Community Chat

[ID2]

I never charge the tip I'm leaving! I always click "no" and no one lowers their head. I'd just rather pay a tip with cash. 

[jackthebear]

at a place like this I wouldn't add money to the CC bill, but I would throw some coins in the tip jar if I had some

FWIW my son has a p/t job at a coffee shop so I see what throwing a few coins in there can mean, 

Furthermore,  no reason to feel guilty at hitting NO for the tip.   

[febe1]

I think the person asking you if you wanted to tip should be lowering her head not you.

My son worked in food service while going to high school. He would tell me stories about poor tippers. Since then, I always try to tip as much as I can for good service. And I do tip for average and poor service, but not as much.

It's the restaurant's fault for allowing this. They should put up a sign asking for you not to tip.

[Yahooey]

I frequent many places - walk up food counters and coffee bars where they swiped the cc that looks like an ipad and turned it around for you to sign. It will say add 10 15 20 or no tip.The first time I saw this - I was taken aback. Now I just sign and go. No tip. I may throw in some loose change on occasion. Full service gets 15-20%.

[Tribesters]

@TenderMercies

I know exactly how you feel! I always feel obligated to tip. I think tipping has gotten so out of hand. It used to be the waitstaff made so little per hour tipping was to supplement their salary. I had no problem with that. Now aren’t they all making more money per hour? Haven’t the fast food workers gotten their salaries increased also? I know in my state they were talking about giving them $15 per hour. I think it was over a few years but still... And the waitstaff got their hourly rates increased so this resulted in increased labor costs for the restaurants. So now they’ve raised their prices. Since tipping is based on how much you spend they now get bigger salaries & bigger tips. In my opinion you can’t have it both ways. Increase the salary & eliminate tips or keep the salaries lower & leave tips.

It seems those tip jars are showing up everywhere. I usually pay cash so I generally toss some $ in the tip jars. Half the time I’m not even sure the worker notices. And when we eat out I always leave a generous tip. Again does the waiter even notice? If you pay with a card do they even see what you left? And don’t even get me started on the wedding or large events where they now add an 18% “administrative fee” onto your bill. It clearly states this is not a tip. They say tipping isn’t necessary but you certainly may tip the staff. So now we’ve added 38% onto the already high bill if you tip 20%. 

[qualitygal]

Consider it an intoduction life lesson.  Here on out, check on line first, But what a swell gal you were.  Bet the table cleaner upper loved you that day.  

[Mominohio]

I rarely frequent this type of establishment, but have been to a few where they expect a tip for basically counter or self service. 

I tend to pay cash anywhere like this, but if I were swiping a card, I'd hit no regardless and at the end of my visit, if I felt a tip was warranted, I'd give one in cash, directly to the person who earned it. 

Even when we eat out and do use a credit card (which almost never happens anymore), I leave a tip in cash. 

Different places have different rules for how tips are collected and split, but in my opinion, food service workers work hard, for little money and I want them to be able to have cash on hand, decide what they want to report or not, split with other employees or not. 

My son's girlfriend is working her way through college waiting tables, and some establishment's rules regarding tips/splitting/reporting are simply ridiculous, so the last thing I want to do is document that tip. I'm paying that person directly who served me, and what they choose to do with it and how much they reveal they made is up to them.

And if service is really bad, I have on rare occasion left no tip, and complained to management. For good service I will tip between 20 and 50%, more if the mood strikes me. 

[Financialgrl]

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@september wrote:

I leave a 20 percent tip at full service restaurants, and 10 percent when I order at the counter and they deliver it to the table. Half the service..half the tip. 

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I've done this as well.  I also sometimes throw my change into any tip jars, if for nothing else bc change starts collecting and makes the wallet so heavy.  

[Financialgrl]

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@ID2 wrote:

I never charge the tip I'm leaving! I always click "no" and no one lowers their head. I'd just rather pay a tip with cash. 

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Me too and I always write  "0" in tip section and add "on table".  Do so only bc I don't want any reason for anyone to construe it meaning that the server was bad and did not deserve one!

[Mj12]

We try to tip in cash so the wait staff gets the tip right away; not so the wait staff can possibly claim less/cheat on taxes; that never crossed my mind.

OP - was she lowering her head to possibly read her monitor or check the transaction?