Do waitresses actually look at my tip amount?
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aja8888
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Not always done these days. We had a waitress we know very well at a large chain restaurant recently tell us that their CC placed tips are held by management for two weeks then distributed in their paycheck.
Nemo2
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On the rare occasions we 'eat out' we presume the guy who owns the hot dog cart from which we purchase lunch is already pocketing all the profits.
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Lsbcal
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I was lumping the two in together so as not to be overly complicated.
kcowan
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When we go out, we often split the bill on our credit cards. I always select 20% and I can tell from the server that I am the big tipper.
Do you guys tip more (from a percentage standpoint) if you’re at a restaurant where the bill for two may he $20, but the servers seem to be understaffed and working harder than the servers at a restaurant where the bill may be $200? Tipping folks more based on the expense or ‘classiness’ of the restaurant or less because it’s bob Evans always gets me.
Dtail
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On bills of $25 and less with good service, we will tip a greater% than a much higher dollar amount bill.
CardsFan
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Definitely YES to this. For an inexpensive place, percentage is kind of meaningless, and anytime there is a happy hour special (or DW has a Coupon). In these cases I tend to tip based on the number of times the waitress/waiter serves me something. I can go to a local pub for lunch with a buddy and have 3 beers and a burger for $9
. So I may tip $4. Crazy as a percentage, but reasonable for the service over a 2 hour time frame.The expensive places tend to just get a straight 20%, rounded up or down depending on the service.
Is this heaven?
Mrs Scrapr gets mad at me because I walked out of a joint with a$8 grilled cheese. 3 beers and a burger would be $20 easy plus tip. The taco truck burrito is $8
mamadogmamacat
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That's right, if I have a meal with a chatty friend and we hold the table for an hour or even longer, the tip will be much larger simply because I know we have prevented the server from having at least one if not two or more other customers at that table in that time frame. My Dad was a waiter for part of his working life, and it was one of the few jobs of his that i actually admired him for having, so i feel some connection to folks doing that sort of work. Weird, but there it is.
As far as cash vs CC, I also try to give tip in cash as the timing for when the wait staff gets the tips fro CC's varies with the establishment and manager policies.
As far as cash vs CC, I also try to give tip in cash as the timing for when the wait staff gets the tips fro CC's varies with the establishment and manager policies.
CardsFan
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Just a corner bar (and the name IS "The Corner Bar"). $3 burger ($2 if you go on Tuesday!) and $2 for a 16 oz draft. $2 more if you want fries or tater tots.
Not exactly health food. But hey, just once a week.
SecondCor521
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I think some look at the credit card receipt and some don't. I'll take my kids to the local drive through joint and get a large Oreo milkshake for $5 and tip $15. Sometimes I get a gushing "Are you sure?!" and thank you, sometimes I get zero reaction.
Maybe the ones that don't look are too busy, or superstitious, or fatalistic, or - hopefully not - entitled.
So far I have put the tip on the tip line on the credit card slip because I usually don't carry cash. But I can see differences between cash and credit - with cash the waitress gets it right away but would have to make decisions about whether and how much to share with busboys etc. and whether to report on their income taxes. Oh, and with credit card tips I think I've seen it where they don't even charge the tip to my card, even when it's what I think is a decent tip - so the slip is for $15.31 and I'll write in $22, and the charge will come through as $15.31 on my statement.
I'm not sure I'll change my practice but I'll mull it over.
Maybe the ones that don't look are too busy, or superstitious, or fatalistic, or - hopefully not - entitled.
So far I have put the tip on the tip line on the credit card slip because I usually don't carry cash. But I can see differences between cash and credit - with cash the waitress gets it right away but would have to make decisions about whether and how much to share with busboys etc. and whether to report on their income taxes. Oh, and with credit card tips I think I've seen it where they don't even charge the tip to my card, even when it's what I think is a decent tip - so the slip is for $15.31 and I'll write in $22, and the charge will come through as $15.31 on my statement.
I'm not sure I'll change my practice but I'll mull it over.
latexman
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
My understanding is tips on a card are always reported and taxable since it is traceable, and cash tips usually are not.
Ready
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
All tips are taxable income whether paid in cash or on a credit card. Whether the waiter elects to report cash based tips is their decision. I do not think it's a good idea to pay cash tips if doing so is for the intention of underreporting income for tax purposes.
mamadogmamacat
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One should IMHO pay cash as often as possible (sometimes I just do not have that much cash with me) for the following two reasons:
1) establishments vary in terms of how they handle tips on CCs, some have the "house" take a cut and others will share them equally with the entire staff, whereas I prefer to reward the service provided by my specific server. if the server chooses to share with say the busboy ,or others of his/her own volition that is fine with me but do not like it to be forced
2) most will make sure the CC tips are paid out by end of shift, but not all besides sometimes a server will have reason to leave early and may or may not therefore lose out on his/her tips
Intentions of others are not something i can control. Reporting taxable income of wait staff or anyone else is their concern not mine. have enough effort to make sure I do my own taxes legally and properly
1) establishments vary in terms of how they handle tips on CCs, some have the "house" take a cut and others will share them equally with the entire staff, whereas I prefer to reward the service provided by my specific server. if the server chooses to share with say the busboy ,or others of his/her own volition that is fine with me but do not like it to be forced
2) most will make sure the CC tips are paid out by end of shift, but not all besides sometimes a server will have reason to leave early and may or may not therefore lose out on his/her tips
Intentions of others are not something i can control. Reporting taxable income of wait staff or anyone else is their concern not mine. have enough effort to make sure I do my own taxes legally and properly
marko
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That's no longer the case. Waitstaff/bartenders get a 1099 which outlines how much in sales they made which is tracked by the point of sale computer.
It also shows how much you claimed in cash tips (in addition to credit card tips), which you input when you check out each night. As long as the total is plus/minus 15% of your sales, the IRS is ok. If it's more like 4%, you could get flagged, (hunted down and severely beaten).
Of course you could fudge and claim cash tips at 15% when you're making 20%; but if you're a seasonal worker that would reduce any unemployment benefit.
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VanWinkle
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marko
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See post #43
Unless it's some little diner where everything is done on paper and no computers, that's no longer the case.
Bryan Barnfellow
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From my perspective you are in heaven! Here in Switzerland a good burger would be from (dollar equivalent) $22-30 and three beers would be about $18. So, eating out is carefully budgeted for my wife and me.
On the positive side all servers are professional staff and are paid a good living, so tipping, beyond rounding up here and there, is not a part of the process. It took a while for me to get used to not tipping everyone (except hotel staff when I travel) in Europe. I felt for a long time that I was somehow showing disapproval of their service and shortchanging the staff.
In general if you are a regular customer you usually get a smile and a "so nice to see you again" welcome. Just by coming in you are helping to ensure their jobs and they appreciate that.
-BB
folivier
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So why should someone get a discount on paying their taxes?
I always put a tip on a CC. If someone wants to get paid cash then they better give me a discount, at least half of what they're saving by not claiming that income.
I always put a tip on a CC. If someone wants to get paid cash then they better give me a discount, at least half of what they're saving by not claiming that income.
VanWinkle
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See my prior post- my wife is recently retired waitress. Cash has a funny way of finding it's way into a pocket before the register. True, some use flat percentage of sales, but that is not the majority.
VanWinkle
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I disagree!! You are welcome to your opinion but I think of the tip as a gift, not a wage.
Winemaker
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If server is good, I tip in cash,minimum 20%; if bad, they get 15% and it goes on the card. I have been known to give a nickel for pi$$ poor service and attitude.
