Is it considered in poor taste to not tip if the service is bad?

Question

Is it considered in poor taste to not tip if the service is bad?

Answer 1

If you receive  bad service, take other things into account. Was the restaurant busy or short staffed? Perhaps the server had many other tables and tasks to perform. Remember, things like food not being cooked properly is not the server's fault. Look at things from your server's point of view. If they were truly unattentive, lazy, and / or rude, maybe try treating them like a human and ask if they're having a bad day. Even when I get poor service, I tip at least 12% (25% for good service).

Answer 2

This is one of those 'everybody has a bad day' kind of things. I tip regardless. A wait person would have to be HORRIBLE to me to not get a tip. And if they're having a bad day, then I just try to make it a little better for them by ignoring their bad service and tipping anyway. No big deal.

Answer 3

As a server who makes her living off of tips, I say not tipping is the worst thing you can do. Obviously your tip should reflect the service but you have to remember that you aren't the only table the server is waiting on and there are plenty of things that might be effecting your experience. Also, not leaving a tip does nothing to the server except p**s them off. If it really is that bad, tell a manager so the problem can be fixed. Most of the time, a server cannot read your mind. We are not psychic. Communication really pays off. Be nice, be polite and the server should reciprocate.

Find out what your server makes as an hourly wage. In New Mexico where I currently live, I make $2.17 an hour. That is barely enough to cover taxes which means I make zero dollar pay checks. This means that tips are everything to me! They are my rent, they are my groceries, they are my families Christmas presents.

So please stay open minded and figure out what is truly wrong with the situation before assuming that your server sucks and you leave them no money.

Nothing less the 10%, 15% if your experience is mediocre, 20% if the service is great, and anything more if the service is exceptional.

Answer 4

i've been a server before and it's not an easy or a fun job...but part of the job is to provide good service and i always tried to.  with that said, when i go out, if the service is bad i don't tip or at least i don't tip as much as i should have.  if they want that tip they should work for it and provide the service that is asked of them

Answer 5

A tip is a privilage, not a right.  Similar to a "Thank You".  Not required, but nice to recieve.

Answer 6

I agree with Enigma. I have worked as a chef for years now and when we go out we tip well, if the service is good we tip really well. However I have no problem pointing out through offencive tipping just how much I didn't appreciate the bad service, I also like to leave a business card so they don't think I am just some obnoxious s*****k.

It is well within your right to tip however you see fit, i f you get great service be generous, if your server is terrible feel free to stiff them, or worse. I was out with our manager once and she literally cleaned her purse of all lint, scrap paper, etc and piled about 19 cents in with it.

Answer 7

Determine where the service went bad and talk to a manager. Some wait staff share responsibilities.  It isn't fair to not tip at all when that waiter is going to be required by a manager at the end of the shift to pay certain percents to bartenders, hostesses, bus boys, etc., regardless if they received ample compensation from customers.

Answer 8

No, it is a message that the service was BAD, and one that the server may or may not understand, depends on their experience.

I'll overlook some things if the place is busy, or that kind of thing.  

However, if the service is POOR, (with no reason) I leave nothing.

If the service is adequate given how busy the restaurant is, I'll leave 8%-15%.  (Servers generally are taxed based on 8% of their sales.)

If the service is good to very good 20%.

And if the server did something special, like sing Happy Birthday or even cut up a cake that YOU brought, I'll tip 25%.

BUT NEVER TIP IF THE SERVICE IS BAD!!!

And don't ever think that it is OK NOT TO TIP.  It is very poor manners not to tip appropriate service.

Peace.

Answer 9

I don't think so.   TIPS is a literal acronym, meaning Thanks Indicating Proper Service, so if the service was not proper, there's no reason to indicate otherwise.

Answer 10

To be honest, waitresses's initial salary is not very big.  You can't however expect to recieve perfect service at a casual dining resturant (example: Chi Chis, Rainforest Cafe, Fridays,).  However, a tip is what you leave reflecting the service.  10% is an average tip, 15% she/he did a very good job, 20% or more they really really made you feel as though you recieved good service.  Anything under 10% says that you didn't serve me well at all.  Tips are earned.  Just make sure that you keep your expectations realistic.  I used to get 70 dollar tables that thought they'd leave me 5 dollars because they thought that I did a good job and that 5 dollars was a good tip.  Just be careful with your expectations.

Answer 11

only if they p*ss  in your food

Answer 12

sorry to say but it is, as i have bee guilty of this.

if service is poor, i will not leave a good and healthy tip.

i will leave much less on the table...

if you are in this line of business then you need to know how to work your table and stay attentive and friendly.  most waitors/waitresses live for their tips but if you're not doing a good job then these are the circumstances you will encounter and that is either having nothing left on the table or less than you are expecting.

Answer 13

i'm a waitress .... and i would get more pist off if people only left me a dollar than if they wouldn't tip me at all. idk that's just me i guess ... so i start at 5 bucks depending on where i'm eating .. and for each strike i takeoff a dollar .... i think it's fair enough.

Answer 14

If the service is bad, make sure you leave an obvious tip: 2 cents. Not leaving a tip could be seen as an oversight. Leaving a 2 cent tip gets the point across that you did not forget, that the service just sucked.

Answer 15

I always put myself in other peoples shoes. So I always leave a tip whether it's good or bad service. Bad service i always leave half of the tax on the total bill. good service i triple the tax on the total bill.

Answer 16

Leave a note with a tip : Always give good service or no tip.

That would be the servers tip. Just kidding.... at the very least I will leave a little money and explain to the server why you were not pleased.

Answer 17

That is a hard question. I have worked in the food industry (not as a waitress) but I know it is hard. I mean it can be really frustrating. But no matter what you know that the customer is paying your bills and you should treat them right. I mean I know sometimes you have a nasty customer that you don't want to treat nice but their are some that you are so nice too and they are just nasty. I have only not tipped someone once. Believe me it was VERY VERY BAD service. In fact we heard that this waitress ended up getting fired for all the bad service she gave out. Bottom line, I think that you should tip at least something. But honestly make that tip resemble the service that you got. If it was top of the line service then tip up at the top but if not then leave a very low tip. Then when they ask you how their service was, tell them. Just be nice about it.

Answer 18

This is interesting to me as in Australia we rarely tip anyone for any service ~ it may sound strange but it's just not done.

If I were travelling in a country where it is expected that you tip for service I would have an extremely hard time tipping for less than excellent service, it grates me that you are expected to tip in the first place!

In my opinion tipping should be an option for service that exceeds expectations, not a neccessity for required service.

But I'm sure that's just because of the society in which I was raised & now live.

Answer 19

I think that valid arguments could be made for either case...but for me personally...I usually will bite the bullet and leave a tip..There could be a wide variety of extenuating circumstances that was the real culprit, in a less than enjoyable dining or other experience....Leaving a tip,in some instances might really make someone's day,who was experiencing difficult life challenges.

((((TTC))))....$10.00 tip..   for a good question.

Answer 20

I do what my father always did put how much I would leave for exceptional service on the the table as soon as seated and everytime I have to ask for a refill or any time i need something and they arent their I start deducting from the tip... You'll leave the right tip for service && More then likely the Waiter/Waitress will realize what is happening and provide much better service....