Most of the places I go to dine don't have regulated tax unless the party is 7+ people.
So I don't tip unless the waiter/waitress was a good one.
Usually I'll leave two-six dollars.
I'm cheap.
:b
But nya,they'll go on.

A tip is supposed to be a reward for good service, and a large tip is supposed to be a reward for superior service. If you tip people who don't, or only just, meet requirements in your opinion, you cheapen the tip for the people who earn it. I'm all for selfish virtue and greed, but come on. You can't just expect people to pay you for nothing. You can't just say "I am me, give me hefty donations now" That's retarded. It's like getting pissed because the fields you didn't sow didn't yield you any produce.

it depends on what I'm getting how much I tip. My boyfriend however delivers pizza and so tips are a big thing for him and he tends to be on the very generous side when it comes to tipping.
I personally haven't gone out to enough dinners and done the math, we always just have everyone throw in a couple bucks and pay for their own food. *shrug*
I have never been stopped by a waiter or waitress to tip more ever. That seems rude to me.
I always leave a bad tip if I get really bad service, I'm in the food business myself and have plenty of waiter friends and know how it "should be".
The best thing is leaving small change to show tip not forgotten. :/

I work in the service industry, myself, and let me say that I do not hate you. In fact, I share in that feeling.

I work as a grocery bagger. It's not EXACTLY the same as waiting tables (I don't even GET tips), but there are a few key similarities:

1.) You're working with the public.
2.) Half of your customers like to assume you're working there because you're too stupid to get any other job.
3.) You get some great people coming through...and some who you just wish would get hit by a car on the way out.
4.) You're expected to be nice to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

Is that last one easy? Hell no. And for that reason, I try to be as nice and helpful as I can without getting anyone in trouble (which you can do -- word of advice, if you drop a glass ANYTHING, don't try to clean it up yourself; the management won't like it).

However, it's all too common for a waiter to be a complete ass to me, despite my best efforts to make everything easy for them. And when that happens? I don't feel bad leaving a 10% tip or less, to be honest. >.>; If you want your job to cover your living expenses, you do it WELL. The flippin' end.

One incident I remember was one where I was practicing speaking Spanish with my mother when I was 10. This ASSHOLE waiter gave us such a look, like we'd just told him that we want to kill all Americans. From that point on, the service was absolutely HORRIBLE, and I'm pretty damn sure he very discreetly flipped us off once or twice.

I wish I'd been older, so I could have thought to write something extremely vulgar on the one dollar bill we left him as a tip.

And here's a "tip" for you -- if anyone ever runs out after you demanding a bigger tip again, look to see if they have what you already left in their hand. If they do, snatch it out of their hand and say "I thought this was sufficient for the service you gave me...but I guess I was wrong. It was WAY too much. Good day to you!" then smile and walk away.

• For those who won't tip for bad service, does the fact that - well, for Americans - waiters get paid $2.13 per hour make you pity them?
  
  Considering how active their job is, I do. My parents both were waiters when they were younger and they tell me how stressful and demanding it is.
  
  At the same time, when I see waiters complain, I DO wonder - Why DO they keep those jobs? Was it the only ones hiring that they could obtain?
  
  And what about them having to divide their tips with other workers? Innocent people get hurt by one person's poor service. I mean, why do businesses even have this practice? D: To reward all parts of the line for their service?
  
  Guh, why can't Americans copy Europeans and just pay these people normal wages...? Some place of progress. >_>;
  
  @Allucard: True. But from what I read in the neutral article...apparently the US doesn't follow the tip is for good service idea. >_<;
  
  @Naiyo: Are pizza deliverers compensated for the gas they use on deliveries? Makes sense to tip them well if they're not.
  
  @Fullmetal Phantom: Oh wow. In the military commissaries, we always tip baggers. I did notice civillians don't...
  Bad treatment because you were speaking Spanish? Ugh...PEOPLE! You're the customer! You're paying THEM! They're dependent on YOU yet they think they can treat you like you're subhuman?

I enjoy tipping delivery boys by letting them keep my change, but for bad service in a restaurant? Good service I think I'd tip 10-15% just depending on cash I have, but honestly, I only make minimum wage myself and I really put a lot of effort into my job so I can feel I deserve my money. If a waiter or waitress doesn't treat me as a valued customer, and considering the food is probably expensive since I can't afford to eat out much, I'd rather keep my money and hope the careless waiter figures out they did a bad job before they escort a new batch of customers to their seats.

Originally Posted by ToriKat

• For those who won't tip for bad service, does the fact that - well, for Americans - waiters get paid $2.13 per hour make you pity them?

If they are attending 2 tables for an hour and each table tips $6, then they're making double what I make (minimum wage) and my job is just as intense. I work in a college library running errands, handeling phones, paackages, stamping, logging and handeling customers. Theres barely 5 minutes I get to sit in a 3 hour span of work and I get paid $7.15 an hour (new york's min. wage). So I don't feel bad for them. XD

I only tip good service. I think that requiring a tip is the lamest thing ever. Do your job and you don't have to worry about not getting a tip

I know it's gonna sound mean, but to be honest...if someone is a total ass to me, I don't care if they DON'T get paid; I'm not going to tip them more than they deserve. Unless what they deserve is to be hit by a car, because doing that on purpose is illegal.

I always leave SOMETHING, though, just so they see that I didn't just forget, I'm pissed at them.

And I think the whole tip pool idea is ridiculous. A tip is something you leave ONE person to reward good service. You should be able to choose how much goes to who. The service was great, but the food was awful? Then why the hell does the cook get as much of the tip as the waiter? >.<; That's NOT fair in ANY way. You should be rewarded for doing your job WELL, not barely doing it at all.

And nope...no tips for anyone working at Vons. Company policy. And a pretty stupid one, really. >.<;
And yes. Racist bastard seemed to think no language but English should EVER be spoken in the US. My mom was more generous than I would have been. I wanted to just leave him two pennies. XD

At any other job, you have to work to earn your wages. At a DECENT job, you have to work HARD to keep your position. I have no idea why so many people seem to think if you make your living off tips, they should just be handed right to you on a silver platter. In EVERYTHING, you have to WORK for what you earn. You want something for nothing? Find some way to develop psychic powers and win the lottery a few times. >.>;

Having a boyfriend who was a waiter at one point has made me appreciate the jobs waiters do.

Normally I tip 20% no matter what. Now, if it's really bad service, I might lower that significantly, but I don't normally get bad service. Now, I have "dined and dashed" before on meals with horrible service and bad food, but that's when I've had the last straw. :XP:

My bf always tips over 20% unless service is horrible. Usually he'll tip 30%, and if he knows the waiter, up to 50%. :) He knows what it's like to live off of $2.13 an hour + tips, so I think he feels sympathy for waiters.

But tips are NOT mandatory, and that waitress had no right to come back at you like that. I would have been sure to tell her that her service was shitty and that's what she deserved. *nods*

And then I probably never would go back there again. XP

20% is the minimum for large parties, like more than 10 people, because it is harder for the wait staff to serve them. 15% is the normal amount you tip... depnding on the staff. I usually leave $5 if they are good, which is usually more than what they should have.

If the service is terrable, then no tip is fine, they can't complaine about it. The worst thing you can do is leave a penny as a tip, because that's an insult to the waitstaff themselves, rather than just a complaint about bad service.

I haev only seen it done once.. we went to an IHOP the day I moving into my apartment.. It took them 15 min after we were seated to get our drinks then another 10 to come back with the drinks and get the orders. Then it was another 40 min before they girl brought over the food... it had been sitting on the warmer while she talked to her friends who had come into the restraunt after we did but she made shure she served them and sas SITTING down talking to them before bothering to get ours after my mother had to say soemthing like "What, do I have to go up and get my own food from the counter?" It was really embarrasing and my food was cold, so I returned it and said i didn't want anything instead.. and she didn't take it off the bill at first... it was such a bad experiance. I'm never going back to that location again.

You know, here in yorkshire, England, tips aren't expected. You know that you have to be really good to get a tip and even if you ARE really good you're not guranteed one. Why? Outraged? Well a tip is a "well done, thank you" gesture. I don't say thank you if someone's rude to me, I'm certainly not going to give them money for it! I rarely thank someone for being mediocre! When I do leave a tip the staff have had to be pretty nice to me! I mean the last tip we gave was to a pizza hut lady. She served us with a smile, talked to us, recomended desert, didn't give us ugly looks for ordering a sharing desert for 1 person, was quick and didn't make us wait around. She got a tip. And I'll be damned if I'm going to do maths and calculat 15-20% of something! Firstly I don't know how, secondly if I knew how I still couldn't do it (dysculic) and thirdly why the hell should I? If I tip someone I tip what I think they've earnt! This could be £1 it could be £10 it's subjective on how good the service was, not how expensive it was.

My bloke usually tips. So I think this may just be the Yorkshire way. Afterall, there's nothing tighter than a Yorkshiremans wallet :P

That's why I'd never be a waiter...not because of you but because of everything, you know?

I don't tip bad service. I complain to whom ever I'm with if the tip a bad server. Why should we pay for that? Now if the server did an awesome job anything between 15-20% I'll tip sometimes more if they did a really awesome job.

I can't bring myself to tip a bad server and not the people who are new but like the one who act like your bothering them or they rather not be talking to you. Those servers suck.

I used to be a server so I know whats it like. But I'll be damn if I acted like I didn't want to be there, I wanted a nice tip for doing a job. So always services with a smile.

when we went out to breakfest a couple of weeks ago they brought me the wrong order (my mom and brother too cause well the three of us ordered the same thing) when they brought the right thing even it tasted like something was wrong with it and for the rest of the day my stomach was bothering me..and my parents annoy me about not eating what i order but like its not my fault the food doesnt taste right :( oh yeah my parents always tip we dont do percentages though we just leave a few dollars^^

Sometimes when people give bad service I tip the minimum and show that =). When it's good service I usually tip more and they shouldn't have a tipping law. Its should be more like the minimum is 10%.

I can understand not tipping if the waiter was really terrible and neglectful on purpose but if you ever do get a good server again then tip them 15% because usually they live off of tips. ><;
20% is NOT the minimum and I know because I was a host at a restaurant and the minimum has always been 15%. Now if you have an excellent server that does everything you need them to and has a lovely attitude it's nice to tip a little extra but there's no reason for a server to run after you to tell you to tip more. That person should've been fired for the way they acted and you could have spoken to the manager and gotten their tush kicked.

Originally Posted by ToriKat

• @Allucard: True. But from what I read in the neutral article...apparently the US doesn't follow the tip is for good service idea. >_<;
  

Then they're stupid. That's why you get paid extra. You did a good job. Anything else is socialism, and I'm not a big fan. god knows americans aren't.

A tip is not required. If they have a bad, negative attitude they got no tip. I wont give a waiter or waitress a tip if they dont show that they are trying their hardest to work there. if they are doing the bare minimum they deserve minimum wage and no tips. But if I'm satisfied with their service they will get a good 15-25% tip ranging from they had a good attitude to top quality service. :]

Well the service has to be pretty terrible for me to leave no tip at all. They'd have to say something rude to get no tip. I can't believe someone ran after you and yelled at you for giving her a 15% tip. That makes me want to puke. I would've boycotted the restraunt too.

If someone gives me decent service I tip 20% and if they give me borderline bad service, I tip 15%. If they give me great service I tip 25%.

Edit: It's really surprising that most people don't realize that waiters/waitresses make sub minimum wage and that a tip isn't just "extra" money.

I normally tip as close to 20% as I can. Bad service = 10-15%. I almost never leave NO tip.

even after reading both articles, i still think 20% is too much. 15 is the minimum unless you have a really large party or if the service was really good.

If the food is bad, complaine and leave a tip and dont' eat there agai ncuz the chef sucks...

if the service is bad don't leave a tip, or leave a really small one.

that's how I feel... and I have family who are in the restraunt buisness.

My frind and i had gone to a nice, kinda classy restraunt for my 21st birthday. he was paying and after drinking 3/4ths of a bottle of wine and a martini he was kinda tipsy. after the waitress came back with hsi card she asked if the service was ok, becasue we only tiped her 10%... so he gaver her some more.

the next morning when he was sober, he looked at the check.. he had given her 20% the frist time and she tricked him into giving her more...

I read the first article you posted and it's no wonder that person has to whine about not being tipped high enough. I wouldn't tip someone acting that bitchy either. :lol:
Jerks should get no tips.
Lazy people should get no tips.
If you're going to be a jerk to me, sit back down and I'll go get my own food, thank you. I think it's stupid that some people think tips are required. No, they're optional. There's no way I'd reward someone for not doing their job right. If you're not getting enough in tips, obviously there's something wrong with your attitude or the way you work and you should either try correcting it or start looking for another job. I have no problem with giving a nice tip to people who actually deserve it though. But I guess I have just as much attitude as some waiters though because there have been times when I've left no tip and never thought twice.

I can't believe someone actually came after you yelling. That's pretty pathetic, really. =/ Like I said earlier, I can see why some waiters get lousy tips. Hope you have better luck in the future.

Usually when I eat out, I either go to a fast food place, or I'm not the one paying so I'm not usually the one that has to worry about tipping. Depending on the amount of the check depends on my tip. If the service is crap, then I tip like a dollar. But if the service is great, I'll tip more.

One time I was out with my friends and we split up the check and we couldn't afford to leave a great tip, and out tip was created out of all of our spare change. :oops:

• Wow, the lady was pissed that she only got 15%? Geez it's okay for EITHER 15 or 20%...why does she have to be so picky? Depending on how big your party is though (but yours seems to be small) you're supposed to tip more if you have a lot of people (10+ people...especially if you have an actual party at a restaurant.)
  
  And for BAD service, you're supposed to put a penny under your plate when you're done.