When eating at a restaurant how do you tip?

[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?

[Ibanez]

As far as I know the standard tip amount is still supposed to be 15% right?

Unless the service is lousy, like the wife and I had at Copeland's on Saturday night, I leave 20%. If the service is bad I leave anywhere from 0% to 5% and usually a note letting them know why.

Yeah...I'm an a**hole.

[tulsa_fan]

I am usually a big tipper, although the "standard" keeps creeping up, but in general, if I'm happy I'll leave 20 - 25%, I figure I am eating out for them to serve me.

Here's a bone I have to pick though, I may not go back to Shogun's.  Went there Friday night with a group of friends, we filled up a table (as many others did) when I got my ticket, it had tip INCLUDED, 20+% tip included no less.  What really bothered me is I had bought a $40 bottle of wine which they poured the first glass and never refilled, and they tipped so much on that!  Why would they include the tip?  It's not like we were a table of 8 that tip should have been included, every table there is of 8, you aren't holding the table by coming in a group?  I was NOT happy at all.  Anyway, anyone else had that problem there?

[buzz words]

I know that many times the tip is included because the bill will normally be high for a big party 6+ If the tab is $200.00 and the consumer thinks $20.00 should be decent.  If the server did a great job then they may be offended because of the percentage. Then they have to split 4-5% with their helper's leaving them with 11 dollars on a two hour table.  It is hard for a company to keep a great server with that kind of money.  They would be better off making $7.00 per hour at Wal-Mart being rude and taking their time.

[RecycleMichael]

I pass on inside information on stocks and the top horse races.

I consider that tipping big.

[inteller]

Nice Guy Eddie: C'mon, throw in a buck!
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don't tip.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't tip?
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don't believe in it.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't believe in tipping?
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make ****.
Mr. Pink: Don't give me that. She don't make enough money that she can quit.
Nice Guy Eddie: I don't even know a ****ing Jew who'd have the balls to say that. Let me get this straight: you don't ever tip?
Mr. Pink: I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice.
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn't anything special.
Mr. Blue: What's special? Take you in the back and suck your dick?
Nice Guy Eddie: I'd go over twelve percent for that.

[cannon_fodder]

Buzz, I'm not sure where you get your tip-sharing amount... but 4-5% of SALES would be high for an average.  What's more, most restaurants don't have tip sharing - kitchen staff is a wage position but for management which is salaried.  Sometimes there is bar - server or kicks to the bus boys (often waiters in waiting) since each can compliment the other's income... but with the back of the house it is not as common from my experience.

I worked 3 or 4 years in a restaurant (bar tender, then server, then bar manager - who also  cashed out the wait staff) and I'd say the average tip was only 15% or so most nights for the servers (though it was an expensive place, so a 20% tip might easily have been $20).  So taking 5% of sales would be a big hit to a server and may cause the better ones to go elsewhere.
- - -

Anyway - I'm with Mr. Pink to some degree.  I'm a merit tipper.  Everyone starts out in the 15% range - a "C" grade if you will.  It is not uncommon to fall to a "D" grade and get 10%.  It is not uncommon to get a B and move up to 20%.  A few really earn it and get 25%+ and fewer still piss me off and feel the wraith of a token tip ($1.01 frequently).

Late to be seated, slow to take or return drink orders, messed up orders, not checking in, failure to correct errors, or just not being very nice will all cost you money.  If you are "too busy" I'm sorry - you'll either make up for it in volume, manage your time better, or just have to find a restaurant that employs enough staff.

Also, I'm not a strict % kind of guy.  More of a "get a feel for it" thing.  If the bill is $21.55 and they did well just round it up to $27.  Etc.

While we are on the subject, I generally do not tip for take out or for buffet style meals.  Sorry.

I feel shafted by delivery fees and often take it out on delivery boys (men).  Pizza Hut charges a "delivery fee" of $3.50 (I think) so for $20 worth of pizza a couple bucks is good enough.  Sucks for the delivery person, sorry (unless they get the fee, I dont know).

Overall I'm a cheap donkey I suppose.  Impress me and you will be rewarded, but if you just want to slack along and expect automatic pay - then food service is the wrong industry for you.
- - -

A good rule of thumb for a 'standard' tip is to take sales tax and double it.  That gets you in the ball park in most places.

[Breadburner]

Tip = To Insure Prompt Service.......Bartenders are normally tipped out by waitstaff...I don't tip on the tax...And try to always tip in cash.....I'm usually 20% or better depending on the server or bartender.....Alot have not figured out that you have to earn it.....

[dggriffi]

They "double the sales tax" rules is my standard.     Good service gets more.

[safetyguy]

Bad service equals writing on the receipt: Tip-Don't fry bacon in the nude![]

I did have service at Caraba's one night like that a couple years ago. The only time I have ever used it though.

[FOTD]

%15 minimal.....as much as %30.....

Servers, waiters, bartenders etc. are deserving of trickle down money!

[sgrizzle]

From what I've heard, the $2.15/hr doesn't fly that much anymore.

[tulsa_fan]

Buzz, I understand why they add tips on a large party, but we were at Shogun, every table is a 8 person table, we could have been at a table with 3 other strange couples, why should tip be included because we all knew each other?  

I guess I just need to call them, it really annoyed me, again, enough to not go back there.

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by dggriffi

They "double the sales tax" rules is my standard.     Good service gets more.

Better not do that on the alchohol...heh...

[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.