Are you a decent tipper?
By dazone843
@dazone843 (62)
United States
February 21, 2010 1:31pm CST
When you go out to eat do you consider yourself a decent tipper? It seems that most people don't realize that servers (in the US anyway) are only paid $2.25 to $3.00 an hour and their wage is actually dependant upon your tip. I have worked as a bartender and server for many years throughout my life and I taught my children that if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to eat out. Right now, a standard tip is 20% of your bill. I always remember that if the food isn't cooked to my specification that it isn't the server's fault, they didn't cook it, and I don't let things like that affect how much I tip. So what about you, are you a decent tipper?
1 person likes this
13 responses
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
22 Feb 10
I think our servers make more than this here and they say that 15% tip is the norm. Im a good tipper and so is my hubby and everyone I know for that matter. Ive seen some people when the husband would leave a big tip and the wife takes it away 
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I owned a restaurant and I know how hard the work is but even before I owned one, I used to be a good tipper......UNLESS the service is really bad. When I get a really bad service, I'll give the server a chance by asking why I have to wait so long for my cup of coffee. If he/she doesnt give me an answer and just say "I'll go get it for you now" and I still have to wait. I do the same for the tip...I'll say "I'll go get it for you" and of course, I wont leave any.
If the food is really bad, I have a tendency to walk right into the kitchen and ask to see the person who cooked my meal and tell them. Im doing this only since Ive had a restaurant myself though.
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I owned a restaurant and I know how hard the work is but even before I owned one, I used to be a good tipper......UNLESS the service is really bad. When I get a really bad service, I'll give the server a chance by asking why I have to wait so long for my cup of coffee. If he/she doesnt give me an answer and just say "I'll go get it for you now" and I still have to wait. I do the same for the tip...I'll say "I'll go get it for you" and of course, I wont leave any.
If the food is really bad, I have a tendency to walk right into the kitchen and ask to see the person who cooked my meal and tell them. Im doing this only since Ive had a restaurant myself though. @dazone843 (62)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Well once owning or currently owning a restaurant doesn't make it alright for you to just walk in the kitchen. Since you did own one at one time, I'm certain you know that if you do that, it probably isn't wise to return again. I would be afraid of what my next meal would be seasoned with...lol...
1 person likes this
@MagicalBubbles (5103)
• Canada
22 Feb 10
What do you mean by the "right"??? They cook MY meal, dont they? My kitchen was open to anyone who wanted to walk in and nearly all my customers did..even had a few actually "eat" in the kitchen because I didnt have any room left in the restaurant. That didnt bother me, I had nothing to hide. I also had one guy who insisted he cooked his own meal. He was always having steak w/mushrooms and fries. Id let him and he would also tip lol. He used to be a chef and he enjoyed cooking in a restaurant kitchen.
If you've never walked into a "closed" kitchen to see what it looks like or how clean it might be, you could be surprised.
Ive also had some bad surprises, nearly made me puke right then and there when I saw how dirty some kitchens were and I wasnt shy to let them know.......and NO, those restaurants, Ive never been back there. No way!!
Mostly I eat in small restaurants where you get to know everybody. They sort of expect you to visit their kitchen.
As for seasoned food.....I know its being done and I know what to do and not do. Ive never done this myself when I owned a restaurant. Cant understand how anyone would do this.
@illfavors (590)
• United States
22 Feb 10
It depends on the service. I usually tip at least $2.00. That way they the waiter/waitress has earned a little extra for the hour that they work. I know they don't make much hourly and tips are really how they earn the most.
@dazone843 (62)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I have always thought that in a dream world it would be nice if it were mandatory for everyone to have to depend on tips as their income for one month. I really think that everyone would look at tipping differently then.
@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I used to not be a good tipper until my daughter started working at a restaurant and she would have a table full of obnoxious men and women who would leave her like 50 cents and it would hurt her feelings real bad that people were that uncaring and thought it was funny. I learned from her experiences.
@dazone843 (62)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Yes, I think that you have to have either worked in the business or have someone close to you that does to really understand. I'm sure my time working as a server and bartender really as affected my passion for being a good tipper.
@moneymaker92 (394)
• United States
21 Feb 10
I realized that many servers don't make much hourly pay since I have many friends that work in that position part time. I'm pretty sure that the rate is 15%, so I've always gone with that, but after calculating what 15% is, I usually round up to the next dollar since I don't carry around change. So I consider myself a decent tipper since I usually tip above the 15% mark.
@dazone843 (62)
• United States
21 Feb 10
I'm glad to hear that you are a decent tipper. Although many people still go with 15%, 20% is more appropiate in my opinion. I live in a small town, so for me that makes a difference too. I frequent the same places often and tipping well really does give me better service in the future.
@BluRu06 (35)
• United States
22 Feb 10
its not the food that affects my tip, its when your sitting at a bar and get ignored for fifteen minutes. All while the person is sittin chatting with other coworkers and tapping away on the compurter. Or if I ask for a sause I know im not the only table they have but with in a few minutes would be great.
@dazone843 (62)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Oh yes, I agree 100%. Don' get me wrong, I do consider myself a very generous tipper but at the same time I expect decent service and ignoring me while chatting is not really the best way to get a bigger tip from me.
@sabrinafox89 (47)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Decent tipper? I don't know what is consider decent but I make sure I leave a minimum of $0.50 at a diner and $5.00 at a fancy restaurant or hotel. People work hard and they should be rewarded for their efforts.
@dazone843 (62)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Well I'm not sure where you are but truthfully that really isn't what I or anyone else would consider decent. They do in fact work hard for their money and they are paid much less than minimum wage. I know there are people that believe that the business should pay the employees more, if that happened then the cost of food would be much higher.
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I never really thought about that how you said that if the food isnt cooked well it isnt the servers fault so you shouldnt tip them less. That makes a lot of sense though. When my husband and I went out he would take care of the tips but now that he and I are split up I will have to take care of the tips. I havent gone out to eat I cant afford it but when I do I will have to tip the waitress or bartender. I wasent sure if it was 10% or 20% so thats good that you wrote that so now I know :-)
@jesssp (2712)
• Canada
24 Feb 10
For me the amount I leave as a tip depends entirely on the service I receive. If I receive excellent service I will leave a large tip, if I receive average service I leave an average tip. But if the service is terrible (not the food, like you said, that's not their fault) then I will leave a very small tip and sometimes even no tip at all (that's rare though). I appreciate a good server and I have no problem rewarding them for it but I have no tolerance for bad service and I won't reward it.
@harmonee (1228)
• United States
21 Feb 10
I was a server and bar tender for a long time and definitely keep that in mind while I am tipping. If the service is good, I will give up to 30%. On the same token, I think that a tip needs to be earned and I will leave less if the service was bad. I will also write a note explaining why I didn't leave as much.
@reneezoso (392)
• India
22 Feb 10
well it depnds in what kinda restaurant u goin with ... well tip is just a token of appreciation u have for the person serving you. . it just not necessary to give...well @ ur palce it kinda that .. but here its pretty much according to you ..if you wanna give then give or else go away...
@Niltusk (131)
• United States
22 Feb 10
The tip will fully depend on the service. We eat out as a family quite a bit and if we get drinks in a timely manner and the host or hostess is responsive to our needs then i think 15 to 20% is fine. I also try to balance it out with the place we're eating at not being fair to the worker; we recently went to a restaurant and they had the girl working two areas at once, so the service wasn't that great, but at no fault to the young lady.
So,I don't know if I'm a decent tipper, but i am definitely a thoughtful one.
