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Time To Put On The Red Wig
A friend who lives in New York called me this week to ask me a question. I had him put it in writing, and said I'd poll all of you. Here it is:

Hi Amy,
Recently my girlfriend told me that I was being cheap when I left a 15% tip at a restaurant, and that 20% was now the standard restaurant-tip amount. This is news to me - I thought 15% was the expected amount you tip for good service. So what is the latest - 15% or 20%.....?

Your verdict?

Posted by aalkon at February 27, 2007 1:29 PM

Comments

15% is the bare minimum. If you calculate it to the penny and count out change, you probably appear even more cheap. I usually tip around 18-22%, and tend to round up. A lot of time you see "18% gratuity added for parties of six or more."

My question would be what do you tip the person who gets your take-out?

Posted by: Jon Tyken at February 27, 2007 1:35 AM

I figure 15% and round up to the next dollar.

Posted by: doombuggy at February 27, 2007 2:49 AM

I don't tip the Dunkin' Donuts people. They're paid a wage, for heaven's sake-- not servers' sub-minimum per-hour pay.
Otherwise, 20% and round up. I'm pretty generous when I can be. We just don't dine out much— it is an extreme extravagance for us.

Just having someone else prepare a meal for ME is so outlandish that it make the event a colossal treat. I have a hard time justifying the expense, though.

Posted by: Deirdre B. at February 27, 2007 3:46 AM

Varies from country to country. I tip in the US, but not in the UK, because staff here get paid a wage. But how much of tipping is because of what Jon Tyken implies: to avoid looking cheap?

Posted by: Norman at February 27, 2007 3:48 AM

Depends on the place and the service; at a small Mexican restaurant I eat at frequently, I'll tip $3 for a $9 meal. One buck isn't a big deal, but it may be to them, and I want regular good service here.
Other places, only 20% if the server gave good attentive service. For surly/sub-standard service, 10%, or nothing. I often think of a passage from one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, which went something like 'He didn't leave a tip. He figured that someone who gave service like that, didn't want one."

Posted by: Cat brother at February 27, 2007 5:16 AM

20% for good service, 15% for so-so service. I tip well because I've worked in restaurants and know how much the waitstaff (and the busboys) depend on those tips, since they're often paid less than minimum wage.

Posted by: deja pseu at February 27, 2007 5:48 AM

15% for average service. 20% and round up for great service. I've been known to tip 30% if it is spectacular. I tip really well at the mexican restaurant I frequent. I want them to know it is worth their while to give attentive service. I live in a small town and one of the issues here is about who will and who won't tip. Categorically, blacks in this area are apt to never tip. It became a huge problem recently when a new bar opened. The owner eventually had to add a cover charge on weekend nights just so the cocktail waitresses wouldn't quit. He splits the cover with the waitresses. I was a waitress and bartender during my undergraduate years, and I always tip.

Posted by: kg at February 27, 2007 6:11 AM

Not sure if there is a true rule any more. Every server I have hung around with gets quite animated about it being 20%. The one exception I have heard is that if you are comped you should tip the value of the comp.

All that stuff aside, I usually tip better than 20% if the service is pretty good. Better at the places where I am a regular. I do not fault the server for kitchen problems either.

Exceptions: for some reason there sometimes some bartender or server who decides to be a pain. They get a crap tip while all of their coworkers get great tips.

If I am paying cash and my change is $6.50 the annoying server almost always gives it as a single, a five and change. Was given the "heads up" on that trick by a bartender, so when I get change like that the tip is $1.50.

Note: the low tipping is rare for me and they have to be pretty bad or annoying to get that.

Also note: in Miami if you tip well EVERYBODY speaks English. Also note that in Miami many places add a 15% tip to your bill that you can actually subtract if you like.

Posted by: Guy Montag at February 27, 2007 6:11 AM

In USA 12% if the meal is brought to a table. Nothing if I'm sitting at the bar.


Other people I know say "double the amount of tax".

Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris at February 27, 2007 6:14 AM

12%??!?!!!??? Is "El Inglés" Spanish for "The Dick"?

It's 20% before tax. Period. And remember you are tipping for the entire dining experience, not just service.

Please throw that extra dollar out when figuring out the tip. It's only a dollar to you, it's the difference between a good night and a bad one to your server.

By the way, if you want a pleasant dining experience, never eat out on a Friday or Saturday. It's the equivalent of trying to get somewhere fast in rush hour traffic. Amateur nights.

Posted by: Hasan at February 27, 2007 7:09 AM

It would be immodest to give a schedule, but I will say that tipping is one of my greater pleasures in life. I'm not sure why people don't savor it more.

Posted by: Paul Hrissikopoulos at February 27, 2007 7:53 AM

I don't know about it being one of the greater pleasures in life, but I'm with Paul: It's nice to be nice. It's also tough to be a waitress. I usually leave a minimum of 20 percent.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at February 27, 2007 8:05 AM

Yeah, brain malfunction. "Subtle" was the word I meant to use.

Posted by: Paul Hrissikopoulos at February 27, 2007 8:45 AM

It depends on a)the service and b)how many people I'm with.
When I eat out alone (usually for lunch breaks), I always tip 20% or more, unless the service was truly horrific. And it has to be bad.
When I'm out with friends, and picking up the check, I'm more apt to round up from 15% - unless the service was spectacular.
I almost never leave less than 15%, unless the server was absolutely awful (like the one who answered her cell phone in the middle of taking our order). My best friend is a waitress, and while I don't like the system (how they get less than minimum wage), I know that its their main source of income.
Counter service (like Subway or any place with a cup that says "Tips Please) don't get anything unless they do something really spectacular.

-CornerDemon

Posted by: Cornerdemon at February 27, 2007 8:52 AM

Jeez, like anyone would tell the truth on this one. It all depends on the situation. I recall a time when 5% was considered appropriate, now we've been emotionally extorted to the 15% arbitrary figure. Why not 100%? The real question is why you're dating a bitch, who would critique your generosity? Particularly when it's widely known, that women are the absolute WORST tippers.

Posted by: Casca at February 27, 2007 9:12 AM

I usually leave 20% for decent service, more if the service was truly exceptional. 15% if the service was awful.
True Story: I was in a restaurant one time and had an awesome waitress. The couple next to me kept sending their meals back over and over for stupid reasons and actually said not to expect a tip from them. My meal came to $9.50; I left a $20. I figured she deserved it. They weren't going to leave anything and she was run ragged trying to keep up with all their demands. If they couldn't show common decency, at least I could.

Posted by: SarahBeth at February 27, 2007 9:14 AM

"It's 20% before tax. Period. And remember you are tipping for the entire dining experience, not just service."

This is important to remember in the reverse as well. I've tipped less or nothing when the "entire dining experience" was shitty, even if no fault of the server (long wait for an already-reserved table, poor meal, etc). Some disagree with this, but its the only way to "vote" in these situations.

Otherwise, default is 20%, unless service is mediocre, then 15%.

Posted by: snakeman99 at February 27, 2007 9:17 AM

I am a waitress and I eat out a fair bit, so I have lots of opportunities to witness tipping methods. I wouldn't say that there is a set level or a minimum.

If I am handling a take out order, I don't expect a tip. People who pay with a card almost never tip for us for take out. Those who pay cash may, just because they have change and it's easy to lay down a bill and some coins.

I strongly believe in tipping in accordance to the service. If its slow, you don't see your server for long periods of time, drinks aren't attended to, or if someone is rude or short with you, then I feel it is completely justified to tip around 10%.

I know that I am working a service job and that customers expect a smile and the fastest service possible and that I need to perform to a certain standard if I want a certain amount of money. Luckily serving is my second job because it is stressful and what people tip is the only money you see. Most people are understanding of situations outside of the server's control. But there are also people who don't tip well no matter how great everything was.

Posted by: Esther at February 27, 2007 9:47 AM

> "The Dick"? It's 20% before tax. Period.


Yeah, I get a fair bit of scorn from Americans. It's like water off a duck's back. You can keep your period, I'll stick to my freedom of action. Thanks.


PS. If I were advising your correspondent, I'd tell him that spending money to impress a woman is like sharpening a stick that you're later going to be poked with.

Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris at February 27, 2007 9:58 AM

Ooooo, Stu, you are a wise hound.

Posted by: Casca at February 27, 2007 10:08 AM

Why not 100%?

When visiting Lady’s Interpretive Dance Theaters I frequently tip very well. The helpful announcer frequently reminds all patrons "The ladies work for tips and tips alone."

My rule of thumb is ink == $1; no ink == $5 per song.

Posted by: Guy Montag at February 27, 2007 10:21 AM

Yikes! Guy, I have the girl for you. She has pistols on her belly as if stuck in her waistband, and some huge mural on her back, a veritable Lydia. You remember Lydia:

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
She has eyes that folks adore so,
and a torso even more so.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of Tattoo.
On her back is The Battle of Waterloo.
Beside it, The Wreck of the Hesperus too.
And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

When her robe is unfurled she will show you the world,
if you step up and tell her where.
For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree,
or Washington crossing The Delaware.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?
Lydia The Tattooed Lady.
When her muscles start relaxin',
up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.
Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Queen of them all.
For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,
with a view of Niagara that nobody has.
And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.
You can learn a lot from Lydia!

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Come along and see Buffalo Bill with his lasso.
Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.
Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.
Here's Godiva, but with her pajamas on.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Here is Grover Whelan unveilin' The Trilon.
Over on the west coast we have Treasure Isle-on.
Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rhumba.
Here's her social security numba.

La-la-la...la-la-la.
La-la-la...la-la-la.

Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.
Oh Lydia The Champ of them all.
She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.
The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.
And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,
for he went and married Lydia!

I don't discriminate. They all get a dollar.

Posted by: Casca at February 27, 2007 10:52 AM

Ooops, my bad. I'm of the same opinion. I've never seen a tat, that added beauty to a woman.

Posted by: Casca at February 27, 2007 11:46 AM

I love that song. One woman looked good with a tattoo- Nastassia Kinski in Town and Country. She was sitting on a bed naked, back to the camera, playing the cello, with the f-holes of the cello (look it up if you don't believe me, that's what they are called) tattooed on her back. Sooooo yummy.

Posted by: eric at February 27, 2007 12:59 PM

Over at Chowhound a few years ago, they had a discussion of this that got pretty rowdy.

People will go to amazing lengths to stiff their server (sounds like a game out of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"). "They should be paid more." Calculating the tip against the bill minus tax; minus alcohol; etc. Funny thing is, the customer is "saving" a relatively small amount of money while being an ass.

I remember one person whining that, after a humongous meal, he didn't have enough money left over for a reasonable tip. My response, that he should have ordered less, got spiked by the mods.

As much as I'm cowed by servers who make more money than I do, which isn't difficult, I've dated too many former waitresses to try to under-tip, and 20% is an easy amount to figure. For a smaller order, say coffee and a danish, I'll tip a buck. Sometimes when somebody else is ostensibly picking up the check and under-tips, I'll add a bit to what they left.

What the hell; makes me feel like a big spender.

Posted by: TE at February 27, 2007 1:05 PM

When I sit down, you start at 15%. You have to do something good or bad to deviate up or down.

If the kithchen is slow I won't punish you for it, but you must tell me so BEFORE I've waited 45 minutes for my appetizer. Managing my expectations goes a long way to making me happy. I know mistakes and problems happen - okay, but let me know goddamnit!

I NEVER tip on tax!

If I'm splurging that night on an expensive bottle of wine, you're just not making a straight percentage on it. I get that this is not necessarily logical, but you're still not gonna make twice the tip because I'm splurging on the wine.

At a bar - $1 per drink, or 15% if I pay when finished.

Sandwich guy gets nothing from me. Takeout people get a couple dollars.

Most I've ever tipped on a pricey($$$) meal- 40% to a server who was totally freakin' awesome with great recomendations on the food and wine. Of course the least is 0% on awful service. And I made sure to tell the manager that I was leaving zero and why.


P.S. I don't care what your name is.

P.P.S. I always say "please" and "thank you"

Posted by: Scott at February 27, 2007 3:36 PM

My 20% above is 20% AFTER tax. Minimum. Waitressing can be a sucky job. If you leave somebody an extra few dollars, they feel great, and what did it cost you? Same goes for tipping at Starbucks and coffeehouses.

PS I don't get expensive haircuts because I know you don't have to pay $75 and up for a good or great haircut. I scope out the best person at Fantastic Sam's or Supercuts, and then, on top of the $16 or $18 for the cut, I give them $10. I figure they're giving me a great cut for a bargain price -- I should tip more according to the quality of the cut (without totally overdoing it). And it's not why I do it, but let's just say I always get SPECTACULAR service at the hairdresser.

Beyond tipping, just being friendly and appreciative with salespeople and waitresses and counter people at coffee places, you get a whole different level of service. Again, it's ugly if you do it as some sort of bribe, rather than out of a fondness for civility, but I can't deny it has its perks. Once, at Loehmann's, where the dressing room ladies NEVER leave to get anyone an article of clothing, one of the Russian ladies saw I needed another size. "You wait. I get," she said. The other women trying on clothes were shocked. I was pretty surprised myself -- but I guess it's what I got for always saying hello and goodbye, and thanking them when I left the dressing room.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at February 27, 2007 4:06 PM

I usually take the total (after tax) divide by five, then round up to the nearest dollar.

I'll add a dollar or two if the server is a hot woman (yes I'm a pig).

I'll add another dollar or two if she flirted (yes I'm easily flattered).

Sullenness will get a dollar or two subtracted from that divide by five rule.

I don't punish the waitstaff for bad food, I just won't return, but bad attitudes, even when busy, aren't called for.

Posted by: XWL at February 27, 2007 6:12 PM

My 20% above is 20% AFTER tax. Minimum. Waitressing can be a sucky job. If you leave somebody an extra few dollars, they feel great, and what did it cost you? Same goes for tipping at Starbucks and coffeehouses.

PS I don't get expensive haircuts because I know you don't have to pay $75 and up for a good or great haircut. I scope out the best person at Fantastic Sam's or Supercuts, and then, on top of the $16 or $18 for the cut, I give them $10. I figure they're giving me a great cut for a bargain price -- I should tip more according to the quality of the cut (without totally overdoing it). And it's not why I do it, but let's just say I always get SPECTACULAR service at the hairdresser.

Beyond tipping, just being friendly and appreciative with salespeople and waitresses and counter people at coffee places, you get a whole different level of service. Again, it's ugly if you do it as some sort of bribe, rather than out of a fondness for civility, but I can't deny it has its perks. Once, at Loehmann's, where the dressing room ladies NEVER leave to get anyone an article of clothing, one of the Russian ladies saw I needed another size. "You wait. I get," she said. The other women trying on clothes were shocked. I was pretty surprised myself -- but I guess it's what I got for always saying hello and goodbye, and thanking them when I left the dressing room.

I am right there with you, other than the dressing room experience. For some reason the guys at Nordstrom do not have to be spokent to at all to follow a guy back to the dressing room and get ever increasing pants sizes.

I start my tip calculation after tax like you. Tonight my bill was $20 and I tipped $6.00.

At Sterbucks I tip some change when I pay cash. Nothing on a credit card. Same at Chipotle.

The Hair Cuttery I used to go to was the same one as Secretary Rumsfeld used, but we had different haircutters. I usually tipped them $5 on about a $16 haircut. I go to a real barber shop now and that is about the only place where I will tip the owner. About the same amount as Hair Cuttery.
I hope you gave the person who cut your 'blog picture do $100. Very hot!

Posted by: Guy Montag at February 27, 2007 6:23 PM

Take a tax of 8%, and a moderately-expensive (cheap if you're S. Irene Virbila) meal of $100, minus tax.

The difference between 25% of $100 and 20% of $108 is marginal, and you get to be Daddy Warbucks for an evening, rather than somebody who cheaped out by saving well under what the valet parking bill will be.

Worth it, sez I.

Posted by: TE at February 27, 2007 7:34 PM

That's 20% of $100. Sorry.

Posted by: TE at February 27, 2007 7:35 PM

Stu, you are aware that waitstaff get paid significantly below minimum wage, but get taxed based on the assumption that they're getting tipped at a certain level - which is definitely higher than 12%? So, by being a miser, you're causing waitstaff who have done a perfectly decent job to be taxed at a higher rate than their actual pay warrants? Gee, how daring of you.

I have dated men who have refused to let me pay for a meal, despite my many offers, I have dated men who split everything down to the penny, and I have dated many in between. I've dated those who could barely afford to go out for a burger, and those who thought nothing of having steak dinners or sushi every night. As long as the guy in question isn't trying to bilk me out of my life savings to support his three kids in Reno and two in Miami, money is not a priority. But I don't continue to date guys who tip poorly for decent service. I don't consider that a money thing - I consider that a basic human consideration thing. If someone is willing to stiff a waiter or waitress in order to save a buck, he's likely to show that same lack of consideration to me down the line. I consider it a canary-in-the-coal-mine thing that just happens to involve money.

Posted by: marion at February 27, 2007 7:42 PM

I was raised on giving 15%, so 15% is, by default, what I give. But, duh, it's not like I sit there and calculate the tip down to the penny and then go rooting for my purse insisting that I have to put down exact change or nothing at all. In the end, I round up to a dollar amount (even if the change is as low as one cent). "What can it hurt?" I figure.

It goes without saying that better service means a better tip. I can't think of anyone whose wallet is so tight that they wouldn't plop down an extra dollar or two for a truly outstanding meal. If we give out Academy Awards for people who fake enthusiasm, a spare Washington or two can't hurt for the actors and actresses at the restaurant.

Posted by: Jean at February 27, 2007 7:45 PM

I haven't tipped a server 15% since I was in junior high and had exactly $10 to cover lunch at Baker's Square. (Relax, this was a while ago.)


1. I often eat out by myself. (See David Mamet's "Writing in Restaurants." He's onto something.) My tab is much less than a bigger party would spend, but I still require regular attention from my server.


2. I eat at the same places over and over.


3. When I do eat out with my husband, his food allergies require attentive service from the waitperson and kitchen. Successfully feeding him without making him sick is an automatic 25-30% tip. Making him sick is an automatic "we're never coming back here again." Also, I'll probably say something polite but firm to the manager about the kitchen's failure to adhere to some much-discussed guidelines. (Which, btw, are TWO ways of voting on your dining experience that don't involve stiffing your waiter.) Posting a scathing review on Chowhound or Citysearch is yet another.


4. I decided some years ago, when I was on a breakfast kick, that I would never tip less than $3 on table service ever again, even if my tab was only $8-10. Just because french toast is cheap doesn't mean it took any less energy to bring it to me while warm.


5. I don't eat in crappy restaurants. Seriously. I don't. (I have in the past, of course. But not for years now.) So there's no reason for me to contemplate "punishing" my server, because there's never anything to punish.

Posted by: harriet at February 27, 2007 11:36 PM

So, WHY are waiting staff not paid a wage like everyone else? Don't they do a job? It's clear that tipping is a hot topic of discussion - but what a waste of time! The restaurant already charges for service - otherwise you'd be paying just the cost of ingredients - so why is tipping necessary? If it's such a good idea why don't you tip everybody? Even if you go to the supermarket, there's service involved at the checkout. The only excuse for not tipping wold be when it's a machine, like when you get cash from an ATM. (Do you tip bank tellers?)


And before you jump on the wrong and of the bandwagon, I'm not objecting to paying for service - I just think tipping is a stupid way of doing it. As evidence, this entire thread.

Posted by: Norman at February 27, 2007 11:50 PM

Yeah. I try to tip well, for all the reasons above, but tipping sucks. I'd think that waiters would rather just have a decent wage and know how much they're going to get paid every week instead of being at the mercy of assholes like "Stu."

In most jobs, in fact in almost any financial transaction, the terms are agreed upon beforehand. Waiting is the only job where you do the job first, then someone decides whether or not to pay you. I can't imagine Amy writing an article for someone, having them print it, and then sending her what they think it was worth... (yes, writers work on spec, but if the publisher doesn't pay for it, they don't get to publish it.)

Posted by: Jon Tyken at February 28, 2007 2:33 AM

"The restaurant already charges for service - otherwise you'd be paying just the cost of ingredients - so why is tipping necessary?"

Because, as I said above, waitstaff are paid less than the minimum wage - about half, if I remember correctly - but are TAXED on the assumption that tips will compensate for this. The restaurant does *not* charge you the *full* price for your service. Tips are expected to close the gap. (And you'd be paying more than the cost of your ingredients anyway. Restaurants have a lot of fixed costs AND they generally like to make a profit.)

Think it's a stupid system? I can sympathize with that. Agitate for change. Write your congressperson. Go protest. But "fighting the man" by undertipping waitstaff just because and thus depriving them of their full compensation is asinine - you're hurting the most vulnerable people in this equation. I have no objection to undertipping because of bad service coupled with an unfriendly attitude - bad servers should be driven out of the field. But trying to make philosophical arguments for underpaying people who spend all day on their feet trying to give you a pleasant dining experience doesn't make you a deep thinker - it just makes you cheap at the expense of others.

Posted by: marion at February 28, 2007 5:27 AM

I haven't had a congressbeing since, oh, about 1776. (Perhaps it all started with tipping tea into Boston harbour?) Relax: when I'm in the US I tip with the best of them.


waitstaff are paid less than the minimum wage - so in what sense is it a "minimum wage?" We have a minimum wage in the UK. Several, in fact, depending what age you are. But the point is surely that it is a minimum?

Posted by: Norman at February 28, 2007 5:54 AM

Scenes from American Life, #307: "I'm breaking up with you because you don't tip enough". That's really hilarious. Pure Woody Allen.

Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris at February 28, 2007 6:48 AM

No, you misunderstand. It is not breaking up with you because you don't tip enough, it is breaking up because you are a cheap, inconsiderate asswipe. Documentary: Assholes around the world: Narrated by Stu "El Ingles" Harris.

Posted by: kg at February 28, 2007 7:07 AM

I'm with Harriet.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at February 28, 2007 7:38 AM

I usually tip around 20%. If the waiter is cute, I'll throw in a complementary blow job in the staff bathroom as well.

Posted by: Lena at February 28, 2007 8:05 AM

This is getting a little hard to swallow. (ahem)

Why does the voice of Richard Pryor keep going through my head, when he said to the audience "you some lyin' motherfuckers out there."

Posted by: eric at February 28, 2007 8:40 AM

Eric, I just love it when you support your assertions by quoting renowned crack addicts.

Posted by: Lena at February 28, 2007 10:00 AM

I'll venture a guess that I make a lot less than most, being a college student working part-time. I tip 20% of the total, standard. If the service is exceptionally awful, I tip nothing. If the service is terrific, I tip more generously. And of course, I tip my bartenders $2 or $3 dollars a drink. Don't stiff the people in charge of your alcohol.

Posted by: Christina at February 28, 2007 12:13 PM

Here's the saddest thing of all: I tip BETTER for truly awful service, because I can't bring myself to stiff a waitress--it seems like in that case, she'll congratulate herself for realizing ahead of time I'd be a bad tipper (women always get that rap). So I'm making a point about how she's some kind of asshole by . . . rewarding her for being an asshole. Also: minimum, 20 percent. And yes, I've declined to see people again if they were bad tippers. On one blind date (out with mutual friends), the guy tipped a quarter for a round of four beers. And he worked in a bar! I was horrified, but snuck back and gave the guy a five.

Posted by: rebecca at February 28, 2007 2:14 PM

> renowned crack addicts.

That particular crack addict deserve a hearing no matter what.

Posted by: Crid at February 28, 2007 5:02 PM

Norman: In the U.S., the federally mandated floor for the minimum wage is $5.15 an hour. Some cities choose to increase that; none can decrease that. But the minimum required hourly wage for waitstaff is $2.13 per hour. Tips are supposed to make up the rest, and the Internal Revenue Service taxes them based on that assumption. Theoretically, restaurant owners are supposed to make up any shortfalls between what waitstaff actually get paid and the minimum wage, if the latter is higher...but, based on what I know about the operations of restaurants, I would confidently assert that this rule is honored more in the breach than in reality.

Posted by: marion at February 28, 2007 8:04 PM

Thanks Marion. I think the UK system is a little simpler - the minimum applies to all jobs, but anyone - not just waiters - who gets tips is supposed to declare them on their tax return. (It's box 1.9 on the Employment page E1 in case you need to know.) I don't have personal experience of the system, so I don't know if waiters are assumed to have tips. I have the tax documents in front of me and don't see any sign of such a thing. Of course many waiters just pocket their tips.

Posted by: Norman at February 28, 2007 11:49 PM

Norman,

Well, yes and no about just pocketing tips. When I was a waitress and bartender (many moons ago), ten percent of our total sales for each evening was applied as earnings. Most decent servers made more than ten percent tips of total sales, but there is the occasional shitty night. Also, if a server miscalculates and gives back wrong change shorting his or her own bank, that server pays for the screw up (and it should be this way); however, it would not change the ten percent application. I am not sure if this is still done today, but I would venture to guess that it is.

Posted by: kg at March 1, 2007 7:20 AM

I can't believe some of the comments written by the readers. I just hope you spend more time at your computer instead of out dining. Before I begin NO I am not a server.

Wait staff is one of the only jobs that employers do not have to pay minimum wage for because wait staff declare their tips and so it is assumed that people will tip appropriately. I have heard of wait staff making anywhere from $2.50 per hour to $6.50 per hour. Here is what the department of labor said...

"In May 2004, median hourly earnings (including tips) of waiters and waitresses were $6.75. The middle 50 percent earned between $6.04 and $8.34. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $5.60, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $11.27 an hour. For most waiters and waitresses, higher earnings are primarily the result of receiving more in tips rather than higher hourly wages. Tips usually average between 10 and 20 percent of guests’ checks; waiters and waitresses working in busy, expensive restaurants earn the most."

At most restaurants wait staff has to also tip out bartenders, hostess, bussers, and sometimes the dishwasher or other "behind the scenes" team members.

One thing to keep in mind is that in most foreign countries you do not have to pay a tip, and in those countries it is a much more respected profession.

You can see where I am going... If something happens with the food it is not their fault. Ask to talk to the manager and request that whatever wasn't to your liking be taken off the bill. A good tipper always pays on the amount before the item is taken off.

20% means that you are a savvy diner. 15% means that they were assholes. 10% means that you haven't been out to eat since 1985. For the comment about the tax, PLEASE.

For a quick math refresher...take the decimal point of the final bill and move it over one place to the left. Now you have what 10% of the bill is, DOUBLE IT. Add and subtract slightly from their depending on the service you received.

Posted by: Tara at March 4, 2007 9:33 PM

I'm with you, Tara. 20% is the bare minimum. And only closet cheapskates blame the waiter for the food. And you bring up a good point: If ever you get a discounted meal, you should tip on the full price of the meal. Additionally, I take into account that I don't drink very much when tipping at the bar, and leave more. Lena, who is off the sauce, and sits and has a Pellegrino, tips wildly, too. It isn't the bartender's fault you're not an alcoholic, and his landlord won't take a letter about how abstemious you are in lieu of rent.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at March 4, 2007 10:14 PM

Amy
"Yes you should tip 15% at least."
Are you that NIEVE?

Have you EVER heard of "PRESSING A WRONG BUTTON?" Have you EVER heard of "FORGETTING TO PUT AN ORDER IN?"

YES, that's happened to MY HUSBAND AND I. Forgetting to put an appetizer in has happened to us once, which we waited literally a half an hour for an appetizer, which is JUST as long as a entree order should take there abouts 25-35 minutes average wait for an normal entree(not including something well done.) We've also had ***SEVERAL*** instances where the **********SERVER*********** just PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON, THEREFORE, THEY **ADMITTED** THEY DID! SO HOW THE HELL CAN THAT BE THE "COOK'S" FAULT? IT CAN'T BY ANY MEANS! COOKS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO COOK, THEREFORE, EITHER NO FOOD OR THE WRONG FOOD CAME OUT. THE TIP SHOULD REFLECT WHAT *********THE SERVER*********** DID! THE COOK HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE ISSUES, NOTHING! IT'S THE TRUTH!

Also, cold food, I've had a server I SAW LITERALLY chit chatting with one of her customers, therefore got a ZERO for my order not being correctly being brought to me. If I would have saw her busting butt, that's different, but considering she had the TIME to CHIT CHAT, she SURE THE HELL HAD TIME to get my order correct, didn't she? It was plain obvious she was FLIRTING with the guy after more than at least 5 minutes talking to just him and the way she acted and NEVER APOLOGIED(OF COURSE).

I tip for people who actually WORK for their money, NOT PLAY MAKING MY SERVICE BAD. If you think for one second that a server is NEVER responsible for wrong food or cold food, you are TRULY 100% STUPID!

YOU SAY: "If ever you get a discounted meal, you should tip on the full price of the meal."

ONLY if it's ***NOT*** YOUR server's fault. If it IS, WHY THE HELL SHOULD SOMEONE PAY SOMEONE WELL TO PRESS A WRONG BUTTON OR "FORGET" THINGS OR PLAY AROUND? One time at Chili's, a waitress went to greet another table instead of putting my white russian order in to get her HAND KISSED by 4 guys. F*** HER TIP, HER TIP WENT TO AROUND 5%! YOU SHOW ME YOU ARE WILLING TO DO ******YOUR JOB***************, THEN I WILL TIP YOU, OTHERWISE, WTF DO YOU THINK YOU DESERVE FOR *******F*** FLIRTING ON THE JOB? 10% EVEN? F** THAT! TREAT OTHERS AS YOU'D LIKE TO BE TREATED!

YOU SAID: "Additionally, I take into account that I don't drink very much when tipping at the bar, and leave more."

If you leave ANYTHING for a beer that's in a bottle you are being VERY, VERY, VERY, UNFAIR to the people at McDonald's that put ice and drink in a cup for NO TIP! So unless they MAKE a mixed drink, ONLY THEN DO bartender's deserve a tip.

Posted by: Springs1 at March 9, 2007 9:17 PM

Are you that NIEVE?

Is spell-check, for you, a form of tipping? The word is "naive." As I wrote above, I tip 20% minimum.

You're psycho. And totally stingy. They probably see you from afar, angrily clutching your wallet as if to hang onto your last dime. It's no wonder you get bad service.

Furthermore, I don't drink beer, but if I did, I'd still leave a very generous tip. Since I don't drink much, and bartender's wages are based on tips, I'd give him 20% or more.

As for McDonald's, I don't really go to McDonald's (if we get it, we're in a drive-through or my boyfriend picks it up) but I always tip at Starbucks.

So...what would happen if you squeeze a couple extra coins out of your ass? Would you explode?


Posted by: Amy Alkon at March 10, 2007 5:32 AM

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