Tipping "who to"

[roger]

A 15% tip is the right amount for good service. If the service is outstanding then 18 - 20% is appreciated. The staff know that some people leave tips at the table, and some at the check-out or on the card, so no need to feel that the staff are assuming you have not left a tip just because they don't see you leave it. A good tip, when deserved, is always appreciated. Charlotte always comes back with stories about her great customers that left a nice tip, as well as nice customers who were very happy with everything, but left no tip.

The wage for servers is around $4 per hours so very low. Without the tips, it would not be worth going to work by the time you pay gas money and car running costs.

Where Charlotte gets upset is when she has worked really hard and would normally earn a good tip, but the kitchen mess up and perhaps the food is a bit cool, or someone gets the wrong dish due to kitchen staff making an error. She is then the one that gets no tip from the customer.

Visitors from the USA (either local or from other states) are generally the best tippers, followed by Canadians and Brazilians. English are some of the worst tippers, probably because it is not such a big thing in the UK. However the English complain about problems less than the Americans.

Over here, waiting can be a career (rather than just an evening job for a student). Good staff can earn way more than an average salary based on the tips, and with experience can move on to more expensive restaurants and therefore earn more. Top staff in high-end restaurants (that do a good job) can make a very nice living.

That's very useful information Roger, thanks.

May I ask just what is seen as an appropriate level of tip? I'm usually in the 15-20% range in restaurants but I never really know if I'm over or under tipping.

[MTP]

I think in this day and age it is appalling the Government encourages/allows businesses to carry on like this. They are allowed to assume that something like 25% of the hourly rate (even minimum wag) will be made up of tips and tax accordingly. Of course if the place isn't busy or the chef is lousy, those who have still worked an 8 hour shift etc. but not have customers to serve or they have not left tips because of food, will have that deducted from their wages automatically.

Yes, but if you are good at your job as a server, would you work in such a place? In fact would the business survive at all? Perhaps if it was in a great location with a good churn of footfall, then it won't matter as you'll get people in anyway, but if the place is quiet the business is not viable and it is up to the management to sort it or everyone loses their jobs and management/owners lose their business.

[vickk]

That's all good information Roger. It comes as no surprise that brits are some of the worst tippers and I feel pre judged in some places. More so in the Orlando area than when we are down on Marco.

[Clare R]

Interested in the Roger's comment about 'cool' food - one of the thing that really niggles me in restaurants here, apart from lack of vegetables, is that the food is not 'hot' as we would have it served in the UK. Guess with the warm temperatures people don't want their food hot but I often wonder if it is actully cooked as it should be.

[MTP]

We met with some Swedes who were staying at a villa near ours at New Year and they too don't have a tipping culture and were finding it very strange. As Vikk says, though, it's how it is there so when in Rome ...

[Katys Grandad]

I'm off for some winter sun to the Middle East again next week and then on to Bangkok. It used to be the case that tipping was almost unheard of in both places but the Americans have ruined that by insisting on imposing their culture there. The only place I visit where good service seems to be given for the pride of it is Japan where they are actually offended if you offer them anything.

I wish Americans also followed the 'when in Rome' approach.

[DaveL]

A good server in a popular restaurant can make really good money.

When we are in Florida we will often eat in one of the hotel restaurants mid afternoon when they are not so busy. This often gives you a chance to talk to the servers as they are not as busy. One that we talked to last year was promoted to be a host and while they liked the job they could not afford to keep it and asked to go back to serving.

Normally the hosts get a fixed wage plus a % of the tips. In this case however it did not make up for the amount that a good server could get in a busy upscale restaurant.

We normally tip between 15% and 25%. My wife has an odd food allergy, how well the server deals with the request decides how far up the scale we go.

Dave

[gpullan]

Either 10% or 20% depending on the server and what they have actually done.

We were chased by a server out of Golden Corrall a few years ago. She caught up with my mum and asked if we had forgotten to leave a tip. I questioned what she had done as we had found our own table, got our own plates and cutlery, served ourselves the food and even cleared up after us. All she did was fill 6 cups up with coffee! We were a party of 12 people so a 20% tip would have been around $20....for pouring 6 cups of coffee, i don't think so!!!

On the flip side, we have left 25% in places like Morton's, Manny's and even iHop if you get someone who is always there in a flash, friendly, attentive and actually does his/her job.

When you're a large party and when a lot of them are kids, it's a tough one as you are spending a lot of money on the meal ($300 in Raglans Irish Pub) so to leave an additional 25% on top is hard! Should they really expect me to leave an additional $75???

[MTP]

My wife has an odd food allergy, how well the server deals with the request decides how far up the scale we go.

Dave

Dave, do they not take the food allergy seriously? I thought restaurants were very good at this stuff now due to fear of litigation.

[Jules]

Either 10% or 20% depending on the server and what they have actually done.

We were chased by a server out of Golden Corrall a few years ago. She caught up with my mum and asked if we had forgotten to leave a tip. I questioned what she had done as we had found our own table, got our own plates and cutlery, served ourselves the food and even cleared up after us. All she did was fill 6 cups up with coffee! We were a party of 12 people so a 20% tip would have been around $20....for pouring 6 cups of coffee, i don't think so!!!

On the flip side, we have left 25% in places like Morton's, Manny's and even iHop if you get someone who is always there in a flash, friendly, attentive and actually does his/her job.

When you're a large party and when a lot of them are kids, it's a tough one as you are spending a lot of money on the meal ($300 in Raglans Irish Pub) so to leave an additional 25% on top is hard! Should they really expect me to leave an additional $75???

I always leave 15-20% in full service restaurants if the service has been good but still feel that in some restaurants the servers pre judge us because of our accents. I thought the rule of thumb in places such as buffet restaurants such as Golden Corral, Sweet Tomatoes etc was $1-$2 per person for basic service or more if the server was particularly attentive.