after poor service do you still tip good ???

TJamesChristensen

I'm sorry, but if you can afford to go out to dinner, you can afford to leave a decent tip.

Don't like it? Eat at home.

I'm sorry, but if you don't like your job as a server, then find a new job (perferably one that doesn't require interpersonal interaction)... don't take whatever personal problems you are having that day out on innocent costumers... Yes, there are going to be jerks that don't tip properly... but on the same token, there are people that do actually want to tip properly and perhaps above and beyond what is normal... however, if you are doing a half *kitten* job for any other reason other than being new (and even then it's a stretch), then you really don't deserve a tip.

Like I said before, my husband and I have been known to tip on the upwards of 50%.... but a server won't get that if they are being rude, have a bad attitude, don't inform us on what is going on, etc.

Part of your job is to make our experience at your restaurant pleasurable... it's not pleasurable if we have to ask another server to refill our drinks or to find our order.

I'm not even a server, I'm an accountant, but even I know that not tipping doesn't solve anything - no other service allows the patron to get that service for free and then decide afterward whether or not they want to pay for it. Would you eat a whole meal and then not pay for it because you didn't like it? Wouldn't the smarter thing to do be to right the problem at the beginning so that in the end, everyone wins? Tipping badly does nothing but frustrate the server and never actually gets you better service. The whole experience could wind up pleasant for all parties involved.

I find overseas so crazy for this reason - are waiters and waitresses not paid other than the tip?
Here in NZ - almost noone tips, only for outstanding service and only usually when the customer is overseas haha. Also, most places I've worked, because tips were so rare, they would get put in a group tip jar and at the end of the year get split evenly between wait staff for xmas.

They do get paid an hourly wage but unfortunately the owners lower it to just a few dollars an hour (depending on where you live) and demand that the customers make up the rest. If they made more hourly there would probably be less arguing about tipping for poor service.

micls

US tipping is alien to me, as with others.

I'm from Ireland. You get paid minimum wage regardless of the job. Noone is surviving on other people generosity in this regard. We still tip, but only for good service and probably about 10% on average. Generally it's a keep the change kind of thing. Our service is completely different too. Waiter takes your order, gets your food, returns maybe once to see if it's ok and then you get their attention when you want the bill. We don't have refills. I went to the states once and it was weird in restaurants. It was like the waitstaff were hovering around waiting to pounce. Made me uncomfortable as I wasn't used to it and I didn't relax. I'd imagine in the opposite way, and American in Ireland would be shocked by the service.

I live in Thailand. Here service is pretty much an alien concept, but so is tipping. Someone will come take your order when they're tv show is finished, you'll get food eventually, quite possibly the wrong thing, and you'll have to shout for them (politely) to get your bill. Completely different atmosphere but it works with the laid back atmosphere of the country in general. Myself and my partner were bent over laughing once when we were in a pizza place here. An American tourist was at the counter complaining that he'd been waiting 20mins for his pizza! The staff were bemused. Getting food in 20mins would be a miracle and you don't complain here, you certainly don't shout at people!

shellebelle87

Bump

ninerbuff

No

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tsh0ck

it isn't my fault they work there for crap pay and they consider tips part of their hourly income. and if that's the case, do the job well. if you do an awful job, why would I reward you with anything extra, out of my bank account?

meshashesha2012

it depends on what made the service bad.. if it's something that wasnt the waiter or waitresses fault then i'll still tip.

if it's something that was their fault ie ignoring me, spending more time with other tables, etc then hell no. i'll also leave a note as to WHY i'm not leaving a tip because i'm a b**** like that

BelindaDuvessa

Last night I went out to a nice casual dining restaurant and the waitress was super slack. Now it was Monday night and not really busy at all. She only had three tables while I was there. On a couple of occasions I saw her chit chatting with a co worker and another time checking her cell phone. She took the order wrong, didn't come to ask did we need refills and I had to get up to get her attention to get my bill after we had finished cause it didn't look like she was coming back. At first I was going to give her my usual "poor service 10% tip" but I had an idea. I would leave her my usual 20% tip cause she probably had kids or a meth habit to support but I would also speak to her about her service. Well I pulled her to the side ,discussed the issues I had and said hopefully she would improve her quality of work. Well she started crying! I wasn't mean or derogatory I just pointed out what I didn't like. What do you do when you receive poor service? Was I wrong to address the server directly ?

I've been on tip wages before. And it really irks me when I do go to a restaurant and I don't get service. Just because we don't look like we can't tip doesn't mean we can't. Now, generally I leave something, but I have had service so horrible, that not only did I not leave a tip, I left a list of 10 things they did wrong as to why they didn't get a tip. I've only done that twice, and it was warranted. When a server NEVER comes to check on you the entire time you are there, no, that doesn't deserve a tip.

Hickyvikki69

no tip

douglasmobbs

Things are very different in the UK. I think 0-15% tip is normal, if the service is truly awful I would speak to the manager telling them I am walking and do not want my meal.

VertigoDeath83

Definitely do not tip well for bad service. If it is seriously horrible, which has happened before, I won't leave anything. If it is extremely good I will leave a big tip. I'm a dog groomer and I get tipped at work when someone loves what I've done to their pet. I would never expect a tip if I did a half-*kitten* job.

manda1002

If the service is really terrible, no, I don't tip. And I leave a note. I worked hard for my money, you should too.

My neighbors recently went to a restaurant while they were on vacation, and after they got their drinks they waited 20 minutes for the waitress to take their food order, then after having no food another 25 minutes later, and watching the waitress doing nothing, they asked to speak with the manager. Apparently they weren't the first complaint, but they were certainly the last. The manager gave them their meals for free, then they heard the manager and waitress having a shout off in the kitchen, where it ended with the waitress being fired.

ValiCaly

I have been a waitress, cocktail waitress, and a bartender.
The amount of tip depends on the service. Even if the service is terrible I still make sure to tip the mandatory 8% that's going to come out of the servers pay for federal taxes anyway.
There have been times I have either spoken to the Manager (in fact I just did that two Sundays ago when denied outside seating that is always to be an available option), email the company, or write what was wrong on the ticket.

Mawkish1983

I live in the UK, where tipping isn't normal (and in some establishments is actually considered rude). I tend to tip 10% for okay service, up to 15% for good service. For poor service, I tip nothing. I have worked for minimum wage in a catering job so I know that it is possible for someone to live on such a salary (without tips), so any tip left is a gift, not an obligation.

Of course, I don't know what the rules of etiquette demand in other countries.

htmlgirl

If it's bad service and I mean really bad, I wouldn't tip at all. Once we left a penny because the service was so horrible and we didn't want the waiter to think we had just forgot... he was a horrible waiter. It wasn't busy, took like 20 minutes just to get drinks, pretty much forgot about us and would rather chat up a girl near our table. He was RUDE. Mostly if the service is just okay, we'll leave the standard 15%. I haven't really been so impressed that I gave a bigger tip.

directorj

US tipping is alien to me, as with others.

I'm from Ireland. You get paid minimum wage regardless of the job. Noone is surviving on other people generosity in this regard. We still tip, but only for good service and probably about 10% on average. Generally it's a keep the change kind of thing. Our service is completely different too. Waiter takes your order, gets your food, returns maybe once to see if it's ok and then you get their attention when you want the bill. We don't have refills. I went to the states once and it was weird in restaurants. It was like the waitstaff were hovering around waiting to pounce. Made me uncomfortable as I wasn't used to it and I didn't relax. I'd imagine in the opposite way, and American in Ireland would be shocked by the service.

I live in Thailand. Here service is pretty much an alien concept, but so is tipping. Someone will come take your order when they're tv show is finished, you'll get food eventually, quite possibly the wrong thing, and you'll have to shout for them (politely) to get your bill. Completely different atmosphere but it works with the laid back atmosphere of the country in general. Myself and my partner were bent over laughing once when we were in a pizza place here. An American tourist was at the counter complaining that he'd been waiting 20mins for his pizza! The staff were bemused. Getting food in 20mins would be a miracle and you don't complain here, you certainly don't shout at people!

Agreed!

Most Asian countries, there is no such thing as tip. Yes, I'm aware Asians are stereotyped of giving a cheap tip, you can't blame them because they are not used to "tip". But since American is in my culture, I'm different. I just came back from Thailand and yes this is is true.

In most Asian countries this is what happens :

1) Get seated
2) Order
3) Get food after who knows how long
4) Pay bill, no tip ( if you're a tourist, tip what you want)

They DO NOT check up on you if you want something. The way you do it is either raise your hand or politely call them.

zandrellia

I've been a waitress and been a manager at a restaurant which had waitstaff, so I say this with all the sincerity and respect one can give to those who work in such positions: tips should be based on the quality of the service that the one serving gives. Nothing else. Not based on the fact that most servers make less than minimum wage on their base salary. (I know how much a server can average in tips - I do NOT pity you!) Not based on the quality of food. Not based on how much money I have - after all if I'm eating out, I should be responsible enough to budget a halfway decent tip for services rendered. However, those services should be rendered.

Being a server is not about bringing people food and then leaving them to eat while you text message someone or chat with your co-workers, it's about providing an entertaining and comfortable dining experience to the customer. From the moment a server says hello to the customer they should feel at ease and know that this person genuinely wants to make them happy. Not feel like they have to flag them down just to get a refill! If I wanted to get my own food and serve myself I could easily just go to a restaurant that doesn't have servers.

I'll admit that because of my past experience I can be a harsh critic. I'll even feel insulted if the server doesn't try to up-sell me! (What, do you think I don't have the money for a dessert? Maybe I wanted one when I came in...) Then again, I always try to be fair and wear my "manager glasses" when judging a server. If they are seriously new to the job it is often easy to spot early on and I'll often make notes and then give them suggestions on how to improve their service with a good tip for effort. (I'll even come back later and if they have improved I give a "bonus" tip as well as praise.) If the server is just plain negligent, however, I'll speak with the manager directly - by that point I'm usually too upset to even talk to the server anyway.

On the flip side, I've left amazing tips for amazing service, too. 30% tip anyone? Treat me well, I'll treat you well. That's how it works.

Is it wrong to talk to the server directly about your concerns? No, so long as you're polite and fair there is nothing wrong with letting them know how you feel. Honestly, if someone cries anytime another person says they did a bad job they should probably NOT be a server. You have to be able to roll with the punches in that kind of job as you deal with a lot of different people. (Some people are just generally unhappy no matter what and they eat at restaurants, too.) Don't take it personally if the server gets upset at your comments. However, if it's a severe problem - tell the management. They need to know and can't watch their servers all the time. Likewise, if the server does well - tell the management!

YennaBean

I would have just tipped low.

She should have left whatever problems she had at the door! That's one of the first things I learned when I was working in restaurants! You gotta be all about your customers!

Heidi_M78

No. The service determines my tip, and I tell the waitron so

sel254

Here in the UK, tipping isn't such a huge thing. I think it's 10% and that too only IF you've had at least semi good service. I recently went to a restaurant where I ordered a soft drink at the bar and carried it to my table, went up to a buffet to get my own food and when I asked a waitress for another drink, she rudely told me to get my own from the refill machine across the other side of the restaurant - I didn't leave a tip. If she'd at least been polite about the way it was done, I'd have left a small tip for her clearing away the dishes and glasses after we'd left. Some restaurants and even bars here now, I've noticed they've started adding the 20% gratuity on to your bill - regardless of whether you want to leave that much or not. I personally would have probably spoken to the waitress politely myself, mindful of the fact that if I went straight to her boss, she may get in a lot more trouble.

thpeek

I used to be a waitress back in the day. You should tip based on service. A waiter or waitress should not get a penny if the service was poor and what you describe is very very poor service. The only way she is going to learn is if you pull her to the side and tell her. It sounds to me that she was very self absorbed and was not putting much thought into her JOB and her tears were probably a manipulation, if more people like yourself were honest with her she would either do her job better or get out of waitressing since it is 100% service oriented.