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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 01:56 PM   #21
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

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Originally Posted by Nords
I can see the $1 tip at a place like Sizzler or Pizza Hut where you're getting your own from the buffet.
That's how I feel too. Even somewhere that you order a cheap plate. They bring the plate and your drink and leave you the bill. You pay at the counter. $1 per person. Done.

In contrast, we recently went to a chain Mexican restaurant, ordered an appetizer, salad, two entrees, desert, extra container of chips and multiple extra containers of salsa (yes, we were hungry. my wife is eating for 2 ). That was a lot of legwork, and we left a $5 tip, even though the service was average/below average (slow water refills, slow salsa refills, we had to ask for both, waiter was chatty with coworkers instead of checking on our needed refills, waiter didn't know menu very well, etc.). It was over a 20% tip, but I figured the waiter did a lot of running to and from the kitchen. The tip was mainly based on quantity of service, not quality of service.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 01:58 PM   #22
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

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Originally Posted by TromboneAl
Wouldn't it be interesting if you could buy a tip-o-meter? When you sit down, you put the tip-o-meter on the table where the waitperson can see it, and needle rests at 15%. If there's no service after 8 minutes, the needle starts to drop at a rate of .5% per minute.
You could put out a few $1 bills on the table (whatever is required to make 15%). Then add or subtract as the meal progresses depending on the service received. Let the waiter figure out when the pile gets to zero
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 02:00 PM   #23
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

There's a Chinese buffet that I go to occasionally, and really, about all they do is bring you your first plate, occasionally bring you your drinks and refills (you can get them yourself though) and clear the dirty dishes away. I'll leave a buck a person at a place like that.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 02:03 PM   #24
 
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

What do you do when the problem isn't caused by the waitperson? For example, the food is slow because of a delay in the kitchen, or you have to listen to both the music in the dining area and the music from the kitchen.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 02:28 PM   #25
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Although I consider DH to be stingy regarding certain things, the one thing he is good about is tipping. I've never seen him give a tip that's less than 20% of the bill. He grew up without money and worked his butt off to put himself through school so he definitely has an appreciation for waiters/waitresses that put up with a lot of b.s.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 02:39 PM   #26
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Does anyone tip extra when they get the "steak special, but can I substitute mashed potatoes for the baked potato, and substitute fruit for the salad, and substitute steamed vegetables for the broiled vegetables? Oh yeah, I want the steak halfway in between medium well and medium rare. Can you make sure they don't put lettuce on my plate as garnish? I hate the odor of wilted lettuce. And the bread - can I substitute whole wheat for white - it is organic, right? Can you make sure the bread doesn't have sesame seeds on it. And I'll need a new bottle of steak sauce - this one looks old. Oh, before you bring out that new bottle of A-1, can you microwave it slightly? It's chilly in here and I like my A-1 a little bit hotter than luke-warm, but not hot to the touch. But don't actually touch it to test it, use a thermometer. Thanks!" And then two minutes later - "Actually, I'm not that hungry. Can I just get a large house salad?".

In other words, do you go above the 15-20% when making special requests that make the life of the waiter more difficult?
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 02:40 PM   #27
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

The way I look at tipping...

When I go to work I expect to get paid. In fact I expect to get paid everytime I go in to work.

I look at tipping as the same. It's just part of the price to eat there. People that serve me expect to get paid for the job that they do. So unless the service is a total disaster I'll leave a tip which is usually 15% or better.

Since we eat out quite a bit, I don't want crappy service the next time I go in to one of our favorite places.Therfore* I just better tip. It's part of the price to eat out. I'm not going into some long rationalization about how steakhoses get better tips than the pancake house. It's just part of the price to eat out. If you can't afford a $10 tip on a $50 meal then don't go there.

If the food is crappy and the tables are crappy and I can hear music from two places I vote with my feet. I just never go back.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 03:34 PM   #28
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
The way I look at tipping...

When I go to work I expect to get paid. In fact I expect to get paid everytime I go in to work.

I look at tipping as the same. . . .
Do you work for tips? Or do you charge a set rate for your work -- a rate that is understood up front by your customer or employer?

I tip because we have this stupid system that makes servers dependent on tipping. But it doesn't keep me from thinking it's a stupid and inefficient system.

I think the way different people view tipping has a lot to do with differences in the way they veiw dining out. A lot of people view dining out as a social event and entertainment. They like to tell stories to their friends about the great new restaurant they went to and what they ordered, etc. Service and tipping is part of the experience and they think everyone should be supportive of their experience.

Other people would just as soon go back to the kitchen and get their own food rather than wait for some server to put it on their table and try to engage in meaningless small talk. They came to the restaurant to eat, not to support phony smiling, small talking servers through an unofficial economy. Why are they forced to participate in this charade? They would gladly pay an extra 15% for their food if they could just get good food delivered to their table efficiently.

Although I've come to accept my social obligation to support servers at restaurants and bars through my 15% to 20% tip, I still recoil at hotels when they try to take my bags to the room. I don't want that service. I am perfectly capable of carrying my bag and I can find my room. I don't even want someone else handling my stuff, so I sure don't want to be forced to pay them a tip for that.

And don't get me started on valet parking. . . .
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 03:37 PM   #29
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

I will normally tip 15%, less in buffet style restaurants. I beleive, however that Restaurants should pay their staff a living wage and tips should be reserved for service above and beyond that required.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 04:16 PM   #30
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 04:51 PM   #31
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

A (somewhat arrogant) friend of mine used to rip a $10 or $20 bill in half and give it to the server when they arrived at the table. He would then tell them they would get the other half if the service was good....I thought the practice was a little brash but it always worked.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:06 PM   #32
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:16 PM   #33
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Also, don't forget about the Fumunda Cheese topping, which goes great with Italian dishes, salads, etc. That's "Fumunda". As in "fumunda da nuts"
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:21 PM   #34
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Thanks guys for ruining my enjoyment of diners for the next five to ten years......
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:23 PM   #35
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

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Never, never be so STUPID as to pre-piss anyone in a diner. NEVER you idiot.
Hmmmm. OAP ol' buddy, I think ya might need to up your doseage just a smidgen.

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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:26 PM   #36
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

He was arrogant but not entirely stupid...by giving them half of the bill when they arrived, they knew the other half was no good to him. *I only saw him do it twice. *Both times we were just drinking a few beers and he was very explicit that "good service" simply meant to make sure he did not have an empty bottle in front of him.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:27 PM   #37
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

I had a couple of friends who worked as cooks in a couple of moderate to high fahlutin restaurants.

Trust me...never, ever be a jerk before you get your food, never order anything really exotically weird "have it your way" style at peak lunch or dinner rush, and never send anything back unless its really screwed up.

Although the most hilarious moment had to be the time when I was working at macdonalds as a child, and a guy came in at peak lunch rush and ordered a big mac, extra well done, with extra lettuce. I didnt do the grill work, but I believe he got a pair of hockey pucks about 1/32" thick, providing he could find them amidst the lettuce. The guy cooking them put the 'sear' tool on them and leaned on them for a full 3 minutes.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:37 PM   #38
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

bunny, we had a lot of that kinda thing. A guy told us once, "don't give me soemthing already cooked". The cook made a big deal of saying, " yes, Sir."

Ouch, I hope that customer liked bacteria.

chrisdut,
I'm sure he never had a bottle in front of him with something other than beer.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:42 PM   #39
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

Believe it or not the two times I was with him the servers thought it was kind of funny and not a bad idea...they knew going in that they were getting a good tip simply by making sure we did not run out of beer. I never had the guts to try a stunt like that though.
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?
Old 03-23-2006, 05:53 PM   #40
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Re: Are you frugal or are you stingy?

we asked for the non-smoking section (when they had those), the hostess sat us at a table with an ashtray. i said, "but we asked you for the non-smoking section." she replied, "well no one's smoking now."

i generally tip 15% for decent service and 20%+ for excellent service or if the waiter's really cute & flirts with me. we've just had dinner, the night is young and i might run into him later at the clubs.
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