Poll: Tipping Habits at Restaurants

[Pinstar]

Let us say you go to an average restaurant, you order what you want. The meal is average, not bad but nothing to write home about. Let us say your waiter was fairly average. They greeted you, didn't screw up your order and refilled your beverage fairly regularly and generally responded to requests for extra stuff (catchup, napkins, etc)

How much do you tip?

 

[Alex The Rat]

I've worked quite a bit in restaurants, so I'll always aim for the higher end of the spectrum (20%ish). If the service is really bad or awesome I'll adjust from there.

Also, habit has one b, not to be confused with hobby or hobbit which have two

EDIT: This is in the United States of America. In some countries tips are much smaller or not expected at all, in which case I'll just follow the norm.

 

[The Infinite]

10% usually, all depends on how nice the staff was and food quality of course. Though if I enjoyed said meal yeah 10%.

 

[SturmDolch]

15% is the usual in Canada, as far as I know, so I tip 15%. I never tip more than that, but if the service sucks, you can expect less.

 

[SeanTheSheep]

As a rule, I generally tip 12.5% of the bill.
Because 12% is sorta stingy, but 13% often seems like too much.

 

[RicoADF]

I've worked quite a bit in restaurants, so I'll always aim for the higher end of the spectrum (20%ish). If the service is really bad or awesome I'll adjust from there.

Also, habit has one b, not to be confused with hobby or hobbit which have two

EDIT: This is in the United States of America. In some countries tips are much smaller or not expected at all, in which case I'll just follow the norm.

In Australia it isn't expected, altho ofcourse liked when people do. Here tips are usually 'keep the change' type.

 

[jubosu]

I tip fifteen unless it was either epic or shit.

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

I tip pretty well, definitely the 15% at least.

As for the people who aren't from the U.S., and where tipping isn't customary, please tip when you come to the U.S.
Don't complain about how it's not your fault that they aren't paid a livable wage, don't whine about how you don't have to tip where you're from. Just do it, it's nigh-mandatory here, and you're taking away from the income of your severs. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

 

[AgentNein]

I usually tip (if the service was good) around 25%, but yes I'm aware this is abit much. I'll go as low as ten if the service is pretty bad, and if they can't treat me with respect (rarely the case) I just won't tip. But yeah, I'm pretty lenient. Don't take too long throw a please and thank you in there and I'm happy. Bam 25%.

A good friend of mine waits, he's always very nice and very attentive. One day he got stiffed on an eighty dollar meal by a family. He followed them out to the car, said "excuse me, was their any problem with the service or the meal?" "nope." "Alright then, in the future if you don't want to tip there's a restaurant right across the street where it's not necessary." and points to a McDonalds. The dude complains to the owner of the restaurant, the owner's this old Greek guy "well why didn't you tip then if the service was good?". Boss totally stood behind him. Cool guy. I agree with the sentiment completely. If you're in the states and you don't feel like tipping your wait staff when the service is good, then please go to McDonalds.

 

[Pinstar]

Wow, a nice variety of responses, and reasons behind them.

I personally tip 10%. Partially because I'm a little on the stingy side, but partially I'm lazy at math and it is easy to move the decimal place over one notch.

 

[WolfThomas]

Living in Australia as I do, tipping isn't really common. Unless it's a really fantastic service I usually only give the "keep the change" amount.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

15%... isn't that what you're supposed to do?

 

[Valksy]

Tipping in the UK is a funny thing, some people don't do it at all but then we have minimum wage laws running so I don't know it can necessarily be claimed that waiters must rely on tips they way I have heard people in the US describing it.

Personally I use go for ten percent, rounded up to the nearest whole pound. Ten works for me because my numeracy is often crappy and ten is easy to calculate. I also prefer to tip in cash even if paying by card because I don't trust card tips to get where they are supposed to go.

I wouldn't blame wait staff for mediocre food. But if they suck very much (keep me waiting, forget stuff, pout and frown if I ask for something simple like...a clean fork) then they get fuck all. To my mind tipping on reflex removes the point of tipping in the first place.

 

[MissShortosity]

I don't tip, because I live down under and waitstaff in Australia get payed decent wages, thus don't have to depend on tipping to acually bring home a decent wage.
I've always been curious though, what happens in the US when you pay for a meal by card and you're expected to tip? Do you get to choose the amount you tip, or is it automatically added on to the bill??

Just wondering

 

[ace_of_something]

I'm a typical American and tip about 15% because for most wait staff it's assumed most customers will tip that much for them to make a normal wage. If it's pretty good I'll up to 20%. If it's bad I just judge it. The worst I've ever left was a written tip on a napkin that said "Try not scowling when people ask for simple substitutions and being attentive when you only have two tables."

My question:
Does anyone tip anything other than wait staff at restaurants?
For example I and many I know tip barbers and hair stylists.

 

[Pipotchi]

I tip pretty well, definitely the 15% at least.

As for the people who aren't from the U.S., and where tipping isn't customary, please tip when you come to the U.S.
Don't complain about how it's not your fault that they aren't paid a livable wage, don't whine about how you don't have to tip where you're from. Just do it, it's nigh-mandatory here, and you're taking away from the income of your severs. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

You cant say to tourists 'just do it' just because your food industry refuse to pay its staff a living wage. Tipping is a reward for good service not part of the wage.

On topic I sua;lly tip 10-15% depending on service and the ease of working it out. Crap service and or food and its no tip at best, I might not even pay for the bill if its that bad.

 

[Booze Zombie]

If I ordered a 20 pound meal, I'd tip 2-3 pounds... would that be acceptable?

 

[Pipotchi]

If I ordered a 20 pound meal, I'd tip 2-3 pounds... would that be acceptable?

yes thats 10-12%, perfectly reasonable almost anywhere

 

[Acier]

I don't tip, because I live down under and waitstaff in Australia get payed decent wages, thus don't have to depend on tipping to acually bring home a decent wage.
I've always been curious though, what happens in the US when you pay for a meal by card and you're expected to tip? Do you get to choose the amount you tip, or is it automatically added on to the bill??

Just wondering

For parties of 8 or more it is automatically added unless you talk to the manager (we had to do this once, the server was terrible and because we were a large party he automatically got his tip, the manager apologized took his tip away and we got free desserts )

however, if it's a party of 8 or below can choose the amount the tip by writing it on the receipt, or leaving the cash

 

[Generator]

Usually 20%, but I'm willing to go to 25% if the service is really good, and willing to drop it to about 10% if the service is lacking. Generally I'm very forgiving, so I've yet to completely stiff the waiter on a meal, but I've gotten to the point when I've just had them keep the change.