How do you tip at a restaurant?

Question

Like when you use a credit card. They give u the check and then you put the card on their tray but do you write in the tip before or after they charge you? How do you determine how much to tip? Does the tip come from what you payed as in the food you bought?

Answer 1

You should always tip atleast 15%. Tip more if you feel like you received really over the top service, but if it was just o.k., then 15% is customary. If they really did a bad job, let the manager know and she/he may be able to fix the problem or get you another server. When they bring the credit card slip back, you write your tip in the space that says "tip or gratuity." They will add that into your total at the end of the night so it will show up on your credit card statement.

Answer 2

No! If I am paying by cash and rounding of change I give as a tips. Suppose I am paying 52 -53 and I gave them 60 then that 8-7 diffrences goes to tips.

DB

Answer 3

A tip should be based on service, with good service coming in at about 20%.  Any easy way to calculate that is to move the decimal place to the left once to get 10%, and then double that amount.

As far as how to tip with a credit/debit card, you can either use cash as usual (if you have any) or write-in the amount on the check they return to you in the area marked "Tip."

And please, please don't listen to people saying not to tip because waiters and waitresses get paid; they get paid, but it's well below minimum wage (usually $2 an hour or so) because they make the majority of their wages from commission (ie tips).  And yes, that is the legal truth, I've worked in a restaurant and it's legal to pay a waiter below minimum wage if you have a system that allows them to accept tips.  I know some countries like Japan think it's rude to tip waiters because good service is expected, but those waiters also make at least minimum wage.

Answer 4

It all depends on well, everything.

I live in LA... the typical tip for fine dining is 20%

Regular places I like to give 20% still while the typical is around 15% (which unlike LA, is the tip guide for most places)

I also like to do 20% because it's easy to calculate in your head, you tip (now depending on sevice) $2.00 for every $10.00 that you spend. So if your lunch was $30.00 you tip them $6.00 and so on.

As for the Credit card part of your question... ussually when you give them your card, they will bring back a reciept for you to sign, under the cost of your meal is an area for tips to be added on.. then you leave that... or you can always leave cash.

A lot of restaurants in SoCal try to help spread the tips to their cooks, so tips from cash go directly to the server, tips by you credit card can then be counted by the restaurant and distributed evenly.

Answer 5

I live in California.

The tax rate here is about 7.25%

an average tip is about 15%

I just double the tax.

(so if your food was $25.04 and the tax on it was ,say, $2.10, then you would tip $4.20)

when you have figured out that number, you add it to the total on the credt card slip ($25.04+ $4.20)BEFORE they charge it.

or you could just leave a cash tip on the table on your way out.

Answer 6

My thank you is tip.

Answer 7

Tip based on how the service was not on how the food tasted!! The server had no part in cooking it!! Its not their fault!

In case you don't know a server only makes $2.65 an hour plus tips. The tip is their life. generally you do 20% On a credit card you write in the tip after they give you the slip you sign. Make sure you keep a copy of it so they take out the right amount.

If its bad service dont feel bad for not leaving much. They should be there to take care of you. Thats their job.

Answer 8

You tip according to the amount, usually 15%. The tip comes after they charge your credit card, if you want to leave cash make sure to put a line in the tip area so someone cant fill it in afterwards. I always tip $5.00 dollars unless the meal is very expensive.

Answer 9

20% is safe tip. When you use a credit card, you can ask the waitress or cashier to add the tip and they will be more than glad to do so. You may think between 17-20% which is the nation's standard.

also, check this out.   http://www.gratuityhandbook.com/

Answer 10

Almost all of the answers above a re complete c**p (with a few exceptions) Heres how it goes:

20% is quickly becoming the new standard of tipping (at least in California. After you get the check- They take your credit card and run it once, You write in the tip and the total and sign it. The server then takes this slip and closes out your charge with the total amount.

To figure out the tip:

Let say the total amount of the check is $54.89- you move the decimal point one space to the left and then double that number. So it would be 5.48 times 2.  20 % would be about $11.

Note: 15 % or less in an insult to your server. So if your getting an evil glare on your way out the door then you can blame your tipping for that.

Answer 11

When I can, I try to pay the bill by credit and tip in cash.

Since I've worked in restaurants I have sympathy for my server and usually tip a third or more of the total bill.

You can write the tip amount before or after they run card. The amount is always adjustable before being finalized.

Answer 12

Usually on the receipt they give you to sign (before they put the charge through), there's a place to put the tip, then the grand total beneath that. Traditionally, the tip is 15% of the total bill of the food/drinks ordered -- but you can tip less or more, depending on what you deem the waiter's or waitress's serving abilities and attentiveness to be worth...

Answer 13

You dont- they get paid!

Answer 14

Well, when they give you the check, and want you to put in a tip, they charge the total amount to your card.  So it's after, if you put -0- as a tip, then it's the original total.

I tip about 10-15% of the subtotal if the service was good and there weren't any issues.  I tip about 20% if the service was excellent (and to show off at times, honestly :))  If the service was crappy, no tip, period.  I usually tell the manager if that happens.  

A few times I have written 0 as a tip when I paid by credit card and then gave cash for the tip.

Yeah, you tip on the food you've received, etc.  

Oh and if you can, tip when you can.  There are a lot of people working on tips as well as a really low hourly pay.  I used to be one of them.

Answer 15

well most believe so but i can go to a little local restaurant and pay the same as i did at red lobster i think you should pay all depending on the server... if they were really good then pay good it also depends on how many people your eating with i think you should pay 2$ a person and then 4$ for every hour your there and 5$ to top it of now if they suck then i dont pay anything but servers at fancy places get paid minimum wage plus tips and servers at small restaurants like waffle house get paid under 3 dollars an hour so i pay them the same as i would pay someone that worked at outback and such....in closing no i dont think you should pay based on the price of the meal and one more thing i when tipping at sonic drive in always tip them 2 or more dollars i worked there and they really deserve the tips so be kind they go through alot to get you your food quickly

Answer 16

As a server myself, I tip well. But the general is you tip based on service. If the service was bad, you should still leave something, but if the service was excellent you should tip better. I always tip AT LEAST 20%, more when I feel it is deserved.

When using a credit card, they will go run your card,and bring a copy for you to sign. You add the tip before yoou sign the slip. But remember, some places the server has to wait days, or even to the end of the month, to get credit card tips, and your tips make up 90% of their salary.

The server does not get paid based on what you pay for your meal. Please remember that your server makes way below minimum wage, and your tips help supplement their salary. They are providing you a service, and you should tip according to the service you recieve.

Answer 17

i usually give around 15%... depending on the service...... its either 15% or nothing from me........

as for the credit card part of the question.. usually you can ask the server to add it too the bill...

Answer 18

Some simple advise never add a gratuity to the credit card slip as the waiters never get it it goes straight to the management.

Look for a service charge at the bottom of the bill and if it is included in the bill ask what the policy is if it is discretionary ask for it to be removed many restaurants add this and give rubbish service and we should never reward them for that.

If you want to tip then give the tip in cash to the server that has given you good service and only you can judge what that is.

As a guide 10% to 15% is average and acceptable in most places.

If service has been exceptional make someones day and give them more.

Answer 19

I double the tax and add a couple of bucks. If the waiter is working very hard and doing a very good job, I tip very well. If the waiter is just working, I tip well.