Nickel and Dimed. What would you do?
Sep 14, 2013 | 8:13 am
#46
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Join Date: Jun 2000
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Civility alert! 
Posts deleted that were unnecessarily personalized.
cblaisd
Moderator, Dining Buzz
Posts deleted that were unnecessarily personalized.
cblaisd
Moderator, Dining Buzz
Sep 14, 2013 | 11:04 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
I'm with you on this. My pet peeve is that 20% is the "new norm". In my opinion, 15% on a large bill for only 3 people people is plenty. Now if it was a party of 5-6 and up, then there might be some upward wiggle room.
Also, in the OP's case, if he ordered 2 bottles of wine, I would deduct those out to some extent since I don't believe someone should be paid more simply bc they poured me a glass from an $80 bottle and not a $20 bottle.
The club soda charge was a bad case of nickle and diming imho. Not much can be done but it woudl effect my opinion of whether or not to return to that establishment.
End rant.
Also, in the OP's case, if he ordered 2 bottles of wine, I would deduct those out to some extent since I don't believe someone should be paid more simply bc they poured me a glass from an $80 bottle and not a $20 bottle.
The club soda charge was a bad case of nickle and diming imho. Not much can be done but it woudl effect my opinion of whether or not to return to that establishment.
End rant.
Why is 15% OK on a 'large bill for only 3 people'?
And for those who think you do not need to tip 20% on expensive bottles of wine: Waiters and Waitresses need to 'tip out' all of the staff that assist and support them throughout their shift. All of these assistants (food runners / expediters, busboys, host staff, service bartender) know what your gross sales were for the evening, and the assumption is that you earned more or less 20% of that number in tips.
They get their share of that number as a part of the waitpersons 'tip out'.
If the waitperson consistently says 'I got stiffed by my customers', the assistants either assume they are lying, or an awful waitperson.
Either way, the waitperson gets less enthusiastic support from the team when they don't tip out on their full gross, which makes their ability to serve their customers more difficult.
Which makes our experience as customers less enjoyable.
So, tip well!
Sep 14, 2013 | 11:33 pm
#48
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
20% is the norm. Not the new norm (In the US).
Why is 15% OK on a 'large bill for only 3 people'?
And for those who think you do not need to tip 20% on expensive bottles of wine: Waiters and Waitresses need to 'tip out' all of the staff that assist and support them throughout their shift. All of these assistants (food runners / expediters, busboys, host staff, service bartender) know what your gross sales were for the evening, and the assumption is that you earned more or less 20% of that number in tips.
They get their share of that number as a part of the waitpersons 'tip out'.
If the waitperson consistently says 'I got stiffed by my customers', the assistants either assume they are lying, or an awful waitperson.
Either way, the waitperson gets less enthusiastic support from the team when they don't tip out on their full gross, which makes their ability to serve their customers more difficult.
Which makes our experience as customers less enjoyable.
So, tip well!
Why is 15% OK on a 'large bill for only 3 people'?
And for those who think you do not need to tip 20% on expensive bottles of wine: Waiters and Waitresses need to 'tip out' all of the staff that assist and support them throughout their shift. All of these assistants (food runners / expediters, busboys, host staff, service bartender) know what your gross sales were for the evening, and the assumption is that you earned more or less 20% of that number in tips.
They get their share of that number as a part of the waitpersons 'tip out'.
If the waitperson consistently says 'I got stiffed by my customers', the assistants either assume they are lying, or an awful waitperson.
Either way, the waitperson gets less enthusiastic support from the team when they don't tip out on their full gross, which makes their ability to serve their customers more difficult.
Which makes our experience as customers less enjoyable.
So, tip well!
Sep 15, 2013 | 12:37 am
#50
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Posts: 5,024
Only in the media is 20% the norm, and frankly I'm tired of "tip creep" because some new article says X% is what we should all be doing now or we're bad customers who don't appreciate how difficult life is for waitstaff.
A tip is a reward for good to excellent service. I tip according to service received, and will continue to do so no matter what journalists and bloggers have to say about what percent they think we should be handing over without regard to the quality of the service.
A tip is a reward for good to excellent service. I tip according to service received, and will continue to do so no matter what journalists and bloggers have to say about what percent they think we should be handing over without regard to the quality of the service.
Sep 15, 2013 | 2:05 am
#51
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,968
Only in the media is 20% the norm, and frankly I'm tired of "tip creep" because some new article says X% is what we should all be doing now or we're bad customers who don't appreciate how difficult life is for waitstaff.
A tip is a reward for good to excellent service. I tip according to service received, and will continue to do so no matter what journalists and bloggers have to say about what percent they think we should be handing over without regard to the quality of the service.
A tip is a reward for good to excellent service. I tip according to service received, and will continue to do so no matter what journalists and bloggers have to say about what percent they think we should be handing over without regard to the quality of the service.
Sep 15, 2013 | 8:37 am
#52
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: STL
Programs: AA,DL,WN
Posts: 236
20% is NOT the new norm or I'm a Senator from Missouri 
Sep 15, 2013 | 4:32 pm
#54
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 523
Your were not nickle and dimed. You where charged for what you ordered. The waiter might have been able to comp you the carbonated water, he might not have.
In the US, tips are expected when you go to any table service restaurant.
You tipped 15%, what I consider to be the minimum.
Your were not nickle and dimed; the waiter was not stiffed.
What was the point of this post?
In the US, tips are expected when you go to any table service restaurant.
You tipped 15%, what I consider to be the minimum.
Your were not nickle and dimed; the waiter was not stiffed.
What was the point of this post?
Sep 15, 2013 | 4:37 pm
#55
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 523
Get your head out of the stand.
I find it paradoxical that, in cheaper restaurants, 15% is the norm, resulting in a lower tip for the server. They might not have to perform as sophisticated a service, changing silverware, folding napkins, etc. but the check is usually fairly low. I tend to tip at least 20% at these places for that reason. If my tab is very low, I'll tip at least $3.
In higher priced places, 20% is the norm. If you won't pay that for a tip, please use the cheaper places (Denny's, Red Lobster, etc.).
As you go even higher, the expectation is over 20%.
You cheapskates may think otherwise but you're just being stingy.
That's how I roll.
I find it paradoxical that, in cheaper restaurants, 15% is the norm, resulting in a lower tip for the server. They might not have to perform as sophisticated a service, changing silverware, folding napkins, etc. but the check is usually fairly low. I tend to tip at least 20% at these places for that reason. If my tab is very low, I'll tip at least $3.
In higher priced places, 20% is the norm. If you won't pay that for a tip, please use the cheaper places (Denny's, Red Lobster, etc.).
As you go even higher, the expectation is over 20%.
You cheapskates may think otherwise but you're just being stingy.
That's how I roll.
Last edited by cblaisd; Sep 15, 2013 at 5:50 pm Reason: TOS. No need for profanity
Sep 15, 2013 | 5:07 pm
#56
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues, Information Desk & San Francisco
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco CA
Programs: UA, Hilton, Priceline, AirBnB
Posts: 11,319
I tend to tip generously
But here in SF if the resto charges for Healthy SF separately, I tip more like 14-15% and not 18-20.
Sep 15, 2013 | 5:25 pm
#57
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 738
Get your head out of the stand.
I find it paradoxical that, in cheaper restaurants, 15% is the norm, resulting in a lower tip for the server. They might not have to perform as sophisticated a service, changing silverware, folding napkins, etc. but the check is usually fairly low. I tend to tip at least 20% at these places for that reason. If my tab is very low, I'll tip at least $3.
In higher priced places, 20% is the norm. If you won't pay that for a tip, please use the cheaper places (Denny's, Red Lobster, etc.).
As you go even higher, the expectation is over 20%.
You cheapskates may think otherwise but you're just being stingy.
That's how I roll.
[Removed quote of now-deleted material
I find it paradoxical that, in cheaper restaurants, 15% is the norm, resulting in a lower tip for the server. They might not have to perform as sophisticated a service, changing silverware, folding napkins, etc. but the check is usually fairly low. I tend to tip at least 20% at these places for that reason. If my tab is very low, I'll tip at least $3.
In higher priced places, 20% is the norm. If you won't pay that for a tip, please use the cheaper places (Denny's, Red Lobster, etc.).
As you go even higher, the expectation is over 20%.
You cheapskates may think otherwise but you're just being stingy.
That's how I roll.
[Removed quote of now-deleted material
And you can feel free to make up for my stinginess any time you wish - I'm fine with that.
Last edited by cblaisd; Sep 15, 2013 at 5:51 pm
Sep 15, 2013 | 5:51 pm
#58
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,111
Apparently the earlier note was not understood.
cblaisd
Moderator, Dining Buzz
cblaisd
Moderator, Dining Buzz