I've never been a server, but there's one thing that drives me ****ing crazy when I see my friends do it. If the bill's $20.76 and they're paying with a credit card they'll tip $4.24 to make the total bill an even $25.

Why.

Why God Why.

You're paying with a ****ing credit card! It doesn't matter that it's an even ****ing dollar amount. Don't drop those ****ty pennies into the server's pocket! Why would you do that to them? Arrrrrrrg.

I usually tip in $1 increments, resulting in a flux from 18-22%. But I'd rather do that then give them spare change when I'm paying with a card.

My general rule, is that extra $1, means way more to them than you. Plus they just brought you food and everything you ask for, why you sat on your ass and shoved your pie whole.

I usually tip 20% on the total (after tax), but will make a few exceptions for
1) Having a large wine bill---If I have $120 in food, and $150 in wine charges, I will probably tip $25 for food, plus $15 for the wine. Such a huge mark up on wine.
2) if the service is really, really bad, I will tip nothing to a few buck if I even pay. I have left and told the manager they need to take care of the bill before.

A good server makes and breaks the meal IMO. For instance the server we had when I took you out was pretty good. He had a nice flow, change the wine based on our feedback, was attentive but wasn't hovering.

I go out to some nice restuarants, and I can usually tell right away if the service/dinner is going to be good. The server right off the back should ask what our plans our for the night, such as if we are going to someplace afterwards, or are we there just to "dine". If I am wearing a black suit and they don't get me a black napkin.....not a good sign. If they don't have favorites and recommendations it is not a good sign. Tons of things with wine also...if I bring my own bottle in, they should ask if I wanted decanted....and if I order a bottle, they should KNOW if it should be decanted. New glasses each time, no drips. etc.

Now obviously I don't expect the same service as if I went to Chiles, but I expect plenty of napkins, ask for refills, and check on me a few times during the meal. I hate it when the food arrives, there is something wrong and the server is no where to be seen. If the place is busy I understand, but they should be telling me they are back up, and know the critical times when they should be coming around the table.

Also if I can, at the lower end places, I always try to tip in cash, even if I am paying with a credit card. $26 bill, pay with the CC, and leave $5 in cash.

this is my rule. Tip the dealer regular on every flop, no need to throw them a $20 when you stack some one. If they ran a good table, you can throw them an extra chip when they are rotating.

Why are you tipping for bad service?

Tipping culture is different here in the UK, but even in the US, even though it's more expected, it's still a discretionary payment to show appreciation for good service. When I was in Vegas I was more than happy to tip more than my usual amount most of the time because the service was excellent (probably as a result of relying on tips for their living). It really peed me off though that tips were expected when some grumpy barman just took the tops off a few bottles of beer or we got really poor table service.

I worked for Chili's for several years while in college, and this is where regular good tipping comes in handy. Casual dining restaurants get slammed during common meal times, and can be slammed for hours on end on weekend nights. This means the seating rotation doesn't play...open table means people get sat, so you may get 2-4 tables seating all at the same time. At this point, your servers is determining his 'burn' list. You come in complaining about the wait time or some other general ass-holery thing, you just guaranteed yourself some **** service. The other tables will be attended to quickly, and you get the back burner. Offering a quick smile and a 'thank you' to your server just put you at the top of the list. If you are a reg customer and tip ****, you get **** service. If you tip well, you get A+ service every time.

The TGIF near my house, use to be terrible about keeping enough servers on staff during busy times. I must of talked to the manager 5-7 times about how having 4 servers for Friday 8PM is just wrong and a disservice to everyone working/eating there. I don't think I have been back for 5 years now.

Also in California, servers do make a Wage + Tip. Usually at a low end place it is $8 + Tip, but the restaurant has what they call guaranteed wages. That is if a server/bartender makes on average say $25 an hour, then during the restaurant opening and closing hours, the restaurant has to pay them $25 an hour, then $8 when they are serving.
When I bar-tended in Indiana at Applebees for a few months during cottage, I would be paid $14 an hour plus tip. Most weekends I was making $50 an hour.

Jesus man....California is screwed up. How the hell can TGIF afford to staff 12 servers when they're forced to pay them guaranteed wages for non-wait time? It takes a lot of prep to open/close a section.

And $8 or $14/hr+ tip is WTF? In Texas, it's 1/2 min wage/hour + tips.

A lot of servers like to have it that way, because they see it as making more tips because they have more tables.

They just don't realize that you just can't give good service, can't get to everyone for drink refills, they have to wait to order/get food. They'd make more on average per table with fewer, and probably more in the long run as customers want to come back.

It's like grinders - a lot of people get in the mentality that playing a ****load of hands at 1bb/100 is better than playing half the tables and making 3bb/100 or better.

In OH, servers get $3.75(?)/hour. There is what is called the Amount to Meet Guaranteed - where if you don't make min wage - server hourly in tips, then the restaurant pays you to make up the difference. But unless you work at a place with 1 table every 2 hours, there's no way you should make less than $4/hour in tips.

I'm not sure what Bartenders usually get - I think the bar I go to a lot pays $35 for a shift - 11-7 or 7-2.

I do a lot of the tipping on a CC to an even amount, just because it's easier to figure out. I get a ballpark of how much I'll tip, then just round. So if my bill is $18.24, 15% is like 2.70, I'm usually tipping 20+ (worked as a tipped employee a lot, and tend to go to the same places, get to know the service staff). I'll usually just figure around $4 on average, and if I don't think it was exceptional/know the person well, just make it $22 even, or go up to 23.

If I'm out with a bigger group/we were there a long time/I know others didn't tip as well/had a discount, then I'll tip more to make up for it.

Another factor in tipping servers is do they tip out the kitchen staff - if they do, then you should kick in a little higher % since they share the tips with help.

It's not like they'll be paying that a bunch. You have to make less than like $4/hour in tips.

So let's say you work a 6 hour shift. You have to make less than $24 to get the ATMG.

You should certainly check local customs when abroad. In some places waiters get no salary, e.g., Israel. In others tips are unheard of, e.g., Australia(?). In Germany waiters are paid and there are no strict rules for tips; some customers are incredibly cheap (leaving literally 20c on a €50 bill).

Given that servers tip out isn't the tip given by a customer a function of overall meal quality? I may be misunderstanding things but don't servers tip out to the rest of the people that helped make the meal?

EDIT: Sammy, the waiter we had did (IMO) a fantastic job, I think he is definitely an exception to servers having limited skills, he was very polite and seemed to know a great deal about the meal

My rule is usually 20% at least, for "meets or exceeds expectations" unless it's a smaller bill. Example, I go to this great burger bar near my apartment, and they run Monday 4p-cl specials. Burger and fries for $5. To give you an idea of how awesome this is, their burgers are $9+. I once got a kobe beef burger, usually for $10.50, for $5. Anyways, I'll typically order something other than regular fries, which means my bill comes out to $7.50. I make my total bill at least $11.

edit: Some would consider this standard practice though, since it's sort of like bringing in a coupon. In those cases, you're supposed to tip based on the full price, and not on the discounted price.

I always tip wait staff very generously, as long as they do a decent job. Those who go above and beyond, generally receive more. My mother was an alcoholic waitress and I also worked in the restaurant industry growing up, so I have a soft spot for working mothers...

If they TOTALLY suck, I've left a quarter so they know I didn't forget to tip. My basic tip is 20% and have gone as high as 40% at dinner parties for attentive service to all my guests.

Somehow, I always feel like a child is home while the mother is working and she'll do the right thing with the money earned, or in my case, going out after work... 'nuff said :sigh:

ok no problem.

i think the whole concept of tipping is bad, especially in places like the USA where ppl in hospitality essentially rely on it for close to 50% of their wage. i think that's plain wrong. in australia it's very rare to tip on a regular basis at restaurants/cafes, and tipping dealers at the casino is illegal. sure, people tip when they get good service, and that's fine, but the institution itself should be responsible for looking after the worker in terms of meeting their financial needs, not the customers. all imo.

and yea, @ cangurino, tipping is not unheard of here in australia, but definitely more uncommon than not and not the norm.

I'm not sure how it's wrong. Maybe you could give an argument showing how it's wrong?

Japan it is an insult to tip staff.

Not necessarily, unless it's shared with the kitchen staff. At my jobs, tip-out was 1% to the bar and 1% to bus.

sounds like you go to places with ****ty service more often than not.

Here is a question for the group:

If you go to a family owned place, and the OWNER weights on you, do you tip him/her?

Also, what is the protocol for tipping pick up, especially in places you go inside and pick it up from the bar?

not *wrong*, but i really think it's poor ethics and poor form by the establishments themselves. it sets a bad precedent where in any other working sector (that isn't the hospitality), you will receive 100% of your wage regardless (obv discounting obvious things like sackable offenses etc.), where as in hospitality up to 50% (i assume - not sure on exact number) will not be guaranteed by your employer.

some ppl say this means that workers are thus more inclined to provide good service when a large chunk of their wage relies on it. sure, but in any job you should be working to your maximum capability anyway, tips or no tips. i just think it's unfair that the employer pockets more and gets away with not having to pay out larger wages to their employees, and instead relies on the customers to do that for them.

Sorry to break up the tip discussion (which is interesting), but can somebody give me brief cliffs on where the U.S. government is at with online poker regulation. How far away do you guys think they are from getting regulation in place, either at the state or federal level.

I've haven't played online at all since the summer so I haven't paid close enough attention to what is going on. I have been playing a lot of live poker (finally cashed in a decent size live tourney at the Venetian DSE in November) and I want to get some cash back online. I'm thinking Party Poker makes sense because they are the lead partner in an online poker joint venture with MGM Resorts International.

I am with PokerRon on this; I consider 0% to be a perfectly acceptable response to poor service, and I have stiffed several servers in recent years.

My normal tip for average service is 20%, and I will go as high as 50% on the rare occasion where I receive superb service in a modestly priced restaurant.

These days, when I leave any below average tip, I write a note on the receipt--"food was slow, couldn't get a refill, service was inattentive," is one of the nicer notes I have jotted. Sometimes I get smart ass. The first time I ever left a note was when I was super pissed off, wrote a big 0 on the tip line, and the note was "I tipped you a dollar for everything you did right tonight."

I felt like if I asked our waiter for a tug he would have obliged, that's how good I felt he did. You're right, most of the places I've been lately have been mediocre. I seem to get the best service at Mexican places, I love Mexicans.

I tip like a 30K millionaire when I'm at family joints

Mpethy, I think constructive advice is a really good idea, anything destructive would get a from me, though. Your first example is really helpful to someone who actually cares about their job, IMO

Cliffs:

We really don't know the details, but the rumor is

1) Online Poker agreement is appended to the Tax bill
2) California Tribes ARE NOT HAPPY (which is a good sign IMO)
3) We really don't know anything, at all. Timeline, how it will be implemented etc.

Good to hear you are not dead Brock.

Well, we got screwed as a rider on a completely unrelated bill, might as well fix it the same way. :/