the only times i ever not tip is if the waiter/waitress is slow to refill my water or the wait time on the food is obscenely long. you can be a complete dick but if you get me my food and water on time and when i want it, you've done your job.
I don't think you can blame the food 100% on the servers. Drinks, OTOH....that's a cardinal sin for not keeping full.
All I ask from a waiter is to just be nice (at least pretend to laugh at my tired jokes), get our order right and check up on us every once in a while. You do this, and you're getting a nice 25%-30% tip. If you disappear for 30 minutes at a time, you're probably going to get stiffed.
It is absolutely 100% true in practice. They are required by law to do so, and those places where it actually happens, they do gross up the wages. Back when minimum wage was $5.15, it rarely happened, but at $7.65 it has become more common. They don't count on a nightly basis, the count happens when they run payroll, and is automatic using most payroll software. And if you read, you'd know I tip. Not always for the server's benefit, but also for the restaurant.
maybe it's been mentioned in the thread already. i don't mind tipping. what i mind is that it is percentage based. why should i have to pay extra for a $30 entree as opposed to a $15 one when there was no extra service provided? the waiter didn't have to walk a longer distance nor carry a noticeably heavier plate. my drink was refilled the same number of times. the only difference is the price.
how many waiters claim their actual tip amount when it is time to report wages each night or when it's tax season?
Couldn't agree more with you. It holds just as true in reverse. I order water when I eat out, that is usually a savings of around $2.50 that generally would cost a server 50 cents. One place we go to, my meal is $5. I always have a hard time deciding what is a fair tip. Last time my wife and I went, our total meal was $11, but I tipped $5. I generally believe a server deserves at least that for a table.
Tax season should be irrelevant, since tips are reported on W-2s. It really depends on where it is. Some people report 50%, others 75%, and some only report CC tips. Since tips are subject to FICA, employer's save money on unreported tips in excess of minimum wage, so they also have incentive to ignore the under reported tips.
