Why is tipping based on $ amount and not per service?

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is much easier, but if you think about it, it doesn't make sense.

If I order a $30 steak, my tip will be about $5. If I order a $10 plate of pasta, my tip will be about $2. The waitstaff amkes the same effort to carry the plate to my table - so why tip more just because of the meal cost?

If I go out to $100 dinner and order an appetizer, meal, dessert, coffee, linger over the meal, ask for several refills, etc, I would assume to tip more than if I just showed up, ordered a $100 meal that consisted of just an app and entree and leave immediately.

I am not a big fan of tipping because it just doesn't make sense - if it really is a matter of subsidizing the waitstaff's income, why not just base a tip on a flat fee and then add more for more demanding meals?

[Anonymous]

That is a good point but waiter's base salary is extremely low, so tip generously please!

[Anonymous]

I agree with you, but we still do it. The "rules" need to change, but I don't know how to make that happen. Also, if you tip, the money goes to the waiter/waitress, rarely the bus boy or even the cooks. It's really not a fair system.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a big fan of tipping either, particularly since it seems to have extecnded to every industry now.
That said, the wait staff make a "tipping" wage - which the minimum for is less than minimum wage. Essentially, their earnings are the tips.
In higher end restaurants, the wait staff is more experienced, hence why the tip is more since the food costs more. Kind of like pay raises at work the more senior you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a big fan of tipping either, particularly since it seems to have extecnded to every industry now.That said, the wait staff make a "tipping" wage - which the minimum for is less than minimum wage. Essentially, their earnings are the tips.
In higher end restaurants, the wait staff is more experienced, hence why the tip is more since the food costs more. Kind of like pay raises at work the more senior you get.

I do not tip at coffee shops or to-go counters - I don't get why they are even asking for one? When I was a waitress, to make $2 on a $10 lunch, I had to wait on them for an hour. For a 30 second pizza pick up I am supposed to tip? For a $4 drink I am supposed to give 25%? I don't think so - go be a server if you want a tip.

I do tip waitstaff generously (and bartenders).
-Scrooge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is much easier, but if you think about it, it doesn't make sense.

If I order a $30 steak, my tip will be about $5. If I order a $10 plate of pasta, my tip will be about $2. The waitstaff amkes the same effort to carry the plate to my table - so why tip more just because of the meal cost?

If I go out to $100 dinner and order an appetizer, meal, dessert, coffee, linger over the meal, ask for several refills, etc, I would assume to tip more than if I just showed up, ordered a $100 meal that consisted of just an app and entree and leave immediately.

I am not a big fan of tipping because it just doesn't make sense - if it really is a matter of subsidizing the waitstaff's income, why not just base a tip on a flat fee and then add more for more demanding meals?

TIPS = to insure prompt service, so I was told. Waiters only make a little over $2.00/hr and they rely on their tips to live. Some waiters in upscale restaurants and hotels can make over $100,00 per yr. Most do not. Many restaurants do have a 15% gratuity automatically included in parties over 10 patrons. In Europe becoming a waiter is a profession, not just doing somehting until a "real" job comes along; they are multi-lingual, most having lived in other countries a few years to learn the language. Also, there are a lot of cheap people who will either leave no tip or only the bare minimum. Personally, I think they have a difficult job and I generally tip 20%, I may go 15% if they aren't that good but I have never stiffed a waiter and never leave only 10%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a big fan of tipping either, particularly since it seems to have extecnded to every industry now.That said, the wait staff make a "tipping" wage - which the minimum for is less than minimum wage. Essentially, their earnings are the tips.
In higher end restaurants, the wait staff is more experienced, hence why the tip is more since the food costs more. Kind of like pay raises at work the more senior you get.

I do not tip at coffee shops or to-go counters - I don't get why they are even asking for one? When I was a waitress, to make $2 on a $10 lunch, I had to wait on them for an hour. For a 30 second pizza pick up I am supposed to tip? For a $4 drink I am supposed to give 25%? I don't think so - go be a server if you want a tip.

I do tip waitstaff generously (and bartenders).
-Scrooge.

Me either! I get so tired of seeing tip jars on the counters of coffee shops and fast food places. Sorry, but you are not getting a tip for sliding my paper cup across the counter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you, but we still do it. The "rules" need to change, but I don't know how to make that happen. Also, if you tip, the money goes to the waiter/waitress, rarely the bus boy or even the cooks. It's really not a fair system.

This is not true. Waiters give a portion of their tips to busboys because if they don't their tables won't be cleaned. Cooks are paid a salary and should not be tipped.

[Anonymous]

I get so tired of seeing tip jars on the counters of coffee shops and fast food places. Sorry, but you are not getting a tip for sliding my paper cup across the counter.

yep. I tip 20% virtually w/o fail to waitresses, but never ever tip for counter service like at STarbucks or whatnot. I find it annoying that tip jars are even out in these places.

[Anonymous]

Folks,

This is a custom. If you start a movement to tip per order, guess what? The price of food on the menu will go WAY up so the restaurants can pay their servers. THINK IT THROUGH.

[Anonymous]

P.S. Some of you are cold. Do you think the people at Starbucks are rolling in the money? I never tip there. But the jar doesn't bother me.

[Anonymous]

Another thought: If you went to a flat fee tip, the incentive to earn a good tip would disappear. So ... maybe things are the way they are because though not perfect the alternative is less perfect.

[Anonymous]

In some ways tipping has gotten out of control. I've had workmen come to our house and I've sensed that they expected a tip. I'd be interested to hear from others on the subject of tipping workmen who fix things in our homes.

In relation to service in restaurants the service people depend on tips for their livelihood. Also, in some restaurants the tips are shared to some extent with the busboys.

In my estimation our system of tipping is far superior to countries where the tip is already included in the check. In Europe even in pretty good restaurants the service is not very good and in local restaurants it's downright shitty. And that's all while you're being overcome by second-hand cigarette smoke.

I try to be generous when I tip, especially with people who I deal with on a regular basis. It's nice to go to places where everyone knows your name and they're always a happy that you came. I think that’s one of the reoccurring lyrics from theme song to Cheers which was a sitcom back in the 80s-90s.

For the little extra money that I spend in tips, I always feel that it pays dividends. There are a couple restaurants around town that I don't visit so often anymore, but they always seem to remember me.

Who knows, maybe they don't remember me at all and they are just nice to everyone. Maybe, I'm just one of those narccistic people who everyone has been talking about this week, but maybe they do remember that I was somewhat generous the last time they saw me??

Of course we should never place our family's welfare at risk, but if a couple extra bucks in a tip isn't going to change your life style you might find it to be a worthwhile investment.

[Anonymous]

The bill is a proxy for the amount of work done. True, it is not a perfect proxy. But it is probably more accurate than someone trying to count up how many things were done for a table of four. Could you imagine? How many times did the waiter have to come around to fill your glasses, how many courses did each person have, did they have to check with the kitchen about something, did they run for extra bread, they brought crayons for your kids, did they fliet your fish at the table, uncork the wine, etc. How would you even total it up?

The bill is one number that approximates it. It isn't perfect, but it works OK.

[Anonymous]

12:23 True, I spent a fortune to move a piano and the crew expected a tip and I did not have the cash. It's not something I do on a regular basis, so I was not familiar with the practice! There, I did not tip them a dime.