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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

but I also wonder if it matters since they often seem to pool all tips.

At what restaurant do servers pool their tips? We're not talking about a jar on the counter.

I don't know about pooling, but when I bused tables at a fancy restaurant as a high schooler, the servers were expected to tip me 10% of their tips, as well as the bartender. They also used an incentive system -- if I fetched bread, water, turned tables around quickly, i.e. otherwise made their jobs easier and made them more money, they might tip me more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Have you ever worked in a service job? If not, then you have no idea how tough they can be. And for some people, service jobs are their only reasonable option. "

That's the natural consequence for limited skills and education, though.

Oh right, I forgot, if you have a college degree you'll have no trouble finding a well-paying job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use the post tax amount to round down to even numbers while still staying around 20%.

So if I have a $76.32 bill with $7.63 tax, the post-tax total is $83.95. I'll add $16.00, which is 20% of $80, and 23.6% of the food & beverage total.

Of course in that case I might notice that I'm about too add up to $99.95 and just round it up again to $100.

Interesting, I think of myself as a pretax tipper (20% base line), but I do a rounding first, so Imwould have tipped the same amount. $76.32, roinf to $80, tip $16.

My absolute minimum tip if someone brings me something is $2. I draw the line at providing tips at coffee shops, with the exception of my local when I will toss in a $20 a couple of times a year.

[Anonymous]

20% on the pre-tax total is my norm, and I'll round up to the nearest dollar, not down. If the service sucked, I might go as low as 15%, but I don't normally encounter really sucky service. If the service was awesome, I might go to 33%. (or higher if I got free stuff, which happens at bars where I know folks.) (Also, if I got free stuff and tipped higher, I tip partly in cash.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

but I also wonder if it matters since they often seem to pool all tips.

At what restaurant do servers pool their tips? We're not talking about a jar on the counter.

I don't know about pooling, but when I bused tables at a fancy restaurant as a high schooler, the servers were expected to tip me 10% of their tips, as well as the bartender. They also used an incentive system -- if I fetched bread, water, turned tables around quickly, i.e. otherwise made their jobs easier and made them more money, they might tip me more.

That's "tipping out," which had been covered somewhat in this thread and is not the same as pooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I rarely give more or less than 20 - only if service was crappy or exceptional.

Ditto

[Anonymous]

20%, pre-tax. Which is easy--I just double the tax.

Also, I'm pretty sure that any variation above that has little to do with the quality of service and more to do with the behavior of my party. If my kid is antsy and spills a drink and leaves a mess, I'll leave 25%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you tip on pre or post tax?

Post. Not tipping on tax is cheap.

No, it's not. All tipping guides say use the pre-tax amount.

The "guides" may say it's acceptable .... it's still absurdly cheap. Really, if you can't afford to tip decently on the bill for great service, don't go out.

It's not a question of affordability. And the fact that you suggest it is means you lose this argument by default.

Taxes in some cities are 10% or more. Ergo your 20% tip on a post-tax amount really is a 22% tip. Considering that 15% to 18% is the industry standard, that's really starting to get excessive.

Believe me, I can afford the extra amount. But that's not actually how tipping works, so I don't do it.

That extra 2% is what you classify as excess? I'll err in favor of excess. And yes, you sound like you're insanely cheap if you can't fork over and extra buck or two. Also, how do u lose the argument by default? Everything you wrote confirms you are cheap or can't afford to eat out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


That extra 2% is what you classify as excess? I'll err in favor of excess. And yes, you sound like you're insanely cheap if you can't fork over and extra buck or two. Also, how do u lose the argument by default? Everything you wrote confirms you are cheap or can't afford to eat out.

cheap or frugal or wise?
restaurants make their money on the food they sell. No legal requirement to tip.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who think 20% is obscenely huge and 15% is more than generous? 20% is a BASELINE? Are you kidding me? When did this culture of waiters being entitled to this come about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who think 20% is obscenely huge and 15% is more than generous? 20% is a BASELINE? Are you kidding me? When did this culture of waiters being entitled to this come about?

I agree.
I expect to pay for 4 people when I go with my family, but to add the cost of another person on the tab just because someone bothered to bring the plates and take the order?
20% * 4 = 80% + waiters share 20% ???