Why do you have to leave a percentage of the bill for a tip?

Question

I understand that the cheque is used as a gauge. Presumably, the more the bill is, the more work the server did bringing it to the table. Why can’t I just leave a $2.00, $5.00 or $10.00 tip and be done with it?

Answer 1

well most places have if theres 6 or more people there is a 10% graditude added on there if not i usually rate it on service and taste of food

Answer 2

I don't know if I understood your question wrong or right, but I think the percentage-of-bill is just easier for people to figure out than something less arbitrary like time spent working for you. I think if you sit there for four hours drinking two coffees, you should leave as big a tip as if you scoffed down a 2-pound steak in 20 minutes. More or less, anyway.

Answer 3

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE BEING SERVED? THAT MIGHT BE WHY IT IS A PERCENTAGE OF THE BILL. MORE SPENT, MORE PEOPLE SERVED BY ONE PERSON. PLUS THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING ON THE TIPS, THE ARE NOT GETTING FULL WAGES LIKE OTHERS THAT MIGHT WORK IN A GROCERY STORE.

Answer 4

You dont have to leave a percentage of the bill for a tip, but I am a waitress and I just wanted to give you a chance to walk in my shoes. I am a Masters student who completes 40 hours a week in a school counseling students, 20 hours a week in classes (not including homework time) and 20 hours a week at the restaurant. This is a life a majority of waitresses have. I dont have time to spend with my family, however, I do spend time waiting on people and thier families. I go to work with a smile on my face even though I am exhausted, and push down the hurt feelings when tables swear at me because the cooks made their rare steak medium rare. I make $4.00/hr + tips. Ten percent of my alcohol sales go to the bartender, sometimes leaving me loosing money on waiting on a table that drinks a lot. Please dont think that I am a bad server in your defence, I just wanted to express the feelings of a waitress, feelings which I dont think you understand. Treat your waitresses and waiters with respect, they are people, they are daughters and mothers, sons and wives. Would you want ignorance interfering with your loved ones jobs?

Answer 5

You can leave whatever you want. Most people double the GST, it gives you almost 15%

Answer 6

i tip what i think the waiter/waitress deserves. depending on

service, attutide, etc.

Answer 7

because waiters, and waitresses depend on tips since they make below minimum wage. The rule of thumb is to double your tax on your bill, and that is what your tip should be.

Answer 8

We work our butts off serving you, fetching anything you want, dealing with cranky kitchen cooks, and possibly cranky bad-mannered customers!   A tip is common courtesy to the person serving you who has to buy food and pay rent for dealing with you.  So be considerate when appropriate, and tip 20%.

Answer 9

You can leave any tip you choose, or none at all.  Fifteen percent is a guideline for satisfactory service and if the service is especially good, or bad you can tip accordingly.  Some restaurants INCLUDE a tip in the check (I hate that!) so before you tip make sure you haven't already contributed to the server.

Answer 10

Obviously you never served before you cheap b*****d. By the way servers make 2.15/hr...Sometimes It's worth tipping because you never know what people do to your food

Answer 11

You can leave whatever you want, but you may be looked upon as a dillhole if you don't at least leave 15%, if it was good service anyways.  I personally don't leave 15% all of the time.  If it's horrible service it's 0%, if it's decent then 15% and if it's great then 20%.  That's just me though.  I've been a waitress.

Answer 12

you can leave as much or as little as you wnat to for a tip at most reataurants. If the server isn't good then I won't leave a tip. When I go out I expect the best service that is how it sould be. I'm paying them to do a job and they need to do what I ask them to.

Answer 13

well really you can do whatever you want to do

Answer 14

I don't like automatic gratuity.  I like when they show it on the check broken down at 10,15, and 20% so that I may decide.  I you had bad service talk to the manager and complain about the wait staff.  I woul dbase a tip on how conciencious the wait is and how attentive.  This is how America has set up pay for wait staff.  In the Neatherland s they pay them $18 an hour.  pay what you like but if the price of a hamburger is 2.00 and 10.00 somewhere else and the effort is the same tip 10% or what you like.

Answer 15

It was the waiters/waitresses and restaurant owners (who don't pay the waiters/waitresses enough) that must have come up with this ridiculous rule.  I believe as a customer we should be able to leave what we like if we like.  Twice I have refused to even pay the 10%, one just accepted my decision nicely, the other made such a song and dance, I thought it was to embarrass me, but I stood my ground and repeated how bad I thought the service was and I would not pay!

Answer 16

Ross, you are a jerk.  It is not the server's lot in life to serve the rich.  Many of us are students getting our law degrees or teaching credentials.  You pompous prick.  What do you do for a living?

Answer 17

You don't, so don't. Stop being a lemming!

Answer 18

beacuse the server only makes $2.13 an hour ( yes i said two thirteen an hour ), and if you want to make sure you have enough to drink, then you would live a decent tip.

would you work for $2.13 an hour????, walking back and forth to a table that runs your *** off and thinks that they are the only table you are waiting on, then you have to clean the table after the guest leave.

what about their kids? their bills, electric bill so they have lights so the kids can see or have a hot meal to eat, what about when they have to put gas ( which is high ) in their car to or they will run out going home.

would you work your *** off ( and some guests will run you around like you are a puppet ) and how would you feel after doing all that work and getting $1.00 or $2.00, and then again maybe nothing )

so next time you lay down $1.00 think about all the work they did for you ( don't forget that they make $2.13 an hour, and they have other tables ) would you want them to do this to you or your mom??????

see you and i can work all day and make our money, but they have to work their butts off just to make $50.00 that day.

Answer 19

In the U.S., wait staff doesn't make minimum wage. They make considerably less. The problem is, when we're put in the position of deciding on a tip, we're effectively becoming their boss for that time period that they're waiting on us. If they do a good job, they kind of deserve to earn a tip that will make the job their doing worth while to them. However, if they're really doing their job poorly, it's hard for us to not dock them for not actually doing much of anything.

If they were to start paying wait staff regular wages, their would be no incentive for them to do a really good job. They'd be making their pay check either way and we'd just have to put up with the good and the bad. It's a rough situation. Service jobs aren't fun. I used to do one. The public isn't very kind or understanding. They often take out their bad days on the staff, and the staff isn't exactly compensated generously.

Eat at home. It's better for you anway.

Answer 20

im a waitress and make 2.13 an hour plus my tips and when people dont tip you 10% or higher it sucks becaus the goverment expects you to claim ---pay taxes on at least ten percent of the sales you had for the restaurant that day ........if you claim less they start looking at your taxes and auditing you .......but when you dont make it because hlep dont tip good you cannt claim it.........you should tip atleast 10% --15% is much better this is the ideal amount but if the waitress was bad you can tip lower and if she was good you can leave a little more..........

Answer 21

I usually leave 10-15% unless I am dissatisfied with the service than it's less than a dollar

Answer 22

You can leave whatever you want!  It makes me mad that tips are now expected rather that earned!  I would leave a $5 tip if I just had coffee, if I never had to ask for a refill and I got offered water and the waitress was friendly!

I would also leave nothing if I spent $100 and the waitress gave horrible service.  I think they need to be givin based on service, not on how much the bill is!

Answer 23

i heard on the news that more restaurants are just going to start including it in the bill and uping it to 20%

Answer 24

Because the waiters don't get paid very good. And you'r tips make up! Now if you got good serice, why not leave at least 20% of the bill. My wife and i we always go out, and always leave a good tip, and you know what? next time, They treat us like kings!!

Answer 25

I'm a server in the US and if a Canadian left me any kind of decent tip I'd be SHOCKED!!