I neverneverNEVER tip before service is completed. Seems more like a bribe than a reward for excellence. In those places where you pay upfront, or anywhere where I'm paying with a credit card, I merely draw a line through the tip box and tell the service person that the tip is on the table. In cash.

I also tip generously, especially if I plan on returning to that restaurant. Insurance. Good tippers are recognized in a very short time and it assures service above and beyond for subsequent visits. My granddaughter says the size of my tip is in direct proportion to the bust size of the waitress, but what do kids know?

Agreed!!! And tipping for carry out? Fuggetaboutit!

It would be great if restaurants would pay a reasonable wage, adjust prices to reflect that, and eliminate tipping entirely. A tip (acronym for To Insure Promptness) is a bribe, and demeaning to both the customer and the server.

This scene should be posted in the thread about reservations. Maybe Mr. Party of 9 could get his table.

No tip for counter employees
 

I agree. Counter employees get paid more than servers. Different pay scale.

What is the tip percentage at a buffet? Somewhere between a counter employee (0%) and a server (20%+)?

:agree:

That has already happened to me. Went to a doctor, first visit. co pay was 80.00. The doctor himself told me that he only gets (insert figure) from insurance for the visit, and that if I was happy with the service he would welcome receiving over the copay. A medical doctor.
When did tipping for takeout begin? I never recall tipping for a slice of pizza, or chinese take out. Now they give you a screen showing 18%, 20%, 25%. What is the proper tip for takeout?

For a take-out or self-service order I usually enter $1. 15% or 20% is for sit-down service.

Ate at TooJays last night. They are converting their computer system to tablets that the server uses when you pay by credit card. She entered the data and then turned to the tip page. I did not see a place to enter a figure - only a range of pre-selected percentages. I was surprised that the range of percentages started at 18%. Didn't matter to me, but I would guess that someone less fortunate would be upset.

That's an urban legend. English-language acronyms being used as words were not popular prior to WWII, and the word "tips" as in "gratuity" was used at least as early as the 17th century. In addition, during the time it originated, they would have called it TEPS - to Ensure prompt service, not to Insure prompt service. No one is paying a premium for service insurance.

Also, it you were ensuring prompt service, wouldn't you give it to the server before the service, and not after it?

On topic: I never plan on tipping for takeout or curbside service. Sometimes I do tip for curbside, and once in awhile I toss the silver in the tip bucket when I do takeout. My reasons can be arbitrary: maybe I have the tray in one hand and the coins in the other, and just can't open my purse to put the coins away, so I toss them in the tip jar. Maybe the change was just some pennies, and I really don't want them. So they go in the tip jar. Maybe the guy who put my taco together did such a spanking awesome job of it AND gave me constant eye contact and a bright smile, and I was inspired to toss a buck in the tip jar.

Generally though, the only people who I feel "obligated" to tip are table-service servers, and delivery drivers.

I'm curious. Some people will pay for a restaurant meal with a credit card, but will only use cash for the tip. Are you trying to assist the server and the restaurant in cheating on their taxes, are you trying to hide the tip amount from the server's employer, or is there another reason? Regardless, it seems deceptive.

I always pay cash in a restaurant that will not allow the credit card transaction to be completed in my presence. I never allow my credit card to be taken into another room. But, if I pay with a credit card, I add the tip to the card. It seems like the upfront way to do it.

Yes, cash tips are so the draconian IRS gets what's theirs and not one cent more. They waste so much of the money they get from us on ridiculous programs and policies. I only need the Federal government to provide the basics, primarily military defense, civil order (police), infrastructure (roads, highways, etc.) and fire protection. I do not need them to supply all of the globe with free cell phones and meals when they illegally cross our border. I don't need them to give my income to other countries under the guise of keeping them reliant upon us.

The IRS already taxes the income, then the use of it (Sales tax) and now they want to take a percentage of some hard working server's pin money? Pfffth.

As for tipping, percentage goes up to 25-30% for me when a server does one of the rare tasks that few perform any longer, like actually boxing my leftovers instead of just brining me an empty box to do it myself.

We pay tax on our income why should servers not have to do the same?

I agree. But, it's not just the servers who can hide the cash tip income. It reduces the restaurant's gross credit card income, which the banks report to the IRS. The servers are required to pay income taxes, based on 8 percent of the restaurant's overall gross proceeds, and prorated to each server. The servers get a W-2 for that amount.

then you must be paying cash for most of your meals , I am not worried where they take my card and I would be losing out on a lot of cash back revenue if I paid in cash . The reason I like to tip in cash is that I over tip and if staff is pooling there tips it gives a person that I’m happy with a few more dollars , what they do with the extra money is there business not mine, and getting back to credit card worry , luckily I’ve never had credit card abused and so what if it is , your not paying for the theft., I can also tell you that being a good tipper can help you get a drink quicker at a crowded bar and a quicker table , also I think the people complaining about the tip jars seem to want the business to ease there guilt or annoyance about the tip jars at the expense of there employees . I have perfect solution for those people JUST SAY No !!!

Often the tips are pooled and divided. In some places the owner takes a cut of the total.
Waiters often prefer not to take a large group. Often, people in a large group look at all the money going to the tip and tip less.