Post by annabanana on Sept 7, 2007 7:19:33 GMT -8
I found this useful and thought that I would share.
As someone who has spent years in the hospitality industry, I'd like to share a few basic concepts on tipping.
For those people who are not aware, servers and bartenders in a full service establishment are paid well below minimum wage. An average server may make just over $2 an hour and a bartender slightly more. Servers and bartenders depend on tips.
Anyone eating or drinking in a full service establishment deserves to have good service. If you are not receiving good service you should ask to speak to a manager. If the situation isn't resolved, then the place doesn't deserve your patronage because they are unable to properly run a business.
That being said, don't wait until the end of the meal to make your complaint. A good server will come back at least once, and hopefully more than once, to ensure that everything is ok. If something is wrong, tell the server right away so that the situation can be fixed. Don't wait until the end of the meal and then expect to complain and get something for free.
Tipping 15% is no longer the norm. An average of 18% is now customary in the industry, more if the service was very good.
When deciding where to dine for the evening, I'd like to suggest McDonald's or your grocery store for those people who can't afford to tip. Your butt at my table means I can't seat a customer who would tip me.
When deciding where to dine for the evening, don't include your pocket change, piggy bank, and assorted change in your car. Nothing is more insulting than to get several dollars of loose change as your form of payment. You might want to consider a vending machine in that case.
Don't sneak out on paying your bill by pretending to go to the bathroom - it happens all the time. I'm not here to pay for your meals.
Don't act insulted if we tell you that your credit card was declined. I expect you to be familiar with your finances before you eat your meal. Credit cards are declined all the time; the server is not going to think bad of you. If you've legitimately got a problem and don't have another form of payment, just ask to speak with the manager. He or She will probably let you go if you act nicely. Just remember to come back at a later time and pay the bill, and tip your server.
And now a few words for those of you that don't tip.
The government taxes servers and bartenders on 8% of their total sales. That means that the server has to make at least 8% to break even. Thats why 18% tipping has become the norm. If you leave no tip, or tip less than 8%, then you are actually costing the server money out of their pocket. Again, I would suggest McDonald's or a vending machine for those people.
If you have 6 or more people in your party, it's going to take longer to seat you if most of the tables are set for 4 place settings. Keep that in mind when deciding what time to eat.
If there are 6 or more people in your party, decide ahead of time on how you want your check paid. Parties of 6 or more most likely will get 1 check, not 6 separate checks. Large parties take more time and more resources and it honestly takes a lot of time to enter multiple checks.
Now, if the establishment does permit more than one check on large parties, please sit together. I don't want one person at one table and another person at another table. I'm here to give you good service, but you have to remember that your server has a number of other tables, too.
If you are a big ice tea drinker, just ask me for a pitcher. Most servers will be happy to oblige.
Tipping on large parties should always be at least 20%.
As someone who has spent years in the hospitality industry, I'd like to share a few basic concepts on tipping.
For those people who are not aware, servers and bartenders in a full service establishment are paid well below minimum wage. An average server may make just over $2 an hour and a bartender slightly more. Servers and bartenders depend on tips.
Anyone eating or drinking in a full service establishment deserves to have good service. If you are not receiving good service you should ask to speak to a manager. If the situation isn't resolved, then the place doesn't deserve your patronage because they are unable to properly run a business.
That being said, don't wait until the end of the meal to make your complaint. A good server will come back at least once, and hopefully more than once, to ensure that everything is ok. If something is wrong, tell the server right away so that the situation can be fixed. Don't wait until the end of the meal and then expect to complain and get something for free.
Tipping 15% is no longer the norm. An average of 18% is now customary in the industry, more if the service was very good.
When deciding where to dine for the evening, I'd like to suggest McDonald's or your grocery store for those people who can't afford to tip. Your butt at my table means I can't seat a customer who would tip me.
When deciding where to dine for the evening, don't include your pocket change, piggy bank, and assorted change in your car. Nothing is more insulting than to get several dollars of loose change as your form of payment. You might want to consider a vending machine in that case.
Don't sneak out on paying your bill by pretending to go to the bathroom - it happens all the time. I'm not here to pay for your meals.
Don't act insulted if we tell you that your credit card was declined. I expect you to be familiar with your finances before you eat your meal. Credit cards are declined all the time; the server is not going to think bad of you. If you've legitimately got a problem and don't have another form of payment, just ask to speak with the manager. He or She will probably let you go if you act nicely. Just remember to come back at a later time and pay the bill, and tip your server.
And now a few words for those of you that don't tip.
The government taxes servers and bartenders on 8% of their total sales. That means that the server has to make at least 8% to break even. Thats why 18% tipping has become the norm. If you leave no tip, or tip less than 8%, then you are actually costing the server money out of their pocket. Again, I would suggest McDonald's or a vending machine for those people.
If you have 6 or more people in your party, it's going to take longer to seat you if most of the tables are set for 4 place settings. Keep that in mind when deciding what time to eat.
If there are 6 or more people in your party, decide ahead of time on how you want your check paid. Parties of 6 or more most likely will get 1 check, not 6 separate checks. Large parties take more time and more resources and it honestly takes a lot of time to enter multiple checks.
Now, if the establishment does permit more than one check on large parties, please sit together. I don't want one person at one table and another person at another table. I'm here to give you good service, but you have to remember that your server has a number of other tables, too.
If you are a big ice tea drinker, just ask me for a pitcher. Most servers will be happy to oblige.
Tipping on large parties should always be at least 20%.