[redwitch]

My first job was as a server at Denny's. I then "moved up" to a small family restaurant in Southern California when I went to college. From there, it was at a bar as soon as I could figure out how to get a driver's license saying I was 21 (pretty easy back then). Serving food was HARD work! I still remember it and even some of my customers.

My daughter served for about a year at Applebee's in TV. She's looking for a job now and will probably end up serving again.

While some Villagers are good tippers, many aren't. Some still think 10% is a good tip. Some feel that it is up to the owner/company to pay a decent salary so they don't tip at all. (Guess that teaches the owner a lesson, all right.)

If it is bad service, I don't tip or leave a nominal amount to let them know the lack of tip was deliberate. If the service is okay, 20%. If better, usually 25-30%. If I am eating alone, I mentally double the price of my tab and tip accordingly. It's not the server's fault there is only one person at a table for 2 or 4. If my friends and I are taking an exceptionally long time, I will always add to the tip since the server is losing money.

I do ask if the tips are pooled or if they have to tip out other staffers. If the answer is yes, I ask if it is possible to give the server a tip that is not pooled if there is a pooled tip left as well. I've actually asked for the manager and told him I am giving my server an additional tip that is NOT part of any pool -- the pool didn't serve me and the extra work my server did for me as greatly appreciated. (Please note -- additional tip is the key word. The pool gets 15%, my server gets an additional $1-5. Not much, but a little.) One manager told me I couldn't do that. I replied that if I found out the tip that I had personally handed to the server and said was specifically for that server alone was then put into a pool, I would call the police for theft. I think pooling is an obscenity. Ditto a server having to pay part of the salary if co-workers. Restaurateurs who follow these policies should be hung from very high rafters by their absolute shortest hairs.

I also agree that tips should not be added to the credit card. You'd be surprised how often the server never sees that tip at all -- it is pocketed by the manager, who is also woefully underpaid (but still makes a lot more than the servers).

It does seem that TOTVers tip higher than most Villagers. I think what it really is that our parents' generation rarely tipped and, if they did, it was 10%. Baby boomers are more willing to tip 15-20% and most TOTVers are baby boomers.