[startover22]

well most of these jobs pay minnimun wage, and among being polite they need the money.

If you have a job, you should do it right!
These days you should feel lucky having a job, people are unemployed everywhere and are waiting to replace you to show they can do it better. ;)

[0rphan]

I think it goes back many years ago, when waiting on tables and alike, was considered a lesser of jobs to earn a living by, it was known that the work was very hard and pay would be poor so tipping was a form of making up the wages.

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

I was a waitress on and off for quit some time, and I can tell you that service is EVERYTHING. I have gotten tips that ranged from $0.00-150! Generally if there is a big party, expect a big tip BUT not always. Like I said, it is contingent upon the quality of service.

When my boyfriend and I go out for dinner, I make sure that a (good) waitress/waiter gets a hefty tip because, hey, I know what it's like to do an awesome job and get a sh*tty tip, but on the flipside, when I first began waitressing, I have seen the ugly side of tipping as well.

[Synnen]

My favorite way of commenting on bad service is to leave a 2-cent tip.

That shows I didn't forget, or just never tip, or whatever---I just didn't think the service was worth more than my 2 cents.

Good service, however, gets a 15% - 20% tip.

Excellent service gets a 25% tip.

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

Well Synnen,

If I were still a waitress I wish I would have had you as a customer.

Most if not all customers tipped 10% and I know I deserved better than that. Some people stick with the 10% rule no matter what.

The last place I worked I had to tip the bartender as well. If I worked in the bar that night and people only got drinks, well I would be sh*t out of luck for that night.

[excon]

Hello:

Couple things. Your meal is less expensive because the tip isn't included. That's a good thing for you. So, you get your meals cheaper. Although, the savings are off the backs of your servers - not the owners of the restaurant. So, if it's fine with you to do that, then don't tip.

I happen to be in Mexico at this moment. The maid that cleans my room spotlessly earns 100 pesos a day. That's $10 bucks. 25 pesos is $2.50, and it ain't NOTHING to me, but it's 25% of her days pay! I'm happy to be able to make a difference in these peoples lives.

You posted your question under etiquette. I don't know why we have manners. We just do. Some people don't, and you're not required to. But, polite society has rules. Included in those rules, is looking out for each other.

excon

[spitvenom]

I usually tip 20% if the service was excellent probably 30%. We all have bad days and I am not going to punish someone cause I had to ask for another drink or ask them where my bill is. If I have a bad day at work my boss doesn't come up to me and say hey we are going to take away 10% of your pay today cause you were having a bad day.

[Synnen]

Look, if it's obvious that they're understaffed and the waiter/waitress is trying as hard as they can to give good service, then that's a little different from being practically the only customers and having to break up her conversation with her co-workers to get a refill or to let her know there's something wrong with my food or whatever.

Good service is being willing to try, and even if you can't be super attentive, letting the customer know that you're aware of them and trying works wonders towards understanding.

If I'm having a bad day at work, my boss isn't going to dock my pay 10%, no--but at the same time, if I'm not being customer focused even though I'm having a bad day, or if I take my bad day out on my customers, you better believe that I'll be talked to about it, and if it happens after I've been talked to about it, I'd lose my job.

[mroblee]

Look - I know it is rough to make a living being a waiter/waitress, but people who do this job should know that service is expected to be decent at least. If you don't like it then find a new job. I have never stiffed anyone, and never would, but don't expect 25% if I have to get up from my dinner to ask you for the third time to please refill our drinks and bring the salad dressing to the table. Don't be pissed at me if I only leave you a dollar or two. If it is obviously a sever issue, that will be reflected in your tip.

[spinphoto]

Look - I know it is rough to make a living being a waiter/waitress...

You shouldn't make that ASSumption, I make ten dollars an hour and average $130 in tip a night (six hours shift).. that averages to $36 dollars an hour! And best of all, I'm not tired down to a salary job when I only get two weeks off a year! Haha!

I think most of us the see the big picture here:

1. BAD service= BAD/NO tip! (And if your not making good tips and you think you give good service, then maybe you need to look at yourself, pick up the book, 50 Tips to Make Better Tips!)

2. GOOD service= GOOD Tip! Simple!

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

Spinphoto,

Did you work at a chain restaurant or a Mom and Pop's one? For me, it was a Mom and Pops which meant that 75% of customers we got were elderly people who did tip poorly when the service was beyond great.

Sometimes it's not the service that gets a waiter/waitress a bad tip. It's the people.

[ISneezeFunny]

Hm. Now I just plain feel bad.

I was out at dinner the other day... and my bill came out to $50.

... so... I really didn't feel like leaving 20%... although the service was good...

... so I left... 10%? Maybe? Ruh roh.

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

I think $7-8 would be have been nice :)

[0rphan]

In the uk, we tend to follow the crowd... if Joe bloggs tips a fiver then we'll tip six.

[excon]

Hello:

If a server is good, the tips even out. Some people tip 10%. Then there are people like me who tip 20% - 25%. I used to work for tips.

excon

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

Hello excon,

What if a server gets those customers that tip 5-10% no matter how good he/she was? For three years I worked for tips as well and I'll tell you that some people are real a**holes! I believe the least amount I have gotton for a tip was .75 cents.

[spinphoto]

BB, I work at a Bistro and Pub, it's locally owned and operated.

[jjwoodhull]

I can not speak about the details of other industries, but I can tell you about foodservice...

Waiters receive tips because they do not receive a salary. In New York, the rate of pay for a server is $2.35 per hour. However, although a server is not guaranteed to make anything in tips, the federal government tracks their individual annual sales and requires that they pay income taxes of 15% of those sales.

When you take into account that in most establishments the server is then required to give a portion of their tips to the bartender, busboys and food runners they often end up paying income tax on more than they make.

This does not mean that you should reward a rude or incompetent server with a great tip. After all, the term tip is actually an acronym for To Insure Proper Service. However, if the problem is that the music is too loud, you don't like your table or the food took too long - these things have nothing to do with the server.

If the restaurant industry was to do away with the tipping system, they would have to raise food prices to pay the servers a fair salary - remember that these are long shifts, on one's feet, often dealing with rude customers.

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

Amen jjwoodhull!

[erin7799]

I worked in a restaurant and the servers only made $2.25 and hour. ( that was also 8 years ago so it may have gone up by now) The rest of their income is made by how much you tip. It's polite. It's proper. If you were in that position and you were "serving" someone and you did a good job at it, wouldn't you want a tip? If you do a poor job then no. There should be no tip left. Your hairdresser earns most of her money from tips as well. They generally split 50/50 w/ the salon owner and they have to pay rent for "their" chair. So even though you're paying $30 for a haircut she's only making a percentage of that money. I don't know who came up w/ it. It's just a given if you want to continue to receive good service.