Restaurant etiquette

[katycoo]

This is so handy.  I have no idea how to tip as its not common in Australia.

I only ever tip if my service has been exceptional.  And then it is abbout 10% depeding on the money I have.  I'm not going to make a fuss over small change.
The wages for waitstaff are much higher in Australia - they are paid to give standard service by their employer.

Do you tip at fast food chains too? Or only al-a carte dining?

[Dindrane]

Tips are expected in restaurants where you are waited on by someone.  In other words, where you sit down at a table, and then someone gets you drinks, takes your order, brings your food out, and acts as your cashier when you're finished.

If you go up to a counter to order, no tip is expected, especially if you collect your own food once it's ready.

[Dandy Andy's Daddy's Love]

Tips are expected in restaurants where you are waited on by someone.  In other words, where you sit down at a table, and then someone gets you drinks, takes your order, brings your food out, and acts as your cashier when you're finished.

If you go up to a counter to order, no tip is expected, especially if you collect your own food once it's ready.

Yes this. There is a difference between providing a service and serving. In North America, we tip those who serve us.

[kareng57]

This is so handy.  I have no idea how to tip as its not common in Australia.

I only ever tip if my service has been exceptional.  And then it is abbout 10% depeding on the money I have.  I'm not going to make a fuss over small change.
The wages for waitstaff are much higher in Australia - they are paid to give standard service by their employer.

Do you tip at fast food chains too? Or only al-a carte dining?

They're not "expected" at counter-service places.  However, it's getting more and more common to see tip-jars at coffee bars, fast-food places etc.  There's even one at the local meat market.

Aren't these people just doing their jobs?  That's what I try to do too, and no one tips me.

[RoseRose]

This is so handy.  I have no idea how to tip as its not common in Australia.

I only ever tip if my service has been exceptional.  And then it is abbout 10% depeding on the money I have.  I'm not going to make a fuss over small change.
The wages for waitstaff are much higher in Australia - they are paid to give standard service by their employer.

Do you tip at fast food chains too? Or only al-a carte dining?

They're not "expected" at counter-service places.  However, it's getting more and more common to see tip-jars at coffee bars, fast-food places etc.  There's even one at the local meat market.

Aren't these people just doing their jobs?  That's what I try to do too, and no one tips me.

I don't tip regularly, but I did tip at this counter place near campus, where I always get the same thing.  One time, I was waiting outside (visible through the window) to finish a phone call, and when I came in, my order was ready and waiting.  I tipped that time, for service "above and beyond".  I'm also planning to leave a ridiculous tip there when I move away from *CollegeTown*, for general good service.  So, counter places, I'll tip for "above and beyond"

[Black Delphinium]

Is it a meat-market that does custom cutting to order? I tend to tip for any personalized service-taxis, sit-down restaurants, dry-cleaning...

[Ezeesee]

No snakes!

I'm in the UK and I tip 20% as standard as does everyone I know.

I'm also in the UK, and I agree with the PP about only tipping for exceptional service. In my 18 months working as a waitress I was only tipped once (by an American family now that I think about it), and none of us working there ever expected any tips. I nearly always tell taxi drivers to "keep the change" though, although I think I read in another thread a while ago that this is rude?

[Lisbeth]

This thread wasn't really meant to be a tipping thread...my point was that in certain places like NYC and San Francisco, where the cost of living is high as compared to the rest of the US, the tip needs to be higher-from 20% rather than 15%.

Also, when it comes to finishing meals, I agree that it really is inconsiderate of a customer to come in shortly before closing and expect full service.  However, if a customer came in at a reasonable time during regular business hours, they should be given a reasonable amount of time to finish and not rushed into finishing and leaving.

Sorry for any confusion.

[serenitynow]

This is so handy.  I have no idea how to tip as its not common in Australia.

I only ever tip if my service has been exceptional.  And then it is abbout 10% depeding on the money I have.  I'm not going to make a fuss over small change.
The wages for waitstaff are much higher in Australia - they are paid to give standard service by their employer.

Do you tip at fast food chains too? Or only al-a carte dining?

I'm in Australia too! I usually only tip when the service has been really good, or if I get a handful of small change back and the service hasn't been horrible - just easier to put it in the tip jar than in my wallet. I tip generously if the service has been decent and FH pays for the meal, and he does the same when I pay. A lot of the time it just comes down to convenience and practicality (being a pov student I'm sometimes broke and couldn't afford a tip even if I wanted to). I used to work in hospitality and the pay here is MUCH better than what (I hear) it is like in the USA.

[jane7166]

If you are a restaurant manager, please tell your servers that it is OK to stop harassing the customers after the first "no" when it is the custom for your operation to upsell. 

I realize that upselling actually works, which is why some restaurants continue to do it.  However, I don't think it works the way they think.  It may work once but I think it puts such a bad taste in the mouth of customers (pun only slighly intended) that it drives them away and there are no second visits.

I once was subjected to upselling from appetizer through dessert.  This guy pushed appetizers (no, we didn't get one, ) pricier cuts of meat (no, we didnt' do that either,) and actually asked me, when I asked what ice cream flavors they had for dessert, how about the bread pudding? It has ice cream on it!  Sheesh. 

I emailed corporate the minute I got home.  Got lots of apologies and promises of better treatment the next time I came in.  Didn't go back.  And, a few months later when this higher end steak chain opened another restaurant, the newspaper reviewer actually mentioned being annoyed by the constant wheedling of enticements which seemed only to pad the bill.

[JadeAngel]

Just wanted to add;

If you have ordered communal dishes to share with the entire table it is polite to only take a small spoonful of every dish until everyone at the table has had a chance to sample it. If when the dish has been passed around the table there is still some of the food on it you can help yourself, but shovelling half of the meal onto your plate before anyone else has had a chance to try it is not okay (especially with expensive dishes like seafood)

[JaiJai]

20% - wow! I was a waitress for years (a dingdangity good one too) and I never got more than 10% - ahh, the perils of living in the UK...

Cutomers - if you can see the place is busy and/or short staffed, please allow a little more time. Yes, it's annoying, and yes, the manager should have more staff available, but sometimes it's an unexpected rush - and either way, it's extremely unlikely to be your waitress's desicion to work 20 tables by herself.

Equally, Wait-staff - if you are busy and customers may be facing a longer-than-normal wait - tell them! And apologise! Some people only have a short break, and may prefer to go elsewhere, which is their right. They are also much more likely to be be relaxed about waiting if you are polite and apologetic, rather than slamming their plates down after 40 minutes and saying 'well, we're busy!' when they ask how long it will be.
Jai
x

[MrsJWine]

Equally, Wait-staff - if you are busy and customers may be facing a longer-than-normal wait - tell them! And apologise! Some people only have a short break, and may prefer to go elsewhere, which is their right. They are also much more likely to be be relaxed about waiting if you are polite and apologetic, rather than slamming their plates down after 40 minutes and saying 'well, we're busy!' when they ask how long it will be.
Jai
x

I would tell people if we were short-staffed so they would know I wasn't just being lazy.  About a third or the time, they'd tell me it wasn't acceptable to make excuses.  Or something like that.  Blah.  So, customers, if your server tells you they're short-staffed, and she's running behind, unless you see obvious evidence otherwise, please take her word for it.

[dtbrad]

To all of those out there who like to have "lunch meetings" - it is NOT OK to go to a casual restaurant 45 minutes prior to your meeting, sit down in my big 6 person booth (which in America seems to be the preferable seating accomodation) while waiting for your guest and then proceed to take up my money making table for three hours and then tip me $3 on your $21 check.  I could have turned that table at least 4 times in that amount of time and in my opinion you just took that money out of my pocket.

[Mahdoumi]

Something a lot of otherwise courteous and wonderful people don't think of:  Don't let your child play with the sugar packets on the table unless you plan to use every single one that he touches.  Your server (if he is doing his job correctly) will have to throw those out, unless he knows for a fact that your child has very clean hands and didn't put any to his mouth.  If you do let your kid play with them, don't attempt to put them back in the caddy, especially if some have fallen on the floor.  If your server doesn't have to throw them away, he does have to put them back in a particular way, and stuffing them in willy-nilly isn't helpful.

I never considered this!  Thank you for posting it, and I will never allow my toddler to play with the packets, again!