Do waitresses actually look at my tip amount?

[Lsbcal]

I always wonder if they do. I am guessing most are too busy to notice but if you come in often they eventually make the association.

Note: I have become a generous tipper in my dotage. Not looking for an excuse to tip poorly.

 

[Aerides]

Yes. It was decades ago, but I know I immediately knew the percentage on each check.

 

[Dtail]

We are fairly decent tippers and frequent a single restaurant often and we are clearly remembered there and seem to receive extra attention/service.

 

[workburnout]

Yes they do.

 

[VanWinkle]

My wife is a retired waitress, and yes she knew how well or poorly everyone tipped. To this day she says hello to past customers we meet at the stores, and she tells me how great of a tipper the person was. When your livelihood depends on it, you remember.

 

[RobbieB]

Whenever I enter a restaurant I frequent, it's like I'm at Cheers -

You do get the benefit of the dough.

 

[Scrapr]

Whenever I enter a restaurant I frequent, it's like I'm at Cheers -

You do get the benefit of the dough.

I think you forgot a t there Robbie.......

ohhh...wait a minute

 

[mamadogmamacat]

They sure do.
One local place even remembers what I usually order.
For me, it's an extra bonus of the value of 'stability', as since I have chosen to retire where i have lived for so long, I'm known well. Once thought I would like to be more of a tumbleweed, but...........YMMV

 

[marko]

Mom --age 88--is a huge tipper. Sometimes 50% (despite my scoldings!). I'm talking $50 on a $100 meal. When she walks in, it's like she owns the place.

Actually what I hate is that she's so popular with the waitresses, bartenders, managers and owners that when I eat with her you can't take two bites without someone coming up to talk with her.

She loves it but for me it's like trying to have a quiet meal with a celebrity and having autograph seekers bugging you. It's her entertainment for the day.

Now she has me doing it: When I'm out with mom, she leaves a nice tip and then I quietly hand her favorite bartender another $20 in cash, just in case it's a shared tip place.

(Robbie, I hope you're proud of mom and me)

Note that mom was never a cook and we grew up eating out; usually 5 nights a week and most breakfasts too. But she does make great....reservations.

 

[latexman]

Want to make them smile? Leave the tip in cash, not on the card.

 

[gauss]

I have also been leaving cash tips in recent years.

 

[COcheesehead]

Maybe some know this and some don’t, but the tip is usually shared. Part of your tip goes to the wait staff, the kitchen, the host, the busboy, the bartender.
When I worked at a restaurant I got 10 cents a head to bus the table. The waitress would usually keep the paper money and divide the coins with the rest of us. I kept a cigar box under my bed that I would fill with my tip money. Once a month or so I would take it to the bank and deposit it.
Bought my first CD when I was 18...at 13% interest. I bought my first car with the CD when it matured. Investing lessons learned early on.

 

[Rosie]

After a hike, a small group of us stopped for tacos at a nearby restaurant (Taco Tuesday!). The service was good and we enjoyed our meals.

As we were divvying up the fairly small check, many of us figured what we owed w tip and then rounded up to the nearest dollar (we all paid in cash).

One woman in our group would have none of that, she insisted we were tipping "way too much" and made a big deal out of getting change and distributing it back to everyone. Seriously.

A few of us each snuck a dollar or two back in the till when she wasn't looking. We concluded she never worked as a server.

 

[Dtail]

I have also been leaving cash tips in recent years.

I do both.
Don't they get the tip right away either way, or do they have to wait if the tip is on the card?

 

[Hermit]

Whenever I enter a restaurant I frequent, it's like I'm at Cheers -

You do get the benefit of the dough.

Mom --age 88--is a huge tipper. Sometimes 50% (despite my scoldings!). I'm talking $50 on a $100 meal. When she walks in, it's like she owns the place......

Looks like you can buy happiness!

 

[VanWinkle]

Want to make them smile? Leave the tip in cash, not on the card.

+1 I always leave cash for a tip even when paying with my credit card.

 

[MRG]

I'm a good tipper for good service. Our local Mexican place starts making electrolyte boosters when we walk in the door. They know DW doesn't like to wait on the check and it's always promptly delivered.

 

[Jerry1]

Mom --age 88--is a huge tipper. Sometimes 50% (despite my scoldings!). I'm talking $50 on a $100 meal. When she walks in, it's like she owns the place.

Actually what I hate is that she's so popular with the waitresses, bartenders, managers and owners that when I eat with her you can't take two bites without someone coming up to talk with her.

She loves it but for me it's like trying to have a quiet meal with a celebrity and having autograph seekers bugging you. It's her entertainment for the day.

Now she has me doing it: When I'm out with mom, she leaves a nice tip and then I quietly hand her favorite bartender another $20 in cash, just in case it's a shared tip place.

(Robbie, I hope you're proud of mom and me)

Note that mom was never a cook and we grew up eating out; usually 5 nights a week and most breakfasts too. But she does make great....reservations.

I’m sure the tip helps, but I think this has more to do with personality. Some people are just extroverted and are drawn to that type of interaction. I’m sure excessive tipping greases the wheels but I bet if they were a straight 20% tipper or even a bit less and a very nice person, people would still spend time talking to them. I tip 20%+ and fly under the radar. I’m sure they know my face at a couple of my favorite eateries, but I’m an introvert and don’t interact. They don’t seem to be extra courteous or try to talk to me, thankfully. They’re always nice and professional so it may get me better service, but I think the talking part is driven by the patrons personality.

 

[jazz4cash]

Good question! I wonder about this also and it's hard to believe they actually check each time when you're paying with a credit card. Based on the reaction we get when we go to one of our regular spots, I'm pretty sure they check or just know your reputation after a visit or two. They are usually quite busy (late breakfast/early lunch crowd) but it seems like we get seated ahead of others. I'm pretty sure they also pride themselves on thinking they can spot a good tipper which I think is like judging a book by it's cover.

 

[Sue J]

My Dad always paid in cash and tipped well. What made him memorable to the staff is that he always carried Hershey’s kisses and would personally give them to the waitress, cashier and bus boy. This started when he was elderly and he and mom would eat out either lunch or dinner every day. Their world was getting smaller and they went to the same handful of places on a regular basis.

 

[Rickt]

We are above average tippers but last week on Mother's Day, I left a hefty tip (35%) for our server. She thanked us across the restaurant floor as we were leaving....so yes they see the tips!

I do both.
Don't they get the tip right away either way, or do they have to wait if the tip is on the card?

I owned a restaurant over 15 years ago....the servers calculate the tips received on credit cards during their shift and take a "Cash Paid out" out of the Cash register at the end of their shift.

 

[JustCurious]

Do waiters also look, or is it just waitresses?

 

[RobbieB]

What you get is excellent service. I always *always* tip 20-25% always. I rarely look at the menu. The staff play "guess what Robbie will order today" with me.

And these people talk you know like all people do and I'm pretty sure I'm getting really good food too, because everyone wants to make me happy.

 

[marko]

I’m sure the tip helps, but I think this has more to do with personality. Some people are just extroverted and are drawn to that type of interaction.

That may be a good part of it. Mom is extremely outgoing and interested in people's lives.

Her side of the family name (her grandfather, great grandfather) is also quite well-known around here and that might also be a factor.

 

[grasshopper]

I always tip in cash most of the restaurants I go too have staff with english as a second language, I just want to make sure they get the tip they worked so hard for.