Do you HAVE to leave tips?

Question

When you go to a restuarant, do you HAVE to leave a tip? Like 10% or whatever it is. My parents always do..but do you really have to?

Answer 1

YES. you HAVE to leave a tip. the servers are only making around $3 an hour!!!! they are depending upon your tip to help them survive. plus they are serving you, literally. its only common sense to leave them a tip. trust me, once you have been in their shoes you would never consider not leaving a tip. its a hard job. and you definately need to be leaving more than 10%.

Answer 2

You don't have to, but usually if the server was friendly and attentive, it's nice to leave them 15-20% of the bill.  Usually if you don't tip, you are called nasty names and the next time you come into the restaurant, you won't get great service. But if you don't want to tip, don't. Just don't expect top notch service.

Answer 3

There's no law that says you have to.  You tip solely on the service, not the food.  I heard an etiquette expert last week say that leaving a penny for bad service is acceptable since it sends a message to the server to do better.  I don't quite agree, but he was the expert, not me.

Answer 4

Yeah you should def leave a tip! Dealing with the public sucks and is a hard job, If the service is not that great leave a smaller tip amount.

Answer 5

I don't believe you have to leave a tip if the service is horrible... and if the service is horrible, I don't go back to that restaurant anyways to get the "surprise" in my food, which in my opinion, is way more rude than not leaving a tip. Servers are paid minimum wage like a LOT of other entry level jobs are but they also make tips on top of that for good to excellent service in addition to their base salary. They count on their tips but shouldn't expect unless they deserve it and earn it by giving excellent service. Other servers like baristas don't make great tips and they usually give great service. It's my money and if I don't get great, friendly service with my 'overpriced' meal, I'll just take my money somewhere else! Simple!

Answer 6

Yes, you need to leave 15%- 20%

If you do not, Bad Karma will haunt you.

seriously, not leaving a tip is very low class.

are you a low class person?  if not, then yes you need to leave a tip.

Answer 7

Unless your name is Mr. Pink, then YES!!!  Most servers make less than minimum wage and rely on tips as their income.

Answer 8

you really should because severs usually make less minimum wage, and in some states below minimum so they depend on their tips to live on. also they have to tip out their bus person. so if you dont tip they make very little money.

Answer 9

If your by your self, and you really don't care about being slightly rude to the waiter, then don't leave a tip. Tip about 15% if there is somebody with you.

Answer 10

You don't have to, but if you ever plan to go back and don't like spit or other bodily fluids in your food, I certainly would.  That's the only way the servers make a living.  15-20% is generally considered appropriate.  Where I live the rule of thumb is to double the tax.  (Our sales tax is 8.6% so it works out to about 17.2%.)

EDIT:  Emily and Ange, where on earth do you guys live that servers get paid less than $3 an hour?  That's horrible!  I didn't even think that was legal.  Maybe it depends on your state, here servers are not exempt from minimum wage and ours is one of the highest in the U.S. so they are all making $8/hr PLUS tips.  Waitressing is actually one of the better paying jobs for unskilled workers here.

Answer 11

You are not required to leave a tip, but it is the right thing to do. Put yourself in the waitress or waiter's shoes and cater to someones every needs while eating and then they leave without leaving you a tip. How would you feel about that person? You would not like it very much at all because you rely on the tips as your income.

The minimum you tip is 15% but you should leave 20%, however if you receive poor serivce from the waitress or waiter and you're very unhappy then you don't leave anything.

Answer 12

i would have to agree with Rick G

Answer 13

I waited tables all through college. It is HORRIBLY rude not to leave a tip. Servers only make $2.15 per hour, and whatever tips they get. So, basically tips are their livelihood. If you do not leave a tip (unless there was a good reason for not leaving one, like horrible service) I recommend you not return to that restaurant.

Answer 14

It would be extremely rude if you didn't.

Answer 15

There's no rule that says you HAVE to, but  it's considered rude and socially unacceptable to not leave a tip. You generally tip AT LEAST 15% of the total bill.  I always leave something no matter how poor the service is, as long as they didn't cuss me out or spit in my food they get a tip.

Waiters are paid very poorly per hour (like 2-3 dollars/hr)  They rely on tips, that's how they make their money. It would be incredibly rude not to leave them something.

Answer 16

Some friends of mine are waiters. Who told me people

that don't tip and return at a later date, Get a surprise

when they order their next meal. If you know what I mean.

Oh yes, This happens, So if I was you I'd tip!

Answer 17

Waitresses rely on their tips. Yes, you should. But it's not a law that you have to. Waitresses get paid way less than normal minimum wage.

And believe me, if you don't tip, the waitress does remember you. Especially if she was a good waitress, and you didn't tip.