after poor service do you still tip good ???

I never tip less than 20%, ever. Maybe because I was, at one point, a waitress?

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 ?

Please know most servers make 2.15 to 2.50 an hour plus tips. Then they have to tip out the bussers and the bar 10 to 15 percent of what they make.

I don't know where you are but in Canada they make minimum wage, which in Saskatchewan means $9.50 / hr plus tips. So a little quick math... 5 tables, $30 bills at each table, 20% tip equals $30 plus the $9.50 equals $39.50 / hr... that doesn't seem so bad.

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.

Nope, I'm a strong believer in capitalism and merit- or performance-based pay, so if a server does a crappy job, they deserve to get a crappy tip. I've started leaving a note to let them know it wasn't an oversight, and I'm not cheap - the lousy tip was because of their lousy performance. On the flip side, I tip well for above-average service. If I'm in a group and the grautuity is already added in, I'd tell the manager.

At my job, you have to tip the bar tender, they get their OWN customers, but they don't share their tips with us, and even if we have ZERO sales in alcohol, we still have to tip them 1% of our sales. I think it's bogus, And we have to share with the hostess too. Fail there too. They should get paid Min wage, not the $4.67 we get. They shouldn't get tipped out. Bussers & food runners should get the tip out.

I am the bartender. I control the alcohol. You are worthless without me, so you will pay. You will pay and you will be happy about it and you will say nice things to me or I will make your frozen drinks luke-warm and slushy and your cocktails weak and your beers half foam. And you will stop complaining that your three tables are having to wait too long while I am in the middle of covering this three-deep rush during Happy Hour, or I will teabag every order you put in. I will find time for that *kitten*, believe that.

Try not tipping the hostess for a week, too. Enjoy your month of tables of nothing but homeless people.

The "percentage of sales" arrangement exists because waitresses will lie about their tips and short the bartenders so that the waitress can walk with more money. Proven fact.

In a lot of restaurants, at least the ones I/my friends have worked out, your server also has to "tip out" at the end of the night, meaning that food runners, busboys, etc. also get a portion of their tips. When you tip your server poorly, you may also be stiffing other members of the staff who may be doing a stellar job.

In a lot of restaurants, at least the ones I/my friends have worked out, your server also has to "tip out" at the end of the night, meaning that food runners, busboys, etc. also get a portion of their tips. When you tip your server poorly, you may also be stiffing other members of the staff who may be doing a stellar job.

What do food runners and busboys do?

Depending on the size/fanciness of the restaurant, they may or may not have food runners - but sometimes places, especially high-end ones, have food runners that physically bring your food out from the kitchen (they also double check to ensure consistency between the order and the actual plate of food to avoid mistakes).

Busboys are pretty much at every restaurant - they clear glasses and dishes, wipe down tables, and generally clean up after restaurant patrons.

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!

I agree with the upselling. I upsell EVERY CHANCE I GET! More $$ for the check more $$ in m y pocket. I recently went to a cracker barrel, the serve was new about a month into her job, and I REALLY wanted the coconut cream pie, I only order dessert if they ask, well she didn't ask. I got a steak and some other side dish. When she brought the check she didn't ask much, just kind of dropped it up. When she came back to get the $$ for the bill I asked her how new she was. I told her " You know if you would have suggested dessert I would have gotten it." I also told her I would have gotten sauteed m/o too on my steak, or even a salad. Even if it is more money to add on. If at anytime a serve asks if I want to add such and such, I normally add it. But that's me.

Depends on how we're defining "poor service". Food took a long time to arrive, s/he didn't check in very frequently, a mistake was made with the order or bill but was corrected in a timely manner, something was spilled... Yes, I still tip, some of those things could well be the fault of the kitchen, and accidents happen to everyone.

Poor manners, attitude/rudeness, not being apologetic about mistakes, wasting time hanging around having a personal conversation with another server, in situations like that, no I won't tip, but I've only had an experience like that that made me decide not to tip once, ever.