I think you're kind of missing the point of waiting tables. May I suggest that good table service lies not only in serving the meal which is prepared in the kitchen, but also in assisting guests in deciding what is the best meal for them. Maybe you don't ever need any assistance in that regard, but some of us do, and we show our appreciation at the end. Not so complicated really. Our entire food service industry relies on us to support it, and to demonstrate our appreciation. I hope that demonstrating appreciation never goes out of style, because it is a cornerstone of well-being.

+1^^^^

My theory is that the biggest reason we have preserved tipping is for tax evasion purposes. These waiters mostly are not making very much money, and they prefer their income in tips and they're only going to report a very lowball fraction of their real tips on their tax form.

People say that they like to tip to reward waiters for doing a good job, but there are two problems with this idea:

1: People are generally going to tip whatever they are going to tip with relatively little variance. For example, A waiter would have to be pretty bad for me to tip less than 15%, but they would have to be extraordinarily good for me to tip more than 20%. Really I would only tip less than 15% if I thought that they were being rude to me or were on drugs, and really I would only tip much more than 20% if they were being really nice to me and I was also already getting a big discount on my meal (like a Groupon or other coupon. For some reason I feel that this is an efficient way to bribe the staff into reporting to management that their coupons/specials are successful, and then they'll continue to offer it). And even between that 15% and 20% range, for me it has more to do with rounding to an even number that I have cash for then it does a science of exactly how hard they worked for me.

2: Its very rare that you get into a situation where your tipping will get you noticed as a customer to always take good care of. Maybe if you go to the same restaurant during the same shift multiple times a week that happens. 99% of your times eating out, nobody at the restaurant will remember you, much less remember your tipping habits. Unless you stiff them. That stays in peoples minds.

It may not be an exact science but good/bad service will usually determine whether you decide to round up or down, no? And you may not realize it, but waitstaff do know and talk about their regulars--they just don't openly acknowledge you. This clearly doesn't apply if you go to a different restaurant every time you eat out.


This is more of a rant unrelated to the poster above--I'm tired of reading of all these "END TIPPING NOW!" threads in various forums. For people who think it's outrageous that servers get a WHOLE 15% of the bill and make huge sums of money, why don't you become a server and start getting a piece of that pie? And do you really think everyone leaves at least 15%? From what I've read on here and other tipping threads, I wouldn't be surprised if roughly half of all patrons leave 10% or less! If a restaurant is constantly busy with unending turnover, sure, a nice tidy sum can be made, but restaurants are rarely completely busy for an entire shift.

I have never been a server but I can still tell what a huge pain it would be. It's not brain surgery but it's clearly a skill, and some are better than it than others.

Tipping in US is ridiculous. The employer should suck it up and pay their waiter accordingly.

Tipping anywhere in the World is ridiculous. The employer should suck it up and pay their employees a fair wage for the work performed.

Well, I don't have problem tipping for exceptional service. I do have problem if I have to tip 15-18% everytime I go out for an ok service just because it's expected. Beside US, where else are you expected to tip 15-18% everytime. Not in Asia or Australia

I think it varies on where you go. I know that in all of the destinations in Asia where there is a large population of white people (either expats or vacationeers) tipping IS expected. I can also say that in every place I have traveled in the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia that poorly paid people did EXPECT tips even if that expectation was not for 15% - 18%.


Tipping anywhere in the World is ridiculous.

Let's think about it:

A restaurant sell a hamburger for USD$5.00 and a Steak for $USD20.00. The service person does essentially the same amount of work in taking the order, going to the POS station to enter the order, going to the pick-up area to retrieve the order and delivering the food to the consumer. Why should the steak consumer have to pay 400% of the tip that the hamburger consumer pays for what is essentially the same service? The employer should suck it up and pay their employees a fair wage for the work performed.

Assume 15% tip from each:
15% * USD$5.00 = USD$0.75
15% * USD$20.00 = USD$3.00
(USD$3.00 / USD$0.75) * 100 = 400%

This is never more evident than on wine in restaurants. no matter how expensive the wine it is the same job.

At 20% At �40 wine will illicit a �8 tip, a �400 wine �80. Same job - why should one tip an extra �72.

I think it's because they're accustomed to white people giving tip However, since living in US, I'm also guilty of being more generous in tipping for good services in Asia even though I know I don't have to do it

Top three results on Google for "tipping for wine":

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...pping-on-wine/
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/18/ga...ne-206188.html
http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-11-1...r-wine-service

Interesting perspectives.

count me in!!!

i have enough of the stupid tips...

Thought the article at http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-bud...-card-pay-cash was at least somewhat related.

My tips can vary greatly--if it's great service, I'll leave closer to 30%. If it's horrible service, I'll leave 10%, if that.

Tipping can lead to great service, and you don't have to go in at the same time each week, or multiple times during the week. Word gets around to all of the servers. We've had servers tripping over each other to take our table, and we've had servers and bartenders telling our servers (when they're doing a lousy job) that they should take good care of us, because we tip well. Most servers at one restaurant recognize us, and any of them are happy to take our table, since they know that if they do a good job, they'll get a 20% tip. The bartender there has talked to servers before, when he's noticed that we're not looking thrilled, and has explained to them that we tip well if the service merits it.

While it may help if you visit at the same time each week, it doesn't have to be multiple times in a week. We regularly visit one area bar each Saturday night, for happy hour. Within a few weeks, the bartender recognized us, and now, she knows we want, not necessarily in this order, two 23 oz. Sam Adams drafts, a trivia box, and menus. She knows that if the game is already in progress, the trivia box is the most important item in our order. Would she remember us if we didn't tip well? Probably, but we'd probably wait longer for service, for our drinks, the trivia box, food, etc. Since she knows about what our check will be, she knows about what she'll get as a tip, if she keeps up the good service.

I love going out of the US (and to Per Se) and not having to worry about tipping!!

i agree with you..