Why should I tip for eating or drinking?

Question

1. Aren't they just doing their job?

2. Who cares if they don't make enough, they aren't starving to death. Nobody's forcing them to work.

3. What if I make less than them?

4. Don't I pay enough already?

5. Aren't we just saying to the restaurant boss they don't have to pay waiters fair because we'll pick up the buck for them?

6. Who cares if they're taxed for it? We didn't ask them to work there.

7. There's no law that says we have tip, is there?

Answer 1

If you don't want to tip, don't tip.  But you better not go to the same restaurant twice...!

It's actually a useful custom, I think.  By varying the amount of your tip above or below the customary level, you can provide some very meaningful commentary about how happy or unhappy you are with the service.

Answer 2

You are in part performing an evaluation of the service you received when you leave a tip.  A generous tip implies you felt you got prompt, accurate and friendly service.  Whereas a very light-handed tip implies you felt something was lacking in the service.  That alone should be a good enough reason for you to tip, but it probably isn't based on the callousness of your question.

They are "just doing their job", yes, but they are also providing a service for you, doing you a favor, waiting on your every need.  How about tipping as a simple way to say "thank you for going out of your way to please me"?

Answer 3

1. Yes, they are. However, most wait staff and bartenders are paid "tipped minimum", which is 2/3 of the standard minimum wage in the state they work in.

2. This should have no bearing on whether or not you tip.

3. If you make less than tipped minimum, you shouldn't be spending your money on eating out.

4. No. If you restaurants paid their staff more, you'd pay a lot more for your meal.

5. No.

6. They are taxed for it, as it is considered income.

7.No, there is no law that what says you have to tip.

Judging from the tone of your question, you don't seem to understand the purpose of tipping. Tipping your server is considered an incentive to receive excellent service (in fact, "tips" is an acronym for "To Insure Proper Service"). Those who work for tips usually work VERY hard to provide their customers with excellent, professional service. They know that their performance will be reflected in the size of their tip (generally 15-20% of the total bill) and will strive to maximize their tip by providing great service. Conversely, those providing unsatisfactory service will receive poor tips (or none at all) and will either improve their skills or leave their position.

Unfortunately, there are those customers who do not understand how tipping works, or the reasons behind tipping. They are the customers who generally will receive satisfactory service and undertip, or not leave a tip. Such customers rarely become "regulars" at a given establishment, as they find upon returning that the service at the establishment becomes worse and worse, as the servers know they will not be compensated for providing a high level of service. As the restaurant community is very tight-knit, such customers may find that they become "unwanted" at other establishments also.

Certainly you should consider the performance of the server when leaving a tip. But if you receive adequate service, you should tip your server appropriately.

Answer 4

Why should you?  You shouldn't if you don't want to.  You don't owe anything to anyone unless you agreed to it, and you didn't agree to a tip when you ordered, you only agreed to pay for the food or drink.

That said, everything is relative, so if you go to a restaurant with 10 other people and they all choose to leave a tip even though they don't have you and you don't, then the waitstaff considers you the least important of all of them and you can bet on karma getting back to you as waiters will spit in your food and other such things when you become known as a bad tipper.  

You think that is not fair?  So what.  They don't owe you anything either except delivery of what you ordered.  Life isn't fair.  If you want to be a cheap *** when most people are not, be prepared to deal with the consequences.

Answer 5

You could be in a similar position someday.

People like receiving tips, no matter how small. The person

serving you would like to feel appreciated. Many servers

do not receive benefits because many restaurants refuse to.

However, many cities are forcing businesses to provide for

their employees.

    How about this: you are in an auto accident, and are trapped in your car. No fire, just trapped and bleeding.

You see people driving back and forth, but no one offers help.

They DON'T have to help you, they don't have to try to pry

you out of the car and they don't have to call 911 to bring

rescue services to assist you. But there are many good people out there, and they would assist you.

     Remember: what goes around comes around.

Answer 6

If restaurants paid their waitstaff more $, the bill would be a lot more.

Answer 7

It is their jobs we shouldn't feel obligated to tip.

I think that if anything there should be a little standard made that says all tips start at two dollars. Then everytime they do something bad, or take to long to ask if you would like a water then you subtract 50cents. If they do something good like make you laugh then you can add 50cents....Either way, it shouldn't be a mandatory thing and waiters and waitresses need not get mad if you don't tip them. Its your job, I'm not your boss i'm your customer.

Answer 8

I bet that you are the type of t**t that when you go out you expect great service...you make the wait staff run their *** off for you....rude to them when things don't go your way and think that it is a-o-k to leave them nothing.  Stay at home you cheap a$$ where you belong if you don't have it in you to leave 20% on the table.  

I think it should be mandatory for everyone who enjoys going out to eat to work as a waitress once in their life to see how hard and stressful the job can be.  Why don't you write a letter to someone to change the waitress payscale.  They get paid 2.33 in most states.  And if everyone took your advice to get another job....who would wait on your *** then.  When I was a waitress you are the type of customer that I would have no problem spitting in your food.