How much do u usually tip a waiter/waitress?

Question

my friends and i always eat out to t.g.i. fridays, olive garden, applebees, etc... because being college ppl, we really dont have time to cook or anything. but we all leave $2 each all the time. but if i personally feel the waiter/waitress did a very good job or went the extra mile serving us i leave a $3 tip. is this reasonable? because i mean i think 20% is a lil too much for us to tip. i mean thats like 4 bux for every 20 dollars. im not being cheap or anything because i mean im a working student so im always on a budget untill i get a nice job with my major then ill be tipping 20%. but for now is 2 or 3 bux reasonable tip? how much do u guys usually tip ur waiters/waitresses?

Answer 1

20%.

Answer 2

waitijng staff rely on tips as they are paid minimum wage. i think the 15% rule works for decent service. just double the sales tax. that's the easiest way. however, when a waiter/waitress goes way out of their way to make your meal more than usual, a 20% tip works for me, except if you can't afford it. bad service gets from 10% down to nothing depending on how bad the service was. having owned a restaurant for 12 years i can tell you that poor service is not always the waiting staff's fault. in small restaurants all it takes is one of the kitchen staff to call in sick, or too many people to be seated at one time and the kitchen never catches up. use your eyes and ears and you can tell where the problem lies and use your brain and reality of your pocket book as to what to tip.

Answer 3

I did exactly the same thing when I was in college.  And still do depending on the service.

-If it's a really nice restaurant that does everything great I leave 20 percent or more.

-For mediocre service I leave a couple of bucks.  Why do I have to settle for average?  I'm at a restaurant for a great experience, not to waste my money.

-Horrible service deserves nothing!

I don't get people who think they should tip everyone on the planet just because they don't get paid enough.  Good service deserves good tips.  This is a capitalist society, get used to it.  You have to work for what you earn.  If you get good grades that means you get to go to college.  If you get a good job that means you get a good paycheck.

If you get good service at a restaurant then you should give your waiter a good tip.

Answer 4

i worked through college as a server and guess what?  i still do!!

tip what you want, just keep in mind that servers will remember you.

tipping is based on sales, not a per person average.  it makes sense.  if you tip only $2 per person, but there's one guy who ordered twice as many drinks, or some girl needed thrice as many drinks... it's not exactly fair...

my very best advice is that someone in your group learn how to cook and you start having a kind of dinner party, it's way cheaper and you don't have to tip...

besides, after college, you'll need to know how to cook if you want to keep a mate and or children.

Answer 5

15%

Answer 6

No! 2 dollars per person is not enough. You should be tipping at least 15% of the bill. Closer to 20%. Too bad if your college people and dont have time or money. Why do you think they are your waiter? They are usually college people too. We are on a budget, but were working to get through it. Tips are how we make our money. If you want to be a cheap *** and not tip, go to a fast food place or get good take out. if you are going to go to a restaurant and sit down and occupy a servers table and time, then you need to leave a decent tip. I hope I never have to serve you until you realize how and why you should tip.

Answer 7

15% percent is the standard, if all you can tip is $2, then you either need to make sure you order does not total more than about $13 per person, or you need to call ahead and pick your order up and eat at home with friends.

Answer 8

On behalf of restaurant workers everywhere, I would like to ask that you refrain from going out to eat if you continuously tip that way. You really should frequent fast food restaurants where tipping is not required. Or since you're on a budget, you should really use your money at the grocery store.

Since I've worked in restaurants and have sympathy for my fellow restaurant workers I usually tip a third or more of the bill (before discounts) for one main reason: To make up for people like you who are crappy tippers.

I'm sick of people blaming servers for food thats cold or slow (especially when you want something extremely modified from the original menu item.) They are servers NOT COOKS. They do not cook the food, they serve it.

So NO... $3 is NOT a reasonable tip to leave ANYONE, except a coat check person.

Answer 9

Well, I'm also a working college student, and I happen to be a server! If you were satisfied with your service and you had a good experience, the standard tip is 15%-20%.

Answer 10

You're tipping what you can afford and I think $2.00 per person is just fine. If the service is exceptionally good and you have a couple extra dollars then leave it, otherwise just keep doing what you've been doing.

I try to use the check amount as a guide and leave 15-20%, if the service is great I may tip more, just as I will tip less for crappy service.

Answer 11

While I understand you and your friends are working college students, of you can't afford to tip properly, why eat out? A server makes $2.13 per hour, and if your server gives you  really good service, you should tip them accordingly. $2 per person is not a good tip. You should tip based on the service you receive. I always tip at least 20%, better for better service.

I bet you and your friends are the customers the servers groan about when you walk in. You will stay at the table forever, meaning no turnover, and then tip squat. If you go out and eat, tip accordingly.

Answer 12

15% is standard

10 % for sub-par

20% for great service

bad service = no tip!

Also, the minimum should usually be $2 as a formality, unless the service is bad of course.

Answer 13

The rule of thumb for family-style dining places is 15 to 20%.  You can feel free to leave more if you really liked the service and it was above-par...if it was horrid, reduce the tip.  In a higher-tone place, you may want to leave 20%, and let 15% be your rule in the family eateries.  PS:  If I feel my waiter/waitress/server has been exceedingly kind and helpful and patient, I take the time to ask for a manager when paying my check, and tell the manager that (name here) was my server, and did an exceptionable job, and that I would like to commend him/her.  They put that stuff into personnel files and send it to corporate.  It's a nice way to thank them beyond the money.

Answer 14

Usually 15% but if they really suck, they get 2 pennies :).

Answer 15

If you can't afford to tip 20% then you can't afford to eat out!