Should we REALLY tip servers for simply doing their jobs?

Question

I don't want to offend any service related people, but if you're already getting paid hourly, why should you receive a tip for simply doing your job? The U.S. is one of a few countries where tipping is EXPECTED. Now, if your entire salary is based on tips or commissions, that's one thing. I'm talking about servers in the U.S. who are already making much more than minimum wage and still expect tips. And most of the time, they expect it, when they don't even merit that much. Example: you go out and eat. Bill comes to $70. Now I'm expected to pay an additional $13-$20 for someone to do what they were hired to do? I don't get paid extra for fixing something, or for simply doing my job. And honestly, for people who say, "oh, the job is very tough and demanding, etc..." I've been a server. I didn't like it, so I quit and got a job better fit for me. I think tipping should be reserved for services rendered above and beyond your normal job scope. Not a reward for mediocrity.

Answer 1

I am a server for a national company. We only make $3.35 per hour plus tips. I make great money based on the tips collect and the hourly pay covers my HMO insurance monthly. I have a teaching degree but instead I choose to wait tables because I earn more in tips than what I would make teaching.

If the company that I work for would choose to pay us more hourly, great, but as for now I work for tips. If servers were not making good tips for good service, there would be no one to wait on tables because there would be no incentive to be in the restaurant business.

Answer 2

Wow. You really don't understand much about the service industry do you? They make $2.65 an hour PLUS tips. A member of waitstaff is part of the experience of the restaurant you are going to. If they are polite, quick, respectful of general manners at the table, get the order correct 100%, and doing it all while saying please and thank you or is there anything else I can do for you, is excellent service.



It's not easy being in the waiting industry. People are rude, change their minds a dozen times, are extremely picky and it takes a lot to handle 5 tables at once on a busy Friday, especially if there are drink orders. That means not only running from the kitchen but to the bar as well.



A lot of restaurants have tip outs where the waiters have to pay out part of their tips to the busboys, the bartenders and sometimes the kitchen.



If waitstaff made the kind of living hourly that we do in an office, the food would be so expensive you couldn't afford it. Some of these people would work 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week; that's almost a grand a week.



In most situations they will go home with $100 a night. Maybe only work 3 nights a week in some of the larger chains.

Answer 3

Actually in VA and NC the wage is only $2.15/hr and then you take home your tips. Average you get 3-5 tables in your area and in a slower place like Applebee's or some ethnic places you only get those tables seated maybe 3 times each.... so 9 tables in 5 or 6 hours you only get $12-$13 base pay.... if each table leaves you $4 which is NOT the average most of the time you get stifferd or people leave $2 and change to get even dollar amounts you still make only about $8/hour for running back and forth over and over. As a former server to help pay for school I tip about 15% as a standard because if you've ever done it and pulled a double shift (9am-midnight sometimes) you know it's not mind boggling work but it is physically demanding especially when you try to make every table feel like they are the only one there. So I stick with 15% of my bill...if my service is bad (no refills, no silverware, no attentiveness) I leave about 10-12% but NEVER less. If you are great you get 20-25%. If I am more demanding (I ask for a lot of extras or I guzzle my drink and send for refills every 5 minutes I give more if they kept up relatively well. I know that on a $50 or $70 check this can seem like a lot, but generally that high a bill means you are at a nice place or you have a larger party. In which case YOU are paying the server for what they are hired to do, not the establishment because essentially they are working for you, not the establishment. Higher end places require servers with experience in many cases so not just any Joe or Susan can go in there and get the job, so you pay for better service. With large parties more time is involved and more attention is typically required. So yes, you tip more.

Answer 4

As far as the quote from the catering service goes, that is THEIR choice to run their business that way, as they are assuming they will receive more customers for it. Have you priced them in relation to other catering services? I have a sneaky feeling they may have higher prices, but that is just my suspicion, I may be wrong. As for the deal about tipping, do you know the restaurant's policy of how the tips are shared? It could be such a thing that the tips may be shared among all the staff, not just the server, did you ever think of that? A lot of places do that so that all the staff gets a bonus, not just the server. And yes, they should be giving the best service possible no matter if they get a tip or not because it is their job to do so, but there is also a little thing called kindness and appreciation, where you make a person feel like a decent human being since they made you as happy, welcome and comfortable as they possibly could, by returning the gesture by tipping. And frankly, I have to tell you, I have been in the service industry for over 25 years, and waiting on people is absolutely the most thankless job there is, just because of people like you who assume the whole world OWES them a fine time for no good reason. The nicest person you know will all of a sudden turn into a total creep the minute they walk through a restaurant door just because of this attitude, and I still had to wait on them and give them the exact same service that I gave to the person who was nice to me and enjoyed what I did for them. And let me tell you, if you are under the assumption that all I did for those 25 years is dole out polite chit-chat for a living then you really need to take eight hours out of your pitifully sheltered life and do this job to get the real scoop on it. Serve people like yourself and then come back and talk to me. Trust me, you will have a whole new outlook on things.

Answer 5

GREAT QUESTION!!! Most servers do receive a salary BUT .... most servers do not receive minimum wage the standard server wage in Arizona is $3.75 per hour which does not come anywhere near minimum. So YES you should tip servers for simply doing their jobs. Your server is also taxed based on their sales which is coming out of that huge wage they are making. Servers should be tipped at least 10% that just about covers the taxes on the food that you are eating. So if you have any sense of humanity you would tip more than that so they aren't just working to pay taxes on your food this includes TO GO orders at restaurants. Servers work hard so why not tip them and make it worth their while to go in and put up with some of the customers they have to deal with on a daily basis.

Answer 6

Totally Agree! Tips may be given when an extra services are rendered or if the customer just feels like so. This problem should actually be handled by the owner of the establishment. Servers should actually be paid right. Owners can do some evaluations: ratings of servers via customers, and through the evaluations, servers will get their respective merit/rewards. "Mandatory" tips is actually unfair for both the server and the customer. Customer is paying extra for an expected service only and servers are getting paid in a rate of how much the customer ate (i.e. with the same service provided, rates are different because of what the customer has ordered).

Answer 7

We can assume that you have never relied upon waiting tables. Waiting tables (in most high-quality restaurants) is very much a sales job where a person's take home is largly commission. When I waited table 10 years ago, I made only $2.13/hour, so I was dependent on tips, and I was a good waitress, but I burned out quickly (I waited tables for 3 years).



Regarding international tipping, there are contries where tipping is unheard of, but in many European countires the "tip" is included in the form of a cover charge, but again, this is not your momma's table, the people bringin your your dinner, and waititng on you hand and foot, aren't doing it for free.



I don't know why someone would assume that they can go somewhere and be waited on, and then not pay for it. If you don't want to tip, go to a cafeteria. Think of the tip as an extra service, that you need to pay for. Don't be cheap. Remeber you could cook the same food at home for a lot less.



No waiting is not for everyone. That is why those that do it, deserve the tips they get.

Answer 8

You should always tip.... it could be that your waiter or waitress is having a bad start to their day, and your tip could be a little encouragement to them, if it's given in the right way..



Also, some states (not here, though) have "training wage" and "tip credit" whereas the establishment/bar/restaurant only pays the wait staff each some dirt cheap "wage" (under $3 an hour), and then they expect their guests to "tip in" the rest. So in short, what some people may look at as a reward for "good service", sometimes the waiters and others actually depend on that just to live...

Answer 9

I work in Indiana, I love the food service business and enjoy my job. I make $2.18 an hour, then I have to pay taxes on 8% of my sales, my average weekly paycheck for a 40 hour week is less than $10. I'm good at what I do and make good tips, however if I don't make/claim enough in tips to make up to minimum wage then my employer has to pay the difference, if this happens I loose my job!

Not only do I make sure you have everything you want, I also have many side jobs of stocking and cleaning in the back to keep things rolling smoothly. For this I get $2.18 an hour.

I work at a national chain restaurant and unlike most they offer medical insurance and paid vacations, something you rarely find in food service. I was a full time professional for many years, banking and medical insurance being my specialties and when I had children and chose to stay home with them only to find out I needed a few hours a week out of the house and working a friend told me I should try waitressing, its the same thing I do at home for my family only people thank you and pay you for it. Today that is still why I love to wait tables. I meet the most interesting people and enjoy making them smile, it may be the only one they get that day.

I walk all day and lift heavy trays so I don’t need to go to a gym. I have to be at work at five a.m. every day and I don’t sit down again till two or three in the afternoon. I could sit behind a desk and bring in $40,000 a year in the area I’m in, but I can live comfortably knowing that when Christmas is over my income will drop, when you have to get your kids ready for school my income will drop, when gas prices go up, my income will drop. There are so many factors to how people tip and some days are really good and some aren’t worth the drive in, you will get the same service either way, or you should!

Don’t be afraid to ask, when I waited tables in California the servers do make minimum wage there. They don’t in Arkansas. Oh I am also the spouse of a retired Air Force person so I’ve waited tables in several states. Don’t be afraid to ask your server what they make, we’ll tell you! We have to tell the world what we make the IRS pays very close attention to servers!

You are totally right not to tip mediocre service, There are many people out there who should not be waiting tables, its not for them. Not making money at it will clue them in to find another profession, however, do not hold it against the restaurant or other servers there. If you had a bad server and stopped me during your visit I would have made up for it as best I could and I wouldn’t be the one getting your tip. And I would appreciate you not paying them for my work. Next time when I’m your server you will have a better experience. And I hope that your tip will reflect it. You should pay for what you get, and if you get great service you should leave a great tip. When a single person leaves me $5 that’s great, when you and five others come in anything over $15 would be great. I have three to six tables, if I can feed you and get you out in an hour and sit someone else at your table then I can make a good living. If there is no one to sit at my tables or if I get one dollar instead of five that makes a difference. If you are having a meeting and stay at my table for two hours brainstorming then that’s a table I didn’t get, I still come back and refill drinks and take everything off the table after you eat, I don’t abandon you just because you are done eating. A little extra on the tip would be nice then too.

You are right that so many servers are in it for the quick cash, but find the best servers at your favorite spots. Ask for their section and tip them well and you will always enjoy and look forward to dining out. At new places tell your server what you want exactly, be nice and polite but let us know, many of us will bend over backwards to give you what you want and more, you just have to find us.

Answer 10

Yes!! You HAVE to tip. I'm not sure what restaurants you are talking about but every one in my area only pays their servers ~2.65/hour. That's it. And then we have to deal with people with the mindset that this is what we choose to do and there for deserve crappy tips; if we don't like it then get a different job, blah, blah, blah,...that's stupid. I'm raising three kids as well as paying my way through college. I go to work everyday and bust my butt to make people's experience enjoyable, anticipate their needs, be attentive, and get them what they want the way they want it; and to only get 10% or under really chaps my a$$. So YES. It's mandatory; at least 15% and if you are taken care of, then 20% or more.



I get an hourly wage but 2.65 is NOTHING. I certainly couldn't support myself on that let alone three kids and a wife.



Think of it this way; I'm not sure what you do for a living but what if one day you came in to do your job but from some reason (and mind you, you would NOT be able to ask why) your boss becided to give you about 5-7% less money for doing the same job you do every day. Actually he had a few "special" things for you to do as well and was kind of pushy about you getting them done really quickly; even though you were already very busy doing the things that your supervisor had asked you to do right away. How would that make you feel? My guess is overworked, underpaid, unappreciated, hurt, angry, etc.



Think about that next time you go out to eat. Again, I don't know where you go out to eat, but my guess is that the servers don't make as much as you think they do. And if they do, then it's probably because there are a lot of people out there that are just as misinformed as you were.

Answer 11

Minimum wage for tipped professions (server, bartender) in the US is approximately $3 per hour. So, yes, you should tip people for doing their jobs because that is literally how they earn a living. That's pretty common knowledge to Americans. If you don't want to tip, get take out, drive through or cook at home where you will only be expected to pay for the cost of food and not the service that comes with it.

Answer 12

Of course you should tip servers. Thats how they make a living. What they get paid hourly doesn't amount to anything. Most servers checks are $0 cause they have to pay on the taxes that they get tipped too. Servers also don't get to keep all that they get in tips either. They have to tip out to the bussers and bartenders too. I think that most people should have to take a class on going out to eat before they are aloud to eat out anywhere. Some people don't know what it is like to be a server. They think that they are the only one that is in the place and everything should be ready when they want it and should come out the way they want it too. Sometimes the server cant help it. They dont make the food. I tip at lest 20% cause i know what it was like to be a server. People should be more understanding of other people jobs.

Answer 13

Not to be rude but don't be ridiculous. We are paid minimum wage or less. My sister was a server in Omaha and only made a little over $2 an hour! You think your job is tough? We have to deal with people yelling at us for things that aren't our fault, rude people, cheap tippers, mean people and some people that are just plain A**holes. I once had a man yell at me because he wanted more cheese on his sandwich. He never asked for extra cheese, just took one bite and yelled at me from across the restaraunt. We work out butts off in the hope that our customer will be a reasonable person and actually tip us for our work. I certainly don't appreciate it when it is crazy busy in our restaraunt and I am running around like crazy trying to make sure everyone gets served only to have someone leave me no tip at all. Just think about it.



P.S. If you don't want to pay extra for a tip.... go to McDonalds

Answer 14

Yes, servers should be tipped for doing their jobs. 15% minimum (I always start at 20% and go up or down from there, and if the bill is less than $20 I tip $5 no matter what--leaving $2 on $10 just seems cheap to me). Servers are paid less than $3/hr in most parts of the country. And servers are taxed primarily on their sales, as opposed to how much they actually are tipped. Keep in mind that servers also tip out to the other staff in the restaurant (bussers and bartenders) and this tip out is determined by a percentage of sales as well. So, if your bill is $70 a server will have to give about 10-20% of the tip on that bill to the support staff. Hence, if you leave a 15% tip of $10, the server tips out about 2 dollars of that tip amount. So, if a server makes $100 on $500 in sales, $15 is going to the bar and bus staff.



Fact of the matter is this--custom in this country is to tip, so servers are exempt from minimum wage standards (minimum wage for tipped positions in Michigan--barmaids, servers, etc.--is $2.65 and hasn't changed in the 7 years since I quit waiting tables.) Also, nearly every paycheck that a server gets unless they're being paid minimum wage for being a trainer/trainee, is $0.00. The wages only cover taxes--you rarely get extra. Something to think about the next time you eat out. A very tiny percentage of your meal's price actually goes to pay the servers. To be honest, I think you get better service from tip-based workers than non-tip based workers. I almost always get a smile and good treatment from a server in a restaurant--can you say the same for the people that pass your burger to you at a fast food joint? If someone knows that they HAVE to make you happy in order to get paid, you're going to get better service. There are exceptions to this rule, just as there are folks in the fast food biz who will give you service with a smile, but in general, most servers are pleasant people who enjoy seeing their guests happy and hope that their appreciation will be shown with a generous tip. Plus, they'll remember that if you come back and you will be rewarded in kind with even better service than you got the first time.

Answer 15

Well, in American culture, restaurant server kind of equates to a tip type of job. They used to only get $2/hour so tips were part of the package, but now I think they get minimum wage plus tips, which likely works out pretty good. If you don't tip at a restaurant, that would be frowned upon. I agree that too many places nowadays have a tip jar that is almost offensive to me to see, but individual service merits a little something extra in some businesses. Plus, when figuring taxable income, the last I knew was that wait staff were assigned 8% of sales as taxable income in the form of tips that they're supposed to claim -hence wait staff expects tips.

Answer 16

I work for the Cheesecake Factory in Columbus, Oh and make $3.43 an hour. That is standard across the bored in Ohio for servers no matter what the restaurant (and that's only been for a couple months, before that it was $2.13/hour). As a waitress I depend on tips to pay my bills. I don't even see a paycheck, as it is all eaten up in taxes. If you don't tip, I still have to pay the tax for the meal I served you, so a bad tip boils down to me paying to wait on you. Most people, like you, just don't understand how server pay works.

Answer 17

Even if you are being paid more than the minimum wage, or at least not much more than that, and the majority of wait staff are NOT, the IRS will assume that you received 15% of your base pay in tips, and they impute that income, and you have to pay taxes on it.



So if you do not tip at least 15%, the wait staff is actually making less than their hourly wage. The percentages may have changed over the years, but this is how it was about 15 years ago.

Answer 18

The standard in the US is to tip, this standard led to the government to lower wages for tipped workers. We make $4.15 and hour, less than minimum wage. Blame your ancestors if you are upset, or, rally your congressman to change the rules. But I work extremely hard to provide you with an excellent experience, I take pride in that. If you cannot appreciate having a good experience, than maybe you should never have it in the first place. You can go out and have a great time, or you can just stay home. Your choice.

Answer 19

You are an idiot i read what you left on the other guys page and i dont believe you were ever a server i make $2.15 an hour and i have gotten 2 raises! And that is still it, You dont understand that not only do we make nothing at the end of the night I have to tip out 15% of what I sell and so for your meal I am paying 15% out of my own pocket to the bartender, host(plural), and bussers. So do you think it is fair that I pay them for your meal? And you dont even have the respect to tip me! But to be honest if you came into my restaurant I can guarantee you would tip me cause I have never been jipped. I am too good at what I do and my job is demanding but I LOVE IT!!! It is a lot harder then people think and that is probably why your *** quit so shut your pie hole!

Answer 20

I have to say that after being in the restaurant business as a server for almost ten years - I have never heard of a server making more than $4.00 an hour. In that instance, the person worked in a tourist hotel, where the winter months would be dead. Usually, one makes $2.75 an hour.



If you are interested in getting something started about tipping, what about pizza drivers? They get minimum wage and $1.00 per pizza they deliver and yet those drivers still expect a $5.00 tip. One driver I knew would make $75-$120 in tips alone on a weekend night plus hourly, plus his $1.00 per pizza.



While you are correct in some instances, a lot of servers suck at their job and it makes those eating there miserable, a lot of us work our butts off and still get stiffed because of attitudes like the one you are promoting.

Answer 21

Most waiters, waitresses, etc. get paid way less than the minimum wage and rely on tips to make-up for the rest of their paycheck. I understand what you're getting at though. I work in a grocery store where we also have a Starbucks. Their payscale is the same as mine as they are employed by the store not Starbucks, however they get tips too! Doesn't seem fair when I'm lugging around heavy boxes full of produce. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they don't deserve tips and I do buy Starbucks every day, I just don't tip them.

Answer 22

Most waitstaff do not make minimum wage. They are paid a lower rate because most people do tip.



I believe in Ohio for example waitstaff make less than $4.00 an hour from the restaurant and rely on tips to make up the rest of their income.



Yes I agree they can get an attitude and expect a tip. I was one of them at one time.



Good service does deserve a good tip. Bad service does not.

Answer 23

In Arizona servers make $2.13 per hour. They are exempt from minimum wage requirements. Some restaurants make them tip out bussers and hosts based on sales so they can actually make less than that. When you don't tip, they are not getting paid. If we abolish tipping, prices will rise dramatically in order to pay the server the higher wage.

Answer 24

I totally agree with you. As a restaurant goer, I hate to tip waiters/waitresses who did a bad job; I still have to tip minimum 10%. I don't mind to tip people doing good job.



And I also agree with tip supporters. Without tipping, the service will get worse. Go to Europe, you'll see.



There is no right or wrong answer (should or should not) to this question. My take on this is "It's just a custom." No matter how unfair it is, it is the way it is.



There are a lot of people on this Yahoo Answers doing a good job of helping others and take no tip, no salary...

And there are people who didn't do their own job well and still get tips.



It's life.

Answer 25

Most restaurants expect tips as part of someones wages. Thats why waiters get paid low, its not really an addition to your bill its money you pay the servers for being your server.

Answer 26

I agree and disagree with your statement. You don't have to tip.. It is out of ettiquette that we tip servers for doing a good job and going out of there way to make you meal more comfortable. To be a server you have to be people oriented, its a hard job dealing with the public. Those who truly have the patients can do this job.



It just ettiquette to tip. You don't have to I do because I've waitressed before... but if the service is bad. I make it very aware that the service was horrible and I have left a penny. To let the serve know that it was bad and then wrote a letter to there boss.

Answer 27

In about 90% of the United States servers make well below the Federal Minimum Wage Guidlines of $5.85 an hour... I have been a waiter for about 11 years in the state of Pennsylvania and make $2.83 an hour. Servers also do not get raises for the most part..... Our way to getting a raise the rests. feel is to provide better service in turn we will receive higher tips hence better pay...



The reason why this is allowed is because of tipping..... By the end of the day my tips PLUS my $2.83 an hour should at least equal or be higher than if I wasnt recieving tips by $5.85 an hour...



If people don't tip they really are hurting a server....



Now I know in some parts of California Servers make minimum wage + tips..... Many customers who go out to eat in these areas do not leave an exact 15-20% but will still leave something since the cost of living in these areas are so high that it would be impossible for a server to survive without tips...



Also keep in mind that many servers are not just "doing there jobs" Since we get tipped we are going to be there to wait on you hand and foot...To make you feel very welcomed and happy....



If I worked in a rest where there were no such things as tips I would not be motivated to hurry up with your drinks... or to help navigate your way with the menu being honest with you as to whats good or not... I simply wouldnt care.... You would get bottom par service and I wouldnt get fired because I am still doing my job......





Also keep in mind that many servers may not get to keep all of that $10.00 tip you just left them....



Just as you are leaving a percentage tip based on your food bill.. servers in turn have to tip there fellow employees... Bussers who bus ther tables, Bartenders who make them drinks, hosts that seat them, Food runners that take there food out to the table... Many places especially corporate ones have rules and percentages that the server has to follow...



I was reading somewhere that even if you have had not so good service you should at least leave 10% because there can be many factors of a bad experience that the server may have no control over such as where you were seated the temperature of the rest/food, how long it took you to finally get seated etc etc.... Now I am not saying that servers are never at fault....



For Average/Good service its normally 15-18% many big cities now use 18% as the norm since the cost of living keeps going up...



For exceptional service its customary to leave 20% and up...



Just because the price of gas has gone up or if you are a student doesnt mean it acceptable to leave a crappy or no tip....

Servers have to pay for the same gas you do and most are students themselves hoping your tips can help them pay for college......



And your comment on the job being tough and demanding is in poor taste....

Servers deal with the public every day which is demanding enough... They are usually on their feet the whole entire shift literally running around... Working in hot sticky kitchens getting grease and food on them.... There was a study I am sure if you search for it on the internet somewhere about the top 10 stressful jobs and servers are ranked in the top 10 along with doctors and lawyers....

I love when people say then quit if it's so hard.....

I enjoy my job no matter how stressful it is..

There is a big difference in liking a job and working at a stressful job... Just because its stressful doesnt mean its not enjoyable.....

Answer 28

No, if you want to tip, it should be a reward for doing something exceptional, such as simply getting the whole thing "pleasantly right", whatever you believe that means. Anything unpleasant, no tip. People don't go out to eat hoping they can pay extra to be dissed.



"Minimum wage" means you can't gross any less than that amount of hourly wage, including tips, and the employer has to pay the difference if the tips are slim.

Answer 29

We should only tip if the service is outstanding. Most places hire awful wait staff and I cringe having to tip the morons who wait on me. I do it only because I feel bad for them. I think a waiter/waitress should actually have to work to get a tip rahter than just bringing my food out to me. When a business prices its food, they take into account the cost of the food, employees, and all the bills. I truly feel that waiters/waitresses should rally agianst their employers to pay better. I remember one time we went to Hard Rocke in Nashville and the waiter worked for his tip. He not only entertained, but he served us with respect and treated us very nicely. He deserved the tip. Those who don't refill your drinks, ignore you, mess up your order and then act evil about everything should get nothing. I hate having to tip when I go to a drive in resturaunt. that is a pet peeve. I went last night and the car hop couldn't even count the change back to me in less than 3 minutes.

Answer 30

Depending on the service. If someone goes above and beyond to make my meal or whatever enjoyable then yes, I tip them. What I dont agree with is when I go to a restaurant with a group and the tip is automatically added!



Tipping is optional and should NEVER be mandatory.

Answer 31

i was going to say how bout you get a job in a restaurant and then ask yourself that question, but it apparently didn't work out for you. there is such thing known as adjusted minimum wage. in tennessee instead of 5.15 an hour i get 2.15 because the state expects me to get tips, I DONT EXPECT A GOOD TIP, but the state does, so my pay is not garunteed.

this is incentive for me to do a good job, and i do. again TIPPING IS EXPECTED by our government not our servers so don't take it out on them, they put up with enough crap on a day to day basis

Answer 32

yes you should tip servers for doing their jobs....have you ever seen the movie Waiting???? You don't mess with the people who prepare your food or serve it...where i work at the servers are making $2.50 an hour!! Can you live off that? I think not..They pay their bills and feed their families off tips...And it really pisses me off when people tip shitty...Its 2007...Its 18% now people..Its also showing gratiude to the waiters and waitress..if u don't want to tip then go to mcdonalds...and serevers rememebr who the tips and not..so if you don't tip be prepared for bad service and waiting awhile for food and drinks...we would rather take care of the tippers first then the non tippers

Answer 33

Well; the thing is they "serve" you personally and respond to your requests and such. To some people they make a living with their tips. I might not make sense but imagine an angry customer and requests such ridiculous things and order a lot of food and is very specific. That is way different to lets say a customer who just eats a burger very polite and courteous. That waiter has to "deal" with the mean and ratty customer.



This is just coming from a teens perspective

Answer 34

im a current server in texas and i get paid $2.13/hour i work at a breakfast restaurant and to my disgrace people dont take breakfast serious.

i think u should always tip 20% or higher because its just polite. servers work hard to get tips and earn a livin so they can go to college and get a better job. so u should always tip the young servers better because most of them save up for college

Answer 35

I don't like it. I think it is unfair because my income is much much much less than a waiter. I work very hard but I get 0 tips.

This is not waiters' fault. I know they are underpaid. I always pay 15% tips and sometimes the waiters are still angry with me. Remember !many people have low income and live without tips. I hate this tipping system very much. The resturants should raise their salary .

Answer 36

The answer to this question is, Absolutely. Period. Have you ever waited tables before? Do you know what a waiter/waitress has to go through on a nightly/daily basis?? There are so many factors that go into a going-out-to-eat situation, and most of you are clueless. PERIOD. Unless you have waited tables before, any responses here should be ignored, and taken as ignorant public. Its not your fault, there isnt a customer handbook on going out to eat, and on customer etiquette as far as tipping/acting and what not.



Before my current job I had waited tables for god knows how long. I have waited tables from anywhere from Bennigans to numerous fine dining establishments. Waiters make, at least where I am 2.13 an hour plus tips....The kind of clientel definitely effects the kind of tips you get, NORMALLY. As do the people in which you are currently waiting on. People can deny till they are blue in the face that a certain type of people dont tip badly.......I can tell you from experience that this is proven TIME AND TIME again. I treated everyone the same, or tried to most of the time, but time and time again always burned, and left a measly 10 percent or less on these specific tables.



Then you have people like Oprah telling all the american public that you dont have to tip on wine. This woman has obviously never been a server in her life, and has never waited on people and poured their wine ever so gently every time they needed a refill...Opening/Pouring wine is a job in of itself, and this woman has the gall to tell people they dont have to tip on it?? WTF?!!! You are buying the service of the wine being poured for you, being brought to you...the reason people go out is to be WAITED on. If our service isnt worth paying for, then go home and pour your own wine, cook your own steaks, and save us both a bunch of heartache.



Things get out of control in the back, orders get lost or the kitchen gets backed up. Cut your server some freaking slack if you go in on the weekend, and its busy as hell in the restaurant, you know if its busy!! Take this into account when you go in there and start griping. Servers are human, and when people treat us like dirt it really sucks. We cant say anything if we value our job, and thats why people say what they do, or treat you like a dog because they know they can get away with it. I saw a freind FIRED on the spot because of a customer griping. A lame thing to happen IMO, but ive seen it all.



I always wrote everything down, and even if you do write it down, theres always some idiot that says, "Thats not what I ordered.....blah, blah,blah..." I have it written down right here!! Like i said if you have never been in the apron, and behind the order pad Shut Your Mouth. I think everybody should have to wait tables for at least 2 years of their life right after high school, just to be educated on how it is, that way you dont have these people starting posts like this, and treating servers like absolute trash when they go out to eat. After all it is only Food.....Is it really that big a deal??? Tip your freaking server 20percent and get over yourself. Who needs the money more?? YOU?? with your job that pays ALOT more than his? Or him/her paying their bills, or rent just to get by.....

Answer 37

Its all about how you look. If you dont tip you look like a hack and i dont like looking like a hack i just pay double the taxes for the tip and get the hell out of there

Answer 38

I would love to know where servers are making more than 2.33 an hour!! I've been a waitress for years and at least where I live, all servers are paid 2.33 an hour, and we rely on tips to make our money.

Answer 39

yes. it should be porportionate to the service you receive.



i am a server. i get paid $2.13/hr. that does not even cover all of my taxes.



the tips given to your server are our bread and butter.

it seems like the number of comments left have made that point. just wanted to emphasize it.

Answer 40

Alot of servers only make $2.13 an hour. $4 would be nice for them. Yes, you REALLY should tip servers.

Answer 41

Its a service industry. You should pay for the quality of service.. this assures that we get a good experience when we do dine out (because if it sucks, we do not have to tip them). If you do not want to pay for their service, get it to go or make it yourself.

Answer 42

Yes....because they are serving you. It's not like they are cleaning plates. Without them, you would have to get up, wait in line, carry and serve your own food and clean up , along with other things. Don't be cheap.

Answer 43

no