Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Well, I guess I'm a good tipper after all!
This was an article that was in my local paper the other day.
http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/...ip020807.shtml
What I found interesting here was how many of the servers in the article mentioned how much variation there was in the tips they got depending on the clientele, the restauraunt, the day or shift that it was, etc. I also found out that the average tip around here is only 10%, compared to the standard of 15%. (Don't worry, I'll keep dropping my 1/6th).
I'm just curious from those of you who worked as waitstaff/bartending, or another profession where gratuities are common, if you noticed any varience depending on the who, what, when, or where?
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Absolutely. I waitressed at a waitress in a small town for awhile. I could guarantee that the elderly couple that came in would only tip me a buck, if I was lucky some change too. During the day shift, with the older crowd, I made less money. When we had high school sports teams, I typically got tipped decent, but in mountains of change. Weekend tipping seemed to be better than weekdays, and nights were better than lunches. Course, it all depends on where you work.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sxybrat07
Absolutely. I waitressed at a waitress in a small town for awhile. I could guarantee that the elderly couple that came in would only tip me a buck, if I was lucky some change too. During the day shift, with the older crowd, I made less money. When we had high school sports teams, I typically got tipped decent, but in mountains of change. Weekend tipping seemed to be better than weekdays, and nights were better than lunches. Course, it all depends on where you work.
Nice Yahoo group sxybrat
Sorry to digress
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
OMG, the elderly! >.<
My first job was at a family restaurant frequented by old folks... lots of elderly men would come there for every meal because they'd never had to cook or feed themselves. Sometimes they wouldn't even be able to choose their own food because they'd spent their whole lives just eating whatever a woman put down in front of them! So now that their wives were dead, they'd come to the restaurant and say, "Oh, just bring me whatever looks good to you."
They'd flirt, they'd ask tons of personal questions, they'd try to touch me all the time, they'd critique my figure, they'd tell me I'd look so much prettier if I'd let down my hair (tell it to the Health Department, gramps)... and after all that, they'd tip me fifty cents. FIFTY FUCKIN' CENTS - and they'd wink and tell me I was getting a whole extra quarter because I was so cute. My wage was $2.13/hour. I'm so glad my parents kept a roof over my head and fed me while I worked there (I was 15). I damn sure couldn't have made a living off those old farts.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
I waited table for about 6 months after I graduated from college while I was looking for a job...it was a small sandwich shop/ice cream place in Ft Lauderdale. Tourists were great tippers...the old people were bad tippers but I usually was ok with it because some of them were on limited incomes. However, the old people in Cadillacs that would come in and tip a buck on a 30 dollar meal would piss me the hell off.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
My grandma once said to me, "I tip $1, normally... $2 if they're really good!!!"
D:
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
I have friends who wait tables and what I hear a lot is that european people are the ones who don't tip because in Europe it's not done and they don't understand. Most of the people I've known have worked in more upscale restaurants and I think more of their customers tip well than at a Denny's or whatever, but I know they still get stiffed sometimes. Also though, I have a friend who will sometimes get 50% tips or more if the people really like him.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
In European countries, you don't tip, your friend is right. Why should we when wait staff get paid $20-$30 per hour? Most Europeans (you can even see mermaid get confused in another thread) don't know that American min. wage is so shit you MUST tip or they make squat.
Kinda like how I went to Australia and didn't realize it wouldn't be 9-1-1.... when you travel you just don't realize that some basic things you grew up with are completely different.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Ugh, the elderly!!!
30-50 yo men have always tipped me best::)
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Oh oh....the other shitty tippers...FRENCH CANADIANS.
And they come to Florida in DROVES in the summer. UGH. Hated waiting on them.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
That was an interesting article.
I used to waitress and senior citizens actually used to tip me pretty well. I got tipped the best by people eating alone, elderly men and women, and men age 35 and up. Moms taking their kids out to eat usually made the biggest mess and tipped me the least.
When I go out to eat, I usually tip 15-20%. I tip over 20% if the service is really good. I have only tipped under 15% a few times-when the server is either rude or really slow with the food and drinks with no explanation or apology.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
I was a cocktial waitress at a casino. I agree with everyone else, the elderly are very bad tippers, however, they are the most consistant tippers also. They may only tip 50 cents per drink, but you can gaurentee they will ALWAYS tip that 50 cents. If they happen to be out of change, they will not order a drink.
Aside from that, the who what where and when I can't really notice much consistancy. They people who play in high limit slots may tip me $20 for one drink, or they may not tip at all. Rich people can either be very greedy or very generous.
I can say that in the normal penny slots, $1 is very common, as well as loose change. I cant tell you how many times I have been tipped all the change is someones pocket. When I started waitressing, that pissed me off to get change. Then I started saving that change and cashign it in once a month, and I wasnt so pissed anymore. A couple hundred dollars in loose change every month isnt so bad.
Table games usually tip much better than slot machines. You can expect an average tip of a $5 chip at a table, with the occational 1-2 dollar tip, and the occational $25 chip tip. High limit table games always tipthe best.
As for my own tipping in a restraunt, it depends a lot of the service I get. I am always a good tipper, 20% is my norm, however, if I am very happy with the service, I will tip extra. An example of this was just yesterday, my boyfriend and i decided to find a small dinner outside of Vegas to have breakfast. Our meal came to $20. the waitress was older, and very sweet. She was just so friendly and nice, she got a $15 tip on that $20 meal. Just because she was so nice to us, and I wanted to make her day. I knew at that small dinner she didnt make much for tips, and I wnated to make her smile all day. And Im sure she did. She was soo happy, and I like making people happy like that. I also know that with young people, a cheap tip is usually expected, and i like to break that expectation. At a casino, for my drinks, I always tip $5 for a drink. If Im winning, maybe $10 if the waitress is quick.
As for different nationalities, I cant say there is a tipping standard for different nationalities. If they have never been to Vegas before, generally they will tip a consistant $1, and that is because they have nto been here before, and are very concerned with American customs, and have heard or read that it is customary to tip $1 for a drink, so they are usually pretty consistant with that.
Asians are big gamblers, espicially Baccarat, but I dont notice a particular consistancy with tipping, some are very very good, some aren't.
Celebrities are another one that can be hit or miss, although I have not had a good tip from a celebrity yet, I suppose someday it could happen. I think they assume since everything is comped, they don't gotta tip. I have waited on pretty much all the celebrities, and have never recieved a nice tip. Which kinda maks me mad, when they order bottle after bottle of Cristal and then give ya $20.
Celebrties also expect they get special treatment without needing to compensate for it. For example, one particular old washed up rock singer and 30 of his friends NOT gambling ask me for drinks. Im not allowed to serve peopel if they arent gambling, but of course, sicne its a celebrity and they get whatever they want, I was told to go ahead and give them whatever that want. After serving 30 drinks to them, I get a few wadded up dollar bills. The rest of the night, I avioded that area.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
I leave 20% on a $30 check and above. Under $30, I always leave at least a $5. It the service sucks, I leave 10% and a note explaining why. If the food takes forever or isn't that good, but the waitperson makes up for it in personality or otherwise, I still leave 20%.
If I know the person or the service was just outstanding, I will of course leave much more. I've waitressed most of my life and I feel that what goes around comes around.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mr Hyde
Nice Yahoo group sxybrat
Sorry to digress
Thanks :D
Kaylinn...Damn I feel cheap now! I only ever tip a buck per drink at the tables, maybe 2 :-[ I'll make sure to tip better from now on, damn I hate it when I'm cheap and don't realize it.
I forgot to add, I waited tables in Nevada, but now live in Utah. I feel REALLY bad for the waitresses here. In NV I got min. wage plus tips. Here, they get 2.13 plus tips, and unfortunately a large portion of the mormon population has the theory that "if 10% is good enough for the lord, it's good enough for my waitress" (the amount they're supposed to pay in tithing ::) ) Frustrating ass all fuck, especially when you know they have money.
Re: Another thread on tipping etiquette.
My restaurant tipping baseline is 20%. I'll usually go over that slightly if it was a nice meal. I rarely go under it, and I don't hold the food quality against the waiter/waitress (well, unless it was their fault that the food sucked, like they got the order wrong or something).