From my experience as a former waiter:

Friendly, cooperative table w/reduced tip > bunch of *******s w/higher tip.

Just be friendly but also tip well you cheap **** suckers.

Sometimes. Maybe.

Depends on the degree of seperation. In 'fine dining', you can quickly go from a $150 tab of a couple out on their anniverary, to a $1000+ table of two execs having a meeting. The variance in tip here is generally <5% ... Execs win, every time. Money talks.

And FWIW: $2.13/hr is server pay in Texas.

As I've mentioned before, and has not been said in this thread, is you have to realize that in the U.S., in nicer restaurants, every dollar you spend, the waiter is paying a set percentage back to the house. In my case... 4.5% (I've heard as high as 6% in some places, not counting those with captain systems). Every time, every table, regardless. So when you tip 10%, nearly half of that is paid in life-rake. When you tip generously because your server wasn't a mouthbreather, he sees a real benefit from it.

Would I like to be paid min. wage? Yes. Do I think the US system is perfect? No. Is it going to change? No, there's too much profit in it for restaurants (many of which wouldn't survive if paying min.). Deal with it, and tip accordingly. Sure, if your server is terrible, a bad tip is in order, but if your waiter is clearly experienced and professional, he's 'moved up stakes'... pay the man his manies plz.

I could swear there was a NO TIPPING DISCUSSIONS rule in the sticky in OOT because they were stupid. I think I may be thinking of the B & M forum. Damnit.

How can you pay people below minimum wage? I don't understand this, given it is a legitimate buiness

Because minimum wage can be industry specific. Where I live the minimum wage is $10.25 unless you are a server then it is $8.90. If you are employed but work from home the minimum wage is $11.28. Under 18 minimum wage is $9.60. Then there are also minimum wages for work related to hunting and fishing but I'm too lazy to look them up.

go on

This is idiotic. The owners of restaurants in regions where tipping isn't the norm are simply forced to pay a higher wage rate to their servers than in America. This extra cost finds its way to the consumers in the form of higher prices.

If tomorrow, everyone in America woke up and decided that they never wanted to tip their server again what do you think would happen? All the servers would decide that its not worth working to make the $2 or $3 an hour they are paid from the owner, and would thus either leave their job or demand the owner compensate them for the money the customers are no longer leaving in tips. The result would be the owner would then be forced to increase the price of everything by roughly 15-20%.

lol @ euro op.

2% is the way to go at restaurants.

baha.

which counties are you talking about? because that is far from my experience.

level?

anyway, met a bartender that worked at an english pub in SF last week. told me an interesting story about the world cup games they showed at the bar.

when the americans played ghana, she made $200 in tips.

when germany played she got $40. (food revenue was 2x the american game, so it's not because they were empty. they were packed)

my view is that the germans (not sure who the opponent was) knew they were expected to tip, but did't because they're selfish/cheap and can always play the "i'm european, i had no idea" card.

How did this thread not get taken out back to the woodshed and mercifully shot in the face already?

There were probably no more Germans the second time as the first time.

I'm fine with tipping threads/discussions being allowed, with the caveat that neither Europeans nor current or former waitstaff are allowed to participate.

Without tipping topics how will I maintain my post per day rate?

Every meal i go for involves a 2for1 coupon and drinking tap water. I don't think a waiter would ever expect a tip, i still leave 10%, just to impress the girl really.

I think tipping should be reflective of the quality of service that you receive. For example, I tipped 25% on a pizza that was delivered earlier because it arrived quickly and was hot.

Buuuuuullshoot.

Btw, is tipping taxi drivers in the UK supposed to be standard? I have never done this. It's quite possible I've just never heard of it, but I dunno. The idea of tipping taxi drivers seems pretty strange.

Ban OP and ban anyone who posted in this thread to continue the discussion of tipping?

Hi everyone,

FYI, in California waiters get paid at least min wage of $8/hr (before tips) and in San Francisco waiters get paid at least min wage of $9.79/hr (before tips).

I agree, but think in low-end diners if you receive great service you should not use a percentage and just tip a good amount.

For example, If am in a lower-end diner after bar time or something and receive exceptional service -- I am not content leaving $2 on a $10 bill, because this waitress worked her ass off a lot harder than anyone in a high-end diner would. I'll usually leave around a 100% tip in this case. I also don't think the waitstaff in high-end restaurants deserve 15-20% on a huge bill, but leave it anyways if I choose to go to such a place. Just like realtors don't deserve 6% on million dollar houses.

Meh, it's not like food in countries with lower tipping is more expensive than in the U.S. It's just way more profitable to have any sort of food joint there than in any other country. They wouldn't go out of business if the norm changed, that is certain. Waiters, paying back ~5% of their tips is ******ed as well, how commonplace is that?


And, if you don't go to advanced search for oot alone, it's 90% b&m if you search tip fwiw. I see there's a few.

Off the top of my head France, Spain, Italy and most eastern euro countries in general (although some places do have an additional service charge, not sure how much of that, if any, goes to the waiter).

I actually just spit all over my computer.

Why tip someone for a job I'm capable of doing myself? I can deliver food. I can drive a taxi. I can, and do, cut my own hair. I did however, tip my urologist, because I am unable to pulverize my own kidney stones.