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Old 2009-07-28, 06:44   Link #21
Tr3adst0ne
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Roaming
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cut-Tongue View Post
All of those, as well as Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Vietmanese, Greek, Spanish, Portugese, Mexican, etc. "Ethnic" meaning "Not Denny's or Olive Garden", lets say.
Nice of you to mention Vietnamese food... I miss my mother's home cooking.

In regards to tipping, 10-15% are acceptable margins for me (like anybody else, the service has to be up to par).
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Old 2009-07-28, 06:52   Link #22
Mystique
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: In the eastern capital of the islands of the rising suns...
Actually hate tipping, lol.
In Japan, it's in insult to do so and I can see the reason why. In the UK, there is no culture or obligation of tipping, we typically do so out of the goodness of our hearts.
(Short of going to some super fancy resturant)
So if I go to a random resturant and the waiter was awesome, then I've no qualms to do so cause they genuinely are nice, not just for the hope of getting better tips, but just outta working.

In the UK, lots of waiter jobs pay the generic minimum wage, which converted into US dollars may seem a lot but then you gotta remember, it's still "minimum wage", it's nothing great to live off.
As someone mentioned above, there is always the lovely VAT and for the UK, that's a whopping 17.5%.
When that surprise ends up on your bill, you don't feel like tipping, lol.

But yeah, it was an actual source of stress for me when I went to America on holiday cause I typically backpack it and money is not a luxury I have, nor do I go out to eat much as a daily part of my life anyways.
But to have 'eating money', 'souvineer money' and then 'tipping money' was driving me insane.
And then ofc, the "art of tipping", just how much do you wanna part from your money depending on how 'nice' they were.
Thoughts like that ran through my head; I more or less voiced it to my mates over there how much I hate this "obligation" to fund their wages when we're not their employers and they servicing us as best as they can should simply be part of their job, even if it is purely just to pay the rent.

It's a culture thing, methinks.
To a lot of Americans, it's just simply 'normal' and you're helping them earn somewhat of a semi-decent wage.
For someone like me, it's a "bonus" of exceptional services and a kick ass awesome time.
"Above your call of duty", otherwise be it in a supermarket, a student bar or resturant or any low, minimum wage paying job, you typically, should be professional about it and try to offer a pleasant service.

Thus ends my 2 pence on it.
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Old 2009-11-15, 22:52   Link #23
Dark Wing
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Join Date: May 2007
Age: 38
Is Leaving Tips A Big Deal?

I got into an argument with my girlfriend over tipping at a restaurant. She says that you should tip your waiter no less then 15% every time you go out to eat but I feel that giving a tip and the amount of said tip should be left up to the customer to decide.

She goes off on me and says that I should do it because it was what she was thought was common curtsy growing up so I ask what if I needed that same tip for something else later on or couldn't afford to leave one. To which she replied that if you can't afford to tip you shouldn't go out to eat and how she better not catch me do it again...

So I'm supposed to deny myself a service because I can't tip someone who gets paid no matter what I do? Now note I work in a super market and get a tip of my own every now and then for bagging an order but I don't expect one everyday, I'm just happy I have a job.

Well to get to the point, She's pissed at me because I don't tip how she believes I should. So Am I wrong? Am I being a douche and not realizing it? Because I feel that it's good enough that they are even getting to service me.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:00   Link #24
Dilla
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: North Carolina, USA
Age: 34
For waiting in some places in the US, half their pay is tips, and wage laws allow restuarants to pay less than minimum wage because of this. So, yes, it can be a big deal.

This also applies to barbershops and taxi companies.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:06   Link #25
Alchemist007
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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It's retarded how the system works, IMO. Leave it or not if you want to, you paid your meal and that's all you're obliged to, the amount on the bill. I wont give my opinion on people like your gf since that'd probably make you pissed
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:09   Link #26
Slick_rick
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Most waitress and waiters make a good part of their wages on there tips. Anyone whose ever worked as one will tell you how annoying it is when someone skips out on tipping them. I'd probably guess your girlfriend has either worked as a waitress or at least has some knowledge of the industry and probably why she takes it so personally. Some restaurant include tips in there checks to avoid having people skip out on tipping but it shouldn't be necessary. It's common courtesy to do so and if you don't see that then maybe you should stay home and cook your own food.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:10   Link #27
Ansalem
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I refer you to the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs.



I'd also warn you of the dangers of frequenting an establishment at which you tip poorly or don't tip at all. Your food may not be so safe, and you may be refused service at some point.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:12   Link #28
Dark Wing
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemist007 View Post
It's retarded how the system works, IMO. Leave it or not if you want to, you paid your meal and that's all you're obliged to, the amount on the bill. I wont give my opinion on people like your gf since that'd probably make you pissed
Don't worry at the time I was thinking the same way you are...
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:17   Link #29
FateAnomaly
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Thanks goodness we don't have a tipping culture over here. Everything is already included in the bill.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:27   Link #30
Dilla
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: North Carolina, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ansalem View Post
I'd also warn you of the dangers of frequenting an establishment at which you tip poorly or don't tip at all. Your food may not be so safe, and you may be refused service at some point.


I've never been I'm the waiting business, but from what I've heard, this is uncannyingly accurate. From the movie Waiting.

"Don't fuck with the people handling your food."
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:28   Link #31
Ansalem
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Well, the idea is the price of eating out would be higher if it wasn't a tipping culture because they'd have to take in an equal amount of extra money to afford to pay waiters a real wage. So it's not like you're getting cheated by having to pay extra. The restaurant business here has just developed in such a way here that you can decide how much additional the server gets. So, if you choose not to tip, or tip low (without the service also being poor quality), you're just being cheap, and you shouldn't be surprised if people consider you a cheap person. I hate to draw on a cliche story, but people didn't hate Scrooge for no reason.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:39   Link #32
ganbaru
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I can't tell for everywhere but where I did work the tips are a huge part of the waiters/barmens pay given the fact than they barely get more than the legal minimun wave for tipped staff but the customer's bill are often high. In fact in many restaurant a waiter will probably make more money than a cook pay on hourly basic alone.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:39   Link #33
Vexx
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
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At the OP, sounds like your girlfriend might have been a waitress at one point...

Many servers in the US depend on those tips (the base pay is lousy) -- but they should give good service to warrant it. For me, it isn't a given.

If I have to *ask* for a refill of my water or tea.... that's a major negative. If I have to *ask* for my bill after I've sat quietly or tried to signal.... negative. I don't blame the waiter for kitchen/chef screwups. My wife spent a fair amount of time waitressing in her teens - she is usually quite generous but can be brutal to servers who don't do their job properly.

I start at a reference of 15%... it can go up or down depending on how I'm treated. I've been known to drop 30%. I don't leave *nothing* - a waiter may simply think you forgot.

Tipping is capitalism at its purest - you're being given a service, the waiter is acting as your go-between with the restaurant (who pays them just enough to hang around).

Yeah, I prefer the Japanese system .... but when in Rome, you do as the Romans do. And not tipping is really poor etiquette in the US.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:42   Link #34
mit7059
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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I always tip at LEAST 15% but normally closer to 20%. If the service has been absolutely horrible then maybe 10% but I think I've only gotten pissed off enough for that once. Look the fact is most waiters get paid less than minimum wage, they need the tips. At a lot of restaurants, especially as they get more pricey the waiters don't even get an hourly wage, they live off tips. Essentially the way I look at it, if you don't tip you're a douchebag. If you tip 10% for good service you're still a douchebag.

Here is a word of advice though on tipping for other things. I worked for a moving company for two summers, and if you are having your stuff professionally moved, tip your movers. We were getting paid $10/hour for hard sweaty backbreaking labor, a tip meant a lot. Especially if you're company or whoever is paying for your move, tip your movers. And tip them in advance. Give each guy $20 in advance and you're walls won't get nicked, you furnature will be very well handled. They'll all just do a better job. Buy them lunch, buy them some bottled water. Maybe a beer. I was always amazed at the people who would lay down $50,000 for a move but wouldn't cough up the $25 for lunch.

I'm probably going into this in a little too much detail but here is how you should do it. When they show up hand each guy $20 (maybe $40 for the driver). Tell them that you'll be watching their work and that there might be more in it for them at the end. Then you buy them lunch/water/gatorade/beer, whatever. Take care of them. Then at the end slap em another $20. All of your stuff will end up at your new house in perfect condition.

/rant
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Last edited by mit7059; 2009-11-16 at 04:59.
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Old 2009-11-15, 23:44   Link #35
Ansalem
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx View Post
I start at a reference of 15%... it can go up or down depending on how I'm treated. I've been known to drop 30%. I don't leave *nothing* - a waiter may simply think you forgot.
This is more or less how I treat the situation as well. And if service was particularly bad, I may give a low tip. I just dislike the idea some people have that they shouldn't have to tip, or tip well, even if the service was fine, because they don't "believe" in the system.
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Old 2009-11-16, 00:09   Link #36
ganbaru
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vexx View Post
I don't blame the waiter for kitchen/chef screwups.
Ah the easy excuse ...
I won't denie the existence of the kitchen's errors but you would be surprised of the numbers of kitchen' errors than are the result of waiters's screwup ;bad communication and lateness to get a table after asking it happen quite often
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Old 2009-11-16, 00:44   Link #37
Alchemist007
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TBH, I never eat out except maybe once a year and so far its always been the parents doing the paying. But at that point I do recall my dad never understanding the concept and my mom trying to explain it and I don't even know if they ever end up tipping.
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Old 2009-11-16, 00:46   Link #38
Proto
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Age: 39
Wow, people here sure are lavish with their tips. My base tipping on restaurants is 10%, and I'm always looking for excuses to leave less, and you would never catch me leaving more. I grew in a "you tip to reward the premium" kind off culture I guess.


Then again I'm cheap enough for me to loath going to restaurants and I prefer doing my own cooking anyway
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Old 2009-11-16, 01:08   Link #39
Vexx
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
10% was typical a few decades ago.... but 15% is "typical" since the '90s. That's for large cities and "advantaged destinations" (coastal towns, etc). Other areas may still get along with 10%.

All I can say is that if you undertip at a regular hangout of yours (which you presumably like), its liable to bite you eventually.
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Old 2009-11-16, 01:20   Link #40
brilliantacid
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Everywhere
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dilla View Post
For waiting in some places in the US, half their pay is tips, and wage laws allow restuarants to pay less than minimum wage because of this. So, yes, it can be a big deal.

This also applies to barbershops and taxi companies.
I have to agree with this and elaborate...

I've worked as a waitress before and I'll tell you- your money is your tips. When I started waiting, I was just barely making over $3 an hour and getting $100 on a good day if I was lucky. When you're trying to pay for classes or rent, it's really hard to live on just a restaurant job.

I've got a higher paying job now- so I always leave a good tip. I don't really pay attention to percentages as much as quality of service and even then, I never leave less than $5, even if service is less than satisfactory.
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