Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Restaurant 'Server' Tipping Con

Yeah, I know, Travis. But it wasn't a sob story to get a bigger tip. She came out, hugged me, and told me about her plight AFTER I'd tipped her. That put a different slant on it.

I think but can't prove that I had my CC number heisted in a Las Vegas eatery once. A $100 charge showed up the next month, which I contested and got removed. And they sent me a new card, per policy. That's once in a zillion times (I don't pay cash for anything) and it happened in Vegas - ought to be no surprise.

Me neither. EVERYTHING goes on our AMEX and if there is ever an issue, AMEX removes it, no questions asked. 20% is my standard, but like Rock, I've tipped well in excess of that, large tats notwithstanding of course...

I got dinged at a Chinese place, years back. Yeah, it got taken care of by the CC company, but it pisses me off that these low lives are getting "stuff" at the expense of others.

The local waitresses got in trouble here because they were writing in tips on credit card receipts when the customers left it blank. Somebody must have noticed it. You know to watch your wallet when a big sign is up next to the cash register telling you to put Zero in that spot, if you are going to leave it blank.

Fixed for ya... I know your predilection for "marbling", my friend!!

But to get serious for a bit... in most states the wage paid to wait staff is much lower than the mandated "minimum" wage. This is because everybody assumes that tips will make up the difference. It's an honor system that goes back beyond history, and it's not gonna change just because some cheapskate like the OP doesn't like it.

I tip 20% routinely, and often more. I'm paying my server an honorarium for serving me, for being polite and congenial, for being good company. It's part of the social contract of dining out as far as I'm concerned. Places I go regularly know this about me, and I get fabulous service and a high-quality dining experience because they know they don't have to guess about whether they're gonna get paid.

I think it would be great policy for people who don't tip to have "I DON'T TIP" tattoo'd to their foreheads. Then you'll get the service you deserve from the get-go.

Sometimes good intentions on our part don't go as planned....
My daughters both worked as servers while in college, so I'm pretty sensitive to tips and try to do as much as I can for good workers.
We were at Lewiston's finest (read Applebee's, snork) one night and our server was so-so. While sitting there watching the staff I noticed a high school age girl clearing tables for the whole place. She was busting ass the whole time I was there and very courteous.
When we left I left our girl a 15-20% tip and as I was walking by the buser I handed her a ten and said, "You are doing a great job".
I walked out the front door, looked back through the windows and the buser is standing there staring at the money in her hand, totally confused.
She then looked around and slowly walked over to my abandoned table and place the bill on the other bills I had left for the server and went back to work.

If service is good, I'll leave 20%. For some reason I always seem to over tip when I go to Hooters.

She still has my AMEX Platinum...

We usually frequent the same establishments and all the bartenders and waitress' know us as very good tippers. We are always treated well and sometimes, even get comped a free drink or appetizer.

Sometimes I might go out for a beer but I always make sure they get a very good tip. Most are hard working people and have bills and mortgages like the rest of us and I don't mind helping them out.

Hardest worker in the place but not the brightest. Unless accepting it would break some (stupid) rule.

I'm another one who hates having to wait on them to take my cc when I'm done and ready to leave. If those new gizmos also have a call button for your server when you want them, it sounds like an all around good deal to me.

The digital checkouts encourage customers to accept whatever tip amount is 'suggested'. People are hesitant to take the time to change it. They will become more popular.

If you don't tip on the card, put a line through that area, a zero, or 'on table' in the tip area of a receipt.

Another tip if adding it to your CC, is to tip to make the total to the nearest whole dollar. That way when you get your CC bill. it's evident if the charge was monkeyed with.

I always put a line over the tip portion of the bill when I'm leaving cash as a tip. Haven't had any problems doing it that way.

I know. You're a good person. But I'm not, and "single-moms" are seated right next to the homeless in the world o' flave.


Travis

Read through this whole thread--very interesting. My wife and both of my daughters, not to mention a couple of nephews (of whom I am very fond) and now a couple of grandchildren have worked to help put themselves through school waiting tables. I am a 20 percent tipper for the most part. I will occasionally deviate if the service is really poor (a rare occurrence) or if the wait staff has gone way above and beyond the call of duty.

As has been said, the restaurant business model is geared to include gratuities for the wait staff. If you don't know and appreciate that fact, you should probably stick with McDonalds, Taco Bell or Burger King.

In quite a few states, those fast food employees make the same wage as a server at a sit down restaurant.

Daughter worked as a waitress for more than a few years in HS and college, and noticed no one here knew that in many places the tips are split between the waitress, bus boy, bartender etc also.

I always start at 20% and adjust fire from there up or down and try to pay in cash vs the CC on the tip.

She hated skinflints that demanded champagne service and paid with a Kool Aid tip, if at all. 99% of them also laugh about it and think it is funny.

The "solution" here is simple... make your own dinner at home and no tip is involved since no one tips the grocery store's butcher or the person at the cash register.

N'est pas, mon ami?


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

When my girls were servers....sharing was optional...

Don't waitstaff have to declare X% of their invoices now as tips.....even if the tip wasn't X%? I believe the Fed has this law now.

i always try to "tip" my wife 100% when she serves dinner.

dessert first......