How often do you not tip wait staff?

[RobbieB]

I've never received such horrible service that I didn't tip.

I do toss cash in the jar at the counter at my fav taqueria too. They like that and make my food extra good!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Disagree completely.

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

Disagree with what? Only two sentences of that post were opinion, four of them were fact. If you don't like the existence of the tipped minimum wage, fine, but don't punish the victims of the system, punish the perpetrators -- boycott all restaurants where they allow tipping!

 

[SunBlueSky]

I can't recall a time when I did not tip, though I have had lousy service - however, some of the stories above would tempt me not to leave a tip. I do try to tip generously the workers who perform a personal service for me.

 

[W2R]

We always tip.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We usually tip 20% or more. Twice the service was so horrible we left nothing. In our state servers make minimum wage. If we have a coupon we tip on what the whole bill should be. My DIL is a cocktail waitress and shares tips with the bartenders. They are a team to get drinks out fast.

 

[frayne]

I can't remember in recent times ever stiffing a waiter or waitress. In the Chattanooga area there are many good places to eat (competition) and the service is usually outstanding. I don't mind leaving a 20% tip on a CC receipt and have also slipped the waiter/waitress a twenty on the side, if the service was truly exceptional.

 

[Midpack]

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.

You don’t have to tip anyone. But let’s see, tipping 10% on a $3.00 muffin would be 30 cents. And 20% on a $5.00 coffee is a dollar. That’s going to break you? For someone probably making minimum wage or a little more, it’s not a practical matter IMO. Most of us here have been relatively fortunate, why not just give a dollar or two as long as whatever service provided is satisfactory? First world problems...

 

[breger1]

My wife worked in a restaurant for several years, we always leave a tip. She knows what a pain in the axx many customers can be.

 

[SnowballCamper]

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.

Um, no I don't frequent any sit down restaurants.

 

[Bir48die]

If it’s a walk up order restaurant I’ll put a buck or two in if I like them. I’m with others that tip because much of it is shared with cook staff nowadays. People have to make a living and there is a low server wage I’m some states.

That being said I’ve not tipped for bad service a number of times. If the server was good and food bad or marginal then I lower tip and have written notes before on the receipt stating all that was crappy about my experience.

If you’re in Europe it’s not expected and I have still tipped some for a good experience.

Some don’t believe in it and some are just cheap. To me if you’re sitting down and dining out then it’s part of the program.

 

[Cobra9777]

I can't remember a specific instance that was so bad I left zero tip in a restaurant. I do recall leaving tips of <10% when service was substandard. Often, slow service is the result of understaffing, which is the fault of management, not the servers. It's fairly easy to observe what's happening and why. I've been known to tip extra during such times, especially if it's obvious they are trying their best to keep up. I assume others are probably stiffing the servers for the slow service.

 

[Music Lover]

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.

That's why I tip higher in the US than up here. Up here no one can earn less than minimum.

 

[Teacher Terry]

One of the times I didn’t tip was because people that arrived after us received their food and we didn’t. They ate and left and we were still without food. She never checked on us so we couldn’t even get a drink refill. We finally asked another waiter about our food. He went to kitchen and came back and asked what we ordered. I don’t think she ever put the order in. We spent 2 1/2 hours at PF Chang’s and were starving. If we have a low bill then we tip more than 20%. For instance one restaurant has $5 senior meals and the service is great. Leaving only 20% wouldn’t be right.

 

[big-papa]

Seldom do I not leave a tip. Even when service is not up to snuff, most of the time it's pretty obvious that the restaurant is short staffed and the waitron is doing his/her best. I put that entirely on the restaurant management. If they're short staffed, they should close off a section of tables accordingly. People will often come back if the wait is long, but their memory for bad service can be quite long, regardless of where the blame should be placed.

 

[Scrapr]

Not a restaurant but I just tipped the electrician that did a few things at the house today. Couple of $20s. First because he is super nice & helpful. Also to get on the "good" list. It took us a full year to find him & his company. So want to be able to call and not get the we aren't taking on more work right now line. It was about 10% of the labor portion or <5% of the total

 

[erkevin]

When the owner is the server

 

[Chuckanut]

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?

Federal yes. State, not quite.

In my state tipped people get the full state minimum wage plus tips. I think that is something like $12 an hour plus tips.

 

[dirtbiker]

You don’t have to tip anyone. But let’s see, tipping 10% on a $3.00 muffin would be 30 cents. And 20% on a $5.00 coffee is a dollar. That’s going to break you? For someone probably making minimum wage or a little more, it’s not a practical matter IMO. Most of us here have been relatively fortunate, why not just give a dollar or two as long as whatever service provided is satisfactory? First world problems...

Just to play devil's advocate, why not tip your cashier at the grocery store, clothing store, etc. if the service is satisfactory? Or at a fast food restaurant? They usually make roughly the same wages and put in as much work into your order as someone pouring a coffee or putting a muffin in a bag, in fact, often times more. When did it become common to tip for such a trivial task for people guaranteed to be making minimum wage at a minimum, rather than the server wages, which are often far below minimum wage?

For the record, I generally tip at these types of restaurants/coffee houses if there is a tip jar. However, I do find it silly that the tip jars exist. Truth be told, I do it because I'd feel like a cheapskate if I didn't, not because I think they deserve the tip for the work they've performed.

I post this as something to think about. Why we tip cleaning staff at a hotel, but wouldn't even consider tipping the janitor at work or the guy cleaning the floors at a restaurant we frequent. Why we tip baristas, but not cashiers. And the list goes on. I'm not advocating against tipping these people, just food for thought.

 

[HI Bill]

I recently ate at an airport restaurant at HNL on my way to Japan. The restaurant had many Japanese clients (who don't tip in Japan). Our server was inattentive, borderline-rude, and did not bring us a check (we had to ask another server). I wrote down on the ticket that her attitude was too poor to deserve a tip. I routinely give 15% for average (Hawaii) service, which isn't all that great, typically, or 20% for great service (which we rarely encounter here). If the service is ok, but barely acceptable, I give 10%.

In Japan, and in New Zealand, there is no tipping!

 

[Sunset]

...

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

++
Only happened to me once or twice where service was abysmal, and each time I left a penny so the server would not think I forgot to tip appropriately.

 

[Sunset]

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.

They get the the base wage + tips, or the employer has to increase payment to make up for a lack of tips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipped_wage

"The tipped wage is base wage paid to an employee that receives a substantial portion of their compensation from tips. According to a common labor law provision referred to as a "tip credit", the employee must earn at least the state’s minimum wage when tips and wages are combined or the employer is required to increase the wage to fulfill that threshold. This ensures that all tipped employees earn at least the minimum wage: significantly more than the tipped minimum wage."

 

[foxfirev5]

Count me in the always tip group. Over the years I have even dropped a twenty on a group of 8 to leave after being forgotten after water and trying to place a drink order. It was bad enough to move my guests but I didn't want somebody chasing me down.

 

[Walt34]

Like most I normally tip generously but one time ~30 years ago I did leave a one cent tip. We were out with some friends so I was much more patient than usual. The waitress ignored us for 20 minutes, I had to hunt her down to get drinks, and after we'd been there an hour she still hadn't taken the meal order. The place was not that busy.

Finally we all agreed to leave and again I had to hunt down the waitress to get the bill. So I paid that plus the one cent just to make sure she knew the tip wasn't forgotten. And of course we've never been back.

 

[joeea]

How often do you guys stiff a server?

Every time they don't deserve anything.

It's rare that we experience service that bad, but when it happens, I won't hesitate. I've also been know to complain to management as well.

 

[Chuckanut]

I just don't see why I have to make up for the poor wages the employer is paying. I have no problem if the employer decides to give everybody a healthy raise and charge me $4 for a muffin rather than $3.50.

What gets me is that I am made to feel guilty because I don't pay the cashier enough for handing me a muffin. His pay is not my responsibility. Period. For all I know the guy routinely come in late causing all sorts of problems for the owners and other workers. Or he may go out of his way to train new people and help old folks find a comfortable seat. Who knows? His boss knows. I don't.