Tip your waiters!!!!

[ethiostar]

Speaking of waiting tables and being frazzled, i used to work with a guy who was always in the weeds, no matter how slow or busy it was. We gave him the nickname "jungle boy" after a while. lol

 

[jksmith269]

...and you can defiantly tell who has waited tables in their life and who haven't. Those who have understand how taxing it is. JK, let me do some math for you:

6 tables, on average 5 people per table at dinner time = 30 people.
30 drinks, 30 meals, maybe 10 appetizers.
Now you have to enter these into the computer and keep track of all 30 meals in a prompt matter, while the rest of the restaurant is doing the same thing (so yours might be lost in the kitchen). While your yelling to get the food out faster you have to keep 30 drinks full. Once you take care of all this and do a great job and make about $2 per table because "there is no rule" for tipping, it pisses you off. Waiting tables is not easy, if I threw you in there I bet you would be so frazzled you would quit.

Let me tell you about my job before college...

US Navy I worked on F-18s

12 on 12 off lugging around 200+lbs of chains, greasey, dirty, stinking... Deploy for 6-8 mos a year unless there's maintenance on the ship then you may get 8 mos between deployments. and that was after OH yeah first assignment for enlisted on most ships is in the GALLEY where you server on a carrier I think was around 40K meals a day, and the pay if you break it down was around 27 CENTS a hour and you got no tips... that's 12 on 12 off 7 days a week for almost the entire cruise... so to say I'd get so frazzled having to handel a measly 30 people is just well funny... then again that was almost 20 years ago for me so yeah maybe it would...

btw I do tip good, I just don't like people telling me how to tip.. if it's good service I tip good if not then I don't but I always leave a tip even for bad service...

 

[vta]

Everyone has a job that's taxing and no one eats for free. I understand completely the importance of relying on tips, as my mother held down two jobs as a waitress to support us.

Yet the understanding she functioned with was, yes no matter how good you are, some people are just a bit tight and won't tip, while others will appreciate your effort and treat you well. It was not predicated on a rule or set guideline, it was predicated on her manner of doing her job. It was on her shoulders, not the stranger paying for his/her meal.

I personally hate the included gratuity, as it sets up the idea that no matter how you function, you get tipped anyway.

This generation thinks that 'gratuity' is a given. The last 3 times I had pizza delivered, despite the length of time it too and how poor the pizza, I was still asked 'how much change' do I want? As though the tip is a given.

If it bothers you so much, my advice to you is get out of the service industry and try something else, because the only rule in life is, people can't really be forced to be considerate or care, and in working with people you'll never avoid getting all types. It's not worth getting angry over.

 

[ethiostar]

So while I have been generally tipping 20%, I don't think that is the absolute "rule" nowadays, but I still do it. If the service is poor, I still tip but it's closer to 15% then. I can't recall ever not tipping or just tipping less than 10%.

If i have a decent service i leave about 20%. When i have received great service i've been known to leave as much as 30%-40% and will request the same waiter the next time i go to the restaurant.

However, if i receive a poor to bad service i will not even leave 15%. If it happens more than once with the same waiter, i will refuse to sit in his/her section the next time i go back to the same restaurant.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Just out of curiosity....

Are waiters trained to only ask you questions just as you are taking a drink or when you have just taken a bite of food. That annoys me to no end. :laugh1:

 

[ethiostar]

Just out of curiosity....

Are waiters trained to only ask you questions just as you are taking a drink or when you have just taken a bite of food. That annoys me to no end. :laugh1:

lol, that is so true..... but it cuts down on what customers can ask from you.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Completely depends on the service and attitude. If you deserve it, you will get a good tip.

Are waiters trained to only ask you questions just as you are taking a drink or when you have just taken a bite of food. That annoys me to no end. :laugh1:

:signmast:

Last week the Mrs. and I went out for Mexican. The plate was very hot and the food was steaming. While allowing a couple of minutes for the food to cool here comes the questions. It was obvious we hadn't even begun our meal yet. That annoys the hell out of me.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Completely depends on the service and attitude. If you deserve it, you will get a good tip.

:signmast:

Last week the Mrs. and I went out for Mexican. The plate was very hot and the food was steaming. While allowing a couple of minutes for the food to cool here comes the questions. It was obvious we hadn't even begun our meal yet. That annoys the hell out of me.

The only thing worse than a non existent waiter is one that comes by every minute and asks how the food is or do you need anything else. Just keep the glasses full and take the plates when we are done and bring the check.

 

[Bach]

Several years ago I went to a lunch buffet and even though it was just a buffet I still left 15% which came to exactly $1.05. Since I had the change I didn't think anything of it and left the dollar and nickle. The funny thing is that the guy I worked with and I were halfway to our car in the parking lot when the waiter came running up to us. I thought he was going to tell us we had left something inside, but instead he said, I've seen people leave an a dollar and a penny, meaning they liked the service, but he said, I just have to know, what does leaving a dollar and a nickle mean?" I just looked at him and said, it means that's what 15% equaled. He was look "oh" and turned and went back in.

 

[ethiostar]

Completely depends on the service and attitude. If you deserve it, you will get a good tip.

:signmast:

Last week the Mrs. and I went out for Mexican. The plate was very hot and the food was steaming. While allowing a couple of minutes for the food to cool here comes the questions. It was obvious we hadn't even begun our meal yet. That annoys the hell out of me.

I used to train waiters back in the day and that is one thing that i used to tell them. It is not necessary for you to ask too many questions. Just make yourself visible/available and scan your tables from a distance to see if they need refills or if anyone is looking up searching for you. Most people go to restaurants not only to eat but also have a conversation with their families and friends. It becomes irritating to customers when you interrupt them every five minutes, no matter how well intentioned you are.

 

[AbeBeta]

20% or higher. If the service sucks you have to consider the situation. If the place it totally busy and the staff is hammered, don't punish them. Now if the place is empty and your server is just sitting around.

I have a friend who never wants to go over 15 and will make mental notes throughout the night to argue for a lower tip. But seriously, we end up arguing 15 vs. 20% for a $100 bill. If we can afford $100 then frankly, giving the staff an extra $5 isn't going to hurt us.

Really it is just part of the cost of going out. You don't like it, go somewhere that you get your own food at the counter.

BTW - Waitfolks -- my friend insists that if she orders a bottle of wine over $20 that she only tip 3 or 4 bucks on it. Her reasoning is that the $100 bottle of wine takes the same effort as the $20 bottle.... Opinions?

 

[Yeagermeister]

20% or higher. If the service sucks you have to consider the situation. If the place it totally busy and the staff is hammered, don't punish them. Now if the place is empty and your server is just sitting around.

I have a friend who never wants to go over 15 and will make mental notes throughout the night to argue for a lower tip. But seriously, we end up arguing 15 vs. 20% for a $100 bill. If we can afford $100 then frankly, giving the staff an extra $5 isn't going to hurt us.

Really it is just part of the cost of going out. You don't like it, go somewhere that you get your own food at the counter.

BTW - Waitfolks -- my friend insists that if she orders a bottle of wine over $20 that she only tip 3 or 4 bucks on it. Her reasoning is that the $100 bottle of wine takes the same effort as the $20 bottle.... Opinions?

I can see her point on the wine. The waiter is doing anything extra just because the wine costs more. But then I don't drink wine so it doesn't matter to me.

 

[AbeBeta]

I can see her point on the wine. The waiter is doing anything extra just because the wine costs more. But then I don't drink wine so it doesn't matter to me.

I think she had a point. But also, the other side is, if you can order a $150 bottle of wine then don't be cheap about the tip.

 

[ajk23az]

Sorry I just needed to rant. I am a waiter and I am sick and tired of people coming into the restaurant and asking for a million things, racking up a $40 bill, then leaving $0 for a tip. Heck, even $3 sucks for that bill. 20% is the rule people. Maybe it was 15% back in the day but times have changed. Unless they just have a terrible attitude the whole time leave a tip, you have no idea how stressful it can be to wait on 6 tables at one time. Also, the kitchen is to blame for most food mistakes. The amount of people leaving 0-5% tips makes me sick. I am trying to work to make money for college and people can't even leave a few bucks. Odds are $5 won't make a difference in their standard of living, but it makes a huge difference in my life.

I totally agree.

I'm a senior in college right now and have worked customer service at a golf course for 3 years now. Let me tell you what, most golfers are the cheapest SOBs for tips.

For us, we walk out into the parking lot to their car to grab their bags so they don't have to carry them, walk all the way back in, put the bags on a cart, drive the cart around, fill the coolers, put tees and a scorecard in it, we also have to be the starter & the ranger on the course, fill the driving range with balls so it never gets empty, etc. and then when the guys/gals come in for us to wash their clubs and come in with the excuse "no their good", "they don't deserve it", "I'll do it at home", "they work better when their dirty", "I gave all my money to the cart girl", "all I have is a $20 so I can't" (we got change you douschebag)..

We get paid better than waiters/waitresses but me than 60% of golfers at my course do not tip or they give a single dollar. Pretty lame.

 

[Temo]

But why is it worked this way? Why leave a waiter's compensation up to the customer instead of just paying them a fair wage and incorporating it into the price of the food?

 

[Yeagermeister]

But why is it worked this way? Why leave a waiter's compensation up to the customer instead of just paying them a fair wage and incorporating it into the price of the food?

Restaurant owners are cheap

 

[Faerluna]

Completely depends on the service and attitude. If you deserve it, you will get a good tip.

:signmast:

Last week the Mrs. and I went out for Mexican. The plate was very hot and the food was steaming. While allowing a couple of minutes for the food to cool here comes the questions. It was obvious we hadn't even begun our meal yet. That annoys the hell out of me.

I used to like to check after the food arrived to make sure that you have everything you want before beginning to eat. For instance, you decide you want some sour cream or extra napkins, etc.

To address the point earlier about not wanting the server to be chatty, a good server knows who wants to be friendly and who wants to be left alone. Most are trying to be nice enough that you don't think they are aloof or rude.

Then again, I've waited on some of the rudest people that you know will never be happy, even if you went out and washed their car while they ate.

Made me wonder why they even went out in the first place, unless it was to make everyone they interacted with as miserable as they were.

 

[Hostile]

I always tip 15% for average service. If you do a good job, make sure my glass is always filled, etc... you get more.

Bingo.

The only time I would ever stiff someone is if the service and food was crappy. I think that has happened one time in my life.

 

[AbeBeta]

But why is it worked this way? Why leave a waiter's compensation up to the customer instead of just paying them a fair wage and incorporating it into the price of the food?

You think we should be like European countries where waitstaff earn a living wage and tipping is just rounding up to the next Euro?

Are you a commie?

 

[Faerluna]

But why is it worked this way? Why leave a waiter's compensation up to the customer instead of just paying them a fair wage and incorporating it into the price of the food?

Then you'd really see some crap service!