In Lemondrop's Guide to Tipping last week, we went straight to people who work in the service industry to find out exactly how much we should be tipping for everything from drinks to valet service. Our restaurant industry insider, Cory, said the standard tip for adequate service is 20 percent -- 25 for remarkable service, and 15 for "less than stellar."
But reader Julie demands to know: "Why do Americans always reward mediocre behavior? That's why so many Americans ARE mediocre. Step your game up people. Tipping is optional ... If you absolutely hated the server, you CAN leave them nothing. I really would rather the restaurant pay these people more (and therefore raise their prices for food), than make me 'voluntarily' tip them."
Su agrees with Julie, saying, "I definitely do NOT agree with the article when it said to go ahead and tip a minimum of 10% for poor service. I hate it that I am expected to tip everybody and their brother for everything. I make minimum wage in my job too; I wonder how well I would be received if I walked around all day with my hand out?"
Those who work in restaurants, however, defend their right to a generous tip and insist that despite appearances, they are doing their best to provide solid service -- after all, they're aware that their tip relies on their attitude.
Liza paints us a not-so-pretty picture of working the tables: "Do you see that twelve top over there with seven screaming children grinding the birthday cake into the carpet? Yeah, that's my table. Can't wait to clean that one up. Gee thanks, mommy brigade, for the $4 tip. And you see the frowning couple in the corner? Their pizza got burnt in the oven. Smiling and explaining the situation is not going to win my tip back. And the 4 boys in the football jerseys that all ordered water and biscuits? Also my table. I'll really try hard not to spend the 73 cents they leave me all in one place."
Another waitress clarifies that she makes $2.15 an hour before tipping out (or giving 3% of her sales to the host and bartender). So while other gainfully employed folk are making minimum wage, servers do their jobs for a fraction of that and rely on tips to pay the bills.
Liza might just speak for servers as a whole when she says: "If tipping is optional ... screw this job."
Tell us: What percent do you normally tip? Knowing that servers don't even get minimum wage before tips, do you think leaving 15 percent should be standard, no matter what? Or should waiters have to earn their great tips only if they provide great service?
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Tuesday 03 November
By Valerie
I understand the plight of the underpaid worker (having once been one myself) and tend to tip very well, usually between 50-75% in salons, 20-30% for taxis, and 25-35% for servers, etc...
My only problem with restaurant tips is when one is automatically forced on me by the establishment. Living in NYC, it happens more often than not- and at 18% with the option to add on top of that. It's annoying at best and insulting at worst if the service is poor. Tips are supposed to be that, something volunteered for job well done.
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Tuesday 03 November
By Kimberly
I am a waitress.
I have always wished that everyone, upon leaving high school (or possibly before since parents insist on giving their kids enough money to go out to eat but don't bother to teach them about tipping), should work in the restaurant industry for one year. Like the military in some countries. I wish this not because I think I have a "hard" job but beause if people could just, for one minute, try to understand what it's like when you're not sitting in a booth you'd understand your impact on other people. A little empathy, like I try to show you. This is also your karma. If you know that tipping 20% is appropriate and you choose to ignore it despite the better than average service, it's your decision to live with, not mine.
It's insane to me that, in my line of work, my salary & job performance evaluation is dictated to me by someone that doesn't understand my job. This is true in no other profession. The person determining your jobs worth is someone who has been there, can tell if you're doing a good job or not. I get paid $2.63 an hour. That's my "worth' to my company. Therefore tips, which are an understanding that you must tip when you go out to eat, are my income.
I would much rather get paid for what I do hourly. It would make things fair, people wouldn't have pre-disposed steryo-types when their tables were sat. You would have a much better attitude getting sat a table of 3 women and 6 screaming toddlers if it didn't hinder your pay. Everyone would get treated better because it wouldn't matter how much you spent, tipped or, frankly, how much of a pain in the ass you might be.
I've been in this line of work for over 10years and am of the schooling that "Anyone CAN wait tables, but it takes a blend of smarts, charisma and hard work to be a GOOD server.". By all means, if you're legitmately waiting for service for 15 minutes, have a sever who is outright rude, on drugs and unable to function normally - leave 10%, or nothing at all. But get another person involved. If you have a REAL complaint (not, there's too much ice in my soda) we'll do everything in our power to fix it.
A little kindness goes a long way. In both directions. Think about how you act in a restaurant, or anywhere else for that matter. Think of how you treat the people you interact with in your life - sometimes what you give it what you get.
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Tuesday 03 November
By Amy
It illegal in many states for servers to be paid less than minimum wage. In some states they are paid minimum wage at the least, by law.
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Sunday 08 November
By marilyn
Dear Amy,
This is NOT true...The only way that a server gets state min. wage, is if it's a private club i.e. country club, "or" if the server does Not receive enough tips to equal the min. wage of that state per hour.....Sorry to disappoint any one that read your comment. This is just NOT TRUE! Also, in 1981 Pres. Regean made servers claim 8% of their gross sales, wether they make that in tips or not!
Tuesday 03 November
By Kris
I work in a restaurant and am responsible for doing payroll. For everyone that says that working for $2.15/hr is less than those working minimum wage, I see how much money you guys make! I am aware that my generous salary is still only a fraction of the cash money that you take home and are only required by law to claim 15% of your sales, as opposed to those that are making minimum wage having to report every penny they make including bonuses and overtime that are taxed at a higher rate... I tip well over 25% most of the time but believe me, if you haven't earned it, you won't be getting it from me!
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Tuesday 03 November
By jedigrrlie85
"Tipping is optional"
I call BS. Tipping in a restaurant is NOT optional. Unless your service was absolutely downright HORRIBLE (your server ignored you, didn't put your order in, was inexplicably rude, threw things at you, etc), you tip. Period. End of story. If your server shows up to your table, smiles, is pleasant, takes your order, helps fix problems, and generally takes care of you, you tip 20%. If they pretty much "just did their job" without enthusiasm, 15%. More than 20% if they were stellar. Additionally, undertipping or not tipping due to complaints regarding food quality (ie, I don't like this, it's undercooked, etc - we bring you your food, we don't cook it) is unacceptable. You leave tips based on service. If your food sucked (and your server has already taken care of or tried to take care of that), take that issue up with a manager.
This is ESPECIALLY true for large parties (anything over eight people). There's a lot more work that goes in to handling that many people. The restaurant I worked for made us split tables if they were over a certain number of people. If that's true, you should be tipping EACH server. If you're going to eat out with a large party, you need to be prepared to tip appropriately. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out, period.
It's true that in some states, servers are paid minimum wage plus tips. In a lot of places, including my state, they're not. I was paid $2.13 an hour plus tips. Tips are supposed to bring our pay up to at least minimum wage. I'm not sure a lot of people realise that. Restaurants keep the tip system because it ensures that guests receive a certain level of service. Managers can't keep an eye on the floor all the time; guests are in a better position to judge performance. Keep in mind as well that we WANT you to leave us good tips. That's what we work toward. But if everyone of you takes the mindset of, "Why should I have to tip well for normal service?", we have no incentive to try harder, because you're going to leave us a 10% tip either way. Which means that the service you receive is going to go down across the board. Are there terrible servers out there? Yes, of course. Have I occasionally provided less-than-stellar service? Yes, of course, and I'm aware of those moments and when I wasn't tipped well, I deserved what I got. Believe me, fellow servers hate bad servers just as much as you do, as we have to pick up the slack. But as I said before, if your server shows up, does their job, and does it in a proficient, pleasant manner, you tip. Again, end of story.
I don't get complaining about "I make minimum wage! I don't complain about not getting tipped!" Of course you don't. If you do your job really, really well, you'll get paid your hourly wage. If you do your job only half as well, you still get paid your hourly wage, unless your employer decides you're doing a terrible job and decides to fire you. If I did my job and do it really, really well, I might not actually get paid my hourly wage because the person at my table has some arbitrary set of service standards that might fluctuate depending on their mood, the day of the week, and how much money they have in their pocket.
Kris, I don't know what restaurant you work in - I suppose in nicer places (especially places that serve alcohol, which my restaurant didn't do), there are servers who walk away with more than management or HR. That certainly wasn't the case in where I worked, and isn't the case every place. Underclaiming is, admittedly, a problem (and in my state we were required by law to claim 100%, not just 15% of sales), but don't tell me that if you had the opportunity to underclaim what you earned, you wouldn't take it. Most people would. I'm not excusing the behaviour. I'm just pointing out that those who complain about it probably aren't saints, either.
I guess the point of this is to say "don't be a cheap bastard." Tipping is societally acceptable and, moreover, expected, whether you believe it's "optional" or not. It's not "walking around all day with our hands out." You're paying us directly instead of sending it through our employer and into our paychecks. That's the difference.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Julie
Tell me again why we can't just pay servers more, raising the price of food proportionally. Look up "tip" in the dictionary. By definition, OPTIONAL.
Here's the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_(gratuity)
OPTIONAL!!!!
Friday 06 November
By Robert
"I call BS. Tipping in a restaurant is NOT optional. Unless your service was absolutely downright HORRIBLE (your server ignored you, didn't put your order in, was inexplicably rude, threw things at you, etc), you tip. Period. End of story."
Now the above IS a LOAD of BS!
TIPPING IS OPTIONAL 99% of the time, and when and where it isn't it IS ADDED to the bill BY THE HOUSE! Just showing up DOES NOT QUALIFY them for a tip!
This could be WHY so many servers complain about what they get.
PERIOD! END OF STORY!
Wednesday 04 November
By djskaw
I hate servers that think like Liza. They go in with that attitude and because of that they give bad service, which is why I tip like that. If you are nice to me I give a generous tip, usually more than I should.
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Wednesday 04 November
By carah
have you ever waited tables? because im pretty sure that Liza meant not that you should feel sorry for her but rather that you should understand that at some places there is a "server's minimum wage" or by law the amount that people that get tipped out get paid. I was a server and am not a hostess. servers at my place of employment make 4.15 an hour in a state where min is 7.25. - you should understand that if your servers is talking to people at other tables it is safe to assume that those are his or her tables also, (you are not the only table she has right now) and that while you shouldnt try to tip to make up for the other tables tip for you table.
Wednesday 04 November
By mark
Hey kris, if you do payroll. Then you should be telling the servers they have to claim 100% of there tips. Even if they are lying, the company can be responsable for the difference, if the server gets audited and tells the IRS you told her/him they only have to claim 15% of what they made. just a warning
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Wednesday 04 November
By Elba
I'm sorry but I'm sick of the pity party going on at restaurants. I have never NOT tipped someone. I believe I've only cheaply tipped someone once and it was beyond well deserved. I understand that waiters depend on tips to secure their income but when I was younger 20% was considered a great tip. Now it's 25% or else I'm cheap? How long until I have to tip 50% to accommodate the waiters' feelings?
Also, if a dinner party is so large that multiple waiters are required-did I miss the reason that I as a patron and consumer must pay my 20-25% to each individual waiter? If the party is that large, you'll still get the proper tip per customer that you deserve. Example: If a party of 20 is divided among 2 waiters, each should still earn their fair share-the tip expected from a party of 10. If you split the table, you split the tip. Stop being greedy and making up new tipping rules!
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Wednesday 04 November
By K
Having been a server myself, it is easy to tell when a server has decided you aren't worth the effort to wait on.
When your drinks are empty, you haven't seen the server in 10-15 minutes, ordered an appetizer which still hasn't come out, and when they do come by they are there for about four seconds before vanishing again. Yeah, you're not getting a tip. I know that restaurants pay servers about 2-3 dollars an hour but if they don't get the tips to cover that then the company will make up the difference so that they are at the bare minimum making minimum wage.
If a server wants a good tip, it doesn't take much. Be courteous, punctual, and if something goes wrong in the kitchen--tell the table instead of giving up on a tip and just focusing on other tables. I promise you, seeing the other table in their section getting stellar service will not endear whoever is getting the short end of the stick. Just like it is easy to gauge the mood of a table it is easy to gauge the mood of a server, you being in a bad mood is going to put the table in a bad mood.
I do agree that everyone should at some time or another work in some time of service industry, if only so they understand how stressful it is to try and please people--especially when they come in pissed off.
But yes, if they do their job correctly, it really shouldn't matter what mood they were in as long as you can't complain about the service--they worked for their tip so they deserve it. As far as the food being bad/wrong and such, if its no error on the server's side but you do mention it and they don't say anything to get the floor manager to come by and check up--they reaction is going to be negative.
But people who expect to get generous tips for sub par performance are off in the head. With good tips you can end up making a lot more than minimum wage and although it is largely based on luck for the server (sometimes people are just cheap assholes). So if one night you make $200 in tips for working 5 hours and the next night you only make $50, it balances out in the end. But everyone who works anywhere has to deal with self entitled asshats who think that they shouldn't have to tip when they have you running all night for drinks, napkins, and freebies--it comes with being a server, it sucks but get over it.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Meghan
To the people who replied with, "If I don't tip then the establishment will have to pay them a fair wage." No, that does not happen. Why would a business pay it's employees more than necessary? If you want the restaurant to pay waitstaff a fair wage in this country, expect prices to go up 30%-40% (the house and others will take a cut, plus see side work note). Also, if a server works four hours on the floor (waiting on people), most likely he/she has 2-3 hours of side work before and after the shift. Not only do the tips have to raise the 2.13$/hour wage to above minimum wage for the time the server is on the floor, the tips also have to compensate for the hours of side work. Servers are required to do a lot more than take tables, in the restaurants eyes, they are cheap labor. Many establishments have daily and weekly "cleaning/maintenance" lists that are required as part of side work.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Marten
I know what it's like to live with a crummy job with little appreciation. What it really came down to, though, was that I was responsible for my own happiness. You can learn to enjoy your job despite the complications. We've all had countless amounts of servers bringing us our orders. What I've noticed is the friendly ones who are happy with their job will inevitably get the higher tips (at least from me.) If they're nice about it, they'll still get a tip even if they screw up badly. However, the ones who hate their jobs and hate their customers - I won't tip you.
You entered into a job contract and you knew the low minimum pay when you did. If you give me bad service without apology, you simply do not deserve to be rewarded with a tip or gratuity.
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Wednesday 04 November
By maggie
I don't think a person should feel obligated to leave a tip even when they have gotten poor service. The reason for leaving a tip is to than your server for taking care of you. If you have gotten poor service then they haven't done their job and shouldn't be rewarded for lackluster service.
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Wednesday 04 November
By carah
i understand your position, however you should still leave something, if you sat at our table for even 20 minutes then you took up time that we could have had another table sitting there that would have tipped us. servers do have to report all of their tips and they pay taxes out of that little 4.15 (in my state) they make an hour. I understand you being upset about poor service but we feel bad enough when we come to your table and you are rude and rush us and tell us we did badly without you leaving without a tip. Servers and host staff remember you, and if you take that attitude you will soon find that at some place you will always get bad service becauswe we are not about to spend a lot of time on a person that is going to tip poorly when we could be making a good one off of another table.
Wednesday 04 November
By Cheeks
I don't see why I would have to tip someone for doing their job. It's not like I can go in the kitchen myself and make my meal! That's just another way of wasting money. Why should I tip a waiter because I can't go in myself to make my meal. Sorry call me cheap, frugal, whatever but I don't see the point in tipping!!!!
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Thursday 05 November
By A-Server
If you want to go in a kitchen and cook, stay at home and do so. Not tipping a server because you can't go in the kitchen is beyond cheap and frugal. It's disgusting!
Wednesday 04 November
By Cheeks
@ A-Server: your entitled to your opinion as I am. I just don't see why I should tip someone who chances are don't like their job and take it out on customers or simply because they feel they are entitled to it!!!! Why pay someone for the job they are SUPPOSE to do!!!! That's what they are paid to do to wait on customers. You don't see sales associates asking for a tip for helping a customer find a size!!!!!