I don't agree with that at all Rob. If I'm eating at a place where the resturant adds a tip to my bill automatically, I will demand it be removed from the bill and I will never eat there again.

I do, however, believe in rewarding good service with a generous tip. Anytime my bill is under $20 I leave a 40-50% tip, and bills $20 and over get a $30% tip for great service. In addition, anytime a server leaves something off the bill I should have been charged for, they get that from me in my tip. That's for good service, however.

If the service is poor, I give substantially smaller tips, and have no problem not leaving any tip at all.

I believe when you tip well for poor service, it leads to more poor service.

I would love to know where genamom serves because after reading her post, I'm intrigued to experience her service, lol.

Some people will always only think of themselves.

This is why I always make it a point to tip, at the very least, 18%. And that is only for crappy service. Even for half-way decent service I tip 20%. Very little difference to me. One or two bucks. Huge difference to the server. Plus, it's easier to calculate.

18-20% is our American cultural standard tip now whether you like it or not. If you want to pay for European service, go to Europe.

Rob DeFrees

In my salad days, MOI worked as a waiter in one of the finest French Restaurants in San Francisco. It was the dark ages of restaurant employees and pay. MOI received but .75 per hour, so MOI was really working for tips. Having slung hash, MOI feels capable of sounding off on this post.

MOI is tight with a quid, and very European in attitude about tips. Dining in a fine restaurant allows the establishment to add a tip, is part of what one expects for having a fine dining experience. Outside of that, no one really expects massive amount of cash left on table. Not even to tip the bartender at local pub.

To wait on table is a noble profession, and there are folks in Europe who aspire to no higher calling. Sadly, folks in America expect to strike it rich when they serve food. For the most part they do not even know what proper service is.

The lovely lady who started this post needs to get a new job. Talk about 'great expectations', she sounds like a shark waiting to attack if she does not get what she feels she deserves.

Oh, MOI never, never, ever, leaves 20%. Lucky to get 8%. Do tell where you work as MOI would not want to dine there.

People are going to leave crappy tips. It is human nature. If you can't get over being stiffed every once an while then get a job that doesn't rely on tips.

I can say that I have been a waiter. Once and that was it for me. Some people are just going to treat you like a servant they can talk down to and then leave you 5%. It is their right as the customer to be a jerk. You are a rent a servant, sorry.

Hey I've been there. It sucks, some waiters/waitresses are awesome and usually get tons of cash. But even those people get stiffed.

Look on the bright side you probably don't report all you're cash tips to the IRS anyway. So that helps make up for it.

In the heat of things, one shitty tip after another brings your attitude way down. but all it takes to pick it up is one decent tip.

15% is standard. plain and simple. welcome to american dining culture. it's what nascar used to call a gentleman's agreement. nope, it's not a rule. but it is expected that you play that way. expect to pay it or don't expect service. give above for extra service. if you can't afford it, eat at mcdonald's.

did a snarky attitude ruin your meal? was your night ruined? did you really care after you left? did you cry when you got home? was it the cause of your need for medical care? honestly.

yes, things have gotten bad these days. all i ask for now is for someone to speak to me when they help me. from grocery clerks to servers. but those that make a living in service are counting on 15% from us. personally, i like to spread cheer and a few bucks rather than make a vain attempt to teach someone a lesson.

I think I may be treading on thin ice with what I'm about to say, but hear me out first...

My friends and I dine out at least once a week, and when we get good service, we reward it--generously. But, my question is this: Why am I REQUIRED to tip 15% REGARDLESS? That's madness! No way am I going to reward crappy (for lack of a better word)service. Now, I understand that there are several factors that will lead to, say, slow service: crowded restaurant, lack of help, etc, but when a server has a bad attitude or acts like it's a big chore to get something for the table, you can't tell me that I should leave 15% which, depending on the occasion, can be a substantial amount.

I guess it also depends on what your understanding of the words tip and gratuity are. Is it something that is required, or something extra? If we want to get technical, the dictionary defines gratuity as, "a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop...something given without claim or demand."

I see 15% or so as the amount for average service. Nothing spectacular, nothing horrific--our needs were met adequately. Anything above that gets more, anything below that--well, then we have a problem. Now, I know a lot of the servers out there will probably be quick to call me cheap or to jump down my throat about this, but think about it. How can someone with a snarky attitude expect to rake in the giant tips?

Now, I can say that I've had excellent service a lot more frequently than bad, so this doesn't come up too often which is good because it's easier to figure out 20%-25% anyway. ;-)

Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

Fresnans are cheap...

yep... they put the word 'fty,' in thrifty... (okay, it's not a word, but the other word: 'if,' is truly not in the picture... it's not an 'if,' it's a 'oh-yessiree-do-bob.'...cheap,,, cheap,,,cheap,,, like a box of little yeller chickies...')

My younger brother and sister have all done gigs as waiter/waitress, and I've been a pizza driver. (Not here, back east in like, 5 different states...)
Here? we'd freakin' starve.

A good waitress/waiter totally can make or break your night,

---and I've even recently gone out with some (former,) friends
---who were all about peace, love, equality, and all that fair-trade jazz, (...all, I think also accept tips (and look forward to them,) on THEIR gigs... btw...)

---until I went to leave a pretty solid tip (The waitress was spot on, kept the chips and salsa coming, and was right there with the refills and such (as well as the main course,) like a surgery nurse... (besides) I like to leave good tips,)

-and they were all grumping at me like I was 'throwing money around needlessly,'
--(like it was their money...)--

If somebody has done good by you as a server?
throw down some real bucks, and let them know you care.. (a thank you is nice, but some serious fresh lettuce always takes the mystery out of it...)

an overwhelming majority of wait staff and bar staff earn minimum wage. tips are expected. when you go to a restaurant, you are expected to tip your service. and by tipping, i mean at least 15%. but before you plunk that down, consider this: if you can afford to go out to a restaurant, you can afford an extra buck or two. what does one dollar mean to you when you leave that restaurant? for most of us, not much. but for that server, an extra buck here and there makes the night. as a former server and a former bartender, i tip no less than 20%. it's not a huge difference for me. but it can be a huge difference for the staff that take care of me. and here's the kicker. in places that i frequent, i am remembered and get great service. something to think about there folks. your service staff recognize you when you come back. it works both ways. so let the karmic circle of good service and good tipping continue.

we'll never understand how some people seemed to miss out on cultural training and how restaurant service works as they grew up. but there are many. i've had people talk endlessly about how they enjoyed their meal, the service, etc. and gratefully handed me a 5% tip. clearly, they had not paid attention in the sex and check books class we are all required to take in high school.

so just remember, service staff make minimum wage. they need your tips. 15% is expected regardless. if they go above and beyond, and yes, soaking off a wine label is way above and beyond, you need to express your thanks by leaving a better tip.

thanks to all my waitresses and waiters and bartenders. may this PSA help send a couple extra bucks your way.

I understand the up-and-down nature of tips. Tips are an American construct. If you go to Europe, the efficient service is considered part of the cost of your meal/drinks. I wonder if the US establishments that pay low and expect their employees to get tipped will ever get hip to the idea of service as part of the price.