"This is an invasion of my privacy!" or the walk out chronicles

[Caractacus_Potts]

People seem to notice this. When I go out to one of my regular hangouts for karaoke and/or beer, they remember me, they know what I drink, and a lot of times they'll get it ready as soon as they see me walk in, and it will be waiting for me when I get to the bar.

I tip well because I have been a server, I can't say I don't like the fringe benefits. I remember remembering the people who tipped well and giving them priority when they came back. My wife wasn't much of a tipping person until she met me...when she saw servers arguing about who got our table and bartenders having my drink ready before we even sat down she changed her mind.

I would have liked that she changed her mind because it was the right thing to do rather than because of the extra service you get when the people working in a place know you are going to leave a nice tip but I still appreciate the fact that she changed her ways.

[Caractacus_Potts]

Completely off topic trivia question: what state gave us the Miranda warning?

I'm going to hazard a guess and say it was based on Arizona vs Ernesto Arturo Miranda but realistically the Miranda warning is a Federal requirement based on a supreme court case so it was really the US government that gave us the Miranda warning rather than an individual state.

[Jester]

Yes, but it originated in the state of Arizona. As this was a trivia question, you don't have to get that technical; when I said what state gave it to us, Arizona is where it originally came from. Just as "his asshole" is where the head of the douchebag in the OP comes from. (Hey, look at that...he brought it back around to the original topic. And with such grace and finesse, too!)

[Caractacus_Potts]

Just as "his asshole" is where the head of the douchebag in the OP comes from.

LOL! Agreed again.

When someone asks me a "trivia" question I expect that they are looking for a "trick" answer. (For example; how many states are there in the USA? 46. Four of the states refer to themselves in official paperwork and state seals/flags as commonwealths rather than states.)

[ralerin]

People seem to notice this. When I go out to one of my regular hangouts for karaoke and/or beer, they remember me, they know what I drink, and a lot of times they'll get it ready as soon as they see me walk in, and it will be waiting for me when I get to the bar.

Agreed. Servers at Best Friend's and I's favorite restaurants always remember us and give us excellent service. We tip a good portion (maybe 20%). Like Mike, I had no idea servers make about $2/hour with the expectation to make up for it in tips.

Edit: Damn, CP got it before me. Poo. :P

[Peppergirl]

Like some of the others, I found myself more horrified that there were apparently several clones of this jackass sitting at the table with him!

Can you imagine being out to dinner with someone who did that? I'd end up being arrested for assault.

[Mytical]

*snickers* Now Peppergirl, you know we don't condone violence to humans (or animals)..oh wait..never mind..not sure they would classify as human, and calling them animals would be an insult (to animals)...by all means .. carry on.

[Draco]

I actually went to a place in Jamaica where when I tried to tip the bartender he told me he appreciated the thought but he could get fired for accepting a tip.

Could anyone else imagine Jester suddenly having a stroke or going in shock (twitching eye and all) while hearing that in person?


But like many here, I'd actually like to hear what comes of this bill jumping SOB.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

I tip about 10% and then round up a bit. Depends really. My fiance (who is American) and my dad (who is British) both seem to think its 10 so thats what I just think. I normally round it up though. I'm not some weirdo who would actually count out the exact percentage :P

I was going to say...as politely as possible of course...I often hear Americans say Japanese are terrible tippers. What many of them don't realise is that in the service industry in Japan, tipping is not common, in fact, I think its considered an honor to serve, or something like that. (Funny though, because in the mizu shobia industry, a geisha or hostess will probably get tipped quite a large amount because the idea is to show off what a wealthy and generous person you are...strange! Having said that, that isn't an industry for the common man!)

This Christmas, a little old lady offered me a "tip" for being so helpful despite the Christmas Eve rush. It was only a £1, but I thought it was sweet...sadly, I had to decline because I know I would have gotten into a huge amount of trouble if I had accepted that mere £1, so I suggested she put it into the Cancer Research UK box and take herself a badge to show she'd supported the charity instead. Still, lovely gesture on her part.

[georgie]

hearing about tipping and its requirements is interesting.

where i live tipping isnt the norm. tipping is done here mainly if you go somewhere like a fancy restaurant and there is no required 10 or 15 %. its just what you think its worth.

to be honest, i think tipping is unfair on the customer. i think the wages for the worker should be much much better. i heard that servers can earn as little as $2.50 per hour. that is honestly shocking.

tho i dont like tipping i will say tho that when i do visit the US i will absolutely tip. think tho that i'll come here and ask what is the typical amount to tip. certainly wouldnt want to offend people.


my perspective comes from living in 2 countries that dont normally tip

[taxguykarl]

I'm not so sure a mandatory gratuity is illegal when nearly every sit-down restaraunt with servers I've been to for years has that little sign in its window.

Every other menu I can recall seeing has a notice to that effect somewhere (on the cover as often as not). I certainly don't have a problem with that as re-arranging the tables to accomodate such a group can be quite the PITA.
FWIW, when I tip, I tip in cash to keep it untaxable--or at least to circumvent the mandatory reporting.
Any updates, CC. This saga could get interesting.

[Caractacus_Potts]

I tip about 10% and then round up a bit.

I tip 20% and round up to the nearest dollar usually. In the US I think 10% is considered a minimum for adequate service. I've worked in several tipping occupations here and I suspect I tip high because I know how much I liked it when someone gave me a good tip.

I was going to say...as politely as possible of course...I often hear Americans say Japanese are terrible tippers.

I was a busboy/food runner for my first shared tip job and at the time I had no idea other cultures did not tip but since I was shared out from the actual servers I didn't even know which customers tipped and which didn't usually. By the time I was a server I knew that some cultures did not tip and working at a hotel restaurant that had international visitors I liked to think that anyone who stiffed me did so because tipping was not a norm for them.

Some people are surprised that people from other cultures have different norms than they do. Hell, I was just reminded that even in the US there are differences between the state I grew up in and all the others!

to be honest, i think tipping is unfair on the customer...tho i dont like tipping i will say tho that when i do visit the US i will absolutely tip

I've only known the US tipping culture growing up. I think of it like a sales tax. In the US (in the three states I have lived in anyway) sales tax is not included in the price of the food/goods/services. If required it is added in when you make the purchase.

I have seen several complaints from people who visit the US saying where they come from any taxes are included in the displayed price and they were NOT happy about a $3 item costing $3.05 or $3.36.

I'm really ambiguous over this. On the one hand I liked getting cash every night I worked in addition to a paycheck every one or two weeks but on the other hand I didn't like the really low hourly wage.

[JoitheArtist]

I used to be not-so-great about tipping, based on the fact that I was a constantly-broke student. Then I joined this board, learned more about what it's actually like to serve in a restaurant, and now almost never tip less than 20% (and generally a good bit higher), except for genuinely bad service.

Some of it is self-serving: I frequently eat out alone, and I know that most servers really don't like serving 1 person at a table, since 15-20% off one bill isn't much. But if I frequent the same place regularly, they figure out pretty quickly that I tip well, and have rarely had a problem with service.

[Arwyn Q]

SC: No, the service was fine, but I didn't come here planning to pay a tip. I NEVER tip. I pay the price on the menu and that's it because I am NOT required to pay a penny more.

That alone makes him an epic asshat. He should seriously be barred from any restaurant on that fact alone. Unless you're European and know absolutely nothing about countries which tip, you have no excuse.

I'm not a big fan of mandatory gratuities myself, but I'd never walk out because of one. I have asked to have one removed, but that was only because the server was *horrible* (and they agreed to take it off after the entire party complained, it was that bad).

[Jester]

When someone asks me a "trivia" question I expect that they are looking for a "trick" answer. (For example; how many states are there in the USA? 46. Four of the states refer to themselves in official paperwork and state seals/flags as commonwealths rather than states.)

While that is technically true, there ARE 50 States. This is, after all, the United States, not the United States and Commonwealths. And being from the 48 State, I would hate to say there are only 46 States....where would that leave us Arizonans?

For the record, very few of my trivia questions are "trick" questions. Most of them are just uncommon knowledge. For example: in what American city is the Swimming Hall of Fame?

Can you imagine being out to dinner with someone who did that?

No. I don't voluntarily associate with....THOSE people.

Could anyone else imagine Jester suddenly having a stroke or going in shock (twitching eye and all) while hearing that in person?

Wouldn't phase me in the slightest, actually. As I know that there are many establishments that do not allow tipping. I imagine, and would hope, that such places compensate their staff well.

Look, I am not going to do something to jeopardize someone's job. If that means I don't tip the bartender, I am fine with that. That being said, if said bartender does a great job, I will find a way to tip him/her. If not monetarily, than by making a point to find his/her boss and tell them what a great job the bartender is doing.

My fiance (who is American) and my dad (who is British) both seem to think its 10 so thats what I just think.

Your fiance is a bit out of touch. Since I can remember (and I am 40), standard is 15%. Not trying to debate this (that is what fratching is for), just saying.

I was going to say...as politely as possible of course...I often hear Americans say Japanese are terrible tippers. What many of them don't realise is that in the service industry in Japan, tipping is not common

Some of us American servers DO realize that other cultures aren't tipping cultures, and that many foreigners who don't tip us may be doing so because they come from a different culture where such things are, by nature, different. I do try to educate my fellow coworkers about this whenever I can.

to be honest, i think tipping is unfair on the customer. i think the wages for the worker should be much much better.

I agree that tipping can be unfair to the customer. But until the industry starts paying the serving staff a decent wage, that is the system in place.

i heard that servers can earn as little as $2.50 per hour. that is honestly shocking.

Or lower. I don't know what the current minimum wage is for tipped employees, but I know that I have worked for $2.13/hour not that long ago. Different states and different companies vary, though, and I am proud to say my employer, as far as I know, does not must pay the minimum. (I honestly don't know either what the minimum is or what I am paid per hour, as what I am PAID and what I MAKE are two totally different things. And I prefer to focus on the latter, frankly.)

(Edited to add: I just did some checking. According to my google search, the current minimum hourly wage for tipped employees in the State of Florida is $4.23/hour. According to my most recent pay stub, that is precisely the hourly wage I am paid by The Bar. Amusingly, at my first restaurant job (which was my first true job) in 1986, as a cook I was paid $4.25/hour.)

i'll come here and ask what is the typical amount to tip.

Generally speaking, in the U.S., adequate to good service rates about a 15% tip. More for better, less for worse, but 15% is the general guideline. (I average more than that, but then again, I rock.)

Every other menu I can recall seeing has a notice to that effect somewhere (on the cover as often as not). I certainly don't have a problem with that as re-arranging the tables to accomodate such a group can be quite the PITA.

Re-arranging the tables is the easy part. Actually waiting on a large table is not nearly as easy. From getting all the orders right to getting the drinks and food out in a timely manner to remembering who gets what to providing the right separate checks to the right people if requested. And on. And on. And on.

FWIW, when I tip, I tip in cash to keep it untaxable--or at least to circumvent the mandatory reporting.

And most servers appreciate that. Myself, I don't care, as either way I'm making my money, and in the end it balances out. To be perfectly honest, I'd prefer a good credit card tip to a mediocre cash tip if the customer is low on cash but trying to do me a "favor" by tipping in cash.

In the US I think 10% is considered a minimum for adequate service.

No. That would be 15%. In 25 years in the business, I have not known one server who would consider 10% an appropriate tip for adequate service. Honestly, 10% is considered a bit of an insult. A few weeks ago, I had a "Ten Percent Tuesday" that sucked balls.

I liked to think that anyone who stiffed me did so because tipping was not a norm for them.

While that is often true, every country has their cheap assholes. And there is no question that some foreigners tip crappy intentionally, despite knowing what is expected. I will say that most foreigners who KNOW what is expected tip appropriately. Just like with Americans, some are just asswipes.

I'm really ambiguous over this. On the one hand I liked getting cash every night I worked in addition to a paycheck every one or two weeks but on the other hand I didn't like the really low hourly wage.

I'll take the low hourly wage and the (overall) decent pay any day of the week. Honestly, I am shocked by what some retail employees make, as I could not live on that wage.

I joined this board, learned more about what it's actually like to serve in a restaurant, and now almost never tip less than 20% (and generally a good bit higher), except for genuinely bad service.

I know I am always championing the service industry workers in here, but I have also been the first one to say that if you get bad service, you should not have to tip well or at all. Tips are supposed to be a reflection of the service. If you get great service, tip great. If your service sucks, let the tip reflect that as well. For example, Little Red and I did lunch at the Dock Bar today, and our server is one we've had before, who fucking rocks. And today...he fucking rocked. On a $77 tab, we tipped him $20. Had he been a sucky asshat, our tip would have been much lower. (Admittedly, we tend to tip high, both being in the service industry, but we are not above making it clear when we think service is bad.)

I know that most servers really don't like serving 1 person at a table, since 15-20% off one bill isn't much.

Honestly, most shouldn't mind. Some still do, but fuck 'em. Most singles are seated at tables of two anyway, so it's not like they're missing out on that much anyway.

That being said, if anyone here is ever self-conscious about being a single in a restaurant, sit at the bar. Most places will allow you to order food at the bar, and bartenders are quite used to dealing with parties of one.

And besides, the bar is where all the cool kids sit anyway.

I'm not a big fan of mandatory gratuities myself, but I'd never walk out because of one. I have asked to have one removed, but that was only because the server was *horrible* (and they agreed to take it off after the entire party complained, it was that bad).

See my comments above about bad service. If your service sucked, and they tack on a gratuity, by all means ask to have it removed. And explain why. Likewise, if your service rocked, feel free to add more tip on to the gratuity, to reflect your happiness with the service. It works both ways.