Seriously people. We make money off tips, not on our hourly wage which is like $2.63 an hour...at least in RI/MA.

When you leave 25 cents that's left over from the price of your beer I'm gonna throw it back at you and the next time you want something you're gonna have to wait...a long fucking time!

People are so cheap. We're not asking for $5 tips but a buck or two on a round is expected.

Rant over time to smoke my cheebah.

but why should people pay your wages?i go to the pub to spend the cash ive earned not to pay the pubs wages...im british-ive never understood this tipping thing in the states-dont you have minimum wage?

infact the more i think about-its bullshit-when i was in new york for the first time i thought it was glorified begging-yeah heres your $4 or a beer but oh right you want 5 are you taking the piss?

mind you i never said that-for example i was in LA a few months ago and was regularly tipping 10 dollars cos i didnt understand the tipping etiquette-do i sk for my change?do i say just keep it?am i being patronising?

shiiiit

You tip because you are being served. I don't know what it's like outside the US but that's how we do it here. If you go out to dinner you normally tip 20% if you are satisfied with your service. Minimum wage for any server is much lower than you 'normal' or regular job. That's how we make money.

jonylawson said:

That's just how it's done here bro. If you go out into the city you're gonna pay more for your drinks and you still tip.

For Food Servers:

Food servers receive a low hourly wage because of the income they receive in gratuities, or tips. Follow these guidelines for tipping at a restaurant or café.

Steps:

1.Tip 15% of the overall bill, minus the tax, in most cases. Depending on the service, 15%-20% is the common range.

2.Tip an extra 5% (a total of 20%) if the restaurant is a highly rated establishment or if a large party is dining and the gratuity is not automatically added to the tab.

3.Add the gratuity to the overall bill, which includes alcohol but does not include tax.

4.Consider scribbling a note on your check if you wish to acknowledge someone on the staff who went out of his way for you.

5.Leave a lesser tip if you are unhappy with the service. A word with the server, in addition, is also appropriate.

Tips:

If applicable, it's appropriate to give the coat-check attendant, the ladies' room attendant and the men's room attendant one dollar. The parking attendant should receive a a tip of two dollars. Other restaurant help, such as the traveling musician, may be tipped as seen fit.

The word "tip," which originated in England, was originally an acronym for the phrase "to insure promptness."
[Edited 8/5/06 0:22am]

Bartenders:

Whether you run a tab at the bar or pay as you drink, don't forget to leave something extra for your friendly bartender.

Steps:

1.Keep in mind that a bartender relies on tips to supplement his or her income.

2.Have small bills available for the purpose of tipping.

3.Tip about 15 percent of the tab from the bar. If you only buy one drink, tip $1.

4.Remember that tipping is not mandatory, but a stingy tip could affect the service you receive later in the evening or during a subsequent visit.

it sounds ideal in a third world country-but nah its a silly concept.

jonylawson said:

Then I suggest you cook your own meals and make you're own drinks. Don't come to my bar!!!

do your nurses and doctors get tipped over there?

would a prompt bit of CPR get the nurse an extra 15%-what about teachers or plumbers or binmen or mcdonalds girls or hot dog vendors or poets or beggars or buskers or check out girls or bus drivers or policemen etc etc

sorry-its a load of shit and it confuses the crap out of any non americans visiting your fine country!

good service should be a matter of pride not how much i may or may not give you

ive got a good mind to jump on a plane and have a word with your boss-shame on them!

I pay for service... I like service and good folk..... I tip heavy handed and I am served equally....

Works for me!

jonylawson said:

Dude, doctor's don't make $2.63 an hour. You complain about a $4 beer but I don't hear you complaining for a $50 doc's visit for 10 mins...

jonylawson said:

I just re-read this and ya know what? You have no idea how it works over here so I'm not gonna bother arguing with you.

Muse, thank you!

jonylawson said:

You pay for service...

For instance: In Holland tipping isn't a rule and the server acted like she was being killed to serve out our table ( in an empty restraunt at the time) ...,. Her attitude reflected the fact that she was there because she had to be and could not give a crap about our presence or if we enjoyed ourselves... even made negative remarks of us in dutch... I tipped her out solid for the table because we were a lot of work..... she was a hell of a lot more pleasant when we returned....

jonylawson said:

Our nurses and Drs also charge a randsom....

your telling me in the land of the free its LEGAL to give you a job at $2 an hour???

thats terrible-thats free fuckin labour for the bar.

QUIT

go and be a postlady or an astronaut-whats the name of this monstrous bar and who is the landlord?

ah but do you agree with me in principle that mandatory tipping is wrong?-telling me that i HAVE to tip somebody?

oh hello muse

jonylawson said:

Your servers make little to nothing as well.... For me it is the experience of getting out and enjoying and that pride is only available when the staff is also treated like their effort makes a difference... a little bit goes a longgggg way...

jonylawson said:

Hello love!

its sounds like a west end musical or marxism in reverse

how long do i grill fish?

i look at tipping as MY CHOICE. i don't care if people expect it or not.
your tip or lack there of depends on your service. and i've worked many years in an industry where tipping was an option. but never once did i expect or demand it. let alone get upset if someone chose not to.

and check your bill at the end of meals at resaurants; some add it in automatically. if you choose a job where you'll be depending on tips, then u know what you're getting into. i will not feel obligated to tip anyone simply because it's expected. it's YOUR JOB to be a server. those who go out of their way, do something extra, or simply a hard worker...sure. i don't mind leaving a tip and always do.

and i think it's disgusting that people have to feel there'll be a retaliation if no tip is left. maybe that was your tip. get another job or change your attitude. i've worked with many people who go out of their way, do the little extra things to make people happy, mke something a bit more special, etc.. and they enjoy it. it's their job. not some alien concept. and never complain about tips. saying thank you is enough. there's a tip. if i ask for something that may take more time or different than what's being offere. absolutely! tipping shouldbe expected.

as far as the bar scene, i'm not sure what the appropriate rate is for tipping a bartender, as i don't drink. i usually get a cranberry juice, straight and i'll leave at least a dollar. in that environment, most of them have to hustle,remember every drink, and from what i've seen are working hard. so i feel the ones that do, they deserve one.

but im also a believer of when in rome-so carrie id be tipping you all night !

jonylawson said:

The only time tipping is mandatory is when it's already figured into the cost of the meal...otherwise it's totally up to you.

Byron said:

you can actually request it to be taken off.

As for me:

In a restaurant: I'll tip no matter what if the service was good/great/excellent...it hardly matters what the standard procedure or custom is in that city, state or country. And it hardly matters what they make per hour...it's my way of saying "Thank you for making my dining experience even better, for doing things in a way that made me glad I ate here". In Istanbul, they had phenomenal service, I mean stellar...no matter whether you ate at a 5-star restaurant or at some corner dive. We tipped all the time and we tipped well...not because we knew what their hourly wages were, but because we were that appreciative.

I've known people who have tipped those in the service industry no matter whether tipping was the norm for that business or not (ie: maids at hotels, grocery baggers at stores, etc.). Just a way of saying "thanks", of acknowledgement.


In a bar: I'll tip to guarantee that my drinks contain the right amount of alcohol when I return...lol ...It's like saying "Ok, that was nice and potent, not watered down at all...thanks *wink nudge*"...Tends to get quicker service when the bar's crowded as well, because they remember you from last time...lol

CHIC0 said:

You found that out, eh??...lol

Well, in some countries the cost of the meal "includes" a bit more so that tipping is unnecessary...in other words, they pay their workers more..lol...but the food costs a tad bit more, too, so in a way you're being "forced" to pay the tip, you just don't realize it because the hamburger and fries at the local restaurant cost $5 instead of $4.50...

Byron said:

i've never done that. but i saw a news report about tipping and they mentioned it. i tip 99% of the time. and i also go out of my way to let the management know of a great employee or an awful one if necessary.

CHIC0 said:

That was always a great thing to receive when I worked in food service... ...getting compliments and having my service recognized verbally was definitely a rewarding bonus.

I also had women leave their phone numbers on comment cards for me...lol

gulp...i think maybe money talks alot more in america-gestures are defined fiscally-just different cultures-a genuine thankyou is priceless isnt it?