Okay folks, I thought this was common sense/decency but apparently I was wrong. If you go out to eat in a restaurant please PLEASE give your server a decent tip! I know there are many folks out there who don’t care what kind of service they provide, but there are also many who try very hard to give you an amazing meal/experience, and telling them how great it is DOES not excuse leaving them 5% (or nothing)! We get paid a lower wage based on the expectation that it will be augmented by gratuities. I love happy customers, and I will always do my best to please them, but if you stiff me, don’t expect the same treatment when you return. I have bills to pay, just like you. If you can’t afford to leave a decent tip, you can’t afford to eat out. It’s that simple. Stay home, eat fast food, but stay out of places where your cheapskate ways will impact someone else’s financial situation.
This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2008.
I’m not your employer- it’s not my responsibility to pay your bills. There are many other jobs out there which require equally hard work (and often harder) to that of a server where tips aren’t part of the equation. If you dont feel that your job provides you a living wage, maybe you should find another job. Tipping is customary in North America- that is the sole reason why I tip- not because I feel responsible for making sure your finacial situation is adequate- I really couldnt care less. I was a waiter too- that was how I paid my rent all through university. If someone without alot of money manages to scrape together enough to afford the bill for a favorite meal somewhere(such as my friends and I did when we were 16 years old and making miniumum wage), they are perfectly within their right to pay that bill and leave without forking over anything else.
Amen! Fuck those cheapskates! Oh, how I love bending over backwards for shitheads who don’t tip! I, myself, give good service so I know anyone who doesn’t tip is a cheap fucker who somehow thinks I don’t deserve squat or are too poor to be eating out in the first place! And you anti-tippers with the ‘Tipping is optional’ attitude, don’t bother posting those comments here, ’cause you probably have never worked as a server in a restaurant!
Wow, Amanda – you sound like an amazing server with an awesome attitude. I bet you deserve huge tips.P.S. As a former server/bartender, I tip very well for good or exceptional service. When the service is bad or mediocre at best, tipping is indeed optional.
Amanda, please do the world a favour and retire from the service industry. Matter of fact, just retire from life completely. Board up your windows and doors and never leave your house again.Appreciate it, thanks.
people only see a tip from me if everything is perfict with my meal and service… the cook screws up so you say and my order is wrong.. well you being the server should of made sure it was right..sorry there goes your tip, no smile and a rude attitude, there goes your tip.
OK, Amanda says “And you anti-tippers with the ‘Tipping is optional’ attitude, don’t bother posting those comments here, ’cause you probably have never worked as a server in a restaurant!”Actually, I DID work as a server in a restaurant. And I got my tips stolen by servers who got pissed off when they didn’t get tips. Like the girl who got a penny in the middle of a stack of dirty plates because what *she* thought was good service consisted of telling people she wasn’t going to make another pot of coffee because she hadn’t had a smoke break in the last hour. She figured it was “good” service because she “smiled” when she said it.Listen, there are some jackasses out there, but there are also other cultures whose views on tipping aren’t the same as ours. And if the only reason you’re giving good service is because you expect a tip, you need to go get another job. You should be giving good service because that’s what people expect when they go to a decent restaurant.And before anyone casts aspersions, I leave at LEAST 15% even when the service isn’t good, because I like to make the assumption that I got the server on a bad day. If the service is bad from the same server the next time, they might get zip. But if you’re obviously fake and working for a tip alone, you’ll get the sum of the taxes, to the penny automatically. And I have been known to leave as much as 50% for impeccable service. People like me can more than make up for the one or two people who don’t tip at all.
Amanda when i dont tip its because of you… sorry bitch but you dont deserve shit. Giving you a 0% tip knowing full well you tip out the kitchen and are essentially paying to serve me my dinner.
Let me preface this by saying im not a cheapskate. In fact ive been told i am quite generous and free with my money. Now let me say this. the purpose in my eyes of tiping is to recognize a server that provides excellent service over and above what the average (normal) would be. If you give average service that is simply doing your job. which you already recieve a wage for. it is not my fault its a crappy wage.if you expect a good tip, which i have no problem with, do more than i would expect. dont think just bringing my food to my table qualifies you for a $10 tip on a $50 bill. I dont even care if you are all smiles and bubbly. just check on me once or twice to see if may like anything else and that my drink stays full.
without reading all the other comments in this thread, I’m pretty sure you get AT LEAST min wage, which is pretty standard in a lot of service jobs. grocery cashiers, retail slaves, convenience store attendants, etc… ALL get min wage for a job that’s probably just as shitty as yours, but guess what? they don’t get tips. So fuck off with the “we get paid lower because we get tips” garbage. When the fuck did tipping become anything more than a bonus at the customer’s discretion?Like I said — in NS servers get AT LEAST min wage, not like in other provinces where servers can get paid less than min wage because of the expectation of tips. So unless you’re posting from a province like ontario, shut the fuck up already.Finally what gets me is, servers seem to think the whole “if you can afford to go out you can afford to tip us” argument is valid — fuck off. Unless your restaurant puts in a mandatory service fee, it’s not up to YOU to tell the customer how they spend THEIR money when it comes time to pony up a tip.Look, I work JUST as hard as a server in a crummy min wage service job while I make my way through university, but I don’t get tips so excuse me if I don’t feel sorry for you.
I agree with John’s post 100%. Tipping’s meant to show appreciation for excellent service, not something that’s expected because it’s become some sort of unappreciated social norm. Fuck, the OP makes it seem like tips are required. If they’re required plz add the price into the meal price on the menu or post a sign that you’re going to add a mandatory 15% service fee. Until then, I’ll tip the way i want based on how I think YOUR service was. Don’t kid yourself, I’m not a cheapskate, I usually tip over 20% when I get good service, but I consider that something nice to do for someone, not something I’m REQUIRED to do.
Most people seem to tip according to service. That being said, if you (OP) are getting terrible tips, perhaps you might be inclined to think the service you give is bad.Winter is coming, you should get into snow removal – we need more people to service residences. We DON’T need more crappy servers.
I worked at a very popular bar in Halifax for 4 years and I loved it- because all I had to do was work 18 hours a week and at the end of the week, and what I made was the equivalent of what an entry-level Gap employee (who works just as hard) would make after slaving 50 hours a week. I made a minimum of 75 cents per beer in tips, which meant that at the end of each night, I usually went home with atleast $100 in my wallet. It was great- I still had lots of time left over for sleeping, studying and partying. Maybe this is (in part) why some servers are so ferocious about the tips they think they so baldy deserve- it affords them a certain lifestyle other people at their level of employment don’t have.
Yeah, I’ll be taking advice from someone by the name poop.Grow the fuck up, your comment/advice is not even funny.
Its called work ethic. you know? doing your job well because, its YOUR JOB. OP and Amanda you need to figure this out. take some pride in your work. Otherwise you can grab a cup and go stand on Barrington St and shout at people there for not giving you money.Know what would happen if I did less than 100% at my job because someone didn’t fork over a little more last time to supplement my income? I’d get my ass fired.
Its bitches(the person who entered the bitch, not the bitch iteslf) like this server who make it difficult for some of us to tip beyond 15%. I rarely go below 10% unless its really really bad, I stiffed only once (Hooters, and yes the ‘service’ was abysmal and no I wasn’t there by choice).Anyway, enjoy this, everyone: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/5ea1b68c78/do-your-job-by-bruce-springsteen-from-pete-hulne
Wah, wah wah. If I can afford to pay for my food, I can afford to eat out, kthx. I can also afford to tip like a queen, which doesn’t happen if I pick up on the entitlement attitude you’re putting off from a server.
A — my sister is a server in Toronto where they make below min wage because of the expectation of tips and DAMN she lives in a kick ass apartment, manages a grand and a half a month in rent and has lots of cash left over to shop/drink/whatever. She makes tons of cash and works like 4 nights a week, maybe. So I totally get what you’re saying — if the OP had to work the same job I work where I work 25+ hours a week and don’t get tips and barely have enough money to buy food most of the time she’d probably appreciate those tips a little more and not be so fucking self entitled about them.
I don’t understand why servers are not placing more blame on the fat cat restaurant owners to up there wages, instead of relying on customers to tip them just for doing their job. if you do a crappy job, i WON’T tip. i waitressed overseas where tipping is not a custom, I made $12/hour so it didn’t really matter … not like i was rolling in dough but its a liveable wage and i still cleared $10-20 a night in tips, which was nice pocket money. my point is the problem is not with the customers, its with the owners.
this 1 millionth bitch about tipping, makes me not want to tip anywone, anywhere, anymore. Y’all can thank the OPs of these bitches
Ok is it just me or does the OP make it seem like people who don’t tip are pretty much dining and dashing? “if you stiff me…”….stiff you? from what? a totally voluntary show of appreciation for good service? Good grief. This bitch really pisses me off.
II’ve worked a few serving jobs in the city- and liked that I could work for less hours and make the same amount of cash as a full time job- however that’s not always the case- sometimes, depending on the season- I have had to work two or three jobs to pay for bills. It makes me laugh when people say that they pay for the service provided- I love working with people- I am an actor I enjoy having people leave happy. I have had customers ask for me to be their server many times because they enjoy my service. I worked for a company that provided dinner and a show- and we would leave comment cards at the end to ask what you liked and what you didn’t like…. and this is what makes me laugh- we left comment cards for patrons to fill out – they said they loved everything- the food the entertainment, and most importantly- the SERVICE! You would think that we as a group of actors provided an excellent night for people, and there is still sometimes no tip- or little to none. I don’t care, because I love what I do, but don’t say you’re going to tip if the service great because you are the types that look for any flaw- if the waitress looks at the boy before the girl- no tip. if she didn’t bring water first- no tip. if there is pepper on the salad- even though you didn’t ask for no pepper- no tip. Just admit that you don’t want to tip. I’ve seen the same people night after night at the same bar for many years not tip- they know all the servers by name- LOVE the place, but they don’t tip. I still like them because I love what I do, and am still happy and honest with myself at the end of the day- as we all should be.
holy jesus, that was really long, sorry guys…..
Funny Lily, I thought WORKING was the way to make money, not by expecting extra handouts.
Oh settle the fuck down, Amanda. You obviously have a terrible attitude toward your job. I’m not required to leave a tip, but if i’m going to settle for mediocre service from someone with your level of integrity, i think i’d rather stay home with a pot of KD. By the way, Poop isn’t my real name. I know you’re a little slower than the rest of the class, so i’ll let you in on that one, just ’cause i’d hate to see you look like an idiot twice.
Tipping is the only way to make money in this low-wage ghetto called Nova Scotia. I’ve made more in jobs where I got tips than in jobs in my so-called field.
Just about everyone I know is more than happy to tip for good service. It just pisses me off that I’m EXPECTED to tip when the service sucks. And if you aren’t making enough tips to make ends meet, you’re more than welcome to find a job that pays a better wage.
As a server, this issue really tears me apart. I have off-days too, but usually you know when you’re not performing at your best. If I go to a table, and I know that I didn’t really do much for them besides bring them some food and smile a bit, I don’t expect a great tip, or any tip at all. I think that’s my prerogative as a human being, to sometimes JUST do the bare minimum my job requires. And every server has days like that, but choose these days wisely, and don’t complain when people take notice. with that said- I go to a pub in my neighborhood once a week for a special that they make really well. I’ve always had good servers there, and I usually tip well, but sometimes i cant, and i try to take a minute to explain to them that the service was excellent, and i’ll make sure to tip them well the next time. most of them laugh it off and are very gracious, but they just hired a new girl who is a shit waitress, and has that fake air about her as if everything she does is desperate tip-grubbing. So I figured, hey, this is much worse than the standard here, so im not going to tip. She returns to my table and says “just so you guys know, there are some servers here who will, like, spit in your drink for not tipping 15%..not me…but other people.” I was so shocked.Hey Bitch–you have NO right to expect ANY tip, and it says so in most employee manuals, much less a mandatory 15%. As far as I’m concerned, in this line of work, the 15% rule is basically a guideline for people who don’t know what kind of monetary value to attach to exceptional service. and I think that if the service WAS exceptional, 15% is a really generous figure that can be appreciated by anyone. It is not a fixed cost that should be paid for ho-hum service. When i get 15% in a pub where the average bill is about $40-50, i don’t think to myself “that’s what i thought. prick.” I go over and say an extra thank you, and ask them to come back again soon because it is a generous gesture. i don’t sit there stewing because my customer isn’t going to make my rent this month.There are two factions of servers: the entitled brats who only want to work part-time but make full time money and complain endlessly about tip-outs, responsibilities (“that’s not my job- I’m a server”)customers and everything they hate about the job that earns them so much money. Then there are the ones who have a genuine love for food and hospitality, who thrive on the challenge of making it a unique dining experience for the customer, and would work where they do regardless of tips. Trust me, we hate the former just as much as all of you do because they make us look bad. I try very hard at my job, and get lots of compliments, but I am always encountering people who don’t even try to understand the little intricacies (clearing glasses as you bring a new round, doing spot-checks, checking on allergies, asking if they need certain sauces or condiments before they ask, etc) and then think they’re entitled to some giant tip at the end of the day. I try really hard to bring something to my job that no one else can, and it makes me sick to see people flooding a thriving industry with their shit-fer-brains… Every tip bitch on this site has someone saying “i know im a good server…” well, if you’re a good server, it shouldn’t matter if one guy doesn’t tip you, you should more than make up for it by the end of the night. and if EVERYONE is “stiffing” you, or you can’t make it up after a whole night, maybe you aren’t as good as you thought. Sometimes, people just have an off-putting way of carrying themselves. maybe when you talk, it comes out sounding rude. ive met MANY servers who had this problem and were totally oblivous to it.Go try working banquets, where your employer charges customers a gratuity that you NEVER see, and bartenders take a large cut of the maybe $10 in cash tips you might get. You think you have it bad because one person didn’t kiss your ass, somebody always has it worse, sweetie.
Servers never want to hear that they are doing a bad job or don’t deserve their tips, but it happens. I generally tip well, especially considering I eat out for lunch a lot and when the meals are cheap, the tips end up being far more than 15%. But I have certainly had days that I have either been too poor to afford a good tip, and feel cheaper leaving like 50 cents, than I do leaving nothing. And I’ve had bad service, and the only way to teach servers that tips are based on service, is to leave no tip/low tips when the service is bad. I’ve had lunch places where the server brings the food, and never comes back, so that after 40 mins I have to bring my leftovers to the cash to be wrapped up. You’re making me late for work? I’m not leaving you a tip.