Don't Be A Cheap Bastard (or Bastardette)!
Written: Apr 05 '01 (Updated May 02 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The server will be rewarded for their work and you will feel good about yourself.
Cons: Tipping costs money - but if you want service, you should pay for it.
The Bottom Line: 15% is a minimum. A tip is not a bonus. Servers deserve to be rewarded for their hard work. If you received good service, pay for it!
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| Nathanael73's Full Review: Views On Tipping Food servers |
Let me give you my 15% on tipping food servers. As a server at a popular and well-known Italian restaurant, I have come to see the tipping issue from the other side of the fence. As a customer, I always tipped generously because it was in my nature to do so, but since I have been waiting on tables I have gained an insider's perspective.
Firstly, the customer needs to understand that a tip is not a bonus - it is a minimum payment for services received. Most servers are paid $2.13 an hour, an absolute pitance. $2.13 may be a decent hourly wage in Uzbekistan or Ethiopia, but in Texas it doesn't go very far. When you take out taxes and insurance at the end of the week you have barely enough to pay for a single meal, and sometimes nothing at all. The tips are the server's main source of income. If you stiff a server by not leaving a tip, or leaving a poor tip, you are also stiffing his or her spouse and children. Not all servers are college students working for beer money - many are married and/or have children. You should tip your server a minimum of 15%, unless there are special circumstances, which I will discuss later.
Secondly, understand that the server does not control all conditions in the restaurant. The server does not control the volume of the music, the temperature of the air-conditioning, nor the speed of the cooks. If the air temperature is not to your liking, don't take it out on the server. If you don't like the music, don't take it out on the server, if the food takes a little longer than you would like, don't take it out on the server (get the idea?). A good server will do everything he or she can to make your dining experience enjoyable, but some things are simply beyond their control. "Punishing" your server for situations beyond his or her control will bring bad karma (or at least I hope it will!).
Thirdly, include a tip in your budget. I had a table last week who had a long meal including alcohol, appetizer's, and desert. Their bill was over $70, and when I left it with them it was obvious by the way they were counting their dollar bills that they might not have enough to cover the bill, let alone leave a tip. They left me a $2 tip - a pretty small "reward" for two hours of my time (and a lot less than 15%, which would have been $10.50). If you don't have the money to tip, don't eat out! (or got to McDonald's).
Fourthly, reward excellent service. Many servers will go out of their way to make your experience a good one. They will prepare your drink in that special way, ensure your kids have crayons and paper to pass the time with, bring the extra salad dressing you like on the side, etc - in short, go above and beyond, and take pride in their job. These servers should be rewarded for their hard work.
Fifthly, it is OK to leave less than 15% in some situations. If your server spends less time with you than an order-taker at McDonald's, he or she doesn't deserve 15%. If he or she is rude, he or she doesn't deserve 15%. If he or she makes a mistake and doesn't attempt to fix it, he or she doesn't deserve 15% etc, etc. I have received very poor service at restaurants in recent weeks, and almost left less than 15%, though I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
In conclusion, err on the side of generosity. Understand that servers work hard for long hours and low pay. Give credit where credit is due. Leaving an extra few dollars won't hurt your pocket book, but it will help the server immensely.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Nathanael73
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Location: Michigan
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 89 members
About Me:
Traveler Reader Writer
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