I read this article on Yahoo and then scrolled down to the bottom and started reading some comments people were leaving. I couldn't believe some of the things I was reading. Large groups tipping $5? People eating half their meal then sending it back, only to have it taken of of their bill? People going into an Italian restaurant complaining they don't have sushi, even though they have tuna on their menu? People expecting their server to be there the moment they need them, every time? I've never worked in a restaurant, but did work in the retail industry while putting myself through school. Most of the people I dealt with were polite and appreciative, but there were always some a-holes thinking I should worship the ground they walk on (and they weren't even tipping me, I was strictly hourly!). Have you worked in the dining industry? Do you have any stories about customers being rude or not tipping? How do you generally treat your servers and/or whoever is assisting you? How much do you usually tip? I am always polite, saying please and thank you, and usually tip quite well. If I had a bad experience, I will tip 15%, but if it was just a god awful experience, I've tipped practically nothing a few times. I usually fall into the 25-30% range. I know it must be difficult to try and please a ton of people at once, and I don't expect them to go out of their way for me. Just don't forget about us, get our order right (although I understand nobody is perfect), and be polite. Meet those guidelines and I'll be leaving happy, and you'll have a nice tip, probably more than you expected. Have you been out and had a bad experience with a server, or at the restaurant in general? I'm mostly curious to hear some stories, and see what people have to say about these rude people. Pugs
Yes, a small, but sizable percentage of people are complete cheapskates. I waited tables/tended bar in a small regional Tex-Mex chain for about three years. In general, because I didn't have a family to support, and was just working through school, I really enjoyed it for a crap type of job. One time I had a lady get really mad because their was "dog hair" in her salsa. It wasn't a dog hair, it was a stringy part of the spices/seasonings that were included in the salsa recipe. Every batch of the salsa we made had similar spices. People would routinely accuse us of cheating them out of steak on beef fajitas when someone else would order chicken. You got the same amount of chicken or beef BY WEIGHT when you ordered fajitas. It looked like you got more chicken because, for the same size, beef weighs more than chicken. I tried to explain it the first couple of times, but people would demand more steak fajitas so it looked like the same amount as the chicken. (FWIW, this might be backwards, but whatever...one weighed more than the other when looking at the same size cut of meat) The most common thing people do is pester you to make a them a strong drink/try to talk you into not ringing up their alcohol. If you make them a standard mixed drink with a shot of liquor, they will complain about not being able to taste the alcohol. It's not the house, just because you pour a Rum & Coke with 5 ounces of rum doesn't mean that is the standard. There aren't a lot of horrible tip stories that stick out in my head, but my favorite is a group of seven rednecks wearing camouflage that came into my section about five minutes before I was scheduled to get off of work. We had to have 8 people in a party to put the automatic tip on someone. This group ordered the most expensive stuff on the menu, stayed for about 2 hours, then tipped me 75 cents.
I've worked both the back and front of the house, and even though you work longer hours and typically get paid about half the amount you would waiting tables, I'd much rather work the line. There's nothing quite like the rage you feel when, after kissing ass for a party of 10 for 2+ hours, you end up with a $3 tip on a $297 bill (they asked when they sat down if there was a mandatory gratuity -- should have been a sign). Most people are usually pretty good, but after a while you learn to stereotype. Lower your tip expectations from old people, teenagers and foreign patrons, stuff like that.
99% of the time I tip 15%-25%, sometimes a whole lot more on a cheap meal. Even when the service is poor, I'll still do the 15%. Can't remember the last time I got mad enough go below that. If my waiter/waitress suggests or does something that reduces the bill, I will add at least that amount to what I was going to tip. Gotta reward a person who goes beyond the call of duty.
15-25% minimum. 50% if I'm feeling generous, if the service was exceptional, or a it's a place I've been dining at for several years. 5% if the service was lousy. 0% if non-existent or if the server insulted me.
