Last time my wife and I went out to dinner - our anniversary I think it was. We went to Outback and we had originally planned to get our usual just the outback special 9 & 12 oz steaks respectively. If any of you are familiar with Outback you get bread, salad with the meal and then your beverage of choice (typically iced tea). The tab comes in around 30-35 bucks or so when all the dust settles. I typically toss on a 5-6 bucks or so which is about 15% give or take a few cents. However we both decided to upgrade to different cuts of meat, I don't recall which let's say porterhouse & prime rib for the sake of argument and we both decided to have one drink from the bar since it was a special event and we rarely go out anymore. When the check arrived it was somewhere around 60-65 approx. and I started to calculate the tip and it occured to me at that point, and this is where I'm going to lose some of you that outside of the server having to walk an extra 5 feet to the bar to pick up the drinks we had the same bread, same salad and the same side dish as our usual cheaper alternative the only difference was the cook in the back picked up steak A instead of steak B and tossed it on the grill. Absolutely no extra effort on the servers behalf because I wanted a different steak. I thought why should I pay the server on scale according to what I want to eat if he/she does no more work? It would cost me an extra 5 in tips on that rational. The 5.00 isn't the issue at all it's that it's become an expected part of dining out to pony up 15-20 percent extra on top of your bill to compensate the server. And before any of you give me that "they make a living on tips" bulls**t it isn't my fault they don't have a job making more money per hour. Second argument, they have to split the money with the bar, busboys etc... again I don't care, it isn't my issue to pay the salary on scale. If they do a good job an extra 5 bucks may only mean a dollar or two goes to them but it still means in the hour they served me and me alone they made 9 bucks per hour instead of 8 and lord knows I wasn't the only customer. The second part is when the server bones me on my meal order or leaves my glass empty on refill - hells bells if they are getting squat. Should I feel bad? No because tips are compensation for a job that I appreciate being done. I don't appreciate having to search out a refill on a glass of iced tea. Don't get me wrong there are times when I have tipped well above 20% for excellent service and I have no problem doing so for the right circumstance. Anyway, it was on my mind so I wanted to ask all of you what do you tip? Do you always stay in scale to the meal or do you tip appropriately to the service you actually get?
Is it just a sense of generosity or because you don't want them to spit in your food if you ever see them again? Or do you just accept the ever climbing 7,10,15,20% rate associated with dining out?
weird i know you responded but I can't see it. I suppose it's probably because my dad is an executive chef of a restaurant and I know how much of a PITA it can be. with all that being said I don't go out to eat all that much. Before last week the last place I went to sit down and eat was... a while ago.
You dont need to defend or justify your actions...a tip is not a guaranteed requirement for services performed, nor should it be viewed as mandatory at any % level. that said, be real careful eating at the same place twice if you play it the way you feel justified in playing it.
I usually tip around 20%, sometimes as high as 45% if the quality of service is there. Let me give you an example: A coworker of mine follows the "Single Double Triple Rule" when it pertains to ordering mixed drinks. Unfamiliar with the concept? So was I. Here's how it works: 1) I order a Single. 2) You make it a Double. 3) I tip you Triple. That's the Single Double Triple Rule. If you do the math, you actually come out ahead, because of the sliding scale thing you just talked about. And you get extra drunk in the process, which is never a bad thing.
agree completley........ if they are really mindblowin good....ill tip high....but if its average.....ill do 5 bucks on a 30 dollar check as well..... job aint tough....wish I could tip the cook personally sometimes.... and then I hate so much is when they take my order and stuff....but they slack and someone else fills my drink or brings my food....im like "whos this guy??" confusing....
Perfect picture. That makes sense as you're associated with the industry and probably have more connections than the average diner would. I've never 100% stiffed a server yet. I remember when I was a kid and my dad didn't like the service he would leave them one shiny penny on the corner of the table. (were talking 70's here)
have you ever been a waiter/waitress? You'd think that. The several times I've had food there they almost always try and refuse my tips.
That's it. You're ****ing with someone's livelihood. How would you like it if your employer paid you less on the days when you goof off part of your day on ThePhins.com?
If I'm drinking and they have a heavy hand on the pour my scale goes all out the window. I've found if you just tip by breast size it makes your life easier.
yes sir.....you write an order.....give cook the order.....fill empty drinks.....smile...kiss ***.....bring food....ask if its good.....ask if need anything else.......ask if you want desert......smile.....fill drinks.....get take home box.....say bye....get tip...... I also installed hurricane shutters in south fla during the summer..... yeah.....waiting is not a "tough" job imo
You seem awfully defensive about your decision... I tip on a scale but give less than a traditional 15% if the service is bad and give more when i can if they do a particularly good job. I suppose what you say is true about the scale not making sense because they havent worked any harder to bring you the more expensive meal. But, it seems kind of cheap on your part to accept the scale when it amounts to a 5, but once the scale is escalated then it's suddenly a problem. Why tip based on the scale for a 30$ meal? They didnt work any harder to bring you that meal then they would have for a 15$ meal, so why not just leave 3$? Ordering from the bar does mean she probably has to split part of her tips w/ him. You brought another employee into your dining experience, so technically more work has been done. I tip partly because I accept the scale, a sense of generosity, acknowledging how important tips are to these people (my aunt is a bar tender I know how she badmouths bad tippers, and appreciates good tippers), and a general sense of not wanting to be perceived as a stiff lol.
I've worked for jobs where I didn't get paid afterwards thanks. 100 some dollars. You know what I did? I stopped working for them and found something else
By the way ... I've found the Single Double Triple rule works on both Waiters and Waitresses. Waiters are usually pretty logical, so they're in it with you. Waitresses find it cute, usually, so it works that way too. Enjoy.
lol seriously?? they got a job in a profession where customer service is detrimental to they're pay.....if they suck and are *******s.....then they shouldn't expect anything more than 2 bucks
While I was interested in sharing my opinion and getting feedback from others to see if I was the butthole that my wife seems to think I am I figured there would be at least a few people that would read me the riot act for wanting good service without the sense of expectation. As for the 5.00, it's a good starting amount for me for good service (not sure where I came up with it, but it works for me). If I set down to a 15 dollar lunch and I have a good server they will most likely get that same 5.00. I don't go in reverse, I don't think I've ever left a 1.50 for a 10.00 meal they will always get more unless they screwed up somethin fierce.
Aren't all drinks filled at the Bar? They were at my restaurant when I tended bar during college years...we controlled all liquor of course, but we also had all the drinks - sodas, water, teas....all Liquids were controlled by us. The only difference is we filled Tea Pitchers, Water Pitchers, coffee carafe's, etc....but they came back to us for refills of those pitchers. Has it changed?
Your tipping seems reasonable to me. I dont think any waitress will be upset with you over it. I'd increase your scale a bit for a nicer meal, and accept that it's part of the deal. But that's me lol.
Depends on the restrauant. A lot of places have a fountain drinks at a server station and you dont have to bother the bar for that. Not sure how Outback does it, it has been a while since I've to one.
I think a lot of places have stations that have coffee, soda & water excluding alcohol. If I go out to a place and I'm going into it knowing I am ordering a full meal appetizer, main course, dessert, drinks etc... and I know I plan on spending 100+ I fully expect, again with good service, to pay the premium to the server to get exactly what I want.
I'm sorry, but this is an area where I don't have any tolerance for bull****. If you stiff waitstaff by trying to get cute and make up your own rules on dining out, you're an ***. You can't afford to eat out? Don't eat out. But don't **** with someone's income just because you can. That is seriously ****ed up and it reflects poorly on you. You asked.
I have a tip for ya...don't take wooden nickels 15% is more than fair. I used to date a girl how served drinks at a club by stan st... most nights she made anywhere from 100 to 300 in tips alone.
That may well be the funniest thing I've read all day. It isn't my job to pay the staff, if they don't like what they earn they can find a different job. rules? Who's f'in rules? If I walk into a restaurant (excluding large groups) nowhere does it say I owe anybody jack s**t outside of my order & tax. Who said it was anything about affording it? I didn't.
I've not been to one in a long while but I don't remember every getting bad service - you are correct sir!
I think the rule is, as I understand it, that waiters get to dictate to us what percentage we owe them above our bill to express how happy we are. It doesn't matter how happy we actually are or how much work they actually did just what they think we should give them for the fact that they couldn't get a job that pays steady money or that the other 50 tables they help that shift didn't leave them quite enough. ******edited to clarify that I don't think all servers fall into the above statement, there are true professionals at every job and the world can't revolve without service oriented professionals********
I pretty much just leave 15 percent unless the service is really bad. I'll reward outstanding service with around 20. Cute waitress + outstanding service is even better.
