[TomOB]

Tip well. I was young once and tips helped me through college and when my family was young...before I got a career. You become remembered and get really good service if you tip well.

[TrudyM]

I tip by the effort expended not as a percentage. If I go to a budget resturant for breakfast say and the Bill is $25.00 and I got a coffee refill and the server wasn't rude I'll leave about 6 dollars.
But if like today we go to brunch at a better resturant and the Bill is $45.00 and I didn't get my coffee without asking twice and the server is rude No way is that guy getting more than the gal in the hash joint. $45.00 plus our tax of 10% brings it to $49.50 so 20% would be $9.90- His other three tables had 4 people each so in one hour his tips would be at $69.30 that is not starving pay by any streach and he just wasn't worth it. I mean it wasn't like he was doing Teppanyaki or anything the jerk didn't even bring me coffee. I left $5 and should have left a penny.
But If we pay by charge we also add odd cents to the tip so that the total bill will come up to the ending number my husband and I have picked for the month that way we can spot a bogus charge on our bill. In the $25.00 dollar example the bill would be $27.50 with tax and we would have made the tip $6.25 so that the bill ended in .75 as that is our number for the month. Since we have started doing this I have caught about 4 bogus charges from resturants a year mostly from when we are on vacation and someone double swipes our card.

Told you I was wierd

[meatthevillages]

Originally Posted by TrudyM

I tip by the effort expended not as a percentage. If I go to a budget resturant for breakfast say and the Bill is $25.00 and I got a coffee refill and the server wasn't rude I'll leave about 6 dollars.
But if like today we go to brunch at a better resturant and the Bill is $45.00 and I didn't get my coffee without asking twice and the server is rude No way is that guy getting more than the gal in the hash joint. $45.00 plus our tax of 10% brings it to $49.50 so 20% would be $9.90- His other three tables had 4 people each so in one hour his tips would be at $69.30 that is not starving pay by any streach and he just wasn't worth it. I mean it wasn't like he was doing Teppanyaki or anything the jerk didn't even bring me coffee. I left $5 and should have left a penny.
But If we pay by charge we also add odd cents to the tip so that the total bill will come up to the ending number my husband and I have picked for the month that way we can spot a bogus charge on our bill. In the $25.00 dollar example the bill would be $27.50 with tax and we would have made the tip $6.25 so that the bill ended in .75 as that is our number for the month. Since we have started doing this I have caught about 4 bogus charges from resturants a year mostly from when we are on vacation and someone double swipes our card.

Told you I was wierd

If your getting charged 10% tax on food, then you need to call the state, as the sales tax is 6-7%. Once again, they are human, they forget thing, get busy. Dont forget too that they are cleaning in the back, running other peoples food, getting ice and so on.

[meatthevillages]

Originally Posted by KellBelle

I always tip atleast 10 percent even if the service is bad but normally I tip 30 percent. Most people don't realize that servers have to give some of that tip to the bar, bus, expo, etc. I am a server in the villages and the place that I work, 5 percent of your sales are automatically taken out of your checkout for other employees. So even if I do get 20 percent, in reality I am only getting to keep 15 percent. So if I am not topped I am paying tip wait on the table for up to an hour. I have never given bad service to anyone but some people just don't tip! Most belong to a certain group which is bad but true! When I go out I almost always get bad service. I still tip! Servers think I won't tip because I am young with a small child and in most cases that is generally true but I am a big topper. Minimum 5 bucks even if my check is only 10 bucks.

Dont forget the the government taxes you on 18% . So if you got 15% minus 3-5% for bus, bar, thats 10%, now, you got 15% tip, you stil pay 8% more on money you didnt get, because the government assumes you got 18%.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by meatthevillages

Dont forget the the government taxes you on 18% . So if you got 15% minus 3-5% for bus, bar, thats 10%, now, you got 15% tip, you stil pay 8% more on money you didnt get, because the government assumes you got 18%.

When did this happen? Could you provide some link so I could research that? Wasn't that way when my wife was a server for many years.

Also - Do all restaurants have to report exact sales figures per server? Is it completely automated even at mom and pop operations? Seems like that would be a daunting task considering how many servers end up running for other tables etc.

Note: I know that waiters are SUPPOSED to report full figures to the IRS but you seem to be indicating the restaurant produces exact sales figures for each server and I don't think that fully happens.

[Parker]

I don't think waiters should even have to report their tips to the IRS. And I think restaurants should be required to pay minimum wage like all other businesses. And as for pooling tips, no way! Good waiters should end up with more money at the end of their shift, and bad waiters should be motivated to improve their service if they want better money for themselves. For the record, I tip about 20%, depending.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Parker

I don't think waiters should even have to report their tips to the IRS. And I think restaurants should be required to pay minimum wage like all other businesses. And as for pooling tips, no way! Good waiters should end up with more money at the end of their shift, and bad waiters should be motivated to improve their service if they want better money for themselves. For the record, I tip about 20%, depending.

NO pooling tips. I agree. More money for those who work and deserve it and put up with a lot of selfish mean people.



And if any of you who are servers in any of the restaurants are reading this thread, there are many of us who are grateful for your good hard work and patience. We respect you mightily for long hours on your feet and proud that you take care of yourselves and your families like many of us have done over the years.

I hope that you know that many of us appreciate you and try to tip you fairly.

[gemorc]

I didn't read the entire eleven pages of this thread, but here is my opinion. Doesn't my amenities fees cover all my tipping?

[CFrance]

Honestly... maybe we just don't go out to eat as much as everyone else, but we've never had bad service from any waitstaff around here, ever.

Plus... I was at a club dinner the other night on the patio of Arnold Palmer CC. There were about 130 women there. We were there for a celebration, but everyone was responsible for buying her own dinner & drinks separately. The service was phenomenal--fast & efficient. Checks came promptly after you asked for them. I was amazed at their organization. Gratuity was included in the bill, but service was so well performed it deserved a more of top of that. These people were very professional.

[tommy steam]

Originally Posted by beartrack

There really is no correct answer to the posts in this thread. It is very sad but true, none the less. Redwitch says the laws should be changed to insure that servers and all other restaurant employee's get paid the minimum wage but, then she goes on to say that if the owners were forced to pay a fair wage they would have to raise prices to a level that most of their patrons could ill afford. They would soon be out of business. Of course red is a good person and means well but, what is the answer. As a restaurantuer I have been searching for that answer for more years then I care to admit in public. I firmly believe that there is no answer. In my quest for a fair resolution to this matter, I got lots of opinions, especially from people that were never in the business. Those opinions that I got from folks like me that worked in the trade and then risked all to have their own place, gave me the same answer. There is no answer.

In 2007 I went to Australia for a month long visit. They pay the servers in restaurants a very good wage , they are considered having a profession. I did not notice the food prices being too much higher than places I ate at in NYC.
This was in Sidney .

[CFrance]

The cost of living in Australia is so darn high that the minimum wage there of $15/hr only seems high to us. Australia is an incredibly expensive place to live. As of 2013, Sydney is the third most expensive place to live in the world; Melbourne is fifth. Paris is 8th; No American city even makes the top 20.

Our son & wife live & work there. We have visited. The prices are astounding.

[floridagirl94]

Originally Posted by gemorc

I didn't read the entire eleven pages of this thread, but here is my opinion. Doesn't my amenities fees cover all my tipping?

So in addition to the beautiful pools and rec centers that are available to you, no greens fees on executive golf courses, entertainment on all of the squares 7 times a week, beautifully landscaped entrances, and many other perks of the Villages lifestyle that your $150/month amenities fees cover, you think gratuities should also be included??

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by floridagirl94

So in addition to the beautiful pools and rec centers that are available to you, no greens fees on executive golf courses, entertainment on all of the squares 7 times a week, beautifully landscaped entrances, and many other perks of the Villages lifestyle that your $150/month amenities fees cover, you think gratuities should also be included??

Facetious | What is the Definition of Facetious? | Dictionary.com

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by floridagirl94

So in addition to the beautiful pools and rec centers that are available to you, no greens fees on executive golf courses, entertainment on all of the squares 7 times a week, beautifully landscaped entrances, and many other perks of the Villages lifestyle that your $150/month amenities fees cover, you think gratuities should also be included??

Gemorc is pulling on our collective leg. He is a nice fellow. VERY nice. Bit ornery.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by floridagirl94

So in addition to the beautiful pools and rec centers that are available to you, no greens fees on executive golf courses, entertainment on all of the squares 7 times a week, beautifully landscaped entrances, and many other perks of the Villages lifestyle that your $150/month amenities fees cover, you think gratuities should also be included??

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

Facetious | What is the Definition of Facetious? | Dictionary.com