I worked in the hotel industry for 10 years and gratuities were par for the course when we were serving larger parties.
I always found that the wait staff would work really hard to please customers knowing that they were assured of a reasonable tip. And generally, they would get their gratuity plus additional cash tips from appreciative customers as a result.
As for a 53 buck tip for a table of six, I guess that would depend on the venue, the menu, the final tally and the quality of the service.
When I go out for a nice dinner with my wife, the bill usually runs me about 250, so I tip about 35 to 45 for the two of us.
15% is standard for food & restaurants
$1 a drink at a bar
$5 for a valet on a regular car
$20 for a nice car
$50 if the car is worth the same as a house
With that said. Rude servers get no tip, but the service has to be VERY crappy. I have only once not left a tip because the waiter not only offended my girlfriend but the other couple that was with us.
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Hate your job? There's a support group for that!!! Its called everybody and we meet at the bar.
In this economy 10% doesn't buy much unless your bill is sizable. We're all free to tip as we see fit but waitresses & elephants have something in common.
10% doesn't buy much at all. But I won't pay for crappy service. I go out to eat to have a good time. If my waitstaff is ruining my good time, they're compensated less by me.
It's as mandatory as the prices listed for food items.
If you don't want to pay it, don't eat there. I worked for a place that charged you for plates, people would get irate, the boss would walk out, sit down at their table and explain "I still have to pay for that dish, washing it, sanitizing it, paying the guy that does that, everything costs money, if you don't like it, you may leave and not come back.". I hated working for him, such a jerk but it was within his legal limits as it was displayed on the menu.
It's not mandatory at all. And I don't know if I will want to pay for it or refuse until I've experienced the service there. If the service is good then I have no problem tipping. If it sucks, then I won't tip as well and I won't return. Regardless of what the menu says about tipping, it's not mandatory. By definition it's voluntary. So the menu says it's mandatory that you voluntarily leave extra?
I think the current standard is now 20%. If I leave 15% it's probably because the wait staff left me with an empty soda glass while I had food on my plate.
The mandatory tip thing is a tricky subject. I very well understand the reasoning behind it. My sister was a waiter for years in college at a place that didn't have mandatory tipping - casual place, sort of a sports bar and a restaurant in one. MANY times she would have parties of 10+ that would come in on Saturday for dinner and to watch the game. They would literally be there 4+ hours, taking up 10+ spots in her seating area, ordering $300 worth of food and drinks, and then leave a $20 tip. THOSE are the jerks that ruined it for the rest of us.
I generally tip very well. Due to my very short time in waiting, as well as the horror stories my sister has told, I very well know the PITA it is to be a waiter. I have only once in my life NOT tipped. Usually even horrible service will get 15%. Great service there's no telling. One time when me and my wife went to this fancy sushi place in Baton Rouge, our waiter was AWESOME, best I ever had. I left him a $50 on $100 worth of sushi.
However, there are times when I will flat bust a waiter's ass if he deserves it. For example: few weeks ago me and group of buddies went out for wings and beer. There were 9 of us so of course we fell under this place's "mandatory tip" policy. That POS ignored us the whole night. I had to flag him down for drink refills. By the time he got around to bringing out our wings they were already cold. He looked to be doing a GREAT job waiting his other small tables. Guess he figured he had his tip locked down, so there was no need to deliver on the service. So when the bill came around with the mandatory 18% tip, I gave him cash and told him I wanted my change back. When he brought back my bills, I informed him that he had shorted me .37 and I wanted that back too. Of course he got uppity, which is when I informed him if he'd bothered to help us more we'd have likely ordered another $100 worth of food/drinks but we were leaving due to being irritated by his lack of service.
Waiters make a minimum wage here in BC by law.
So before tips they get at least $8 per/hour.
Our waitress that night got about a $53 tip, good for a table of 6 nice customers in my opinion.
I guess since restaurants feel its okay, then all businesses should charge a mandatory tip.
I would like an extra 20% in my pocket to.
I did not know that.
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Originally Posted by Jerryalan
It's not mandatory at all. And I don't know if I will want to pay for it or refuse until I've experienced the service there. If the service is good then I have no problem tipping. If it sucks, then I won't tip as well and I won't return. Regardless of what the menu says about tipping, it's not mandatory. By definition it's voluntary. So the menu says it's mandatory that you voluntarily leave extra?
This is a gratuity not a tip, but I think we are going to disagree here, so I'm going to stay away from it.
As for tipping, I have left them nothing, and I worked in food service, if you don't do your job, I'm not going to pay you for it, that's why you receive tips.
I myself have a hard time dealing with the differences of a local convienence store and a Starbuck's coffee shop. One gets upset when you fail to tip for pouring a cup of coffee, but the other gets offended and cannot accept a tip.
I worked in the hotel industry for 10 years and gratuities were par for the course when we were serving larger parties.
I always found that the wait staff would work really hard to please customers knowing that they were assured of a reasonable tip. And generally, they would get their gratuity plus additional cash tips from appreciative customers as a result.
As for a 53 buck tip for a table of six, I guess that would depend on the venue, the menu, the final tally and the quality of the service.
When I go out for a nice dinner with my wife, the bill usually runs me about 250, so I tip about 35 to 45 for the two of us.
Our bill came to just under $247 total.
I left 300 even on the table, so she got just over $53 as a tip.
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We do NOT need to raise taxes on the people. The government needs to spend less is the answer.
I was a waiter for about 4 months in a Hotel restaurant.
Some tables left good tips, som ebad tips, some none at all.
It never bothered me if they left a bad tip or no tip.
When they next came in I still treated them nicely, and did my best to serve them great.
I was not going to discriminate, or treat people poorly for any reason.
Only once was a customer very rude, and I just smiled, and did my best.
My boss noticed how well I handled it, and I had customers at 2 other tables comment on how well I handled it also.
Ther eis never a reason to be rude to a customer.
If your not willing to be nice, or don't like your job, or what you are earning, then quit.
Nobody has a gun held to their head in this country, forcing them to work.
They can leave anytime, and if they are rude, should be fired IMO.
An ex employee was not happy with his job years ago, he grumbled about it, and was dragging down the moral of my other staff.
I told him to stop or be fired.
He was slightly more pleasant for maybe a week, then back to his grumpy, negative self, so I terminated him right then and there.
Life is too short to be negative about everything.
And while we all have bad days, you best smile and be cheery at work.
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We do NOT need to raise taxes on the people. The government needs to spend less is the answer.