To The People Who Don't Tip At A Restaurant Why Not

[monkmano]

I hate people who assume I am supposed to give them my money no matter what, that theyve already earned it by coming in the door. It really pisses me off. I give a solid 15% if I got good service, yet there was a place my friend and I were completely ignored so I decided to give him nothing since we got cold food dropped in front of us. Overall, the lecture isn't needed if it's such hard work and you deserve higher wages speak to your employer or just be better at your job.

[vp44]

I hate people who assume I am supposed to give them my money no matter what, that theyve already earned it by coming in the door. It really pisses me off. I give a solid 15% if I got good service, yet there was a place my friend and I were completely ignored so I decided to give him nothing since we got cold food dropped in front of us. Overall, the lecture isn't needed if it's such hard work and you deserve higher wages speak to your employer or just be better at your job.

This is what I mean by Team work. Why should they get a good tip because they were nice but our food wasn't up to par. HMMMM

[vp44]

This is what I mean by Team work. Why should they get a good tip because they were nice but our food wasn't up to par. HMMMM

I've sent a large tip back to the cook, (who can decide to share it with wait-persons or not), after they've prepared the meals well.  Most people seem to forget the ones who actually made the meal.

Exactly! The cook may have done they job but the server not so much. The cook may not have cooked a good meal but the server may have done a good job. Team work is what a business should look at. No one should be above the other because they all are providing a service. I don't see any other in they job description.

[dreamyxo]

I don't eat out often but when I do I tip (not 20%) because I feel I am forced to do it.  I do not like the concept of tipping that is expected.  Tipping should only be done for a job that goes above and beyond my expectations.  Taking my order and bringing me food, filling my glass is not anything above and beyond a server's job it is the job they are paid to do.  I'm sorry if you are paid below minimum wage that's not my fault you should get a better job if it's not paying your bills.  I shouldn't be made to support you or pay your bills by giving you extra money just because. 

[wildequusheart]

For everyone who keeps saying that waiters/waitresses/servers/bartenders should get better paying jobs, you might want to consider that the federal government and very few states actual require that restaurants/diners/etc. pay these people what most consider minimum wage. They actually have what may be considered an alternative (and considerably lower) minimum wage. Why? Because the government expects these people to earn the bulk of their money from tips! Also consider that we are recovering (rather slowly) from the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. This means many of these people (and many people in general) are happy just to have a paying job. Finding a better paying job isn't a feasible option for some people right now. Plus there are a variety of other reasons people take waiting jobs, such as schedule flexibility. I've wanted to quit my job for years (no, I don't work for tips, nor have I ever), but right now I can't find another job that will pay me as well as where I'm at to start, much less one that will pay that much while allowing me the schedule flexibility to go to school. So I stay.

As for myself, I usually tip very well, assuming the service was good. I've actually been known to tip 2x the recommended amount or more, but when the service has been exceptionally bad I have left without tipping. The latter is extremely rare, but if I'm thirsty because I haven't had my drink refilled in 40 minutes and have to hunt you down 20 minutes after the meal is finished to get the bill even though there's a guy mopping the floor because the restaurant is now closed and then you throw me attitude for asking for the bill (this has happened, and you couldn't miss us as we were a party of at least 20), at this point don't expect a tip.

On the plus side, tipping can sometimes benefit the tipper as well. If you have a favorite bar/restaurant, the waitstaff will remember if you're a good or bad tipper and cater to you (or not) based on that. For example, a bartender at a place I go to occasionally (literally only once every 3-4 months as I don't really have money to go out right now) always remembers me. I always get fast service, and he makes my drinks stronger. Since he makes my drinks stronger, I don't buy as many, so even though I'm tipping more I'm actually spending less on my night out. It's win-win.

On a more humorous note, check out the movie Waiting. Just a warning, it's not G-rated. Don't mess with the people who handle your food.

[jpastran]

Wow .... I have never heard so many different views on tipping waiters/waitresses. I personally tip what i can give I mean I don't normally eat out because I can't afford it sometimes but I feel good about tipping a fair amount to someone who has done a good job. I always leave a tip even if its 2 dollars unless the waiter/waitress just doesn't do a good job flat out.

$0= Lame
$1= That's just a slap in the face
$2= Better than a slap in the face
$3= Ok, I can work with that
$4= Now that's what I'm talking about
$20= Now somebody wants some digits

[Optiwoman]

If I don't tip, it's because the waiter/waitress didn't do a satisfactory job.   Once I watched as my waitress spent time talking to her friends about their plans later while I waited for the steak knife she didn't bring me with my meal.   She not only didn't get a tip, but I complained to her boss.   If people want a tip, they need to make the dining experience enjoyable.   I understand that tipping is how they make their money, but they do need to earn it.

[kristalie]

Are some of you guys serious? DON'T go out to eat, if you don't want to feel obligated to tip. Whether service is bad or not, you still tip. Stay home and cook your own meal. You're not just paying for the meal at a restaurant, you're paying to get served. You're still getting served even if it's not up to your standards. I'm amazed with some of you.

And 15% should only be given if the service isn't good. That's really low. "Tipping should only be done for a job that goes above and beyond my expectations."? No, tipping is part of what you factor in to your budge when you decide to go out to eat. Like someone else said, waiters get below minimum wage because of tips. If you're going to be cheap, STAY HOME.

[black1304]

I agree.  I think everyone should be required to wait tables for at least 3 months out of their lives.  I always tipped before I was a server, but now I tip 20% all the time unless I have bad service.  Bad service still gets you 10%.  I will also let my server know that I appreciate that they take their job seriously and if I really enjoy my service I will try to request that server every time I visit that establishment.  I want that person to continue to succeed.  Although as a server I always hated when someone would tell me how great my service was and then leave a crappy tip.  Compliments don't pay my bills! lol  Also, if you have a coupon or get a discount for some reason, tip off of the total BEFORE the discount came off.  Your server didn't give you less service because you had a coupon, so don't give them less of a tip because you saved some money!

[LaKecias]

First of all the cooks in the restaurants get paid a regular salary they don't work for tips. People keep saying why are the things the way they are I don't know but that's the way it is. It's illegal to pay under minimum wage but if I remember right back then the waitstaff had it's own mininum wage I believe it was 2.75 back then. The point was everybody knows this is the concept that you tip when you sit down at a restaurant and eat. I lot of jobs have people doing a serivice for you where if you tip them it's a gift a how of appreciation but that not waitstaff, those jobs pay a regular salary. Stop using that excuse The restaurant business is set up like that and we all know it it so so selfish to have that mindset. You know they work for tips and if it's so tight for you that you can't at least leave 1 dollar (even though that horrible unless you just ordered a cup of coffee) then don't eat at that kind of restaurant. Go to a drive-thru.  You are going to the restaurant already knowing that the person who is waiting on you expect a tip from you and mot likely some of you already know you are not going to leave one, how can you do that. Let' see you tell them up front that you are not leaving them anything and see what kind of service you get then.

[kristalie]

I agree with you two! I'm shocked to see so many people here feel entitled that they don't "have" to tip. Yeah, sure you don't but that's extremely cheap and horrible to do. Not tipping is meaner to do than any bad service you most likely got. The only time I could see not tipping is if the waiter is flat out horribly rude to you and screws up your order. Everyone makes mistakes/has a bad day/etc but if they're extremely rude on top of it, I could see not tipping.

Don't go to eat if you can't afford to tip. Plain and simple.

[LaKecias]

How can anybody say why take that job. Sometimes especially now people have to take what they can get. When I took my waitress job I had just had my second baby and I couldn't go back to the job I had before I went on maternity leave bcause it was too far away in another city. I didn't have transportation. I had to get what I could at the time to provide for my children. I knew what what the salary was when I took the job and I knew I would make tips the help make up the difference. It was hurtful to bust my butt for people or to have people to run you around and not leave a penny but you get over it and you expect it. On the other hand I have had some really great tippers whom I greatly appreciated at that time. I have even had people to tip even when there service wasn't ideal for some reason they were kind and understood the concept. That was really appreciated because I knew I gave the best service that I could. No it's not your fault if something goes wrong and the waiter don't give A1 service but it's not their fault either. why not take the time to ask before you stiff them.

[mperez7372]

I have always been a believer that if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to be eating out/ drinking in a bar, etc.  I try to never tip less than $5 for food service.  Even the pizza guy.  It's just rude.

[raven1114]

I have only ever not tipped one time and that was because the girl thought that only asking my husband if his food was okay and if he needed a refill while leaning over him and wiggling her *bleep* as she walked away while ignoring me would get her a big tip. Yeah she got a big tip alright just not in the form of cash. She was tipped to the fact that it is usually the woman that decides what your tip will be not the man. You can wiggle your *bleep* all you want and flirt to your heart's content but guess what if she gives him that look you aren't getting crap because it's her he is trying to please not you.

[PGS28]

I think sometimes people are either unaware that a tip is expected/the proper thing to do or they just don't have the money to contribute. Either that or they were unsatisfied with the service.