Tipping: I can't be the only one, right?

[User170512]

Hold up there homey. Speaking from experience both as a customer and as a waiter. As a customer, I can tell you that there are absolutely valid reasons for not leaving any sort of gratuity at all. There are reasons I've left as little as a penny for the gratuity. There are reasons for leaving a large or generous gratuity. There are reasons I've walked back to the kitchen to tip the line.

As a waiter, there've been times when I've thrown tips in the bus pan as they weren't worth picking up. There've been times when I expected NO gratuity because I was purposefully slow walking every dish, ignoring every plea for more sweet tea, and for not checking on the table during their meal. This crowd was comprised of a local church group that came in and took up 4 four tops in my section and ran me to death the first time I had to wait on them. When they paid their individual checks I received either $1 plus some change on a $38 or $45 check, and this is so typical, they'd leave me a religious track folded to look like a $5 bill but when you unfolded it they were telling you how to be saved. That kind of crap. So, on their next visit, I conspired with my coworkers to give them the worst possible service the next time the crowd of tea swilling, pastitsio slurping, Bible thumping fat asses sat down. Must have worked because when they paid their checks the second time, they actually left decent tips even though I was determined they'd die of thirst before I refilled a tea glass (one fat ass even got up and served himself).

I've had a regular customer base that came into the restaurant every week and asked for my section. One week the hostess attempted to "assign tables" instead of seating customers by their request, I had regular customers apologize to ME and then tell the hostess that if I wasn't going to be their server, they'd rather eat somewhere else and leave. (the owner quickly remedied that situation and guests were seated where they wanted to be seated)

So, my wall of text is an explanation and correction. A waiter/waitress is not an indentured servant. They are free to sell their labor to anyone they please and any price that can be negotiated. IF that's $2.11 per hour plus gratuities, then they understand that when they accept the position. To insist on paying a gratuity, simply because someone works for a low hourly wage, without regard to the quality of that work or the product delivered from the kitchen? LOL, communist much? Maybe go to the higher end ghetto establishments like Applebee's where gratuities are pooled, then doled out by a kommissar, "each according to his abilities, each according to his needs."

This whining about pay is constant from wait staff and teachers. If you weren't smart enough to figure out what the pay might be, why did you enter that profession? I know waiters in Chicago that make over $130K per year, in tips. They are excellent at what they do and they have extensive knowledge of wine pairings, food preparation and the ingredients for the dishes they are serving. They bothered to learn something other than "Ham n' cheese omelette plate! Scattered & smothered! Biscuit instead!"

You said wine pairings, lol.

 

[User170512]

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It's not a big deal, just a little rude to not offer a customer their change. I guarantee you I'd have told her to "keep it." But, because I had a great time laughing and talking with the folks in the room, I really didn't care.

She was doing the best she could in a room full of hu-angry neckbeards. I thought @BIKER13 was going to die of thirst before she finally brought his tea. Then, his and Bobby's food was brought way, way after all the rest of us were served. I guess she didn't see Biker13 continually fiddling with that cork on the end of his ice pick.......

Or maybe that's why she shied away, lol.

 

[palmettomoon]

Or maybe that's why she shied away, lol.

He was better natured about waiting a half hour for a glass of iced tea than I would have been.

 

[lostchild]

Wow... Never spent that much anywhere for food. Maybe $30 per person at Longhorn would be my record.

Stop being poor.

 

[teearr]

I make judgements when it comes to tipping based on all the things mentioned earlier in this thread such as food quality, service, appearance, care, attention etc. - drives my wife crazy as she is a 20-25% tipper regardless.

What really frosts me is the ridiculous prices some restaurants charge for alcohol. It usually seems to be more prevalent with the so called "upscale" restaurants - one in particular several years ago charged us $11 each for vodka tonics! Dang, for the cost of 4 drinks you could buy a 1.75 liter bottle of good vodka! Even in our local Mexican restaurant a small pitcher of Margaritas (approx. 4 drinks) is $16, and that is for mostly the mix as the Tequila is barely noticeable.

In situations like these I will adjust the tip based on the alcohol costs - if I think the restaurant is gouging me I deduct the entire alcohol cost from my tip calculations. Alcohol is not essential for us to enjoy a nice meal but it is nice sometimes to relax with a cocktail before eating.

 

[Stampede]

Stop being poor.

Wish I wuz rich like everyone one else here. However it's easy to be poor these days, with everything going up so much.


BTW...I don't even know what that $500 eatin' place is, or where it's at.

 

[Trailrider]

I'll always tip good service, like a sit down restaurant or my barber, but tipping culture is getting out of hand. Every place you go now has a tip option pop up when you pay. I'm not talking about sit down restaurants, but like take out shops, ice cream shops, etc. Stuff you never used to have to tip for. I'm not tipping the rude ass lady who's taking my Chinese order at the local takeout. Or the ice cream shop for scooping a couple of scoops of ice-cream in to a cone that takes 30 seconds. And I don't want to even talk about how pizza delivery charges delivery fees on top of asking for a tip for the driver.

No I'm not a poor cheapo, but not everything "deserves" a tip...

 

[aFarewellToKings]

I make judgements when it comes to tipping based on all the things mentioned earlier in this thread such as food quality, service, appearance, care, attention etc. - drives my wife crazy as she is a 20-25% tipper regardless.

What really frosts me is the ridiculous prices some restaurants charge for alcohol. It usually seems to be more prevalent with the so called "upscale" restaurants - one in particular several years ago charged us $11 each for vodka tonics! Dang, for the cost of 4 drinks you could buy a 1.75 liter bottle of good vodka! Even in our local Mexican restaurant a small pitcher of Margaritas (approx. 4 drinks) is $16, and that is for mostly the mix as the Tequila is barely noticeable.

In situations like these I will adjust the tip based on the alcohol costs - if I think the restaurant is gouging me I deduct the entire alcohol cost from my tip calculations. Alcohol is not essential for us to enjoy a nice meal but it is nice sometimes to relax with a cocktail before eating.

I've always considered the price of a drink at a bar or restaurant is comparable to the cost of a bottle at a liquor store. If it's less than that, you're doing better than expected.

 

[TrueGrit]

Didn't leave a tip at Cedar River Seafood in Callahan yesterday or pay for our shrimp dinners. Waited over 30 minutes for our food and a table that came in 10 minutes after us got served before us. We walked out and the wife didn't even have to pay for her salad. The manager and others will get a ear full in a hour. It's a shame usually good fried shrimp.

 

[kodis556]

Went to a VERY well known Cajun restaurant in Acworth and sat at the bar for a bourbon before dinner. Mine was straight, hers was on the rocks. The bill came and it said "$1.00 neat" extra on top of the $12 for my drink. My wife's said "$1.00 rocks" extra on top of her $12. Now that's some BS there...