Should you tip the waitress and how much thread

Blazin_sl said:

Oh and a question to those who live in NJ do you tip the guys who pump the gas? I'm NJ a lot and I think the mandatory full service kind of sucks but I always am conflicted on whether you are suppose to tip them.

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I always fill up at Hess stations here. The neighborhood one if it's not insanely busy will wash all windows, head light and tail lights, and check your fluid levels. All this without having to ask. They actually do a decent job. I'll give these guys 2 bucks.

All the other major stations here by me your lucky to get a windshield clean without having to ask. They get nada.

Also, pumped gas here when I was 16 as a summer job, at a Hess station. 98% here don't tip ever.

TLDR, It's not expected to be tipped. To answer your question.

Blazin_sl said:

ok thank you, are they paid an ok wage? (10-12hr?) I still might tip them if the weather is really shitty or something to just to make a bad day a little better.

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Na It's a shit job. It went from a teenagers job here, to off the boat immigrants mainly. 15-20k max.

Replican_sl said:

Ugh, so much misinformation in such a short post. If my bartenders make their drinks with different recipes for tables or bar guests, they know they will not be working for me long. At my restaurant, when a tab is transferred to a table the server pays 10% of the tab to the bar (your $50 tab turns into $5 for the bar, and anything else for the server). Lastly, when you tip with your credit card, the server gets the entire tip. The only difference between cash and credit tips is cash is easier for the server to not declare. Calculate that before you consider taking this persons advice on anything.


Just read your other post too. What shit place do you work where the take out person also has tables?

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Yeah,my restaurantworks a bit differently, and my advice was the top two complaints that popped in my head. These are pretty common things, especially in corporate chains (which isn't where i work, but the mindset is similar). That shit place I work at has enabled my rent/car note/misc. expenses/luxuries for an average 25 hours a week for the last 3 years.

Did you have to wash your own dishes and get pissed off or something?

And on the bartender situation, each Bartender gets a $150/week comp budget. This goes to spills and/or regulars and first timers.

traveling in asia is fucking awesome, nobody expects a tip and service is beyond stellar always. Its kinda fucked up in places like China where restaurant jobs are considered cushy, and if you complain as a western guest its pretty much guaranteed the employee will get fired (except at state run restaurants, which are like union shops with similar service). On the flip side are places like Spain or Greece, where nobody tips and waiters are beyond slow, but it just means longer which isn't that bad.

anyways no point, just its cool seeing the differences in tipping between america and pretty much everywhere else in the world. Also funny on places like cruise ships and stuff where a lot of foreigners are, must suck for the staff to see the differences in tipping.

Me personally, I hate tipping because its a "hidden fee", a $100 dinner turns into $150 because of taxes and tipping. Not really the money, just the idea that what we could consider a normal level of competency at any other job suddenly requires extra money because the food business is all kinds of fucked up, financially. I am pretty suprised one of the big national chains like Olive Garden or Chilis or something doesn't go to a no-tip policy, we-pay-our-employees-a-good wage. I suspect the first company to jump on that bandwagon will realize its good business, even with higher prices and wages, less employee turnover and more customers/tickets.

How is it a hidden fee when you always know you'll have to tip at least whatever your personal min tip is?

I could live with having normal wage people serve me food at Fridays. It would bring out shittier people but whatever. However, if I'm paying $30-$50 for a plate, and I'm buying a $70 bottle of wine, I want someone who knows their shit. That means you're going to have to pay the waiter 40-60k a year, at a minimum.

spronk_sl said:

Me personally, I hate tipping because its a "hidden fee", a $100 dinner turns into $150 because of taxes and tipping. Not really the money, just the idea that what we could consider a normal level of competency at any other job suddenly requires extra money because the food business is all kinds of fucked up, financially. I am pretty suprised one of the big national chains like Olive Garden or Chilis or something doesn't go to a no-tip policy, we-pay-our-employees-a-good wage. I suspect the first company to jump on that bandwagon will realize its good business, even with higher prices and wages, less employee turnover and more customers/tickets.

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Olive Garden/Chilis can barely afford to pay their kitchen, let alone the servers. Please rememberfast foodemployees make minimum wage and are all considered "back of house." For the most part, they barely get raises and have giant turnover rate (McDonalds, etc). Fast Food + Front of House = a restaurant! They, as well, can barely keep a steady kitchen due to lack of hours/scarce raises.

Most businesses that pay front-of-house employees a hefty wage are either privately owned or are pulling income to the attached restaurant (private golf courses, etc)

Zehn - Vhex_sl said:

One thing that's also nice in a non-tipping society is you never run into that fucked up situation where you're sitting next to a table of like 12 and you get mediocre service all night because the server is working the 100 dollar tip instead of your 3 dollar tip. They're getting paid just the same either way so you get as much attention as the big table does.

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No, that's not true, the bigger table is going to require more of the server's limited amount of attention whether they are getting paid more from them or not.

Generally don't tip at all unless I'm feeling particularly generous or the person was awesome. When I travelled to the Phillippines however practically everyone expects a tip and they try to pressure you. I ignored it at first because to me tipping is not normal. Eventually I tried a few times but the look on peoples face when I could tell they were hoping for more pissed me off to the point that I stopped doing it.

I don't understand the model of expecting a tip for service as a baseline. Tips are supposed to be for good service, not for any service. But where I come from wait staff are paid properly so hey.

We've had a few US chains come here and start trying to charge 'a 10% service fee' and things like that on top when you go to pay the bill. Most of them stopped it because it upsets customers here. When we look at a menu and it says $4 for a coffee, when we go to pay for it we expect to pay $4. That's just the way it is. Tax isn't a 'hidden charge either'. When you see a price listed for something, that price includes tax.

I always tip according to service. Great service, you're going to get a great tip, I have no problems leaving $20+ $50+ tips for people that bust their ass.
If you suck and don't want to be there then you'll be lucky if I leave anything.
I also always tip in cash, never on card.

What are your thoughts on already included tips?

Other than large parties, it's lame. It should never be assumed you received adequate service.

lurkingdirk_sl said:

What are your thoughts on already included tips?

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11.99 * 1.2 = 14.19? Tip the waiter because their boss is obviously an idiot.

Lejina_sl said:

Because it is assumed you got adequate service when you are part of a large party?

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Can't speak for every restaurant, but when I worked at one, large parties had multiple servers focused only on them, and a manager as well. Our best servers got those, and it was their only table for hours. As far as our place went, those parties got exceptional service. That's the only cases we charged an automatic gratuity.

Tarrant_sl said:

Not that I would ever do this, but say I went to a place and they auto charged me the 20%, can you actually refuse to pay it?

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You sure can. Generally what actually happens is they comp your meal, or buy you dessert/coffee. It's easier than starting WW3 between the server saying the did a great job, and the guest saying otherwise. This being major chains though. If your at Vito's goomba palace, they may give you grief since their going to be out of pocket. Whereas General Mills wouldn't even blink at a comp.