Some Guidelines...
...for those of you who have never been in food service.
Tonight at work we were discussing how some people mean well, but just don't have any idea what proper tipping etiquette is. I figured that since I can't say any of this to guests at work, I'd at least make sure that my friends are aware of things from a server's perspective.
-Servers make $2.13 an hour, plus tips. Don't think we're getting paid $7 bucks an hour or some such and we expect you to give us more on top of that...tips are almost our entire pay. In addition, at the end of the night, servers have to tip out on their total SALES, not the amount of tips they receive. Most servers have to pay at least 2% of their total sales to bussers, bartenders, etc. This means that if you tip 15% of your bill, we actually only keep 13%, and if you don't leave us anything, we will actually be paying out of our pockets to have waited on you.
-A server who is able to meet your needs during your restaurant visit is entitled to a tip eqivalent to 15% of your bill. Honestly, if a server does not do something deliberately rude or does not completely ignore you, you should NEVER be tipping them anything less than 15% of the check (including tax). GOOD service really does deserve 20%, although 15% is still acceptable. If you can't afford to leave at least a 15% tip, you should just choose not to eat out that night. It's really very rude.
-It is never appropriate to leave less than $2.00 on a check. Let's pretend you and your friends go out to lunch. You split your checks up, and your bill comes to $10.00. While 15% of $10.00 is in fact $1.50, you need to go ahead and leave the full $2.00. It's really just common decency. Even if your friends are eating and you just order a drink, it's still appropriate to leave $2.00 if you are on your own tab.
-There are some circumstances under which it is courteous to leave more than 15%.
*If you take up your server's table for a long period of time after your meal is finished during a busy time, you are making them miss out on the opportunity to make money off another table that could be sitting where you are. Given this, I'd say it's appropriate to leave an extra dollar for every half hour you stay past when your meal is finished.
*If you are in a restaurant past the time the restaurant closes, you're probably keeping your server there longer than they would be otherwise-- and remember, they're only getting paid $2.13/hour for it. Given this, it's appropriate to throw in an extra buck or two.
*If you have an extremely picky order with a lot of specific alterations and the server is really accomodating to your needs, it's definitely appropriate to tip 20%.
*If you make a huge mess (ie: you spill a drink, you drop a bunch of crumbs all over the floor, you have small children with you who fling food, etc.) the server is probably going to be cleaning the bulk of it up and you should definitely leave 20%.
*If you are in a large party and the server is polite about splitting up your checks, it's nice to make it worth their while-- an extra dollar from everyone can really help out the server.
-If you're out and you know that the person who's paying your bill is notoriously cheap, make sure that they've tipped enough! If they haven't, try offering to pay for the tip since they paid for the meal, or throw a few extra bucks on the table.
-Just because you're using a gift card doesn't mean you don't have to tip as much.
-If you have some sort of coupon or discount, you should be tipping based on the total BEFORE the discount.
-In the long run, taking care of your servers will pay off. Honestly, you'll get better service if you go places multiple times, and you can really make someone's day, which should be worth it right there. Don't be afraid to go for 20%.
Yeah, so I know that it's kind of unfortunate that there are really no situations where you're allowed to be a total cheapskate, but think about it this way: part of going out to eat in a restaurant is being able to sit down at a table and be served, and that's not free. If you're not willing to pay for it, try a fast food restaurant or somewhere like Subway or Qdoba. While it would be nice if service could be itemized on a bill like food can, it's not that hard to be responsible and pay servers for their time and efforts.
I'm sure that pissed a couple people off, but hopefully it was more helpful than annoying. Anyway, I feel like my night was worthwhile now, and since this is my blog I guess that's all that matters. =)
Tonight at work we were discussing how some people mean well, but just don't have any idea what proper tipping etiquette is. I figured that since I can't say any of this to guests at work, I'd at least make sure that my friends are aware of things from a server's perspective.
-Servers make $2.13 an hour, plus tips. Don't think we're getting paid $7 bucks an hour or some such and we expect you to give us more on top of that...tips are almost our entire pay. In addition, at the end of the night, servers have to tip out on their total SALES, not the amount of tips they receive. Most servers have to pay at least 2% of their total sales to bussers, bartenders, etc. This means that if you tip 15% of your bill, we actually only keep 13%, and if you don't leave us anything, we will actually be paying out of our pockets to have waited on you.
-A server who is able to meet your needs during your restaurant visit is entitled to a tip eqivalent to 15% of your bill. Honestly, if a server does not do something deliberately rude or does not completely ignore you, you should NEVER be tipping them anything less than 15% of the check (including tax). GOOD service really does deserve 20%, although 15% is still acceptable. If you can't afford to leave at least a 15% tip, you should just choose not to eat out that night. It's really very rude.
-It is never appropriate to leave less than $2.00 on a check. Let's pretend you and your friends go out to lunch. You split your checks up, and your bill comes to $10.00. While 15% of $10.00 is in fact $1.50, you need to go ahead and leave the full $2.00. It's really just common decency. Even if your friends are eating and you just order a drink, it's still appropriate to leave $2.00 if you are on your own tab.
-There are some circumstances under which it is courteous to leave more than 15%.
*If you take up your server's table for a long period of time after your meal is finished during a busy time, you are making them miss out on the opportunity to make money off another table that could be sitting where you are. Given this, I'd say it's appropriate to leave an extra dollar for every half hour you stay past when your meal is finished.
*If you are in a restaurant past the time the restaurant closes, you're probably keeping your server there longer than they would be otherwise-- and remember, they're only getting paid $2.13/hour for it. Given this, it's appropriate to throw in an extra buck or two.
*If you have an extremely picky order with a lot of specific alterations and the server is really accomodating to your needs, it's definitely appropriate to tip 20%.
*If you make a huge mess (ie: you spill a drink, you drop a bunch of crumbs all over the floor, you have small children with you who fling food, etc.) the server is probably going to be cleaning the bulk of it up and you should definitely leave 20%.
*If you are in a large party and the server is polite about splitting up your checks, it's nice to make it worth their while-- an extra dollar from everyone can really help out the server.
-If you're out and you know that the person who's paying your bill is notoriously cheap, make sure that they've tipped enough! If they haven't, try offering to pay for the tip since they paid for the meal, or throw a few extra bucks on the table.
-Just because you're using a gift card doesn't mean you don't have to tip as much.
-If you have some sort of coupon or discount, you should be tipping based on the total BEFORE the discount.
-In the long run, taking care of your servers will pay off. Honestly, you'll get better service if you go places multiple times, and you can really make someone's day, which should be worth it right there. Don't be afraid to go for 20%.
Yeah, so I know that it's kind of unfortunate that there are really no situations where you're allowed to be a total cheapskate, but think about it this way: part of going out to eat in a restaurant is being able to sit down at a table and be served, and that's not free. If you're not willing to pay for it, try a fast food restaurant or somewhere like Subway or Qdoba. While it would be nice if service could be itemized on a bill like food can, it's not that hard to be responsible and pay servers for their time and efforts.
I'm sure that pissed a couple people off, but hopefully it was more helpful than annoying. Anyway, I feel like my night was worthwhile now, and since this is my blog I guess that's all that matters. =)