Well, I stand corrected: there are a few nutters out there arguing for 25% tips, not just servers trying to scam foreigners. I can't see it being common.
Originally Posted by
Dadaluma83
I read a facebook discussion from one of my friends a few months back where she went out on a date with a guy and he only tipped 20% and was ranting about how cheap he was. Several people chimed in saying 15-20% is standard and she was having none of it. Said 25% is the bare minimum and was quite adamant about it.
Her reason for tipping in the 25-30%, even above range? None other than giving out that much will make the server's day. Was saying that it was only a little bit more to you but will mean a lot to the server.
Gotcha. So we've got an individual nutter there; mind, there have always been big tippers, but excoriating someone else for being cheap in the usual range is uncalled for.
Frankly, my own rounding rules these days -- always round up to a whole dollar or throw an extra 50c-$1 in if there's any doubt -- makes for relatively large tips at the very least expensive restaurants, although it makes eff-all difference in percentage at pricier ones.
So that is why we have tip creep. There are always people who tip above just because they feel it is the right thing to do, the majority just go along with what is standard, and a few always tip below. Eventually the people who overtip do it often enough that servers come to expect it and suddenly what was overtipping a decade ago is suddenly standard.
Servers don't get what they expect to make; they get what people expect to give, and that expectation AFAICT has been constant for the 20+ years I've been an adult and paying for my own meals.
Originally Posted by
cbn42
BINGO! You hit the nail right on the head. It's like an auction, where you are bidding for the server's affection. In order to get the server to like you and treat you well the next time you come to that restaurant, you have to tip more than everyone else. Everyone else has the same idea, so the amount keeps increasing.
Who the heck asks for a specific server at a restaurant where you're not a regular? Or even if you are, how often do you do that?
If you are a regular, and you're not an a-hole, you're going to get better service (and more likely to get a server who isn't brand new) than some yutz off the street who's never been there before even if you leave a tip merely in the normal range. How often does the restaurant have so many regulars that they're competing for individual servers?
I'm sure it happens at some ultra-trendy places, but I can't imagine this is remotely common.
Originally Posted by
WillCAD
I see it all the time on the Disney world message boards. It's insane to me to suggest a 25% tip for meals in the $40-$60 per person range, especially for families of 4 or more.
Youch. Of course, one goes someplace like Disney World expecting to be ripped off, and paying $40-$60 per person with kids is insane. That's low for fine dining, but fine dining with pre-adolescent kids is wasted, and it's above the reasonable range for casual dining unless you're spending a fair bit on alcohol.