Thread: The practice of Tipping

Originally Posted by Arrianna

Actually they're lucky to get minumum wage let alone more then that. There is actually a lower minumum wage for servers and their employers only have to pay them more if their tips don't bring it up to the regular minumum wage.

It's rediculous.

Yeah seriously, what good is tipps... if that's all ur getting paid? i think u should get minium wage plus tips.... People have it hard enough as it is.

oohhh boo, we know it's getting sucked out of our pockets and that's worse when you see the "15 % 'gratiuity'" in the bill

i mean, that's worst if you get treat like crap that day

I always try to give tips, as a sign of my appreciation.
I don't think tipping should be a requirement since they already have their salary to count on, but with the way they're getting paid for their work and how their employers tend to depend on the tipping instead - I guess it HAS gotten out of hand! Tipping should be optional in my opinion - give it when you're really satisfied with the service.
I've always had this fear that if you don't give enough tip, the servers will remember your face and give you a bad service the next time you come around. If it's a restaurant, they might just add something nasty in your food just to get back at you...

Well after working in a restaurant that required tipping for two years yes I do think that in restaurants where a waiter serves you you should have to tip. I know the hard work and absolute bullshit you have to put up with, not to mention if the customers are assholes as well. A the waiter/server always catches the flack. If the cook f*cks up, the waiter gets yelled at. I think waiters put up with alot of sh*t and are very deserving of being tipped, that is unless they do a God awful job serving you, then perhaps not.

I always leave a tip now, but I do base if off their service. If I think they gave me crappy service they dont get much, but if they are good I try to give around 15%. Now I'm not saying tips should be alot, for the average serving I'd say give 10%, thats usually good enough.

Staticbob! <3

I'm a part time waitress and to be honest, I would appreciate a little more understanding from people than tips. I try my hardest to give the best service I can as I don't like bad service anymore than anyone else, but some people are just never happy.
When things are slow and I only have a couple of tables on, everything is okay and there are never any problems. But when it's busy and i'm looking after 20+ tables then it simply isn't possible to give anything even resembling good service, which is something alot of people don't seem to understand. Each new table has to be welcomed and handed menus... Then I have to take their drinks and food orders, send it to the kitchen, set the table up with cutlery and napkins, take them their drinks, take them their food, check back after 2 minutes, clear the table, offer them something else, deal with any new orders, take payment and thank the customer then clean the table.

Even though people can clearly see me rushed off my feet at times, some still feel the need to call me over just to complain about having to wait 5 minutes for their drinks or ask for another fork, "because this one has a 'bend' in it". 0.o;;;
If people would just cut out the petty complaints we're busy, it would go a long way towards giving better service and keeping a smile on my face than any tip would.

But that said, there are some people out there who do pay attention to what we are doing and accept that things are going to take a time. The customers I like to serve are the ones who remain polite at all times, because frankly the ones who complain alot are actully intimidating. While a tip of say £1 or something is appreciated, some people leave huge tips that you can't help but feel awkward taking. One time this guy offerd me a £50 tip! It was kind of him, but I politley refused it as I had given him terrible service and I hadn't deserved it (at which point he left £60 on the table and walked out) ^^;;.

(i'm starting to rant like staticbob)

In short (from the pov of a waitress), tips are good but only if they are a measure of the service you recieve. Too much feels weird and too little or nothing can be kind of insulting sometimes.
I myself walk into a resturant with the intension of tipping £1, then i'll either add/subtract 10p for every good/bad thing that happens (that's within the servers control. Long waits for food is usually the fault of the kitchen).

ooo that's where I might have to disagree about the BIG tip. It is not awkward, true it is your job to be a good server, but at the same time that big tip is earned and it serves as an encouragement to keep up the good job, if it makes both parties happy, then keep it

Hmm... maybe. But it still felt like a teacher giving me an A+ for a rubbish essay that was D standard at best.