What should 'I' tip?

Question

I've always heard you tip 15% of the price to your waiter/waitress, or something to that. Recently, I went with my father to dinner. Our waitress was lovely, personable, and fast with our food, when it came to the tip, my dad tipped 50 cents. I made him tip 3 dollars. (He's very cheap!)

So, I am wondering what I should tip when the waiter is good, or if the waiter is horrible with our service and/or rude?

I was taught by my mother that tipping and such gives good karma. It didn't come from my father, obviously.

Thx. :)

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

If the service was shoddy, tip 5-10 percent.

If it was great, tip 15%.

Tipping less than 10% is a slap in the face to the server. There are no exceptions.

Answer 3

Usually a 10-15% tip is appropriate. But if the waiter is horrible or rude, you shouldn't tip at all!

Answer 4

Tipping for good service  (usually 15-20 %) is advisible as it is said that waiters and waitress have memories better than an elephants.  If service is poor, don't tip or tip poorly.  Make sure to speak to a manager if you feel service was poor though.

Answer 5

First and foremost... ALWAYS tip. Whether it be 10% or not just alway tip something. My rule of thumb is 25% for EXCELLENT service, 20% for good service and 10% for horrbile awful service. I have had such bad service that I left 10% and a little note on the napkin telling them what they can do to improve.

I waitress and I know how hard of a job it is. It is hard to please everyone. So people what you to be at their table every 5 minutes refilling drinks and taking away empty plates, others never want you there and give you attitude if you ask them how their meal is.

Answer 6

When I order pizza I usually give $1 for every 10 bucks a spent.

So if I spend 20 bucks I tip $2 along with what ever change is left.

When I dine out I usually do the same but If I spend 30 bucks and I disliked the service I subtract a buck. ta ha ha

But If I really like the service I go out of my way and leave a $5

tip (when I can) I want to encourage them to continue treating guests that way.

But my mothers friend .....I guess he is loaded cuz when he goes out If he really likes the service he leaves for tip the same amount of money he paid for the food. Wow

yea.....

*Ooh also since we are on the "tip" subject . If you are a waiter and you draw a happy face on the tab your tip is more likely to increase.

I've actually tried this so it works.

:)

Answer 7

I don't know what the waitresses' lovliness has to do with anything, but 15-20% is customary for good service.  I tip 20% if the service is good and more if it's great.  If I'm dissatisfied in some way because of the server, I'll tip less.  It's really up to you.

Answer 8

personally, i always give a minimum of 10% and the better they are the higher the tip goes.  I usually max out at 20%.  The average waiter gets 15%.  Most of the time, for me, it depends on how closely they watch my drink.  If they notice every time it gets low they usually get 18%+.  It generally works.

Answer 9

In the UK its kinda different.

You'd only tip at a restaurant (maybe a hairdressers?) And only then if the service is good. I tip between 15 and 20%.  If the service is bad or the food terrible i dont tip at all.

I think it depends wher eyou are though.  When i went to Paris recently we had a meal in a terrible restaurant and so didnt tip (it was a very expensive meal anyway) and my hubby and i were practically chased for not leaving a tip.

Answer 10

I usually tip 15% for good service, 20% for great service and 5-10% for bad service (depending on how bad it actually is).

I'm in Canada though, usually people tip a bit more in the US

Answer 11

I tip 10-15%, 15% if the service was great.  It really has to be 1 in a hundred service to go above 15%.  But if things were lacking at all, I mean even a little, and they didn't try to make things right, they get zero.

You should never tip for bad service.  Anyone who does is a moron, although leaving a penny to show your distaste is fine.

Answer 12

I don't tip, but I would never do what your father did.That is rude. I don't believe in tipping, and won't give reasons. I believe it is a free country and I can decide what to do with my money, not a restaurant. And yes, I was a waitress at one time, so no one should say how little they get paid.  Change jobs.  

If the waiter is good, and you want to tip, study the tip charts. It changes a lot anymore, and more and more people are being added.  Tipping doesn't give good karm.  Do you get tipped where you work.?  No, then how do you get your karma.  Karma has nothing to do with tipping, but karma is OK to believe in.  Just don't mix the two.  

Don't knock your father. He may have other good attributes.  My father never went to dinner with me and I know others who don't even know where their father is.  Just love him, warts and all.  He has his beliefs, you have yours, your mom has hers, and isn't it nice not to be living in Afghanistan or in other countries where you would have NO choices.

Answer 13

this is what me and my boyfriend usually do:

As soon as we are seated, we put $15 (one dollar bills) down in the middle of the table.  Every time the waiter/waitress does something rude or annoying we take away a dollar.  It kind of gives the waiter/waitress an incentive to do well so you're almost always gauranteed to have good service.

Answer 14

If you get great service and your server is friendly,  it is suggested you tip 15%-20%. If you are not pleased with your service, you should always speak to a manager to find the underlying problem. I am a server, and I do not expect tips, I earn them. If a server is rude, I would not tip them. I don't care if I haven't slept all night because I was up writing a paper then in class all day before work, I never, ever am rude to my guests and there's no excuse to be.  Rudeness=low class. And that goes for patrons too!

Answer 15

My mother worked all her life as a waitress. She bought and payed for a home full of furniture, a couple cars, a motorcycle and a few other things. She depended on her tips to survive. Your Dad is a cheap skate and should be taken to task for it!

General rule of thumb is 15% but I've been known to do much better than that if our server deserves it. And much less if our server is an @$$. There have been a few occasions where the server was so good that I tipped 100%! But being the son of a waitress I can empathize with a hard working server. Oh! And don't confuse the quality (or non quality) of the food with the server's job. They are two differen't things.

Bon Apetite'

Answer 16

I usually tip 15%, but if the service was good. I give a little more. If it was really bad I don't tip at all. We are customers and we deserve to be treated right ;)

Answer 17

You're right! These days, 15% is common IF the service is good. If not, then you can tip as you see fit. GOOD FOR YOU for getting on your dad's case. More young people need to get their parents out of the dark ages!

Answer 18

I tip 15 to 25% if the wee good. If they make me waint and don't refill my drinks (make me ask) I tip less But for the most part I tip good.

Answer 19

I generally go with the 15% rule, however when the waiter/waitress has gone above and beyond, so will I. I do this on an individual basis, but generally would give about 5% more for very good service.

As for poor service, I have always been told to leave a penny face down, which is a symbolic way of showing the person they did a poor job and to me sends a clearer message than to stiff them.

And finally if you are poor but still want to leave something to show they did a good job, a penny face up is the way to go. I know it all sounds quaint but at least you're showing you wanted to give something.

This of course all depends on the waiter/waitress knowing what that means!

Answer 20

If the server is not good I wont tip at all. If it is good than I would tip 15-20 % whichever is appropriate of the service. I dont think a tip should be under 10% though.

Answer 21

I go all on service-how good-he/she did their job

Answer 22

I always tip 20%, sometimes more if I'm a regular at a place and get good service.  I rarely come in contact with a rude server, but if I do, I still leave something.. maybe 15%, and I might complain to the manager depending on whether the server just seemed spaced out or if they were strait up rude.  Tipping is part of going out to eat, and should ALWAYS be included.  If someone doesn't want to tip, then they should get take out, not table service.

Answer 23

I don't tip. I mean I've paid for my food. Maybe their bosses should just raise their wages.

Answer 24

Crappy service, crappy tip. Good service, good tip. You have to put them in their place if they are rude. Once I left a penny. Most of the places I go have great service and I usually tip in the 30-40% area. Some restaurants add the minimum 15% tip into their check. I think it is BS that they do that.

Answer 25

As someone who was previously a server, I would say 15% is an average tip for a so so dining experience.  20% is great for exceptional service and if it's not satisfactory leave 10%.  If the service is so horrible that you a irritated, just don't leave a tip.  It's even more insulting if you leave some change or $1.00 on a large tab.

Answer 26

Standard is 10-15% of the bill.  Most waitstaff actually get an hourly rate way below minimum wage and depend on tips to survive.  Some restaurants split the tips between the waitstaff and the kitchen.  Tipping can be adjusted up or down depending on your satisfaction with the quality of service and quality of food.

Answer 27

I tip 15% if the service was good, 20% if the service was outstanding, and 10% if the service was lacking.  I only stiffed someone once when the waiter was outright rude.  Some people think that waiters shouldn't be tipped so much because they get a pay check to do their job.  They just don't realize that often their paycheck is less than minimum wage and their employer assumes that patrons will be giving them decent 10 - 20% tips.

Answer 28

I usually go for 15% but if it's really great service I go as high as I feel it is worth. If it's really poor, I leave a penny - so they won't think I forgot.

Answer 29

I think Tuesday Smith said it best! To the people who say that waiters should get a different job if they don't like people who don't tip. I say to you then don't eat at restaurant's that employ tipped positions.

Answer 30

Tip 15% if there okay/good.....if they suck then 2dollers and below....or nothing at all we once had a water that was so rude and IGNORED us so we walked out and didn't even pay the cheak 'case he gave us the wrong orders and wouldn't take it back!

Answer 31

Depends on how much the meal cost. I took my family out to eat for my fathers birthday, total was a little over $200 and I tipped $50.. so i guess %25 percent is good. That is if the Waiter or Waitress didnt make you wait for drink refills or stuff like that