Most of us have had jobs in the food service industry and we can all appreciate how difficult it can be, especially when dealing with customers who think the wait staff are their personal verbal punching bags. Order up: Here are the top 10 ways to tick of your waiter or waitress.
10. Demand a straw/Take a straw
It’s called “please” and “thank you”. Not even that: just ask nicely. “Could I get a straw please?” Your waiter or server isn’t going to slap you upside the head or spit in your food for asking for a straw. 99 times out of 100 there is a straw in the server’s apron and they don’t mind taking the extra two seconds to dig it out and hand it to you with a smile.
9. Tell the server how to do their job
They’ve been trained. They haven’t been fired yet. Don’t tell them what to do. Unless they’ve completely abandoned you (in the sense that you’ve probably irritated them to the point that they quit) then don’t play Hitler and demand this, that, and the kitchen sink.
8. Put a time limit on you server
Most of the time, you are not the only table the server has, the only table in the restaurant, or the only table in the world. If a server says that they’ll be back with your drink, chips, whatever: don’t pull out your stopwatch and assume that “right back” means “1 minute, ready, set, go!”
7. Assume that sending your food back will result in the servers spitting in it or in any way defacing it
If the server offers to take it back, then give it to them! It’s not that big of a deal! They’ll take it back, fix it, and bring it back with plenty of time for your appetite.
6. Associate any problem with your dining experience to be the fault of the server
If your food came out wrong, it’s the kitchen’s fault. If your table isn’t clean, it’s the bus boy’s fault or the host’s fault for sitting you at a dirty table. If something happens that is obviously the fault of someone else who works at the restaurant, then don’t shoot the server. They are the messengers of the kitchen, so politely inform them of the problem and they will notify the person in charge. (key word: politely)
5. Leave any kind literature on the table for us to read
We will throw it away.We are way too busy to stop and read your latest novel or whatever you are trying to sell. If it’s that important, talk to us. It’s our job to be social.
4. Tell us you’re ready to order, then change your mind fifty times
Again, you are not the only table in the restaurant.Your server has a laundry list of things to get done and if you decide that the words dribbling from your mouth are more important than the rest of the patrons of the restaurant, it gets old and frustrating and then we will probably spit in your food.
3. Say something rude
Try it and see what happens. Your server will give you a big smile and crappy service. We are people too. Just because our title is “server” doesn’t mean we are in any way inferior to you. If they offer you an appetizer, don’t retort that you haven’t opened the menu or something else rude.
2. Take out your problems on the server’s tip
If it wasn’t the server’s fault (See number 6) then don’t retaliate by giving the server a dollar or you pocket change. The kitchen, the managers, and virtually everyone will get paid more than the server and by attacking they’re tip you will not in any way get back at the person responsible.
1. Don’t tip at all
There is absolutely no reason in this universe to not tip. It doesn’t matter if the restaurant burned down on you, tip SOMETHING! It doesn’t prove anything except that you are a completely heartless jerk. (Side note: don’t find dumb reasons to not tip either. Lightning will strike you as you exit the restaurant.)
Written by Michael McNay
197 Comments
Don’t minimize the service industry….no it’s not brain surgery, but it is quick money. Hence why intelligent people choose it, as opposed to riding a desk 9-5. I am a college educated woman, and I serve to supplement my income. Its insulting when people say “go back to school, so you can find something better.” I for one, am not complaining about my job, I understand the nature of waiting tables, and take it for what it is. But don’t assume people are waiting tables because they lack the education to something else. Most servers are highly educated, and/or paying their way through school.
And as for tipping….let’s face it, ppl come to dine in restaurants to be taken care of. If you don’t want to tip, go to Burger King. I agree, servers aren’t entitled to tips, as poor service warrants poor tips. But if people just stop leaving tips altogether, we’d all be reduced to fast food. No one is going to wait on you hand and foot for 2.13 an hour alone.
People would seriously stiff a waiter in California because they make minimum wage? Wtf? Do they not realize their taxes are so much higher, so of course they’re gonna make a little more, but after taxes they’re probably close to that $2-$4 range.
I’m glad we don’t tip in my country. Clubs, Bars, Pubs are trying to by placing a tip jar, but hells no. You get paid, I’m not paying you too.
this is an article from a waiter/waitress that needs tip
Why would I tip bad service? Here in the UK, you only tip if they deserve it. I work in the hospitality industry and people not to tip is just overlooked unless they’re bill was expensive.
I don’t agree with what was said about not tipping at all. If the service is bad, the customer is under no obligation to tip. One should be fair and take into consideration the server’s workload, of course. If I don’t get great service, but I see the server hustling around and overworked, that definitely is factored in. There has only been one incident in which I did not tip at all. Other than that, I tend to over-tip.
As it has been stated in many of these posts, tipping is not a requirement. It sucks that you are in a position where you are paid below minimum wage and you are counting on those, but that is not the customers fault.
Would you A -Rather live on below minimum wage and have the potential to walk away with hundreds in cash (that quite frankly, most of the people I know lie about to avoid/cheat taxes or tipping out the staff) for doing a job that does not require much effort except a smile and walking.
Or B – Have the restaurant raise the price across the board of the food to make it so you get paid an actual minimum wage ($7-8? an hour) and receive tips once in a blue moon (or if you did something phenomenal).
To put it in perspective – Working an average of 50 hours a week on a 30k salary, my nights off are usually spent in a crowded/popular bar and grill watching a game or dancing. The good server/waitresses there can pull in 4 figures in tips a week on 2-4 shifts working 4-5 hours a night. Congratulations, you have the potential to earn more, doing less, in half the time, than a college graduate. Try doing it somewhere with higher potential, and not at Denny’s. Your employer is required to pay you an actual minimum wage if you don’t make enough in tips to equal the state law.
One personal recommendation, I won’t tell you how to do your job, but for people with food allergies, give them the comfort of writing down their order. It’s irritating as hell to have to guess “Does my waitress/waiter have a good memory, or am I playing Russian roulette with fate…” and even more-so having to ask “Did you remember to request this ______ “?
Tipping is a north-american habit. You are not expected to tip in most countries of europe and asia, the “service” is included in their salary.
(warning – commie-speak ahead) Tipping is a way of owners increasing their profits by unduly passing to the customers the salary of the waiters. No restaurant owner in NA lowers the kitchen staff salary expecting them to compete for tips.
This is why my wife and I so enjoy dining in Japan—no tips!!! Great service, great food, great experience. Yes, the tip (so to speak) is build-in to the menu pricing, but there are no surprises and we can dine as we please and still have excellent service. We would love the US to follow Japan’s lead on matters of tipping.
We typically tip 20% or more, but soured completely on this when we ceased drinking soft drinks and alcohol in the evening. We have seen an attributable difference in service when just ordering water although we order several courses, and even the higher-end bottled waters. What this has led to is my wife and I using our kitchen more and for the first time, starting our own garden. Too bad neither my wife and I will be around to see robotics replace servers, but I’m sure many will praise this milestone when it eventually happens.
20% should be the standard tip for adequate service. Waiting tables can be extremely stressful, and you usually have to put up with a lot of crap… It’s not a walk in the park. I am a server and when I dine out I always tip at least 20% because I can empathize, of course there are the less than adequate service exceptions. I’ve noticed that other waiters tip on the higher end scale as well…
I like this article but I have to admit that there was one occasion when I didn’t tip and that was only because by the time I paid I was out of cash and had no other means to.
I eat out a lot, but will only tip when I feel that the waiter has done a good job. If I am expected to wait long periods between being served, even though I see the waiter talking to their collogues or taking their time clearing tables, then I am less likely to tip them. I have had some fantastic experiences whilst dining, with a favourite being on the first date of my now fiancée. The waiter was fabulous, assisting us from everything from our choices of wine to coming up to our table to tell us that we did not need to pay for the main course of the meal due to the chef being dissatisfied with it (we had not even complained). Because of this, we tipped around 30 percent, and have been back there on several other dates and always receive fabulous service. I have found many waiters to be rude or lazy though, and will not tip for poor service, no matter what the expected etiquette may be. Whilst in my teens I held a few menial min wage jobs, and so understand what is is like to work for little pay. But my point still stands, I am not tight if I do not tip. I am simply unhappy with the service I have received,
I’m Not from the US, I don’t understand tipping at all.
Why does tipping occur in some places (like restaurants and café’s) and not other similar places (McDonalds)?
The only people who seem to defend tipping are people who do it out of habit but don’t want to feel cheated by those who don’t, and Wait staff. The main argument for the wait staff seems to be that they don’t get much pay. Why is that anyone elses problem? Take it up with your employer or your government, it is not the Right of your customers to make up for your social injustices.
Oh and this whole Idea of not going to eat at a restaurant if you don;t have enough to tip is obsurd. You don’t ask for the cost of a new TV with the expectation that You will have to pay the salesman 15% out of your pocket. If the menu says a burger is $5.50 then it’s $5.50. Period.
And before anyone calls me cheep, I have Tipped in the past. It’s not even expected in my country but sometimes when someone has given you a great experience and earned it I Will Tip.
I am a server and I believe strongly that if u can not afford to tip AT LEAST 15% then do not go out to eat! Thats like ur boss saying ur not getting paid for watever job u do just because he doesnt feel like it. It is extremely rude not to tip and it really makes u look like trash n that u hate ur life!
I’ve been a Waiter for 15 yrs, Tipping is not mandatory, but is earned. It’s a service. I have a degree. If I make Min wage, it’s because I have manners, class and hygene. I have worked in the worst places, learning and passing knowledge. Serving people that have manners, class, to the white trashiest of us all. I give the same service to all, yet some are… just more respectful and understanding. Lets get to Service, the guys that you bring your car to, for instance make a meger wage, you by a small inexpensive part, it takes them 4 hours to put it in?? Do you argue the price, say the dealer made it harder for them to install it, try to get them to lower the price?? Say their knowledge, is less then the better more expensive place? My point is, Where you go, what you get, the knowledge base, all come into play. Great service at a “sit down, fine dining restaurant, better tip. $hh cheap crap restaurant , well.. People work in restaurants knowing, their working for tips and are going to run into degenerate people with no class, once in a while. Do you want your true colors to show? When people give me a crap tip, I say I hope to see you soon, or act overly appreciatve, people that are cheap, If I see them in the mall or in my neghborhood, you can believe, I’m going to say something to them in front of their family friends and make a scene in the mall. THIS PERSON IS SO CHEAP. DON’T COME INTO A FINE DINING RESTAURANT, WHERE I PAY 5 PERCENT TO SERVE YOU, AND THEN LEAVE ME TEN PERCENT LOSER, WHAT DO YOU DRIVE? A DELORIEN TIME MACHINE? TEN PERCENT IS FROM THE 1980’S, 15, FROM THE 90’S, ITS 2012, IT’S 20 PERCENT, the best is a retard, that can’t do 20 percent of $200.00.
UM IF YOU DONT HAVE ANY EXTRA TIP MONEY HOW CAN U BE EXPECTED TO TIP???!!! I DONT TIP IF I CANT AFFORD TO, END OF STORY.
this video goes along with this article. This song is so true! All servers should watch this. Its called “Your Server Hates You” and its going up a lot in views. Looks like servers everywhere are loving it. http://youtu.be/bwiXCwHQ-Kc
I love it. I put it at the bottom of the post. You guys did a great job on it. Very clever lyrics!
Wow, lots of responses on this one. But I must agree with most of the people on here. I myself am a waitress and barlady; but I don’t demand or depend on tips. If I give someone crappy service I don’t expect anything and even if I give great service I don’t expect anything. A tip is something you’re given if the patron believes you deserve it or if you went out of your way (something you should do anyway)
Another fact is that there is no point to get nasty with someone because they DON’T tip; my best clients are those that don’t tip, purely because they’re nice people and I communicate with them. Just because they don’t ‘give’ me money doesn’t make them jerks.
You don’t ‘deserve’ a tip, as you get paid already; your assumption that you do deserve is one probably why you don’t get any to start with. The expectation of a tip will only serve to make you a bitter waiter and unappreciated by everyone.
If you want money for nothing then go sit on the street and beg like the homeless people; otherwise, suck it up and work for what you’re paid; don’t expect handouts. You’ll be A LOT happier if you do. Trust me.
Oh jeez, here we go again.
So tired of hearing the whine of everyone who claims to be owed. And how much they “love” the job but are on here griping about it. Ha.
I have to clean my entire area that I am responsible for (6 CNC lathes), but don’t get tipped for it.
I have to deal with customers who are continually asking stupid questions they can’t or don’t understand: “What does this line of the program make the machine do?” “What type of material is being used in this application?” but I don’t get tipped.
I have to make multiple trips around the shop to make sure a job is done right from start to finish, but am not tipped.
I have a boss breathing down my neck continually, making sure the job is being done right as quickly as possible, but I am not tipped.
I am on my feet for 10 to 12 hours a day, but I am not tipped.
I must get the proper tools and set the machine up right when doing a new job, but I am not tipped.
Wah wah wah wah wah.
It’s a job. Don’t like it, quit.
Oh, and like I stated above, employer of tipped workers are REQUIRED to make up a shortfall to minimum wage. As is evidenced from this, taken DIRECTLY from the U.S. Department of Labor’s website:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf
Check out the second paragraph.
When I was in a tipped profession, I NEVER made less than minimum wage. I put myself through college and still made enough to live on. If you’re failing at this profession, there’s got to be a reason why. Because I know for a FACT from personal it can be done. I am not doing it anymore because I chose to have a social life, but I made damn good money when I was doing it.
Don’t like the pay? Don’t like the people? Don’t like the job? Get another job. It’s that simple.
I’m from Australia, and I was a waitress for a couple of years when I was a teenager. I got paid $22 an hour, and that was just in a pub bistro! No topping up drinks, not even bringing your food to the table! Was has buzzers that let the customers know when they’re food was ready. Never got one complaint. Tipping is unheard of here. I love living in Australia!
I get tired of this idea waiters and waitresses seem to have developed that they deserve tips, in all honesty you don’t. Until that money leaves my wallet it is still mine. Tips are to be worked for, and if you have failed as a waiter to be, as you put it, a messenger to the kitchen why should their tip not be diminished? As far as putting a time limit on their service, I understand that they have multiple tables to cover and that a minute may to be too soon to be hoped for. However, if it takes more than 10 minutes why shouldn’t I reduce your tip? Are the kitchen, bus boy, or host responsible for filling cups too? If so, then I’m really failing to see why the waiters deserve tips at all if every single problem in a restaurant has has nothing to do with the waiters. If everyone else is to be held responsible for problems, then it stands that they should also get the credit when things go right.
Hello all! I am a waiter. It’s not a bad gig, all in all. I am possibly one of the rare few that really thinks the tipping system in America is cheating both the diner and the waiter. If we abolished tipping and went the way Britain and Japan do, we wouldn’t have lazy incompetent servers because they would be fired. Yay for me! I don’t have to do their job as well as mine! That being said, the reason tipping is the way it is in America is because the restaurant owners only pay us 2.13/hr. The law says that they have to compensate up to minimum wage if we don’t get it ourselves out there with our charisma. lol most of my checks say VOID THIS IS NOT A REAL CHECK. What a crazy world. So yeah, It’s lame that it’s like this but I’m not a restaurant owner or a bigwig government dude, I’m just here to pay tuition and it means everything for you to do the compassionate thing and shell out a couple bucks. $8 bucks on $50 isn’t terrible, it all adds up. It’s just nice to be rewarded, some of us do have pride in the job. It is a shame that so many people’s livelihoods are left to the whimsy of customers. Hey owners! Pay us a decent wage. I don’t think $15/hr is too much for (sometimes) literally running to get you an ice water on a HOT day. $15/hr is the norm in Australia. Thanks for reading this long tirade.
“If you cant afford to tip you shouldnt eat out”? Who are you to decide what I can or cannot afford? If you cant make ends meet with what you make, then you should find a job that enables you to. I really could care less about your financial problems and how you are losing money. There’s a reason you are in the job you are in and I frankly dont care what it is. Take my order, bring my food. A monkey can do your job, look it up on youtube. Its time to get over yourselves. Dont get me wrong, I tip, but only for good service. Not because I care about how much the server is making or the fact they may be struggling. Pick up a paper sometimes, we are all struggling right now.
Anybody who doesn’t believe in tipping is an absolute inconsiderate person who hasn’t worked in a restaurant before. Most people don’t understand that practically every single service employee in the country makes the bare minimum wage per hour for tipped employees, which is about 5 dollars an hour right now. Also, most restaurants pool their tips and divide them up using a point system, a waiter RARELY gets more the 50% of the tip you leave.
I understand that if a waiter really does a poor job and clearly doesn’t care then they don’t deserve a tip, but don’t act for a second like you’re being generous by tipping in the first place. If you DO decide that they did such a bad job they deserve only 5 dollars an hour, then you damn well still owe them an explanation, don’t just walk out without talking to a manager or the waiter yourself.
I have a time limit. If I am seated at a table and wait 15 minutes (I am patient, to a point) and have not received a glass of water or a menu or even a quick greeting from my future server who “will be right back” then I will walk out. But I find the manager first and explain why. Understaffing is a reason why restaurants fail. (That, and stealing the food as it’s being off-loaded from the truck to the restaurant.)
For the best dining experience possible do this: compliment your server. Find something-anything!- nice to say to them. Their hair style is cute, that’s a nice pair of earrings, what a nice smile, best service I’ve ever gotten, etc. It makes them smile and are happy that you have appreciated them in some way. Leave a nice tip to enforce your happiness and the next time they see you your service will be even better. Guaranteed.
Yeah number 1 is completely wrong… I’ve only been outside the country to America and Japan, but in Australia we don’t tip our waiters/waitresses because they already get paid to do their job. Being thankful is all you guys should ask for.
This is a really great list, but I'm going to flag you on #2. If I have a problem with the server specifically, the tip is going to be light. And I don't mean some bull like "you weren't friendly enough," I'm talking about (and this is a true story) taking our orders, dropping off the food and doing absolutely NOTHING else. No refills, no check ups, not even taking the check and bringing back our change; if she was genuinely busy, we wouldnt see her texting for ten minutes behind the counter.
To be honest, I have only not left a tip once. The lady insisted on rolling her eyes at us, huffing, putting her hand on her hip, and copped an attitude about not having chicken tenders for, in her words, "the little bra—girl." Yes, my little girl, age 5, has a tough time behaving properly in a restaurant. She wasn't on her best behavior, but when that woman decided to not watch her tongue and almost call my child a brat, I decided that, bad day or not, she did not deserve a tip. You are being paid to perform a service. Whether it's 2.13 and hour or 8 an hour. You are being paid to do your job. No, you don't have to smile. No, you don't HAVE to be happy. But you sure as hell don't insult your table. We didn't talk to the manager; no point in her losing her job, and aside from the people at my table, there really wasn't that much proof that she did indeed call my child a brat. I figured a better behavioral correction would be to leave her without a tip. It was my husband's decision to write the note on the napkin: "The little brat wanted ice cream, so we used your tip money."
While I'm not exactly proud of this, I'm sure it taught her something. Usually, if a server is ill-tempered or just not on top of the ball at all (one time we had a waitor we told four times that we wanted a certain dessert done a certain way. He'd come back emptyhanded, apologize for his forgetfulness, and head back to the kitchen. then it came out wrong. we sent it back, and by that time we were just ready to leave…), I'll leave an insulting tip; a dollar or the coin change from our bill. The way I see it, every penny helps 🙂 your attitude decides how many helpful pennies you get.
I am a great tipper.I even tip hotel cleaning ladies and gas jockeys too but for you to have the audacity to state that their is never any reason to not tip is both arrogant and ignorant.The primary way a customer or consumer can make any real statement in this age is with his money.Period.
Seldom does this occur but if i am treated rudely by a server i sure as heck will not be giving them any tip.
Actually perhaps you are correct…a single penny tip is a great statement in itself.
i never tip muhahahahahahah
And you’re probably the person everyone points at and says “I don’t want to wait on that table.”
First off, thanks for all these great top10 list. I enjoy reading a lot of them. Although this is gonna be a first for comment.
#6
I've worked in the restaurant business for over 10 years and this one just got to me.
"If your food came out wrong, it’s the kitchen’s fault."
Not always true. Servers are notorious for putting the order in the computer wrong. If a server hit the "Onions" button by mistake instead of "Tomatoes", guess what I put on the hamburger? What would really light me up about their mistake, and I've heard this personally, when the customer confronts the server about the mistake and they say "Sorry, the 'kitchen' must have read the ticket wrong" or "We have a 'new guy' in the kitchen tonight." Just so it doesn't affect their tip. I've seen servers blame problems on everything but themselves.
#2
If you work in a decent restaurant, with decent business… It's not unheard of that a server will make more then the cooks and even the managers. My girlfriend worked at a place for 3 or so years as a server. 2 years into, they gave her a management position. She did it for a few months, but went back to serving because the money was better. Again though, I'm sure this greatly depends on the restaurant itself, where it's located, and what type of restaurant it is.
#1
Not everyone is cut out to be a server. I do believe it takes a special person to deal with the public as they do. Even if you're the greatest server, there will be some jackass out there that says his/her service was "horrible" because it didn't meet "their" standards. But, there are the occasional servers that just blow. I had one that really was the worst server ever. This kind of refers back to #10. I don't believe I should have to ask for a straw. When I served (that's right, I wasn't always a cook) if four people sat down at a table, before I even went to the table to take their drink order, I'd bring 4 straws, 4 plates, and 4 sets of silverware.
So this server didn't bring straws when she brought our drinks. One person at the table ordered Sprite, but got water. When she arrived at the table with our food, she only brought half, and then returned with the other half like 10 minutes later. She switched up peoples food, and didn't know who ordered what. (note, this was only table of 4 and the restaurant was far from busy) We had to ask for silverware. Before we even order anything, we let her know this was going to be on two separate tabs, which she managed to screw up, by putting the wrong items on the wrong tabs. Meanwhile, between coming to our table to screw everything up, she stood at the bar and talked/flirted with who I assumed was her boyfriend just hanging out having a drink.
We still Tipped, because society says we must, but did she deserve it? In my opinion, no. All the tip did was lead her to believe she did a great job, and that the next table with be just as pleased with the way she handled our massive table of four.
I agree with the comments about "this was defiantly a top10 list put together by a server" seeing as how the writer often referred to the servers as "we."
"We are people too. Just because our title is “server” doesn’t mean we are in any way inferior to you."
1) take a glass full of water, put some petty amount of tip change in it, cover the glass with a coaster and quickly flip it upside down on the table, then quickly pull the coaster out from under the inverted glass. the water doesn't leak out until the starving destitute overworked and underpaided waiter lurches to get the well deserved tip.
2) pass gas frequently while giving your order
3) light up in the no smoking section and complain about the lack of ashtrays
4) blow your nose a lot
5) leave your dirty napkins in the empty glasses
6) finish your meal and complain the food was horrible
7) flirt with and compliment the other waitress
8) speak as loudly as possible
9) tell personal stories to your server during the busy hour
10) loosen the lids on the salt and pepper shakers
11) empty the catsup bottle on your plate and ask for more
12) tell the manager your table is cold and drafty
13) sit with your chair way back in the aisle
14) leave a penny tip
15) complain to the bussers and food carriers about your server.
16) start a food fight with the next table
17) ask for water, for everyone, with lemon of course
18) ask for coffee when the check comes
19) hang out after your meal during rush hour
20) if they have a jukebox, load up a bunch of crappy music as you leave.
21) gross out the bathroom, many restaurants force servers to clean the restrooms.
o come on folks, laugh a little….watch "Waiting" and chose your eating establishments carefully.
The last time I didn't leave a tip (out of maybe 2 or 3 times in my life) was because the waitress lied to me after I waited 50 minutes for a pizza. I asked her where my food was, she said it was coming out of the oven just then, and she brought it to me ice cold. Sorry, lying is plenty good reason not to tip.
I once went to a Golden Corral. It was the only time I didn't leave a tip. The waitress didn't give us plates, silverware, or make any contact with us. We had to get our own stuff. It wasn't even busy.
0% tip.
Restaurants also could charge $2-$5 more per entree to pay the server minimum wage. Enjoy your $15 burgers, $4 cokes, and $20 chicken breast.
Prices of food in restaurants would not go up to pay servers minimum wage. How exactly do we in Canada manage to pay servers minimum and up without our food prices being astronomically high then? (minimum wage here is $8+ depending on the province.)
exactly….management has you idiots right where they want you, thinking they'd have to raise prices on food and scaring you away from that minimum wage……
I do disagree with #1. Twice in my life I have left "no" tip (actually, a single penny). Once, I ordered a Diet Coke and a glass of water for drinks. The water did not arrive until 5 minutes before the bill. Sorry, that's not even excusable as there being an issue with the kitchen. It takes all of twenty seconds to grab a glass, put some ice and water in it and bring it to my table.
The second time, I ordered an appetizer as a meal. I specified THREE times that it was for my main meal and I wanted to get it when my boyfriend got his meal. The server brought it with the other appetizer. When I reminded him that I'd wanted it as my meal, he just shrugged and left us alone for the rest of the night. He even got another server to bring my boyfriend's entree. I would've been OK with the mistake if he'd tried to do anything to make up for it, but he just ran off with his tail between his legs. Again, sorry, but that's entirely the server's fault. If the kitchen makes it early, tell them it was supposed to be made later. If you forgot until you brought it out, bring it back. Do SOMETHING, don't just act like it's not your concern.
I disagree with tip number 1. It does entirely depend on the service you received. In fact, today, my waitress, no joke, took 30 minutes just to ask my table for drinks (there were 2 other SMALL tables besides mine), she dallied around while the food was stacking up under the heat lamps, and I got quite agitated. She forgot to tell the chef about some of the things we ordered, and I heard her order them after most of us got our dried out food (from sitting under the heat lamps for so long), even though she said,"I forgot to pick those up!" UGHHHH frusterating! I left her a penny tip, tails side up.
Tails up. Nice touch.
"If your food came out wrong, it’s the kitchen’s fault."
If the server doesn't ring it in right, it won't come out right. Not the kitchen's fault — we're not mind readers, we are depending on the servers to do their job right. If they can't, then I don't know what to say.
/line cook
Although every once in a while it is the kitchen's fault. I remember my aunt once got a baked potato that was only slightly cooked on the outside. The inside was raw. But I do agree entirely that it is usually the server's fault. When I was younger, I went out with my parents to dinner. My mother ordered a blue (bloody rare) steak and even made the same joke she does every time, "If you poke it and it goes moo, it's ready." Only butter on her baked potato. The server brought back the plate with an all-dressed baked potato and a well-done steak. She then had the gall to argue with my mother when my mother said that it was all wrong. Eventually the server brought the plate back to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, she brought back the exact same plate, except the sour-cream and chives had been lobbed off the potato. when my mother complained that all she had done was wait for the steak to cool off to room temperature and bring it back, the server said that she didn't want to bother the chefs because the restaurant was "too busy".
I must have been five years old when it happened and even then I was embarrassed by how childish the server was being.
I always tip $1 or maybe $2, sorry, Im pretty poor myself but I enjoy eating out and Im not going to stop doing it because the waiters don't like my humble tips, they should be thankful Im even giving them something to begin with, I could just not give them anything, most of the time they don't even deserve it since the service is so crappy and THEY ARE getting paid anyway. So stop whinning. If you don't like it then get another job.
Pretty whiney. As a career chef and Food Service Management professor, this is the silly – to put it bluntly – crap that pisses guests off. Seriously, you're going to suggest that the guest should take pity on the server because it is not their job to clean the table? Its the bus person's job? No, actually its not. Its YOUR job… its also the hosts job… the owners job… AND the bus person's job. There is simply nothing worse than the, "Its not my job…" person in ANY business. I could take apart each and every one of these points in a similar fashion, but I think the point is made. Still, this list essentially offends my sensibilities.
Interesting list (spelling aside). But #1 is totally off-base. Tipping is voluntary, and is based on quality of service. And please, servers, there's one — and only one — response to a tip, and it's the same that you teach your kids when they receive a gift. 'Thank you'. Never expect it, and always be grateful that you got anything. Period.
I am a server making my way thru med school…I'm obviously not an idiot and have worked in the food industry since i was 14. i love to help people, and to make their dining experience special. I genuinely care about my tables. sometimes though we are busy. A lot of times we are ordered by our bosses to do something else (other then take out your food- which really upsets me since customers are my #1 priority)
just this weekend at work i was taking an extremely complicated order from a large party by my myself (we are NEVER allowed to take tables of 8 or more by ourselves, we were just that busy) i also had 4 other tables of 6 people each. all my table were extremely understanding towards me. but while i was taking this order, one of my tables stood up waved at me. so i motioned that i would be right there, (only one more order to go).
when i walked over to the table THIRTY SECONDS LATER the man grabbed my wrist and cursed at me for ignoring him. told me to "F******G GO STRAIGHT TO THE REGISTER YOU F******G IDIOT DO NOT TALK TO ANOTHER PERSON OR DO ANYTHING ELSE ON YOUR WAY DO YOU HEAR ME??!".
i was completely shocked. his service had been just fine up until that point. He had actually physically harmed me…never OK!
all I'm trying to say is sometimes we aren't ignoring YOU we are doing our rounds at our tables to make sure EVERYONE is attended to. I'm not going to stop in the middle of helping someone else to get your credit card. that is not fair in any sense to the other customers. nor does it make sense to grab me and curse at me.
PS i do agree with asking if someone needs change. you are just ASKING to have you tip lowered.
but in general i have great guest and love my job.
As someone who's worked in Retail, and other Service related jobs, including being a dealer (cards, just to clarify!) I'd say Tipping is never ever maditory for servers. If it's not manditory for every other serivice profession out there, it's not manditory for servers, especially in places they make minimum wage or higher. I'm sorry but if you're doing the same amount of work as me, in fact I think that servers do less work than dealers do at a casino, sure you may be running around, but dealers have all the pressure, and you also don't have to be standing accross from people for hours on end (and yes there are patrons that will sit at one table for eight + hours, and they usually aren't the nice ones.). As someone who has recieved tips, I will say this, they are extra money. You do your job for the wage you are hired for (and I am speaking for places that don't have a special wage for servers, which I believe is all or most of canada, and some of the states at least).
I'd also like to say that here in BC I've known waiters that made $12 an hour plus tips, I didn't even make that dealing, I made just over $9, and dealing is harder, much much harder. And I worked in retail both in a department type store and a shoe store, I had endless running around to do for customers, did I get tips? nope. The shoe store was the worst because sometimes I would spend an hour with a customer and still not have them buy anything, or have them buy something and return it, for no good reason (and no I wasn't a crappy sales person), so my numbers went down for that (not that I got commission). There are a ton of other jobs out there that should be tipped, servers should be greatful they're one of the few professions that people feel it's "manditory" for.
On tipping, I'm a bartender and I won't say it's mandatory, but if you intend on visiting a place more then once, it's a very good idea.
Tips are how almost all servers and bartenders in the USA make their money, yea we get an hourly wage but it's barely worth cashing that check for most of us. Simply put, if we know you're not going to tip (or are only going to tip a small amount), we have no reason to give you good or prompt service.
I always give the best service I'm capable of on their first visit. If you don't tip (or only give me a dollar or two on a $50+ tab) I'll remember you the next time and you can wait until I finish with those that will before getting you your weak drink off the rail (yes, I heard you say Grey Goose, but I've moved to the other end of the bar and you're chatting with your friends).
its time the USA got over this tipping nonsense and paid waiting staff a living wage. A tip is not a salary it is a reward for doing a good job and the way the US hospitality service try and palm off their responsibility for paying a wage by making the customer tip is crap.. I tip for good service, irrespective of where I am and forcing me to pay the waiter so that they can live pisses me off, especially if the service has been crap. Come to New Zealand, we don't tip unless the service is really outstanding and the staff get a decent wage. If I get bad service, as i did once in Hong Kong, I will go so far as to demand the service charge be removed from my bill, let alone tipping. Get real US and get your employers to do what they are supposed to do – ie employ you, that way if you are good you get an extra benefit of a tip, and if you are bad – you don't
TOP TEN WAYS TO PISS OFF YOUR CUSTOMER ENSURING YOU WON’T GET A TIP
(response from someone who has been on both sides)
10. Ignoring me
Keep on walking by and acting like I am not sitting here. It only subtracts from how much money is going to be left on the counter. I understand you have other customers. Seeing them five times and ignoring me the whole time is rude. You’re supposed to have social skills to have a job like this; use them.
9. Talking down to me
I am not Stephen Hawking, for sure. But I’m no slouch, either. Just because you are in college working towards your bachelor degree in Psychology does NOT make you smarter than me. I have had my I.Q. tested in the past year. I know what it is (I had it done twice for good measure), and I can guarantee you the numbers I got back from said testing are not on the same end of the scale as the double digits.
The fact you don’t know me from Adam does not give you carte blanche to try and play the trivial banalities game with me. Believe me, you will lose some times.
8. Blaming me for writing the order down wrong
I say it EVERY time I get ANYTHING that might have ANYTHING to do with fresh tomatoes: No Tomatoes anywhere on my plate, pretty please with sugar on it. I cannot abide by the smell, let alone the taste. You forgetting to write it down on your pad does not make it my fault. Easy enough to deal with, but don’t blame me because you didn’t have your mind where it belonged. If the kitchen screwed it up, fine. But when you tell me I didn’t tell you that, it only shows how foolish and crappy a liar you are.
7. Acting put out having to wait on me
Hey, it’s a job. The number one paying job for undereducated females or females in transition of getting said education. Period. Don’t like the work? Quit. Find somewhere else to work. But don’t take it out on me because you would rather be playing XBOX or cuddling with your honey than filling my coffee cup.
6. Deriding customers because they are poor
Hey, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s tough out there. Some people can’t find work. Others can’t work because of a disability. If they have been able to scrape enough money together to treat themselves to a meal out, who are you to point a finger? You’re not so rich yourself, or else you wouldn’t be waiting tables to begin with. Pot, meet kettle.
5. Refusing service for stupid reasons
This one is a total kicker. I heard waitresses actually claiming the other day they refused to wait on someone because the customer was a poor tipper. What. The. Hell. Excuse me if I am wrong, but doesn’t the law say that in a profession where tips are accrued and taxed, that the employer has to make up the difference if the employee is short of minimum wage? Uh, yeah, that’s what it says alright. Want to make more money? Quit and work at a factory for $8 an hour. It’s a lot harder work, but you’ll make that almighty dollar.
4. Overcharging me
You ran down the specials for the day. You gave me the menu, and I looked it over. Every single food item and plate had a corresponding price attached to it. Don’t try to charge me for a $35 surf and turf when I had the $5.99 blue plate special. It’s in your pad, check it.
3. Acting like it’s my fault you work so hard
I have done it. I have had worse jobs.
Millions of people do it every day. And a lot of people do it at home, for no pay at all, oftentimes shopping, preparing, and cooking your food, and then washing the dishes themselves afterward.
Face it, it isn’t that hard of a job. Yeah, you’re on your feet a lot. So are doctors, policemen, factory workers, door to door salesmen, and garbage collectors. Everyone has a crappy job. If you don’t believe me, just ask them. You get drinks, give a menu, write down an order, punch it into a touch screen, bring the food out when the little bell rings, and then take my money at the end (and not all of them do all that, but that’s a good main gist). You sometimes find the time to come around to ask if every thing is okay, if I need more coffee or soda, or would like dessert. Sometimes you have to deal with rude or stupid people. But it really isn’t all that hard. If it’s too hard, quit.
You want hard? Get a job in a steel foundry. Try shoveling the slag around the press when you just got done forging a steel ingot that has to remain above 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. Cause that slag is not feather light. And the heat gathered in the surrounding metal of the press and slides sure as hell doesn’t make it any easier. Do that for a couple of days, then we’ll see how hard you think taking orders and carrying food is.
2. Fighting over who gets the next table or where they sit
Yeah, you survive off your tips. Ergo, the more customers you wait on, the bigger the wad in your pocket. But I don’t want to hear about it. Whose ever turn it is, work it out. It’s what managers are for if you people can’t get along.
And telling me, a single diner, I can’t sit at the counter cause it isn’t in my waitress’ section is total BS. She walks by the counter on the way into the kitchen. How is that keeping her from waiting on me because of my personal seating selection? And think if I was in a booth designed for four to six people alone, and a family came in, and all that was left as far as seating was… a single stool at the counter. Use your brains to do a little math once in a while. It won’t hurt you, and you need to stop thinking about how much partying you are going to do this coming weekend.
1. Clean my friggin’ area
I know a lot of restaurants have bus boys, and it’s their job to clear the table and make sure it’s cleaned sufficiently for the next patron. But not all of you have that luxury. So would it completely kill you to make sure my dining area doesn’t have dried bits of whatever the previous patron had all over it? Please? And maybe a cup with no lipstick on it (back when I was still drinking I was actually accused by a bartender of putting the lipstick on myself, until I made them realize it just wasn’t my shade)? For pete’s sake, you certainly wouldn’t want to eat in a pig sty, why would you think I would?
HONORABLE MENTION
I don’t give a **** about how drunk you got the night before. I don’t give a **** that your boyfriend broke up with you. I don’t give a **** that your grade on that exam yesterday probably won’t help your overall G.P.A. What I do care about is getting my Popeye Omelette out here with no tomatoes on or in it. Sounds cold as hell maybe. But I am not your friend, I am your customer. Feed me, treat me halfway decently, and I will do you in like.
I totally understand where you're coming from!
Hoorah! This patron gets it!
I swear some of you people disgust me.
To not a leave your server a tip is like telling them that they are unappreciated for what they do.
Most servers these days are college students who have other things on there minds working two jobs and still not making it. They can't get a job somewhere else making more money because they don't have time. If your too judgmental to leave your sever at least $5 then you should stay at home and cook your own meal and have your 19 year old daughter serve it to you. Maybe if it was your own child you would understand oh and look at the bright side you don't have to work about leaving that tip. There is nothing worse than hearing someone complain because of other peoples mistakes not the server's. It took 15 min for your server to come out. Did you ever ask what they are doing? I work at a pizza place I have to mange getting the door, taking some idiots delivery order, and getting your drinks to you in 5 min or less while my others table's food has been sitting there waiting for me to take it our for 5 min. Are you joking people we don't have super powers. The biggest way to piss your server off is to blame them for your messed up food.
It is not my fault that it is a Friday night and it is taking 30 to 40 min to get your food out.
When I tell you i really am not sure how much longer after i have went and asked the kitchen myself do not get a smart mouth with me because its going to take just a little bit longer to get it out.
I have more respect for servers now them i ever did and unless you have done the job yourself and no how bad it sucks to smile and be nice to some of the biggest <jerks> ever then do not be so selfish to not tip your server.</jerks>
I live in Hollywood, CA and am in my 2nd year of serving while I get my filmmaking (director) career started, and I want to put in my two cents:
EVERYTHING on this list is BS EXCEPT for #3. There is never any excuse for rudeness, ever. If you are unhappy say so or don't. Being rude does nothing but waste breath and get people upset over nothing worth getting upset over. No matter what a customer says to me (and drunken Hollywood-types have said plenty), I am never, ever rude and you shouldn't be either.
Now, as for the infamous #1 rule of Not Tipping Your Waiter:
Not tipping is your right as an opinionated, dissatisfied (or in Dan's case poor) paying customer and I never get mad at people who don't tip me, I pity them. Dining out is NOT about you the customer or about your server or even about the food. Dining out is a social experience, and a chance to eat a meal someone else prepared for you and someone else is serving you. It's a taste of the good life out in public for all to see. Servers who make the experience all about them and their "job" are terrible servers, and customers who make the experience all about them and "their needs" are selfish, insecure people that take someone doing their job badly, personally. These insecure people feel vindicated when they show how petty, greedy, or self-righteous they can be by not tipping. I pity people who focus on the negative and then act on it. And you don't know what is going on away from your table and the only reason to not tip is if your waiter is purposely ignoring you. PURPOSELY ignoring you. If you are waiting waiting waiting and things are going wrong, you assume it must be because of ignorance or arrogance so you don't tip but in reality you don't know what's going on, you just assume the worst, and you act accordingly. I pity you. It's not always about you, even when you're a paying customer. Social manners and social customs are valuable because they make us focus more on the people around us instead of ourselves, you people that think all a server does is "bring me a dish and a glass" would do well to remember this.
i kind of agree with this . even though i totally disagree that tips are mandatory , if you did a sucky job youre not gettng a tip . if you want one so bad then work for it .
I happily tip well for good service and leave little for poor service. One way to decrease yout tip from me is, when I hand a waiter cash for my bill and they ask me "Do you want your change back?" My normal response is "Yes, if it's not too much trouble." followed by their tip being cut in half.
I've seen several posts on here where the poster complained about needing tips because minimum wage wasn't enough to pay their bills. What about people earning minimum wage and getting no tips? Want more money, get a job at McDonalds or Burger King. The ones here pay well above minimum wage.
Several of my friends that teach school full time still wait tables part time because they say the money is so good.
The difference between people who work at a place where tips are common and those who work at a fast food place and don't get tips is one has a higher pay. I work at a fast food place and get about 7.30 and hour. My best friend is a waitress at a tea shop, and gets about 4. The difference is supposed to be made up in tips, because their minimum wage is significantly lower than people who don't get tips.
And so at a glance, your server is supposed to be able to either
a) see the amount of cash inside the little black check presenter – bc we have x-ray eyes????? or
b) at a quick glance at the cash on the table, now exactly how much money is sitting there, recall how much your check was (out of my other 4 tables) and know the correct change for it…at a glance???
You cant just say “yes, please” ???
I did study hard, I do have a degree, I did have a good job with a salary, benefits and a 401k.
Now, I have an autsitic child who cannot go to school, so I wait tables.
I dont expect good tips for poor service, but common courtesy and kindness to other human beings is a requirement in life, people.
Common courtesy.
No X-ray eyes needed. Simply pick up the check presenter with the bill and the customer’s money inside, take it to the register, ring up the bill, put the change back inside and return it to the customer’s table? Asking “Do you want your change back?” is rude and presumptious.
This list disapponts me. I thought it would be a fun how-to guide. Instead, it's a whiny rant against customers.
If you can afford a meal but can't spare a tip, you still have every right to eat out. It's a free country (communists).
How exactly is it that one could “afford a meal” but not a “tip”. Does this imaginary person have precisely the amount of the bill in their bank account, but none for the tip? If so, how do they intend to eat the next day?
Food is a necessity. Social niceties are not.
I fully reserve the right to -not- tip if the waiter does a terrible job.
America in particular has this problem. Instead of earning the tip it's expected. Waiters should be going above and beyond their job if they expect to receive anything. A tip is something that needs to be earned, not entitled regardless of how poor the service is.
Poorly written. The grammar mistakes in this list are annoyingly distracting.
It does beg the question, however, as to if “Poorly Written” is an entire sentence within itself, and if not why did you place a period at the end of it?
Well, I don't agree with everything said here, I worked my ass off as a waiter, and managed to keep a smile on my face the whole time.
If a customer was rude, or didn't tip, or bitched about every little detail(allergies aside) they received the same service as the people who made my life easier by smiling back and being easy going, and the rude people usually didn't tip, knowing this I still kept a smile on my face, it was my job after all and I hated every minute of it.
I worked for 4.65 an hour and according to my manager the minimum wage was EXPECTED to be covered by tips, I had to tip out at the end of the night as well. The worst part was in the event I wasn't tipped, I had to PAY out of my pocket to SERVE people, of all things. The bus boy, host and bartender, got their share for cleaning/turning my tables, sitting my tables and making my drinks(not soda, water or tea/coffee), we didn't have a food runner, I had to get my food and drinks to the tables myself.
It's not right to assume we don't try, and believe me, half of the people I worked with deserved nothing, were lazy and never did their running side-work(cleaning while working and restocking necessities I.E. napkins/straws/ketchup/etc). I managed to hold my temper on even the worst customers and never desecrated anyone's food, for any reason.
Being a server/waiter whatever you want to call it is a lot harder than people appreciate, especially in dress shoes.
I don't expect anyone here to have their minds or opinions miraculously changed or anything, and I wholeheartedly believe you have the right to be picky about what goes in your mouth, but be easy going about it is all.
I can't tell you how many times my last table made or broke my night with a smile or no tip.
Oh, one thing that still irks me to no end, if the restaurant is about to close, leave, go someplace else, usually everything is being cleaned and the grill/flattop/oil is being cleaned/changed, you often cause the closing server/servers and cooks to stay 1-2 hours later in some extreme cases. It's awful when you have to open the next morning, and even worse when you had something planned. You ruin everything, just go to a 24 hr diner.
My my husband and I went to dinner with some friends in Dallas Texas. The waiter at the Mexican place was incredibly nice with just a little small talk, very attentive and fast with requests. Between the 4 of us he got a $25 dollar tip on a $37 bill. the very next day we went to a wing and pizza place where a lot less was expected of the server. Even so it took her 15 minutes to acknowledge us, 30 to get our food and another 30 minutes for our check. I had ordered a beer from the bar and had to ask twice before I got it. She got 72 cents on a $30 bill. If you can't do the job then find another one but that server just about ruined my night and didn't even deserve the change.
instead of tipping. in europe we do this thing called not paying waiters shitely. but still tip some. i just get pissed off when they add like 10% or something serving charge
dan #2 poster
if you can not afford to tip, you should not dine at that restaurant.
and furthermore, by not tipping you maybe costing the server. servers, especially in big city restaurants tip out the support staff on the total sales amount they made, not their tip amount. so by not tipping your server, not only does your server not make any money off wasting their time with you, they may very well have to pay 10-20$ out of their own pocket to support staff for the opportunity of serving your stingy self.
That 'Attention Foreign Travellers" sign is great! I'm from England, and I live in Japan – a service charge is automatically included in both countries, so us Brits and the Japs will only tip if the server has rescued us from a burning car. When I visited the USA, I'd heard that Americans always tip so I left 10 percent, like they do in France. Now I find out I was being an A-hole. Oops. Ok, I'll tip more next time I'm in the States!
What about the diet water trick?
When the waiter asks u what kinda drink u say diet water
As a 14 year veteran of the serving industry, I just want to say….thank you to all of the wonderful people who continue to tip accordingly even in this lousy economy. There are still some lifers out here making a living. Not all of us are using restaurant employment as a stepping stone during college. I treat my guests as I want to be treated when dining out. READING your guest makes or breaks your tip. Being able to anticipate their needs and exceeding their expectations are my main focus. Please remember that we do only make $2.13 an hour, and we DO have to tipout bussers. bartenders, food runners…etc… whether you tip us or not. thanks for taking time to read my comment….and NoTipDan….go to McDonald's/Wendy's/Somewhere with a drive thru…..Peace and Luv Robyn from Atlanta!
Servers
I make a lot of people upset with this opinion, but I hate waiters, waitresses, servers or whatever you want to call them. I know hate is a harsh word, but it is kind of where I am at after 14 years working with them. As a former, busboy, dishwasher, bartender, chef, assistant manager, manager, general manager and even a server, I can tell you that explicitly that I hate servers. In my experience, servers are lazy, greedy and self-centered. They come in late so they don’t have to do the prep work, and leave early so they don’t have to do the breakdown. And then complain when they don’t get enough hours. They cry about not having enough tables and then cry because they have a large group. I don’t necessarily hate them as people, just their behavior. Perfectly normal people will become racist morons when they become servers.
Proving my point is this post.
10. Demand a Straw/Take a straw
I know what you put in your apron, so why would I want a straw you pulled out of there? And as for saying please, to you, the server, whose job it is to serve me, the customer, just blows my mind. Why should I even have to ask you for a straw? Give me a break. I will say please and thank you when it suits me. You work for me. I am your boss.
9. Tell the server how to do their job
Once again, you work for me, the customer. If you want my money then behave in a manner that I am the only table in the place. The reason you haven't been fired is because the manager is too worried about person who will take your place. Better the evil you know…
8. Put a time limit on you server
Yes, I can. If you deliver my food and I ask you for something that you should have brought, I should not take so long that I have completed my dinner before you return.
7. Assume that sending your food back will result in the servers spitting in it or in any way defacing it
Do you have the internet? There are stories all over about what things servers have done with food that has been sent back.
6. Associate any problem with your dining experience to be the fault of the server
You are the face of the restaurant. You are probably the one person the customer sees. Get over your hurt feelings, make it right, or bring the problem to your manager let him/her take care of it. And keep apologizing even after it was taken care of.
5. Leave any kind literature on the table for us to read
Umm, this is just petty.
4. Tell us you’re ready to order, then change your mind fifty times
My prerogative. You want my money, I can change my mind all I want. I order something I don’t like, I will send it back and order something else. You should be there for me.
3. Say something rude
Okay, one out of 10, that I agree with.
2. Take out your problems on the server’s tip
1. Don’t tip at all
Your tip is based on the service that you provide to me. I always leave at least a 10% tip no matter what the service. I know how hard it is to be a good server and 25% for great service.
If you don’t like the way you are treated by customers, then “please” find a job where you don’t have customers. But don’t presume to dictate how the customer treats you when you work for them.
Tips? Only if your service was good, if not: no tip.
To all moaners here: it is your job to serve food and your choice to do so as a job. If you are not satisfied with your wages find a better way to earn more money. To all those that said if you can't afford to tip stay at home…please…it is my money and I can do with it what I want. I am not obliged to give you extra money for serving me a glass of water and my food if you even stink at doing so.
I'm a server and I don't want to brag, but I freaking rock at my job. So to say there is never any reason not to tip makes my effort seem pointless. If I get rude, slow service i don't tip.
But I liked the rest of the list.
Sorry dollface you gotta earn my money
Wow, this list is clearly biased and assumes waiters always provide excellent service, and we as customers are always wrong.
Waiters get paid to do their job, no matter how crappy it is.
We have every right to change our mind as many times as we like. It's not our duty to make your job easier.
I've tipped 100% before. It was my anniversary, and a busy night, and the server was absolutely wonderful and even paid for our dessert. We gave him $30 in tip.
I also live in Japan, where there is no tipping of any kind, to anyone, at anytime. The service is wonderful, on average the best in the world.
Tipping is a horrible system. Far better that service personnel receive a proper wage and serve diners from a sense of pride in their work.
If tips are what you work for then you have to work for them, if this means putting up with snotty kids, grumpy customers and getting no tip on occasion then so be it – no one is forcing you to do the job. If you don't like the job get a different one.
Biggest problem with waiters is that they are mostly young kids who think the world owes them a living and us, the customers (read surrogate mom amd pop), should support them while they 'suffer' trying to get through college. Next time I overhear a waiter bitchin' that if she/he doesn't get enough tip tonight they won't be able to go out Sat night I'm leaving no tip.
YOU are providing a service which I'm paying for through the cost of the meal. The cost of the meal includes service. A tip is EXTRA, end of story. If YOU provide extra you get extra and usually enough for me is a sincere "How are you today?" and a little attention paid to my table. It's not asking much and makes all the difference.
Check out http://waiterrant.net/ good advice for all customers and the waiters/barstaff
Why would you assume service is included in the cost of the meal? If waiters made minimum wage or more, it would be, but we don’t, and thus your assumption is incorrect.
Regarding your number 1, I've worked in two restaurants (same MAJOR US chain, two different stores) where there may as well have been a fire. In the first store, the mall it was in did catch fire. We didn't get tipped. Or paid to stay an extra 2-3 hours to clean the place and throw all the food in the kitchen out. In the second store, the kitchen next door caught fire and we didn't see any business from it.
So, the restaurant catching on fire, does involve you not getting a tip. 😛
One time I was at a restaurant late at night. My girlfriend and I had a seat and while waiting for the waitress to come take our order….two other tables came in. The waitress had time to talk to both tables before she even acknowledged our presence…and we were there first. She basically ignored us and talked to the other tables most of the time because she knew the people. She got no tip. That is not the fault of anyone BUT her.
I haven't worked as a waiter…but I have worked in the service industry for awhile now and I gotta tell you…Some customers blow my mind. I've cashiered for fast food, I've worked in a pizzeria, and the one thing I'll never understand, is a customer's unflinching belief that we were put in that job to worship the ground they walk on. As I read the comments here I am curious how many of the people who left comments fit under that category. No matter what job in the service industry one picks, a customer should never assert themselves so far above that person that they treat them any less than a human being. Server's are human, to make mistakes..that's human as well. To sit there and require absolute service, then to demote their actions as simply "bringing you a plate" is selfish, and to deny any satisfactory compensation for their work is incredibly rude. The sad facts are this. Servers in almost every state in the US, make $2.13 a paycheck…I'm sure most of you commenting couldn't wipe your ass with that kind of money. And they are paid that low because of tips. Business can screw over servers because tips are custom in America.
So the next time your server is running a few minutes late, or your food didn't quite get to you as fast as you want…or if your server isn't standing by you ever 5 minutes for an update, remember this…You'd never in your life accept $2.13 with a smile on your face and an upbeat song in your heart. You'd never put up with idiots (not unlike yourself) complaining about you and your service like they've been doing it their whole life. And until your willing to subject yourself to that kind of life…tip, smile, and walk away.
#1 and #2 are completely true. Anyone who disagrees with them are cheap and have obviously never been a waiter or had any other job where their main income is based on the customers directly.
Meh… waiters get minimum wage, they live on tips. So I'd expect them to be good enough at the job to earn them. Yeah yeah, whine whine… but seriously, if a salesman lives on commissions, does that somehow obligate me to pay more for my car or books or computer or whatever stuff I buy? No. If they are not good enough to sell the products to more people, they don't get paid as much as they want.
If the waiter doesn't provide a good enough service to get good tips, then he is in the wrong business. How is that my fault, and how is that my problem? If I want to give to charity then some incompetent guy who actually has a job but doesn't apply themselves will not be my first choice.
Now if the service is good on the other hand… well, then I tip well (according to local customs) and likely become a return customer.
Newsflash – if what you are given by other people for your level of service is what keeps you from starving, then pull your thumb out and do your job well. As long as you do, there will be enough good tippers to keep you fed. Or you could unionise… There are many countries in the world where minimum wage does not exist and everyone is actually paid decent wages and does not have to be "slaves" to survive. But hey, your choice. If you choose to stay a slave, be a good one, or you're not getting any of my table scraps, or any of my money.
Meh… waiters get minimum wage, they live on tips. So I'd expect them to be good enough at the job to earn them. Yeah yeah, whine whine… but seriously, if a salesman lives on commisions, does that somehow obligate me to pay more for my car or books or computer or whatever stuff I buy? No. If they are not good enough to sell the products to more people, they don't get paid as much as they want.
If the waiter doesn't provide a good enough service to get good tips, then he is in the wrong business. How is that my fault, and how is that my problem? If I want to give to charity then some incompetent guy who actually has a job but doesn't apply themselves will not be my first choice.
Now if the service is good on the other hand… well, then I tip well (according to local customs) and likely become a return customer.
Newsflash – if what you are given by other people for your level of service is what keeps you from starving, then pull your head out of your ass and do you job well. As long as you do, there will be enough good tippers to keep you fed. Or you could unionize… There are many countries in the world where minimum wage does not exist and everyone is actually paid decent wages and does not have to be "slaves" to survive. But hey, your choice. If you choose to stay a slave, be a good one, or you're not getting any of my tablescraps, or any of my money.
the last one, about not tipping at all doesn't apply in some countries. but it definitely does in America so don't forget!
Having spent some time in the service industry, I agree with a lot of what's said here. We also treat our servers as human beings, as you should. That being said, tipping is entirely based on service. If the kitchen screwed up our order, I'm not going to take it out on the server, but I do expect the server and/or the manager to come out and make amends even if its a simple apology.
I can't recall if I've ever not tipped, but if that ever happened, you better believe that it was wholly your fault as my server. You screwed up pretty good if I didn't tip you, but you'll most likely know it because I would have spoken to the manager about the situation. Consider it a message that if the way we were treated was any sign of how you operate normally, you shouldn't be in the service industry. Not everyone is cut out to be a server.
At the end of the day, 20% is my standard and I adjust accordingly. I know that being a server is a hellish job for very little pay, so I try to give respect and reward whenever I can.
In Australia, you don't tip at all… this was very uncomfortable for my American friends who came for a visit.
You can tip if you really want to, but you don't have to.
Wolfie!
There was only one time I didn't tip a waiter. I'm extremely nervous about new restaurants to the point were I could be prone to cry.
This guy ask if we ate here before and we both (My boyfriend was there too) haven't and we got our drinks. The menu was a small book so When I tried to look for something that I'd like but I had a hard time taking it all in.
So I asked the waiter a few questions to which he didn't even really seem to try answer them so I asked if they had a certain food to which they did and he brought it to me with a side. He never asked what I wanted for the side or even told me that it came with a side.
to the people I've told about this they have said "Oh it is because your young and people don't appreciate you as much." well thats kinda wrong to do in the first place.
Well in britain the tip is usually split between all employees at the resteraunt….kitchen stafff and waiting staff ect.
so if your in britain id the tip is usually seen as an idication of the overall dining experience….however it is standard to do 10% min.
I tip based on service and am more than happy to give a generous tip to an excellent waiter/waitress.
One time though, I had to leave pennies. Had to. Not in the least bit busy, the waiter had two other tables filled with older customers to whom he divvied all his attention to and barely said a word to my friend and me (rather certain it's due to us being college students, though I have a job too, so it's not like I can't tip at all). He was about to hand us the bill without asking if we wanted desert, and so I said, "Yes, we'd love desert." He was completely rude and undeserving of the pennies we left him.
Rolling on the floor laughing at what an idiotic comment Dan made. IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO TIP THEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO EAT OUT IN A RESTAURANT.
I don't agree with #1. There are some situations where no tip is deserved. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely happy to tip someone, and I have given 30%+ to servers who deserve it. I have worked as a server before, and I totally understand how hard it can be, but nonetheless, a tip has to be earned. If you treat me like crap, don't expect me to leave you any money.
I'm a waiter, and yes we do survive on tips, 7.75 minimum wage doesn't pay my bills, and i say yes always tip, but if service sucks, leave a penny as stated above, it does show you didn't forget to tip us, you remembered what horrible service is worth, but on that note, good service deserves a good tip, you might think we just walk your food and drinks over to you, but working an 11 hour shift, i could probably pull a marathon in a day, and when it gets busy, we work hard. not just minimum wage kinda hard, and we take a lot of crap from bad customers but still smile when we get to your table. so weigh your tip on your visit.
You guys are forgetting to mention that servers have to tip out other employees as well!! At my restaurant we have to tip out bartender, bussers, AND the food runner. SO basically if we don't get tipped, we LOSE money and HAVE to tip our employees out of our own pockets.
I pity the people who think its okay not to tip at all just because they think we "chose" this profession. Yes I did choose to wait tables, I also chose to go to college full time for 4 years and waiting tables happens to have the most flexible schedule w/the most money in the shortest amount of time. so if you are that disgusted by hard working college students
Greedo- obviously you have never been a waiter. 6 hours on your feet running around non-stop?they chose to do the job, yes, but we work for it. before you even sit down in the resturant, we've spent hours getting everything ready for the evening (or whatever time ur eating) and we have to do it again afterwards! tipping is not manadtory of course, but show some compassion? when a waiter does a good job, yes they deserve it!!
Dan- um you said you don't tip when you can't afford it? don't eat out then…that's not he waiters fault.
seriously it should be manadtory for people to have to work in the service industry at least once!!
Annoyed : I am so sorry for you. “6 hours on your feet running around non-stop”
when I was in college I worked as sales person in small hardware store in NY.
10 hours a day (from 8am till 6pm)
all day running around on my feet (helping customers, stocking shelves, cleaning the store)
at least twice a month taking in deliveries (yes, it was a small store so it was owner and me.)
and deliveries are big and heavy. 1000 – 3000 gallons of paint in various sizes.
heavy pipes and other plumbing, building materials (sand, cement etc.) by track load
during winter salt and other winter related merch. , by track load
— minimum wage, NO TIPS
helping customers take the stuff to the car was a requirement , 99.99% of time NO TIP
so it is really P#$#$ me off this entitlement that people in the service industry feel for tips
and it is getting worst day by day.
you can see tip jars everywhere now. on every counter.
Go to Duncan Donuts, tip jar at every register, why? what the people behind the counter do to deserve a tip? their job!
Waiters and waitresses don't come to work out of the goodness of their hearts. They would not do the job if it didn't pay. Tips are a scam 90 percent of the time, and hourly pay rates aren't the customer's fault. You think you deserve four dollars for bringing me a plate and a glass? That's entitlement.
Then the next time you come into the restaurant I work in I will make sure to only bring you a “plate and a glass”. You get no refills, no appetizers, no salads or soups, no condiments, and no deserts. Furthermore, if the kitchen makes a mistake on your dish (or you put it in to the computer wrong, remember, you pay me to know how to do these things) you have to take it back to them and wait for them to remake it, and then bring it back to your table yourself. I will make sure not to check in with you at anytime during your meal, and when you are finished please come track me down, and I will print out your check. In exchange for all of this I require absolutely no tip whatsoever 🙂
OR
You could give me four dollars and I will ensure prompt proper service. You will receive a smiling face that can answer any question you have on the menu. I will bring you unlimited, timely drink refills, your food will come out well timed, properly hot/cold, and CORRECT. If there is an issue with your meal, I will make sure to raise hell on your behalf to get it fixed quickly. I will pre-buss your table so you are not constantly hindered by rogue dishes. I will make small talk and compliment you and your significant other on how cute a couple you make. I will work tirelessly to ensure that you have a wonderful, memorable evening with your friends and family. It seems like it may be worth the four dollars!
or, you could just do the job you are paid to do rather than expecting the earth. You may work hard, but your job is comparatively easy to teaching or being in the armed forces ect. I can’t remember ever tipping my local policeman. And I bet most people don’t tip their postman, even at Christmas. Why should waiting be any different? Why should you only provide me good service because you want a tip at the end of it? A smile costs nothing. Being a hard worker is a blessing. And a tip is not compulsory.
Please remember, however, that teachers, police officers, and postmen all earn, on average between 35,000 and 50,000 dollars a year. Unless one live in California (where waiters are paid minimum wage), a waiter will usually make around $4.50 per hour. If I were to work 40 hours per week, in a year I would make around $9360 (in Texas I would make 4430$). Waiting is different than most job where one makes a decent wage, if I get enough customers who feel the way you do, I may be evicted or go hungry. Furthermore, I don’t simply provide you good service because I want a tip at the end of it, I truly do enjoy serving, but the tip at the end is what ensures I can make ends meat. Would you go to your job 40 hours a week if they paid you half of minimum wage and nothing more? Finally, please remember that, with the exception of the armed forces (who receive their training after enlisting), all of the occupations listed above require some manner of schooling or vocational training in order to do. Teaching is a wonderful example, as teachers have to go to college, and I would venture to guess that many teachers had to work their way through college (my mother is a high school English teacher, and waited all throughout ). Many people who opt to serve you are those who are trying to get out into the real working world but require the flexibility of a server schedule to do. I myself graduate with my BA in Neuroscience next week, and I have worked as a waiter all through college.
Whoever wrote this list is extremely spoiled.
You take your job for granted.
You are the worst type of employee, period.
This world doesn't revolve around you, realize that and grow up.
I am a server as well, and while I agree that rude and incosiderate guests are a pain… they are hardly worse than an inattentive and apathetic server.
I think that leaving no tip is a great way to prevent servers in general from becoming too complacent, as well as leaving huge tips. I used to stiff bad servers all the time…
However nowadays when I get bad service I leave a 25% tip, but not without giving that server a good piece of my mind. It's a great way to get back at them while still having a chance of getting through to them.
I also disagree with #1. As a result of business travel, I have eaten in a lot of restaurants over the years. I am the easiest customer a waiter could want: no substitutions, no special instruction, no meals sent back.
Despite this, some servers immediately put me on the “pay no mind” list. I have had waiters who bring my meal and then I don’t see them again until they bring the check. If a waiter can’t be bothered to ask me if my meal is satisfactory and if I need anything, then I can’t be bothered to give them a tip.
Ummmmmmmmmmm I don't agree with #1. I'm sorry but I tip based on service so if the person does a really crappy job (which it has happened to me before) then I am not tipping. I'm a very good/fair tipper but if you forget my order, completely ignore me, are rude, and I have to repeat something a million times (again this has happened to me)……….then don't expect me to tip much, if anything at all!! Tipping is optional and based completely on service.
I have been a waiter for about three years now. I am a college student, and I find that the restaurant business is the easiest way to get the schedule I need to go to school full time.
With that said, I also live in Texas, where a waiter/servers so called hourly pay is $2.13 an hour. All of our paychecks for the most part, usually read THIS IS NOT A CHECK. Because the amount we are paid covers the taxes that come out of our paychecks. Occasionally, you will open your paycheck and be pretty excited to see that you've gotten $2 or $3 lol.
I do agree that tipping is not mandatory, however, that is how we make our living. That is how I pay my bills. Most states pay under minimum wage, and are only required to pay us more if we do not make minimum wage in tips(which even if that did happen, we would never see that money). There are some states, I believe California, that pay above. I think it is $8 an hour + tips, but the cost of living is also higher, so I think it would probably just even out.
The next time you go into a restaurant look at your waiter as a struggling college student. For some of us this is just a short stop on our way to our chosen career, so cut us some slack, if we weren't there you would be eating at home.
last time I checked income tax is based on % form the earnings so is all the other contribution to the gov. so, it is impossible to get an empty check.
It’s not just based on the % of your earnings when you are a server. They also tax you on the ASSUMED amount that you made in tips. Which means they tax you on 8-10% of your total sales for the pay period as well!
We're already paying for the meal AND the service charge. Why should I be required to tip you when you're already getting paid?
And don't give us that crap about earning minimum – that's your situation.
A tip is a privilege, not a right.
If you don't have the money to tip… DON'T even think about eating out! You are just an ass if you do! I'm to the point that I just want to start throwing dishes and food at the worthless customer!
everyone should tip! take into account all the stuff we have to do to prepare all the stuff your going to mess up! and then we have to CLEAN up your mess yet AGAIN!
I just got stiffed today for no reason by a doctor of all people! It's feb and there is less time to earn rent money. every single tip I've gotten besides the $30 tip from my friend has been very sad! I know you people have money.
we ONLY get $2.13 an HOUR!think about that before you slap us in the face again with your lousy tips! otherwise stay at home and away from dinning out!
what the hell do you guys prepare? At my restaurants the hardest job you fools have is cleaning silverware, maybe tossing the occasional salad. This thread has pissed me off, I'm tipping 10% from now on until you bastards stop being so greedy.
"I know you people have money."
Yeah, that sounds creepy and grasping…I'm glad you're not my server O_o
the facts are if u are in a fowl mood when u come in 2 eat then there is nothing i can do 2 make nething better. u will find something wrong wit me, the food, or the resturant. i have been i waitress for 7 years & there is nothin anyone could do 2 surprize me. but not rocket science it a meal ur goona eat again, its not the end of the world when something goes wrong. if u are goona b super pick about everything then fix it 4 urself at home. we have bad days 2
keep your "bad day" at the doorstep and dont take it out on customers…dont like it? A) get a new job….B) stop whining and do your job professionally!
I can see why you've been a waitress for 7 years. U haz 2 b smart to du sumting else
What a douche! Bet you are a condescending prick to every server you have ever had. Just because someone is a server does not mean that you are better than them or even smarter. I am a server, a mother of 6 and a college student on the Dean’s list with honors. I have been a server for many years as well, but I bet I am a hell of a lot smarter than you and I definitely know I am a better person than you. So get bent!
Wow Lundy! You have completely changed my mind about servers! Your son on the Dean’s list? Smarter than the OP? Get bent?
Yeah, that really is a valid argument in favor of servers. You make your profession proud!
She’s on the Dean’s list. Not her son.
Yes, servers can have bad days. But their job is to serve the customers. Now, I have no idea about anyone else, but it makes me really uncomfortable if a server has an attitude problem. And honestly, people have the right to not tip, if the server was bad. If the server didn’t see if they needed drink refills, copped an attitude, etc. A tip is supposed to reflect the service. Also, the thing about how a waiter gets ticked off, if you’re scared to ask for your meal to be taken back. How can anyone HONESTLY blame people for being scared? We hear all kinds of horror stories about what servers do to that food.
the fax is if u r in a fowl mood u gotta ordra sum chickin winxs
Servers make minimum wage. They survive on tips. Enough said.
So the heck what? Grocery store clerks and a BUNCH of other workers who don't get tips get minimum wage, too. They certainly do NOT survive of tips. Why the heck should a server be any different? Waiting a table is certainly no more difficult than having to re-stock shelves or having to lug heavy bags/boxes out to peoples' cars.
2.13 an hour.
Tipping is one of my biggest pleasures. I've tipped up to 50% of the tab for truly outstanding service. Despite my son being a waiter during his college freshman year, this is not solely the reason I tip, though IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE REASON I NEVER SEND FOOD BACK I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH.
Now as for no. 1 – I have left a restaurant without tipping. I can forgive a busy day and a few oops, "did I get any on you?" But I can not forgive a waiter and owner personally greeting and attending to their most important guest, to leave us waiting for 30 minutes without even so much as offering us a glass of water!
They need not worry. Left as soon as the water came and never went back.
tipping is a choice and don't expect me to tip the pizza guy either
In Japan, we don't have a custom of tipping at all (not at restaurants, barber shops, taxis, or hotels, etc)…and service is excellent.
in japan, the servers don't get 2 dollars per hour, and the server's wage is already figured into the price of your meal, so its the same thing.
so then, why not do that here instead of extorting us with a "tip" for a simply bringing food and drinks a few feet to a table?
HOW ARE YOU BEING EXTORTED??? The food prices will go up if the restaurant has to pay the servers more!!! Are you people retarded?
Actually, the tip is not always figured into the price of the meal. In general Japanese restaurants have better quality food, superior service, and lower prices than North America, but that probably has more to do with culture than anything else.
Bottom line: tip well if your server is good. Don’t tip if your server sucks.
And guess what? No one is forcing anyone to be a server. You’re not making enough in tips? Well, maybe you should find another job.
Wow…although I almost always tip some(unless the truly piss me off!) I think its RIDICULOUS to say you must leave a tip.. when ur paying high prices for a meal, the resturant should pay then enough and if not thats not my fault they chose the job!
Wow, this was obviously written by a waiter. Maybe I'll put together a list of "Top Ten Ways to Ruin Your Customer's Dining Experience"
I agree. It's obviously written from the perspective of someone who is/has been a waiter.
I always tip $15, and a little more if they were "excellent."
I've seen basically every kind of waiter and waitress, the rude, the absent-minded but sweet, the perfect, etc….and it my drinks stay empty for a while and I have to ask, if I have to remind them to bring me _____ more than twice (I attempt patience), if things keep being delayed for no reason disclaimed by the waiter/waitress, then the tip will be substandard because the service was also substandard.
All of these people crying about "poor waiters" need to reexamine what a "tip" means. Look it up. It's not something given to those who don't earn it. Obligation really disgusts me. The logical fallacy being used is the Appeal to Pity, where you don't have a real reason to tip them the regular amount, but you should because they're a sad waiter, underpaid, trying to go through college, etc…save it. It isn't the Wait Staff Show, the diner's time is worth something as well so don't be rude or sluggish or your tip suffers.
***15% not $15…Jesus, what a tip!
Now, I tip >20% almost always, but I hate people who tell me tipping is mandatory. If your service sucks, you don't deserve a tip. Period. Especially in my home state, Oregon, where you receive the same minimum wage I do plus your tips.
Though, to the person above who talks about not tipping when you can't afford it: if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out.
I've done the changing your mind like 50 times one but on accident.
I still leave a tip no matter what, but the amount greatly changes if the waiter sucks.
If the service is bad, leave a penny so it doesn't seem like you just forgot to tip.
I was a waitress in college to pay my way through, so I know how it feels, but there is no excuse for bad service.
Tipping – if the server is decent and hasn't screwed things up, I will tip 20%. If the server is very good at their job and makes great recommendations off of the menu for me, it will be 25%.
I have left once without tipping. I went to a diner type of restaurant with my girlfriend. The place was slow that night. Out of 50 tables, maybe 10 were in use for 4 waitresses.
From the time that we sat down for the waitress to ask us for drinks took 20 minutes. It then took 15 minutes for the waitress to return with the drinks. Upon delivering the drinks, she did not ask us for our order. She walked away to talk to her co-workers – the other 3 waitresses.
After another 20 minutes of waiting, I dropped $2 on the table for the drinks and we split. We were in the restaurant for 55 minutes and we received drinks.
There is no exaggeration in this story. The waitress was just more interested in talking with her friends than serving her tables.
On a positive, we ended up at a great Mexican place with a waitress who ended up with a great tip.
never tip. They bring me a dish of food and a cup of water. A baby could do that
so could you. so stay home.
yeah, a baby could but apparently you couldn't so you need a server…
I bet every time you enter a restaurant the servers recognize you and cringe….probably even have a nickname for you. Do you really enjoy being that person that people look at and get sick with agony? Jerk
i more or less agree with 7, but i also think it's wise to be very careful how you treat people who see your food before you do…
Outstanding. I'm a waitress in the real world, and even though I live in a little tiny town, I can relate to each and every one of these. Especially the "Tell the server how to do their job". that's always so much fun.
Great list.
I agree with Dan. I generally tip pretty good excellent gets around 25% however there have been those times when for whatever reason the service was crap.
Tips should and always have been a generous thank you for doing a great job.
Employers and the government has exploited the fact that servers get tips.
Hubby used to wait tables. Hasn't done it for several years, but still has nightmares about the idiots he had to deal with. Customers need to remember that their servers are working hard and DO have brains. In many cases they are using this profession as a stepping stone to get to another one. Remember – what goes around, comes around.
yeeah. i completely disagree with number 1. Tipping is based entirely on service. if the service is total crap, dont tip. they havent earned it. Tip actually is an acronym for To Insure Promptness. I have left great tips before and I have left no tips before. The only times i dont tip is for crap service or i simply cannot afford to tip, in which case, i feel completely horrible.
I disagree with one too. I tip, don't get me wrong, but you guys also get paid, we don't tip fireman for extinguishing the fire, or tip the cashier for ringing us out. Tipping is an automatic assumption that the waiter works harder than the rest of us.
in response did you not read the rest of that statement in number one? we get paid 2.13 an hour and 9 of ten times get VOID checks.. since all our"wages" in check form go to taxes.
we dont tip firemen or cashier because they make a considerable more then servers.
To the original post: if you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to eat in a restaurant – go to McDonald's and save money for when you DO go to a restaurant. And if the server brought you your food at all, that's some work they did for you so you wouldn't do it for yourself, that means that you need to leave at least something, even if just one dollar.
I work as a sous chef in a restaurant and I disagree with the tipping practice as well. One my restaurant does try to squeeze by with the least amount of servers they can, but I do not how many times I see servers walking out with $200-$300 in tips a night, its not unheard of. Most of them honestly work 2-3 days a week cause thats all they need to. This tipping thing has gotten way out of hand and they are making more money than most people in the restaurant nowadays. I do tip, because its standard practice, but honestly 10-15% is more than enough. stop being so greedy all you do is take an order, sit in the kitchen till its ready and take it out. come back a few minutes later to check on them, and hangout in the kitchen getting in our way. So next time you go out don't feel the need to tip the server a ridiculous amount, especially if it looks like they have other tables.
Yes, but what if everyone is not tipping because they are assuming that the server is already making bank? This happens more often than not anymore and in actuality the server made hardly anything in tips…They still get taxed on the assumed 10 % of sales. Even if they didn’t make that!
$2.13/hr doesn't apply in California for example – waiters there make at least $8/h, which is minimum wage. So why are we 'forced' to add a 10-25% surtax on our food, especially when most of it goes to the one profession (waiter) that has the easiest job by far in the restaurant? Come on, no one can convince me that busboys or kitchen staff have an easier job than waiters.
If you feel like you have a need to separate yourself with an extra 10-25%, give it to your local shelter.
I totally agree. I have waiter friends in California who come home with $200-$500 per night, and their restaurant doesn’t require them to share it with the kitchen staff or bus boys. Waiters do have it so easy compared to bus boys and the kitchen staff, so I don’t understand why we have to tip, especially since they already make at least $8/hr. On top of that, it’s very rare that the waiter adds any value – most people know what they’re going to eat, and all the waiter does it to write down the order, ask you once how your meal is, and bring the check.
Get over yourself. You’re a server. Don’t like it? Study harder and do something else.
To half of you people.
I work as a server and a hostess both during third shift and mornings. And I ALWAYS tip even when I eat at my own restaurant.
Just because I work there doesn’t mean I’m stupid and how dare you demean me and others. I’m a student, and I work multiple jobs so I can afford the things I need. I don’t go out unless I can afford it, including a tip.
You don’t see half the things these people do, bussers get paid considerably more, and where I live most of them aren’t even legal. Highly unfair in my eyes when they get more money and more hours than I do. The kitchen staff also get paid much more and, god forbid when they do screw up, take it out on the servers.
If you think it’s easy, try it. Some people have better luck and work in better places. But I don’t just drop my food and run.
Don’t think we’re all ditzes and hold what we do against us. I have regulars for a reason.
I do not think getting paid 2.13 an hour is called getting paid dnt be cheap. Tip your waiters and if u do not have money to tip order chinese food or go to mcdonalds.
What about California where waiters make at least $8.00 per hour? Why should they deserve 15-25% tip for just taking your order, getting it from the kitchen, asking you if your meal is ok, and then bringing the check? How does that compare to the people actually cooking the food, who mostly make close to $8.00 per hour too? It sounds like to me that they should be getting the tip, not the person who brings it to you.
Congrats to you. You have found the exeption to the rule (the exeption) this is not the case for many waiters and waitresses in this country. If you live in california or if you are visiting then yes be as cheap as you want. Now for the rest of us, short of NY LA and vegas waiters do not make 800.00 a night as a typical practice. Are there some exceptions to this?…. Sure of course there are. Come on people come on
To those of you who feel as if a servers only job is to “take an order, bring the meal, ask how it is, and then bring the check”:
I believe you are severely underestimating the amount of work and multitasking is involved.
First of all, if it were simply entrees, yes, it would be an easy job. Adding, however, drinks, apps, salads, deserts, and condiments (extra ranch, extra marinara, extra ketchup) makes things a bit more difficult. A good waiter will seldom allow your drinks to get empty, and hence for a table of four who drinks two sodas a piece, a total of 8 trips to and from the drink station is required. A meal with drinks, appetizers, salads, entrees, deserts, and a check would require AT LEAST 5 trips to and from various locations around the restaurant and that is at a bare minimum. I would estimate that each table has around 15 various needs during a meal. This, by itself, is extremely easy, however that is only one table. Adding 3, 5, or 7 more tables of varying sizes at the same time gives servers sometimes more than 100 individual tasks during his or her first round of tables (remember, our job is to turn tables quickly)! This is literally impossible unless one is constantly completing multiple tasks in the same trip. The human brain can really only hold around 7 items in working memory at any given time, and yet your server usually can make it work. Furthermore, they will usually be very friendly, understanding, kind, and have a smile on their face regardless of how poorly they are treated and how stressed they feel on the inside. Without a doubt, serving is one of the most difficult, stressful jobs one can do, but we love it all the same. If anyone says differently, they have never served, and that is a fact! Next time you feel like not tipping your server, take 5 minutes and watch your server very carefully, check to see how many tables he/she has, and see just what they are bringing each table. Ask yourself if you could work at that pace, with that efficiency, for 5 or more hours without any rest, and reconsider your stingy attitude!
There is a difference between a waiter who “can make it work”, one who excels at it, and who doesn’t make it work, and I don’t see that there is any problem tipping accordingly. I tip those who make it work the minimum, those who excel will get more, and those who don’t make it work well get less than minimum or nothing at all if it’s bad enough. In my opinion you have to earn whatever tip you get from me, not just show up.
wow, I wish my job was that easy. I’ll tip 10-15% only if the server is polite and genuine, the only time i give more is if they know enough to refill my cup without my asking a task very few seem to understand.
Waiters do not get paychecks if you have ever been a waiter you understand that your paycheck will most of the time have the word VOID printed in giant red letters accross it. If you are lucky you may get a check for 0.22. servers make their tips for income, now most of the time people realize this and it balances out (there truely are more good fair people than cheap angry ones) If you would like to dine somewhere, where the staff receives a paycheck may i suggest burger king or wendys.
if you cant afford to tip maybe you should have not eaten out in the first place…and feeling" completely horrible" wont help that innocent waiter to pay their bills.
Look im a waiter too, and lets not be greedy hun, we get a good pay in tips. I remember i once walked out of the place i work at with 600 in my pocket. Waiting pays much better than my old job and if they dont tip, i really dont care because im not greedy, and i already get more than enough pay from tips.
Dan,
IF YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY TO TIP YOU SHOULD NOT BE EATING OUT AT RESTAURANTS!!! At most restaurants servers have to tip out a percentage of their food sales to the back of house, host, bussers, etc. At my restaurant we tip out 6% on our food sales. So when someone comes in and doesn't tip me a dime… in a way I'm paying for part of your meal. So unless you feel comfortable stiffing a poor college kid, and making him pay for your delicious meal… Learn how to cook and save us a couple pennys out of our pocket.
I agree with if you have horrible service you should tip accordingly… but this does not mean to not TIP at all. 20% should be minimum for decent to good service.
20% minimum!?! See you servers are greedy as hell. Say an entree costs between $20-$30, get a few round of drinks for $12 a round, and the bill for a table of 2 is easily $100. 20% would mean you made $20 off our table, and you have to comp a bus boy 6% of your FOOD sales? poor thing you only made $17 that table… then you have what 10-20 other tables during your shift no problem…. thats a few hundred bucks for a few hours worth of work, sorry you are not stripping and your job ISN'T that hard. if being kind and social is difficult for you, you are in the wrong profession.
WE HAVE BILLS TOO. and not everyone tips 20%. our job isn’t hard, but it isn’t extremely easy. you can walk into work one day..be there forever…and walk out with thirty bucks. yes, it is something that goes with the territory of being a server, but people like you think we don’t do much. how do you think the restaurant gets clean at night? do you have to clean your work space…sweep, mop, replace things, re-fill things at the end of every shift? also, why don’t you host a party and youuu are the only person in charge of serving drinks…no one can get their own drinks…you must pour for them. and then you serve them all by yourself. if one group of people want chicken, then another wants salmon, then steak. oh…and this all has to be cooked in under 20 minutes for everyone to enjoy. some are way more pickier than others, so listen carefully to the changes they lovvveee to make to your little menu. also, if you don’t get their order right, then your friends will go hungry and you will have wasted food. don’t forget appetizers and salads..and the different salad dressings your guests like… then don’t forget to keep re-filling their drinks while they wait for their food..not to mention you have to converse with your guests too…it isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t a cake walk most of the time either. you have zero idea what goes on at other tables. 20% is an excellent tip when servers went above and beyond to make your time there special. 15% is normal. 10% is normal when servers don’t do their jobs well. not all servers are greedy, but most put a lot of work into catering to your every little need, and we get stiffed because you had to wait an extra minute for us to re-fill your water that you have cheaply made into lemonade so you wouldn’t be charged it
most people are not so cheap I enjoyed my time as a waiter I have since moved on to a job that is a bit more stable with better hours and consistant pay. most of the people I worked with in the restaurant industry were collage graduates some enjoyed the days off some were really good at what they did and made exceptional money. I was never to worried about the people who did not tip (they are most likely living outside their means) You shrug it off and move on. Most people who dine out can afford to tip and do so I tip because I go out to eat I like the experience I enjoy good food and I like having drinks with my friends and getting out of the house. I can afford to eat out and tip so I do some people cant (would I eat out when I could not afford to do so ? No but to each his own I suppose) at the end of the day when you are a waiter and you gave great service and you still dont get tipped they are most likely not able to afford it. Be happy you are and go on with your day. feel free to point and laugh at the cheap bastards as they do their walk of shame out of the building though 🙂
A little late but just saw this… I don’t know where you are all from, but I’m from a small Ohio town and work at a very busy sports bar. If I literally bust my ass for 8-10 hour shifts, I am lucky to make 150 dollars. There are five tables in each of our sections, and on weekends we are on a wait for 4 hours or so, meaning we get only seconds long breaks between each table. My restaurant…which is actually a popular nationwide sports bar… does not believe in gratuity or maximum guests for parties. It’s a common occurence for me to be put, by myself, on a 45 person party on the patio, with other tables inside. People are more often then not completely rude. I would like to see ANYONE on here complaining about being requested to tip well wait on 65-70 people at the exact same time alone. And since it takes a long time to meet the needs of 65-70 pple and is damn near impossible, guess what..,.. I end up getting tipped maybe 5 percent for busting my ass for hours to do something impossible. Why does everyone think they’re so much better than servers? Sometimes we do make more than other workers, but at my restaurant to top it all off, we have NO busser NO host and NO dishwasher…and NO cashier. We do it ALL and I am lucky to make 150 bucks. Must be nice to live in CA or to be a douchebag who thinks he is all that just bc he has control over how much someone gets paid.
Most servers do not make a few hundred a night or even 100 for that matter it depends on the restaurant. Not to mention u have slow nights and even slow months ( jan and feb) where in some cases ur walking with only 30 bucks in ur pocket after working 6 hours. With that being said u rely on those tables to tip u especially if the bill is high like over $100 cause a lot of times ur only making $5 a table and sometimes u only have a few tables in a night. An ur not just tipping out the bus boy ur also tipping out the bar tender and food runner…hope this clarifies things for u 🙂
Im a waiter too and even i think thats out of line. All that means is that your working at the wrong place, stop being greedy, geez – _ –
Hollie, you’re very wrong. Very very wrong. If the service is poor, there should be absolutely no tip. If you are incapable of doing your job, you should not be rewarded for it. It’s pretty obvious that some of the highly strung servers on here can’t do the job they are assigned to do, and also that they don’t know the meaning of the word ‘tip’. Also, everyone is entitled to eat out for certain occasions, even if their budget doesn’t approve. People are out to buy the food, not to fill your pockets with in some cases…undeserved cash.
If the service isn’t up to par, just think about whether you would like to be paid nothing at all to bring drinks, refills, food, extra napkins, extra ranch, extra everything, turn the music down, turn the music up, change the tv, wipe up all the spilled food, pull booths out to sweep up people’s disgusting mess…even if you don’t like the server’s attitude, they probably don’t like yours either, and customers are almost never angels. It’s like people just sit down and say, “Appease me! I will give you no help in doing so, will not be overly kind or conversational as I expect you to be, and will not be sorry for all the running I make you do before not tipping you.” so rude and frustrating! And if you can go out to eat, you can skip one three or four dollar drink or order something a little cheaper to plan to be able to tip. guarentee you would HATE waiting on rude people all night long who doesn’t tip you because you just treat them the way they treat you.
I disagree with this. You should always tip your waiter but the amount you do it should be based on service. If i get a terrible waiter I tip $0.01. Not tipping makes them think your a jerk, tipping $0.01 lets them know you hated your service and their paycheck will reflect that.
if you can’t afford to tip.. don’t go out to eat.
Why? I’m there to pay for the food…not to hire a server. That’s the restaurants problem!!
Then who will serve your food?
As he said that’s the restaurant’s problem, If a restaurant is paying you inadequately quit. Nobody is making waitstaff work there.
if everyone thought “it’s the restaurants problem,” we’d all would be reduced to McDonald’s and Panera bread. I agree, servers are not entitled to a tip, especially if the service was poor, but no one is going to take your orders, fetch your refills, and pander you for 2.13 an hour, alone.
Are you slow? there are tons of places you can go and eat that do not have servers you should try burger king (if its not to pricey for you)
The only time I don’t tip is when they don’t deserve it. I ordered queso at a mexican rest. once and it took the waitress 20 minutes to bring it out with no chips. Took another half hour to get our chips, at which time the cheese was cold and congealed. She never did show back up to get our drink/dinner orders. I went up to the bar and ordered through the bartender after an hour or so. Was the place packed? NO! We were the only table and our waitress was visible the whole time. She was flirting with one of the kitchen staff. I gave the bartender a small tip and left nothing for the waitress.
I understand that restaurants get busy and people make mistakes. I’m not paying you 15% for bringing me half of my order in between goofing off.
If you cannot afford to tip, DO NOT GO OUT TO EAT! Simple as that….I mean seriously, go to a drive-thru if you can’t afford tipping.
You simply could not afford to tip? Why did you go out to dinner if you could not afford to tip your waiter?
http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp
TIPS = To Insure Proper Service
and I also agree. If you feel the need to tip %10 or less then there are two things that need to be addressed:
1) There is a huge problem with your dining experience and you NEED to speak to a manager and have your meal taken off the bill.
2) You are too cheap or can’t afford to be eating in a restaurant so please either wait until you can afford it or keep your tight A*s at home. Chances are, your waiter doesn’t come to your job, makes you run around for him for an hour and then decides that you don’t deserve your normal hourly wage.
I like this list – I tip 25% or higher for excellent service!
I didnt agree with number 6 – if the food wasn’t the way you ordered it maybe the server didn’t communicate properly with the kitchen
Most of the time the kitchen just messed up. They are use to doing things a certain way and when you customize your order they forget or are just too busy to care.
Obviously you have never worked in a restaurant.
LOL Awww you poor poor silly person the fact that you believe a server can communicate anything to a kitchen staff member tells me that not only have you never worked in a restaurant but you have apperently never even met a chef before. I tell a chef how to do his job or a special order and that is a sure way to never have any of my food come out right ever!! If your food was not cooked right it is not (I repete) Its is not the servers fault. Ask to speak with a manager and inform the manager that the kitchen staff is not doing their job properly. Oh and also if your sever was good and did their job feel free to mention this to the manager. Your burger being undercooked did not happen because your server did not convay how you wanted it cooked your burger is not cooked right bc the chef did not do his job properly and now the server has to clean up his mess deal with the angry customer and get a terrible tip on top of it.
I think your anger should be with the chef and not this customer. Shouldn’t you go to the manager if the kitchen is causing your tips to go down?
You are cute as well, I will go to my manager and tell him I am not making any tips because the kitchen is not doing their job right. Then I will sprinkle my magic dust sit back and watch the manager reprimand the kitchen staff (an area in a restaurant that is hard as hell to staff) Managers ALWAYS care about the profit of their servers its really high up there on things that they actually give a damn about. my point was not anger it was this ….. When you order a burger or whatever and it is not cooked properly instead of yelling at the person who brought it to you and placing all of the blame on your server how about you place blame where blame is due. but in your world I guess its perfectly acceptable for you to be rude or yell at a total stranger (who is by the way, waiting on you) instead of being bothered to hold the correct person responsible. No in your world not only is it the servers job to take the blame for your burnt burger but now he should also be responsible for reprimanding the kitchen/management wow i hope you are not this entitled with everything else in your life… perhaps you should eat in more 🙂 man its people like you who make me very happy I no longer wait tables.
Awww you’re cute as well! Way to be a condescending POS!!! Must have served you well as a waitress. I’m happy you no longer wait tables too 😀
My favorite is when the customers give the server a tip for the kitchen staff, this happens where I work about every other day and the same server every time pockets that money and we never see it. The only way I knew this was happening is my parents used to come in for dinner and do this, they finally got upset when I wasn’t thanking them for it. Sad part is the owner doesn’t care, oh yea also here in Oregon servers make $9.00/hr plus their tips and the girl that keeps our kitchen tip is always complaining that she only made $200 in tips plus her wage for an exhausting 4 1/2 hr shift. Servers are greedy.