Originally Posted by
trilinearmipmap
If you hate tipping, do as I do and just don't tip.
No one has given me a tip in 20 years of working. I served others every day. So I don't see why I should tip someone for carrying some plates to my table.
It is gullible for restaurant patrons to buy into the line that "a 15% tip is standard". Actually in the past few years this has changed to "a 20% tip is standard". In reality, more than 50% of customers do not tip, among those who do tip the average is about 10%. A small gullible few are subsidizing the rest of us by tipping 15% to 20%. As several relatives and friends have worked in restaurants in the past, I found this out during meals when they chided me after I would leave 15% tips. One of them told me she had never received tips, another remembered a tipper because it was the only time she was ever tipped.
The tipping scam works like this: make patrons think a tip is standard and almost required. Make them think they will lose face and look cheap if they don't tip. Make it the expectation that they will tip, and make them anxious about the embarrassment they will feel if they don't tip. If only a fraction of people fall for this, the tipping scam has worked.
I have noticed no decline in service since I have stopped tipping. I encourage the big tippers to continue subsidizing my restaurant meals.
If you enjoy a restaurant and return enough to be known - I can almost guarantee that your service will suffer (& maybe even your food). I've seen it so many times. Whether subtly or overtly. As far as your contention that 50% of patrons don't tip - that's pure nonsense. It's more like 5% and most of those are European's who don't know any better. Many restaurants will allow 15% to be added to the bill on any table with an accent. If someone really wants to save $$, you should tip the bartender big at first. He'll find you in the crowd, pour heavy, and may buy you a couple, expecting the bigger tip at the end. Pouring a glass of wine for your waiter works wonders as well. Your corkage (if applicable) is usually waved and the waiter assumes you know how to dine well and will do his best to facilitate that, moving you to the best dishes, ones to avoid, and the best deals on the wine list. Frequently there's a free dessert or after dinner drink offered, once again expecting the big payoff at the end. IMO it's cheaper to tip well. This website is all about earning comps and privileges - tipping well does that. wj