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DecemberTippingDecember 29, 2005 at 11:07 am AST by Rodney MacLeodTipping at a restaurant: Is it mandatory? Do you tip only if you have above average service? Do you tip if you have average service? Do vary how much you tip depending on how good the service is?
In general I tend to tip if the service is average or better. I usually stick to 15%, but if it was just fair service, I might not tip the full 15%. Sometimes it only takes one thing that the waiter or waitress does that will me move me to leave little to no tip. Though, it would usually have to be big for me to leave no tip. Then there are the times that I just can’t afford to voluntarily pay a little extra for my meal.
What I really want to know is what the server will think if I leave no tip, or a very small tip. Will they think me cheap, or that they delivered poor service.
I was recently at a restaurant that I love and do plan on going back to despite receiving poor service. We waited a very long time for our food to come out, even though the restaurant was not busy. We had coffee, but they did not come by for refills until after they brought us our food. I know that the long wait was probably not the waiters fault, but letting us sit and wait with empty cups was.
I felt that this guy was not deserving of a tip, or at least not a good one. If I did not tip him I risked him remembering me and receiving terrible service next time, when what I want to get across to him is that his service was sub par. If he keeps getting tips when he delivers poor service why would he change, and why should I expect good service the next time I went in.
Some place like this one pool all tips. I assume the host, cashier, and cook will get to share the tips that the waiter collects. By not tipping the waiter who may have delivered poor service I am penalizing the rest of the staff who may have delivered great service.
So when do I tip?
Posted by PAUL MAC on December 29, 2005 at 1:05 pm ASTI usually try to tip all the time if possible. If i get great service, i leave a larger tip. If the service sucks, then instead of leaving no tip, i just leave nickels and dimes and pennies, i find it's more insulting that way.
Posted by Kent MacLeod on December 30, 2005 at 8:18 am ASTI have been a waiter and I know many of my friends have been a server as well. Servers depend on their tips due to their lower wages so I usually always tip. But like the Rod and Paul I tip depending on the service. They don't have to go over the top neither. Just bring my drinks on time, let me know if my food will be a bit, and check on me once and keep an eye on my table. That will get them a great tip. I hate it when they keep coming to the table...How are things...Are things still good....Can I get you more. Sometimes I just want to eat no bothering. But if I server is slack in any of the above areas I don't like leavin a tip. They have to be really bad to get nothin, but I agree with Paul's change tip. Lots of change no real value. I like it. Do servers really know the penny rule? Another thing I hate is the interac tipping system where you have to tell your server how much. They all should be able for the customer to just enter it. I hate it, they force me to tip larger even for sub par service. Thats when the server sometimes gets no tip for poor service or a normal tip. I hate that.
Posted by Lisa on January 1, 2006 at 9:33 pm ASTAnyone who has waitered/waitressed before is guranteed to leave better tips. I have a cardinal rule for tipping. If it is a fairly decent restaurant, I usually leave at least 4$ at lunch, and at supper, depending on how many people and how good the service is, I leave between 5-10$. I think that Kent is also a better tipper now that he has met me, and that he has worked as a waiter too. The thing that bothered me the most as a waitress was when American tourists would leave a WHOLE dollar bill, and would be like "keep the change", or when older people would come and eat and drink for 2 hours, and leave a quarter tip!
Posted by Lisa on January 15, 2006 at 9:35 pm ASTI have a question. Does anyone tip at Tim Hortons? I never used to until I saw someone else leave a quarter. And if you think about it, if everyone left a quarter, those guys would make a killing!
