is a 20 percent tip your baseline or the highest possible achievement?

[Anonymous]

25% or the closest round number.

[Anonymous]

Generally 20%. Never more. Sometimes less if service was terrible.

[Anonymous]

Highest possible achievement, although RARELY we go below it. In this country at least.

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I usually tip 17-18%, unless the bill was low (in which case I'll tip more like 20). I rarely go above 20%. I rarely go below 15% even when the service is bad.

[Anonymous]

I usually leave 20%. If they were noticeably bad in some way, 10-15% and above/beyond maybe 25% or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I generally tip 20%, regardless of service. Since service tends to be somewhere between mediocre and bad, here, even at very nice restaurants, I've learned not to be too particular.

+1

+2. Plus it's easier - I'm too mentally lazy to calculate 18% and honestly, I think it looks a little tacky when people pull out their phone calculators to do so.

[Anonymous]

Poor service gets a penny
Average service 15-18%
good service 20%
Great service 22-25%

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. 15% is base and only that because otherwise the market would screw them. 20% if outstanding. I'll do less if service is poor (and this is not kitchen, bar, or whatever - but slinging plates, clearing before everyone is done eating, dropping utensils into people's laps). I think waiters should be paid more by the establishment in which they work and then trained to be professionals. And I don't think professionals should be tipped at all - do you tip your doctor, lawyer, etc?

[Anonymous]

I'm AA. Even if the service is crappy, I have to tip at least 20% to belie the stereotype that black people don't tip.

I usually do 25%if the service is good and 30% if it is stellar or there are other circumstances (like when my DD tripped on her way to the bathroom and tipped over a bottle of red wine at a neighboring table. And yes, we bought that party another bottle though they said not to worry about it.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I give 20% when I feel the service was good. Average gets 18%. Crappy gets 15%. I was a waiter all through college so I don't ever go too low. I guess it would have to be really horrible to get less. Sometimes I will give more than 20% if it is truly exceptional.

That distinction is important for a more expensive dinner, but for a cheaper meal out, I doubt a server would care to provide better service just for 50c.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most I have given is 25% and the least I have given is zilch ...... though this has happened only once.

I don't see why one would tip 15% if the service was not good.

Benefit of the doubt that something outside the server's control was at play.

But there's a lot a server can do to smooth things over, even when not at fault. I don't mean free chow, just things like checking in, explaining there's a delay and apologizing for it, etc.

[Anonymous]

Typically 20%. I'll go as low as 15% for bad service, but that's rare. We frequently tip 25-30% for truly great service. And I never leave less than $5, regardless of how low the bill is. If someone is taking my order, and bringing me a drink with refills and food, they're getting at least $5 for that work.

[Anonymous]

Both. You have to really underwhelm me to get less.

[Anonymous]

Do you tip on pre or post tax?

[Anonymous]

I wish that tips would be included in the menu prices.