20%Tip

[Turtle138]

It used to be the amount expected!

But has it ran its course?

What's your thoughts and we are talking about the tip amount when you dine out at a restaurant. 

[Seeker5280]

20% minimum if the service is good. 

I go up from there, max would be maybe 35%. Depends.

I would never want to be known as a cheap ass when it comes to restaurant tipping. 

Never.

[ilovewomen]

20% is usually the minimum unless I get really bad service

[Alex Majors]

I always figure out what 20% is and add a little more. That way I now I haven't tipped less than 20%. I am usually by myself. If I am out with a few more people and pick up the tab, I do more for the extra work the server has to do.

[stevie-2249]

I think it depends what the bill is, if I go out myself and the bill is 12.00 bucks 2.40 isn’t a very good tip so I leave atleast 5 if service was as expected, now if you have a big tab like 75 bucks 20 percent is more probable, then again service is everything, I hate the most when the waitress doesn’t acknowledge I need a refill

[Phil-anderer]

For me, 20% is good to above average.  If it's below average, then I tip less but also tell the server why I tipped less this time.  It gives them the opportunity to explain or just hear why it didn't work well for me.  Sometimes that's led to a conversation and understanding on my part, and I upped the tip as a result.  We're all battling something in our lives, and just having someone listen a little can make a big difference.  Sometimes I probably get bamboozled... that's fine.  The times I've felt it to be sincere (one woman had visible bruises and said she'd been in a car accident and was struggling to get through the day, I gave her $50) is an opportunity to give back to someone who needs it.

Great service is usually around 30% for me.  If the food is bad but service is great, I still tip well - but also talk to the manager about what could have been better.

A local pizza place I love, and frequent often, messed up my phone-in order two times in a row.  I had to drive 20 minutes to get there, then home, only to find the wrong pizza) twice.  (Also, I always check now)  They made it right, and gave me vouchers for 4 pizzas, so basically my next 4 meals were comped.  I keep going back, because mistakes happen, and a good business will do what it takes to remedy the situation.

[BigBaldBlk]

I always double the first two numbers of the tab and add $1.00, so I know I'm over 20%.  At my favorite sports bar, I typically tip $20 even on a $20 tab because I never have to ask for a beer.

[pfunk]

At a little diner, when the bill is $10 to $15, I usually add $10 just because! Those people work awfully hard for a $2 tip! If it's a $100 dinner, then 20% or better. I've left some 50% and larger tips when the service was above and beyond. I never tip less than 20%. If I hated the food, or service, I just never return. 

[Bit Banger]

• Average service: 15%
• Good service: 18-20%
• Superb service: 25%

Based on the pretax bill & rounded up.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Bit Banger

[Turtle138]

Great feed back!

I start with leaving $5.00 for any meal under  $20.00 and go up from there.

 

[JRWolfe]

14 hours ago, mountainrider33 said:

As a waiter in college, at a higher end steak house, wait staff would be ecstatic if most people tipped 20%.  Don't worry about being seen as cheap, because wait staff don't remember if you tipped 15% or 25%.  The only people they look as "cheap ass" is the people who stiff you on a tip or leave 10% or less.  The worst were families with kids that left a crappy tip and a huge mess on the table and floor. 

Truthfully, many of the lowest tippers tended to be the ones that drove the most expensive cars and wore the most expensive clothes.  Foreigners were horrible too but that's just because most other countries don't have a tipping culture.  Also, the death nail when you know you're getting a horrible tip is when a customer says, "Everything was wonderful and you were amazing".  I was guaranteed to get a 10% or less tip when I heard those words.

        Was a waiter in my college days and had a good memory for regulars. Agree and disagree with what you wrote. I waited on rich and famous enough times to not stereotype them as the lowest tips. Many times I would get a $100 tip on a $200 bill. Even the infamous tipped well. (Smalldone Bros come to mind ).

Yes,families with kids that left a mess were average to bellow tippers. Never got stiffed,but did get the 5-10% tips from time to time ,but not every shift.

These days,it depends on the service  and their smile. Usually 20 to 30 % in a good restaurant.In a breakfast place,usually 40 to 50 % as mentioned before, noticing that they work their hiney off on a ten dollar tab,can't see leaving just 2 bucks.

[Bit Banger]

Three points:

1) My wife worked restaurants in a resort town during HS.  Said she NEVER worked breakfast because low tips.

2) I ALWAYS leave a tip.  For terrible service it will be small change, just to say that I didn’t forget.  They know what went wrong.

3) In some establishments, tips are pooled.  Or may also be shared with other staff (busboys, cooks, etc.)

[valconxen]

I tend tip between 20% to 25%

[Audrey Astor]

23 hours ago, ilovewomen said:

20% is usually the minimum unless I get really bad service

Samesies—— you don’t really know what goes on until you serve.  I get all of the stories. The kitchen may be understaffed, or mess up the food, they may have got slammed with a bus load of people that stopped by, the server could be new or covering something they are not adequately trained to do, maybe their dog passed. I just try to be a good human. The extra $20 may not hurt me, but it may make the server’s day. These are my thoughts.

[Chrissy]

And Tip your housekeepers! custom is 10% of your room total. Just a friendly reminder 😄😄

[Necron 99]

For me it depends on the restaurant type and the service.

For a full service, sit down restaurant I tip 20%.  If the service was lousy (especially if I had to wait more than 15 min for my bill) I reduce it to 15%.  I recently went to a high-end steak house with my family.  The service was excellent, the food was perfect...until the end.  The waiter asked if we would like desert and coffee, we all declined.  Then, finally, 30 min later we were presented with our bill...10%...still a nice chunk of change, but no where near what I would have normally given.

Now for a place where I have to stand in line, place my order go pick up my food and then bus my own table (think fast casual type of place) then I just leave $5 on the table.

And just a personal pet peeve...I hate those places where you have to use a machine at your table to pay!  I feel about those places like I do at the self check-out line at the grocery...I don't work there! 

[fred1964]

I have found that certain ethic groups (not everyone) are lousy tippers. All shape, forms and creeds, and color, in one way or another tip like crap.

[Kaduk]

On 9/21/2019 at 8:40 PM, Bit Banger said:

• Average service: 15%
• Good service: 18-20%
• Superb service: 25%

Based on the pretax bill & rounded up.

I still see establishments that have the disclaimer; 15% service charge added to parties of say more than 4 people. It must average out to the benefit of the waitstaff and I understand one could leave an additional percent. BuT for one that tips more, it just seems odd.

I personally round up or down from from 20% as in a tip of 20% comes to $8.20, I would round up to $9.00 which in essence is about 22%.

So to tweak your percentages

• Average service: 15- 16%
• Good service: 22%
• Superb service: 25%
  • rare occasions 30%
• If the service is very bad will leave a 10% tip to the penny with the thought they at least they got the food to the table.

I've had issues where the cook staff is not at fault but the service is horrendous. Then I won't leave a server tip, will seek out the host/hostess & leave the 22% tip with them referencing that as an assemblage it wasn't their fault for the poor service.

AnD with that said I never under tip the server account they're are new & in the learning stage.

[oldguy47]

On 9/23/2019 at 10:27 AM, Necron 99 said:

Now for a place where I have to stand in line, place my order go pick up my food and then bus my own table (think fast casual type of place) then I just leave $5 on the table.

 

Bet another customer pockets that at least some of the time.

[BadBoy]

I think percentage tipping is BS.

A waitress in a family restaurant works just as hard putting the meal on the table as one in a high end restaurant, maybe harder. And yet she gets 15% of $60, while the high end waitress gets 15% of $300? Not from BB!

 I usually tip at least 25% for diners and family places, often lots more, up to 100 %.

But at the Fort, or at Fleming’s, etc., where I am already getting ripped off, the service better be fucking extraordinary to get even 15%. More often around 10%.  Gimme a break- they are handling four or five tables, don’t need to make $200 per hour. I’d rather save my money for Meg down at the diner, working her ass off.

YMMV

Edited September 25, 2019 by BadBoy

[Keyser]

On 9/24/2019 at 8:29 PM, BadBoy said:

I think percentage tipping is BS.

A waitress in a family restaurant works just as hard putting the meal on the table as one in a high end restaurant, maybe harder. And yet she gets 15% of $60, while the high end waitress gets 15% of $300? Not from BB!

 I usually tip at least 25% for diners and family places, often lots more, up to 100 %.

But at the Fort, or at Fleming’s, etc., where I am already getting ripped off, the service better be fucking extraordinary to get even 15%. More often around 10%.  Gimme a break- they are handling four or five tables, don’t need to make $200 per hour. I’d rather save my money for Meg down at the diner, working her ass off.

YMMV

Serious question - why do you go to a restaurant where you feel like you're being ripped off?

[BadBoy]

10 hours ago, Keyser said:

Serious question - why do you go to a restaurant where you feel like you're being ripped off?

Apparently, you are not married.

[Keyser]

On 9/30/2019 at 7:15 AM, BadBoy said:

Apparently, you are not married.

LOL Touché