Tipping: Do I suck?

[rageaholic]

Okay, there's this chinese restaurant I go to. Servers are nice, and they know me pretty well (they know what I'm going to order cause I usually order the same thing). The total cost of the meal adds up to 6.36 (after sales tax). Generally, I figure a dollar tip is good because it's around 15%. That's what I usually tip (except a few times I tipped 2 bucks). I've been wondering, should I tip higher (percentage wise) for smaller meals? I mean, it's not like they're making much off of me consdiering I only order soup plus an appitizer and that I am only one person, not a whole family.

What really got me thinking about this was an old thread about a pizza delivery driver who was tipped a dollar for a six dollar meal. They were asking if they were sucky and some people said yes because one dollar is nothing. Are there different tipping standards for pizza drivery drivers than there are waiters and waitresses, or was there something I wasn't aware of with regard to tipping?

[TheSHAD0W]

IMO you should base your tip on the amount and quality of service you get; the percentage is only a rough guideline.

[bainsidhe]

You didn't mention the type of restaurant and how you get your food. Is this delivery? Carryout? Chinese fast food? If it isn't a true sit-down restaurant and it isn't delivered, I'm not in the habit of tipping unless I happen to toss some change in the tip jar.

[rageaholic]

It's sit down.

[ArcticChicken]

I, personally, try not to tip less than about five bucks in a sit down place, unless the service SUCKS.

[Peppergirl]

A place where I am well known and treated well - I'd always tip 20 percent at least. Look at it this way, on the amount you generally spend, it's only an extra 30 cents or so.


But to answer your question - no - you're not sucky. 15 percent isn't an insult - but if you're well known and like the place, you should consider 'upping' it a bit.

There's a thai place I go to that has lunch specials for $5.95 that's almost the same portion that you get at dinner for $10. I usually get water, and tip 2.00. They know me and treat me well when I'm in there, and it's such a good deal, I try to show my appreciation by tipping fairly well.

[rageaholic]

A place where I am well known and treated well - I'd always tip 20 percent at least. Look at it this way, on the amount you generally spend, it's only an extra 30 cents or so.


But to answer your question - no - you're not sucky. 15 percent isn't an insult - but if you're well known and like the place, you should consider 'upping' it a bit.

There's a thai place I go to that has lunch specials for $5.95 that's almost the same portion that you get at dinner for $10. I usually get water, and tip 2.00. They know me and treat me well when I'm in there, and it's such a good deal, I try to show my appreciation by tipping fairly well.

You're right. I think I will up it, another 50 cents to a dollar next time I go. (probably 50 cents, though I hear tipping with coins is considered rude, but IDK about that one. After all, it is money.)

I, personally, try not to tip less than about five bucks in a sit down place, unless the service SUCKS.

Now that's generous!

EDIT: Stupid typo

[ArcticChicken]

Not that's generous!

I also tip around a dollar when I get coffee, depending on what my change is.

[Hyndis]

I tend to tip well for any sit-down food, usually 20% or so.

As for takeout where I call in ahead and pick it up to bring home to eat I generally don't tip. I figure a lot of the tipping is for waiting on the table, but if I'm going to eat it at home out of a styrofoam container there is no extra work involved. Just put it in the box, charge my card, and thats it.

If I'm a regular I will occasionally give a big tip. Like today I did a 100% tip for takeout.

They know me well there (its right next to where I work, its cheap, its delicious, and comes in large portions) and while I've eaten sit-down a few times there its mostly takeout to eat during my lunch break, or on my way home.

So I just dropped a hefty tip on them to sort of make up for the previous times, or something like that. Not sure really. Just felt generous!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

No, I don't think you suck and are tipping unfairly, but I echo the sentiment that if you go there a lot, you could probably be generous if they take care of you. Kicking in another fifty cents would not hurt.

I tip as if it were at least ten bucks. I round up to ten. I don't care if what I ordered was five bucks, the server gets tipped as if it were ten. In fact, I always round up. It's easier for me to do that math that way, and what the heck, kicking in a bit more is certainly preferable to erring with too little. But if it's less than ten, I tip on ten. And I rarely ever tip less than twenty percent.

The place I go to at least once a week treats me like royalty.

[ChaoKuang]

It sounds ok to me.

And one of my friends was a manager for a pizza delivery place, and said, especially with gass prices, a nice tip would at LEAST be the price for a gallon of gas, since drivers also get tipped a lot of the time.

[Flying Grype]

Where I live, 15% is standard, expected and not an insult, and you only tip less if service was actually bad. (Wait staff do get minimum wage here, but it's a lower minimum wage than other jobs.) This is something that really varies from place to place.