Do you think we are paying waitresses wages by leaving a large tip

I don't mind leaving a nice tip if the service is exceptional. But let's be honest that is rarely the case these days. Most of these food places are understaffed so the employees are overworked and that shows in the quality of service. Not saying I don't feel bad for them because I do. But it shouldn't be my responsibility to compensate for the poor business practices of the company they work for.

 

It is your responsibility to leave a tip and compensate the workers for their time. It's common knowledge that restaurants do not pay their employees reasonable wages at all. Two wrongs don't make a right. If you have a problem with sit-down restaurants not paying their employees fair wages and leaving it up to you to compensate them for their time and service, then don't patronize such places to begin with. But if you are going to go there and sit in their section and have them wait on you, then you need to compensate them for it.

If you had exceptional service and want to leave even more, above the standard 20%, then by all means, do. But to take up their section knowing you aren't going to leave a tip, when someone else perhaps could have sat there that would have, is just screwing over the server.

 

I also disagree with tipping, as I don't really understand why I am expected to worry about servers' wages and not everyone else's. I don't mind tipping though since the system is already built in a way that does kind of make it very difficult for servers especially in our country. I'd honestly much rather just fight to change laws so owners would take care of their employees better but that would take too much effort and education on the subject so I just tip instead.

 

I make sure to check the receipt first before I give a tip. If the tip is already included in the bill, then I don't see any reason why I should leave another tip. But if it is not included, I always leave a tip. The amount of the tip depends on the quality of their service.

 

I ALWAYS tip. Even if the service isn't super great, I still tip. Not a super great tip, but a tip none the less. I always make sure I have enough money for a decent tip.

 

Tips should be optional, it's a culture thing in the US to expect it but it's not actually illegal to tip is it? I mean if you don't you can't get arrested. You see a price on the menu for an item and that's the price you pay plus tax and then you pay a tip if you feel it was worth it.

Because my US friends are so used to tipping excessively it's changed how I go out. In the UK often with friends we take it in turns to buy dinner or lunch, but in the US when I pay and then the friend tells me me to tip 25% on top, I would rather pay my share and then tip what I want. If they want to tip 25% fine, but not me unless they give me a free drink. Think about it a $100 bill would be $25 tip that is the price of a couple of glasses of wine.

 

It really does not matter to me if I gave large sum of money for tip to the waiter or waitress as long as they gave right, proper and excellent service. It is a form of saying job well done for the good service that they provide.

 

I don't agree with tipping for bad service. If a person is a terrible waitress, but at least is trying to do a good job, then I will tip, but if someone is just being a jerk, then they don't get a tip from me.

For the most part, I don't like to eat at restaurants, but when I do, I expect at least the barest of niceties if you are a server. You don't have to smile at me, you don't have to make small talk, you can even have a scowl on your face for all I care, just be somewhat competent at what you do.

 

I think larger companies who are for a tip are really cheeky especially considering the money probably doesn't really get split fairly. Family run companies where you know the money is just going back into small bonuses at the end of the month is good though!

It does annoy me when they ask for a tip though or it's printed on the bill say it's optional. If I want to leave a tip because I thought it was excellent service then I will on my own behalf I don't want to be told.

 

I think we should pay the tip we consider fair to the service we got. I have had cases I paid more than they asked, and I also had one case I paid no tip at all because service was awful. A tip is a tip, so you should be the one to determine what you want to pay.

 

After working in food service, I definitely realize the struggle of not having balanced wages and I know how much that really bites, especially if you are just trying to go to school and educate yourself. I always tip based on service, though, because if there is someone who just does not want to be there and I can tell whenever they are serving my food, they do not get that good of a tip. However, I have no respect for people who do not tip whenever they go out. That is absolutely low.

 

This is definitely the exact mindset that everyone should have whenever they sit down at a table in a restaurant, no matter where it is at. Even if the service is bad, which, you can complain about to management to an extent, you can still leave a small tip. Just do not walk out of that place without leaving currency on the table.

 

In most eating places, the wait staff is usually paid less then $3 and hour! So yes, I always tip my waiter/waitress. They are required to report this income and pay taxes on it, but I could not even begin to give an educated guess as to how many actually do. And yes, most places understaff the wait staff and they are terribly over worked, they not only take your order, deliver it to your table, keep your drinks refilled but they also usually are responsible for cleaning up that table and any mess you may leave behind,,, be it your mess or your children's messiness. So leave your waiter or waitress a tip.

 

Without tips, you would be paying much higher prices for meals. As it is now, you get to choose how much you are willing to pay, because you choose the amount of the tip. If restaurants paid servers more, it would be reflected in the prices, and I'm sure it would be more than 10 - 20%.

Also, if they did start paying minimum wage, service wouldn't be as good. The mere chance of being able to make more by way of the occasional generous tip, keeps servers on their toes. Go to straight minimum wage and you can expect the type of service you get in a fast food joint, from other minimum wage earners.

 

I always leave a tip, small amount if the waitstaff is downright awful, larger amount if my needs are met. I don't think whose fault it is that their wages are low, I just think it is a decent thing to do. I have seen so many hair stylish person received no tip at all after a haircut, and their face said it all. They do have a family to take care of.

 

Are we paying their wage? Well, yes. If you're unaware the service industry is rarely paid minimum wage (which isn't all that much to begin with). The problem with this is if someone is having a bad day they're not making the amount they need to live on. Paying a reasonable wage to good people you hire should be the standard.

 

Most restaurants pay minimum wages, as a result giving waitress a tip should not be an issue. Afterall, our stomach is sensitive and we ought to be mindful of what goes inside and they are dealing with our meal and cant be compensated for such service in its entirety. Think about if there was ever no restaurant to dine, we all would be in trouble, I said this to say that it is a very valuable service and tip is necessary.

 

A full service restaurant cannot survive if the front of the house gets paid what they are really worth.
A restaurant's mark-up is only 33.3% on the average. That means that whatever they buy gets marked up the one third in order to pay all of the utilities, mortgage, wages, insurance (I had to have 1.5 million just for the outside of the building) workmans comp, unemployment insurance, and half social security for employees, and the beat goes on.
On the average in the U.S., restaurant owners might be able to put five cents from every dollar in their coffers. And, for everyones information, 98% of all restaurants close within their first year of operation because they too did not know what expenses they might face.

If it were not for tips, the employer would have to charge the guests of a full service restaurant a heck of a lot more than what you might leave on the table.
Instead of complaining about tipping, take your date to McDonald's or Popeye's. I am sure the money saving impression you give your next x-friend will be a lasting one.

 

In the UK it is generally left to the customer's discretion whether to leave a tip or not. If the service has been pleasant then I would leave a tip of around 10% of the bill. Serving staff here are paid the same minimum wage as shop workers etc. and we don't tip them so servers get a better deal than shop staff.
If I don't receive good service I don't see why I should reward that in the form of a tip.

 

I am not sure how the tipping works at each resturant. I have a friend who works at Starbucks and he said that for every hour they work they receive $1 extra for tips.

Do most restaurants split the tips between all the waiters or does each waiter keep whatever they make?