How often do you not tip wait staff?

[dirtbiker]

Today I had dinner out and didn't leave a tip. This is exactly the second time in my entire life I've done this. I'm normally a very good tipper.

Service was terrible. I had to go find other wait staff three times and ask them to send my waitress over. My drinks were empty every time she came over, I had to ask other waitresses for drinks and condiments, and at the end I literally waited 20 minutes to get my check with empty drinks and dirty plates on the table. The place was not very busy. She was pleasant when she came over, but I spent twice as long there as I wanted to due to slow service.

How often do you guys stiff a server? Usually with bad service I'll still leave a 10% or so tip, but this was obscene. Usually I'll leave 25+% tip. I felt like a cheapskate when I left, but if I spent the entire meal pissed off waiting for my server, why should I leave anything extra?

 

[Jerry1]

I wouldn’t feel bad about it give your description of what happened. I think I only did this one time and it was similar to your experience. Since that time, DW and I look for clues and trust our gut instinct. If we get a bad vibe before we order, we leave. I’ve done that a few times. If it doesn’t start off well, it’s not going to end well so we figure we’ll cut or losses and just leave.

The other thing I’ve started doing is asking for my check when they bring the food. Of course this is not done at nicer restaurants, but I’ve never had a problem at a nicer restaurant and if I did, I’d speak to the manager or owner. Asking for the check sooner puts them on notice that I’m not interested in waiting around any longer than I need to consume my food. I hate being held hostage waiting for my check.

 

[davebarnes]

Often.
We travel to Europe for 3 weeks every year.
I also enjoy the aspect that you don’t get the check until you ask for it.

 

[Amethyst]

I would have spoken to the manager, who should have comped the meal.

 

[pb4uski]

Very rarely do I not leave a tip.... but it sounds like it was deserved.

I much prefer to have the bill delivered shortly after the food is delivered... if I add another drink or dessert then they can print out a new one.

 

[pjigar]

Rarely. But like you said, under extreme circumstances. I did talk to the manager last time this happened and he apologized.

 

[Retiree_Having_Fun]

We had a waitress scream I QUIT in the middle of our service and walk out (hope I wasn't the reason) We didn't give her a tip but did tip the person that took over her tables.

 

[Midpack]

I’ve done it, but it was over 25 years ago. We had a waitress who was surly and not very timely throughout the meal. That alone might not have done it but the capper was my wife ordered a sandwich with fries, I heard it clearly. It came out just as sandwich. When DW politely told the server ‘I ordered fries with this’, the server said ‘no you didn’t!’ And we did tell the manager on the way out.

Our lowest is usually 10%, and that’s rare. I was a waiter in college in a pizza place and an upscale restaurant, so I know what it’s like. Often when a server is slow, it’s the kitchen or they just give servers too many tables. It’s easy to see when the latter is going on. That’s managements fault more than the server.

 

[ckelly78z]

Outback Steakhouse last month for our anniversary (31 years), we left next to nothing.
-We had to wait an hour after calling ahead.
-Half of the restaurant was empty because they were short staffed.
-We had to ask for silverware twice.
-We had to ask for forgotten side dishes twice.
-We had to ask for drink refills once.
-WE had to wait 20 minutes for the check at the end...with no adjustment for our inconvenience.
-We spent 2.5 hours on the property.

 

[cooch96]

I live in a state where waiters get paid at least minimum wage. I don’t feel bad for not leaving a tip for below average service. Why should a poor quality waiter make 2-4x what a line cook makes?

DW is much more religious about tipping waiters. So it’s been a few years since I’ve left nothing.

 

[VanWinkle]

Never, DW was a lunch only waitress and made sure a tip was left for all. Lower if the service was lacking, but always left a tip. She was paid 4.35 per hour, so tips were necessary for her and most in the industry.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Today I had dinner out and didn't leave a tip. This is exactly the second time in my entire life I've done this. I'm normally a very good tipper.

Service was terrible. I had to go find other wait staff three times and ask them to send my waitress over. My drinks were empty every time she came over, I had to ask other waitresses for drinks and condiments, and at the end I literally waited 20 minutes to get my check with empty drinks and dirty plates on the table. The place was not very busy. She was pleasant when she came over, but I spent twice as long there as I wanted to due to slow service.

How often do you guys stiff a server? Usually with bad service I'll still leave a 10% or so tip, but this was obscene. Usually I'll leave 25+% tip. I felt like a cheapskate when I left, but if I spent the entire meal pissed off waiting for my server, why should I leave anything extra?

I was going to say that I have done it once or twice when service was really horrible, but not just slow, but it sounds like your waitress was slow AND couldn't perform some of the basic tasks, like checking and refilling drinks and condiments, and checking in with you at least once or twice, and monitoring for you looking for her attention once in a while. But if they were pleasant and brought me everything I needed, even if I wasn't happy I'd probably still tip 10-15%, since they make well under minimum wage, which is still not a living wage in many parts of the country.

Should I count the time in SF that we sat down and didn't see a server for about 30 minutes? When we finally did go in the back to track one down, they didn't seem interested in waiting on us, so eventually we just walked out and left a one star review online. We didn't tip, but then we didn't really have a chance to!

 

[RunningBum]

The only time I remember is when I ordered a sandwich or a burger, and either specifically asked for certain condiments only, or specifically said no mustard. It had mustard on it. I told the waitress that I didn't want mustard. She gave me an annoyed look, took the bread with the mustard on it, and scraped it off on the edge of my plate, and put it back on my sandwich.

Actually, I did leave a tip, a penny, in the mustard. I wanted to make sure she knew I didn't just forget to leave one.

 

[pacergal]

Don't remember the last time I did not leave a tip, generally for the same reasons listed previously--poor service.
I will vary the tip from 10-25+%, depends on the server, not the type of restaurant.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

OK, RunningBum's story reminded me of a specific one, back in college, when I was waiting tables and 15% was standard, but since I knew it was a hard job, I usually tipped 20-25%...but as a college student, my total bill was usually pretty low anyway, so it's not like it was a stretch.

So I went to the local diner near the campus, and it didn't have the best reputation, but it usually had passable greasy spoon fare. But one time I bit into my burger and found a huge copper staple, about 3 inches long, on my burger! (The kind that hold huge shipping boxes together.) I called the waitress over, who looked very bored, and pointed it out to her, and she asked somewhat sarcastically "Do you want me to take it off for you?" I said no, I want a new burger! She glared at me, very put out, and snatched the plate off the table.

I probably should have left right then, but I was stunned. And hungry, which was kind of a given at that age....

As far as I know she didn't do anything to the next burger, but I did try to check it as best I could. Luckily I had some small bills and change, so I left exact change on the table and stalked out once I was done.

 

[SnowballCamper]

I hate tipping. Only when service is extraordinary to I give more than 10%.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/talkingethics.com/2015/01/04/why-tipping-is-unethical/amp/

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I hate tipping. Only when service is extraordinary to I give more than 10%.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/talkingethics.com/2015/01/04/why-tipping-is-unethical/amp/

Actually, not tipping is unethical. You do realize that the tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour, and has not been increased for inflation since 1991, right? Whether you think it's a good idea or not, that is how it works now. If you don't like it, work to change the minimum wage laws (I am, even though I tip well, because I think the uncertainty and disparity in tips based on race and gender are harmful). But if you don't want to tip (and you don't live in an area that has eliminated the tipped minimum wage), then you shouldn't go to restaurants. The wait staff is depending on your tips to make the Federal minimum wage.

 

[Chuckanut]

Often.
We travel to Europe for 3 weeks every year.
I also enjoy the aspect that you don’t get the check until you ask for it.

And they don't come by every 5-10 minutes to ask how you like the food, is everything OK, and can I get you anything else. Yet, the service is attentive, but in a background sort of way.

 

[Midpack]

Actually, not tipping is unethical. You do realize that the tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour, and has not been increased for inflation since 1991, right? Whether you think it's a good idea or not, that is how it works now. If you don't like it, work to change the minimum wage laws (I am, even though I tip well, because I think the uncertainty and disparity in tips based on race and gender are harmful). But if you don't want to tip (and you don't live in an area that has eliminated the tipped minimum wage), then you shouldn't go to restaurants. The wait staff is depending on your tips to make the Federal minimum wage.

+1. The excuses low and non-tippers offer up against tipping in general are lame at best. Poor service is one thing, but you shouldn't go to a restaurant if you have no intention of leaving a tip - restaurant workers depend almost entirely on tips. While a server can make big money in an upscale restaurant, in middle to low end places servers work very hard for very little in wages.

 

[OldShooter]

Once in a great while I will leave a penny or a quarter if we get really poor service. Probably not even once a year.

In our market we are starting to see restaurants where you order and pay at a counter like a fast food joint. But when they give you the tablet computer to sign, there is the opportunity to add a tip (0/15/20/25%). I always select zero. At that point I have received no service at all, so I am not going to pay for it. If a server delivers the food and is unusually helpful I may leave some cash on the table. But that's it.

(I generally avoid these counter-service "restaurants." If I want counter service I will go to a fast food joint.)

... The wait staff is depending on your tips to make the Federal minimum wage.

Well, .... not always. I have a SCORE mentoring client who has a restaurant accounting/financial consulting business. She tells us that even at mid-grade restaurants it is not uncommon for the servers to make $60K for a 30 hour week. They often make more than the restaurant manager. My client's hot button is the kitchen staff which is making minimum wage. Her ideal is abolition of tipping entirely in favor of either higher food prices or a standard service charge that is used to add to everyone's pay and possibly to add health insurance to benefits. That is a very difficult paradigm shift, however.

If you are sitting at a restaurant, you can do a rough estimate of a server's tips by counting the tables he/she is handling and guessing at average ticket size and at the number of times the tables turn during his/her shift. I think you will get a number that is much higher than minimum wage.

 

[GravitySucks]

Along with the great wage your server does not get paid sick time and will be working even though highly infectious. DD2 was very knowledgeable on what OTC meds would hide her symptoms when waitressing at a high end chain restaurant. But don't worry, the guys in the back actually handling your food make the full minimum wage.

I have not tipped twice in my life. Both times it was because of worse than bad service but down right rude behaviour.

 

[dirtbiker]

I hate tipping. Only when service is extraordinary to I give more than 10%.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/talkingethics.com/2015/01/04/why-tipping-is-unethical/amp/

I'd be embarrassed to routinely leave only 10% or less for good service. Do you frequent any restaurants? If so, they definitely talk about what a cheapskate you are and probably argue over who has to wait on you. I'd feel so uncomfortable going to a restaurant knowing they know and I know I'm going to be a lousy tipper.

 

[Bestwifeever]

The only time I can remember not tipping a waiter, whose service was truly abysmal, was when she just disappeared in the middle of our dinner, never to return. The management apparently fired her on the job.

We have had wait staff refuse tips in Switzerland, telling us to save the money to give to American waiters.

 

[Chuckanut]

Tipping wait staff in restaurants is the only tipping I do on a regular basis simply because it has been part of the system since I was born.

The current effort to shift employee pay decisions from the employer to the customers by asking for tips for everything, is not good IMHO. Why should I tip somebody 20% or even 10% for handing me a muffin and a cup of coffee across a counter, when I take it to my table, pick up my napkins and utensils myself, get my own coffee refill, and then bus my table at the end. Often I have to clean up the left over mess of the previous customer before I can use the table myself. This service deserves a tip? I think not.

Tipping is out of control.

 

[mickj]

Actually, not tipping is unethical. You do realize that the tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour, and has not been increased for inflation since 1991, right? Whether you think it's a good idea or not, that is how it works now. If you don't like it, work to change the minimum wage laws (I am, even though I tip well, because I think the uncertainty and disparity in tips based on race and gender are harmful). But if you don't want to tip (and you don't live in an area that has eliminated the tipped minimum wage), then you shouldn't go to restaurants. The wait staff is depending on your tips to make the Federal minimum wage.

Disagree completely.

I do like some of the newer restaurants add a surcharge onto the bill from the beginning no tipping required.