What's the usual tip to give at restaurants in the US?

[F34R]

Depends on the service, if they are a shit bag and rude I will leave a dollar. But if they are doing their job and show a happy smile and such I always leave 20% or better. I was so pleased once that I matched my tip with the bill. The server cried and thanked me. I did it because she showed signs of sadness yet still choked up a peppy smile and did a damn good job.

I personally LOVE a nice chat with the server. They are people and I enjoy interaction.

[agent]

You had better fucking moonwalk on water if you want more than 15% as a server.

A tip is EARNED, I do not owe you as a server anything.

The general populace does not owe servers anything. At all. Period.

If my server is solid, they will get around 15% it isn't going up to 25-30% for any reason. And it shouldn't be expected to.

Also fwiw. A tip is never "part of the base cost" of a meal.

Restaurants with mandatory Gratuity? Nope. Better look at your core business again if you need me to subsidise your employees.

You are one poorly misinformed cheapskate. You sound like the type of guy who goes out to eat with the entire family and leaves a sea of damp Cheerios your fuck trophies left all over the floor for someone else to clean up, then think you're doing them a favor by leaving 10%. I suggest you go to work somewhere that pays a base wage of $2.13/hr for a decade or two and see if you still have that piss poor philosophy.

If you don't like to tip don't go out to eat. If you can't afford to tip well stay home and have a grilled cheese.

Sage advice.

[Pac1373]

Call me what you will - but I judge you for everything that you just said.
You sound like the kind of guy who is an asshole to their wait staff and then tips poorly for them not enthusiastically putting up with your shit.

In my experience anyone that tips less than 15% is either a loser or an asshole. If you don't like to tip don't go out to eat. If you can't afford to tip well stay home and have a grilled cheese.

Much like almost everyone else ITT, I tip 20-30% - possibly much, much more if the service is excellent. I also abandon percentages on very small tabs. Terrible food and service warrants 15%.

And you would be 100% wrong in every assumption..

You would be hard pressed to ever find an example of me being disrespectful to anyone ever, especially to someone who is employed and performing their job.

Your assertion however that a tip is part of the "cost of doing business" is ludicrous.

Most times my family eats out the bill ranges from 75-100 bucks, if i receive decent service, the tip will be a respectable 15%. Given the total time commitment of the server, that is. Pretty good deal.

I get attitude, tip gets smaller.
You treat me like an inconvenience, tip gets smaller.
Can't meet the burden of your job, want to txt your pal's, or chat about your weekend plans at the expense of filling my drink, bringing my order etc...guess what?

If "exuberantly putting up with my shit" includes doing what you are being paid to do after i have respectfully Asked for your service it isnt me with the problem.

Also,you are wrong saying that terrible food and service warrants 15%.

Everything you say goes against the ideals of free market systems...

Why do you hate America?

[myinfernalbmw]

As a server, you are not ENTITLED to a tip. Don't get me wrong, as long as you do your job I'll tip 20%. You go above and beyond and your tip just goes up from there. I don't even give a fuck if you don't kiss my ass and put on a happy face. All I ask for is courtesy and to do your job. I'm easy to please.

But, if give me attitude or start taking your shitty day out on my table, your tip = my bill rounded up to the nearest dollar. IF you're lucky. I don't know of many other jobs in life where you get rewarded for doing your job poorly.

[dannyyisntt]

Awesome service: 25-30%
Good service: 20%
Horrible: whatever change is in my pocket.

[Pac1373]

You are one poorly misinformed cheapskate. You sound like the type of guy who goes out to eat with the entire family and leaves a sea of damp Cheerios your fuck trophies left all over the floor for someone else to clean up, then think you're doing them a favor by leaving 10%. I suggest you go to work somewhere that pays a base wage of $2.13/hr for a decade or two and see if you still have that piss poor philosophy.





Sage advice.

Lol, insulting my children in the guise of espousing etiquette?
If you are so inclined to stay in an industry that values you at $2/hour, i am inclined to agree with them that is exactly all you are worth.

Fucktard.

As a server, you are not ENTITLED to a tip. Don't get me wrong, as long as you do your job I'll tip 20%. You go above and beyond and your tip just goes up from there. I don't even give a fuck if you don't kiss my ass and put on a happy face. All I ask for is courtesy and to do your job. I'm easy to please.

But, if give me attitude or start taking your shitty day out on my table, your tip = my bill rounded up to the nearest dollar. IF you're lucky. I don't know of many other jobs in life where you get rewarded for doing your job poorly.

So much perfect in this post.

[Pac1373]

Fwiw, i see that there is a difference between Canada and the US in this situation.

Here the lowest server minumum wage is in Quebec at $8.65 per hour plus tips, it tops out over 11 in most provinces.

This also explains why the Canadian tipping etiquette. Of 15-20% is more the usual. (food service in mid level/family style establishments.)

Most Canadian servers make more than $10/hour wage.

[Andy.B]

As is the case with others here who have or currently work for tips, I tip well (generally 25% and up). Hell, I tip the standard 15% for barely adequate service.

Wait staff is making almost nothing hourly. You aren't subsiding the businesses payroll by tipping, you are the person literally signing their paycheck. If wait staff got paid a comparable amount, the prices in the menu went up to compensate, and tipping stopped, I suspect you guys would bitch about how expensive eating out is.

People who tip garbage and are proud of it are the worst type of people.
Walking around feeling superior because they are able to get away with not paying someone their fair earnings.

Have respect for someone who is willing to serve you at your beck and call in the HOPES that you will be grateful enough to compensate them for their efforts.

[agent]

Lol, insulting my children in the guise of espousing etiquette?
If you are so inclined to stay in an industry that values you at $2/hour, i am inclined to agree with them that is exactly all you are worth.

People like you are a perfect example of why it should be mandatory to work in a restaurant before being permitted to set foot in one.

[myinfernalbmw]

Have respect for someone who is willing to serve you at your beck and call in the HOPES that you will be grateful enough to compensate them for their efforts.

And as a server have the respect for the people that spend their hard earned money in your place of business, who ask for nothing more than for you to do your job. I don't think I've seen anyone in this thread boasting about ripping off servers. I do see some people that seem to believe that servers are owed something simply because their employer doesn't pay what they feel is adequate compensation. You do a shitty job, expect a shitty tip. It sounds like the most simplistic concept to grasp.

[Pac1373]

*to agent, not infernal*

And people like you are a perfect example of why people like you should grow up before trying to tell people like me what I should and should not do.

Also, mr. Assumption, as a youth I worked at more than one restaurant, I not only lived on my wages and tips, I fucking earned them by providing out-fucking-standing service.

I took the same attitude with me into other endeavors and built a career with the same work ethic. I earn my way friend, and I do not feel that anyone owes me a single penny that I. Do not earn through service and hard work.

If you aren't satisfied with your service industry wage, it isn't a single fucking persons problem but yours. No body anywhere owes you anything.

That is just how it works, don't hate the playa' homie.

[mrsleeve]

As a server, you are not ENTITLED to a tip. Don't get me wrong, as long as you do your job I'll tip 20%. You go above and beyond and your tip just goes up from there. I don't even give a fuck if you don't kiss my ass and put on a happy face. All I ask for is courtesy and to do your job. I'm easy to please.

This. Just so long as they do their job they will get at least 20% from me. If the steak is over cooked or the drink is mixed like shit or something I am not going to fault the waitress for that.......... All that said, I have left a 50% tip on a rather large bill before, because she had to put up with 4 or 5 of our drunk asses ( I was still the mostly sober one though) and she was basically verbally assaulted and abused and nearly brought to tears by a table full some douche baggy pants fuckwits sitting across the bar for nothing of her own doing. We all felt bad for her so she prolly got about 150-160 bucks that night from the 5 of us

[agent]

*to agent, not infernal*

Sounds as if you're making an assumption that I presently work in the service industry, which would be incorrect. I have done my time, as many others in this thread have and are currently doing. I have to say I find it quite surprising that you worked in a restaurant and maintain the attitude that a 15% tip is anything more then the absolute bare minimum for adequate service.

[Threehz]

Congratulations Pac, I hope your glass is always filled on time. Keep spreading the love.

[Pac1373]

Sounds as if you're making an assumption that I presently work in the service industry, which would be incorrect. I have done my time, as many others in this thread have and are currently doing. I have to say I find it quite surprising that you worked in a restaurant and maintain the attitude that a 15% tip is anything more then the absolute bare minimum for adequate service.

"bare minimum, and adaquate" should not be words used in the service industry. If a person isn't doing the job well, they just shouldn't do it.

And why surprised that I worked at a restaurant. (or 3 actually ) because I dont feel the socialist mentality that I owe my waiter more than they earn?

If my wait staff perform well, they get a good tip, if they don't I don't Tip as well... If you are an ignorant douche...why the fuck would anyone pay you anything?

Where does this fucking entitlement mentality In the restaurant Business come from exactly? I did not feel it, my girl at the time (waitress) did not have it, and most of my co workers, bar side or front of house or hot side did not have it....
So what gives kids?