Tips

[MrMentalFitness]

I was a tightwad when it came to tips up until about ten years ago when I started dating this waitress who promptly gave me the business after I broke out with a ten percenter on a meal (10% - cuz that's what I was led to believe was the norm).

After I was duly and most vociferously consulted on the ins and outs of food service, how money is earned, the various personality sorts and 'seasons' of customer psychology on the Emerald Coast, I tip 20% as a norm without batting an eye. The woman conditioned me like one of Pavlov's dogs. I was also educated as to what kinds of people waitstaff can generally predict will be lousy tippers - "Snowbirds!" she'd exclaim with a frown, "and families with small kids!" and...gulp..."BLACK FOLKS!" I was like, GIT OUTTA HERE!!!! No way! She was like, WAY! I was like, "NO WAY!" and I said, "FER REAL!?!" She was like, "Yeah!" So after that I made sure not to fill the stereotype.

One outcome though is that I have a discerning eye as to what constitutes 'tip-worthy service' versus 'entitlement begging'.

I consider it major punishment if I tip 10-15% for horrific service and piss-poor attitude. Only once in the last ten years have I simply walked out with no tip. Even in that instance I spoke to management and let them know why that particular employee would have to survive without my three fiddy. I hate not leaving a great tip, which is why I think it's perfectly normal for me to be utterly dismayed by people who have such a low estimate of their own value in this world as to render poor service.

I'd make a magnificent service person - especially a waiter. I'd even break out with the French accent...in SoWal of all places. I'd make a killing!

"KISS MY GRITS!"

 

[LuciferSam]

The exception I make to the 20% rule is for drinking. I think at least a $1.00 tip per drink even for a canned beer should be standard. My reasoning is that if you're going broke from drink tips then you have bigger problems. Not only that, the sound of that clink of the quarter in the tip jar just doesn't sound right. I know somebody who used to get canned Southpaw light for $1.25 a can. The most stomach turning concoction of hops and malts ever devised. All night long you'd hear clink, clink, clink, clinkity-clink. Technically speaking. .025 is 20% of $1.25. If you're going to be cheap and clueless, you could at least run a tab and pay with something that doesn't go clinkety-clink.

 

[Matt J]

There was never a stereotype when I waited tables, they all got broken. Snowbirds, couples with young kids, and black people are just as likely to tip well as anyone else.

Regardless of the customer the moment you heard something along the lines of, "You are one of the best waiters we've ever had" then you knew you had just gotten your verbal tip.

 

[Linz30A]

Perhaps some of you who don't tip on to-go, and from what I've noticed in this area, really anything else, ought to spend a day or two working those same jobs and imagine how you'd feel if you waited on someone and gave them attention and service and they didn't leave you squat and that's what you rely on to pay your bills. I'd put money on the fact that you'd start tipping them. The only reason not to would be if they were rude.

I should also point out that many places in this area get VERY busy and it causes back ups at the bar and the kitchen and taking that out on the server or bartender and tipping them less is really not fair. Most of them, including myself, are working VERY hard under pressure and stressful situations to make sure our guests are well taken care of so that they a) return, b) tell a friend so we gain more business and c) so we can pay our bills. Just because we work in the service industry does not make us second class citizens. Many servers in this area are college educated, some even have masters and are very intelligent, perhaps even more so than the guests they serve, but in a troubled economy, we are almost stuck in that industry. Keep in mind, in the morning, we both have to shower, and put one leg in our pants before the other, just like you.

 

[PearlSB4U]

When I first reached adulthood & began tipping, I was taught that the "standard" was 10% for a restaurant meal. I complied w/ this custom. I then spent several years in Europe where almost all restaurants had an "all inclusive" notice on the wall/window/menu, meaning that no tip was required. However, the custom was to leave most or all of coins (not folding money) you got in change. When I returned to the US, the "standard" had become 15%, on which I had not been consulted. I now comply w/ the 15% "standard," but prefer the European system.

 

[Everytime]

please tip whenever you can!
Starbucks, as well as other coffee shops, gives me very good coffee when I need it and I appreciate their service. If I can tip, I will!

Teresa:

I agree that they (sell) me good coffee, as does McDonald's; to be honest, I like the flavor of McDonald's regular coffee more than that of Starbucks' Pike Roast. The small size at McDonald's is $1.00, while a small Pike Roast at Starbucks is $1.50. According to payscale.com, the median wages for fast food workers/servers/cashiers at McD's range from $7.30-$7.58, while the wages for a barista at Starbucks range from $8.04-$9.45. As I mentioned earlier, the Starbucks drive-thru has a depository for tips, while there are no tipping facilities at McDonald's in the drive-thru or inside the restaurant. Why are we supposed to tip a higher-wage-paid server at Starbucks for handing us a cup of coffee in the drive-thru but not someone at McDonald's? And I'm not trying to argue; I'm just trying to understand the rationale of tipping expectations for drive-thru service.

 

[Matt J]

Perhaps some of you who don't tip on to-go, and from what I've noticed in this area, really anything else, ought to spend a day or two working those same jobs and imagine how you'd feel if you waited on someone and gave them attention and service and they didn't leave you squat and that's what you rely on to pay your bills. I'd put money on the fact that you'd start tipping them. The only reason not to would be if they were rude.

I should also point out that many places in this area get VERY busy and it causes back ups at the bar and the kitchen and taking that out on the server or bartender and tipping them less is really not fair. Most of them, including myself, are working VERY hard under pressure and stressful situations to make sure our guests are well taken care of so that they a) return, b) tell a friend so we gain more business and c) so we can pay our bills. Just because we work in the service industry does not make us second class citizens. Many servers in this area are college educated, some even have masters and are very intelligent, perhaps even more so than the guests they serve, but in a troubled economy, we are almost stuck in that industry. Keep in mind, in the morning, we both have to shower, and put one leg in our pants before the other, just like you.

Wow, I missed the part in this thread where someone stated they didn't tip on to-go orders. I believe the discussion at hand was tipping for coffee.

From my experience most people tip very well on 30A. Locals especially tip very well as we understand the stress of working through major holiday weekends and season.

You may want to reconsider your original statement that everyone doesn't tip, because it's flat out false. Many of us have and do work hospitality and for tips as well, so we're pretty well versed in how to do it and what is appropriate.

Right now I'd tip that post at about 10%, the person was rude.

 

[scooterbug44]

The whole point of this thread is that we don't know what is a proper tip is in these situations and we want to make sure we aren't shortchanging people.

 

[PJJ]

Tipping has proven to be more about pleasing the individual leaving the tip than the person receiving it. In all, it makes as much economic sense as charity. Tipping has a greater impact on the benefactor than the beneficiary, so it's not as much about them as it is about you.

 

[Matt J]

Tipping has proven to be more about pleasing the individual leaving the tip than the person receiving it. In all, it makes as much economic sense as charity. Tipping has a greater impact on the benefactor than the beneficiary, so it's not as much about them as it is about you.

Oh please expand on that logic.