Poll: How much do you tip ?

[Gitsnik]

I'm with Mr Pink, I don't believe in it. Why? Because with my voice most male bartenders and waiters are mongrels to me (it's too deep), and waitresses either act amazingly aloof or drop the ball badly.

I also remember when I was kicking shit for my first job, running boxes from one end of a compound to the other when I was suffering weak arms (due to surgery) and a split small intenstine that was "healing" and still is 8 years later.

 

[LewsTherin]

15%-50% depending on service, party size, and hour.

 

[Shadow Law]

Most of my friends work in the food business so needless to say I trip pretty well.

 

[ThaBenMan]

I'm a bartender ( and have been for over 9 years ) and was wondering on average, for average service at a bar/restaurant,...

You are, in your poll, forgetting about countries where tipping isn't to social norm. Over here, you might see a tip once every few years, if you seriously went above-and-beyond.

A option for those of us in.. well NOT America, would be nice.

So the waiter/waitress in your country gets paid a decent wage, I hope? The reason we tip in America is because servers get paid a lower wage than other jobs and have to make up for it with tips.

 

[Arcyde]

I don't.

 

[ThaBenMan]

About 20% unless the service was really good or the waitress is really hot.

I won't lie, that does tend to factor into my tipping as well >_>

 

[Same River New Water]

(not sure if they're just rude, not taught/told about tipping, or just don't "believe" in it... which honestly I cannot understand)

I live in a country where the minimum wage is reasonable, so there's no established culture of tipping. Like most people here, I tip if I thought the service was particularly good - or if I'm in a good mood, whatever. Tipping as an obligation is quite strange. If you're already paying for your food/drink/hotel room, why should you have to give the staff money for doing their job? That's their employer's job.

 

[Sparrow]

Theres not a percent for me. Just whatever I have spare.

 

[Gerazzi]

It doesn't make sense to me, but yes, I tip and sometimes even pay for the meals due to today's economy (I'm fifteen)

 

[randommaster]

No, since I do not want to pay more.

TL;DR version: tip or we don't get to eat for the week.

Tips are how many managers justify a 2.50 hourly wage for employees, which is something like below half minimum wage here in the US. It's this attitude that makes so many waiters and whatnot grumpy.

Anybody who has worked for tips generally has the exact opposite attitude you do. People working for tips (as opposed to commission) generally get paid didly squat and rely on tips because their actuall paycheck is so small. Also, They are generally handling multiple groups at once, so they kind of deserve it.

I work in an ice cream store, so I really don't expect a huge tip from people. Usually my coworkers and I appreciate if you give us the coins, which gives us a decent amount at the end of the night. It's really annoying when you give someone 68 cents and they open their wallet and show you a bunch of 1$ bills and still refuse to tip you.

The thing that people need to understand about tipping (in the US) is that people depend on tips. A bad night can mean the difference between paying the rent that month or not. It is a way of acknowledging the fact that the person did a good job and you appreciated it. As for the gratuity, that is something that gets spread around the entire workforce, like a store wide commission bonus. Tips are why a lot of people will be friendly, or at the very least not rude. Making the customer happy means they don't have to worry about making ends meet.

Sorry about the long rant, but this is a sensitive topic for me.

 

[51gunner]

For food, it's close to 15%. I tip the tax amount, and then round (usually up) to the nearest whole dollar.

For drinks, it's all dependent on what spare change is in my hand, and how fast I got served. If you want a decent tip out of me, give me a few quarters in my change and wait 'till I'm tipsy and feeling generous. I can't really say a fixed percentage for these though.

 

[NeoDeath90]

As a guy who worked as a busboy, I can tlel you tips can make a guy's night. I always do at least 25% if I have the money.

 

[Matronadena]

15 to 20% on average...sometimes 30% if they REALLY went out of their way or if my kids decided to be shits and leave a mess " which they know they don't get away with, but sometimes it's unavoidable if they are tired and cranky

 

[z0nbie]

I'm a bartender ( and have been for over 9 years ) and was wondering on average, for average service at a bar/restaurant,...

You are, in your poll, forgetting about countries where tipping isn't to social norm. Over here, you might see a tip once every few years, if you seriously went above-and-beyond.

A option for those of us in.. well NOT America, would be nice.

Well ... I'm CANADIAN ... and for you in countries that tipping is not the norm... that's why there's the "don't want to" and "don't believe in it" option... because any country you CAN tip... even countries where tipping is offensive ... if you were set out to offened someone you CAN still tip...

 

[z0nbie]

For bartenders:
$1 if they are friendly, nothing if they aren't. Frankly bartenders don't do as much work as wait staff for thier tips, pouring out a couple ounces of liquor doesn't require that much skill.

A bartenders job can be that simple...and I do agree with tipping out the waitstaff more then a bartender because they usually have to tip-out the bartender at the end of the night, because the bartender makes all of their drinks... but a good bartender knows extensively about wines and scotches, beer and cocktails... anyone can look in a book and make a drink, but if you know/love your job you know why what your making tastes good and can recommend a variety of drinks and give information to a less educated patron. ... just sayin' ...

 

[EXPLICITasian]

I never spend a lot at places so i tend to tip about 40%, besides it makes me feel good about myself.

 

[Same River New Water]

Tips are how many managers justify a 2.50 hourly wage for employees, which is something like below half minimum wage here in the US.

I sympathise, but in the wide view, that attitude exacerbates the problem. As long as people are obliged to tip, employers can keep paying a pittance (although how they can pay below minimum wage I don't understand), which means employees keep having this horrible uncertainty about their income. It's a vicious cycle.

That's easy for me to say, living where the phenomenon doesn't exist, and if I lived in the US I wouldn't be under the illusion that me not tipping was going to make anything better. But it's not a good system.

for you in countries that tipping is not the norm... that's why there's the "don't want to" and "don't believe in it" option... because any country you CAN tip...

I would tip if I lived somewhere where it was an obligation, so me saying "Don't believe in it" is not the same as a North American saying "Don't believe in it". So I won't vote.

The following isn't quite my own view, but since we're discussing tipping I'll take the excuse to post a clip from Reservoir Dogs - it starts with Mr Pink (Steve Buscemi) justifying why he doesn't tip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nLIbkjGzdA

 

[pffh]

Nothing. Tipping is not a custom where I live and frankly the waiters/bartenders/whatever are already being paid by their employers so why should I have to pay them too?

That said when I'm abroad where it is a custom to tip I usually tip anywhere from 0-30% depending on how the service was (it's usually 10%).