last night. Yup, we are big spenders. The Monday special at the local bar & grill is $2.99 cheesesteaks with potato chips (eat in only). Sometimes I'll upgrade to fries and DH will have a beer, but not last night. We just had the special with water to drink.

Our total bill after tax was $6.34, we left $11. I realize the proprietor isn't making much (if anything) on our meal at that price, but at least the server (it's always the same woman on Mondays) made a little in the thirty minutes we occupied the table. The place was hopping; she probably made out pretty good yesterday.

Oh, and the cheesesteaks are large enough that we only eat half and save the other half for lunch today.

 

[bltkmt]

For most people the difference between pre tax and after tax is minuscule. If your bill is $100 you might have $8 in tax so an extra $2 to the server. How much are you spending per meal that this really matters?

This.

 

[ivinsfan]

Well when you pay other people for services do you round up and or pay extra and say it's only a buck or two Do you round up the price of fast food meal special because you drink 4 glasses of soda instead of one?

No one is going to call cheap on me because I don't want to tip on tax.

 

[sengsational]

Based on the indications here that in California servers make the Federal minimum wage, I just did a quick search for an app that helped the traveler decide whether tipping would be fair between servers in various geographies. $15 in one spot and $2.13 across some arbitrary line, 2 miles away? It wouldn't be fair to only give 15% to the $2.13/hr. I thought (about 30 seconds) about writing such an app, but based on this, I realized that it's so utterly complicated, it would be a full time j*b to keep the data correct.

 

[Montecfo]

I think it is interesting that some folks tip people based on their perception of the person's wage level. It makes tipping like a kind of subjective charity.

Wondering if someone with that thinking would tip the following workers:
Counter staff at auto parts store
Counter staff at movie theater
Usher at concert
Cashier at grocery store
Amusement park attendant

I do not tip counter staff unless they are providing some service other than the basic purpose of their job. I also see no reason to tip on a carryout food order.

Tipping is based on tradition and personal service. Not wage levels

Cheers!

 

[FUEGO]

I don't visit places like McD's/Burger King/Taco Bell so I'm not sure about them. My Chipotle has a tip jar, and so does the local taco shop. That's about the extent of my fast food. At carry out places like Chinese and Thai food, they have a line on the receipt to add in the tip.

Thanks for the response. I'd call Chipotle/Moe's "fast casual" restaurants, and now that I think about it I do recall seeing a tip jar at Moe's.

 

[Sunset]

I think it is interesting that some folks tip people based on their perception of the person's wage level. It makes tipping like a kind of subjective charity.

Wondering if someone with that thinking would tip the following workers:
Counter staff at auto parts store
Counter staff at movie theater
Usher at concert
Cashier at grocery store
Amusement park attendant

I do not tip counter staff unless they are providing some service other than the basic purpose of their job. I also see no reason to tip on a carryout food order.

Tipping is based on tradition and personal service. Not wage levels

Cheers!

Exactly, for example I just found out the California bush firefighters, the ones right now trying to save homes from wildfires every year (not the city firefighters), earn MINIMUM wage.

I was shocked as they risk health, and life battling the fires and don't get any tips.

The smoke jumpers, which are the ones that parachute into the fire with water, food, and an axe like tool are paid $15/hr but they do get an extra 25% when actually fighting the fires (is that like a gov't tip?).

Parachuting into forest fires for $15 an hour - Aug. 22, 2016

Why does CA not have a tip jar for the firefighters.... oh yeah, it's not traditionally done....

 

[meierlde]

Exactly, for example I just found out the California bush firefighters, the ones right now trying to save homes from wildfires every year (not the city firefighters), earn MINIMUM wage.

I was shocked as they risk health, and life battling the fires and don't get any tips.

The smoke jumpers, which are the ones that parachute into the fire with water, food, and an axe like tool are paid $15/hr but they do get an extra 25% when actually fighting the fires (is that like a gov't tip?).

Parachuting into forest fires for $15 an hour - Aug. 22, 2016

Why does CA not have a tip jar for the firefighters.... oh yeah, it's not traditionally done....

Actually the smoke jumpers are then like folks in the military who when in combat get combat pay in addition to the regular pay. (225 per month in the military if in a combat zone)

 

[ChiliPepr]

I go 20% on the whole check and round up. Cash.

I'm a regular at the places I frequent and they just love me. Take good care of me too.

There are lots of other places I've been to once. Yup, I don't complain to the management I just never ever go there again.

This is generally the way I do it, except usually put it on the card.

My 87 year old mom eats out 5 nights a week.

To the dismay of her eventual heirs (my brother and me), she tips anywhere from 20%-50% depending on the personality of the server--how friendly they are.

I told her about this thread and she said: "Tell your friends that if they have to think about how much to tip, they should stay home!" (harumpf!!)

Just passing it on. Don't kill the messenger.

Marko, your Mom has it right!

I tip at belly up to the counter places, throw the change into the bucket. I tip 10% on take out orders. I like to support the places I like and always will.

I also tip 10% when I take out from a restaurant. I do not tip at fast food locations where all the food is "take-out".

Personally I believe that if you are not willing to tip at least 15% on the price of the meal you should not be eating at the restaurant.

There is a big difference between being cheap and being frugal. Going to a lower cost restaurant is frugal; going to a higher cost restaurant, but tipping less because they did the same work as a person working serving lower cost dinners is cheap.

Tipping pre or post tax makes about a $1 difference, at most, for each meal.

 

[marko]

This article on tipping came out the other day. Apparently if you order a $10,000 bottle of wine, you should be tipping 15%-20% on it...plus the meal tip.

Tipping On Wine - Tipping Etiquette

"....Lizzie Post, who runs the Emily Post Institute named for her great-great grandmother...says anyone who can afford to order an expensive bottle of wine should be able to afford the tip that goes along with it—and that tip should be in the customary 15 to 20 percent range..."

and:
"..."It would be like saying, 'This steak is $50 and there is no way I'm going to leave $10 tip on that. I'll leave $3 because the rest is too much.' My thought for people like this is that they should stay at home and cook for themselves and serve themselves...."

 

[ChiliPepr]

This article on tipping came out the other day. Apparently if you order a $10,000 bottle of wine, you should be tipping 15%-20% on it...plus the meal tip.

Tipping On Wine - Tipping Etiquette

"....Lizzie Post, who runs the Emily Post Institute named for her great-great grandmother...says anyone who can afford to order an expensive bottle of wine should be able to afford the tip that goes along with it—and that tip should be in the customary 15 to 20 percent range..."

and:
"..."It would be like saying, 'This steak is $50 and there is no way I'm going to leave $10 tip on that. I'll leave $3 because the rest is too much.' My thought for people like this is that they should stay at home and cook for themselves and serve themselves...."

I agree with Emily Post. Tips are currently customarily 15-20% in this country on food and wine at a normal restaurant. If you cannot or will not pay this for normal/good service, you should buy your wine at the liquor store and stay home.

 

[braumeister]

I'm astounded that there are nearly 200 posts on this topic. More of a hot button issue for many than I would have guessed.

Personally, I'm a very generous tipper, which makes me a sucker in the eyes of many, but who cares?

@sengsational: I see what you're saying, and I just think that although such an app would probably be a popular item, the people who really want such a thing are probably too cheap to pay much for it, so you're right!

 

[MichaelB]

Regarding expensive wines, here's a blogpost by Frank Bruni, written in '08 when he was the NY Times food critic. He gives a view that is balanced, nuanced and reflects the access he had at the time. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/the-answer-man-tipping-on-wine/?_r=0
One snippet, which I think applies to not only to high cost wines but expensive dining in general:

He told me that most of the diners there who order such wines tip around 20 percent on their checks, including the price of the wine.
But he said that that reality largely reflects those diners’ relationships with the restaurant. They’re regulars who come in all the time, and so they’ve established the kind of familiarity with the staff — and the staff has established the kind of familiarity with them — that entails a lot of personal attention, a lot of coddling.

He also wrote this, confirming that in these cases 20% is by no means a standard.

This same sommelier said that few servers and few restaurants would be surprised — or feel significantly cheated — by a tip of 10 to 15 percent on a significantly high check whose principal component is pricey wine.

 

[kcowan]

I agree with Emily Post. Tips are currently customarily 15-20% in this country on food and wine at a normal restaurant. If you cannot or will not pay this for normal/good service, you should buy your wine at the liquor store and stay home.

I agree too. Except that I would buy the wine at a specialty wine store for $2500 and pay their corkage fee of $100 and gladly tip the guy $15 to open it!

 

[Big_Hitter]

I tipped the subway counter person a buck yesterday

 

[braumeister]

I always tip the counter person a buck when I pick up a pizza. It never fails to get a surprised look, which makes me happy.

 

[FUEGO]

I tried to tip a cop once. Not only did it not help my case, the guy said it was a crime?? Bribery or something? So confusing, because CrimeStoppers is always advertising saying "all tips are appreciated". This whole tipping culture in the US confounds me all the time.