Tipping

[Texas Proud]

I'll tell you why I tip 20%: It's easier to calculate 20% in my head than 15%. Especially after a few drinks and an odd numbered tab.

What's 15% of $180? I don't know. And I'm not going to be so gauche as to whip out a calculator. But coming up with $36 is an easy number. It's worth the extra $9 to make it easy.

Or here, tax is 8.25% so just double tax and you have about 15%... adjust accordingly...

 

[Walt34]

Do you guys tip at McDonald's, now they have people send your orders to your table?

No, I always order with the mobile app and take it out, either to home or eat it in the truck/car. That way I have to deal with fewer people.

 

[punkinhead]

Do you guys tip at McDonald's, now they have people send your orders to your table?

No. Tipping isn't for the act of bringing food to the table. It's to make up for employees who are paid below minimum wage. McDonalds workers are paid at least minimum wage.

 

[Badger]

No. Tipping isn't for the act of bringing food to the table. It's to make up for employees who are paid below minimum wage. McDonalds workers are paid at least minimum wage.

Does that mean you don't tip at any restaurant if the wait staff is paid at least minimum wage? I don't think I can agree with your definition of tipping unless most people have been getting it wrong all these decades.

Cheers!

 

[MichaelB]

I'll tell you why I tip 20%: It's easier to calculate 20% in my head than 15%. Especially after a few drinks and an odd numbered tab.

What's 15% of $180? I don't know. And I'm not going to be so gauche as to whip out a calculator. But coming up with $36 is an easy number. It's worth the extra $9 to make it easy.

That’s what cell phones are for. People will think you’re texting, which is totally acceptable in todays culture.

 

[GenXguy]

I don't eat out much, but at the last restaurant I ate at, they gave me the CC slip to sign, and it had calculations for 3 tip amounts (15%, 17.5%, and 20%) shown near the bottom, although you still had to write the tip amount in. And I believe it had been calculated on the total prior to tax. I had not noticed that the previous time I had been there. I tipped 20%.

 

[tutan]

I don't eat out much, but at the last restaurant I ate at, they gave me the CC slip to sign, and it had calculations for 3 tip amounts (15%, 17.5%, and 20%) shown near the bottom, although you still had to write the tip amount in. And I believe it had been calculated on the total prior to tax. I had not noticed that the previous time I had been there. I tipped 20%.

Then to be more precise, you check if the percentage is based on the total before sales tax or after.

 

[Walt34]

That’s what cell phones are for. People will think you’re texting, which is totally acceptable in todays culture.

So who needs a cell phone? I just use that built-in abacus we all have, my fingers....

 

[marko]

That’s what cell phones are for. People will think you’re texting, which is totally acceptable in todays culture.

Texting at a dinner table would be even more gauche than calculating a tip IMO.

One place we go to requests at the bottom of the menu (and at the time of reservation) that cell phones not be used or taken out during dinner.

Mom used to have a little card with tip amounts listed. Very discrete. But she must not have used it much because we later discovered that she'd often tip as much as 50%, which would explain all the waiters and bartenders crying at her wake and funeral. (I'm dead serious about this!!! It really happened! )

I should try to find that card for myself.

 

[REWahoo]

One place we go to requests at the bottom of the menu (and at the time of reservation) that cell phones not be used or taken out during dinner.

If our McDonald's ever does this I'm going to take my business elsewhere!

 

[explanade]

Texting at a dinner table would be even more gauche than calculating a tip IMO.

One place we go to requests at the bottom of the menu (and at the time of reservation) that cell phones not be used or taken out during dinner.

Mom used to have a little card with tip amounts listed. Very discrete. But she must not have used it much because we later discovered that she'd often tip as much as 50%, which would explain all the waiters and bartenders crying at her wake and funeral. (I'm dead serious about this!!! It really happened! )

I should try to find that card for myself.

I would have thought phones at a restaurant table would be for taking food photos for social media.

At least for people of a certain generation.


There used to be an app called Evernote Food. You would open an entry and it would look up your location and identify your restaurant or you could identify it.

Then you could take pictures and tap in a summary of the meal if you wanted.

They shut the app down, which is a pity.

You didn't have to share the notes or photos of those meals, just for your record to look at later if you wanted.

Good way to organize travelogs for people interested in such.

Never posted food photos or any photos on social media. But that is a big draw of people who take food photos.

 

[GenXguy]

Then to be more precise, you check if the percentage is based on the total before sales tax or after.

No, I just tipped the 20% amount that was printed near the bottom. I didn't even think about whether it included tipping on sales tax at the time, but in retrospect, I don't think it was and shouldn't have.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We still tip 10% unless the server gives us exemplary service and polishes our shoes too.

Yes, it is totally out of control and unless the majority of folks acknowledge it and act with their wallets, it will only get worse. Wait till it is 50% of the bill, I am sure there are a lot of folks who would still just pay it.

 

[Music Lover]

No. Tipping isn't for the act of bringing food to the table. It's to make up for employees who are paid below minimum wage. McDonalds workers are paid at least minimum wage.

If that's the case then tipping by percentage is the least accurate way to ensure that the employee gets minimum wage.

 

[GenXguy]

Texting at a dinner table would be even more gauche than calculating a tip IMO.

Some people can't seem to stay off their phones. I've gone into restaurants before and saw a family of four with each person sitting there playing on their smartphones.

 

[GenXguy]

Even I think 10% is a little low for today, 15% is my number. 20% and 25% are completely unnecessary IMHO.

We still tip 10% unless the server gives us exemplary service and polishes our shoes too.

Yes, it is totally out of control and unless the majority of folks acknowledge it and act with their wallets, it will only get worse. Wait till it is 50% of the bill, I am sure there are a lot of folks who would still just pay it.

Wait a minute, you said some posts back that you thought 10% was a little low for today for discretionary tipping and that 15% was your number.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Wait a minute, you said some posts back that you thought 10% was a little low for today for discretionary tipping and that 15% was your number.

That is when they do a good job. I was also being somewhat tongue in cheek, as it IS completely out of control. However, like the other sheep, I do give in. But NEVER would we pay 20% or 25%. We do not tip at all at Take Out, FF or other no table service establishments.

 

[GenXguy]

That is when they do a good job. I was also being somewhat tongue in cheek, as it IS completely out of control. However, like the other sheep, I do give in. But NEVER would we pay 20% or 25%. We do not tip at all at Take Out, FF or other no table service establishments.

You're still with the majority if you tip 15% or less, based on that article/poll I linked to earlier.

 

[Montecfo]

No. Tipping isn't for the act of bringing food to the table. It's to make up for employees who are paid below minimum wage. McDonalds workers are paid at least minimum wage.

Hogwash. "Making up" for wages is not the tipper's concern and not what tipping is about.

Do they return tips to you after they have "hit" the minimum wage?

Of course not.

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

 

[aaronc879]

Hogwash. "Making up" for wages is not the tipper's concern and not what tipping is about.

Do they return tips to you after they have "hit" the minimum wage?

Of course not.

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

It's definitely based at least somewhat on wage level. I would tip a pizza delivery driver but not the mail carrier or UPS driver. Pizza driver makes less than minimum while delivering, at least I did when I delivered for a while about a decade ago. The others get paid solid middle class wages and don't need a tip at all IMO.

 

[Montecfo]

It's definitely based at least somewhat on wage level. I would tip a pizza delivery driver but not the mail carrier or UPS driver. Pizza driver makes less than minimum while delivering, at least I did when I delivered for a while about a decade ago. The others get paid solid middle class wages and don't need a tip at all IMO.

It is because of tradition.

If you notice very low paid positions are not tipped. Why? Tradition.

But traditionally tipped positions may have lower wages (though higher pay) than non-tipped. This is because those positions are traditionally tipped.

Food delivery is piggy backing off of meal service.

 

[GenXguy]

The tradition is inconsistent. See attached:

 

[marko]

So it seems that early on we established that the tip system in the U.S. is not a great way to do it, but we're more or less stuck with it.

What's left is whether a 10% or 15% (or 15% or 20%) is enough or too much. So here we are at post #547 arguing a $5 buck difference on a $100 dinner tab? Is that it?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

So it seems that early on we established that the tip system in the U.S. is not a great way to do it, but we're more or less stuck with it.

What's left is whether a 10% or 15% (or 15% or 20%) is enough or too much. So here we are at post #547 arguing a $5 buck difference on a $100 dinner tab? Is that it?

That is NOT the point, it maybe for you. For us it is the principle of keeping an imperfect system going because we cannot be seen to be doing anything about it.

 

[marko]

That is NOT the point, it maybe for you. For us it is the principle of keeping an imperfect system going because we cannot be seen to be doing anything about it.

"It's not the money, it's the principle". But not tipping a server hoping to send a message isn't going to help. It only hurts an innocent person who is stuck in the middle. .

I've lived in Europe and Asia and agree that the US system is a bad one, but like everyone else here I have no idea how to change it. On to post #600 I suppose.

IMO there's hundreds of things that "aren't the way they're supposed to be" but we should choose the ones that we can actually do something about.