Tipping "who to"

[No Shoes]

We eat out a lot over the many winter months we spend there.

Increasingly I have noticed that rather than add the tip, they put a scale on the bill telling you how much it would be at 15/18/20 %

Something local friends said to us: many people calculate the tip on the before tax value of the bill!

[vickk]

We eat out a lot over the many winter months we spend there.

Increasingly I have noticed that rather than add the tip, they put a scale on the bill telling you how much it would be at 15/18/20 %

Something local friends said to us: many people calculate the tip on the before tax value of the bill!

I was told that too . I read somewhere that was the correct thing to base the tip on

[sunseeker]

The thing about tipping that make no sense to me is the fact that it is calculated on a percentage basis and doesn't reflect the amount of work and attention involved. I don't think there's any more skill or ability required in a waiter delivering lobster to a table than egg and chips. The whole system actually penalises the big spender in an expensive place which seems the wrong way around.

Why should I tip the waiter $15-20 on a $100 bottle of wine when there's no more work to opening and pouring a $20 bottle? That said, I actually do!

I can see your point but I would like to think that the quality and knowledge of the server at a high end restaurant would be far superior to that of one at a Ponderosa, and for this I would expect to pay more.

Dave

[burtonl]

I also think that 25% is an unnecessarily high tip and I wouldn't tip that much myself......unless I'd drunk a few too many glasses of that $100 a bottle wine!

I more or less tip as per Martin's scale below although perversely I do tend to leave a higher percentage on lower bills as sometimes the tip just doesn't seem adequate. Very rarely have we had to tip poorly as the service in general is so good.

As tipping is expected and providing an amount is left which at least reflects the service received then how high to go is really up to the individual.....and how generous they feel.

25% is excessive for any service but that is your choice:

15% for good service
10% for ok service
20% for great service
for poor service leave $1 and write service on it and they will understand.
Leave nothing and they dont know if was the service or you were a tightwad

[mary and colin]

We are in the 15 20 % bracket most of the time. Occassionaly higher like Linda it is usaully when it is just the two of us and we round up the dollars.

I do like the guide Martin has shown us as i feel relieved that we are not in the tightwad group, as sometimes the servers do look at you and go "Oh thanks" and we think maybe we are under tipping, now i know we are not.

Never really had bad service but had some great service which we have told the manager as we have left. (as well as the tip of course) [msnwink]

Mary

[ujpest doza]

Something doesn't sound right there. We live here, and the 6 of us eat out around twice a week every week, and I can't think of a single occasion when a tip has been automatically added. When we go out with friends, and there are 8 of us then the tip usually is added automatically (and very rarely with 7 of us it is added).

Last 2 times we have been has been in a big party of 8 or 9. Us + My sister in law and mother in law and family. We always ask for 2 seperate bills, us 4 and them 4 or 5 as it is easier for us regarding payment.

There has always been a surcharge/gratuity automatically added when we've ate out due to the size of the party even if we split the bill as most menu's state that they do this for parties of 6 or 8 and over.

[Andrena]

We were surprised at the Character breakfast at Disney to find that the automatically added 18% to the bill, regardless of how many we're in the party. My son and I had a argument as to whether we should still leave a tip. I didn't, especially when it was self-service anyway. At what amounted to $46 each I thought it was a bit of a rip off anyway. The characters only 4 of them, sent about 2 minutes t each table and that was that. The breakfast was god though, just not worth $46. We go Harbor Hills Country Club often on a Sunday morning and get a great breakfast for about $12 each and in a wonderful setting.

Andrena

[florida4sun]

The tip is still discretionary and you can have it removed or adjusted. If it is added to the bill, there i no need to leave an extra tip

We were surprised at the Character breakfast at Disney to find that the automatically added 18% to the bill, regardless of how many we're in the party. My son and I had a argument as to whether we should still leave a tip. I didn't, especially when it was self-service anyway. At what amounted to $46 each I thought it was a bit of a rip off anyway. The characters only 4 of them, sent about 2 minutes t each table and that was that. The breakfast was god though, just not worth $46. We go Harbor Hills Country Club often on a Sunday morning and get a great breakfast for about $12 each and in a wonderful setting.

Andrena

[Val]

Sat last night at the bar in Manny's enjoying a nice bourbon and coke waiting for our table. My husband and I remarked at the tips bucket it was just over flowing and that was at 6.30, they must do so well there for tips, just amazing.
Val

[vickk]

Just to put a different slant on my original question. We have now booked a few nights in a hotel on International Drive at the start of our upcomming holiday. The rate includes a full buffet breakfast.

What is the tipping protocol in this situation as I will not be paying a bill at the end of breakfast and most of it will be self service?