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How to Tip Like a Gentleman

justaguything.com — Proper tipping etiquette is a trait rarely found in modern men yet, when perfected, it can make you look classy.

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  • peacefrog249, on 02/25/2008, -6/+95What about delivery guys? I never know what's appropriate! I usually just go with two or three dollars for pizza and groceries. Good article otherwise, if you have the funds.
    • brentinkc, on 02/25/2008, -21/+164I'm a delivery guy. $3 is good.
      And thank you for bringing it up. I got kinda pissed when I read that article and delivery drivers weren't mentioned.
      Pizza delivery is the 3rd most dangerous job in America, right behind Cops and Taxi drivers.
      P.S. If you don't have the funds, you can't afford the service. Period.
      • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -5/+783rd most dangerous job? Really?
        • brentinkc, on 02/25/2008, -2/+84Actually, after doing a little digging, turns out it's the fifth most dangerous job in america. From wikipedia
          "Pizza delivery, by its nature, can pose risks for those engaged in it, as they are required to go to the homes of strangers, in unfamiliar neighborhoods. In the U.S., pizza delivery persons have been subjected to assault, robbery, and sometimes raped or killed on the job.[21][22] The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, which categorizes pizza delivery drivers and taxicab drivers as "drivers-sales workers," ranked it the fifth most dangerous job category.[23]"
          • mrfreeziexp, on 02/25/2008, -3/+415th is still shocking. Seems like any job involving pizza would be safe.. >_>
          • HiKevinRose, on 02/25/2008, -2/+30Well I sure as hell ain't gonna deliver pizzas in my life. Raped and murdered? No ***** thanks!
          • SleepJunkie, on 02/25/2008, -1/+17Pizza dudes unite!
          • xCeramikx, on 02/25/2008, -4/+35"5th is still shocking. Seems like any job involving pizza would be safe"

            5th is still shocking. Seems like any job involving pizza would be DELICIOUS
            -Fixed. =)
          • heliox, on 02/25/2008, -0/+30You are bringing happiness and joy on a crust...who would do such things?
          • joshuabowers, on 02/25/2008, -3/+5heliox: they took more than the advertised 30 minutes.
        • Lavar, on 02/25/2008, -1/+34One of the drivers I worked with got held up for his money and was shot and killed. RIP
          http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ...
        • nmnnotmyname, on 02/25/2008, -0/+7The link was truncated...
        • claybird, on 02/25/2008, -1/+8perhaps this?: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ...
      • siszam, on 02/25/2008, -5/+54Plus people forget that you have to pay for your car, maintenance, gas, insurance, taxes, etc. It's not like a waiter walking from the kitchen to a table. I always tip people 25 to 50%when they deliver to my home. That goes for flowers, pizza, everything. I appreciate that someone got out of bed, went to work, drove all over town and did things for me so I wouldn't have to.
        If you can't afford to tip well then you should get off your lazy butt and get things for yourself.
        • TypeEE, on 02/25/2008, -14/+525% - 50% only? You must tip him 300%.
        • kendawg, on 02/25/2008, -9/+19Well siszam, the delivery guy didn't get out of bed just to help you. He got out of bed to make money. It's his/her JOB to deliver, so it's not like it's a personal favor. I tip well because, as you said, they have increased vehicle expenses. You are just making it be out to much more than it is: someone doing their JOB.
          • rezist, on 02/25/2008, -2/+6it's a waiters JOB to bring food to your table.
          • edicius, on 02/25/2008, -4/+11And it's the restaurants JOB to pay him.
          • po43292, on 02/25/2008, -0/+6Having worked in restaurants and bars, I can tell you for a fact that at least in the US, there is no money to be made on your paycheck. My average paycheck for two weeks would be less than $50. I depended on tips to make my rent, buy things like food, etc.
        • triad203, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I don't have a problem tipping for pizza delivery, but most places in my area add a $2 "delivery fee" on the bill already. I don't appreciate them doing that because I'd rather decide how much to tip. If I subtract that 2 bucks off my tip I look like I'm being a dick. Still, I generally just tip a buck or two on top of that.
          • MtheoryX, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I don't know about your area, but in my area, the driver does not get all of that "delivery fee." If it's $2.00, the driver may get $1 of it.

            That is supposed to offset the fact that delivery driver's car insurance costs much more. In fact, many insurance companies simply will not cover your vehicle if it is used for "delivery work."

            This does not cover maintenance, gas, and of course, wages. If you have a problem with the delivery charge, raise it with the management. Do not penalize the driver for something they have no control over.
      • superPipo, on 02/25/2008, -4/+133brentinkc, get off digg and back to work. Take this pizza out to "I.C Wiener" at Applied Cryogenics, 64th floor.
        • HiKevinRose, on 02/25/2008, -5/+6I feel guilty for digging you up. :|
        • nmnnotmyname, on 02/25/2008, -5/+5:P
          (I still liked Seymour Asses)
      • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -18/+38If your employer can't afford to pay you enough then maybe they can't afford to offer the service.
        My view is that you're not entitled to a tip, if you're polite, nice, quick etc then I'd give you one as I think you'd deserve it. A tip should be a reward on top of your basic pay for a job well done, not just payment for doing your job, you're already getting that.
        If everyone just goes around tipping for everything then it loses all meaning and function.
        • bitspace, on 02/25/2008, -3/+17While there is some justification for that mindset, delivery people are traditionally those whose hourly rate is adjusted for tips.
          Counter service at the coffee shop, on the other hand...
        • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -1/+31"hourly rate is adjusted" of course meaning the employer takes the tip out of their wage, meaning you have to tip twice as much to actually give them a tip.
          The problem there isn't people not tipping, it's employers screwing their staff, and it shouldn't be supported.
          • Niightwitch, on 02/25/2008, -4/+4Spudnic, you cheap bastard.
          • potisreallygood, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3that has been the standard for many years, pizza delivery usually pays around minimum wage, servers make a couple dollars an hour and have to claim a certain amount of their tips.
        • turpenine, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3this is more how to tip to impress your date :P
        • Sawta, on 02/25/2008, -0/+3Essentially, tipping already has..because customers are already expected to tip someone. A more precise viewpoint might be "You are not entitled to a LARGE tip, but if you are polite, nice, etc. then you'll be leaving with your wallet a little bit heavier then you would have expected."
        • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+29Many many countries have no tipping. For anything. Because their employers actually PAY them. Difficult concept, I know. In fact, if you try to tip someone in, say, Japan, you're insulting them by implying that they don't get paid enough and need your handout.
        • mablung, on 02/25/2008, -6/+9My viewpoint is if you can't tip then go pick up your own crap.
          • doctordbx, on 02/25/2008, -8/+4You don't get paid to deliver crap? You do it for free and live on tips only?
            Don't ask me to compensate for either your inability to get a better job or your employers lousy pay scheme.
            Then again, I never got the concept of tipping, not being American and all.
          • haydesigner, on 02/25/2008, -4/+4Your viewpoint fails to take into consideration that many places*add* a delivery fee to order that is not there if you pick it up. Much of the time, the delivery fee goes directly to the driver. Our local Pizza Hut charges $2.50 for a delivery.
          • MtheoryX, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1@haydesigner: You, sir, are misinformed. Many more places split the delivery charge with the driver; the driver does not get the whole thing.
            This has been a huge source of frustration for drivers and customers alike. Customers feel the driver is already getting "tipped" and so withhold that amount from the tip. Drivers are pissed that the employer is making extra money on their deliveries. Neither is happy, and both would rather see the delivery fee eliminated.
            If you have a problem with the delivery fee, take that up with the local establishment's management; do not take it out on the driver.
          • cdahlkvist, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1As a Paramedic I will be sure to remember that when we are called out to administer life support to you.

            Can't tip me? Resuscitate yourself then.
        • thatcrazycommie, on 02/25/2008, -4/+3What's "Like a Virgin" really about?
        • MandiOLP, on 02/25/2008, -1/+8There are certain jobs where the wage is low to take into consideration the fact that you're a tipped employee. It is customary in the U.S. to tip your server and bartender, and as a result the standard wage for servers is $2.50 and hour. If you think it's a matter of the employers ripping off their employees then you are sadly mistaken, and incredibly ignorant. When you know your wage is a pittance you work extra hard to secure that gratuity, and as a result your customers are usually a lot more satisfied than if you could just say "screw it" and fall back on your wage. Tipping keeps the field competitive, and ends up rewarding those who are good at their job with better compensation. The same goes for delivery drivers. A few bucks to say "thanks for allowing me the luxury of not getting off my lazy ass to get my own food" is hardly unacceptable. There is a reason this system has worked so well for so long, and cheap bastards like you are the exception, not the rule. A server can make or break your evening, and you should appreciate the fact that you can give immediate feedback in such an unignorable way.
        • brundlefly76, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1I don't think there is anything uglier then watching someone undertip in person and then hear the them attempt to qualify it lacking poor service. I think its the absolute worst impression you can ever give anyone.
      • senatorpjt, on 02/25/2008, -1/+16Even if the place has a delivery charge? I usually give $3 anyway (I know the delivery guy isn't seeing any of that "delivery charge") but I do feel like I'm getting ripped off.
        • brentinkc, on 02/25/2008, -0/+11You are getting ripped off. Don't stiff me, bitch at Pizza Hut about their ***** charges. And actually, I get 91 cents of the dollar fifty they charge you. It barely covers gas cost.
          • gute123, on 02/25/2008, -0/+5I worked at Domino's in San Antonio when they first started doing delivery charges ($1.25). Before the delivery charge we made $5.50/hr + tips + $.75 per run. After the delivery charge we made $5.50/hr + tips + $.80 per run. that's right we got FIVE CENTS of that $1.25, and I had tons of angry customers who said they'd never tip us again

            Also I'm gonna repost this from above - this delivery man had a freaking bomb strapped to his neck on a delivery! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17190943/
      • 1longtime, on 02/25/2008, -12/+18pizza guy always gets $5. he drove that ***** to your front door. cough it up, you cheap, lazy bastards.
      • kymike, on 02/25/2008, -3/+14Wow, right up there with cops. Yet, you never hear of pizza delivery guys going ***** on customers and saying stuff like:

        "ARE YOU HAVING A BAD NIGHT, YOUNG BOY?!?"

        ...or do you?

        (Signing statement: This feeble attempt at humor is in reference to the kid from Missouri that got pulled over by the crazy cop last summer...hmm...hit submit or not...oh, what the heck.)
        • drunk3nrabbit, on 02/25/2008, -1/+4I won't bury you because you at least tried...
        • addakorn, on 02/25/2008, -6/+8Actually I do know a former delivery driver who flashed a 45 (was in his waist line). The customer called and complained that the pizza was not to his standards. The driver in question was cooking the pizzas (and took the order) on this day., He made the customer another pizza and had it delivered. The customer called again saying that the pizza was not the way he had asked. He made another pizza, then delivered it himself. He simply let his outer shirt fall open to reveal the .45, then asked the customer 'I am going to trust that this pizza is good enough for you?'. The customer was never heard from again (at least by that pizza shop).
          • triad203, on 02/25/2008, -1/+4Try that ***** at my house, and you'll end up face down in my driveway in a pool of your own blood. You don't threaten someone with firearms over a goddamned pizza, I don't care how annoying he is. Just stop delivering to him. Pizza is not worth your life.
      • asherchang, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1props. +1
      • gypsi, on 02/25/2008, -2/+2oddly enough, cops don't get tips
        • Topher28, on 02/25/2008, -4/+0I heard about some guy who tried to a tip a cop. The cops thought he was pulling a weapon and next thing you know, he got tased in the eye.
        • Metis2be, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2Cops also don't make less than minimum wage like I do working at papa johns.

          If you try to tip a cop, that's called a bribe and most likely a felony.
      • Veraiste, on 02/25/2008, -2/+8I deliver pizza as well. $3 is fine. If you don't want to tip, that's fine. Be prepared for slow service though. Good tippers get priority service and people who don't tip get their food last.
      • mikesbaker, on 02/25/2008, -0/+6I manage a pizza place. The drivers get robbed a lot. My store got robbed last month. I know (former) drivers who were kidnapped on the job. Our stores average pre run is 3.50 - 4. Thats ok if you bought one pizza but really you are a cheap jackass if you tip a lower percentage than you would at a restaurant. Gas is really expensive. Cars break.
      • gurm, on 02/25/2008, -0/+7I live in a country where tipping is basically unheard of. I remember when I visited the US for the first time and I ordered a pizza one night. When the delivery guy came I picked up my jar of coins and counted exact change. Not only was I unaware of this cultural difference, but I was also young and stupid and didn't pick up on the unsaid bafflement and dissatisfaction from the delivery guy.

        I got it a couple of days later and I've been feeling like a dork about this ever since.
    • rolfeman02, on 02/25/2008, -0/+14I used to be a piano delivery guy and I always felt that an acceptable tip for us was $10-$20 dollars each depending on the difficulty of the move. Now whenever I have a piece of furniture or a heavy item delivered to my house, I tip $5-$20 depending on the total price of the object and the difficulty of the move.
      • Mikejoneswho5, on 02/25/2008, -3/+40what the hell? piano delivery? do you work for acme?
        • MindStalker, on 02/25/2008, -2/+8:), you know people buy pianos right? right..
          The average piano purchaser can't stick the piano in their car.
          Its more of a furniture moving type of thing. :)
          //Yea I know you know this, just feeling snarky tonight.
        • nextyoyoma, on 02/25/2008, -13/+4it's not just for people who buy new pianos; moving a piano is a big ordeal, a serious pain in the ass. But of course, people like you probably don't give a ***** about music anyway, so who gives a *****.

          Bury me because I'm ***** drunk, *****!
          • haydesigner, on 02/25/2008, -3/+3Funny I thought you were sober.
            Still stupid, but sober.
    • Isoptera4, on 02/25/2008, -15/+9$2. No more no less.
      • Laminarcissus, on 02/25/2008, -6/+3Two of your Cheesy Bread up my ass, no more, no less.
    • mintynomad, on 02/25/2008, -1/+5http://tipthepizzaguy.com/

      Hope that helps.
      • gute123, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2RE pizza delivery being dangerous: what about THIS guy?
        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17190943/
        (I wanted to reply to the thread above but there's no reply button up there anymore)
        I also used to deliver pizza and got robbed at gunpoint once in the middle of the day
    • zachtib, on 02/25/2008, -9/+5I've always tipped $1 per pizza, $2 if it's only one pizza.
      • aywwts4, on 02/25/2008, -0/+11I never understand this, its not like the difficulty is in lifting up the heft of your one or two pizzas, its in driving out to your damn house.

        I always tip relative to distance, when I lived downtown a little less than a mile away from the restaurant and I know they are probably delivering to other apartments in my building i tipped 2 or 3, but now that a delivery driver likely has to travel many miles to get to me, I tip twice that.
    • Blandyman, on 02/25/2008, -1/+14It sorta depends how much money I have on me. If I just got my paycheck and I'm good to go for a while, I order a pizza to enjoy, and if it was speedy and the guy has a cheery attitude I'll tip him generously.

      I remember once I ordered a medium pizza and some ***** there. It came out to about $12 or something. The guy came up to the door, said hello, how are you and everything, I gave him a $20, he gave me change and was ready to walk off without expecting tip... I found this very modest to say the least, considering he was probably sure I'd give him something... I gave him all the change. Your good behaviors are rewarded with good behaviors.
      • triad203, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2This is a great point. It is really overlooked how one's attitude affects the tip. If someone is sullen, or fake, I am not likely to be all that generous unless we had great service. I am not expecting chipper, sultry, or enthusiastic. Just professional and polite. It's amazing how much better I feel about service if someone is nice about it.
    • theOster, on 02/25/2008, -1/+6i usually go for $3 for pizza and if it's cold, rainy or pushing late-at-night (they're all bike deliveries), i'll go $4 or $5
    • addakorn, on 02/25/2008, -6/+5Figure the following into your tip;

      The driver usually gets 50-100% of the delivery charge. (A)
      Assume the driver only has your delivery on the current run.
      Figure what it would cost you to drive to the pizza place and back. (B)
      Figure how much you think it is worth to have pizza delivered to your door (D)

      D+B-A=around what you should tip
      • Darthyoshiboy, on 02/25/2008, -5/+5-A?
        You sir, are an ass. Assume - me = u Ass.
        I worked 8 years as a Pizza Delivery guy, and of the store's charge for delivery, 0% went into my pocket, cheap asses like you that "assumed" the store's charge was covering me, were the bane of my existence. I hope that you change your mind on the whole -A thing cause it's often not a factor in the level of service that the driver provided. Tips are for service, if I provided awful service I expected no tip, but when the service was great and the pizza was on time, I fully expected 10-15% to make it worth my time, if you can't manage 10-15%, you should come get the damn pizza yourself.
        • leif81, on 02/25/2008, -4/+2The customer has to pay the delivery charge whether the delivery guy gets it or not. Factoring A in still makes sense to me.
        • Veraiste, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1In my experience, driver's usually get 50-75%. Some stores do more, so less. It often depends on how much the store charges for delivery.
        • purzzzell, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1ASK THE DAMNED STORE!
        • nastri83, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Your math is off. Assume - me = Assu. You're not supposed to carry the u. It's subtraction, you dummy.


          For yer health!
    • subESC, on 02/25/2008, -3/+4A $5 tip can make a pizza man's day.
      $2, on the other hand, I would say is standard.
      When I was a delivery driver, I had people just round up (i.e. - Give me $15 for a $14.23 order). Don't do that.
      Also, don't give the driver $15.23 because the bill is $12.23; those 23 cents make no difference in the end.
      • nextyoyoma, on 02/25/2008, -1/+5so, at the end of the day you'd rather walk away with 2 dollar bills and a bunch of change than 3 dollar bills? Personally, I think of my physical money as "This many dollars and some change," regardless of how much change there is, whether it be $.23 or $4.50.
      • gypsi, on 02/25/2008, -2/+6pretty demanding. how about you give me exact change, then gtfo
      • Veraiste, on 02/25/2008, -1/+6I'll definitely take the change. It adds up.
    • LloydBentsen, on 02/25/2008, -3/+25I once delivered over $850 worth of pizza to an industrial plant in SE Texas and was tipped zero. 73 pizzas can make a 2 door focus smell for weeks. Assholes.
      • gypsi, on 02/25/2008, -1/+15if you don't want your car smelling like pizza, you're in the wrong line of work buddy.
        • LloydBentsen, on 02/25/2008, -2/+3No worries, I quit. They refused to cut my hours when school started up. That and the job is really hard on a vehicle, but maybe it's because my car is a piece of *****.
          • MtheoryX, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Well, if you're car wasn't a piece of ***** before, it sure as hell will be in a very short time working that type of job.
    • ludar, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3i usually tip a couple bucks and offer the driver a slice or a beer. give them a quick break from their work that's my thinking
      • grakker, on 02/25/2008, -0/+8I always appreciated the beer. I delivered pizza for a while when I first started college. I was tipped beer on several occasions and was tipped a bud just about nightly. Those were good tips, seeing as I was just working for beer and bud anyway.
      • firstpost, on 02/25/2008, -0/+3Isn't DUI illegal?
        I mean: I'd like it too, but if you're offered five beers from consecutive customers, I don't think you should still be driving
      • po43292, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I've offered beer if we were having a party or something, but they usually decline.
    • vspazv, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I always tip at least $5 for pizza and I always order from the same place. Now I never wait more than 30 minutes for a pizza and the delivery guys hook me up with coupons, free sodas and breadsticks.
    • curiousgrge, on 02/25/2008, -4/+1"I once delivered over $850 worth of pizza to an industrial plant in SE Texas and was tipped zero. 73 pizzas can make a 2 door focus smell for weeks. Assholes."

      Was it to one of Hillary's campaign offices? At least you didn't get stiffed the bill.
      • Slackdragon, on 02/25/2008, -1/+4In Clinton's Democratic America, the Bill stiffs YOU!
      • MrMacMan, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2you see the reply button?

        Use it.
    • cyberwarriorx, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2Or how about that guy that fixes your computer? Or the mail man? Or the store clerk? *wink* *wink* Let's face it, sometimes people deserve tips, but let's not go overboard here.
    • krizzle, on 02/25/2008, -2/+0This article is much better if tip and tipping are interpreted in the sexual sense.
      Proper tipping etiquette is still a trait rarely found in modern men yet, when perfected, it can actually become quite enjoyable. It’s a selfless act of giving to others based on the level of service you’ve received. A lot of these people get a pitiful wage and the tips they get go a long way to supplement their income. Make them happy and you’ll be looked after. Annoy them and you’d be best advised to eat your meal with caution!


      There is no way this is not a perverted article.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



      Tipping really is an art form and when you’re giving your tip you want to be as discrete and gentlemanly as possible. Hand over the tip with your palm facing down and shake hands with the person you are tipping, simultaneously placing the money in their hand. What you want to avoid doing is waving the money around and making a big deal of it. You’ll look like an idiot for starts and if that isn’t enough, you’re going to make the person receiving the tip feel uncomfortable because, believe it or not, you’re coming across like a condescending jerk. You’re not throwing a treat for Fido here.

      So how do you figure out how much to tip? Well the truth is there are no tipping rules per se, however there are guidelines which suggest how much is appropriate to give. Let’s investigate.

      ETC ETC just dont get her pregnant.
    • terminal157, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2$2.00 is the average. Less than that and the driver will think you're cheap, more than that and he'll be appreciative. Of course, size of order (one or two extra things aren't a big deal but a huge order is a pain in the ass) and distance are factors as well.
    • futbball09, on 02/25/2008, -2/+2Well I delivered pizza for awhile now and let me tell you... NOTHING makes me more irritated than no tip, or only a dollar or so. As for a general tip amount, it is usually three dollars on a $20 order, and a $5 on a $30 order is very nice. Please never tip below $3 if you can help it. We have to determine your location by a large map on the wall, write out directions, and drive all the way there and back, and sometimes make the pizzas as well, while a waiter just brings the food a few feet!
    • jguy584, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3I am a chinese food delivery guy, and have been doing it for about 3 years now.
      $2 - Weak
      $3 - At least you care
      $4 - Average
      $5 - Good

      I do deliver to a pretty affluent area (NY suburbs) so I would imagine this would not stand in some other parts of the country.
    • IllBeBack, on 02/25/2008, -0/+7I don't get pizza delivered anymore after they started with the $2.50 delivery charge. Getting carryout saves me $6 because now I don't pay the stupid delivery charge or any tip. Sorry pizza delivery dudes, your bosses really ***** it up for you.
      • ericcc, on 02/25/2008, -0/+5I'm the same way $2+change for tip and $3 for the delivery fee is a bit much on a $12 pizza. If I didn't have to pay the lousy fee I would gladly tip the delivery guy more especially if it's late, cold or raining. Now I just call my order in while I'm running an errand and pick up the pizza on the way home. That saves me 45% of the price of the pizza. Your bosses are indeed a bunch of greedy little bitches.
    • tempfd, on 02/25/2008, -1/+0I usually tip $5 and between $10 to $20 if the weather is *****. Always tip more if the weather is *****.
    • octophobic, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I hate it when you ask for change and get back a bunch of $5's. I find it hard to believe the delivery guy has no $1's on him.
      One time the guy gave me back a ten and two ones. If he had better change he would have left with more of a tip!
    • brundlefly76, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Delivery guy varies a lot. I never tip a delivery guy less than $5.

      Seriously, if you are in a restaurant and order a large pizza with drinks you are probably going to be in for a $5 tip - you aren't going to give at least that much to the guy who drove it all the way to your house? yeesh.

      I also tip more if its a nice restaurant, I just feel bad when I see an actual waiter at my door.

      Also, NYC, tip more, since they cant just run up to your doorstep, but are usually on a bicycle, and have to deal with building security, elevators, and sometimes ungodly walk-ups.

  • 711Security, on 02/25/2008, -6/+60Put this in my favorites for when I need to become a gentleman for a night.
    • MrFisty, on 02/25/2008, -1/+18Here's a tip to make sure you're a gentleman for a night: use your hand to pull her g-string back before placing the 20, don't use your teeth.
    • da_bradler, on 02/25/2008, -1/+12he was a little cheap on most of the tips 10-30% is more in line with what you should be tipping at an average restaurant 10% being poor service and 30% being great. also tipping 20-100$ for being seated is fairly insane unless your eating a thousand dollar meal.

      But tipping at a casino is entirely unneeded and goes unappreciated, all casino tips goes into a pot so virtually none of the money you tipped will go to that person. Tipping a poker dealer is basically insane since the house takes such a large cut of the pot in the first place. Tipping somebody for taking your money is pretty inappropriate in my opinion.
      • Archon810, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1exactly, that guy is way off in some of this amounts. Also, generalizing tipping at casino tables like that is simply wrong. You could be playing at $1 blinds table or $100 blinds. $5 per session for most is just insane.
    • Lennalf, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1Being a "gentleman" is simple: Spend lots of money and treat women like objects!

      The more you tip, the more likely it is that you'll attract a gold digger.
  • sleepyjjk, on 02/25/2008, -21/+5Good info when you're out with a lady.
  • Rockmaninoff, on 02/25/2008, -4/+48Dugg for that last reference on what to say when people flat out ask. Sometimes I can't believe the nerve of some people...
    • brentinkc, on 02/25/2008, -7/+18Common problem for you, huh? Maybe it wouldn't be such a problem if you'd shell out a few bucks from time to time.
      Service is bad occasionally, but it should be a rare occurrence that you stiff your server.
      • fangorious, on 02/25/2008, -1/+17One time after being seated at a mostly empty restaurant and waiting a good 10 minutes, I just said loudly "is anyone going to help us?" and a lady sitting three tables away stood up and served us. Poorly. Then the bill was wrong. And they made the same mistake three times. So I didn't tip. When my credit card statement I found out they actually wrote a tip on the slip. Like an 8% tip. They couldn't even do that right. I had the bank correct the transaction. They went out of business.
        • hasansexy, on 02/25/2008, -8/+3They went out of business because you took your tip back? :o
        • Blandyman, on 02/25/2008, -0/+17I went to the Outback Steakhouse of all places. The lady was a sack of ***** waitress. She came by ONCE, took our order, then came back some 20 minutes later with our drinks and appetizers (a blooming onion, which usually comes out in 10... but she didn't even bring the drinks until the meal had begun!)

          She disappeared like a ***** ghost again, not showing up until the main course. Which she served in a crazy hurry. We didn't have time to ask her for refills.

          Anyway, we called over another waitress, asked her to find ours, to let her know we needed refills. She was in a hurry, but obliged and did it with a smile on her face.

          The same woman came back with our refills and asked for our dessert. She said she was unable to locate our waitress but she was working on it.

          15 minutes later our worthless bitch of a waitress comes out and is like "How's your meal been?" and I said "Slow." My girlfriend elbowed me and gave me a look. I told the lady to give us the bill whenever she was ready and my girlfriend and I ate our chocolate thunder thing.

          Well, after another good 10 minutes, she came out with the bill and ran away, like if we had some contagious cancer. Needless to say, she got NOTHING, and I went so far as to find the second waitress (the helpful one with the smile) and gave her $5 for being so kind.
          • Gizza, on 02/25/2008, -1/+8Well that's suppose to be an Australian themed restaurant right? We don't tip in Australia, so you should not tip to keep things as authentic as possible.
        • triad203, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I have to admit, that is insanely close to the experiences I've had at Outback on more than one occasion. Fortunately I'm vegetarian so I don't often bother with it. =)
    • siszam, on 02/25/2008, -16/+8If they have to ask then YOU are the problem. Stop being cheap.
      • jwolcott, on 02/25/2008, -4/+28*****, in the US, service personnel EXPECT to get tipped which completely changes the dynamic of tipping. Tipping is meant to be optional and based on superior service, so when people automatically expect to get tipped because it's part of the culture, then they no longer have a motivation to go that extra mile. If someone simply does their job, I don't tip them, that's what their salary is for. If they feel they're getting underpaid, they should find another job. However, every single time someone goes above and beyond their call of duty, I tip them and tip them very well.
        • brentinkc, on 02/25/2008, -7/+4How would you like it if you made less than minimum wage every time you had an off-day?
          Do you really go the extra mile, every single minute of every day? Because that's what you're expecting out of me.
          • adrenaline33, on 02/25/2008, -1/+7Then find a new ***** job if its such a big deal. Checking on your table twice as often only takes the effort of walking an extra 20 feet.
          • ianandris, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3*shakes head* I'm convinced that compulsory employment in the food service industry (NOT fast food) should by mandatory for every kid right out of high school. A lot of people just don't have a clue. Yes, there's always the "get a new job" argument, but it's empty and skirts the issue. It's the same tired, "You don't like America? Well move to Canada!!" *****. Here's the deal: you vote to get the wage situation sorted so tipped workers aren't being paid utter *****, and we'll stop complaining about tips. In the meantime, as long as you support laws that short food service workers or elect representatives that support said laws *or remain indifferent*, you get to hear us loud and clear.
          • cdahlkvist, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2"How would you like it if you made less than minimum wage every time you had an off-day?"

            Well, I work a job that doesn't rely on tips from customers.

            Furthermore, that job demands the same performance of me every day I work. I am expected to fulfill my responsibility as set out in my employment agreement. If I perform better I do not expect to be tipped. That is the idea behind a job description. Employer pays you X amount in trade for you performing X duties.

            If you feel you deserve more for those duties then it's time to find a new job.
        • Gizza, on 02/25/2008, -0/+9The US really needs to get proper minimum wage laws. Why the hell do they call it minimum wage when you can be paid less than that.
          • cdahlkvist, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1It seems that either a lot of these "wait staff" on here are lying or they are being lied to by their employers (in which case they should check the laws themselves).

            I use to work for a company that hired a "commission based sales staff".

            The way the Dept of Labor handled that was that the salesperson had to make a minimum of $8/hr on any given day.

            If they were going to fall short of that the company could choose to send them home for the day or to compensate them hourly for the rest of the day in order to keep them at the $8/hr minimum.
          • Icelightning, on 02/26/2008, -0/+1@cdahlkvist:
            The wait staff aren't lying, sadly. Some employers won't give their employees the difference, even though the wait staff are taxed based on the amount they were "expected" to make in tips. Yeah, it's messed up.
      • mmortal03, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2Unfortunately, jwolcott, in the U.S. people can get paid less than minimum wage as their salary, as the tips are supposed to make up more than the difference. I'm not saying it is right, but I am saying that those are the conditions that the individual who you are tipping unfortunately has little control over.
        • Lennalf, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1They could get a different job. If you aren't the kind of person who is willing to trade servitude with a smile on your face for cash, then don't go into a tip-based service job. It's pretty simple.
          • mmortal03, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1The point I was making is that under the current system, if you aren't paying them a tip, you are getting out cheaper than what you would be paying if it was built in to their salary. That is wrong. jwolcott said that "If someone simply does their job, I don't tip them, that's what their salary is for. " Their salary is clearly not worth the amount of work that they do by itself. Furthermore, they should not have to get another job just because some jerks want to get food for cheaper than the service would cost if it WAS built in to their salaries. I mean, you don't have to give that much, but at least tip them a little bit.
      • MandiOLP, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1That's a bit of a silly statement. The reason why people take jobs that pay under three dollars an hour is because the tips make up for it. Yes, tipping is expected as it's customary. However, the harder you work, the better your tip. That's one hell of a motivator to give good service.

        Luckily for me and my serving and bartending friends people like you are in the minority. Most people feel actual guilt about single-handedly lowering our wages by giving ***** or no tips for acceptable, or better, service. We have long memories, too. You're not going to get stellar service when you don't play the game and compensate us for it. If you want to pay someone bare minimum for a job then expect bare minimum performance. As others have already touched on, you get what you pay for. There are definite perks to treating customer service staff well.
        • cdahlkvist, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Maybe you need to cover this with your employer instead.

          I tip well but I resent your statement:
          "If you want to pay someone bare minimum for a job then expect bare minimum performance."

          Bare minimum performance would be to bring my food as I have ordered it, make my drink as I have ordered it. You see, that is bare minimum. It's what your job duties entail.

          Unfortunately, bare minimum to those of you feel you have a right to a tip for doing your job is more along the lines of "ignore customer, spit in customers food, make weak drinks for customer."

          We customers also have long memories. We let others know what crappy service they can expect at your employers business and specifically how crappy of an employee you are too.
  • tundra721, on 02/25/2008, -3/+165I don't think the tip percentage should differ whether you're at a 4-star restaurant or a Denny's. If the service is better at Denny's, they'll be getting the 20-22% tip.
    • sjbdallas, on 02/25/2008, -3/+61Waiters get 15% from me as long as they do their jobs. If they go over the top, i'll give them 20%.
      Same goes for chicks HOWEVER: if she's hot and flirts with me, she gets 20% regardless of how good she does. If she touches me, she gets 30% regardless of how good she does. And if she hits on me........well none have ever hit on me so I don't know what I would pay.
      • bradbeattie, on 02/25/2008, -4/+57Wait, are we talking waitresses here or prostitutes?
      • nmnnotmyname, on 02/25/2008, -5/+0Speaking in percentages for chicks?... I must ask... Of what?
      • bmystry, on 02/25/2008, -0/+9If she touches you its 30%? Dude wtf?!
      • jeff303, on 02/25/2008, -0/+5Does slapping count as touching?
      • ArcticRain101, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Your an idiot you tip at the end what difference does it make she is still gonna flirt with you even if you tip her nothing at the end...
      • TheJokerV, on 02/25/2008, -0/+3tool
      • timisondigglol, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2Thats retarded. Flirting for better tips is cheap.
    • kleptomaniac, on 02/25/2008, -6/+1I take it you enjoy the cuisine and atmosphere of fine establishments such as hooters?
    • BrewBeau, on 02/25/2008, -3/+3So you're only going to leave $1 on a grand slam and a coffee? Surely, a couple bucks would be minimum if you're served a meal and drink, even if it is Denny's.
      • Lennalf, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2A fool and his money are soon parted.
        • ianandris, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2*sigh* We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Throwing down an extra few dollars doesn't really hurt your bottom line (if it does, you shouldn't be eating out) and it can make a world of difference to a server. Tipping isn't charity, but it's an easy place to do some good.

          I spent about 6 months as a server, and you gain an entirely different perspective once you've been in that position. Before, I didn't really think twice about tipping. 1 or 2 dollars seemed pretty reasonable since I'd never been particularly wowed by service at any place. After I worked in that capacity, I realized how painfully out of touch people are with the realities of service work. So, I developed this line of reasoning to determine an appropriate tip: Would you do what they do for what you're paying them to do? IE, would you put on a cheerful, smiley face, get drinks, dote on them, take orders, correct orders, bring food out, refill drinks, clean up spills, etc. for 1 dollar? 2 dollars? When you aren't in that position, all you see is a face, your food, a bill.

          These days, I start at 4 dollars regardless of the cost of the meal. After 4 dollars, I tip at 25 percent. If the service is good, I don't hesitate to go higher. There just isn't a good reason to be stingy when you're tipping, IMO.
          • Lennalf, on 03/01/2008, -0/+1"do some good" my ass. I'm supporting a waiter's income. You will become exactly X dollars richer, and I will become X dollars poorer. Your employer pays nothing, the price is not shown on the menu, and you are motivated to provide good service and punished for working slow shifts. Who really wins?

            Most of the bartenders I know make WAY more money than I do in far few actual hours. This tip culture really adds up quickly. Maybe they should be tipping me for a change!

            Ultimately, tipping is a pretty crappy thing to rely on. Tipping encourages screening the hiring process on the basis of looks and age.
          • Lennalf, on 03/01/2008, -0/+1You add an extra $4 flat before even using 25%? You'd be ***** insane to expect that of your average hourly employee. If one server handles 5 tables an hour, they should be paid $20 an hour BEFORE the automatic 25%? So if those 5 tables are only $30 a table, you would make another $37.5 an hour in tips, for a grand total of:
            $57.5 an hour!?!?

            I worked in the service industry several times, but I never expected to be paid $100k a year in tips alone!
        • octophobic, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1That applies whenever you eat out even if you don't tip. You're paying more for the experience because you could just cook your own damn burger.
    • NeoCortex, on 02/25/2008, -2/+21I think about tipping like the opening scene in Reservoir Dogs. If the person did a particularly good job, I'll give them a good tip. I'm not going to just tip everyone society tells me to tip. I think the rules on who should be tipped and shouldn't be tipped is complete *****.
      • Dominatus, on 02/25/2008, -9/+4Uhh, no it's not, especially with regards to waitresses and waiters....

        Their salaries are well below minimum wage, because their actual salary comes from tips, not from anything else. This is the nature of the job.

        Think about it this way. The waiter does not work for the restaurant, they work for you. They serve you. When you go to a restaurant you are effectively hiring that waiter to serve you your food. If they do an adequate job then you should pay them what is normally accepted.

        Not tipping a waitress or waiter like Mr Pink from reservoir dogs wanted to do makes you, with out any other way to put it, a douche bag.
        • gypsi, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1fine, learn to ***** type
        • carve, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2No- they work for the restaurant. I'd gladly go get my own food for a 20% savings. That said, servers are expected to make tips, and are taxed on the tips they are thought to have made, so if you don't tip at least, say, 7%, the server actually lost a little money by serving you.

          I have a problem with tipping based on percentage though. Does an expensive bottle of wine take any more skill to deliver than a cheap one? Is it more difficult for the waiter to bring you the nice steak than the hamburger? So why should there be a tip difference?
        • ianandris, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I can't, for the life of me, see why Dominatus would be dugg down. If restaurants paid waiters a livable wage, I could see how the Resevoir Dogs position would be feasible, but state laws typically allow for servers to be paid next to nothing for their time. In most cases, they aren't required to pay even minimum wage. So, effectually, even though one is an employee of the restaurant, whether or not he makes a living depends entirely on what the people are willing to pay him in tips. Is it screwed up? Yes. Absolutely. I'm of the opinion that tips SHOULD be optional and that resaurants should pay their employees a livable wage, but that's not the reality of the situation. In practice, unless you're content with being inconsiderate and rude, tips aren't optional.

          Carve: part of the reason there is a tip difference is because many of the other salaries in the restaurant depend on your tips, too. Waiters usually have to tip out bussers, bartenders, often management takes a cut, hostesses, etc. The amount of those tips are typically a percentage of the total food sales of the waiter. IE, you order a more expensive bottle of wine, at the end of the night the waiter has to tip out more.
        • SuperJason, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2WRONG, if they get no tips, the restaurant has to pay the difference to bring them up to minimum wage. They only make the lower wage when the tips put them over the standard minimum
      • KMartSheriff, on 02/25/2008, -7/+2Neo, go work as a waiter for a month. Come back and try saying that again.
      • NeoCortex, on 02/25/2008, -0/+8I understand that some people's wages rely on tips, but not everybody who is deemed "tippable" is in that category. The guy seating me at the 4-star restaurant? He probably makes more than a lot of his customers. And how does showing someone where to sit justify $25-$100. And how about getting a hair cut? I used to always tip the barber I went to. Now the local place I'm stuck going to charges over $12 for a men's haircut. Explain how I should pay even more on top of that for 5 minutes of work?

        Don't get me wrong, I am not against tipping. I am just against tipping for the sake of looking good or because it's expected of me.
    • mweflen, on 02/25/2008, -7/+13This is exactly what I was thinking while I read the article. Why would you short the "local restaurant" with poorer, hard-working student-age service staff and save all your money for the ***** Maitre'd and coat check person at the expensive restaurant?

      I tip more when I eat cheap, and my tipping levels off at 15% for adequate service and 20% for great service the more expensive the meal gets. If I pay $7 for a burger and fries at a local diner and the server is really on the ball and nice, you'd better believe I give them the extra $3. You're paying for TIME, not just for a percentage of the food. The 45 minutes you stayed to eat your dish was time they could have had another table. Don't be a ***** douchebag and whip out your calculator to figure that 15% of $7 is really $1.05.

      Arguments that we shouldn't have to tip are pointless - if you're that opposed to the system, then DO NOT GO to the restaurants that work that way. If you eat at ***** Chili's and than short your server because you think that servers should make $8 an hour, that's tantamount to driving on the shoulder of the freeway because you think it should be 6 lanes and not 5. If you don't want to tip, go the the goddamn grocery store and make your own ***** dinner. It's a lot cheaper, and any spit or semen involved is at your own discretion.
    • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -1/+5Which establishment is more likely to have an AUTOMATIC gratuity added: the 4-star restaurant or Denny's? Man, I hate that *****. Just because you're a "nice" restaurant, it's extremely presumptuous to assume that my experience will be worth what what you think ahead of time.

      I also never understood the percentage thing. What does the amount of service have to do with how much the food costs. If someone orders a lobster, is their service somehow better than the person who ordered a Caesar salad? A waiter at a "nice" restaurant can make a couple hundred bucks from a large party when the diner lady probably busts her ass a lot more.
    • vspazv, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I've tipped more than the price of the meal at small diners before because of the service. It's also nice to know you probably just made someone's day by handing out $15 on a $10 meal for working their ass off expcting $1.50 compared to the waiter that expects $40 for being an ***** in a 4 star restraunt.
    • ianandris, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1The OP has it right. Percentages should be the same across the board. But, if you're compelled to tip disproportionately, be kind and tip the soul who appreciate it more. Not many people aspire to work waiting tables at Dennys.
    • rhesuspieces00, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I start at 15%, regardless of where I'm eating. Every time the waiter does something I like (e.g. not charging me extra for a substitution, allowing me to change tables if i don't like mine, etc.), I increase the tip by 5%. Every time s/he does something to piss me off (e.g. snotty attitude, inattentiveness, etc.) I knock 5% off the tip. If it gets to 0%, I complain to management. I've tipped as high as 40% (at which point I also will generally put in a good word for the waiter with the management).
    • djbon2112, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I agree. I think this guy is a little extreme in some areas.

      My general rule is take the bill (be it food, cab, delivery, etc.), round up to the nearest dollar, then tip based on that: 20-25% for good service, 15% for average, 10% and a little "how was my performance" card for not so great (I rarely go to what you'd call 4-star restaurants where there's a manager who isn't as miserable as the wait staff!)
    • brundlefly76, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Everyone gets 20% unless they seriously ***** up or did something I really appreciated.
      Both are rare.
    • TheUngod, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Not exactly "formal", but if you're in the Boston area, my friend has a website dedicated to service in restaurants. Not so much about the food, but more about if the service was any good. It's pretty new but it always can use more reviews. http://harvardtipping.org/
  • Prototek, on 02/25/2008, -4/+402$20-$100 for someone to sit you at a table in a restaurant. Maybe out of my cold, dead hands.
    • jon30041, on 02/25/2008, -12/+34If you're going to a 4-star place, then you've got that ***** lying around in every pair of pants, just because you forgot about that new sound system you bought, all in c-notes.
      • biotch, on 02/25/2008, -5/+46uh no ... most of us when we go to a 4 star restaurant, we just saved up actually working for that 20-100 dollars. If everyone got 20-100 bones just for doing something as trivial as seating someone, money would be as worthless as sand.... and that goes for you bartenders too. If you think pouring a drink warrants you ANYTHING at all past the wage you earn then you dont know the meaning of work. Be happy I drop an extra buck on that ridiculously priced shot and dont you dare start expecting it, or more than that, for your "hard work".
        • addakorn, on 02/25/2008, -6/+1The wage that they earn is usually less than $3. I have only come across a few people who were not worth more than $3 an hour....
          • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+8Then they should find an employer that doesn't exploit them, leaving them at the mercy of the customers.
          • MrHappy123, on 02/25/2008, -2/+3Where are you from? China?
        • robgford, on 02/25/2008, -8/+2As a bartender, I'm going to have to disagree with you. A good bartender is more than a slinger of beer and Cuervo shots. A lot of people take their drinking seriously, and depending on the situation, a bartender can make your night a whole lot better. Also remember that we are not deciding the prices, nor making any profit off those ridiculously priced drinks. $1 per drink minimum is standard. A happy bartender means happy drinkers, don't be an ass.
          • djbon2112, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I think it depends on the place. If I'm at a nice bar, getting good service from someone who knows what they're doing (i.e. someone who can make me what I want when I ask for it, knows how to pour and measure, etc.), and the drinks are fairly priced, then I tip $1-2 for a drink (or a good percentage off the bar tab). But if I'm at some stupid club or a crap bar, and I get ***** service and/or disgustingly overpriced drinks, no tip from me.
          • biotch, on 02/25/2008, -0/+6I dont care who is deciding the price or who is making profit. It all leaves my wallet just the same. If its too much, you're less likely to get a tip. And dont pretend this is about making people happy. If that were the case bartenders would be giving drinks away for free. Its about money and profit plain and simple. You get paid a certain wage. If you dont like that wage, go somwhere else. Dont become dependent on people GIVING you money. Especially when its in return for something as meaningless as pouring a drink. Hell if that were the case, the guy at McDonalds deserves more than you. He serves me fries and burgers on top of pouring drinks. How about you dont be an ass and dont call me an ass for not wanting to give you money when you dont deserve it.
          • cdahlkvist, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Your job could easily be filled by a drink vending machine these days. I walk up, swipe my credit card, select the drink I want on a touchscreen and voila! My drink comes out.

            Your duties warrant $2-$3 an hour, nothing more. Be happy when I throw you a $1 or $2 once in a while. Make your job valuable. Your attitude in your post shows you feel you deserve extra money for the job you are already paid to do. You chose that position and knew the hourly wage.
        • drakia, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3"A lot of people take their drinking seriously"
          And that is what's wrong with society today, they take poisoning themselves seriously.
      • pearlygate, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1I wish I could digg you 10 times
    • mntbikeracer1, on 02/25/2008, -0/+17Yeah the guy talks about a Bentley too, a few parts are a little out of touch with my price range.
    • exomni, on 02/25/2008, -13/+4Maitre'de tipping is, to me, the most communicative form of tipping. If the guy takes forever or seats you in a bad spot, you give him much less; if he does his job, gives you a nice spot, away from annoying customers, seats you promptly, then go ahead and give him $30 or $40.
      • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+9Here's a better idea: people should do their job well in the first place, or be replaced by someone else who will. I find it insulting that I, as the customer, am expected to give out charity to someone for doing the very menial task that they were hired to do.
      • Hosalabad, on 02/25/2008, -0/+5You'd tip him for taking forever or giving you a bad seat? Haha, that's like closing the barn door after the cows get out.
      • octophobic, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I would only start tipping the maitre'de if I wanted to make sure they learn to recognize and seat me more quickly the next time. If you're never going back to that restaurant again why bother?
    • twinklyJesus, on 02/25/2008, -13/+4there are some restaurants where if you choose not to tip the Maitre'di, you don't get seated, period. its just the way it is, has been, and will be.
    • salomejones, on 02/25/2008, -12/+8Evidently you've never been to that kind of restaurant.
      • Arcotik, on 02/25/2008, -2/+15That kind of restaurant clearly isn't focused enough on their food and doesn't deserve my money.
    • Lavar, on 02/25/2008, -2/+17You know how they say there are 2 Americas? Thats from the other side most of us won't get to see.
      • BrewBeau, on 02/25/2008, -2/+4or wouldn't want to see. I love good food and don't mind paying top dollar for it, but places where you're pampered and expected to tip like that are just weird. On the other hand, if I'm expected to touch my salad with the same knife as my main course, I'm just going to snap.
        • FrozenKetchup, on 02/25/2008, -3/+10why are you touching a salad with a knife?
          • Kumaku, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1At times peaces are a bit large and need to be cut down so you don't get the ring of dressing around your lips.
        • kymike, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2Why does it matter (about the knife)? You realize that it all comes out the same way, right?
          • BrewBeau, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2You realize I was joking, right? At nice restaurants you get more than one knife at a place setting. Forks, too.
          • kymike, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1@BrewBeau:

            Well, you say you were joking, but then you add "At nice restaurants you get more than one knife at a place setting." My point still stands - what difference does it make? I don't care if I use the same fork 'n knife for dessert, let alone my salad and entrée. I can always lick it clean first.
          • BrewBeau, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1You're right, it doesn't make a difference. Nicer restaurants do go overboard with those things when all I care about is good food. I'm not disagreeing with you. I was being sarcastic at the end of my first comment to drive home the point that those things are ridiculous and are there just to be a status symbol.
      • sselbor, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1North America?
      • AmICoolNow, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1South America?
      • IllBeBack, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1West America?
    • cbuddha42, on 02/25/2008, -2/+18100 bucks for a table is ridiculous. Only reason you would have to tip that much is if he shouldn't give you the table for some reason and that's called a bribe not a tip. 20-40 bucks for a nice seat in a nice place and skipping the line if doing so is his choice (ie: not just whatever table was open and not because you had a reservation or some such).

      That said, the only reason I agree to mandatory tipping is because I feel sorry for people getting the shaft from their employer. I wish they wouldn't put up with it and we could replace the current system with a few dollar thank you, maybe more for something extraordinary.
    • fangorious, on 02/25/2008, -3/+10I once tipped the guy $10 at an upscale strip club in Vegas for good seats and he put us right in front of the stage where the girls come out to start fishing for lap dances. Awesome, awesome night.
      • triad203, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Man, when I go to a strip club, I never want to be right in front of the stage. That way I don't get the onus of tipping every pass. Speaking of which, why do they not mention tipping at "gentlemen's clubs"!? I think it is rude for the girls to do just one or two lame dance moves then wait for you to tip them. At the same time, though, it's also fairly rude to sit and gawk and never tip. I tend to sit at a table relatively close to the stage, but not up next to it. That way I can get up and tip for my favorites, and focus on my drink for the... others.
    • da_bradler, on 02/25/2008, -0/+53100$ is not a tip 100$ is a bribe.
    • Typhoon2009, on 02/25/2008, -0/+32***** it I'm gonna be a maitre'd.
      • bagelmaster, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I was starting to think the same thing... you could seat a few people per day and make as much as I ***** do in a week right now.
      • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3The only reason "maitre'd" is considered a more respectable job than "host" (they're really the same job) is because a maitre'd deals with unreasonable, stuck-up rich assholes all day.
    • solidhayter, on 02/25/2008, -2/+0I think he was accounting for larger parties with that estimate. If you're rolling 6 deep in a fancy restaurant, it could be harder to seat everyone.
    • kymike, on 02/25/2008, -2/+11Agreed. I gladly give a 20% tip (or $7 minimum, whichever is higher) at my local Golden Corral, but there is no way I would tip somebody $100 for "finding me a table". If the restaurant is such a scam that the maitre d’ has to be bribed in order to seat you, then the hell with them. I wouldn't even go to a place like that (and yes, I can afford it.)

      And I tip my pizza delivery guys the same, btw.
      • 776721, on 02/25/2008, -7/+1buried because you felt like we needed to know that "i can afford it"
        • kymike, on 02/25/2008, -1/+8Sorry, wasn't trying in the least to be boastful, but rather was hoping to avoid replies along the lines of "then you can't afford to eat at a restaurant like that." That's all.
      • Draakan, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2You are supposed to tip at a Golden Corral? They had a sign saying no tipping needed when they opened. Guess I should check to see if they are still posted.
    • iLEZ, on 02/25/2008, -0/+4The real description should read: How to tip like a person trying to impress someone. In Sweden we rarely tip, and some of these numbers seem really stupid to me. On the other hand, our restaurant workers do not depend totally on tipping. I wish i could get tips like these working as a desktop publisher. ;)
      • octophobic, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I get tipped on a yearly basis but sadly no where near 15-20%.
    • iRelinquish, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1I was a server at TGI FRiDAYS and i expected a 20 percent tip, for the service i offered. And 90 percent of the time i got it. So when the average table spends 100 bucks i would get a 20 dollar tip.
  • captoftheworld, on 02/25/2008, -22/+91.
    • hansk, on 02/25/2008, -35/+10..
      • FlyingSpaghetti, on 02/25/2008, -3/+53...
        • SniperZero, on 02/25/2008, -18/+5....
        • KeithA45, on 02/25/2008, -16/+7This was a triumph?
        • bob12321, on 02/25/2008, -4/+19....
        • Magillicutti, on 02/25/2008, -0/+57I don't understand digg anymore at all. ".." gets -3 while "..." gets +7. I'm so terribly confused.
          • wellyuk, on 02/25/2008, -2/+11The Digg populace doesn't like even numbers, it's as simple as that.
          • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -1/+17'.' is a full stop, '...' is an ellipsis. '..' is just irritatingly in-between.
          • hansk, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1thx for the explanation spudnic. that two dots in a row pissed so many people off here...yeeesshh....and for THOSE reasons....WHERE THE ***** ARE THE NORMAL PEOPLE?!!!!!!
        • chrisaug18, on 02/25/2008, -3/+10Yeah they should all be buried, unless I am missing some big inside joke
        • nmnnotmyname, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3Even amounts seem to have worse luck, but only the first time. Interesting..
        • nextyoyoma, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1again, seriously, wtf
      • Zipko, on 02/25/2008, -4/+5...---...
    • BillMoocho, on 02/25/2008, -4/+119Good Point
      • Neoanarchist, on 02/25/2008, -15/+4Lmfao. Nice one :)
      • nmnnotmyname, on 02/25/2008, -12/+1I agree. I especially liked the ending, clear and down to the point.
      • zeromancer, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1so i dug your comment when i didn't see the period. because it still would have been funny if it were blank. but then i saw it and spit green powerade on my screen and i was upset i couldn't digg you again,

        /stonercomment
        ...
        *shakes head*
    • nextyoyoma, on 02/25/2008, -7/+1seriously, wtf.
    • i70CuDa, on 02/25/2008, -7/+2.
  • monkeyshines, on 02/25/2008, -11/+100Poor tipping is one of my pet peeves. That being said, I've noticed a lot more places putting out tip jars for jobs that traditionally don't rely on tips as the main source of income. McDonald's employees don't expect tips when they serve you, Starbuck's employees shouldn't either.
    • Qtip42, on 02/25/2008, -10/+202Tipping is an absolute joke. These people should be paid a proper wage and not have to rely on anyone tipping. I dont know who made up the idea of tipping but it stinks and shouldn't exist. I'd hate to be someone who has to rely on tips.
      • blazes816, on 02/25/2008, -6/+22I think tipping is nice, however it's their job and they shouldn't expect it.
        • LowRentDiggs, on 02/25/2008, -7/+2Yeah, most of the the people who do these jobs are paid less than minimum wage. When I was waiting tables and bartending I expected to live in $2.13/hour and considered the tips as gravy...
        • theblt, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2@LowRentDiggs:

          I worked at a restaurant too and they paid waiters and bartenders around $3-$6/hour + tips which always worked out to be around $10-$15/hour. And if for some reason it didn't, they always legally had to pay them at least minimum wage. I doubt your tips were just "gravy". More likely the bulk of your paycheck.
        • Dennis88, on 02/25/2008, -0/+0My God, what's the minimum wage in the US? Here in the UK i got paid about minimum wage for waitering while I was in sixth-form but that was still £5/hour (about $10).
      • knde, on 02/25/2008, -1/+74I find the US tipping system to be absolutely ridiculous. Several years ago, at a Ruby Tuesdays, my mother who was visiting from the UK forgot to leave a tip (mediocre service) and the waitress actually came back to the table and said “You didn’t leave a tip.” I’d forgot to explain that unlike the UK, tipping here seems to be a given (even with piss-poor service).

        I can’t understand why the restaurants just don’t pay their employees at least minimum wage. I’d be more than glad to see the costs imbibed in menu prices. Would it really be that cost ineffective to raise prices a bit more, so they can pay their staff decent wages? And we the customers can decide whether or not to patronize the restaurant.

        Some say tipping in restaurants is necessary as an incentive to the wait staff, I disagree. The best service I’ve ever received was at Magma restaurant (in Oslo) and my waitress absolutely refused a tip! On the logic, that she is SUPPOSED to do an excellent job in the first place.
        • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -1/+49The fact that waitress would be rude enough to come back and say that is exactly why she didn't deserve a tip.
          I'm from the UK and have visited the US several times, the tipping system you guys have is just plain ugly.
          • knde, on 02/25/2008, -2/+4From the UK also...was in the States on a Study Abroad exchange programme.
          • DrMonkeyLove, on 02/25/2008, -0/+7Well, I live in the US, and let me tell you, if a waitress ever said that to me, I'd tell her to ***** off. Actually it would be more like, "Oh, I must have forgot to leave a tip in exactly the same way that you forgot to not suck at your job."
        • gudnbluts, on 02/25/2008, -0/+22"Some say tipping in restaurants is necessary as an incentive to the wait staff, I disagree. The best service I’ve ever received was at Magma restaurant (in Oslo) and my waitress absolutely refused a tip! On the logic, that she is SUPPOSED to do an excellent job in the first place."

          When I first moved to New Zealand, being the ignorant Brit I am (as you clearly know, but others may not, we tip for a few things in the UK, but not as many things as you guys do), I tried to tip a taxi driver. She flat out refused, almost as if I'd offended her.
          • KMartSheriff, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1I totally agree with everything you said and all, but I'm sorry I just can't understand how someone could get offended by another person giving them a tip. That's like being pissed at someone because they told you you look good.
          • gudnbluts, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I think it was a "do I look like I need your charity?" kind of attitude. I'm not even saying it's common, but it's certainly not something you'd ever see where I come from (England).

            Also I've talked to other kiwis about it, and many of them don't like anyone tipping, because they don't want it to become the norm.
          • Gizza, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I could see how it's offensive. It's kinda like you're taking pity on him because he is a lowly cab driver.
        • twinklyJesus, on 02/25/2008, -11/+7Here they get wages plus tips. Unfortunately, they are also taxed on tips, based on their sales receipts. So, if you stiff them, they still get taxed on the tip you WOULD have given them (approx. 15%). That is why, here, we try to tip 15% for bad service and more for good.

          To find our system odd because you don't understand it is one thing, to find it ridiculous is arrogant.
          • Stevanoski, on 02/25/2008, -2/+4The worst service I ever received was at a place that all the people threw their tips together then split them evenly.
          • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -1/+13You don't think it's ridiculous to tax people on money they might never get?
            Besides, it's a complete non-issue if they give good service. If they give bad service, ***** 'em.
          • zgoos, on 02/25/2008, -3/+13I am an American who has lived in a few other countries. Out system is ridiculous. Am I arrogant?
          • pak314, on 02/25/2008, -2/+8I find your comments arrogant. We should be paying people a proper living wage. Tips should be a side benefit. Guilt should not be the motivation for tipping.
          • twinklyJesus, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I never said I agreed with the practice, nor do I defend it. The question was asked and answered.
            and yes, it is arrogant to make judgements when you don't have all the facts, no matter where you are from.
        • salomejones, on 02/25/2008, -3/+30Minimum wage has not been a living wage in the US for almost 20 years.
          • twinklyJesus, on 02/25/2008, -1/+5It was never intended to be a living wage. It is an entry-level wage. You aren't supposed to survive on it or raise a family on it. You are supposed to start a minimum wage and move up or on.
          • xyqxyq, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2I tried to digg you up and "An unknown fatal error occurred."

            ...?
          • salomejones, on 02/25/2008, -4/+2Oh really, twinklyjesus? Where can I find this book of "supposed tos"?
          • Dennis88, on 02/25/2008, -4/+0What is minimum wage in the US?
        • mintynomad, on 02/25/2008, -0/+7What? A worker taking pride in her job? Doing things well just for the satisfaction of... a job well done?

          Preposterous!
          • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1That's exactly how non-tipping countries see it. They take pride in their work, no matter what it is. In the U.S., we don't.
        • ezco506th, on 02/25/2008, -0/+6I had horrid service at a RUBY TUESDAY, I didn't leave a tip and the waitress let me know how she felt. I was more than accepting of her discussion and rebutted quite well by stating, if her service, the only basis on which I gauge my tips was at a minimum stomachable, then I would have given the chef a pass for his ***** food. As it stands the service sucked, her only duty, and the food was horrid. Hence, no tip and no return.


        • smacksaw, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2Tipping in cash is (mostly) tax-free income. If you tip 15%, to give the server the same money after taxes, you'd have to tip them almost double that.

          That means your $10 TGI Friday's meal would be $11.50 with tip, or $13.00 with the tip included in the price.
      • wafflez, on 02/25/2008, -6/+23Yea tipping is fricking horrible. It just gives the bosses an excuse to pay their waiters less and pass the bill onto the consumers. Why should we pay someone extra money for doing their job when they already receive a wage?
        • twinklyJesus, on 02/25/2008, -11/+5good luck when you get old enough to work.
          • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1More like, "You'd have to be an idiot to get into 'career' that's tip-based." You act as if it's some harsh reality of life. The only reality is that it's for suckers.
        • hustman, on 02/25/2008, -9/+1How exactly would you like the bosses to raise wages without passing the price increase onto the consumer. Also, for the most part waiters receive below minimum wage because tips are expected to make up the gap.
          • pak314, on 02/25/2008, -1/+10They should raise the prices in order to pay a living wage.
          • Trevino, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2Then what incentive would their be to bust your ass and provide really good service. Wait staff could just provide service that was good enough not to get them fired.
          • hustman, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1pak: I agree with you, restaurants should not be able to pay waiters below minimum wage but I'm just pointing out that wafflez comment that "[tipping] just gives the bosses an excuse to pay their waiters less and pass the bill onto the consumers." does not make sense. If waiters were to be paid a decent wage then consumers would still be paying a comparable amount just now instead of the money the consumer spent on a tip would go towards their food, which would compensate the employer for higher wages.

            Trevino: If the wait staff is providing a service just good enough not to get fired then they are performing their job description and they should receive minimum wage (or whatever the restaurant wants to pay). The incentive would be getting a nice tip on top of their wage, because unless they have a nice hourly wage the tips would still be making up a large part of their income.
      • Shawn4168, on 02/25/2008, -6/+8Contrary to what most people think, profit margins are actually quite slim in the restaurant industry. If servers were paid minimum wage, you could expect to see a 10-20% increase in the cost of everything on the menu. If they were actually paid a decent wage, expect an even bigger increase.

        I don't mind our tipping system because it encourages employees to give the best service possible. Most servers in restaurants are typically high school and college students. Do you think these people really give a crap about customer service? Without tips, there would be no motivation on their part to make sure that my order is correct, my drink refills keep coming, my food is hot, etc. I realize that they should be providing excellent customer service no matter what (like the server in knde's comment above), but the reality is, without incentive, the service would just plain suck.
        • zgoos, on 02/25/2008, -4/+9Uhh... wouldn't that 10-20% increase pretty much match what people expect in tips now? At least that way we'd all know the prices up front and there wouldn't be all this drama after any meal or whenever you get a taxi, check into a hotel, etc.
          My experience in other countries where tipping is not standard lead me to believe that your concern in the second paragraph is way over blown. I have had good service in wealthy European countries and poor African countries where tipping is not standard.
          • Shawn4168, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2"I have had good service in wealthy European countries and poor African countries where tipping is not standard."

            I believe you. However, neither of those places are America. People are lazy and selfish here. It's a simple fact. Customer "service" is nearly nonexistent in this country these days.
        • wellyuk, on 02/25/2008, -2/+4If I'm paying any kind of money for food, I'd expect the order to be correct and (where necessary) be hot. I shouldn't expect to have to tip to get those basic assumptions.
        • pak314, on 02/25/2008, -1/+3If the cost of everything on the menu increased 20% but we don't have to pay a tip, the net affect to the customer should be no increase in cost.
          • Shawn4168, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1With a decrease in service quality.
          • gudnbluts, on 02/25/2008, -0/+0In the UK, some places do that and some don't. If you eat out, check your bill for a service charge. If it's there you don't need to tip.
        • balthisar, on 02/25/2008, -0/+0Not necessarily. Complain to the manager, and that little hussie it let go. I've been to other countries where tipping isn't the norm, and regularly get great service. Why shouldn't that be the case here?
        • Gizza, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I always thought not getting fired was incentive enough to do a good job.
      • mweflen, on 02/25/2008, -12/+6Arguments that we shouldn't have to tip are pointless - if you're that opposed to the system, then DO NOT GO to the restaurants that work that way. If you eat at ***** Chili's and than short your server because you think that servers should make $8 an hour, that's tantamount to driving on the shoulder of the freeway because you think it should be 6 lanes and not 5. If you don't want to tip, go the the goddamn grocery store and make your own ***** dinner. It's a lot cheaper, and any spit or semen involved is at your own discretion.
      • madroneDorf, on 02/25/2008, -2/+2i strongly disagree, I like tipping, to me its a way of paying based upon the quality of the service, instead of paying a flat rate regardless.

        If someone becomes a pill about no tip (on accident) or low tip, I'd definately not tip (even if I was going to), and probably complain to their manager however.

        I don't get the whole they should be paid more so they don't have to be tipped, if you took away tipping, and started to pay them more, they would just add the cost to the food, you'd end up paying about the same on average anyways.

        People becme waiters because its average to good money for the education/skillset required (Obviously varied depending on restauraunt); they all know, expect, and get tips
      • jim3008, on 02/25/2008, -0/+4well, i used to work at a fast food place, literally making 4-5 hundreds of burgers on a regular shift with slightly above min-wage pay, i don't get tips and get yelled at regularly by impatient customers,
        so why should the waiter/waitress get a double/triple of my pay, when they do less work than me?
        • Lennalf, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2No amount of physical labor will ever amount to the value we place on being attractive and charismatic. Look at our entire society; who makes the least, and who makes the most. It's sickening. My advice: go to tech school and get a different job.
      • Lennalf, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Tipping is an effectively way of low-balling your customers. If the employer paid the employees decent wages in place of tips, the prices on the menu would be higher. Ultimately, there's a good 15-25% hidden cost to anything you buy at a restaurant (unless you have thought about it beforehand, which most people don't, or you just don't tip). The customer doesn't usually mind paying the tip, because charity feels good (even when it is expected).

        So Customer A gets a meal for 15 bucks, pays a 5 dollar tip, feels good about himself for being generous, and still thinks the meal was pretty cheap (only 15!)

        Customer B eats the same mean for 20 bucks up front and leaves no tip. There is no feeling of "charity," and the meal seems more expensive (20 bucks!?) despite the end cost being identical.

        It's no wonder this custom has become the norm... it's good for business!
    • salomejones, on 02/25/2008, -8/+1Its more complicated than that. Here in NYC, many starbuxen measure the performance of the staff by the sheer amount of tips they get in a specific period of time--its very carefully watched. Tipping can sometimes help make a crap job a little more stable for someone who needs it, so stop being so stingy.
      • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2"Tipping can sometimes help make a crap job a little more stable for someone who needs it, so stop being so stingy."

        If it's so unstable, they should get a job that actually adheres to wage laws, instead of being the sole exception to that law.
        • salomejones, on 02/26/2008, -0/+1Yes, thats a great argument. "If you dont like being poor, get a better job". Truly spoken as a spoiled ***** who's never wanted for a thing in his life.
    • bigdoug2005, on 02/25/2008, -2/+6If tips dont cover minimum wage the restaurant will pay the difference. Working at a place where you get tips usually means you are making a good amount more then minimum wage.
    • xm1014, on 02/25/2008, -1/+0Yes, but Starbucks draws a different type of customer than McDonalds. More often than not, the typical Starbucks customer has more disposable income than other fast food chain customers and they will not think twice about dropping a few bills in the jar.
      That being said: Where the hell is the IT Help Desk TIP JAR??
      • ko8e34, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I think your hourly wage/salary is much larger than my minimum wage.
    • cbergeron, on 02/25/2008, -0/+3My local Subway does this and I feel guilty because I sit there and watch them make the sub, but ***** it - that's part of the Subway business model and if I pay $5 for a sub, I don't need to tip. I still feel guilty for not tipping at takeout / carryout type places. My rationale is that unless they actually "serve me" (beyond ringing me up), I'm not putting my money in a jar.

      Unless of course they accept my expired coupon, in which case I usually put the difference in their tip jar...
    • kjcdude, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1Employees at starbucks actually do rely on tips. If you ever ask someone who works at starbucks their hourly wage, they'll say $8, but actually $11 if you include tips.
  • thetin, on 02/25/2008, -2/+11If a job is well done...tip well.
    • TypeEE, on 02/25/2008, -2/+6It bothers me when I need to tip 15% even when the job is not done well. People tipped too much all the time and it has gotten to a point that everyone expect 15%.
      • Trevino, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1I expect 20%. But only when I do a good job.
    • plaing, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1under 'hair salon:'
      (I’ve been given a free colour before simply for tipping well)
      stop the presses
    • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+4"If a job is well done...tip well."

      That's a horrible philosophy. It promotes the idea that a job NOT well-done is somehow acceptable. If a job is well done... well that's the way it should be.
      • antiorblkflag9, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2Try being a waiter and seeing the ***** they have to go through
        • IllBeBack, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1If it's so bad, quit and get a better job.
        • VeganG, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1People in office jobs go through a lot of ***** everyday, too. Should they have tip jars in their cubicles? So tips for waiters are actually Sympathy Funds? By that logic, the assholes should be tipping more, and me as the nice and polite customer who doesn't even send back wrong orders should be tipping nothing. Since I didn't cause any grief and all.
    • cnot3, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2Be like De Niro in Goodfellas and stuff twenties in everybody's pockets.
    • antiorblkflag9, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I pretty much always tip 20%
    • ko8e34, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1I'm a waiter and provide excellent service. Some people will tip 20%+ and other people will leave me 2 bucks on a $60 check. It's hit or miss on how cheap some people are I guess. I get paid minimum wage here in California ($8/hr) and have to report all of my credit card tips so my paychecks aren't much. On a good night, I can make good money depending on clients, but I basically live off my tips. Remember that when you are tipping someone who gave you excellent service. 20% for someone who deserves it will make them giddy and hope to see you again at their table soon.
  • loganhid, on 02/25/2008, -19/+10I tip.................with Monoploy money
    • stalefries, on 02/25/2008, -2/+22If you're gonna make a joke, at least spell "Monopoly" right.
      • duckylam, on 02/25/2008, -0/+9That's because it's not real Monopoly money that he's tipping with, but a knock-off.
    • id10, on 02/25/2008, -0/+4I dugg you up because I read Monoploy and laughed out loud like an idiot.
    • 0ceanic, on 02/25/2008, -0/+3i hope you get tipped with a page out of a pocket dictionary.
    • woohalladoobop, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Here's a tip: you're a bitch.
  • SuperSpeedz, on 02/25/2008, -4/+31Interesting article however, a gratuity or tip is an EXPRESSION of appreciation, if the service sucked, a lower tip is necessary. Tipping has become a societal norm, although it is sometimes stupid i.e. tipping at a subway/starbucks/fastfood, as the cost of labour is built into the cost of your goods.

    A tip should always reflect the quality of service, unless your aim is to impress your companions, where you should tip away.

    • spudnic, on 02/25/2008, -3/+18If the service sucked there should be no tip whatsoever.
      • SuperSpeedz, on 02/25/2008, -1/+1depends on how much the service sucked i.e. slightly below normal would warrant a lower tip but if it was horrible then no tip is suitable.
        • mshea093, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Taking into account the penny/ 2cents bit many will say for horrible service- a silent "you kinda sucked, but did your job" message is take a low % like 5%, round down to the nearest $ and add 1 penny or 2.

          50$ bill? 2.01$ tip- here's something, but holy crap work on it!
      • Aadain, on 02/25/2008, -0/+4From what I've read, if service is really bad, don't leave no tip, just leave a really small tip (like $0.10). This lets the server know that the tip was not forgotten and that you though they did a very bad job.
      • wepto, on 02/25/2008, -2/+1You people deserve the rack.
    • wellyuk, on 02/25/2008, -0/+2I'd be curious as to what kind of companion is impressed by someone's ability to pay more for the service than the bill stated.
      • dood, on 02/25/2008, -0/+5Probably the kind of companion that knows that a lot of people in the service industry bust their ass and don't earn enough for it, and that unfair as it is, employers pay less because tipping is so commonplace.
        • phronko, on 02/25/2008, -1/+2So we're tipping in order to make up for the harmful consequences of tipping?
          • dood, on 02/25/2008, -0/+1Yep. Sucks. However, I'm certainly not important enough to be able to change the status quo, and any attempt by me to try will only serve to a) make future service from that waiter worse and b) reduce the amount a hard working person takes home. So while I may "win" by keeping tip money in my pocket, I don't "need" that money (else I wouldn