Tipping: What to leave...

[Hogan11]

Got into a bit of a debate yesterday on the above subject and I know Sass & I have discussed it on many occasions, so I'm asking the forum:

What is the correct amount to leave for a tip for resturants/bartenders/bellhops/etc.?

To me, it seems like there's no uniform system for the correct amounts. Many people say different things. I had a co-worker once who actually had a laminated wallet sized scale that showed what to leave based on the amount (I wish I could find a copy of that somewhere on the net...if you know please leave a link to it)

[GonzoLays]

It's quite simple, poor to average service gets a 15% tip and excellent service is suppose to be 20%.

Now, if you are eating by yourself at a sit down restaurant and your total bill comes out to be six bucks for lunch, you don't not leave .90 cents (15%) or 1.20 (20%) because that is hella tacky. At the min, you should leave two bucks when you are a single diner.

On an interesting note, I can calculate 15% of any number in less than three seconds. They call me the rain man of restaurant tips. It's a gift, really. :(

[Crushaholic]

No matter the quality of service, I always leave some sort of tip. Lousy service would get less, but I'm usually calculating around 15-20%.

[theAPAOps5]

As a former server and bartender I always tip 20%. The standard is 15%. I kind of have a weird system for bad service. If the person is just like I don't care I give the usual 15%. If the person is just getting thier asp kicked I tip 25%. I have been there and empathise. As a server I got darn good at figuring out the tip. Its funny when I am with people who break out their cell phone calculator. I always beat them.

[ludo21]

A couple bucks, no matter the bill ;D

[AboveAverage]

I should probably just stay away from this thread, as I have served while in college. I know a few comments will make me want to go on a rant.

Anyways, I tip 20% usually.

Oh, and if you're food gets ****ed up, use a little brain power and realize the servers aren't responsible for everything that goes wrong with your meal. Servers don't get paychecks, and it's a little disheartening when some dip**** cook screws up, you get yelled at for it, and you'll not be receiving a tip as well.

Most of the cooks I've worked with could give a **** less about their jobs. Restaurants will hire any bum off the street to be a cook, and it usually shows.

[-Slap-]

I tip pretty generously. I think people should be more cognizant of the service industry workers who rarely receive gratuities for their labor. Specifically, hotel maids, who work incredibly hard and witness the aftermath of the most disgusting human behavior imaginable.

Also, when the person who delivers your newspaper every morning at 5:00 AM, regardless of weather conditions, sends you a Christmas card in early December, its so you'll have their home address. Hook 'em up.

[Spider]

Always leave a 10 spot , that waitress`works damn hard

[Sassy]

http://www.tipping.org/tipcards.html

[Spider]

;D it is Christmas , throw the chart away be generous , you just might make some kid somewhere a tad bit more happy

[Mtbrncofn]

I guess I'm an average tipper, but when it comes to ****ty service I'm mean. And when I say ****ty, I mean a rude waiter/waitress. I always check to see if they're busy if that's the reason they are sucking out loud. If that's the case, then they get the bigger tip, but if not screw em.

They shouldn't be in public service if they can't be nice to people.

[TailgateNut]

Always tip according to service. Restaurant tips depend on quality of food and service (10-25%).
Hotel maids $10-20 per day depending on the size of the suite. (min $5 for reg rooms).


Don't forget about those who you don't usually see. The behind the scenes workers. (Trash guys, newspaper delivery, milk man, mailman etc.) I like to "make their day". These people are out there all year regardless of weather making sure you are "taken care of".

[smalltowngrll]

I almost always tip 20%...unless it's just terrible service. What I mean by terrible service is service that is intentionally negligent or terrible. Not necessarily terrible due to business or understaffing, etc.

Although, things change when I tip at a bar or having cocktails. I tend to get a lot of drinks for free, meaning I'll have a round and sometimes the second or third (or in the case of after the game Sunday...4 free drinks). In that case I'll figure in how much the bill should have been with those drinks and tip on that amount. Or, another general rule is to tip a $1 a drink ordered if you aren't running a tab. Trust me, I tip well, the bartenders I frequent know it, hence my free drinks! ;D

[-Slap-]

Hotel maids $10-20 per day depending on the size of the suite. (min $5 for reg rooms).

Hotel maids are lucky if they get $10-20 in tips during an entire shift.

[RhymesayersDU]

I always hear a lot of people say "I used to work in a restaurant, therefore I try and tip high, because I know what it's like." I am the complete opposite of that. Not saying that philosophy is bad, because it's not.

But, my dad has owned (and owns currently) many restaurants, at which I've worked pretty much every job except cook. So I'd like to think I know a thing or two about waiting tables, and know what goes into it. It can be tough. But some things are inexcusable.

Therefore, I tip on how I think you did. Sure, I'll use a % as a base. For example, if 5 bucks is in the 15-20% range, I start there. Now, if you have 20 tables and your place is packed, I'll cut you some slack. But if I'm your only table yet you still find a way to not get my order right, you're going to get dinged. I will put you down to 4 if I'm really unhappy, or 6 or 7 if I thought yu did a good job.

The problem I have seen with many servers is that they have the attitude that they'll get the tip either way, so who cares. Not saying that's everybody, but a lot do, at least the ones my dad has employed at various times. So for me, I give them what I think they earned.

As for bars, it's tough. For example, when I went to DU, the two campus bars (The Stadium & The Border) usually got big tips from me, because when those places are packed, you want the bartenders to recognize you. At The Stadium, for example, I was on a first name basis with all of them. And it paid off when I'd come up to the bar, yell hello, and they'd get me my drink right away.

Now, just a normal bar, I usually try and tip well, partly because I'm hammered. I don't do the "tip a dollar for every drink" thing, but I try to hook the bartenders up, especially if I'm going to have to come back to the bar constantly. If I have waitservice at a table, I'll just open a tab and tip something decent at the end of the night. I usually overtip when it's last call because I'm hammered.

[smalltowngrll]

I usually overtip when it's last call because I'm hammered.

Yeah, it's always amazing when I look at my receipts after a night out drinking....I think, WHOA, I sure left a big tip! ROFL!

[Hogan11]

"I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job."

"I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's f'ed up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government f's in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshat I got two words for that: learn to f'n type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big f'n surprise."

- Mr. Pink on tipping from Reservoir Dogs :D

[RhymesayersDU]

"I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job."

"I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's f'ed up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government f's in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshat I got two words for that: learn to f'n type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big f'n surprise."

- Mr. Pink on tipping from Reservoir Dogs :D

LOL, I was waiting for somebody to reference that movie. Whenever I get into a tipping conversation, it never fails, somebody brings up that scene.

[Hogan11]

I couldn't resist Ha!

[Sassy]

Always tip according to service. Restaurant tips depend on quality of food and service (10-25%).
Hotel maids $10-20 per day depending on the size of the suite. (min $5 for reg rooms).


Don't forget about those who you don't usually see. The behind the scenes workers. (Trash guys, newspaper delivery, milk man, mailman etc.) I like to "make their day". These people are out there all year regardless of weather making sure you are "taken care of".

Bad girl here...I've never tipped a maid. Guess I never think about it. I do give my mailman a little something...

[REB]

I do 20% unless it was piss poor service. And by piss poor service I mean if the waitress was a miserable beeyotch and gave nothing but attitude the whole time.

[Popps]

18% is actually the standard for dining, though most people round to 20%. I usually start at 20% and go up based on the experience. Rarely do I go lower, as I worked in the service industry forever until my business took off.

Honestly, I've never really had a mean waiter/waitress. Maybe a bit neglecting. Conversely, I've regularly dealt with mean employees in retail places, grocery stores, etc.

Tipping works. People bitch about it, but imgine dropping $150 on a dinner for you and your wife, and the person that's serving it to you makes around min wage. You'd get **** service.

The tipping procedure keeps service people on their toes, plain and simple. (As a rule.) It also allows restaurants to stay in business. They work on a VERY small profit margin. If they had to pay their wait and bar-staff double, they'd be going under at an even faster rate than they already are.

That's why I sort of laugh when I see a tip jar at a Starbucks or something.
First off, those chains operate at a mind-boggling profit margin. They can afford to pay wages, while restaurants can't. Second, if you've worked in both environments, you realize that waiting/bartending for most places is a highly skilled, and difficult job... increasingly with upper-scale establishments, of course. Nothing against the kids making some extra cash, but it's not really in line with the overall concept of tipping, imo.

[Mtbrncofn]

Glad you said that, Popps. I'm just cheap by nature, can't help it. It pains me to overpay for my damn coffee toffee frappe that I get once or twice a week, but damnit....it's over the line when I have to add a tip for it too!

I'll feel less guilty now about my whopping quarter I leave. Ha! $3.75 for that should be illegal anyway.

[Sassy]

So...I pay 189 per night for a hotel room plus 17% added to breakfast for room service (which is plenty expensive as it is) and I'm still expected to come up with 10-20 bucks a day for housekeeping...that's crazy!

[Mtbrncofn]

I gotta agree with you, Sassy. That's a damn lot.

[Sassy]

I gotta agree with you, Sassy. That's a damn lot.

Especially since if we're staying a few nights all we have them do is make the bed and bring fresh towels.

Other opinions on tipping housekeeping? I've never known anyone that has.

[Mtbrncofn]

Oh I'll fess up. I haven't ever left a tip either. I didn't know it was that dire of a thing.

And damnit, if you're paying $189 a night for a damn room in a hotel, it's obviously a pretty nice place and they should quit being such tightwads and pay their maids better so I don't have to.

[Sassy]

Oh I'll fess up. I haven't ever left a tip either. I didn't know it was that dire of a thing.

And damnit, if you're paying $189 a night for a damn room in a hotel, it's obviously a pretty nice place and they should quit being such tightwads and pay their maids better so I don't have to.

Yep...this was a Holiday Inn-ON The Bay- In San Diego.

[RhymesayersDU]

I've never tipped housekeeping, nor have I ever known that was what you were supposed to do. I don't think I've ever seen my Dad either, but I'm not sure about that.

How do you go about tipping housekeeping, BTW? Do you just leave money in the room? I rarely if ever see the maids who make up my room. I'm usually out and about during the day.

I do tip the valet guy though, for sure.

[Spider]

with me , sometimes the friendlist face I see is a waitress .Some times things are not going right , you just need a friendly face .......

[-Slap-]

So...I pay 189 per night for a hotel room plus 17% added to breakfast for room service (which is plenty expensive as it is) and I'm still expected to come up with 10-20 bucks a day for housekeeping...that's crazy!

How about a couple dollars a day?

How about a dollar for each day you stay, plus a buck or two on top?

These maids are stiffed entirely on a routine basis, so anything you leave them (within reason) will be appreciated.

[-Slap-]

I've never tipped housekeeping, nor have I ever known that was what you were supposed to do. I don't think I've ever seen my Dad either, but I'm not sure about that.

How do you go about tipping housekeeping, BTW? Do you just leave money in the room? I rarely if ever see the maids who make up my room. I'm usually out and about during the day.

I do tip the valet guy though, for sure.

What do you think is a harder job? Making beds all day and cleaning up after God only knows what kind of disgusting personal behavior, or parking cars for a living?

The valets at the big hotels out here make a bloody fortune.

You can simply leave a tip for your maid in the room when you leave.

[TailgateNut]

Good grief, I can't believe the number of people who do not believe the maid deserves even a small gesture for cleaning up "their mess". The minimum would be $5 a day at a decent hotel.
We generally stay at Marriot Properties when we vacation and the daily rates are usually in the $300-400 p. day range. So I tend to think 5% isn't to much for the person who cleans up the mess I make. I also tip on a daily basis, which accomplishes two things. One, the maids do not clean the same room daily, and I would want a tip for good service going to someone who did not provide that service. Two, when tipped, a person generally will provide exceptional service for you in the future!

[Arkansas Bronco]

As others who have posted here I also use to be a server. I dont realy get into exact tipping on %'s but if the service is good its a safe bet they get over 20%. But I dont have one bit of problem dropping my tip down if service is lack luster and I know what that is. When my drink is gone and the server is in the corner chatting up a storm with another server and I sit there for a bit with an empty glass tip goes down. I also like a server that does what I always did and after the food is served go and ask if everything is alright or if they need anything. Again like others said I cut slack if they are overly busy but if things are slow and you dont do your job then you arnt going to get much. Yea I know my system may not be right but I judge by how I use to work and what I expect.

[REB]

I haven't stayed at many hotels/motels in my life even though I was a assistant front desk manager at a Holiday Inn back in my 20's. Pretty cool job actually until people start bitchin about stupid crap. We had a cartoon hanging in the back that read, "What if we send up a fruit basket, a bottle of champagne and have the manager shot? Would that be satisfactory?" :)

Anyhow a few months ago the ol' lady ticked me off so I went to stay at a motel and there was an envelope in the room for leaving a tip to the maids. Never seen that before but I put 5 bucks in it. It said you could leave it in the room or drop it off at the front desk when you check out.

[smalltowngrll]

Something I learned this weekend, and I didn't even think about before....tipping the Sky Cap at tha airport if you check-in at the curb. We were at risk of missing our flight out of PDX because the lines were over an hour long...so they told us to check in at the curb where there was no line. I actually had to ask the guy, who hinted around at the fact that I didn't have to drag my luggage anywhere and I was skipping the lines, if it was customary to tip the sky cap. I didn't know that. But, it makes sense!

[Hogan11]

Curb side check in or checking the bag inside...it doesn't matter, the bag still takes a beating. This time, I lost two zipper pulls and my ID tag...that's the usual...baggage guys throw them around like trash bags onto a garbage truck.

I'm a bit of a prick when it comes to service...sure I leave a tip and more of one if the service is good to great, but if the service is bad or rude...they'll get absolutely nothing from me.

[24champ]

How much do I tip? Depends on how big the hooters are...;D

[Taco John]

I try to overtip when I can. Prior and through college, I got by working in the service industry. Paychecks were appreciated because I could just pay rent with them. But I ate and lived on my tip money. I know that these folks are being stiffed left and right, so I try to make up for it just a little if I can by providing a little extra... and for really great service, I'll go over the top with an extra ten spot. It seems that the universe always pays me back for what extra I put out. At least I haven't gone broke yet! ;D

[Sassy]

Something I learned this weekend, and I didn't even think about before....tipping the Sky Cap at tha airport if you check-in at the curb. We were at risk of missing our flight out of PDX because the lines were over an hour long...so they told us to check in at the curb where there was no line. I actually had to ask the guy, who hinted around at the fact that I didn't have to drag my luggage anywhere and I was skipping the lines, if it was customary to tip the sky cap. I didn't know that. But, it makes sense!

That I do...along with Taxi's and shuttle drivers, barmaids, bartenders, and waitresses...but the motel thing where it was suggested 10-20 bucks a day, I thought, was outrageous...if all of the ten or twelve rooms they do per day did that...Hmmm...they would be making more than I do per day!

[Sassy]

Good grief, I can't believe the number of people who do not believe the maid deserves even a small gesture for cleaning up "their mess". The minimum would be $5 a day at a decent hotel.
We generally stay at Marriot Properties when we vacation and the daily rates are usually in the $300-400 p. day range. So I tend to think 5% isn't to much for the person who cleans up the mess I make. I also tip on a daily basis, which accomplishes two things. One, the maids do not clean the same room daily, and I would want a tip for good service going to someone who did not provide that service. Two, when tipped, a person generally will provide exceptional service for you in the future!

I guess that if I made a huge mess I would...but when we stay 3 or four nights we only usually have them bring towels and make the bed (and not change sheets until we leave)...and I guess I'm not one to stay at 300-400 a night hotels. I can see a few bucks...but I'm talking 10-20 bucks is outrageous.

[Crushaholic]

If I catch the maids in the act of cleaning, I'll tip them. However, I'm not going to run anybody down just to give someone a tip.

[Sassy]

Oh yeah...I tip my hair person well...and give her a Christmas present on top of the tip. ;D Also, tip my nail guy.

[Mtbrncofn]

I tip my hairdresser the best. He's awesome and he deserves it. :)

[Sassy]

I hear ya! I wish my old one had never left. The gal I had now messed up my haircut before the Denver trip...luckily her boss fixed it fairly well and its finally growing out again. She does do color well so the last time I had her do the hairlights/eyebrows and the other gal cut my hair. I miss Lindsay :(

[Hogan11]

Don't forget about those who you don't usually see. The behind the scenes workers. (Trash guys, newspaper delivery, milk man, mailman etc.) I like to "make their day". These people are out there all year regardless of weather making sure you are "taken care of".

Just heard on the radio that the Post Office prohibits the acceptance of tips by mailmen.....take it for what it's worth.

[Sassy]

Just heard on the radio that the Post Office prohibits the acceptance of tips by mailmen.....take it for what it's worth.

What about 'gifts' as in a gift card. How would they know?

[Tom H.]

How about haircutting?

I leave around $4.00 for a 15 dollar cut.

20% for food

$3.00 for the pizza delivery person. More if I get a couple.
$10 for hotel maid service.

Only once did I ever give a lousy tip and that was for blatant service boobery. The amount was ok 15% it was just in dimes and nickels.

I never know what to give the valet person. $2.00 - $5.00???

[Kaylore]

I tip for haircuts and food the same way: 15-25% depending on how you did.

In a restaurant I'm pretty easy to please. Get my order right and refill my glass without me asking. That's it. I have a lot of friends in the food industry so I tend to tip more generously. I treated it like a Karma thing and in way it was. When it came up in discussion, my old girlfriends and dates all said that they appreciated that I left a generous tip and ordered drinks and appetizers. I guess it made them feel more comfortable about what they could order and didn't make me look cheap. I didn't even think of it that way, but good to know! :)

Haircuts I pretty much just tip everyone 20% unless it's ruined, which is rare. If the job is mediocre, I just won't come back to that person the next time.

[-Slap-]

I've only stiffed one waiter in my life. It would have been weird to leave a tip after I chewed him out for being an asshole.

[Arkansas Bronco]

I've only stiffed one waiter in my life. It would have been weird to leave a tip after I chewed him out for being an a-hole.

They make their money by the service they provide if you have a sever problem with your server dont give it a second thought.