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I went to dinner with some friends the other night & our service was HORRIBLE! We had to wait 15 minutes for drinks because the hostess forgot our order, the food was subpar & we barely saw our server. When we did see her she had a huge attitude like we were a big inconvenience.
Anyway... when the bill came one of my friends said they weren't going to tip. I told her that I always leave 10% if the service has been bad, but I do follow up with the manager.
I've always followed: 10% bad service, 15% good service, 20% great service
She said no way was she tipping & that I was crazy to give the server a penny over the bill. I worked in a restuarant in college & I know that the tips are split between a lot of the staff, not just the server.
So what would you do if you had terrible service? Leave something small or nothing at all? :)
Oh this is a hard one. I know that in most restaurants over here that tips get split, 50 to the server and 50 to be split between the rest of the staff on that shift. So I always leave them something (I don't do percentages, it really depends on how much the meal cost and what change I've got). On average I tip about 15-20% for a good service and 5-10% for a bad service. But I have walked out of a restaurant without tipping - the service truly was awful though. If it weren't for the fact I had already been drinking wine I would have got up and left.
I've worked as a server, so I'm a pretty good tipper, in general. For me to not leave a tip at all, the service has to be HORRIBLE. I can actually only remember doing this twice, and the last time, the whole table complained to the manager because she tried to add gratuity to the checks (there weren't enough people for that, she knew she was going to get a bad tip). She got nothing, nada, not one red cent from anyone at the table.
I have not tipped before but rarely. once we wrote on the tip line "we had to go to the bar to get our own water" the waiters were talking to each other it was really slow and we waited 20 minutes!
I always leave something, just so they don't think I forgot but know that I left so little because they sucked so bad! 5-10% max if they were bad.
Yes I do usually still tip. I'd say I follow your guideline, 10% for bad service, 15-20% for good service, maybe more if it was truly great!
well, technically the word "tips" stands for To Insure Proper Service... so I significantly decrease my tip when service is bad... but having been a waitress for several years, I always give SOMETHING for a tip...
I don't think it's ever right to not tip. That tip money gets tipped out to other employees- hosts, bus boys, etc, at many restaurants.
If you have enough of a problem to want to not leave a tip, I would ask for a manager. Usually they'll comp something or give you a card for a free entree next time or something- saving you $$.
When I would mess something up (it happened!) I would expect a 10-15% tip. However, right now 20% is supposed to be the tip you leave for good service (and trust me, even making 20% in tips, servers still barely make anything... it sucks!)
I tip very low when I don't like the service I get. If I don't leave one ....the server had to have really p'd me off.
as someone who worked retail the tips thing always really bugged me. when i went out of my way, carried things to peoples cars etc, i still made minimum wage, but the girls making lattes next door made tips, just for doing their job.
Okay a few things... first- make sure you are blaming the waitress for what is actually her fault. The hostess forgetting something or the food being bad is not her fault. Her ignoring you though, is.
I was a waitress for years and I have an opposite view of most people who have been waitresses who say "I always tip better now because I know how hard it is." I say "I tip what I think is fair because I know it just isn't that hard." Sorry-- but I worked for several years at two different (busy!) restaurants and compared to other jobs I've had, it was not a hard job for the money I made. I'm not saying that I was always a perfect waitress, didn't screw up, didn't ignore a table sometimes... but when I did I knew it was 100% on me so I didn't feel bad at all when I got a crap tip from that table... I gave crap service and I got what I deserved.
All that being said, i never leave no tip because I feel that could be misconstrued as an oversight. if I get really bad service I leave a tip as a message. I once filled out a credit card slip to leave $0.10... because that is what her service was worth to me (I actually went behind the counter and got my own drink because she disappeared for half an hour and no one else came by that I could flag for a refill). So, I base my tip on what the waitress is actually in control of and I tip appropriately from there. 10% or less for really bad, 15% for kinda bad but she might just be really busy, 20% for average, 25% for great.
In my opinion, a tip is a gratuity: ie, a "thank you" for providing a service. If the service is poor, then I try to consider the reason why. Was the server new? Was the restaurant unexpectedly crazy busy and was my server running around trying to serve everyone and just couldn't quite pay enough attention to my table? Or were they just rude (like in your case)?
I think if they are blatently rude or act like they could not care less about you or the service they are providing, then no, they do not deserve a tip. They are in the service industry, and that means that they are paid to smile and to be accomodating to you. If they cannot do that, then they do not deserve a "thank you" (ie, a tip). It does not make sense to me to reward bad behavior.
*And splitting tips is restaurant-specific: I think it it far more common for servers to keep their individual tips and then be responsible for tipping out hosts, bussers, and sometimes kitchen staff than it is for the tips to be pooled and then split amongst all.
@kjpugs: In my province servers start at $8 an hour & they go up 50 cents a year. There's no such thing as a servers wage in Canada. I think thats one of the reasons people tend to tip less here. When I'm in the US I always tip more knowing that their hourly wages are next to nothing.
One of my closest friends is a server & she only has to tip out 2.5% of her total sales. In a 4 hour shift she usually makes over $200.
I'm usually a very generous tipper. 16%ish for good service and 20% for great service. If the service is bad I leave around 10%. However, I read once in an etiquette book that if the service is just HORRIBLE you are supposed to leave 25 cents as if to say, I didn't forget the tip but this is all the service was worth.
I have been a waitress twice & I'm here to tell you, being a waitress will definately shape your answer to this question (good question btw ;). Yes. I do leave a (small) tip still, even if the service sucks. I am fortunate enough, at this point in my life anyway, to make considerably more than a server makes in a months time, and from personal experience I realize JUST HOW NECESSARY those tips are for survival. I feel that I can still leave something for them, not necessarily because they DESERVE it, but because I HAVE it to give. If the tip is small, hopefully they can put 2 + 2 together & figure out that they should have stepped up their game & maybe the tip would have been better. I just feel really bad about never leaving anything.
i've worked as a waitress before so i usually tip pretty well cause i know how it feels. But in my opinion whether or not the server was good i still tip something.. at least 10% only because... for us to tip like $5... honestly $5 is not big money but to servers thats alot... even like an extra $1 or 2 makes a difference for them. Thats what they do as a living... so why not give them at least something.
I always give 20%, but if service is terrible I'll complain to the manager or not come back to the restaurant ever again. Honestly there is so much competititon in the restaurant industry in NYC that it's rare you get bad service. But I've gotten tons of stuff for free from complaining (nicely) to the manager.
Yes, the tip is split between a lot of people so that's one of the reasons why I always default to 20%. You can't punish everyone for one waiter's bad service. And the food being subpar his not the waiters fault. And a lot of times a waiter's 'bad service' isn't his/her fault, the kitchen messes up orders all the time. So the only thing I'll compain about is a rude server, or I'll complain to the server that the food was taking too long and 100% of the time, a round of drinks is taken off the tab.
As a server and as someone who dines out a lot... I always leave a tip. If the service really sucked I will usually only leave 10% but I agree with kjpugs to always ask for a manager. A lot of people don't realize that servers have to share a percentage of their tips with busboys, food runners, hostesses, etc. (I have to share about 20% of what I make in tips)
Plus I have had a lot of people not want to leave a tip because they didn't like the food or the wait was too long -- that is not your server's fault! Again... if you have a problem always ask a manager and they will usually discount your bill. Don't take it out on your server!! :)
@vista -- i worked both retail AND restaurant business. Most servers (in the US) do not make minimum wage. (ie in New York the min. wage is ~$7/hr.. I make 4.50 as a server). I do not agree with the system, but sadly that is how it works. So, me... I always tip.. even if it's just a tiny bit :)
Edit: I added a poll to get a better idea of what really happens! :)
also let me say to you new yorkers- the west coast and oregon in particular the service standard is so different!!! one nyc busboy could cover most of the places i go and have time to relax- oh and our servers make minimum wage which is over 8 per hour. when i was in NYC i was floored with how fast and good the service was!!!
Hahaha I guess us NYC servers really work for our tips since we don't make minimum wage. I really, really try to be as nice and helpful as I can to my tables, I don't want someone to tip me because they feel obligated... I want them to because they had a good time.
.... that being said I have met a LOT of servers who don't act like this and probly don't deserve a 15-20% tip ;-)
Hey.. listen.. maybe she was having a bad day. whatever it is. she still got your food, got the check. change..whatever... you go out to eat and have someone serve you... at least tip.... Whatever amount it is. But not leaving anything i think its just rude.
If you were a server you would bend over backwards? maybe you... but i sure didn't and i still got decent tip. =)
Just because they're a server doesnt mean they need to bend over and beg for tip. Depending who it is and how important money is to them they dont need to be lowering themselves just for that extra tip.
Good point @recessionistabride. Servers make $2.13 an hour and then have to tip out by their sales. So a percentage of what you sell ALWAYS is taken out of tips. One brunch I worked one large party the whole time- they accidntally left the wrong receipt. Which meant I lost money that day! However they later noticed and brought it back, but @Miss Root- keep that in mind when you see it as a "thank you." It's how servers make money, period.
Although I agree, if she's ignoring you, a low tip is deserved. But people should ALWAYS talk to a manager if it's bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@2b: They don't need to beg for a tip, agreed. But by saying "Thats what they do as a living... so why not at least give them something" then they should do their job to ensure they get something. I still tipped this server, but she didn't deserve it at all. I actually tipped more than I should have to compensate for my friends not tipping at all- call it servers guilt. I think tipping zippo is completely wrong. If you're going to go out to dinner, pay the bill fully (which to includes the tip).
Hahaha, I certainly don't expect servers to bend over and beg for their tips! The only two servers I didn't tip at all were incredibly rude - one of them even got fired right then and there. It's one thing to expect your servers to do their job, which is to take your order, bring your food, etc... but when you ask kindly for a refill on your drink and the first time, you receive a dismissive hand wave as they keep walking, the second time you get told I KNOW (yelled it at me - YELLED - and it had been nearly 15 minutes since the first time I asked) and then when he finally came by with a water pitcher, he yanked the glass out of my hand, spilling water all over me. That's just a small sampling of the service we received from someone that didn't receive a tip (and he was fired - we had paid a lot of money to sit at the chef's table in the kitchen, and that's what we got?!? I can handle uninterested or whatever - I can't handle rude). The other girl stayed outside smoking the whole time - we could see her through the window - we actually KNOCKED on the window to tell her we wanted our check, because she would just light cigarette after cigarette and not come in!
That's not asking anyone to beg, that's asking people to do their dang job!
If service is bad I will only leave 10 to 15%. Otherwise, I always tip at least 20%.
@kjpugs- servers don't always make 2.13 an hour that varies state by state! If you knew your server made the same as the girl behind the counter at bed bath and beyond, would it affect the way you tip? would you tip everywhere? nowhere?
@layla: Oh my gosh I would have grabbed the manager right there and then! Thats terrible :(
I once had a server dump and entire large pop in my lap-- totally an accident though. She looked like she was going to cry. I gave her a good tip b/c I felt bad for her lol
@layla seriously that is TERRIBLE... I've never really had a horrific server before.. maybe if I did I wouldn't be so keen on leaving them a tip, I dunno! I just know that I've been pleasant to people (and maybe didn't bend over backwards, but they got their food and I wasn't a jerk) and have been left NO tip. I just don't get it sometimes!!
@recessionista one of my first days as a server i dropped a dish and got some food on my customer. I swear I almost cried. I apologized like 30 times and asked the manager to comp their meal because I was such a klutz.... I think they felt bad for me and knew that I was new so they did leave me a tip.... These things happen sometimes!!
@recessionistaBride- i once dumped an entire large iced tea in a kid's lap. yep. :) I don't remember how they tipped but I know I didn't expect much!
I always leave a 20% tip, unless it was really bad service, and then I might leave 10%. This rarely happens.
On only one occasion I can think of the entire table left no tip and had words with the manager. I'm sorry, but if you have only ONE table and it consists of only 4 people, you should a.) not get every single order wrong, b.) disappear for 45 minutes after said wrong orders, c.) not bring another round of completely wrong orders on the second try and d.) you should not charge me for 2 desserts no one ordered or received during said visit.
10%. They still brought out my food.
I then follow up with the manager. But that is just me.
Look i dont know what you do but i'm sure theres been times when you slacked off at work. If i'm correct at this time of the day you should be at work... working instead on WB, correct? unless you're not employeed. I know and understand some servers are lazy with terrible work ethics but you cant treat all servers like that. Wether they deserve a big tip or not i dont see a reason why you should sit there and think about if you should tip them or not. If it was something like what happened to Laylabelle then fine... go talk to the manager but other than that I dont think the waitress is to blame if the food is not there on time.
All i'm saying is... try to understand people alittle bit more not just about your own feelings and what you want. You cant always have a good day. Lot of people are so concerned about getting the best service instead of giving back alittle. Even if you didnt get such a great service, give them something back. that should make you feel better.
@2bMrsBear: Speaking of... I am feeling incredibly sick today and have to serve from 5pm til close. I have been trying to get another server to cover for me since I woke up feel like poo this morning and no one is free. I guarantee I am going to be a little grumpy today, but I'm not going to complain if I don't get the best tips tonight... I hope my customers understand that I'm just having an off day and still leave me a little something. Sometimes you just have one of those days!!!
If the service/food was excellent, 17-20%.
Usual standard service, 15-16%. Sometimes it's a little more just because we're making the bill even (e.g. a flat $100)
If the food itself just was only okay, but the service was fine, we would still tip standard 15% because it's not the server's fault if the chef has a horrible menu. If the wait times were long because they are unusually busy or understaffed, we still tip standard 15%.
If we have to wait because our service was bad, server forgot our orders, never checked in on us, etc. then we either tip something like 8-10%.
If it was the worst experience, there were times when we tipped nothing.
Waiting tables is a hard deal... I've waited tables before, and I know that sometimes you are just off, so I always tip at least 15%.
The server tends to get the shaft for bad service (i.e. kitchen errors, long ticket times at the bar), etc.
I know sometimes servers are just crappy, but for the most part if you treat your server well, he/she will take care of you.
@2B: I tipped. I always tip. I was a server throughout university & I could never shaft someone, no matter how bad the service was. Most servers tip out based on their sales. If I don't tip, they lose out on money.
I don't know why your tone is so hostile. I also found your comment "If i'm correct at this time of the day you should be at work... working instead on WB, correct? unless you're not employeed" uncalled for. I am fully employed. I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to a day off considering I usually work 15 hour days.
I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. I never said I thought servers were slaves. I loathe those people- trust me. I do, however, think that if you rely on tips you should make sure you're working enough to earn them. It's customer service. You need to put on a smile & be kind even when you don't feel like it.
@krissy18- I hope you feel better. People have their good and bad days. Some peope can hide that and some cant. Just because you're a server and are always dealing with people doesnt mean you cant be alittle grumpy or not show a smiling face. You're a server not a slave where you should be worshiping them throughout their stay. If they want the BEST service they should go to a really high end restaurant where the workers are trainned to be kissing a** to every customer!
Serving people are not the easiest job. You have to deal with all sorts of people with all kinds of attitudes and standing on your feet all day is not quite fun!
Generally, I still tip, but not as well. I think that maybe the person was having a bad day or was stressed out, or whatever. Everyone has their off days. On the other hand, there was one time where the waitress was flat out rude and mean to us, and she wasn't attentive at all. Because of the excessive rudeness, I did not tip her. This is not typical at all for me though.
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