Monday, October 20, 2008

Spread the Word

I couldn't help but share this, mostly because it is what I have been telling people for about four years now.

Dear BA Foodist,

Can you set me straight on tipping? I was once told that 20 percent is for great service, 15 percent for bad. Unless a waiter's gone overboard, I'm an 18 percenter, but I was recently accused of being stingy. Am I wrong, or wasn't 10 percent considered fair not too long ago? Give me a tip I can use. --TIPPER G., Albuquerque

Dear Tipper G.,

Ah, the great tipping conundrum.

It's disappointing to receive anything less than 20 percent of the total bill. Most waiters at today's better restaurants expect that much for average service, and even more if they do it with a smile. So unless you're planning never to go to the same restaurant twice, the days of 10 percent tips--and even 15 percent tips--are long gone.

Waiting tables is a job everyone should be forced to do at least once, if only to learn that it's not okay to snap your fingers when you want something, and also to find out what it's like to eke out a living on tips.

The BA Foodist's Tipping Rules

RULE NO. 1: Unless the server is rude, condescending, and/or completely absent, tip between 18 and 20 percent.

RULE NO. 2: Never tip on tax. Tip based on the subtotal. And if you're calculating your tip simply by doubling the tax, stop it--you're being cheap.

RULE NO. 3: Unless you drink like Dean Martin or have a taste for expensive wines (i.e., $40 or more, depending on your budget), it's best to include booze when calculating a tip. Bartenders expect a dollar tip per drink (which is usually about 20 percent of the drink's price), and it's no different with waiters.

RULE NO. 4: Never turn a blind eye when others are tipping--especially if they're unfamiliar with our tipping culture (i.e., Europeans). If you think your tablemate is lowballing the service, it's best to hand the waiter a few bills on the way out.

RULE NO. 5: If a few dollars here and there really matter that much to your bank account, perhaps you shouldn't be going out to eat in the first place.

Article located here.

2 comments:

  1. I've never waited tables, but if I did, I would expect at least a 78% tip. That's my minimum.

    But I've had some really crappy servers and I have to admit to putting down a really crappy tip and doing it with a smile. I reward good behavior, like a dog.

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  2. I'm one of those people that gets so mad when people don't leave a good tip. If the server is crappy, you leave a crappy tip. I once ate with these people that were rude and difficult to serve and they complained that the server was crappy and didn't tip him anything. I was so embarrassed. I think the idea of tipping is stupid, though. Why don't restaurants just pay their workers for the work they are doing? I don't care if they have to make the food more expensive, just do it so I don't have to constantly worry about whether my waiter was good and how much I have to tip. That’s how they do it in Australia.

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