Yea, we are the only country to tip the way we do and it’s so much money and takes a lot more time. I understand the reasons, it helps insure better service hopefully, but annoying. I really liked being in Europe where tip was included and you paid what the exact final bill was, made things easier you know upfront what you are paying.

It bugged me when the standard tip percentage was increased. For a long time it was 10 percent. Then 15 percent. Now there are people who say 20 percent.

People say that you need to take inflation into account. But inflation affects the size of the bill being paid. The percentage of the bill that becomes a tip should not change.

Rob
Rob Bennett´s last blog ..Podcast #153 — Contrarian Investing Almost Works

This is why I love “fast-casual” restaurants. There is really no need for a waiter/waitress, unless you are at a really high-class place. Applebee’s is not such a place.

You order at the counter, get some number thing, and they bring it to the table when it’s ready, no tip required.

Also, everyone automatically pays separately, which is another thing I love about going somewhere where there are no waiters/waitresses. For business lunches, we are required to pay only for ourselves, and it makes it kind of awkward to ask for 10 separate checks.

No 10 minutes trying to figure out how much the tip should be and what everyone owes.

Way to take it to a new level! Awesome article; thanks for the mention.

The wine example is spot on. Similarly, at Cheesecake factory, if I want to order a couple slices of cheesecake (that’s like 10 bucks) to go after dinner instead of eating it there, I could either order while asking for the bill and make it convenient for me – but then feel cheap for not tipping on the full bill amt, or I pay my bill, tip 20% and then go order at the counter on the way out so I don’t have to tip and extra 2 bucks. It’s ridiculous – is it really worth an extra 2 dollars to bring me an extra styrofoam container with cheesecake in it at the end of my meal? I probably overanalyze this stuff – my wife thinks I’m nuts.

My best story though, is when we went out to dinner with some friends and had a really rude server. We left a lousy tip to send a message. When we got out to the parking lot, my friend realized he left is wallet at the table. He had to go back in and face the server after leaving like 2 dollars. Talk about an uncomfortable situation…
Darwin’s Finance´s last blog ..To Tip or Not to Tip – Tip Jars in Odd Places

Wow, I just cannot understand how people who have never (I am making an assumption of course) worked in a position such as serving food in a restaurant can say with such conviction that “The work isn’t that hard”. I personally have worked in several aspects of Food and Beverage, as well as “Hard Physical Labor” in an auto parts warehouse. I would have to say that Food and Beverage (Serving, tending bar, etc.) has been a far more difficult job with significantly more work than lifting things and stacking them.

You figure that in an average restaurant like an Applebee’s as a server you have to, manage your tables making sure your orders are correct and position numbers are accurate, have a great memory and time allocation skills to handle the requests of said tables “I want a side of BBQ sauce” “I want three extra napkins, exactly three” blah blah blah so on and so forth, not to mention all of the “Side work” that goes into making sure a restaurant is stocked with all the items needed for food service, the items are clean and presentable as well. The list literally goes on and on, all of it so you can come into a restaurant and eat food. Also the 10-20% tip rate is usually accurate as long as you felt the service was up to par for what you would expect from THAT restaurant. The higher end the restaurant the more knowledge and effort is required (although not always shown) of the server. So perhaps if you worked the job for a while you would understand a little better eh, MLR?

You bring up some interesting and controversial points. I have some friends who spent time waiting tables and they would argue about your logic. For them it is about being on your feet, dealing with customers, and dealing with slow periods. I dont know too many waiters who really made $15/hr. I think it was more around $8 to $9 usually.

I think the minimum wage in food service is stupid. Then this debate could end. I travel internationally a lot, and tipping is rare in most countries outside the USA.

However, just for the record, nothing chaps me more than a bad waiter or waitress who expects 20%. In my mind that is rewarding for doing a bad job. I usually start at around 15% and work up or down depending on service.

“I am not your waiter” -

I was a waiter for a year and a half. I loaded boxes at UPS and FedEx for a year and a half. I will tell you, hands down, that UPS/FedEx is infinitely harder than waiting tables. You don’t think a job that requires you to “lift things and stack them” takes more than a physical “can do.” Ok, fine. You try memorizing all 25 zip codes that go into this tractor trailer, check the label to ensure it was sorted correctly to you, AND scan the bar code while still maintaining 300 boxes per hour.

I think I understand just fine, thanks.

“Basicmoneytips”

I am counting their down time when I say $15/hr. They would work 8 hours and come back with $100-150. Oh, and most waiters don’t claim all of that cash… so they save on taxes, too.
MLR´s last blog ..Do I Have to Pay Capital Gains Tax on my House?

Nothing gets me more than the tip jars at the counters and the expectant look that I get when my change is near or below $1. You rang my food up and passed it to me and for that I give you more money?! Isn’t that your job?

I do however tip in some places that I might frequent often…just so they don’t spit in my food. Peace of mind is worth it.
Cheapskate Sandy´s last blog ..Finance 101: What the Heck is Peer-to-Peer or P2P Lending?