Mega Tank | 1,093 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Let's talk about tipping. When you're out for a meal, whether it's with family, colleagues, or friends, how do you decide on the tip? Do you have a set percentage, or does it vary based on the service? Or maybe you're more like Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, and tipping is a rare occurrence? I was going to a poll for countries, but share if you'd like in the thread where you are from. I live in the U.S. and I tip depending on the service I receive. When I tip, I generally pay 20% for my regular places and places that provide good service. At times, I may go over, but it's not often. I find it harder to justify higher tipping percentages at places where you serve your food, such as buffets or food trucks. I also find it harder to tip well when servers disappear after they drop off the food and don't check up on the food/drinks. I also don't like it when a place automatically adds gratuity to the bill because it puts you in a tricky situation if the service is not worth the %. As a disclaimer, I haven't worked in the food industry, but I have worked where tipping was an option. If I got a tip, cool; if I didn't, oh well. So, what's your tipping strategy? Do you have any interesting stories or insights to share? Also, I had to throw in the clip. This is NSFW. You have been warned. This is NSFW. You have been warned. In case you missed it up top. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabonga | 2,533 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Most of the places I go to they know me pretty well (at a few of them they bring me my drink as I am sitting down since I always order the same). I almost always get good friendly service. So 20% is pretty much automatic. One exception is when I have a coupon - let's say buy one get one free - then I tip extra to reflect what I would otherwise pay. (In fact I have gotten calls on occasion from whatever credit card to ask if I really meant to pay that high a percentage tip.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRobot | 6,026 Events Team · Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 20% for standard service +/- a dollar for each instance of good/poor service beyond expectations. I've had exceptional service where I've tipped 50% and awful service where I've tipped the leftover change. I feel like tipping a few cents sends a clear message about the service, compared to nothing that could be misconstrued as just being cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,251 Administrator · Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Four dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabonga | 2,533 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 2 minutes ago, Gloves said: Four dollars. To add insult to injury it is probably those Canuck dollars too.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,251 Administrator · Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 1 minute ago, Tabonga said: To add insult to injury it is probably those Canuck dollars too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,918 Editorials Team · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 20% If I go to the diner by myself and have breakfast and 3 cups of coffee it's a 50% situation minimum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a3quit4s | 4,344 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 18% max on dinner - like reed said though if I go and eat something for $20 I’m prolly leaving 25-50% I miss the 15% standard lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 5,206 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 It depends. If we eat at a restaurant and the wait staff takes the order, brings out the drinks and brings out the check and it's all fast and feels like I'm being herded through, I'll give about 15%. If the service is out right bad, it will be less but I always tend to leave a tip and assume the best from the worst situtation. Regardless, if the service is fair, I leave at least a $4 or $5 tip. For instance, in our town there's a Mexican restaurant that offers Taco Tuesdays and we can get out the door with the cost of food and tax for under $14-15. 20% is $3, but the people there are really good and even though we eat cheap, they treat us well. $5 is a 33% tip, but I don't mind. An extra $5 isn't that much more and it's a good restaurant, staffed by good people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Tank | 1,093 Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 1 hour ago, Reed Rothchild said: 20% If I go to the diner by myself and have breakfast and 3 cups of coffee it's a 50% situation minimum 50%? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code Monkey | 2,129 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 I voted 0 but I should explain. Occasionally I'll go to a proper restaurant where the server knows every drink and what's in it, they know everything on the menu, water is always refilled, they only enter over your left shoulder and the orders are always correct. I went to a martini bar last weekend and mentioned to the server that I needed a wipe for my glasses so she went to her own purse to find me one. This is where I leave a little extra. Then I find myself at a corner pub where servers have no idea what's on the menu, they don't know what the gravy is made from, no clue which beer are on tap and enter the table over any shoulder is convenient for them. They're delivering my glass of water with their disgusting, greasy fingers touching the rim where I put my mouth and then they put a pickle on my bun when it wasn't on the menu. I have to put up with all of this laziness and carelessness, then the server tells me they want a tip because their job is hard. Get out of here with your lazy ass, put some more effort into having respect for yourself and the people around you, then you can consider maybe getting a tip. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,251 Administrator · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 6 minutes ago, Code Monkey said: I voted 0 but I should explain. Occasionally I'll go to a proper restaurant where the server knows every drink and what's in it, they know everything on the menu, water is always refilled, they only enter over your left shoulder and the orders are always correct. I went to a martini bar last weekend and mentioned to the server that I needed a wipe for my glasses so she went to her own purse to find me one. This is where I leave a little extra. Then I find myself at a corner pub where servers have no idea what's on the menu, they don't know what the gravy is made from, no clue which beer are on tap and enter the table over any shoulder is convenient for them. They're delivering my glass of water with their disgusting, greasy fingers touching the rim where I put my mouth and then they put a pickle on my bun when it wasn't on the menu. I have to put up with all of this laziness and carelessness, then the server tells me they want a tip because their job is hard. Get out of here with your lazy ass, put some more effort into having respect for yourself and the people around you, then you can consider maybe getting a tip. You and I are doing a great job making Canadians look generous lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captmorgandrinker | 1,654 Administrator · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 3 minutes ago, Gloves said: You and I are doing a great job making Canadians look generous lol. You guys and your weird butter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 5,206 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 1 minute ago, Gloves said: You and I are doing a great job making Canadians look generous lol. I dunno man. Maybe you guys are doing it right and your service industries just suck? But seriously, there is a time and a place to not leave a tip. The point of the tip was to encourage wait staff to go above and beyond their line of work. This is why the standard is a range of 15-20%. I also remember learning in etiquette classes that if the service is bad, you are suppose to leave a $.01 tip. This is not to be a jerk and to respond in a bad manner--leaving a one-cent tip tells the staff that you DO tip and their work was so poor, it doesn't warrant the standard tip amount. So... if the service is bad, leaving nothing (or a penny) is actually the right thing to do. For me, though, there have been very few times where this has been justified. Even when I'm not being waited on as frequently as I'd like, usually I can tell that the restaurant has been understaffed and that's not the waiters problem--that's the managements problem. If I can tell that they wait staff has done their best, then I will leave them a modest tip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kguillemette | 1,606 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Typically in the 25-50% range. I should note that I rarely eat out and it is typically at my work when I do, so my dinner is heavily discounted. My coworkers deserve extra for putting up with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfreakofkorn | 304 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 if i am going to tip , it ll be depending on their serivce if they drop the menu n go mia till the cheque comes up , well you ll get a lower tip than someone that is on top w bringing extra napkin(s) , refilling the cup(s) w/o being asked too , or even asking if everything is oke than they would get a larger tip service has been key w/ me along w/ attention to detail as i have worked in fast food n the hospitality industry it has its up(s) n down(s) , imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulpa | 3,704 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 (edited) Sales tax here is 9.5%, so doubling it puts it in the 19% range. So whatever that ends up being, rounded. Edited August 16 by Tulpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhleo | 2,266 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 (edited) I just double everything on the left side of the " . " then move it down a tenth. It works out to a fractions of less than 20%. So: $124.28 = $248 * 0.1 = $24.80 $41.99 = $82 * 0.1 = $8.20 $5.01 = $10 * 0.1 = $1.00 Also, I don't tip anywhere that doesn't let me get to pay after the fact. So, sorry Starbucks, I won't "answer your question" Edited August 16 by ThePhleo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 5,006 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Luckily tipping isn't a thing where I live, though if you go to some "nicer" western-style restaurants, they will tack on a 10% fee. That said, I actually do tip here occasionally. 1. If I am taking a taxi and he takes me somewhere without using his GPS, then I tip. I appreciate an old school guy that knows his shit. 2. When the guy comes to swap out gas canisters at my residence, you can bet I'll tip. Several flights of stairs carrying a gas canister warrants a tip in my book. Bringing a few overpriced drinks to the table and then swinging by once to offer the free refills, doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,251 Administrator · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Seriously though, tipping is absolutely a pretty disgusting practice and should legitimately be cut down entirely. Your ability to earn is defined by how old you are, your gender, how attractive you are, and in many cases your willingness to flirt with customers. Another issue which those of you who haven't worked in the service and especially food industry may not be aware of - many places do tip-sharing. Tips will often be tallied at the end of a shift and shared amongst the staff, typically both those at front of house and back of house, and sometimes even straight into management's pockets. So the lovely server who gave you great service, so you gave them a huge $50 tip? Yeah, 20 of that is going to the guys high off their asses in the back, 20 is being given to the other servers including the not-so-lovely ones, and the last $10 is management's stipend cuz fuck paying people a living wage. We're all caught in this shit trap and allowing ourselves to now accept an egregious 20% common tip is just poison to my ears. It's hurting everyone involved (except the guy running the place cuz he doesn't have to pay anyone a living wage). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillavoie | 1,227 Events Team · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 2 hours ago, Code Monkey said: I voted 0 but I should explain. (...) This is where I leave a little extra. And how much is a « little extra »? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 12,251 Administrator · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Just now, guillavoie said: And how much is a « little extra »? Just the tip. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfreakofkorn | 304 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 sticking gum under the table ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 4,202 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 0% because unlike America we try not to treat our citizens like slaves and pay people in restaurants a living minimum wage, plus weekends and holidays attract penalty rates. I hated when I went to the US and had to deal with all the tipping rubbish. The service was no different from what I experience here and it felt so fake and phony. It was also forced on me on the receipt, your choice was between 15%, 30% or 50%. This was in LA. So if the service was rubbish I still would have had to tip? You guys really need to start paying people a proper wage. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,918 Editorials Team · Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 3 minutes ago, Brickman said: 0% because unlike America we try not to treat our citizens like slaves and pay people in restaurants a living minimum wage, plus weekends and holidays attract penalty rates. I hated when I went to the US and had to deal with all the tipping rubbish. The service was no different from what I experience here and it felt so fake and phony. It was also forced on me on the receipt, your choice was between 15%, 30% or 50%. This was in LA. So if the service was rubbish I still would have had to tip? You guys really need to start paying people a proper wage. Next time just visit Canada. That way you can leave 0% tips and blame it on the waiter approaching the incorrect shoulder 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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