When eating at a restaurant how do you tip?

[Wrinkle]

Pet peave: Server ices you for 30-minutes, brings your salad, then two minutes later brings the main course. Tip=$0

[Nick Danger]

How do you feel about tipping for a buffet meal, where the server may only bring you a drink and remove used plates? I don't think this warrants a 15% tip, but what should it be?

Nick

[buzz words]

at a buffet the average check is less than $20.00 for four people.  Is $4.00 really a lot? The CheesCake Factory Charges their servers 4% of sales, Mahagony Charges 5%, The melting Pot Charges 3%, So at Mahagony and the cheesecake Factory they are taking practically 20% of the tip.  Also neither company pays over $2.30 an hour.

[joiei]

quote:Originally posted by buzz words

at a buffet the average check is less than $20.00 for four people.  Is $4.00 really a lot? The CheesCake Factory Charges their servers 4% of sales, Mahagony Charges 5%, The melting Pot Charges 3%, So at Mahagony and the cheesecake Factory they are taking practically 20% of the tip.  Also neither company pays over $2.30 an hour.

HOw do you get 20% out of 4%?  I am not following your math.

[tulsa1603]

Depends on the restaurant and service.  If I'm at BBD, and my total is like $8.00, I'm going to tip more than 15% of that.  I'll tip at least $2 or $3, which still seems small, since they work their staff pretty hard there.  But if I'm at Chalkboard and my total is a lot higher for one person, I'll tip closer to 15%.  At most places I just double the tax and round up the total.  Even bad service I give around 15%, but sometimes I cut off a dollar or two.

I hate how restaurants like Pei Wei set it up where you pay first, then they still have a tip line on the CC receipt.  Makes me feel stingy to put zero.

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

I start at 20% for my baseline and go up or down 5%.  I go over and above when I get great service from a working student or a young single mother type, because I appreciate what they are trying to accomplish and I know there are some tightwads who will tie up a table for two hours and leave a $5.00 tip on a $100 tab.

I never stiff anyone for poor service (leave nothing).  If you don't leave a tip, they assume you forgot and they will never "get it".

I've worked in food service and have friends who have/do.  I tend to understand when it's a kitchen problem or server problem and don't penalize the server when I know the chef just went out back and wasted 10 minutes smoking a blunt.

+1 on all of this - my actual method is divide the total bill by 4 and subtract for less than 105% of my expectations - so usually 20% standard. If they give 110% they definitely get more.  I also, always add a bit if I am camping at a table for drinks or conversation.  If I can't afford to do that, I can't afford to eat out!

[buzz words]

Sorry for the confusion.  On a $20.00 order if they tip 20% ($4.00) the server tips 4% of the check .80 cents 20% of $4.00 is .80 cents. Does that make scents?  At the end of the night $500.00 in sales if every one tips 20% ($100) the server would tip $20 20% of the tip and you know the irs will take their 18-20 percent.  If you are caught not claiming the total tip you are fired!!  And you are taxed on money that you never kept.  It is a little crazy.....

[mdunn]

I only eat Ramon Noodles at home,This saves me lots of $$$ on tips

[HazMatCFO]

I start at 20%, then depending upon service I go up or down.

[TUalum0982]

I tend to think I am a pretty good tipper, but some of you put me to shame! I'm not high maintanence but I do ask for certain things.

1.  My drink (whether its pop, water or alcohol) never get empty
2.  My food is hot and prepared the way I asked
3.  The server is clean and courteous.

If they do those things then I am tipping 20%.  

I have told several people at a few different restaurants that if my glass is ever empty, I will absolutely not leave a tip.  It always worked too!

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

I tend to think I am a pretty good tipper, but some of you put me to shame! I'm not high maintanence but I do ask for certain things.

1.  My drink (whether its pop, water or alcohol) never get empty
2.  My food is hot and prepared the way I asked
3.  The server is clean and courteous.

If they do those things then I am tipping 20%.  

I have told several people at a few different restaurants that if my glass is ever empty, I will absolutely not leave a tip.  It always worked too!

Neat and clean server brings to mind something else.  How does everyone else feel about being served by some kid who looks like they just did a face-plant in a tackle box?

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by buzz words

Server's at almost all Tulsa restaurants are paid $2.15 per hour.  What do you base your tip percentage on?  Most restaurants charge the server on average 4-5% of their sales as a "tip out" amount to be spread amongst "the helpers" $100.00 sale the servers pay $4.00 to their helpers.

If you normally tip 20% what does it take to tip out more than normal?

I tip very generously: call it reaping what you sow, call it Karma, call it what comes around goes around, but as I work in tipped positions, it does come back to me. If I'm generous to others, others are generous to me.

[TUalum0982]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

I tend to think I am a pretty good tipper, but some of you put me to shame! I'm not high maintanence but I do ask for certain things.

1.  My drink (whether its pop, water or alcohol) never get empty
2.  My food is hot and prepared the way I asked
3.  The server is clean and courteous.

If they do those things then I am tipping 20%.  

I have told several people at a few different restaurants that if my glass is ever empty, I will absolutely not leave a tip.  It always worked too!

Neat and clean server brings to mind something else.  How does everyone else feel about being served by some kid who looks like they just did a face-plant in a tackle box?

I have no problem asking to be seated somewhere else.  When I go to a restaurant to eat, I dont want to be appalled by the person who is waiting on me.  It shouldnt be too hard to ask that I am going to do business with that establishment, to have a waitstaff that is clean, professional looking and courteous!