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Author Topic: Tipping ettiquite  (Read 4568 times)

Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2017, 10:20:56 am »
There's no "service wage" in Oregon, so they are making at least State minimum which just went up to 10.50 I think? 

Quite a few years ago my sister-in-law worked as a waitress in Portland and her employer's report to the IRS listed her tips as 8% of all the bills from the tables she waited on no matter what she actually received, so stiffing a server in Portland hurts them two ways.
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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2017, 10:29:01 am »
There's no "service wage" in Oregon, so they are making at least State minimum which just went up to 10.50 I think? 

Quite a few years ago my sister-in-law worked as a waitress in Portland and her employer's report to the IRS listed her tips as 8% of all the bills from the tables she waited on no matter what she actually received, so stiffing a server in Portland hurts them two ways.

On the other hand, I doubt anyone is averaging less than 8%, and if it was more it's on you to report it.

These days it's likely moot since with credit and POS systems I think all charged tips are reported at the actual amount.

Offline a10t2

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2017, 11:02:41 am »
I recall a time when a 10% tip for good but not outstanding service was considered appropriate, I sometimes wonder why that level is now considered niggardly.

I think it's just because the federal minimum wage's purchasing power peaked in 1968.
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Offline ethinson

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #18 on: July 16, 2017, 07:58:29 am »
Food coming out wrong is partially the servers fault. They are the last line of quality control.

More expensive restaurants tend to have fewer tables per server and also have way lower turn over. A person at Applebee's with 5 tables turning every hour can make more than a server at a steakhouse with 2-3 tables that turn in two hours.

If it's something major, like bringing out a plate of fish when you ordered chicken then yeah, you should notice that before you take it out to the table.  But several times I've had things that looked fine and then something was wrong with them.. chicken not cooked all the way through etc. 

One time in particular, at an Applebee's ironically enough, I got a steak and they brought it out and it looked fine, cut into it and it was still frozen in the middle. Not just rare when I ordered mid-rare, but actually still frozen.  When I told the server she took it back to the kitchen, the kitchen stuck the entire plate in the microwave, salad and all, obvious from the condensed steam now on the lip of the plate, and ruined the entire dish.  The vegetables were ruined and the steak was rubber and inedible.  I asked to speak to the manager, told him what happened, and I didn't have to pay for my dinner.  The server was freaking out, in tears, thinking she was gonna get fired and she had messed up, but this was not her fault and her service through the whole thing was great.   Sure, that's an isolated case, but I remember specifically telling her that it wasn't her fault.  We ended up with a small bill, only paid for drinks etc, but she still got what would have been the tip on the value of the meal.   
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #19 on: July 16, 2017, 08:07:35 am »
We once had several issues that were server related and got the whole meal, drinks and all, comped by the manager without ever asking.  At the end of the meal I wanted to leave money, but I didn't want it to go to the server.  It bothered me, but I left a good tip anyway.
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Offline chumley

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #20 on: July 17, 2017, 08:23:21 pm »
I despise tipping, and love the European tipping scheme.

That said, we are now living in Trump's America, and should tip our less fortunate waitstaff heavily .

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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #21 on: July 18, 2017, 09:08:50 am »
In Miami I found several restaurants included a tip line that let you adjust your bill up or down based on service. I'm not sure how that works for the servers though. I had excellent service everywhere with the flexible tip line so I guess it does what it intends.

I like the idea of a negative tip for especially bad service. If the restaurant failed to deliver good service then why shouldn't it pay out of pocket for bad service? It expects me to pay out of pocket for good service.
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Offline MDixon

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #22 on: July 19, 2017, 06:47:02 am »
I despise tipping, and love the European tipping scheme.


It's all fun and games until you get crappy service. I remember a bar in Gent where we were barely waited on. Today I would have probably left after 10 min with zero service and after the 20 min without receiving our drinks.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #23 on: July 19, 2017, 07:59:35 pm »
A niece talked about her pay and tips years back when she was working for a chain restaurant that was known for ribs, her story was for the one she worked at, not sure all were that way.

She preferred the tips in cash. She could give the bus boys their cut and have the money at the end of the shift. Her base pay was crap, tips made it up, and she hustled.

Put it on the credit card and total it up with the bill? That went into a pool. It was split with all the servers. If someone was slacking off, they got the same cut. Another kicker was that the restaurant held the credit card tip until the end of the month, then they got their cut. She never complained about the taxes.

We tip in cash, whenever possible. We get thanked now and then.

These days 20% seems ok for good service. Sometimes we do less if it is really,really bad.

When in Germany, we just round up. The servers are paid a living wage. They have often gone to school for their job. It was impressive to see them rattle off what everyone had at a table for food and drink, total it up, and hand you the bill on the spot. Then they made change out of the purse on their belt. Rounding up makes it faster, and if you had great service, throw in a Euro or two more.

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Offline MDixon

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #24 on: July 21, 2017, 06:13:10 am »
When I was a banquet waiter our pay was $1.77 and was less than half the minimum wage at the time. Now our tips were guaranteed as part of the price, but we hustled to get work done and get out because staying an extra hour paid you nearly nothing.

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Offline 69franx

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #25 on: July 21, 2017, 11:13:26 am »
I spent almost 30 years in the food service industry, starting at the age of 15 as bus boy. I received no share of the tips at that job, small family Italian restaurant, but the servers did well. Most of my time was in management after that. Most of the servers I worked with over 20 years at one of the largest, and originator, of the casual theme dining chains. They were always waged at around $2.13 per hour but would clear up to $1000 in tips on a Friday or Saturday back in the day, with $200-$300 on an average weekday night. The big money shifts were around 8 hours, so on a good night, they made about $100 per hour before tipping out the bartenders (1% of sales) and bus staff, when they were used, at around 1/2% of sales. I have never felt bad about a 20% tip for good service, excellent will get 25-30%. I am also not afraid to tip less if deserving. I do not tip less for kitchen issues, just server issues. After that long in the business, I also have no trouble informing management of poor service, hell, I heard it enough in my early days managing. When I tell the manager, I usually do it after the check has been paid. i am not looking for compensation, just letting them know. If it was so bad all around, I simply do not visit that establishment again.
     As for the self serve tap room, I would likely tip around 10% of my check at the end, simply because. If I found out that the wait/bar staff is paid typical server wages and expected to claim a certain percentage of their sales on taxes, that would sway me to at least order some food to justify tipping them. No one tips me at home when they open their own beer, or even if I open and pour it for them. Just my thoughts on the topic
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Offline dzlater

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #26 on: July 21, 2017, 04:48:11 pm »
There is very small brewery near me . Basically a big homebrew setup. Tasting room only. Often the owner is tending bar. I usually don't leave him a tip. I figured he owns the place and tips are for workers not bosses.
Is this a violation?
Dan S. from NJ

Offline 69franx

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Re: Tipping ettiquite
« Reply #27 on: July 21, 2017, 05:03:27 pm »
I have frequently heard not to tip owner's. Not from the owner's, just a general thought. I do tip the barber who cuts my hair and it's his place. I know his prices are set to cover expenses, but to me it's worth it. So, in regards to your question, I don't think it's a violation to not tip an owner

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In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)