No tip? Get out!
By glassvisage
For a tip, I usually leave...
See results without votingSomething on my mind from the other day: I was working in the sushi restaurant as a cashier. I take care of all of the bills, so I know how much people pay and what they tip. Usually customers tip well, often very generously.
However, sometimes I've seen tips of less than $1 come in - even a penny - for adequate service. I know this isn't because they think they did a bad job, because most of those waitresses there have been working in food service for years and are excellent. Besides, who goes to a sushi restaurant for lunch expecting breathtaking service?
I know what it is: some of the customers are just too cheap.
Maybe they should buy their own food and make their meals themselves. There are plenty of snacks and dinners in the frozen aisle of grocery stores that are cheap and easy to prepare; the Lean Cuisines are often on sale, 4 for $10 or so.
When you tip, you're paying the waiters, waitresses, or servers, as well as bussers, cashiers, dishwashers, and anyone else involved in getting your meal out to you, for the work they do. There are people who go back and forth to check if your meal is ready, who cater to your whims, who wash your dishes and clean up after you. It's not a courtesy or helping them out. You're giving them money for doing their job, and if they do it, then give them what they've earned. If you don't have the money, then don't go out to eat, or go to a fast-food restaurant. I've even had people come to the counter, telling me, "The service was horrible!" and then give a reasonable tip.
Sushi is an especially complicated food to not tip for making and serving. Sushi chefs as well as the general kitchen may be involved in the complex and tasty food, and there are still bussers, cashiers, and servers to pay.
Tips are there because the price of waiting on individual people may differ depending on the type of restaurant, the wishes of the customer, and the experience of the server and other employees, so that can't be included in the price of the food. It's like tipping a hotel maid; sometimes they clean better than others, so leave them a tip. Also, if your tattoo artist does a fantastic job, show them your appreciation with a healthy tip.
So tip accordingly. I'm not saying to tip for crappy service, but don't be the stingy guy that the waitresses will remember the next time you come in with only a dollar intended for the giving.
Bad Tippers
Additional resources
- How Much Should I Tip at a Restaurant?
Brief and Straightforward Guide: How Much Should I Tip at a Restaurant? - How to Tip Your Server at a Restaurant - wikiHow
wikiHow article about How to Tip Your Server at a Restaurant. - Restaurant Tipping Guide
Free guide to appropriate tipping at restaurants. - How much to tip at a restaurant
Tipping 15% in restaurants has been standard in American culture for many years. Here's how to determine if you should tip more or less than that standard.
Comments
While I will tip all but sub-par service in the 20% range that has become the new standard, I still bristle at this. It's annoying that tipping is necessary at all. Fair pay would do away with that. I'm also not a big fan of the tips being shared: it undervalues the best workers and overvalues the worst. Also...why is the percentage based on the cost of a meal? Are the workers valued less if I have a salad and take my time with it vs the customer who wolfs down some filet mignon and lobster? The percentage says so.
A forced percentage gratuity on the bill that was shared with the workers is at least more honest and removes the moral (and math) challenge from the customer.
While I understand those who won't tip out of principle (clearly I share many of those principles), it really only hurts the workers, and that just isn't right.
CJ
Based on my experiences, you are very right, Pat.
And I agree, CJ, that it's unfair to split up tips; I never believed in this. And your point about tipping based on the cost of the meal is basically true, although sometimes tip money goes to the kitchen too, and it's harder to make the more expensive meals, generally. And fair pay could be a good solution, but there are definitely better servers than others... fair pay would mean you'd have to work for your wages, and getting paid minimum allows a lot of people to do less work.
Oh heck no, I would never work anywhere where we had to split tips. I bust my butt to give great service, and I would refuse to split them with a lazy cow that isn't smart enough to preconceive that people need ketchup for their fries. =)
I had to split tips at one restaurant.... blah, that was not ideal! The motivation goes down when everyone makes the same amount, regardless of effort.
Nice hub!
Pam Pounds 3 years ago
Your hub hits home with me, glassvisage! My daughter is a server at a restaurant, and comes home with some pretty good horror stories. Typically the ones who leave pennies end up to be the most demanding and rude, and with the largest parties! Thanks to her, I am now a very generous tipper! Thanks for the hub - very useful!