[frankcent]

I also came from a different country where tips dont exist. I usually tip about 10~20% in restaurants, no matter how I am treated. something always bothers me. its that I dont know when to tip other than in restaurants, for delivery boys, and in hotel. but what about taxi?

 

[Necros]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meat01 Myself aka me, I am not sure how much food servers get paid now, but it used to be $2.01 an hour + tips. It is not right for them to spit on your food or complain if they get a bad tip, but they do make their living on tips, so in the US, 15% is pretty much the standard if you get good service. I always tip at least 15%, unless the service is horrible and I usually tip 20% if the service is great.

man that is way too low...what happens if the place has hardly any custom? Hardly worth bothering to go to work! £1 a hour before tips is slave labour!

UK minimum wage (converted to US $) is $9.29..at least you get paid that regardless...

 

[meat01]

Yeah, I am not sure what the pay is now, but it usually below minimum wage, because of the tips. A server at Applebee's or Chilies works probably just as hard and gives the same type of service as someone at Red Lobster or Olive Garden, but because Red Lobster is so damn expensive, they make tons more money.

 

[RYCeT]

This is a good Link, http://www.tipthepizzaguy.com/
I'm also coming from country where tips don't exist (Indonesia + Australia). For restaurant, I usually tips around 15%. My friends who is a waiter told me this tips, If your bill is more than $100.00, it's a good chance that the waiter has put 10% gratuity charge (tips) so you won't need to give them another 15% tips. Just check out the bill. For delivery driver, I stick w/ $2.00-3.00 + loose change. I'm also interested for the taxi tips since I was yelled once by a taxi driver.

 

[bootman]

I usually tip 20%.

I used to work in the food service industry while a young teen.
I know how hard some of them work and that tips are a major source of income.

 

[Sovkiller]

First of all, IMO, tips have to be earned, that means that the service has to be good, tips are some kind of gratification for a good service offered. I will never give a tip to a person that does not serve me in an appropriate gentle manner, to put the dishes in my table, and come back to pick them up, is not an excuse valid enough to give a tip to anybody, that is part of their job, and they get paid for performing it...but any extra care, as asking if the food was good or not, to come once in a while to the table to see if something is needed, to refill the glass of water, etc...that means a good service IMO...I used to work in jobs that required to offer courtesies as part of them, and the owner always make us do it, that means for example, at a gass station you have to do the windows, check oil and transmission fluid etc, etc...just to place the hose in the tank, and come back to remove the hose, will never get a tip from me, that's their job and they get paid for that...
For the delivery guys I always give tips, usually the tips are around 10-15% of the total amount of the ticket as a general rule, some guys leave more other less, but that is the standard, I usually give 10% as is easier to calculate, when it is not an even amount, and round to the next number and period...

 

[Necros]

Usually jobs that require professionalism pay well in the first place, not "do job well + if shop is busy get good wage slip at the end of the week" method.

I disagree with low salary + tips..not because I'm a slacker (I work hard) but it's the managers job to come down hard on you if generally naff at the job.

How does it work for other members of staff that don't deal with customer directly? (cleaner/cook/kitchen staff) Do they get a higher salary- at least minimum wage + liveable but no tips?

 

[Stephonovich]

Depends on a lot of things. Type of resturant, quality of service, if I know the server/delivery person, how hot they are (if female)... My meals out are usually of the <$10 type, and I usually tip $2-$3 unless it's really sucky, in which case I don't leave anything. I think it's just stupid to leave 50 cents or whatnot. If you hated the service, let them know - leave nothing.

For delivery, depends on if it's a one-off (for instance, when we were visiting D.C. and had it delivered up to our hotel room), who's money I'm paying with, and again, the above criteria. At the afore mentioned hotel, it was my parents money, they were gone, so I tipped the guy $5. I think the pizza and drinks total was only $12 or so. Needless to say, he was pleased.

At one of my college courses, the professor lets us order in pizza, which we do almost every time. Since it's a recurring order, and we usually get pretty picky on various toppings and side things, we try to tip fairly well - $3 or more; this on 1 large pizza.

 

[Alexhifi]

~20% on the non-taxed amount (I do not pay tip on tax). Minimum tip is $2.

It's easy to cacl - take the amount, move over the decimal to the left one, and then multiply by 2.

$18.20 = $1.82 x 2 ~ $4.

Someone really has to screw up to get a bad tip.

-Alex

 

[remilard]

I tip 15% or more at restaurants for acceptable service or better. I do not tip at all for unacceptable service, I can count the number of times this has happened on one hand (and my waiter quit dramatically during my dinner for one of these) so my standards are not super high. For deliveries I tip $2 typically, if it was something big, like several pieces of furniture, I would tip more.

BANGPOD: I agree that at places where you intend to be a regular you should give everyone big tips. If you take care of your friends they will take care of you.

 

[Necros]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephonovich how hot they are (if female).

That's one reason I dislike the idea of tips as major part of salary ..show a bit of cleavage and doesn't matter if you suck at the job...male customers give out more tips...wheras a fat ugly middle aged get basic rates, even if she's much better at the job. And male waitresses won't do so well in a truckers stop.

I mean comission on sales is one thing..

 

[pne]

as a student without a salary, I usually tip 10%. However this tip, like many people have mentioned, must be earned, it is not given just out of customary gesture. There are some places where I don't feel I should have to tip though, like the barbershop. The 14 dollars I pay is for the haircut I am getting, it's a direct payment for the service and I don't see why I should pay any more. If i get very poor service at a resturant and treated like a kid who comes second as a patron then I will leave zero tip, and give it to the busker on the street corner or something.

Do you guys think tipping is mandatory? I'm refering to very poor service/bad food/ filthy establishment, you finish the meal and you regret ever going there, are you obligated to still leave a tip? I was on a date in a resturant and the service was not too great, the food cost a fortune. When it came time for the bill, I left 10%, and my date acted shocked, like I had just robbed a bank or something. I explained to her the service was bad, but she argued it didn't matter, and that you "simply can't" tip that little. So note to the guys, don't be a cheapass when you tip on a date.

 

[XxATOLxX]

If its delivered to my door, I tip 3-5 dollars for a pizza maybe. If its in a restaurant and my meal is around 10-15 dollars, i will tip 2 or 3 bucks.

 

[Hunterboy55]

Wow I thought 10% was the 'minimum" although most of you guys are saying 15%... Anyway I usually go by 10% and like stated before it has to be earned. For delivery guys I usually give a little more than 10% or 15%because they need to pay for gas themselves. ALthough if the service is downright horrible I'll nicely tell them and leave a penny (I've only done this 2 or 3 times in my life).

 

[meat01]

15% has always been the standard for restaurants in the US. I don't think tipping 10% because you are a poor college student or retired on a fixed income is a good excuse. If the service is good, you should at least tip 15%. Tipping is not mandatory, but it is usually understood to be 15% if it is up to par.

edit: If the service is really awful, I will leave a few coins, so they know I didn't forget or that I am one of those people who don't tip.