Poll: How much do you tip ?

[z0nbie]

I'm a bartender ( and have been for over 9 years ) and was wondering on average, for average service at a bar/restaurant, how much do you tip ? I'm asking because lately I've been seeing a steep decline in tips at our bar from newer customers (not sure if they're just rude, not taught/told about tipping, or just don't "believe" in it... which honestly I cannot understand).
I work at a casino bar and tipping varies a lot... I might get a $100 for a free bottle of water if they won a jackpot or $0 for a $300 tab if they lost all their money. But on average most people leave about a dollar a drink ( from other friends and bartenders I know ... making 20%-ish an average )
I am just also wondering how/why you tip so much/little ?

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

25/50%. I tend to tip too much.

I hear that stems from insecurity. Who knows.

 

[Kalari]

I always tip at least 15 percent since Ive worked jobs that required tips for me to actually bring home decent pay. But also its rare that ive ever had bad service when I do go out and I know the person is working hard to make me and whoever im dinning/drinking with happy.

But on the flip side when the rare occasion that you do get a bad server its easy to forget that and tip less then at all. All in all though I know that some jobs pay people based on what they assume they will make in tips and its pretty crappy so I make sure to tip as much as I can. Used to go that way for cabbies to but living in the south now havent ridden in a cab in years.

 

[pantsoffdanceoff]

I tip 15% becuase society tells me to. But I'm always confused why I have to tip in the first place? I mean I AM paying right, shouldn't part of the cost of dinner go to the waiter/waitress?

 

[RAWKSTAR]

No, since I do not want to pay more.

 

[cathou]

as an ex barmaid, i always put a minimum of 15% for food, and 1$ per drink.

 

[theeconomy]

Depends on the ability of the worker.

 

[Ursus Astrorum]

25-50%, depending on service. Then again, I'm fairly easy to please.

 

[asinann]

I tip 25-30% when I get service that warrants it.

You don't do a good job, you get no tip.

I better not have to wait 20 minutes for you to take my order when I'm the only one there, I better not have to wait on my drink.

Things like that mean no tip.

 

[Fulax]

If tip is included in the bill, as it often seems to be in US restaurants, I don't give anything extra, no matter how good the service is.

If service is good I tend to tip 20-30%. Quite generous I think, considering you are just doing your job. If service is bad you don't get anything.

 

[RavingPenguin]

I dont do math, I round up to the nearest ten, $31,32,35... transpses to $40 dollars if I dont feel its not enough I give a little more, if I feel its too much I tip a little less. It depends on my mood and how much effort I feel was put forth. Im usually very generous though.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Depends if A. I know the waitress B. Really good service C. Endured a tantrum from a person of my table.

Usually, I tip like 25 to 60%.

 

[Nimbus]

I'm a bartender ( and have been for over 9 years ) and was wondering on average, for average service at a bar/restaurant,...

You are, in your poll, forgetting about countries where tipping isn't to social norm. Over here, you might see a tip once every few years, if you seriously went above-and-beyond.

A option for those of us in.. well NOT America, would be nice.

 

[pyrojam321moo]

If they keep my drink filled, 20%, otherwise, 15%. I have only once NOT left a tip, and that was because I was extremely low on cash that day.

I was taught to by my mother and grandmother that, as a person who's enjoyed a meal I didn't have to cook, I should leave a tip regardless of the service.

 

[SchnorriS]

My target is 20% and $1/drink, but I'll round off and/or throw in loose change.

People may be tipping less because of the downturn (although what they are doing in a casino if they are feeling poor enough to not tip I'll never know ...).

 

[Audemas]

25% always.

 

[Matey]

5-15% im dutch... i mean cheap.
plus the only times i need to tip is usually the pizza delivery guy. and since where i usually order from they have a built in $3.50 delivery charge... i figure that covers it.
i still aim for 10% though.

 

[Shadow5]

I live in Australia, so I only tip if the service was spectacular, and even then the limit is around $20

 

[ThaBenMan]

Usually at least 20%, or $1 per drink - the way I figure, a good deal of assholes probably don't tip at all, so I like to try and compensate some for that. And even if they do poorly, I'll still tip them something - I've screwed up at work before, so I'll cut 'em a break.

 

[the captain]

About 20% unless the service was really good or the waitress is really hot.