Tips and tipping on eating out?

Question

I've seen a lot of questions asking, "why do people tip poorly" etc. Now it's my turn...

Just how much do you wait-service folks REALLY make on an average night in tips?

Ah, ha-ha, let's see just how honest these answers are. lol

Answer 1

The waiter has to tip out his busboy, he has to tip out a percentage of the liquor sales he generated to the bartender, some restaurants the cook & host also get a tip. Many waiters get zero paychecks because they are "allocated tips" to declare on their taxes (Ronald Regan started this). Yes, the whole paycheck goes to taxes. (employers are allowed to pay sub minimum wage to tipped employees).

Answer 2

WAITERS(WAITRESSES) LIKE TO GET 8% OF THE WHOLE BILL BUT I JUST MULTIPLY THE TAX BUY TWO AND THERE IS THERE TIP

PLZ GIVE ME A GOOD RATE

Answer 3

I'm a waitress at Red Lobster; in general, I average about $100 a night, however, I've had a few nights where I've walked with well over $200 (but I also ran my **** off for it)!  It all depends... come this holiday season we'll get a few big time tippers who will leave $100 for there $150 meal, but there are always there counterparts who leave $3 on the same bill!  

I agree with the other posters, EVERYONE should have to serve at some point in their lives. :D

Answer 4

The next time your out eating at a restaurant, look at your server. Do you think they are really happy to be doing that job? The answer is no, they are not, but its what we do, and we do it for the money so please help them out. Its a tougher job than you think and you should pay them accordingly!

There are SO many people out there flooding the restaurants w/o any knowledge of how to tip. Here is a short guide for the general public to follow. Feel free to print out and store in your wallet and/or purse.

1. CHILDREN "THE LITTLE DEVILS":

If you have children, DO NOT let them, open and dump anything on the table (ie; salt, sugar, etc). IF YOU DO, you must leave an extra $5 for the server to clean up YOUR CHILD'S mess & to restock the now unusable wasted items. We are neither their babysitter nor their parent. The least you can do is pay us for the extra work. Also make sure you control your kids and don't let them scream or run around the restraunt. It's very distracting not to mention dangerous if they get ran over by a server with hot food in their hands.

2. "THE CAMPERS":

If you feel the necessity to stay for longer than 15 minutes after you pay, its an extra $3 every 30 minutes. We make our money from the tables. If you are in one and we can't seat it, we don't make money.

3. COMPLIMENTS:

Telling a server they are the best server they've ever had is not a tip. If we are good, let us know by leaving us more money. We cant pay our bills on compliments. Its not that we don't appreciate the praise, its just that if you say that and then leave 10% it's an insult.

4. THE SALVATION PAMPHLETS:

Prayer cards and any other religious pamphlet is NOT a tip. It is insulting that you assume we are w/o religion and must save us. Again, like ..4, we cant pay bills w/prayer cards. We'd go to church on Sundays if it wasn't mandatory to work on Sundays because EVERYONE who goes to church follows it by eating out. Also don't try to preach to us while we are working. We don't go to your work and put you down so don't do it to us.

5. TIPPING:

It is not 1960. Cost of living has gone up dramatically since then. 18% is the MINIMUM amount of what you should be tipping your servers. Remember, our companies pay us minimum wage (minimum wage for servers is $2.25!!!!) And we are taxed on 10 percent of your meal automatically anyway. Including having to tip out our co-workers... So if you don't leave a tip, IT ENDS UP COSTING US TO SERVE YOU!!

6. THE COMPLAINERS:

If you get a discount because of your food was prepared wrong or something, do not take it out of our tip. We didn't cook it. The cooks get paid hourly regardless if the food sucks. However, we only make what you give us.

7. THE LATE ONES:

If you come into the restaurant 10 mins before closing or any time near closing hurry up and order your food and get out. Closed means closed, not social hour. It is so rude to sit there and take your sweet *** time. We can't leave until you leave because we have to do sidework and clean the table you are sitting at. We don't want to stand there waiting for you for an extra hour just because you don't want to go home. We recommend 24 hour establishments such as Dennys if you wish to sit into the wee hours of the night.

8. THE TABLE HOGGERS:

If you only come in for coffee or a dessert, to do paper work, or to have a meeting, don't sit there taking up our booths for hours. We are not Starbucks or a hotel restraunt. If you want to sit for hours, go there or else you better leave a good tip for us and camping fee included.

9. THE GREET:

When we come up to the table to greet you and we ask how you are doing please let us know. We honestly want to know how you are doing. If you are in a bad mood we want to know that from the beginning. A confused stare or complete silence does not suffice as a reply to "How are you doing?". Also, don't interrupt our greeting and say "I want coffee", "can we get some bread," or "what are the soups?" "Iced Tea" is not a state of being.

10. THOSE d**n CELL PHONES:

Don't ever talk on your cell phone in a restraunt. This is probably the rudest thing to do. If you must be on your cell, at least keep your voice down in respect for other customers. If you are on your cell phone when we walk up to greet your table we will walk away until you get off your phone. Just show some respect and give us your attention for a couple of minutes.

Answer 5

I worked tonight, and had a really good night.

My sales were $328 and my tips were $74. I tipped the bar $4 (we are required to tip them on our bar sales) so I walked out with 70 bucks - woo hoo for me!

Now, like I said, I had a good night. I do not always make 20% of my sales (it would be cool if I did) I know that tipping is not required and I know that it's circumstantial, but I know how to do my job, I treat all my guest the same, and I hope they choose to tip me accordingly. If not, I try not to take it personal (even though it can be hard if there didn't seem to be any problems with the table, and they chose to tip poorly or not at all). I chose this job. I enjoy this job. It is nice to be componsated for my service.

Answer 6

People who wait tables work their tails off and deserve at least 15%. They have families and bills like everyone else. Not everyone has college $ to make the big bucks. I don't wait tables any more, but I respect the people who do. If I ever wait tables again I hope you don't come in my restaurant.Ok I'll answer your question, between 30 and 60 bucks a night. 8 hours.

Answer 7

ok to be honest, I am shocked when some of the servers here say they only make enough to put gas in their car for the way home, they are working at the wrong place. I have only waited at one place, Pizza Hut, which is not even an upscale restaurant. In a 4 hr. shift I always made AT LEAST $35 in tips, on good nights, $60. and that is not counting my $3.60 hourly wage. In an eight hour shift I made $80-120 tips. A couple times I went home with $140 in tips for 8 hours. And I do NOT live in a nice neighborhood. I got stiffed 2 out of every 10 tables. So I always made at least $10 an hour in tips. If servers aren't making that, they are working at the wrong place or they suck. Wait, I shouldn't have said that. I forgot some restaurants only give their servers 4 table sections. We had 3 servers to split the dining room, and that gave us each 7 booths and a large party table.

Answer 8

As a wait-service folk in a place where the bill can often top $22/person, during a lunch shift you can make anywhere from FIFTEEN dollars, yes fifteen, all the way to ONE HUNDRED, at night anywhere from $35 to $125 ..... we make what we work for!! Running around for seven hours on your feet carrying heavy things is certainly a physical and emotional challenge, and we deserve 15% for an okay job, 20%  for a good job, and 25% for a great job .... this is just the way of the world today!