Are you tipping enough?

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Old 03-22-2015, 08:06 PM
Beechie Beechie is offline
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Originally Posted by Ozzello View Post
I live here full time. When I eat out (several times a week), I tip at least 20%. More if I feel the waitress/waiter provided good service. They don't even make minimum wage before tips. After taxes, most make about 50 bucks a week on their paychecks.

I hear it is common during 'season' for a few of the folks that stay here only a month or 2 during the winter, to sit down with 5, 6 or more people for a dinner, and tip 5 or 10% (or less even), like they do in Canada (where they make a LOT more by the hour) , or in Europe.

A 'comped' tip on your bill would be 18%. I know it isn't because you don't have the money, that you aren't tipping a fair rate. I am going to figure it is because you didn't know, and now that you read this ... you know. In my opinion, tipping a waitress/waiter anything less than 18% is stealing from them.

Most folks do tip properly, and some maybe didn't know what should be tipped in this part of the world. Some of you knew, don't, and never will. I feel sorry for you almost as much as I do for the people who wait on you.
Interesting how you would paint all Canadians with the same broad brush. Ontario has a minimum wage now of $11.00 per hour and will increase again in the fall. We, like some other posters have stated, typically tip in the 20% range. Canadians are very similar to our American friends in so many ways.
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Old 03-22-2015, 08:23 PM
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I don't see the logic in tipping a percentage.

It can take your server more time and effort to handle an $8 endless soup and salad order than a $24 entree. Should s/he get one third the tip just because I decide to have a cheap meal that day?

Same with wine. A $25 bottle takes no less time to open and pour than a $50 bottle. Why tip them half as much?

Just pay them what you think they deserve for their effort and professionalism.
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Old 03-22-2015, 08:35 PM
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I tip 20% or more because I don't order much, there are a lot of cheap skates and the waiter is doing the best they can where they work now.

The truth is tipping is very unfair.

If you go fishing on a private boat here is what happens. There is a guy running around doing what you don't know how to do or is outside your comfort zone. At the end of the day you have had an experience that would not happen without him. He bates the hook, he brings in the fish from the side of the boat, he takes out the hook and cleans the fish. He deserves a really big tip.

But what does a waiter do that you couldn't do for yourself? They take the scrambled eggs or lobster from the counter to your chair. They serve a VO Manhattan or a cup of coffee. Yet the tip is based on the total price not the service.
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Old 03-22-2015, 08:47 PM
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Last edited by sunnyatlast; 03-22-2015 at 09:15 PM. Reason: Said it wrongly
  #20  
Old 03-22-2015, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by redwitch View Post
and remember that the server not only makes well below minimum wage, but must help pay the salaries of co-workers such as the hostess, barback, busboy, etc. and that is figured at 18% of the tab regardless of the actual tip. Plus the IRS figures the income at 18% percent of the total tab.
The 18% figure is inaccurate. Here is the direct rule from the IRS tax regulation for 2014:

How were your allocated tips figured. The tips allocated
to you are your share of an amount figured by subtracting
the reported tips of all employees from 8% (or an
approved lower rate) of food and drink sales (other than
carryout sales and sales with a service charge of 10% or
more). Your share of that amount was figured using either
a method provided by an employer-employee agreement
or a method provided by IRS regulations based on employees'
sales or hours worked
. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p531.pdf

As long as a servers are reported to receive 8% of sales the IRS gives the establishment a pass. Clearly this invites fraud as it is very unlikely any establishment has such a poor tip rate.
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Old 03-22-2015, 09:07 PM
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Originally Posted by sunnyatlast View Post
You're kidding, right?

And if I couldn't bait my own hook and reel in and net my fish from the side of the boat, and paid a guy to do that for me, I wouldn't tell people I "went fishing".

Being a server OR a fishing surrogate is hard work because they have to please people who can't be pleased, and then those same customers "can't do without a couple of dollars" toward a better tip.
Open your mind a little. Not everyone knows what you know about fishing. This is why I tip the mates so well. I don't know anything about skydiving either but if someone helped me get down I would tip them well too.

"can't do without a couple of dollars"
That's a quote that has nothing to do with me. Where did it come from?

Get ****ed off at someone else if that makes your day.

ps I didn't add those asterisks. I'm not from around here.
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Old 03-22-2015, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by tomwed View Post
Open your mind a little. Not everyone knows what you know about fishing. This is why I tip the mates so well. I don't know anything about skydiving either but if someone helped me get down I would tip them well too.

"can't do without a couple of dollars"

That's a quote that has nothing to do with me. Where did it come from?

Get ****ed off at someone else if that makes your day.

ps I didn't add those asterisks.
Actually, I should have said comparing the difficulty of work of a fishing surrogate to a restaurant server is like comparing apples and oranges.

And I mentioned "can't do without a couple of dollars" because the subject is tipping and people who are cheap tippers.

I apologize if you are offended and I'll remove the post if possible.
  #23  
Old 03-22-2015, 09:35 PM
784caroline 784caroline is offline
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I am not about to pass judgement on anyone regarding how they tip....and moreso what we say here on this board will have every little impact if any on how a person rewards a server for service.

Yes I have heard the stories about how people give 20 ---25 --or more percent as a tip. I congradulate them. On a cruise ship I am often asked should we leave something extra knowing the tips are already included in the cruise fare. I always say " you tip what you are comfortable in tipping...your under no obligation..but if the server provided you good service they should be rewarded..the amount is up to you. "

We are all adults and should know what the (tipping) customs are here in the US...yes it can be difficult when people from other countries visit the US or when americans visit foreign countires but its unfair to highlight Canadians in your example for it could apply to Brits, all Europeans and Asians or even AMERICANS.

The system is wrong and just like how we pay income taxes in america, so are our tipping policies and I dont expect a change in the near future.. All I can do is control my own actions..and thats what I do.
  #24  
Old 03-23-2015, 12:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Ozzello View Post
I live here full time. When I eat out (several times a week), I tip at least 20%. More if I feel the waitress/waiter provided good service. They don't even make minimum wage before tips. After taxes, most make about 50 bucks a week on their paychecks.

I hear it is common during 'season' for a few of the folks that stay here only a month or 2 during the winter, to sit down with 5, 6 or more people for a dinner, and tip 5 or 10% (or less even), like they do in Canada (where they make a LOT more by the hour) , or in Europe.

A 'comped' tip on your bill would be 18%. I know it isn't because you don't have the money, that you aren't tipping a fair rate. I am going to figure it is because you didn't know, and now that you read this ... you know. In my opinion, tipping a waitress/waiter anything less than 18% is stealing from them.

Most folks do tip properly, and some maybe didn't know what should be tipped in this part of the world. Some of you knew, don't, and never will. I feel sorry for you almost as much as I do for the people who wait on you.


We went out to eat the other night at one of the country clubs. Our meal came to 36.00. Our meal was ok, as was the server. She was nice, but other than fill our glasses once, we never saw much of her. We paid for ur meal, and gave her 10.00 and told her that we needed change. We didn't say it was for her tip, but I am sure she should know that. She brought us back the change for the 10.00, but no change for the 40.00 we had given her for our meal. We waited for quite a long time for her to bring back the 4 bucks, and she never came back by our table, or looked our way. We tried to get her attention, but couldn't. We thought about walking into her way, but the longer we sat, the more annoyed we got, and finally decided that it wasn't right for her to just assume she could keep the extra money from the 40.00. So we left without leaving her any additional money which is why we asked for change. WE decided she got her tip herself-she would have been better off to let us figure the tip. She probably thought we were terrible, but it was not right for her to just assume she could keep that money. Ironically, if she had returned our money, she would have gotten that much and a lot more. Some may think we were terrible for not tipping properly, but she never returned, and we should not have had to chase her to get our change back. BTW, she had 3 tables inc. ours, so she wasn't horribly busy.
  #25  
Old 03-23-2015, 12:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzello View Post
What I heard, was that the waitresses and waiters in Canada made a bit more than $5 an hour, not needing as high a percentage for tips.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechie View Post
Interesting how you would paint all Canadians with the same broad brush. Ontario has a minimum wage now of $11.00 per hour and will increase again in the fall. We, like some other posters have stated, typically tip in the 20% range. Canadians are very similar to our American friends in so many ways.
Ozzello ..... despite the fact that minimum wage in Ontario is $11.00, Canadians in general are a civilized bunch and understand that wages for servers in Florida are low. We tip accordingly, as do all Canadians I know.
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Old 03-23-2015, 06:44 AM
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I mentioned Canadians, and Europeans, to say some of the low tipping could be a mistake, due to different customs in other countries. Most of the US waitresses make 5 bucks an hour, less than minimum wage.

This post was in no way directed at any certain country or area, this post is directed at the people who know how much to tip, and don't. When they eat out with other people, they nit pic the food or the something anything else they can, as an excuse not to tip.

I direct this at post at the lady that stiffed her waitress, because the waitress called her "honey".
  #27  
Old 03-23-2015, 06:59 AM
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Why is it a fastfood restaurant pays minimum-wage, but a restaurant gets a pass on the law.
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  #28  
Old 03-23-2015, 07:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Cisco Kid View Post
Why is it a fastfood restaurant pays minimum-wage, but a restaurant gets a pass on the law.
That's a good question! They get a pass, because we are all arguing over how little we pay in tips to these servers.

In all actuality, if we all stopped tipping, restaurants would be required to pay, at least, minimum wage....it's the law!

We are no longer tipping for good service. We now are tipping as a wage subsidy for the restaurant, so they don't have to pay a living wage to their employees.
  #29  
Old 03-23-2015, 07:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash View Post
The 18% figure is inaccurate. Here is the direct rule from the IRS tax regulation for 2014:

How were your allocated tips figured. The tips allocated
to you are your share of an amount figured by subtracting
the reported tips of all employees from 8% (or an
approved lower rate) of food and drink sales (other than
carryout sales and sales with a service charge of 10% or
more). Your share of that amount was figured using either
a method provided by an employer-employee agreement
or a method provided by IRS regulations based on employees'
sales or hours worked
. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p531.pdfi

As long as a servers are reported to receive 8% of sales the IRS gives the establishment a pass. Clearly this invites fraud as it is very unlikely any establishment has such a poor tip rate.
I know that Darden restaurants take a minimum of 18%. If the tip on the credit card is more than 18%, the total amount is declared on taxes. If under, then the restaurant assumes some of the tip is left in cash and 18% is deducted. This seems to be the standard for most restaurants and why I always leave the tip in cash.
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  #30  
Old 03-23-2015, 08:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redwitch View Post

I remember one evening when my daughter came home in tears. Most of her shift was spent on a large group that stayed for more than three hours. Ultimately, they left her a ten percent tip after commenting to the manager what a great server she was. That table cost her almost ten dollars out of her own pocket in tipping out co-workers and that's not counting the tables she could have served had these folks stayed a reasonable time and tipped fairly. She actually worked for free that evening since she paid out more than what she made for her shift.
I tend to give even more (25-30%) when I'm with a large club group because I know the extra work involved, but that's just me.

I had a waitress make change at the table one night and I was due back a penny in addition to dollars. She asked me if I wanted the penny and I laughed and said no...she replied "you'd be surprised" and I said, no I wouldn't....
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