How do you tip at restaurants?

tbone0813 · #1 12-13-2010, 01:12 PM

Just curious as to how you tip when you are at restaurants. I usually do 15-20% before taxes.

Chebass88 · #2 12-13-2010, 01:15 PM

20% excluding the taxes, unless service is shoddy, in which case the tipped amount is lower.

sloasdaylight · #3 12-13-2010, 01:15 PM

Well, especially at bars.

A few extra dollars out of your wallet isn't going to break the bank, and it might make their day/night a little better, plus they'll remember you next time and make sure to treat you well if they get your table again, or what have you.

I've very much of a "pay it forward" mindset.

lousybassplayer · #4 12-13-2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

Well, especially at bars.

A few extra dollars out of your wallet isn't going to break the bank, and it might make their day/night a little better, plus they'll remember you next time and make sure to treat you well if they get your table again, or what have you.

I've very much of a "pay it forward" mindset.

Agreed. Plus, after a few beers, 20% is easier to come to right of the top of your head. I take that and then round to the next dollar.

UncleFluffy · #5 12-13-2010, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

Well, especially at bars.

+1 ... Your tips always come back to you in the form of extra-healthy pours.

dollar a drink here, or 20% on meals.

It's as much an investment for next time as it is a "thankyou" for this time.

pedroims · #6 12-13-2010, 01:22 PM

15% in the US although many times the service do not deserve a penny, when travelling depending on the service and the country from 0% to 200%, examples:

Australia = 0% because you don't tip there
Thailand = more than 100% because is ridiculous cheap and service is extremely good
South Africa= 100% same as above.
Mexico = from 0% to 20% depending on the service.

**line6man** · #7 12-13-2010, 01:25 PM

Double the tax, there is your tip.

macaroni tony · #8 12-13-2010, 01:27 PM

I usually do about 20% or more after taxes. If the host(ess) sucked, and I mean was absolutely horrible, I'll do an obligatory 10%...maybe

tplyons · #9 12-13-2010, 01:39 PM

I do 20% of the total after tax, and usually round to the nearest dollar. I'd rather err on the side of tipping too high. I've worked briefly in food service and the job sucks. I know others who rely on it for their livelihood.

At a bar, it's a buck a beer, or two for a mixed drink at a fancy joint.

fo shizzle · #10 12-13-2010, 01:52 PM

20% plus........ Waiting tables is hard, hard work. I've done it. I was also very good at it. I made a bunch of money waiting tables.

Bassists above all else should tip well. We are the least self-absorbed people in the band. We should be able to appreciate the yeoman's work that the wait-staff provide.

Just sayin'.....

Jim Nazium · #11 12-13-2010, 02:07 PM

Just watch Mister Pink in the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs ...

Subrage · #12 12-13-2010, 02:08 PM

Depends on the service
Restraunts:
20 - decent to good service
15 - for average service
0 - for crap service. (but you really have to work hard to get this bad)

Bars usually a dollar a drink.

MJ5150 · #13 12-13-2010, 02:22 PM

Starts at 20%, and goes up from there based on how she looks and how friendly she is.

Another big one for me is how long I am there. I will frequently go to a joint and watch a football or hockey game, so I'll be there for three or more hours. In those same three hours, that waitress may wait on three or four other tables. So on those days, I will leave closer to a 50% tip. Like the other night when I watched the Pens/Sabres on Saturday night. During the three plus hours I was there, my bill only came to $21. No way I leave a four dollar tip, so I gave her $15.

-Mike

EricF · #14 12-13-2010, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subrage

Depends on the service
Restraunts:
20 - decent to good service
15 - for average service
0 - for crap service. (but you really have to work hard to get this bad)

Bars usually a dollar a drink.

+1

At a bar, I'll usually tip an extra buck per drink on the first round, and make every attempt to keep going back to the same bartender.

rr5025 · #15 12-13-2010, 02:42 PM

I usually don't tip bartenders. Most of the places I go to seem to have bartenders that are complete asshats. Some examples of asshattery;

Doing that stupid thing where they look at you then pull a 180 and ask someone else on the opposite end of the bar what they want.

Giving you something you didn't ask for and insisting you did.

Ignoring you for anything with a rack.

Making snide comments for no reason.

Now some places I do tip, mostly these are places with actually friendly staff and tend to be the places that appeal to me more these days (maybe I'm just growing up).

Restaurants I always tip 20% unless they are really god awful. Surprisingly I have seem to have kind of a bad streak with waitstaff (nothing too frequent but seems to come and go with cycles). If anyone wants to hear an interesting bad waitress story let me know.

BurningSkies · #16 12-13-2010, 03:02 PM

Bartenders get a buck a drink.

At the table its AT LEAST 20%. It's a S****Y job and even good wait staff deal with REALLY unreasonable people a bunch. If I'm eating at a cheap place like a diner and the bill for the whole meal isn't much I usually do 25%.

MikeyFingers · #17 12-13-2010, 03:07 PM

^Same here for bartenders, which is still absurd to me. Paying 4-6 bucks for a beer is already painful enough, now I have to give the guy an extra buck because he took the cap off for me? Come on.

For waiters/waitresses, I tip according to their quality of service. If they're quick and attentive and take good care of us customers, I'll go as high as 20-25% if they deserve it. If they do their job well but nothing outstanding, 15% is my usual.
If they suck (slow moving, rude, screwing up orders), I have no problem leaving a little loose change on the table.
Hahaha, I'm a douche.

Jonyak · #18 12-13-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rr5025

I usually don't tip bartenders. Most of the places I go to seem to have bartenders that are complete asshats. Some examples of asshattery;

Doing that stupid thing where they look at you then pull a 180 and ask someone else on the opposite end of the bar what they want.

Giving you something you didn't ask for and insisting you did.

Ignoring you for anything with a rack.

Making snide comments for no reason.

Now some places I do tip, mostly these are places with actually friendly staff and tend to be the places that appeal to me more these days (maybe I'm just growing up).

Restaurants I always tip 20% unless they are really god awful. Surprisingly I have seem to have kind of a bad streak with waitstaff (nothing too frequent but seems to come and go with cycles). If anyone wants to hear an interesting bad waitress story let me know.

you might notice if you tip the bartender that its you that gets first ask when there are a few people waiting.

actualy most of your complaints about bar staff can be fixed by tipping them lol.

Stanley Design · #19 12-13-2010, 03:12 PM

I have a buddy who is really against tipping, I hate when I go out to eat with him because it makes me tip more to try and make up for it.

I've only once tried to do the no-tip-for-poor-service thing, and the waitress confronted me about it instantly until I gave her one.

MikeyFingers · #20 12-13-2010, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stanley Design

I've only once tried to do the no-tip-for-poor-service thing, and the waitress confronted me about it instantly until I gave her one.

Wow are you serious? If the service was bad, then screw em! I can't believe she actually confronted you about it.

YOU GET NOTHING!!!