I used to work as a server a few years ago and I never got stiffed but it did happen to some of the people I worked with. I've gotten low tips from cheap customers but I've never been given zero for a bill. I'm just curious if anyone has refused to tip their servers, and why? Even if I get bad service I still give a minimum of 10% as a tip. It might be from working as a server, but I think it's how I was brought up. My mother worked as a waitress when she was younger, and so did her mother. They moved onto better jobs as they grew older but I think it sticks with you. What about you all? Do you always tip? Do you always refuse to tip? I don't believe in the excuse that it is "optional", but that is just me. Thoughts?
I worked as a server for several years. To me, the tip is not optional. It is part of the expense of going out to eat. I have never had service that was so bad that I did not want to tip, either. When I was a server, the people who did not tip me- or tipped an extremely low amount- typically expected something unreasonable. When I was unable to deliver the experience they had in their head, they would not tip. There are plenty of ways to save money on going out to eat- Groupons, coupons, and choosing to dine in for lunch. The tip is one that should never be skipped unless you have service that is actually hostile. Also, be sure to plan to tip on the original amount of the bill before the coupon. The server did not do half as much work if your meal is half price.
I don't think that you should ever leave without tipping. I always make sure to tip. I know that the servers work hard to provide good customer service. And to make sure that you are having a good experience while dining at the restaurant. At least I would hope. The only reason that im ever cheap with a tip is when I feel that the customer service was not up to par. But I still always tip. My fiance though has a bad habit of not leaving a tip his excuse is were in a recession. But that's were I come in to always make sure to leave a tip even when he forgets to.
This is an out of place tradition in our society, at least to my eyes. It's unusual for just a cultural tradition to take the place of law. What other business is able to offset it's expenses to the consumer, and it's just seen as normal, and not the consumer being ripped off? Like, what if you were expected to pay a quarter of the hourly wage for whoever assembled your burger at McDoogals? People would be mad. Does anyone know where this tradition with restaurants comes from, or how it got into the lawbooks? And why don't the restaurants just pay servers a full wage? Relatedly, I was just on another forum, where there was a topic started by a delivery guy who said that he would sometimes return to non-tippers house and slash tires or break windows. So apparently the working staff don't feel that their employers are responsible for their wage.
I believe it is still optional and it really should be the responsibility of the business owners to provide satisfactory wages to their employees so that tips would literally only be a bonus instead of being relied on. That said, I still always tip because I know that the system won't change anytime soon and that the servers most likely do still rely on tips to get by. However, I honestly dislike it and I constantly question how these mechanisms came about in the first place.
I would not put it that way because tipping is not something mandatory and no one asks for tips, at least in the places I go. So, I can leave the tip if I had a good service or if the service was bad I don't tip at all, it's my choice really.
I have a policy to not give any tips if the waiter or waitress is rude. I can't be bothered rewarding such behavior. I like to be treated with respect wherever I go, in the same way that I show others my respect. We can all have a bad day, but we don't have to let it all hang out at our work place. Many years ago, I used to work as a waitress myself, and my welfare completely depended on my performance at work, as in my country tips are optional. I always made a big effort to separate my private life from work, which in the end was really worthwhile as I had quite a lot of extra income through the tips I received.
I think it's different in the US where tipping is expected even if the service was bad or non-existent and I have fought with my friends over this. Why should I tip 10-15% when they forgot the drinks and took ages to take the order when it wasn't busy? It's wrong that tips make up the wages, wages are wages and tips are a bonus, that's how it should be. In the UK, one restaurant I was in took off the tip without my asking because they ran out of the bread I wanted, but I still left a tip because of how they handled it. That's what a tip should be, optional.
For me tipping is completely optional of course, the price of the meal is what it is and everyone has a salary, so tipping shouldn't really be *expected* it's something that you do to reward good service. I do tip when the service is good but there's no way I would tip if it wasn't.
I have never refuse to tip because I was never asked to tip, it's a choice I make at the moment. I usually always leave a tip in restaurants where I sit to eat, but if the service is really bad in that case I leave nothing because I feel they don't deserve it.
I try to tip the servers as much as I can every time I dine out unless these conditions are present: 1. When the restaurant in question demands a costly service charge, which pretty much defeats the purpose of tipping. People tip servers for their effort, but that's only on the presumption there's no service charge. The service charge is just a mandatory, fixed-price tip that all customers must pay for. 2. When there's a large sign telling customers not to tip their servers. This is common practice among Korean restaurants. They think it's an insult to the owner if people start tipping the servers, as if implying to the owner he's not paying his employees well enough.
I don't think I have ever been he one paying the bill at a sit down restaurant, so I don't have any personal experience here. I have forgotten or decided not to tip on occasion at a coffee shop, but that is pretty rare. I try very hard to tip at least 15% on my coffee. I believe the only reason I have decided not to tip is that I didn't have the money for it at the time. I felt like it was better to still go and be a customer, even though I could not tip that time because I was still helping them get business. If I was at a restaurant I think I would definitely tip even if the service was not very good, but I would probably leave a little review for them in case the server was not aware that he/she needed to work on something in their skills.
I find it absolutely ridiculous that they took the tip off the bill, because they ran out of bread, Theo. It's not the wait staff's fault that there isn't enough bread. You should have been offered a substitute, free drink, something like that. Instead, they gave you a discount by stiffing their wait staff? Wow. Tipping might technically be optional, but to not tip at all, is rude, in my opinion. If the server is rude that's one thing, but as a former waitress, I've just seen too many cheap people who are just looking for excuses to avoid leaving a tip. Servers remember bad/no tippers. If I can't afford a nice tip, I don't go out to eat (or eat somewhere else, where tipping isn't needed).
I have never given nothing for a tip. The service wasn't ever that bad! I have had to reduce my tip at times due to being ignored or just not treated fairly by a waitress. I really feel that they should meet a minimum at least when it comes to service. I know people have bad days, we all do, so I can understand that. I actually try and make a servers day brighter if they seem to be off that day. My husband is always joking so he can always make them smile which in turn makes their service better. Being a waitress is hard work and I believe they should be compensated for that. Danyel
Until I'm well off in money making, I ain't tipping no more, haven't done it for years now. Even then, I would only tip if the service was superb; I don't care if they were too busy or having a rough day, service is service, and it's black and white to me. People may get mad or knee-jerk against me on this, but I know from personal experience, whenever service expectations are lowered, the quality of service lowers as well and eventually customers will be showing out tip money for poor services; no me, I worked hard to earn my money too, so I expect some respect back with some good customer service. It's like a vagrant or homeless person out on the street begging for money, if you are not handicapped or have to feed children, I'm not giving you money for free, you have to perform a service for me like a trick or treat for adults e.g. do some break dancing or wash my windows - this is very reasonable. People should be lucky to get tips while living in the U.S.A., because most other nations have no regards for such a practice and pay for what he/she eats only. It's a privilege, not a right, to receive tips.
I once read somewhere, If you cannot afford a tip, then don't go out. I always make sure to give a handsome tip but quite a few times, it so happened that I ran out of money, that is the only case I did not give a tip. Also, I am curious about the Dish-Dash case?? Is the amount deducted from the server's pay?
No, they did give me free coffee as well, but they thought their service was bad and didn't feel they deserved a tip so they took it off. In the UK, even when it is added, you ask for it to be removed as it's not compulsory except if you have booked a party. It was an upscale place, but in the UK many places don't add a tip and it's left to the customer which is why it's a shock for Brits to see it in the USA added up for them. Often we round up or if it's really good then we add more.
In the UK there is a rather different attitude to tipping in the US. While in the US it is kind of an expectation, in the UK it is very much optional. I used to work as a waitress myself and the tips made a difference to my wage. I used to know which regulars were the good tippers and who never tipped. I usually do tip but it is nowhere near 10%.
I have to say there is a part of me that feels this way as well. It should be the establishments responsibility to pay the employee enough money so it isn't a requirement to tip especially if you feel the service wasn't all that great. Yet, since its customary to tip and being a server I can imagine is no picnic then I make a point to tip. I just don't get why its not required to then tip other people who provide service as well like a nurse or something. Why it only seems to be a requirement for just servers.
The last time I didn't tip was because the fluff-headed kid that was serving us forgot to give our order to the kitchen staff for about 40 minutes and it was so obvious that she suddenly remembered and placed our order. Good wait staff are efficient and deserve good tips, those that aren't resposible enough to learn the job and do it well should not be rewarded. Some restruarants never provide good service and it's usually management tht is at fault so we don't patronize thier establishments anymore.
