Unofficial survey question- tipping
5So here’s a question I have -tipping etiquette. I know 18-20% is a “norm” as of a few years ago.
But that was with minimum tipping wage of like $3. Now I see restaurants paying $18-25 an hour. Is it still expected a 18-20% tip? Meal prices have gone up about 50% at the restaurant I’m thinking of to cover increased wages and increased cleaning protocols. What is the new norm and what is expected? Maybe we have some servers here that can pipe up too!
- 17 comments, 12 replies
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Star this one for the 18-20% crowd
Star this one for the 10-18%
Star this one for less than 10%
Star this one for more than 20%
What restaurants or restaurant chains (in locations where living costs are not unusually high) pay that much per hour to servers?
I always had the notion that if I can’t afford a decent tip then i can’t afford the restaurant, and therefore should be eating less expensively.
Zip Recruiter says the national average salary for servers is $26,185/yr. I’d imagine there is quite a range. Locally where I live they say, as of Dec 25th it ranges form $13,546 to $45,475. I live in a below national average cost of living state. I’d suspect many on the lower end still substantially rely on tips.
The following states still have the minimum wage for tipped jobs at $2.13/hour.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped
The places that are paying that much base are most likely seasonal (like resort areas) and/or areas with a very high cost-of-living.
@narfcake I think Arkansas is in that list too. Niece just got a job at a chain wings restaurant and is making tip minimum wage.
@ironcheftoni Arkansas is $2.63/hour – not the absolute worst, but still ridiculously low.
@narfcake We are supposed to be impressed that the tipped wage was just raised to $2.80 here.
@narfcake So The Department of Labor listed PR as a state… No view on PR’s statehood status either way, but doubt most waiters/waitresses would just add a new state to their menu- bet they’d use an “*” or something for a special cause (wait for it…) they’re all paid in tips!
For restaurants I tip 18% to 20%-sometimes a little higher for excellent service. What my wife objects to is me tipping 10% for carryout.
Been giving the women who cuts my hair for the past 20 years (or what little of it that I have left) a $ 10 tip over and above the $ 20 cost for the last year or so as she told me how much her business has suffered due to Covid.
Also give tips for unusually good or unexpected service.
Gave the handyman an extra $ 50 on a $ 800 job for suggestions and things he did over and above what I had asked. He seemed surprised and asked him if anyone had ever tipped him before and he said no.
@Felton10 My spouse is retired from the service industry and always tips on carryout orders. We have to remember that a lot of these people were out of work or had hours cut drastically during the pandemic. And at smaller establishments owners were trying to do it all by themselves while struggling to stay afloat. We aren’t wealthy, but if we can afford to eat out, we can afford to show appreciation for our favorite local restaurants.
https://www.tiktok.com/@funnyasiandude/video/6862869896821361925
I often go out to restaurants by myself, so I feel bad that the server isn’t getting a tip from full table. I leave at least 20%, even more if the server has been attentive. More often than not they ignore me, perhaps because as one person I am not perceived as being profitable. During the holiday I left about a 30% tip.
I’m just over here in the corner, wishing the entire concept of tipping never materialized, and that companies would pay their staff a living wage. It should be the employer’s job, not the customer’s, to pay the employee. In the meantime I tend to avoid eating in or from places where tipping is expected.
@PooltoyWolf You certainly aren’t alone in the corner. It would be nice if people could be paid a living wage without depending on tips. I’ve often seen expert servers stiffed for reasons beyond their control. I would gladly pay more for a meal if the servers were being fairly compensated. If the service isn’t up to snuff, I’ll just spend my money elsewhere in the future.
@gio @PooltoyWolf Absolutely agree! The whole judging and rating thing sucks! Customers judge servers for tip then servers judge customer on how much they tipped.
The owners are the ones who profit most from tipping by not having to pay their staff well.
@callow @gio @PooltoyWolf
QFT:
@PooltoyWolf Color me surprised; this is the most Starred comment!
A few years back a guy released a pretty good book called Waiter Rant. If I remember correctly, it was a collection of an on-going blog he had. He discussed tipping (20% or just don’t go out) along with many other topics that relate to the industry.
https://www.amazon.com/Waiter-Rant-Thanks-Tip-Confessions-Cynical-ebook/dp/B0010SGREO
some places it’s considered rude if you tip. I hope America gets to that point one day
@triplebud I lived in England for a few years and was always unsure what was the acceptable thing to do. I think America will have to move away from the ridiculous pay scale for “tipped jobs” for this to happen.
@januarymick 100% !! we’re nowhere near to paying servers the proper amount
@triplebud I spent some time in Italy and my coworkers (also American) spent more time than me there. We usually tipped, but my coworkers with more experience would make sure we didn’t tip “too much” in a way that would be insulting.
If wait staff is coming to your table, taking your order, bringing you food and drink from the kitchen, bringing you the check, and busing your table as you leave, I say tip 15% (or more depending on quality of service). If I have to order from a counter, fill my own cup with fountain pop, or bus my own plates, they don’t get a tip. A lot of people confuse “wait staff” with “service industry.” They are far from equal.
Just because you work with food doesn’t mean you deserve a tip. I ordered a pizza from a local place the other day (pick-up only, no delivery) and as I walked in, I noticed that they are hiring at $15/hr. After they swiped my card, they flipped the POS screen to face me and prompted me for a 20% tip. These teenagers are making well above minimum wage, and for sure they’re earning more than server’s wages. There is no need for me to tip.
I usually tip 20%, but for pandemic delivery drivers, I tipped a minimum $15 (usually around 30%) for them going out and facing people when I didn’t want to.
For counter service drinks (non-alcoholic for me- chai, bubble tea, smoothies, etc), I tip at least $1 or 20%(rounded up to something even), whichever is higher. I’m treating myself, so I can help make their day better too.
My problem with tipping is that it is based on the price of the food I order, not the service I receive. It is no harder for a server to bring me a $50 steak than a $10 burger, so why should that earn 5x more?
Some servers can earn a lot if you add it up. If they’re working 4 tables for an hour that all tip $20 ($25 per person x 4 people per table = $100x20%), that’s $80 an hour. I know some work more tables or fewer customers and many have to split the money with cooks and bartenders, etc. But still. My niece is a bartender in a podunk town and still makes $200+ a night in tips. I, on the other hand, worked my tail off many moons ago at a small family diner and made squat. But that was back when minimum wage was $3.35/hour (tip wage $2.01) and tips were more in the 8-10% range. I don’t know when it changed to 20-25% expected tip. I think that’s too much.
I actually leave a tip at the Chinese buffet…I serve myself but the staff there make sure everything thing is perfect for diners and everyone is happy…while we are talking about tips…who else should you tip? Trash men? Grocery delivery? Amazon delivery? Hair salon?..I feel like the list keeps growing and I never know when to tip or not to tip…or how much