On Tipping and Correct Amount and When

[SPuck]

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/dear_prudence/2013/02/dear_prudence_my_6_year_old_daughter_can_t_stop_playing_with_herself.2.html

So the 8th letter in today's Dear Prudence had me wondering, what are people's preferences (assuming you live in an area where tipping is normal) percentage wise for tips?

I'm generally a 20 percent tipper myself because the math is easier, and I think it is rude to keep your server (and dining guests waiting) if you have to calculate to the last penny.

On a side note, is there any good information anywhere on when and what situations it is proper to tip?

[jaxsue]

 There have been many tipping threads, and suffice to say they get interesting. 

[jedikaiti]

I saw that, too - I'm a pretty solid ~20% tipper. I might fudge it down a little if the service isn't all that (think 18%) - any lower requires the server to be really bad, and below 15% is only if they're largely absent or openly hostile.

What I want to know is why someone would expect a 20% tip on a take-out order??? IIRC, a tip is a gratuity for service received, and if I'm getting take-out, there's no service received. (Although I have been known to add a buck or two for a place I know to be very friendly, offering water while I wait for my food, etc.) (I also think Prudie's a bit off adding $5 to cover the take-out containers and a bag. 1) No way should they cost that much, and 2) The restaurant should be taking that into account when figuring costs and determining prices, and 3) Giving the server an extra $5 tip is not really offsetting the cost of the containers.)

Am I way off base, is tipping 20% now the norm regardless of actual service received?

Of course, if serving staff were paid a living wage to begin with, we wouldn't need to have this discussion, but that's another debate entirely.

[CakeBeret]

I think the waitress was completely in the wrong to start adding a 20% tip. I also disagree with Prudie that 15% is considered cheapskate. It's not a great tip, but I'd say it's an adequate tip for adequate service. (I personally rarely tip below 18-20%, but I don't think 15% is wrong.)

I'm curious what the tipping norms are for takeout.

I don't like the policy of tipping anyone who makes more than minimum wage, but I do it. I tip my hairdresser and masseuse because that seems to be accepted policy, although I disagree with it.

[CL32]

Re takeout: I typically add about $2.00 (or slightly more, after rounding up) for a small/1-person order. For a larger order, I may add up to $5.00. I don't agree that takeout should require the same tip as a dine-in order.

I tip 20% for dine-in, unless the service is stellar, then I may tip more.

If a server arbitrarily added 20% to my takeout bill, the manager would certainly hear about it, and unless I got a sincere apology and a promise that it would never happen again, I would stop going there.

[Thipu1]

A 20 percent tip automatically added to an eat-in meal because you don't tip for a take-out meal?  Absolutely not! 

We have never tipped for an ordinary take-out meal.  We tip decently for a delivered meal because finding our house can be a bit difficult and delivery people have to put up with a lot.  Dine-in meals are tipped according to service. We consider 20 percent a very generous tip. 

 

[rose red]

If there is a fee for take out orders, they should state that on the menu (or someplace).  They can also tell customers there's a fee for huge orders.  Just adding a tip out of the blue is appalling and they would lose my business.

[Shoo]

I tip 15% now (used to tip 20%), since I learned servers in my state make at least minimum wage, which is almost $10 an hour here.

[CluelessBride]

Am I way off base, is tipping 20% now the norm regardless of actual service received?

The way things are going, pretty soon 100% will be standard. Restaurant prices go up with cost of living/inflation, so the amount you get from a 10-15% tip has also gone up. So the fact that the new standard is supposedly 20% means people are tipping 25-30% to feel generous. And then the waitstaff (general) decide anyone tipping less is stingy, without considering the level of service they are providing.

I usually tip around 20%. If I leave a really low (<15%) tip, I always leave a note or talk to a manager. If someone questioned the size of a tip, I'd have no problem offering to explain it to a manager.

I never tip on takeout - you aren't giving me free food! I'm paying for the food and the food prep as part of the charge. The tip covers service - and running a cash register doesn't count.  If a restaurant wants to charge a fee or tack on an autograt, then I'd either pay it or or go elsewhere, but it should be stated clearly up front. If it's not, I'm going to complain. And I'll take it up the chain if necessary. And if it gets you in trouble with your manager or corporate, that's your fault for not following policy, not my fault for standing up for myself.

[kareng57]

Am I way off base, is tipping 20% now the norm regardless of actual service received?

The way things are going, pretty soon 100% will be standard. Restaurant prices go up with cost of living/inflation, so the amount you get from a 10-15% tip has also gone up. So the fact that the new standard is supposedly 20% means people are tipping 25-30% to feel generous. And then the waitstaff (general) decide anyone tipping less is stingy, without considering the level of service they are providing.

I usually tip around 20%. If I leave a really low (<15%) tip, I always leave a note or talk to a manager. If someone questioned the size of a tip, I'd have no problem offering to explain it to a manager.

I never tip on takeout - you aren't giving me free food! I'm paying for the food and the food prep as part of the charge. The tip covers service - and running a cash register doesn't count.  If a restaurant wants to charge a fee or tack on an autograt, then I'd either pay it or or go elsewhere, but it should be stated clearly up front. If it's not, I'm going to complain. And I'll take it up the chain if necessary. And if it gets you in trouble with your manager or corporate, that's your fault for not following policy, not my fault for standing up for myself.

I usually tip a minimal amount on pickup orders - it does take a bit of work to package up the order and have it ready on time, though of course not near the same amount of effort required to keep visiting a table, refilling drinks etc.  But if the bill is $ 10.50, I give them $ 15 and then get asked "do you want change?"  my answer will be "now I do."

I agree that the "percentage required" is very dependent on whether the wait-staff make the designated regular minimum wage.  If they don't, then I can understand 20% - but if they do, I take issue with the idea that 15% is "not enough".

And I'll never understand the idea that one must tip higher in areas where the cost of living is higher.  Presumably, the menu prices would be higher anyway, so if I were to tip 20% for an entree costing $ 20 in Small Town, I see no reason why I must tip 25% for the same entree that costs $30 in Big City.

[LadyR]

I tip 15%, which is the standard here, more if I have good service. It was definitely easier when tax was 15% (now it's 13%). I'm never sure how to tip on take-out, I mean you're not serving me! But a friend of mine got lectured by the staff at a local Thai place for not tipping, so I know its expected, so I usually tip less, maybe 10%. I mean there are no dirty dishes, no time taken to serve me and I go and pick it up myself!

[Outdoor Girl]

I tip 15%, which is the standard here, more if I have good service. It was definitely easier when tax was 15% (now it's 13%). I'm never sure how to tip on take-out, I mean you're not serving me! But a friend of mine got lectured by the staff at a local Thai place for not tipping, so I know its expected, so I usually tip less, maybe 10%. I mean there are no dirty dishes, no time taken to serve me and I go and pick it up myself!

Yes, it was really easy when the tax was 15% - I'd just tip the tax and round up.  Here, servers do make less than minimum wage but I think it is only a couple of dollars less, rather than significantly less.  So 15% is a good general number.  Most places that do an auto gratuity put it at 18%, though.  I rarely get take out.  I don't generally tip more than a dollar or two above the round up.  So if the bill was $18.35, I'd hand over a $20.  But in light of what others have said, I think I will tip more like 10% in the future.

[LadyR]

I tip 15%, which is the standard here, more if I have good service. It was definitely easier when tax was 15% (now it's 13%). I'm never sure how to tip on take-out, I mean you're not serving me! But a friend of mine got lectured by the staff at a local Thai place for not tipping, so I know its expected, so I usually tip less, maybe 10%. I mean there are no dirty dishes, no time taken to serve me and I go and pick it up myself!

Yes, it was really easy when the tax was 15% - I'd just tip the tax and round up.  Here, servers do make less than minimum wage but I think it is only a couple of dollars less, rather than significantly less.  So 15% is a good general number.  Most places that do an auto gratuity put it at 18%, though.  I rarely get take out.  I don't generally tip more than a dollar or two above the round up.  So if the bill was $18.35, I'd hand over a $20.  But in light of what others have said, I think I will tip more like 10% in the future.

Servers here make $1.35 less than minimum wage, but most places they have to split their tips with the other staff (and some places have it so that servers pay out a certain of their sales, regardless of how much they actually got tipped), so I do think its good to tip, I just don't feel obliged to tip more than 15%, unless the service is very good.

[jedikaiti]

I absolutely tip on delivery - they're actually providing a service, and not necessarily being paid any more than wait staff. Also, they have to pay for gas and car maintenance.

I just asked my service industry DF, and he opined that a buck or two on take-out is a nice courtesy, especially if it's a place you do (or plan to) visit regularly. But 20%? Oh heck no!

[kitchcat]

I was actually going to make a thread about that letter too. Not about the % tip, but the fact that it's take-out.

I personally do not tip on take-out. How much special effort does it take to hand me my food and take my money? As a PP said, I think any extra money associated with take-out should be stated on the menu like a delivery fee.

I don't understand why Prudie said she tips to cover packing materials. Tips go to the waiter's pocket, so why would that money go towards a to-go box? 

And I tip 15% standard at restaurants. 20% is not the new 15% in my book.