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

[Thizzelle]

So this happened to me yesterday, I was picking up a to go order from a restaurant that's a sit down place. I was paying my for my food and I didn't leave a tip. I can tell the hostess was a little miffed. Now, I'm all for tipping when it's warranted but, there was no customer service involved. It's no different if I went to Mcdonalds and ordered a cheeseburger, do you tip there? No. If I sat down at that restaurant and ordered my meal from a server, ate my meal there, asked for refills on my drink, and someone cleaned up after me yeah I would of tipped. It kind of annoyed that she was expecting a tip.

phone in and pick up or even order to go warrants no tip in my book

[nando]

Not for tipped positions.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

Also, I worked as a server for 2 years. FL Minimum for tipped used to be $4.something an hour but they dropped that to federal minimum some years back and that was not a nice thing to see on my wife's paycheck (I had stopped serving by then). It looks like they raised it back up though to $4.91? Not sure, neither of us work as servers anymore.

ouch. surprise! the states with the weakest labor laws are generally in the south. There are probably sweatshop laborers in Asia that make more per hour.

[Mlarsen]

So this happened to me yesterday, I was picking up a to go order from a restaurant that's a sit down place. I was paying my for my food and I didn't leave a tip. I can tell the hostess was a little miffed. Now, I'm all for tipping when it's warranted but, there was no customer service involved. It's no different if I went to Mcdonalds and ordered a cheeseburger, do you tip there? No. If I sat down at that restaurant and ordered my meal from a server, ate my meal there, asked for refills on my drink, and someone cleaned up after me yeah I would of tipped. It kind of annoyed that she was expecting a tip.

[z31maniac]

min wage is going up to $10 an hour here,.
I don't tip, I make all my bitches pay.
Tipping is for the rubes.
I use to fix peoples guns and I never got a tip, I would think this is more important and skillful than taking a order and bringing it to you, fuck them.

Obvious troll is obvious.

[Thizzelle]

min wage is going up to $10 an hour here,.
I don't tip, I make all my bitches pay.
Tipping is for the rubes.
I use to fix peoples guns and I never got a tip, I would think this is more important and skillful than taking a order and bringing it to you, fuck them.

[ST1G]

I dislike bad service. I tip 15%, more if the service is excellent. I dislike the idea of tipping though.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I play it by ear. But I also understand living off of tips.

If you are just doing your job and keep me satisfied, %20.

If you absolutely suck, I leave a couple dollars. I understand that bad server will just assume you are a shitty tipper and not get the message. So I try to at lease leave something even if I hate you.

If you wow me, $20 or more regardless of the bill and the mood I'm in. But if you send my wife and myself home with a smile on our faces, its a minimum $20, even if the bill is only $15.

We don't eat out often,so when we do we expect to have a good time, and will compensate generously for allowing that to happen.

[Mr. Burns]

After reading the comic below, I've realized that you Americans really tip your servers and waiters really well (20%). This was confirmed upon a recent visit to the US.

Up here in Canada I think it's still the 10% I'm not totally sure, as I don't eat out. But when I did, it was usually 10%

How much do you tip?

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tipping_tooting

you cheapass Vancouverite!

it's 15% MINIMUM

20% if phenom service.

[BraveUlysses]

Jesus titty fucking Christ!

Over here, they're generally casual/contract employees on something like $18.50-$22 an hour. They can earn a lot more than I do with my full time job but they have no sick days/holidays.

Our labor practices are terrible here, for some reason we caved to business owners and let them demand that they pay substandard wages and workers must rely on sucking up enough to customers to warrant being tipped enough to survive.

[squidmaster]

Federal minimum wage is $7.25. The FLSA established it in 2009.

Not for tipped positions.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

Also, I worked as a server for 2 years. FL Minimum for tipped used to be $4.something an hour but they dropped that to federal minimum some years back and that was not a nice thing to see on my wife's paycheck (I had stopped serving by then). It looks like they raised it back up though to $4.91? Not sure, neither of us work as servers anymore.

[einhander]

Federal minimum wage is $2.13 an hour.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25. The FLSA established it in 2009.

[mitch500]

Federal minimum wage is $2.13 an hour. California and alaska and a very very very few other states pay more.

$8/hr is still not a livable wage and, again, it hurts me or you in absolutely no way to be without an extra $2-5 to make the tip a decent one.

Improve the lives of the people around you and in turn your life will be improved.

That is Disgusting.... Its beyond me how people survive on such a low wage.

[einhander]

You appear conversant in the english language. If you go back a few posts you can read exactly what I do.

The level of projection onto other peoples words is astounding...

There are fairly simple reasons why I would not seek employment in the food service industry. It has nothing to do with perceived status. I am unsure how one could come to that conclusion when I have explicitly stated otherwise.

Simply, working in the food service industry does not allow me to meet my family circumstances. I developed an incurable, but manageable health condition while in college which is rather costly, which caused me to loose my military scholarship. Given other options, why would I choose a job in which very good health benefits are not the norm? I support 4 other people in a high cost of living area, why would I choose a job with lesser compensation if other options are available to me? Why would I choose an occupation which would make loan repayments (student loans, car payments, mortgages) in a timely manner more difficult?

If such a career path works for you and your long term goals (rather than as a stepping stone), I sincerely wish you happiness. It does not match nor fulfill my health and family needs and long term goals.

I fail to see how that demonstrates a lack of tactful humility.

Do us a favor: go post on another board.

[squidmaster]

fixed that for you.
Your original statement was fallaciously blanketing the U.S.
In California, they have to make at least min. wage: ~$8/hr + tips.

Federal minimum wage is $2.13 an hour. California and alaska and a very very very few other states pay more.

$8/hr is still not a livable wage and, again, it hurts me or you in absolutely no way to be without an extra $2-5 to make the tip a decent one.

Improve the lives of the people around you and in turn your life will be improved.

[MR 325]

I generally double the tax but that's a little over 18% here. If somebody seriously sucks they'll know from my tip. I didn't make them become a server... If somebody is totally awesome they'll know it too!