How many still tip waiters and waitresses at 20% or more?

[Richard22]

Just curious, since higher tips became common practice soon after COVID as a means for waiters and waitresses to catch up on lost earnings. I continue to tip good service at 20% but wonder if it's still necessary.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Just curious, since higher tips became common practice soon after COVID as a means for waiters and waitresses to catch up on lost earnings. I continue to tip good service at 20% but wonder if it's still necessary.

My daughter works as a waitress with a base pay of $2.30. So yeah, it’s pretty necessary.

 

[shannerdrake]

I’m a believer that 20% is the standard. It could go up or down (almost always up), but I go to every restaurant expecting to tip 20ish %.

 

[Dave N]

 

[Nick87]

Wife waitresses on the weekends so I believe in paying it forward with good tips.

 

[WildWill]

I agree 20% should be the standard for good service. If you can't afford that you can't afford to eat out IMO. The problem is "good service" is a bit subjective some people are impossible to please.

 

[jryoung]

You really need to fail for me to give you less than 20%. I was a server for a few years in college and watch everything going on and adjust my expectations. It's easier for me to go a little higher is I see you got seated 3 tables at once, have indecisive guests, but still are able to be attentive to everyone.

Had many people drop my $100 when I parked cars and was a server.....granted this was 96-'03 so it was a bigger deal, but when someone really goes out of there way my wife and I will do the same. I'll never forget those people.

 

[Nameless Range]

I was raised on 15% being the standard, but on meals I shoot for 20%-ish. Frankly, I do the math that makes it easiest for me and use whole numbers and it might be closer to 18- 19% and it might be 21-22% and I really don’t fret it. My tipping is almost always disassociated from service, because frankly I basically get good service 90% of the places I go. Even if service is a shit show I basically tip the same. On coffee or beers it’s often much more of a %.

It’s cliché, but tipping is out of control. I went to a local brewery and bought a single fancy beer and they flipped the iPad around and the options to tip started at 25 and went to 35%. I clicked “custom” and gave them a dollar - which was like 15% just because I felt offended.

I’d much rather we just paid service staff appropriate wages, whatever that means, and removed tipping from the culture. I go out to eat and expect to pay 20% on a tip, but I’m just really not gonna pay more than that, though I will provide free advertising for the restaurant’s chicken fried steaks.

 

[Nick87]

Had many people drop my $100 when I parked cars and was a server.....granted this was 96-'03 so it was a bigger deal, but when someone really goes out of there way my wife and I will do the same. I'll never forget those people

Two years ago at Christmas a random couple never seen before left my wife $500 tip. Overheard her talking about the 3 boys and told her enjoy your Christmas with your boys. What an amazing gesture.

 

[cgasner1]

The better question is where are you tipping? Starbucks? Subway? Chipotle? It seems like I can’t stuff my debit card into a reader without being asked for 22% anyone

 

[CRJR45]

Me , even at the donut shop or ice cream shop even , 20% at least .

 

[jpc01101]

Tip creep? I default to 20% and go higher if they were really good. Starbucks generally gets 0% as I’m paying in the app and they make a living wage and get full health insurance. Had a Napa in Idaho present me with a tip option…NAPA.

 

[Nick87]

The better question is where are you tipping? Starbucks? Subway? Chipotle? It seems like I can’t stuff my debit card into a reader without being asked for 22% anyone

Yah I'm not tipping unless your working for tips. Maybe an exception somewhere but I'm not tipping the person making a real hourly wage. Fun fact-the owners of thr restaraunt had a regular who did carry out every Saturday. He was leaving $20 for my wife and the other waitress. Come to find out the owners had pocketed it every single Saturday for the last few years. Scumbags.

 

[cgasner1]

Yah I'm not tipping unless your working for tips. Maybe an exception somewhere but I'm not tipping the person making a real hourly wage. Fun fact-the owners of thr restaraunt had a regular who did carry out every Saturday. He was leaving $20 for my wife and the other waitress. Come to find out the owners had pocketed it every single Saturday for the last few years. Scumbags.

Bought my apprentice lunch the other day at firehouse. Would I like to round up for whatever the firehouse charity is. Sure I’ll do that then after rounding up 15-20-25% tip? It’s a to go sandwich at what point do you not need to tip for something

 

[geetar]

The better question is where are you tipping? Starbucks? Subway? Chipotle? It seems like I can’t stuff my debit card into a reader without being asked for 22% anyone

I've rarely added a tip at Starbucks. I mostly only tip at restaurants that wait on me while I sit at a table.

 

[Nick87]

firehouse

I've heard good things.

 

[David58]

I don't tip at Starbucks (on the rare times I go there) any more than I do McDonald's. At restaurants where I order at the counter, and the screen comes up for a tip, I do a custom tip of $0. I tip for table service, and if the food is poor, how that is resolved becomes part of the equation. But for good service, at least 20%.

Do you tip at Cabela's? Think on this...in many locales the hourly wage is being legislated for servers, and their base wage is higher than the folks at your favorite outdoor store. My tips in regions where the base wage is legislated that high (like Seattle) my tip is baked into the high price of the cake.

David
NM

 

[David58]

Bought my apprentice lunch the other day at firehouse. Would I like to round up for whatever the firehouse charity is. Sure I’ll do that then after rounding up 15-20-25% tip? It’s a to go sandwich at what point do you not need to tip for something

So many stores give you the opportunity to round up for charity.

Then they'll take credit for how much they gave to such and such charity.

Kinda like Subaru...just know their "love" and donations are paid for by everyone that buys a car, ain't out of the goodness of anybody's heart.

I give where I give. I refuse to do the "round up."

Curmudgeon, me.

David
NM

 

[brymoore]

I’m frugal but I’m not cheap. 20% plus in tips. You’d have to really be bad for me to not tip 20%. I can’t remember last time I didn’t.

I’ll stiff the tip for running a cash register and other silly areas asking for tips.

Best tip the last few years was one I was trying to get my filthy truck washed at a car wash. Girl was about to kick me out for too much mud, when I hit the tip button on the menu. She looked at the tip, smiled, and told me not to get my truck so muddy in the future.

 

[Outlaw99]

I do as long as they’re friendly and do a good job