after poor service do you still tip good ???

osualex

I've only ever once had really really really terrible service in the US that was bad enough not to tip. A waitress actually YELLED at me for wanting to send my food back. Thankfully, it wasn't my waitress (just one in the restaurant that heard me politely sending my food back to my polite waitress) I talked to the manager and my meal was comped. I tipped 100% that time.

Usually if the service is going to be that bad, I can tell pretty soon and I'll leave and go somewhere else. I have pretty low standards for tipping - bring me my food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time ( I understand when it's busy ) and that's really about it. The only time I really get annoyed is if I ask for something and I don't get it, and it's not busy. Once I waited 20 min for barbecue sauce while I watched the waiter text right in front of me!

roachhaley

I have worked as a waitress enough in the past to know it is a service job. People don't, and shouldn't, just throw a tip at you if you treat them like crap. If the kitchen messes up an order, quite often the server can't tell, I certainly don't agree with docking a tip for something like that. Or if service is slower when a dining room is busy.
I would have been fired for checking my phone while I was on the floor!
I have only once left no tip, and that was because of a waitress causing such a scene at the table next to us, that 5 tables just got up and walked out.

A server knows that they depend on tips for their income, if they can't be bothered to pay attention to a table that is their fault, not the diners. If I was ever lazy or rude enough to ignore a table, I certainly wouldn't be mad that I didn't get a tip! Yes people have bad days, and if she cried that easily, she probably had something else going on, but it is still a service job. If you can't do your job, either don't expect tips or don't come to work.

The bad day thing is a cop-out. What boggles my mind is the inability of a server to simply walk over and say, "I'm sorry the kitchen is backed up or made this or that mistake". It seems like when something goes wrong, the typical server response is to ignore the table and I can't fathom why they would choose to do that. That happened to me once at Ledo's pizza where an order didn't get put in and our teenage girl server started avoiding our table presumably because she didn't want to tell us that a mistake was made and the order wasn't put in? Instead we waited twice as long til we had to flag down the manager to ask why we weren't being served.

I've done this before and it was because so many things were going wrong and I had already told so many customers what was going wrong that I just couldn't do it anymore. I know it wasn't responsible, but at the time I was working at this place whose managers must have been about 20 and 21 - they had no clue what was going on and it was legitimately 100% their fault. I think if you've never worked in the food/hospitality business you'll probably never know "why" we do some things.

TheBraveryLover

After poor service, I give 15%. Average is 20% and great is usually 25%-30%.

WhittRak

I leave a tip no matter what. I always keep in mind that it is hard times, and the person is working for a reason. It is hard sometimes especially when the service is not great, but hey...they can't be perfect all the time.

TJamesChristensen

I do not understand when a tip went from something extra for good service to something that is demanded (seeing tip cups everywhere). Also what I tip should in no way reflect my fears that I might look bad in the eyes of some stranger. I have no issues with tipping (tipping as high as 50% for great service) but I can not stand the idea that just by walking up to the table and making it clear that I am a inconvenience that they deserve a minimum tip. There are a lot of great people in the service industry and a lot of bad ones. I enjoy giving extra to someone that helped give me a nice dinning experience but feel no obligation to support the bad ones who should not be doing that type of work.

On a side note maybe someone can explain this one to me. Growing up I was always told that the standard tip is 15%, now I have many friends that tell me it is 25% because the cost of living has increased so you have to tip more. When I explain that you are tipping a percentage so that as the price of the food increases the amount of their tip also increase, they just look at me like that makes no sense. It makes me wonder, in 10 years will people say that the minimum is 40%? Where will it stop?

cds2001

For very bad service I would not leave a tip at all. To leave a 10% tip or higher for bad service doesn't really give them much incentive to do a better job. If I go to a place and have bad service 3 times I no longer frequent that establishment if at all possible. Everyone has a bad day. That's why I give it at least 3 tries. At least let management know of the issue so they can attempt to deal with it. Sometimes it is the waiter/waitress and sometimes the problem can be with management.

MJ7910

penny tip to let them know just what you thought of their service. if you tip nothing, looks like maybe you forgot. but a penny tip is unmistakable. now i want to say i only do this when the service is really really bad and they are not really busy. i've only done this about 3 times in my life.

cspong

I do not understand when a tip went from something extra for good service to something that is demanded (seeing tip cups everywhere). Also what I tip should in no way reflect my fears that I might look bad in the eyes of some stranger. I have no issues with tipping (tipping as high as 50% for great service) but I can not stand the idea that just by walking up to the table and making it clear that I am a inconvenience that they deserve a minimum tip. There are a lot of great people in the service industry and a lot of bad ones. I enjoy giving extra to someone that helped give me a nice dinning experience but feel no obligation to support the bad ones who should not be doing that type of work.

On a side note maybe someone can explain this one to me. Growing up I was always told that the standard tip is 15%, now I have many friends that tell me it is 25% because the cost of living has increased so you have to tip more. When I explain that you are tipping a percentage so that as the price of the food increases the amount of their tip also increase, they just look at me like that makes no sense. It makes me wonder, in 10 years will people say that the minimum is 40%? Where will it stop?

THIS!

And I'm pretty sure it's still 15% thats the standard... At least it is here. The wages change with the economy, the food prices do too, so thats why the standard is a percentage, so what they get is still a reflection on the cost of living...

grinch031

I do not understand when a tip went from something extra for good service to something that is demanded (seeing tip cups everywhere). Also what I tip should in no way reflect my fears that I might look bad in the eyes of some stranger. I have no issues with tipping (tipping as high as 50% for great service) but I can not stand the idea that just by walking up to the table and making it clear that I am a inconvenience that they deserve a minimum tip. There are a lot of great people in the service industry and a lot of bad ones. I enjoy giving extra to someone that helped give me a nice dinning experience but feel no obligation to support the bad ones who should not be doing that type of work.

On a side note maybe someone can explain this one to me. Growing up I was always told that the standard tip is 15%, now I have many friends that tell me it is 25% because the cost of living has increased so you have to tip more. When I explain that you are tipping a percentage so that as the price of the food increases the amount of their tip also increase, they just look at me like that makes no sense. It makes me wonder, in 10 years will people say that the minimum is 40%? Where will it stop?

THIS!

And I'm pretty sure it's still 15% thats the standard... At least it is here. The wages change with the economy, the food prices do too, so thats why the standard is a percentage, so what they get is still a reflection on the cost of living...

I don't put money in tip jars. I only pay tips when I know the employee depends on them. In the USA, its definitely not 25%. Its between 18-20%. The reason I say 18% is a lot of restaurants automatically include 18% on large parties.

10acity

Its rare for me not to tip, but ive done it.

There have been times I've hugely overtipped for great service, just like I dont tip for bad service. It's rare, but it happens.

This.

I agree that tips are earned (which is why I find the "minimum gratuity" so ridiculously obnoxious). I don't need a server to do backflips to earn 15-20%, which is what I usually leave when the service is acceptable. I have no problem lowering it when I receive poor service, though. Once or twice I have written in a big, fat 0 -- it was that bad.

What I really don't understand is how you're now expected to tip your hair stylist and whoever does your nails. And 10-20%? That crap's already expensive!! And the owner of the salon is the one who cuts my hair... wth?

zombiefarmboy

I was a waiter before, too. And I still say if you get super-crappy service, leave a quarter for a tip.

WhittRak

I was a waiter before, too. And I still say if you get super-crappy service, leave a quarter for a tip.

Upside down penny really gets the point across. lol.

zombiefarmboy

And who decides what service jobs get tips, anyway? My wife and I owned a cleaning business for several years, too, and only one house we cleaned ever gave us a tip.

directorj

I had the worst service at a restaurant and they gave us the bill with a lot of attitude (you'd freak out too). I politely said "you don't have to be so rude, we are going to pay" Next thing she raises her voice and well.. it went all downhill from there and had my adrenaline pumping and the whole restaurant was looking towards my table.

Left $0 tip but the gratuity was still added on my card :explode:

Place had good food too but if your service really sucks that badly you don't deserve my money

zombiefarmboy

zip813

For adequate or good service, I typically leave a tip of double the tax, which figures out to about 20%. I cut it in half for poor service. I think it was very generous of you to leave her a good tip. I also think you were right to give her feedback directly instead of going to the manager. That way it was between the 2 of you and not a matter of record. Don't worry about her tears. It could be caused by any number of things. Maybe you weren't the first person to tell her about her poor service. Maybe she's not cut out to be a server.

Sharyn913

I tip depending on the service. Generally speaking, if you get less than 20% from me, it was not good service.

You can generally tell the difference between "Having a bad day" versus "I want to huddle in the corner with fellow servers laughing and giggling/flirting with all male customers/texting on cell phone" servers.

If someone is having a bad day, I will still tip them generously, and usually leave an encouraging note or something. If I am constantly without a drink, napkins, waiting 20+ mins for my check, etc and the server is just laughing it up with coworkers, I get a little peeved and leave less.

Sharyn913

I had the worst service at a restaurant and they gave us the bill with a lot of attitude (you'd freak out too). I politely said "you don't have to be so rude, we are going to pay" Next thing she raises her voice and well.. it went all downhill from there and had my adrenaline pumping and the whole restaurant was looking towards my table.

Left $0 tip but the gratuity was still added on my card :explode:

Place had good food too but if your service really sucks that badly you don't deserve my money

Is this legal for them to add it in if you put $0?

grinch031

I had the worst service at a restaurant and they gave us the bill with a lot of attitude (you'd freak out too). I politely said "you don't have to be so rude, we are going to pay" Next thing she raises her voice and well.. it went all downhill from there and had my adrenaline pumping and the whole restaurant was looking towards my table.

Left $0 tip but the gratuity was still added on my card :explode:

Place had good food too but if your service really sucks that badly you don't deserve my money

Is this legal for them to add it in if you put $0?

Definitely not legal to arbitrarily add a tip against the will of the payer. But if they included it in the bill but also provide an additional tip line, then it would be legal since it was listed ahead of time.

Lil_MiSsSunshiNe

I have 10 years expierence as a server. My tips should be based soley on how good of service I give. I would not expect anyone to tip me if I gave them ****ty service. I do not feel that I am ENTITLED to a tip by any means. You gotta work for it.