What are your views on tipping? Would you be willing to pay extra for a meals, if there was no tipping?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Della, in another thread said, "I'm all for restaurants raising wages, and menu prices, if it means we could get rid of tipping." I, too, dislike tipping. I've seen way too many people use "bad service" as a way not to tip. My ex sister-in-law is one. She's never had "good service". I don't like people depending on my generosity to be able to pay their bills. What are your views on tipping? Would you be willing to pay extra for a meals, if there was no tipping?
 

I prefer to tip the wait-staff who are doing the grunt work. If I was certain that wages were above the minimum, I wouldn't mind paying extra for meals.

It always felt odd when I lived in Australia, not to leave a tip. When I did, I'm not sure if it was embarrassing for the person receiving the tip .. so, I stopped.
 
In a way, tipping places pressure on the customer to decide if they should or should not tip and how much. It puts pressure on wait staff too to almost kiss butt. I think if those pressures were removed, customers could enjoy their meal and wait staff could work with less pressure. Happy; happy all around. I would pay more.
 
Tipping is a bonus that tells them how we felt about their service.

I was out with my elderly mother once and when my mother ordered, the waitress said that they had run out of it. So, my mother took a few moments to look at the menu to choose something else. That waitress kept shifting from one foot to the other and loudly sighing when she did so. After we ate, I put a dime on the table as a tip. If I had left nothing, she would have thought that I had just forgotten to tip her. That dime told her what I thought of her service.

I also told the manager about her rudeness. :mad:

If we don't tip, we can be treated badly with no consequences.
 
In our local restaurant, they automatically add 15% to the bill, for a "tip." I don't know why it's called a tip, since it isn't optional, and you pay it regardless of how good or bad the service was. There's a line at the bottom of the bill saying you can feel free to add an additional tip if you want to.

So some restaurants are using that "automatic tip" thing as just another way to raise prices. Of course, it does provide a convenience for those customers who wanted to tip 15% anyway, and saves them from having to do the math. But I always wonder how much of that mandatory 15% goes to the wait staff.
 
I am usually a generous tipper, only rarely do I leave less, only for really bad service that I believe is the fault of the server.

That said I do not like the practice and wish it would go away. However I know for waitstaff, and some others, the tip is a significant part of the pay, many are not paid much by the employer. I don't want these folks going without... But yes I would rather pay a truly fair price for a meal and not have to tip to keep my waitperson from starving.
Sassycakes said:
as long as it goes to the waiter or waitress
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I agree and often tip in cash even when I pay for the meal with a credit card. That way I know better where the money goes.
 
Sunny said:
In our local restaurant, they automatically add 15% to the bill, for a "tip." I don't know why it's called a tip, since it isn't optional, and you pay it regardless of how good or bad the service was. There's a line at the bottom of the bill saying you can feel free to add an additional tip if you want to.

So some restaurants are using that "automatic tip" thing as just another way to raise prices. Of course, it does provide a convenience for those customers who wanted to tip 15% anyway, and saves them from having to do the math. But I always wonder how much of that mandatory 15% goes to the wait staff.
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The 15% gets divided up between your waitperson, the person who clears your table, and the helpers in the back.

I like to tip, but if it was not customary anymore I'm sure we'd all have to pay more for our meals. I'd be alright with that.
 
We over tip. Always.

I don't care if the service was bad, good, excellent, or barely visible. Or, if the food was hot (hope it is) or cold (hope it’s not) or anywhere in between. They employees make crap in wages and the tips are usually completely shared out between everyone at the restaurant which includes bus people, dishwashers, cooks and on and on.

I do not know what kind of life the employees have, how desperate they are, or if they are doing good. I know they make very little money and my tip may make the different between a child getting dinner or not eating. I tip, always, I tip good.

And while your mom is taking her time deciding what else to eat, someone else‘s food is getting cold in the window. And that’s another tip that hard working woman/man will lose.

If you don’t want to tip, DON’T EAT OUT.

Having said the above, I have eaten at places that have a no tipping rule. They pay their employees a decent wage and their employees are not subjected to the emotional make up of patrons. A better deal for everyone.
 
Alligatorob said:
I am usually a generous tipper, only rarely do I leave less, only for really bad service that I believe is the fault of the server.

That said I do not like the practice and wish it would go away. However I know for waitstaff, and some others, the tip is a significant part of the pay, many are not paid much by the employer. I don't want these folks going without... But yes I would rather pay a truly fair price for a meal and not have to tip to keep my waitperson from starving.

I agree and often tip in cash even when I pay for the meal with a credit card. That way I know better where the money goes.
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I always tip cash, and if I have a coupon or gift card or whatever, I always tip as if I paid full price for the reasons you stated.
 
Ceege said:
Tipping is a bonus that tells them how we felt about their service.

I was out with my elderly mother once and when my mother ordered, the waitress said that they had run out of it. So, my mother took a few moments to look at the menu to choose something else. That waitress kept shifting from one foot to the other and loudly sighing when she did so. After we ate, I put a dime on the table as a tip. If I had left nothing, she would have thought that I had just forgotten to tip her. That dime told her what I thought of her service.

I also told the manager about her rudeness. :mad:

If we don't tip, we can be treated badly with no consequences.
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I did the same thing - but I left a nickel, along with a note. The rude, idiotic waitress should have left well enough alone. Instead, she ran after my wife & I, yelling at us & ended up fired.
 
When I took my mom out to eat, I'd secretly warn the waiter/waitress ahead of time that she was demanding, rude & nasty & I always tipped generously.
A few times, while we were at the cashier, the waitress would say to me, "Wow....thank you so much!"
I'd say, "Believe me; you earned it."
 
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AnnieA said:
Look at your state's cash wage (last column). I think the problem the OP presented with the current system is actually a problem due to people like you.
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Somehow I just can't make myself feel responsible for what you perceive as a problem. Perhaps that is because I am more of a free market advocate who thinks supply and demand should be the major basis for prices and wages. Regardless, I will spend my money how and where I see fit, not how someone else thinks I should. :)
 
Tipping is definitely not mandatory here because hospitality staff get paid at the very least.. a minimum wage.

if their service whatever it may be, table service , Taxi drivers, hairdressers or cleaners in a hotel are better than average they get tipped, if not they don't , simple as that.

In many restaurants and cafes we get appalling service, and the reason is that they don't rely on their tips to make a wage.
 
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hollydolly said:
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In many restaurants and cafes we get appalling service, and the reason is that they don't rely on their tips to make a wage.
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That's why I think there should be a middle road between the current US system and providing a full hourly wage. Let there be some reward incentive for good service, but start the base wage at more than $2.13 per hour like it is in my state!
 
AnnieA said:
That's why I think there should be a middle road between the current US system and providing a full hourly wage. Let there be some incentive for reward for good service, but start the base wage at more than $2.13 per hour like it is in my state!
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$2.13 an hour ?.... :eek: that's beyond belief ....

..another thing is that we don't have tables being 'turned' because again waiting staff are not looking for more tips from a never ending stream of customers from the same table.. so customers here can sit at the same table all night with a cup of coffee and a lettuce leaf if that's their preference...
 
hollydolly said:
$2.13 an hour ?.... :eek: that's beyond belief ....

..another thing is that we don't have tables being 'turned' because again waiting staff are not looking for more tips from a never ending stream of customers from the same table.. so customers here can sit at the same table all night with a cup of coffee and a lettuce leaf if that's their preference...
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I 'liked' your outrage ...it is unbelievable that its legally allowed to pay people so little. I'm not sure how great a low paying customer camping out at a table for hours on end helps the restaurant owner, though. Guess owners set prices high enough to allow for a profit despite those customers.
 
AnnieA said:
I 'liked' your outrage ...it is unbelievable that its legally allowed to pay people so little. I'm not sure how great a low paying customer camping out at a table for hours on end helps the restaurant owner, though. Guess owners set prices high enough to allow for a profit despite those customers.
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yes it's true a small cafe owner for example might not be keen on someone taking up a table for hours, but he can't make them leave, and so very often people sit for hours in cafes, just having a few coffees, ...whereas in a restaurant if you've booked your table for 7pm, it's yours until the restaurant closes, unless of course if they're very busy and they 'fit you in between customers'' when they'll then inform you in advance that the table will only be available for 2 hours..
 
Aneeda72 said:
And while your mom is taking her time deciding what else to eat, someone else‘s food is getting cold in the window. And that’s another tip that hard working woman/man will lose.
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That waitress could have left and come back a few minutes later instead of being so rude to an elderly woman who had already picked out what she wanted but then, had to choose something else. And she wasn't taking her time. She felt rushed. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior.
 
Sunny said:
In our local restaurant, they automatically add 15% to the bill, for a "tip." I don't know why it's called a tip, since it isn't optional, and you pay it regardless of how good or bad the service was. There's a line at the bottom of the bill saying you can feel free to add an additional tip if you want to.

So some restaurants are using that "automatic tip" thing as just another way to raise prices. Of course, it does provide a convenience for those customers who wanted to tip 15% anyway, and saves them from having to do the math. But I always wonder how much of that mandatory 15% goes to the wait staff.
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On some restaurant bills here , at the bottom they have an added service charge of 12.5%( actually an extra gratuity)...... you can have that taken off the bill if you don't feel either the service or the food was up to par!!
 
win231 said:
The rude, idiotic waitress should have left well enough alone. Instead, she ran after my wife & I, yelling at us & ended up fired.
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I once left a waitress a very generous tip well over the normal 20%. However, it was all in change, coins, I just emptied my pockets. She evidently did not look very closely and seeing pennies she must have assumed it was not much. She came after us yelling about how cheap we were, and also ended up getting fired over it also... It was about 40 years ago when coins were worth a lot more than today, and still in more widespread use.

Not sure what my lesson learned from that was, but waitstaff should not complain to customers, no matter what is left. Doing away with tips would solve the problem.
 
hollydolly said:
On some restaurant bills here , at the bottom they have an added service charge of 12.5%( actually an extra gratuity).
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I really dislike that, don't feel like I know where the money is going. When I ask if it is a tip I have been told no, so I go ahead and leave a tip on top of it.

Never thought to ask for it to be taken off, I may try that, then I can leave a tip and better know where its going.
 

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