Restaurant Tip: Do You Usually Tip on Pre-tax or Post-tax Amount?

[Anonymous]

I work for a mystery shopping company and we are instructed to tip 20% pre tax. Any more than that and we aren't reimbursed.

OF COURSE you tip on alcohol. That's part of the bill. If you got a drink at the bar you would tip, right?

[Anonymous]

If I calculate it pre-tax, I definitely do a full 20%. In the District that is the equivalent of a little over 18% post tax if my math is incorrect. If the service is very good I will tip 20% post tax. PP is correct many many people double the tax to calculate the tip, which would be pretax 20%. Only on this forum would a consistent 18 - 20% tipper be vilified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Post. There is a special spot in hell reserved for stingy tippers.

Agreed. If I'm happy with the service, I look at the total, move the decimal point, multiply by 2, and round up.

As another PP said, if you have a $200 dinner in DC, and you tip 20%. Tax is 10%, so your post-tax amount is $220. If you tip post-tax, your total is $264. If you tip pre-tax, it's $260. Difference of $4 - about 1.5% of the bill.

People who "don't tip on alchohol" are just cheap, and have seized on a flimsy justification for their cheapness. Shame on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for a mystery shopping company and we are instructed to tip 20% pre tax. Any more than that and we aren't reimbursed.

OF COURSE you tip on alcohol. That's part of the bill. If you got a drink at the bar you would tip, right?

That would be terrible if you lost out on $2...I mean that's a small drip coffee at Starbucks and all.

[Anonymous]

post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Post. There is a special spot in hell reserved for stingy tippers.

Just because I go off the pre-tax doesn't mean I am stingy... What if you're tipping 15% post tax?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work for a mystery shopping company and we are instructed to tip 20% pre tax. Any more than that and we aren't reimbursed.

OF COURSE you tip on alcohol. That's part of the bill. If you got a drink at the bar you would tip, right?

That would be terrible if you lost out on $2...I mean that's a small drip coffee at Starbucks and all.

No, you don't get reimbursed, period. But thanks for your oh-so-clever response.

[Anonymous]

OP here. It's proper etiquette to tip pre-tax, which is why I asked. I generally tip on post-tax, because I'm lazy and it's easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work for a mystery shopping company and we are instructed to tip 20% pre tax. Any more than that and we aren't reimbursed.

OF COURSE you tip on alcohol. That's part of the bill. If you got a drink at the bar you would tip, right?

That would be terrible if you lost out on $2...I mean that's a small drip coffee at Starbucks and all.

No, you don't get reimbursed, period. But thanks for your oh-so-clever response.

Yea, I heard you the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Post. There is a special spot in hell reserved for stingy tippers.

Just because I go off the pre-tax doesn't mean I am stingy... What if you're tipping 15% post tax?

You are still stingy, unless you got bad service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Post. There is a special spot in hell reserved for stingy tippers.

Agreed. If I'm happy with the service, I look at the total, move the decimal point, multiply by 2, and round up.

As another PP said, if you have a $200 dinner in DC, and you tip 20%. Tax is 10%, so your post-tax amount is $220. If you tip post-tax, your total is $264. If you tip pre-tax, it's $260. Difference of $4 - about 1.5% of the bill.

People who "don't tip on alchohol" are just cheap, and have seized on a flimsy justification for their cheapness. Shame on them.

So, to recap, you think that people that typically tip 18% post tax should go to hell? Really? You people are CRAZY.

[Anonymous]

In DC, I just double the tax unless the service is terrible, so I guess that is 20% pre-tax.

[Anonymous]

pre-tax, 20% and round up, of course include alcohol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Post. There is a special spot in hell reserved for stingy tippers.

Agreed. If I'm happy with the service, I look at the total, move the decimal point, multiply by 2, and round up.

As another PP said, if you have a $200 dinner in DC, and you tip 20%. Tax is 10%, so your post-tax amount is $220. If you tip post-tax, your total is $264. If you tip pre-tax, it's $260. Difference of $4 - about 1.5% of the bill.

People who "don't tip on alchohol" are just cheap, and have seized on a flimsy justification for their cheapness. Shame on them.

So, to recap, you think that people that typically tip 18% post tax should go to hell? Really? You people are CRAZY.

Not sure where you got that. Please go look up "figure of speech." You also might try "idiom." Then, change the m to a t - that one applies to you.

[Anonymous]

tipping is not mandatory and should only be given if service and food was exceptional.