restaurant tipping etiquette

[lefty]

Originally Posted by Dewey

Whether or not leaving your tip in a collection envelope with your name on it is creepy, strange, off-the-wall, etc., probably depends on the restaurant and the size of the tip.

And whether or not you've penciled in your room number at the Howard Johnson's.

lefty

 

[Concordia]

Originally Posted by clarity

My sister and I order pizza a couple times a month and we order it from online, filling out the tip on the website. There was one driver who complained about that and tried to get me to tip him in cash. I reminded him that we filled it in online and he mumbled something under his breath about those tips never making it to him in a very rude manner. We figure he was just trying to get more money out of us. That was in the spring and I have not seen him since. So what really was the deal here, I thought drivers would be able to claim that tip.

Maybe it is a sleazy order-in service.

Once when we ordered a larger-than-usual meal and put a reasonable percentage on the full amount (it was a genuinely crappy day), I got thanked by the driver. So presumably he expected to see most of it later on.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by lefty

Leaving tips in an envelope that has your name printed on the outside is somewhat creepy.

lefty

I think I know of somebody else who does the same. Perhaps our new friend is hairy and Greek?

 

[samblau]

The AM New York (free paper offered in several cities) did a whole page on tipping yesterday.

I for one try and tip in cash, provided it is not a very high bill requiring a large tip. I never stiff people but am confounded by peoples impulses one way or another...the food and service both sucked but the kid is working hard, lets leave 25% or it wasn't that great, lets leave 10%. My base level is 15% for adequate...if a server goes above and beyond the tip goes up accordingly, if I get a buy back from a bartender I will typically add the cost of the drink or damn close to it as a tip...case in point, at PEGU club I was lamenting with the bartender about the trendy kids that were coming in and trying to order crap beer or jack and coke. In the end he made me a free drink after my friend and I had only one round...our drinks would have been $24, the drink the bartender made me should have been $15....I left $40...it was just a great night. On the other end of the spectrum, I soemtimes get Chinese food, the lunch special is like $6-$8 and the guy is pleasant, always gets my requests right i.e. steamed/brown rice and carries out like 5 different items for a total check of like $11 for two people. I can't leave the guy $1.50/$2...I always leave at least $3, and if I am in an especially good mood I might leave a $5. % wise its high...but if i went to a rip-off burger joint and dropped $30 on two burgers and sodas I'd be leaving more just as a matter of course.

 

[life_interrupts]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

There are no credit card fees to deal with for the server. They get paid out in cash at the end of the night by the restaurant in the exact total amount on the receipts, not a penny less. I have heard many conflicting stories about what happens to tips after you leave them. I suppose all restaurants do it differently. Some have to pool all tips and bussers get their cut. I have also heard that the IRS charges a flat 8% tax, i.e. the IRS presumes you will get at least 8% tip on all your served food, and anything above that goes to the servers. I don't know which particular type of employee falls under this class, I can imagine many small restaurants which could claim they don't take tips, when in fact they do.
The IRS flags establishments that have a total tip declaration (everyone, including bussers and barbacks) of less than 10% of net sales. Then they start looking at individuals, which you don't want to have happen, because no career waiter/bartender could withstand that sort of financial scrutiny. Plus, there are fines for the establishment. The assumption is that staff are making more. I've worked in places where if you didn't reach the threshold, they declared the minimum for you. That being said, if you get the majority of tips on CC, you're safe. You can lowball your cash estimates, as long as the 10% threshold is reached in CC tips. Bartenders usually pool tips. Waiters don't for the most part, but I've worked places where we did and no one's happy, because everyone thinks everyone else is sloughing off. As for the whole envelope thing, if you ain't in the Mob or it's not Christmas, I have no idea why you're handing out golden handshakes to restaurant staff.

 

[JesseJB]

If you are in a bar where drinks are ~$8 and you sit at a table that requires a waitress to come take your drink order and serve you, does the $1/drink tip rule still apply? I got my **** handed to me by a group of friends last night for tipping $1 for an $8 drink while they got $8 drinks and tipped $4 a piece! After the "well she lives off those tips, shes a witress" diatribe, I begrudgingly threw down another dollar and explained that I had never heard of an exception to the $1/drink tip rule unless the drink is exceptionaly complicated to make.

What do you guys think?

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Originally Posted by JesseJB

If you are in a bar where drinks are ~$8 and you sit at a table that requires a waitress to come take your drink order and serve you, does the $1/drink tip rule still apply? I got my **** handed to me by a group of friends last night for tipping $1 for an $8 drink while they got $8 drinks and tipped $4 a piece! After the "well she lives off those tips, shes a witress" diatribe, I begrudgingly threw down another dollar and explained that I had never heard of an exception to the $1/drink tip rule unless the drink is exceptionaly complicated to make.

What do you guys think?
I think a $1 tip on an $8 drink is fine. A $2 tip is 25%, which is more than you would typically tip a waitress for a meal, which requires a lot more work.

 

[texas_jack]

Originally Posted by JesseJB

If you are in a bar where drinks are ~$8 and you sit at a table that requires a waitress to come take your drink order and serve you, does the $1/drink tip rule still apply? I got my **** handed to me by a group of friends last night for tipping $1 for an $8 drink while they got $8 drinks and tipped $4 a piece! After the "well she lives off those tips, shes a witress" diatribe, I begrudgingly threw down another dollar and explained that I had never heard of an exception to the $1/drink tip rule unless the drink is exceptionaly complicated to make.

What do you guys think?

$1 a drink is stupid. What if you got a topshelf margarita that cost $15? You pay 10%-25% depending on her service.

 

[Davidko19]

**** that. $1 per drink. Standard.

If I get a pitcher, Ill throw down 2-3 bucks. If Im going out for dollar beer night, I still tip a dollar. Dont overthink the room here.

Bars and waitresses come to expect $1/drink. You want a higher tip percentage, Mr. Bar owner? Lower your $8 beer to $5 and the value of my $1 tip just increased by 37%.

 

[chronoaug]

You normally tip by cost of the item at restaurants because an expensive meal normally requires more work on the waitstaff since you're probably ordering more food/drinks and/or the restaurant is of much higher quality. I don't see why i should tip differently if i order a $8 beer rather than a $3 beer. Did they do something differently that i missed?

If you're at a really upscale swank place, and are ordering fancy drinks or something, i'd tip more. I was at this too fancy (for me at least) place in nyc and after buying mine and kunk's drinks, i think i tipped like $4 because it came out to $26. Seems acceptable to me. If the bartender was offended he can ************

 

[SlamMan]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

You should come to grips with the fact that you are probably laughingly referred to by the servers as "that ridiculous envelope tip guy".

I LOLed

Originally Posted by Davidko19

**** that. $1 per drink. Standard.

+1

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

I think a $1 tip on an $8 drink is fine. A $2 tip is 25%, which is more than you would typically tip a waitress for a meal, which requires a lot more work.

25% is more than you'd typically tip a waitress for a meal?

 

[Kempt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

25% is more than you'd typically tip a waitress for a meal?

In my limited experience I rarely see tips exceeding 20% (for meals).

 

[Dakota rube]

I have never in my life hear of this $1 per drink tip rule.
I demand citations.

 

[Davidko19]

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

I have never in my life hear of this $1 per drink tip rule.
I demand citations.

The citations is: Have you ever been to a bar in your ******* life???

I have been waaay more bars than you and drank waaay more drinks than you. That is the rule of thumb, everyone knows it. What other system is there? $5 beer...you gonna give 15%? 20% if it was an "exceptional" cap opening experience? The drink is $5. You leave a one on the counter. Simple as that. I just hope to god you dont stiff the dudes....

Also, first article I googled : http://media.www.theorion.com/media/...-1511477.shtml

"Cyr says a good general rule is to tip fifty-cents per beer, but usually she gets tipped a dollar per drink. She says any tip is appreciated.

"Let's be honest. I know good and bad tippers, and they definitely get different service," she says."

Dont be a douche.