Tipping
My daughter is a college student who works part-time (and full-time over the summer break) at a chain restaurant. She started there as a junior in high school, so she's been a server for 5 LONG years now. Tipping is SO important to these kids. Sarah's hourly wage is $2.83!!!!! Plus, at the end of the night, they have to tally up their sales and give 2% of that total back to the restaurant to tip the bus people and the bartenders - even if they didn't do anything for them!! And even if the people didn't tip her at least 15%, she still has to pay that 2%. Totally unfair!! Don't get me started on how the restaurant taxes these kids in their paychecks for "assumed" tips. She once had a paycheck for 20 hours ($56.60) and netted $6.40!! Because they took taxes out on assumed tips. Our government at work. I can't tell you how many times this kid has come home crying and frustrated because she's had large party tables and got not even a 5% tip! For example, her last big party's bill was $135, and they left her $8!!!!! Plus, when they have a large party, they usually stay longer, so it takes away the possibility of the kid getting another customer. My daughter is a very conscientious server and an excellent employee. They are using her to train new servers and have even started training her to be a bartender. They know a good employee when they have one, but they still don't show that in her paycheck. Most of her money comes directly from tips, good or bad. When your food is not to your liking or is wrong, insist to speak to a manager. It is not the server's fault if someone in the kitchen prepares the food wrong. But it is ONLY the server who pays for it with a lower tip. If the manager discounts your bill, or if you have coupons, please also remember to tip on the total amount BEFORE the discount, not the bottom line. The cooks still get their same hourly wage, no matter what. And it's NOT $2.83!!! Learning from her, we now always tip 20% instead of 15% for good service and food. If you figure out the difference, it's usually so small that it doesn't make sense to think twice about it. Wow! Sorry for the long rant, but this is a subject that's near and dear to my heart. |
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$2.83  I am a good tipper always have been, but been with people who see what we leave(seperate bills) and think thats enough for both.  I also make a point to pay at tills because of that to shame them I quess? My daughter a 15 works at a ice cream joint and makes $9.00 hr. Low for our town. But we are in a boom town at the moment. |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: For example, her last big party's bill was $135, and they left her $8!!!!!
This is why so many resturants have now started adding gratutity automatically when the party is over 8 people, as they should. A former server myself, I always tip well, too. My favorite "cheap patron" story is of a family of six, two adults and four young children, who obviously didn't "get to town" very often.  They ordered a ton of food and ran me ragged all night long. As they were leaving, I was at a nearby table and overheard one of the kids saying "Hey Dad, you left this dollar on the table" and as I looked he was handing it to his dad. The man said "Nah, son, that there's for the waitress." Their bill was like $60. 
Don't forget to tip your waitress.  |
I worked my way through college as a waitress (many moons ago  ) so have always been a generous tipper. Servers make very low wages and need their tips to survive!!
I don't tip HIGH PAID workers however!!! For example, I tip my groomer because she works for Pet Smart and most likely makes little more than minimum wage. She does a good job and should be rewarded. When I went to a private groomer I did not tip, that groomer was collecting the entire cost of the grooming and I didn't feel she needed to be compensated more. Same with my hairdresser. She is an owner operator and her prices are reasonable but I would not call them "low". If she thinks she is not compensated enough for what she does she can control that by raising her price. I tip bellman, valets, servers and paper people. But I don't tip people who make MORE MONEY than I do ! |
| I am a former waitress. I worked at Denny's for years and years. Too many to count. I always tip well whether it be the person that cuts my hair or a server.
One time at Pizza Hut my hubby left $3.00 and I picked it up looked at it and threw more money on the table. I aways make him tip good.  :D:D
I'll never forget the time I DIDNT give a tip. I was on Lackland AFB and was buying groceries. One of the older gentlemen started to help me to my car and helped me put my groceries in the trunk. I said "I'll be right back, I climbed inside to get him money out of my center console. As I was climbing in he made a smart a$$ comment about not tipping. Me being 7mo pregnant in the hot tx sun was not in the MOOD. I told him tips are for courtesy as well as helping and if he would have been patient for me to get my fat belly in the car and out of it he would have had a tip.  I had paid with a check and didnt have any loose money in my purse. I think that is the only time I have never given a tip.
But being a waitress at Denny's you get all kinds and types of people especially being open 24 hours a day. Let me tell you the weirdo's certainly come out at night and during full moon. |
| I agree w/ Drezzie's Mom. I worked all Friday's all through my undergrad college, and tips were soo important! I was putting myself through school. We made $2.15 an hour, and we had to tip out 3% of our gross sales for the night (to the hostess, busser, and bar).
That means, if you waited on a table that spent $100, and they didn't tip you, it just COST you $3 to wait on those people. And when you claimed your tips at the end of the night, you were taxed on them and it was taken out of your paycheck. So our biweekly paychecks were usually less than $10, for approximately 50 hours of work. One lady told me at the end of her meal that she wasn't going to tip me, and then gave me her list of reasons why. Her sauce from her chicken was touching her baked potato, her water tasted weird (she had 3 refills of it though!!), etc., etc. She never once said anything to me during the times I checked on her throughout her meal, and none of her reasons had anything to do with me. It was a busy night, and I had 4 other tables and was trying to take care of everyone. Mean!! Pleeease be nice to servers! However, if they're rude and do a terrible job, I don't think anyone would blame you for not tipping well. |
| Just to clarify... I do always tip waiters and waitresses who provide good service very well, as I am aware they don't even make minimum wage. My questions regarding tipping were more for people who make a full wage already, and questioning whether or not they should get a tip if they only do a "good job", which should be expected of them, versus going above and beyond with an "exceptional job". (I don't get a tip when I write a good summary of a clinical trial for a particular pharmaceutical company, it's just expected... but I am proving a service).
My ex-husband was the manager of an Italian restaurant and he said that all the tips were combined, then divided evenly between the wait staff. What are your thoughts on this?? |
| Maybe that works better if it's a smaller restaurant, although it might not be the preferred method for some employees, simply because some people always work harder and are more attentive than others.
I think tipping for people who make full wages should be at the discretion of the client, and given when truly earned. |
| I agree with you. The restaurant he managed was smaller, and there were some very lazy servers, and some very exceptional servers. After he told me about the tipping system, I always wrote out a check to the waiter/waitress with their first name in the Pay to the order of line, and wrote "Tip for great service" in the memo line, and personally handed it to them. I had a real problem with the thought that my good natured hard-working waitress would have to share her well-earned tip with the lazy, no personality pot-head who hung out in the kitchen all night doing nothing. |
| Stephanie, you hit the nail right on the head! No matter what Sarah does or doesn't get tipped, she still has to tip out 2% of her gross sales. And many times she's actually had to PAY to wait on those rude people.
Tammy, yes, most restaurants do charge a gratuity with large parties, but people have gotten around that, too. More than once, big parties have complained to management that it was "illegal" for them to automatically charge a gratuity, that it should be the customer's decision. So what did they do? They took the gratuity off! And most of the time, it was those people who nearly stiffed or totally stiffed her! What we started doing sort of helps too. When we charge a meal, we still tip in cash. That way at the end of the night when they tally up their sales and report their tips for taxing purposes, they don't have to claim all their tips. If you include the tip on the charge bill, they have to claim the full amount. Again, your government at work. I agree about how to tip people who make a full wage. I also do not tip my hair stylist because she owns the shop. I give her a gift at Christmas though. Until servers make AT LEAST minimum wage, I will stay on my soapbox!! |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: What we started doing sort of helps too. When we charge a meal, we still tip in cash. That way at the end of the night when they tally up their sales and report their tips for taxing purposes, they don't have to claim all their tips. If you include the tip on the charge bill, they have to claim the full amount. Again, your government at work. Ummmm
I have to pay all of my taxes..... and it's not like most waitstaff at family restaurants are in a high bracket, they're most likely paying just their portion of Social Security and Medicare, and it forces their employer to contribute the same amount into the system on their behalf. It's really a raise to them, sort of like a contribution to their retirement fund. Here's an idea -- add 10% of your tip in cash to pay for the taxes on the other portion (and the extra too!)... if they choose to report the extra or not, well, that's their choice. $25 meal, 20% = $4.50(18%) and $0.50(2%) on the table. |
| We've always tipped 20% and sometimes more. Both of us have paid our dues in a profession dependant on tips. Not to mention our town is maybe different regarding tipping than a lot of places.
I really don't like it when you are at a restaurant and the waiter/waitress only makes eye contact and/or acknowledges the man at the table. Pet peeve of mine. I've been in the situation many times when splitting the bill and I contributed enough for a 20% tip then the other person didn't put in their full amount and used part of the tip money towards their expense.
And I've noticed some people that only want to leave 15% but can't seem to calculate correctly and leave a much lesser amount. Sometimes it's akward if you generally tip 20% and when out with a group of people that don't you feel stupid when you are just trying to do what you think is right. I was beginning to think I was extravagant and maybe stupid leaving 20%. Years ago when I was a waitress a few times I was told my service was excellent but they couldn't leave a tip because they only had enough money for their food. |
| Here's a tip for your daughter. When I was a waitress, I would claim 10% for my taxes on my sales not my tips I earned. Something our manager taught us to do. It works out better and you dont get allocated at the end of the tax year. |
| I think everyone should have to work for tips at some point in their life to understand.
I spent many years in food service cocktail waitress, waitress, bartender, always broke my neck to give great service and have had my share of stories about people that have stiffed or overtipped me,. When I used to cocktail waitress the other girls would usually stereotype the customer on first appearances, and most times I would offer to pick their table up if they did not want to (I considered it a challenge). I would kiss up to them so much that sometimes that they end up tipping like 50%, and then I would brag to the girl that passed up the table, just so she would think about being so judgemental. I also would have days where I would be the waitress from hell. If the customers would stiff me, and if I saw them on their way out, I would go up to them with a big smile and ask if something was wrong with the service. They would always no, and I would say okay, thank you. I tried to embarrass the person, especially if they were on a date or something to get the other person wondering. Another thing, that didn't happen all that much, but a couple of times in the years I was working were people walking out on their checks. (Only at the busy mexican chain restaurant I was working.) You could choose to either swallow the cost of the check or take a "write up". Creepy people consider running out on a check to be fun. Food service is not easy and especially if you are trying to coordinate timing with slow kitchens, getting 12 tables at once, or wishy-washy people, it's all a balancing act. Usually, I always overtip. If the service is obviously bad, it's usually 15%. I've gotten into many an argument with my husband about over tipping, and he never wins that one, since he never worked in food service before. |
| I delivered pizza for years and tips were my life. We hardly made any hourly wage so we depended on tips. I worked through the blazing hot weather, blizzards and ice storms and, let me tell you, there's nothing worse than risking your life to get to someone's house to bring them food in a snowstorm and then get stiffed. And don't think I didn't remember who was a stiffer!
One of my favorite stiffer stories: There was a guy that loved to order late on the weekends after he was good and drunk. He was not in the best area of town, always mercilessly hit on me and never tipped. He usually ordered the same thing every time and it was like $9 dollars and eighty something cents. He always stumbled to the door, and crammed a crumpled up ten in my hand and I really wouldn't even look at it. I tried to avoid making eye contact and ignored his crass comments. One day, we went through the usual routine, I hand him the food, he shoves the money at me and I crumpled it up in my hand and go back to the car. I threw the delivery bag, receipt and money on the seat next to me to organize later. I'm driving back to the store and I went under a street light and out of the corner of my eye I see the money on the seat and it is NOT a $10 bill. It's a $100. That drunk loser couldn't tell the difference he was so hammered. You can draw your own deductions if I went back to return it. |
cheyennebuford wrote: Here's a tip for your daughter. When I was a waitress, I would claim 10% for my taxes on my sales not my tips I earned. Something our manager taught us to do. It works out better and you dont get allocated at the end of the tax year.
That's easy enough to do (and I'm sure she does something to this effect) unless the patrons put the tip on their charge card. Then there's a paper trail and you HAVE to claim the whole tip. Which is why I tip in cash and let the server decide how much to actually claim. Ron, I understand what you're saying, but the tips really don't add up to all that much for taxation and SSN purposes. Pennies, if that. |
ButtersStotch wrote: I'm driving back to the store and I went under a street light and out of the corner of my eye I see the money on the seat and it is NOT a $10 bill. It's a $100. That drunk loser couldn't tell the difference he was so hammered. You can draw your own deductions if I went back to return it. Maybe he had a change of heart and gave it to you on purpose to make up for all the times before?  Las Vegas Sheepie Lover wrote: I really don't like it when you are at a restaurant and the waiter/waitress only makes eye contact and/or acknowledges the man at the table. Pet peeve of mine. Me too! I can't tell you how many times Jason and I have gone out to eat and they address him with every question. And half the time, he doesn't have his wallet so I'll pay the bill (doesn't matter who pays...joint account). The ticket and card will be on my side of the table when they take it, it says "Stephanie" on the card!!, and they'll still bring it back, hand it to Jason, and say, "Thank you, Sir!" Grrr!! |
| There are rude, crass people in all walks of life. It pays to NOT walk in their shoes! After all, they have to answer for what they do eventually. It helps us, who are not rude and crass, to know we have done the right thing - sweet peace of mind and nothing to be ashamed of! |
ButtersStotch wrote: I delivered pizza for years and tips were my life. We hardly made any hourly wage so we depended on tips.
I have always wondered how much to tip delivery drivers. Do you tip the usual 20%? I am a very good tipper in restaurants, but I usually feel like I don't give enough when I have food delivered. Is there a standard? |
Very Good Question Molly! I forgot about that. that's the one place I do not give 20% to 
When we have polls at a state forum I go to, doesn't seem like the average person does, and the question comes up regularly. Guess ButtersStotch can tell us. BTW, I just ordered pizza from papa johns (grrr to having to wait for it).  |
| I've had waitresses (somehow it's never a male) treat me badly if I was at a table with only women, but not often. Usually, it's just trying to rush the table, something I find very, very annoying. I make a special point of being a very good tipper to try to break the stereotype of women = bad tippers. My daughter is very pretty, and I notice that if she's at the table, we always get excellent service from both male and female waitstaff.
When I went out to restaurants with my children when they were young (not very frequent, and yes, always a family friendly restaurant), I made sure to leave the best tip I could possibly scrape up. My kids were always well behaved (I coached them on what was expected before we went, and chose our restaurants very carefully for kid friendly and fast service) but I know our table took a little longer and was messier than a table of adults. Plus, again, I wanted to thank any wait staff who took a few extra moments to settle in the kids and to bring something to eat/drink right away. And to acknowlege the extra work involved in serving a young family. And to encourage waitstaff to be welcoming to other young families. Plus, heck, I've waited on my kids at home so I knew the score... For one very lean year, I supported myself at a Bonanza: no tipping allowed. However, customers were free to grab us and harrass us; my manager told me I needed to shorten my skirt and one of the cooks implied that if I wasn't 'nice' to him, I'd have a very hard time t hat night. I didn't merely imply, but stated in plain terms that if he even thought about touching me, I'd castrate him, then and there. Not very nice, but he was a pig and not a smart one at that. He left me alone, thank heavens. One group of mail carriers always came in for lunch and one guy, obviously almost old enough to be my dad and obviously married used to hit on me mercilessly. And not in the playful, just kidding way. One day, he said something particularly repugnant while I was pouring coffee for the table on his side of the table. I laughed and said something about those being brave words considering that I had a full pot of hot coffee in my hands. The other guys laughed--they thought he was awful and that I was right to put him in my place. My boss got mad because the guy avoided the place for a few days. I was supposed to let him feel me up, I suppose. Or sit in his lap, except sitting on a shift was not allowed. But mustn't offend a customer. Again, no tips. I quit as soon as I possibly could. |
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