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Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 06:55 am: | 
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The restaurants here in France love American customers who tip, because they effectively tip twice, as under the system here the service is included in the bill.
The other side of the coin is that French people visiting the US get a reputation of being lousy tippers because they assume it's all included.
Something I absolutely hate is when at a restaurant in the UK & I want to pay by card they'll ask me how much I want to add on as a tip.
Now I don't mind leaving something extra for the service if it's good (not that often the case there sadly) but I don't like being pressured into leaving a bung in front of those I'm with.
I generally reply that we'll discuss the issue & let them know our findings in due course. |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 07:19 am: |
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I guess in the UK they do it different then in the states because at most restruants when you pay with your card they give you a recipt to sign that has the total of your meal then below has a tip line for you to write in your tip then a total line for both that you sign and hand back to the waiter/waitress. |
Jbird11
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 08:18 am: |
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She should work at Dick's last resort. |
Ratyson
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 09:13 am: |
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The restaurants here in France love American customers who tip, because they effectively tip twice, as under the system here the service is included in the bill.
I remember that when I visited France when I was in the Navy.
I was at a place with several friends from my crew, and when we were leaving, the waiter was VERY thankful for us leaving a tip. I figure, all in total, he probably got about 45% on a pretty large bill. IIRC, the bill was about $200 (USD).
The service was outstanding to say the least, and we went in expecting bad service due to the "reputation" of American Sailors in France at the time (around 1990).} |
Supafast
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 09:42 am: |
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I was a diner with some friends and our waitress sucked! I pretty much was serving our table. Getting drinks and pie. Our waitress was sitting at a booth gabbing with her friends the whole time. I left a penny face down as her tip. |
86129squids
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 02:35 pm: |
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I work as a server now to pay my mortgage, bills, and fund my motorcycle addictions- will be going in tonite and tomorrow nite to get back on the hamster wheel, and see if I can come home with Ben Franklin or better.
Believe me, I WORK my ASS off for every buck I make, and I come home every nite feeling like I've just been in a rugby scrum.
Last nite I had a run most of the nite with 10% or less $hit tippers- then, by the grace of God and my peerless skills, I had a 4-top that left $35 on $96. That one table made the others tolerable as a whole- but it still aint right to leave less than 15% for excellent service. And I've been a staff trainer at pretty much every place I've worked.
"Lagniappe": Italian for "a little something extra"... this is the essence of what it takes to stand out at your job, be noticed, and hopefully EARN 20% or better. I always tell my trainees that although it's not in the training manuals, you should always find a way to make your guests smile, or better, laugh- all the while nailing your marks for the table, whatever they may be.
The ultimate goal for anybody in table service, bartending, or really any sales job is to fill your work day with "call customers", those who came specifically to be served by YOU- when I was bartending, I'd see a regular coming down the sidewalk, and have their favorite beverage ready and at their favorite seat by the time they walked in the door. This was routine, what I expected of myself, as I take great pride in my work.
This thread started by telling a tale of bad service- let us all try to tell and re-tell of those times we had exemplary service, PLEASE. It's an old adage that a pissed off customer will tell 15 people, but a pleased one might tell 5. I work against those odds every day.
Thanks for listening, youn's... |
Paw
| | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 08:39 pm: |
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Five minutes into the meal I would have asked to speak with the manager
I work hard for my money and when I go to a restaurant I expect the server to do the same...I start off at 30% tip and for every screw up they do they lose 5% but keeping my glass full is a tip saver!!! |
Vampress
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 08:37 am: |
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The waitress isn't responsible for assembling the sandwich and it sure isn't any trouble to simply remove it. Why waste time and create stink for such a small thing?
Sometimes it's easy to do that, but I would mention it anyway. When the waitress asks how the meal was during the course.
Sometimes it's not that easy though...
I have to ask for "no pepper" on food as I am mildly allergic to it. It makes me sick and it's one of those things you can't just 'pick off'.
Most times a menu won't mention if a meal includes a lot of pepper so I have to be careful with what I get. Sometimes they just put it all over a meal regardless of asking to hold it.
Hhmm we'll have to get a handle on this tipping thing for when we come visit though. We just don't do it here unless service is exceptional.
Most places don't allow restaurant staff to take 'gifts' for service. Some places have a universal tip jar at the pay counter. |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 08:40 am: |
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Take the first number X2 viola finished |
Xodot
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 09:37 am: |
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I found out from a friend up here in Canada that the wages/tipping varies from here to state to state. Now that I am traveling a little more on some great USA twisties, I have a practice of asking the server what a customary tip rate is and I say "because I want to be fair". They are usually surprised by the question and I take the percentage they say to be the truth and always exceed that amount.
I'll never be back for them to serve me again, but giving more than you have to is like God's grace - we don't deserve it but we sure appreciate it. |
Drkside79
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 10:19 am: |
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Vamp Assuming you are at a sit down restaurant.
Really Really Good (your call)
Good service 20%
Average Service 15-18%
Bad 10%
Awful See a manager |
86129squids
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 01:33 pm: |
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Another day, another shift worked with cheap and ignorant people...
Had two old farts who even had our "Chef's Club" card, earned a $5 discount with card, old fart HANDED me $2 on $30 AFTER discount.
Some of us old salts who've been in the biz too long call Friday and Saturday "amateur nite"- because all the redneck cheapskates come out then- during the weekdays you're more likely to see professionals and people who genuinely APPRECIATE good food and good service.
Blue hairs and babies, AAACCKKK... 
One more nite, tonite, hopefully I won't kill anybody before I'm off Sunday... |
Brettx1
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 03:36 pm: |
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Brumbear, I'm confused, so if my bill is $5.00, then my tip should be $10.00!!LOL. What I generally do is take the bill and divide by 5 and that is 20% , that is usually my base tip, really good service nets more. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 03:47 pm: |
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I think Brumbear was referring to the tax. It varies by area, but typically is 7 or 8%. Double that will get you about 15% so you can work your tip around that. |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 04:01 pm: |
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My usual tip is 10% of the bill times two.
Makes it easy. |
Tom_b
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 04:20 pm: |
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(Message edited by tom_b on March 15, 2010) |
Tom_b
| | Posted on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 04:22 pm: |
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If i have VERY good service 20 to 25% tip and it goes down from there. It is usually 10-15%. If i have bad service i will not tip and probably not return. I will not frequent a place with lousy service. The competition for my dollar is too stiff. I worked as a waiter in a couple different restaurants and a bartender in a just drinking place. People will respond positively to good service. Some bad nights, some good but for a good server, it will even out. If the circumstance that started this thread had occured to me. I would NOT have tipped and informed the manager why i didn't. The manager should know if a customer is unhappy for any reason |
86129squids
| | Posted on Sunday, March 14, 2010 - 12:23 am: |
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"My usual tip is 10% of the bill times two.
Makes it easy."
Ummm, aint that same as 20%? You go a different route to get to the same place, the same GOOD place.
Just got off the hamster wheel- did OK, still had too many cheapskates, even one or two who saved $5 by virtue of signing up for our "club" after I suggested it and STILL left 10%.
Douche Canoe Flume Zoom!!! (Jeremy, still remember that one?  )
Got a hall pass, gonna head out for a little while and beer myself.
My job really doesn't suck any more than most- I just wish I had more opportunities to see a [good] return on my efforts from good people, not so much of morons taking it all for granted, cheaply...
Peace and love all, thanks for sharing/listening... |
86129squids
| | Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 - 02:19 pm: |
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One more thing- There's an unbelievably good song out there somewhere, if you look it up- it's on an out-of-print CD from David Baerwald. The CD is "Triage", the song is "The Waiter".
If you are deep in the biz or know someone who is, do try to get that one if you can... |
Jb2
| | Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 - 04:30 pm: |
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Kim and I are good tippers. We survived our first few years of marriage on the tips she earned working at a local restaurant. Our daughter worked two and three jobs at a time while attending high school and college. She made better money on some days than her regular job paid for several days of work. The place where she worked gave, as a bonus, $500.00 towards her tuition for every semester she was on the A Honor Roll.
Now that the kids are gone we eat at our favorite Mexican diner at least once a week. Great folks and we always leave a heavy 20% when leaving.
Bad attitude deserves nothing or just a buck to let them know about the poor service. One the other hand we tip those who give us good service very well.
Kim, many days, had to shrug off the worries and hardship of starting a family to don a smile and serve folks who didn't always appreciate it. We've been there so we don't forget.
JB2 |
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