In restaurants is there a need to tip?

[DeletedUser]

My friend used to be a waiter and he used to take his fair bit of money when people left a tip for him. His wages are very low and he has to work long shifts just for a small wage. Personally I don't mind tips since I tip here and there when I go to hotels but the main problem lies in their income wages.

 

[DeletedUser16008]

Depends what your asking and what country and what system the place operates under.

For instance a lot of restaurants in europe charge from 10 - 15% service charge which is supposed to be shared among the service staff, in reality it usually gets spread between the whole place, including kitchen and the manager... Would i tip in this kind of place ? no not usually as im being charged for it already, however if a waiter is particularly good ill tip him direct although some places do consider if he keeps it to himself to be a sackable offence which always irked me, when i see a few lazy staff doing nothing I don't think its fair they get a bonus on some others hard graft.

I don't think we in Europe tip like the Americans, it wouldnt occur to me to tip in the UK in most places, in other parts of the world its like you say the way staff get most of their top up.

Never been a hotel person so no idea what the protocol is there but a few friends work in them and its certain countries that tip a lot but the English arnt one of them.

 

[DeletedUser]

A tip is like a reward for good service. I usually tip if there are no complaints with the service provided, and I tip well if the service is good. If the service is bad I tip bad, but I almost always leave them something. For example:
Really bad service or rudeness $0.01
Bad service $2.00
Okay service $5.00
Good service $10.00
Great service $20.00

This provides incentive for the worker.

 

[DeletedUser15641]

1 cent?Eh at kuwait no need to tip because here i guess everyone has a good wages.

BTW what can you buy with 1 cent

 

[DeletedUser]

In many locations, waiters obtain minimum wage or just above that, so tipping is their means of making an income above that of working at a Walmart. In Florida, it is worse, as waiters get paid somewhere around 1/3rd minimum wage, so tips are really their only income.

Cab drivers as well. The money spent on gas, on rent of the vehicle, and on general expenses while on the road, easily swallow up that base cost for using a cab. Tipping is their bread and butter. Indeed, many cab drivers end the day at a loss and end up having to work twice as many hours as other jobs just to come out with decent income, particularly if nobody tips.

So, tipping, yeah... it's a need associated with the job. You don't want to tip, that's your choice, but it's also not respectful of the efforts some of these peeps make, particularly if they're entertaining or at the very least friendly.

However, if they're asses, why bother tipping? Customer service jobs, those that are dependent on tips, don't need asses and not tipping may help to move them to a job they're more suited for.

 

[DeletedUser]

I'd say the waiters/waitresses would think there was a need for it; I know I did when I did that kind of work. The Federal Minimum Wage right now (in the US) is $7.25/hr, but for tipped employees, it can be as low as $2.13/hr. The IRS uses the amount they expect you to receive in tips as your earned income, even if you actually received much less (or more).

 

[DeletedUser]

I tip 15% minimum. I might round down a bit to leave an even amount if the service is bad, but I don't get bad service often. Treat a server as a human being and they tend to respond accordingly. If they do everything they're supposed to, I'll still usually leave 20% even if it wasn't exceptional. If you can't afford the tip, you can't afford the restaurant. Don't make excuses to screw the server just because you don't want to pay.

 

[DeletedUser]

Tip just for fun. Example, you like a nearby pizza shop. You tip them for 15$ everytime, you buy their pizza frequently, you become their star customer and they will remember you, update you on offers when avaliable, become old friend. That's what happens to me. Realistic!

 

[DeletedUser30834]

I'd say the waiters/waitresses would think there was a need for it; I know I did when I did that kind of work. The Federal Minimum Wage right now (in the US) is $7.25/hr, but for tipped employees, it can be as low as $2.13/hr. The IRS uses the amount they expect you to receive in tips as your earned income, even if you actually received much less (or more).

There is a rule (probably unwritten) of 8% of sales the IRS issued a while back where if tipped employees claimed at least 8% of their total sales, the IRS will not send around audit teams.

In most states where the tipped employee is allowed to be paid an hourly wage below the state minimum wage (federal minimum wage is the establishment is large enough), the law usually requires the employer to guarantee at least minimum wage in total. It is dificult for the wait staff to show they did not make at least minimum wage unless the sales at the establishment do not allow it. The 8% rule is usually a company policy where the waiter of waitress gets in trouble of they do not report enough tipped income. I've seen people terminated because they refused to report receiving tips in excess of what they claimed they actually received in order to comply with the 8% rule.

On the other hand, I know waitresses who made well above the minimum wage and 8% figure but only claimed 8% then went on government assistance with medical aid, food stamps and housing assistance because they have kids. I was shocked to see welfare moms driving 1-2 year old and even brand new cars paid for in cash simply because they didn't report a good deal of their income.

 

[DeletedUser]

1 cent?Eh at kuwait no need to tip because here i guess everyone has a good wages.

BTW what can you buy with 1 cent

The one cent is to let them know you were unhappy with their service or they might think you just forgot to tip them. I knew a guy who cut pennies in half with bolt-cutters so he could leave 1/2 a cent for terrible service.

Also it is not customary in a lot of places in the world to tip. When I was in S Korea they did not tip there.

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Also it is not customary in a lot of places in the world to tip. When I was in S Korea they did not tip there

I remember seeing a HSBC advert where they said that in a certain country (I think it was Iceland but can't be sure) that it was deemed bad manners to leave a tip

 

[DeletedUser22493]

I like eating in places where waiters depend on tips to make money. Even if they are having a ty day, (Like most of us have now and then..), they try harder, fake a smile and give you the service you expect.

In for instance Scandinavia where tipping is highly uncommon, and is often seen on as discriminating, the waiters make the same money regardless if their service is good or bad. So you'd best hope they're having a good day.