I think that’s the key. If it was a restaurant where parties of 4 or more automatically get 18% put on the bill, then you have to accept it as part of the bill and talk to the manager. If not, and the waiter just did that, then no way, **** that guy. I understand service industry, surviving on tips, etc. but screw that. I tip 20% at restaurants pretty much always, unless the service is downright horrendous. It has to be a complete **** up. So I get the importance of tipping waiters. However, service industry has gone rogue nowadays. They’re asking for tips when I’m not being serviced. You’ve got order pickup asking for tips. I go into a donut shop and order, asks for tip. I go to ****ing chipotle, or Cava, or something similar like that where nobody waits on me, please tip? What does this have to do with the situation in the thread? Nothing, but it makes me irrationally angry and I’m tired of people doing their regular job, not making waiter money, and asking for tips, not understanding what the purpose of a tip is.
People like y’all are enabling this culture of lazy ass, poor attitude, entitled, **** workers. And no, I’m not entitled bc I don’t want to tip the donut shop cashier who was “inconvenienced” by having to turn around and grab a kolache from the shelf. That being said, with how awful service is nowadays I find myself tipping extra when I just get regular solid service which was pretty much a given 15 years ago.
What's the point of even trying then? Good for you for being generous, but that's the exact reason some individuals become entitled and become complacent. The job is simple, take my order, bring my food/drinks, bring me anything extra I request (i.e. hot sauce) and get paid. Not doing your job does not deserve a 20% minimum tip (and yes I would evaluate the situation if restaurant is busy, etc etc).
And the reality is most of the time when I receive trash service it’s not because the place is super busy and the person is overworked, it’s because they’re back in the kitchen, chatting it up with coworkers or chilling on their phone, or generally not working. And yes, I know this because there are multiple occasions where I’ve had to get up and go get a damn straw or something else I’ve requested because I don’t have the patience to wait 10 ****ing minutes for that. Then all of a sudden the waiter comes over with my request as if I still need what I already retrieved myself. Eta, and yes these ****s are still getting their 15% tip, unless they completely **** it up, completely. The only time recently, I can remember not tipping is at good company, seafood because they served my mother-in-law, some type of white fish that was not salmon and I noticed after she had eaten a few bites, called the waiter over and he got his manager, and the manager stood there, and proceeded to try and tell me that there’s clearly white fish, which was most likely catfish or tilapia was salmon. Then tried to explain that salmon starts looking different when it gets cooked… continued arguing with me. No apology, nothing. Just gaslighting. Yeah dude this isn’t my first rodeo eating salmon I wasn’t even asking for a refund or anything. I just wanted them to fix the ****ing order. Haven’t been back since and I used to go there once a week.
If you make at least minimum wage, (e.g. more than $2.13/hr), then you aren't obligated to tip. The point of tipping the past 30 years or so is to compensate for the ridiculous law that caps service workers at $2.13/hr, which has been static for decades for some odd reason. We've raised min wage multiple times but not for service workers. Why? Then the pandemic hit and we all felt extra generous for people who were struggling. That is over and we need to revert back. What we really need to do is eliminate the arbitrary wage cap on the service industry. How do I know if the doughnut shop worker is making $2.13 or $15/hr? They should not be both tipped at the same rate.
#LegalizeIT , 20% tip baby. All day every day. I don't associate with dirty poor people that can't afford a 20% tip.
I mentioned this in the other tipping thread, but I did a hard reset when it comes to food service. Unless I am receiving full wait service at a table, or I am getting food delivered to my door, I do not tip. It used to feel unnatural and awkward drawing a line through or selecting "No Tip," but I have gotten used to it and the looks from the cashier's don't bother me anymore.
I do think you should reconsider at smaller restaurants where a waiter/waitress are usually responsible for packing your food. You don't have to be all generous like @IBTL but just something to consider. I wouldn't consider it in places like Chili's, Olive Garden where I see they have separate people actually doing that.
Again, it's a function of if they are getting paid $2.13/hr. If they are, you definitely should tip at least 20%.
Its not the consumers job to assume the laborer's wage. Tipping is optional. Americans have rewarded shitty service. Most service is mediocre.
lol, the one time i agree 100% with space ghost. 20% is expected now. regardless of quality of service.