35 replies to this topic

[Jill-O]

So where is the line drawn? Tips only for people that use their hands and do work deemed dignified? But no tips for people who, say, use a computer? No tips for people who work in certain industries? Who decides upon this arbitrary demarcation between tipping and not tipping?

I am supposed to tip the pizza delivery guy but not the Fed Ex guy? Why?

Is this enough reason?

[polloelastico]

[Jill-O]

HA!

Fair enough...stiff 'em both. ;o)

[ExtraMSG]

As a former pizza delivery guy, I can guarantee the FedEx guy makes a lot more money.

It's not an arbitrary demarcation, it's a cultural one. And the market is adjusted accordingly for pay. So, whether you like it or not, you do need to factor that in.

Like most things, the idea of tipping is often better than the practice of tipping. My mom, a waitress for 25 years who also trained servers, believed strongly in not tipping for poor service. It's necessary for the intended purpose of tipping to work. If servers see that what they do matters, they will adjust the way they do things. Just tipping 15% instead of 20% or 10% instead of 15% for poor service probably won't get the point across, unless most people do it. My tipping goes like this: good service, 20% or more; slightly flawed service, 10-15%; poor service, 0%. Since I've gotten more confident as I've gotten older, I will often follow up with a comment to the manager with really bad service.

Of course, there are two more parts to the equation: 1) The back of the house. The kitchen can have a lot to do with what most people think of as their restaurants service, such as how fast their food comes out, whether it's properly made, etc; a good server will affect your experience of this, offering a drink, perhaps, if your food is slow or comping an improperly made dish. But people often tip based as much or more on what the BOH does than what the FOH does. And that's fine, since the FOH should be tipping the BOH in most cases. 2) The management. Servers are accountable to customers through tips, but they're also accountable to their employers. Or at least they should be. Some managers don't make their staff accountable. As long as they punch in every day, they keep their jobs.

[Jill-O]

Of course, there are two more parts to the equation: 1) The back of the house. The kitchen can have a lot to do with what most people think of as their restaurants service, such as how fast their food comes out, whether it's properly made, etc; a good server will affect your experience of this, offering a drink, perhaps, if your food is slow or comping an improperly made dish. But people often tip based as much or more on what the BOH does than what the FOH does. And that's fine, since the FOH should be tipping the BOH in most cases. 2) The management. Servers are accountable to customers through tips, but they're also accountable to their employers. Or at least they should be. Some managers don't make their staff accountable. As long as they punch in every day, they keep their jobs.

Yeah, I had a serious talk with a friend at dinner one night when I still lived in NYC. It was a bad night in the restaurant, the BOH was clearly screwing up, getting orders wrong for multiple servers, some dishes not coming out at all, there was a bit of screaming overheard... My friend was all, "I am not tipping, this is ridiculous!" But our server tried to do whatever they could, made sure bread and water were refilled, kept coming by to apologize, kept going to the manager and bartender to see if she could offer free drinks (idiot manager obviously said no)...working her ass off trying to make sure our dinner out was not a total disaster. I explained this to my friend, and she looked at me and said, "Wow, I never thought of it that way...you're right, it's not her fault."

Now, I wouldn't necessarily return to a place that can't get it's shit together, but neither am I going to fault a server that is doing whatever they can to salvage my dining experience.

But most folks just don't get that...and it's a shame.

My mom was a fan of the 2 cent tip to get the point across for bad service. Her view was that she did not want them to think that she forgot to tip at all, she wanted them to get the point that the service she received was only worth 2 cents.

[Quo Vadis]

Tipping really is stupid. We are a stupid society.

Tipping is the only thing that makes sense. Merit-based pay.
I can't even begin to understand why someone would not want the option to reward the exceptional.

There is a reason why service is so fucking crappy where tipping is not customary- because they get paid just as much for *not* bringing you another drink as they do for bringing you a drink.

I get plenty of great service from people who do not work for tips. And plenty of awful service from people who do.

Well, I've had precisely the opposite experience and not just as a customer but as an employer. I see no reason why how much one makes shouldn't be tied to how well they do their job.

Recently I ordered room service in San Francisco - $5 delivery fee and 20% service charge tacked onto the bill. The guy came up and knocked on my door - I expected to just grab his tray, but he insisted on coming in. He wheeled the cart in, set it up in front of the television, fluffed the pillows on the couch, poured water, poured coffee, unfurled the napkin-wrapped silverware, put the napkin on my lap, asked if he could turn on the TV for me and asked what channel I'd like. It was very uncomfortable, but I guess this is what they call "good service." This was for a bowl of soup and a cobb salad.

Later a party of four of us spent $300 on a meal at Slanted Door and had to wait 15 minutes for a refill of white rice, by which time our food was cold. This rice, by the way, we spent $16 a la carte ($2 per person, per table) and it was overcooked.

Same tip. Just give me the service charge already.

Internet lacking inflection and facial expression as it does this is going to come of sounding snarky but I promise you I don't mean it that way.
What it sounds like is that you prefer compulsion to choice.

[sacman]

Last night I tried to leave a tip of sausages.

True story, bro. It didn't work out, but I bet it will next time. I'll be better prepared.

-sacman

[ExtraMSG]

Be careful giving tips of your sausage to strangers.

[Jill-O]

Tips of sausages...sounds like a bris...

[polloelastico]

Tipping really is stupid. We are a stupid society.

Tipping is the only thing that makes sense. Merit-based pay.
I can't even begin to understand why someone would not want the option to reward the exceptional.

There is a reason why service is so fucking crappy where tipping is not customary- because they get paid just as much for *not* bringing you another drink as they do for bringing you a drink.

I get plenty of great service from people who do not work for tips. And plenty of awful service from people who do.

Well, I've had precisely the opposite experience and not just as a customer but as an employer. I see no reason why how much one makes shouldn't be tied to how well they do their job.

Recently I ordered room service in San Francisco - $5 delivery fee and 20% service charge tacked onto the bill. The guy came up and knocked on my door - I expected to just grab his tray, but he insisted on coming in. He wheeled the cart in, set it up in front of the television, fluffed the pillows on the couch, poured water, poured coffee, unfurled the napkin-wrapped silverware, put the napkin on my lap, asked if he could turn on the TV for me and asked what channel I'd like. It was very uncomfortable, but I guess this is what they call "good service." This was for a bowl of soup and a cobb salad.

Later a party of four of us spent $300 on a meal at Slanted Door and had to wait 15 minutes for a refill of white rice, by which time our food was cold. This rice, by the way, we spent $16 a la carte ($2 per person, per table) and it was overcooked.

Same tip. Just give me the service charge already.

Internet lacking inflection and facial expression as it does this is going to come of sounding snarky but I promise you I don't mean it that way.
What it sounds like is that you prefer compulsion to choice.

I would say it's a bit of that, but it's more like I just appreciate things to be simple and expectations to be clear. I don't want a self-reflective moment considering macroeconomic policy or to weigh the merits of Hayek vs. Keynes or to expound upon the validity of the Chicago School of Rational Expectations each time I eat a meal or visit the dry cleaner or have someone blend me a smoothie. If that's accepting the soft bigotry of low expectations that the rest of the fascist world has foisted upon them, then so be it.

[ExtraMSG]

I hear a nice soft bigotry tastes great with a full bodied pinot noir, though it's more appropriate with a hoppy beer when accompanied by low expectations.

[John DePaula]

I would say it's a bit of that, but it's more like I just appreciate things to be simple and expectations to be clear. I don't want a self-reflective moment considering macroeconomic policy or to weigh the merits of Hayek vs. Keynes or to expound upon the validity of the Chicago School of Rational Expectations each time I eat a meal or visit the dry cleaner or have someone blend me a smoothie. If that's accepting the soft bigotry of low expectations that the rest of the fascist world has foisted upon them, then so be it.

You certainly can turn a phrase, Mr. Pollo, and I for one am a fan! :-)

[ibgpdx]

Is 25% the new standard for tipping?
http://bites.today.c...s-where-you-eat

[jafar]

..The latest rise in percentage, a phenomenon that author Steve Dublanica dubbed “tip creep,” may only be limited to New York, however. A thread on Chowhound.com suggests that 20 percent is standard, although some gourmands are willing to pay 25 percent or even more for exceptional service, and knock gratuity down to 15 percent for sub-par attendance...

DO I get to be the first to call BS on this story?

Talk about an unscientific sampling. It reads as though the author somehow extrapolated the self selected, self reported figures from Chowhound to come up with a number to represent the greater restaurant patronizing population.

I wonder what number she'd come up with for the average American penis length using similar methodology?

[StMaximo]

Or no tip

[goodbyeohio]

i am always astounded when i look at receipts at the end of the night how many people can't fill in the 'tip' field and go right to the 'total' field. math is not portland's strong suit, i guess.

I do it all the time...because I prefer to tip in cash whenever possible.

I do wonder if those going through receipts think I don't tip. Ultimately I deceided that I didn't care as the tip should not be about people thinking I tip well, but a thank you for the good service I have had. Occasionally I will write in "cash" on the tip line, but I don't always do it...

funny.. just rereading this thread and i think i was misunderstood. i'm talking about slips that look like this:

sale: $24.85
tip: _______
total: $28.00

so when entering tips, there is the need to stop and do the head math. its only a matter of a couple seconds, but they add up when you're doing this 200+ times per day