Tipping in Restaurants

gunsandbanjos

erichamster wrote: »

What does going the extra mile really mean in a restaurant setting though? Surely you either bring the food in good time and in good condition or you don't, what more is there to do?

I mean no disrespect btw, all I mean is that surely by providing good service you're really just fulfilling your job description and not really any more that would warrant a tip?

Just because a job is hard doesn't mean we tip, so I just wonder where the convention to tip waiting staff came from? Presunmably from a time when only the rich could afford to be waited on and therefore would think nothing of tipping.

Going the extra mile?
I've gone to the shops down the road during service to buy items for a diabetic as we had run out.

I've gone to the pub over the road to get a pint of guinness for a guest who really wanted one and we dont sell it. Done this more than once.

One of colleagues went to the restaurant next door to get a Haggis so we could cook it for tourists who were on the final day of their trip and hadn't had it yet and wanted to try it. Again it's not something we serve.

Just a few examples of good service where we could Just have said - sorry we don't have it.

make_me_wise

Hubby and I eat out quite regularly and know a good number of restaurants now where the food and service is always exceptional. We leave a small tip at these.

At any new restaurants we try we only tip if the food and service has been really great. To be honest the mark up that restaurants put on the food they serve, should be more than enough to make them a profit and pay their staff properly. If they want their restaurant to be successful its up to them to hire the right staff and pay them well. It's not up to Joe Public to make up the difference between a poor salary and a decent living.

Errata

What does going the extra mile really mean in a restaurant setting though?

Not tipping the soup into my lap does it for me.

katieclampet

If the service is good I tip, if not I dont!

katie

Mojisola

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Going the extra mile?
I've gone to the shops down the road during service to buy items for a diabetic as we had run out.

I've gone to the pub over the road to get a pint of guinness for a guest who really wanted one and we dont sell it. Done this more than once.

One of colleagues went to the restaurant next door to get a Haggis so we could cook it for tourists who were on the final day of their trip and hadn't had it yet and wanted to try it. Again it's not something we serve.

Just a few examples of good service where we could Just have said - sorry we don't have it.

These examples are definitely going beyond what would be normally expected as part of the job. If you did something like this for me - the same as if a shop assistant went the extra mile - I'd want to reward you in some way.

Also, if you were my employee, I'd be making sure you were paid enough to stay. Employees like you are priceless for a business.

gunsandbanjos

katieclampet wrote: »

If the service is good I tip, if not I dont!

katie

Which is how it should be. And why removing tipping and paying a standard wage will lead to a diminished level of service.

Errata

katieclampet wrote: »

If the service is good I tip, if not I dont!

katie

What do you consider is poor service ?

WolfSong2000

I'm with gunsandbanjos - I've worked in retail and as a waitress, and the latter is definitely more demanding. That's why if I've felt the service was good, I am more than happy to leave a tip. Good customer service should be rewarded. I remember as a youngster working in a shoe store. None of the other staff (including management) liked me - for reasons known only to themselves they tried to make my time there as horrible as possible, blaming me for stuff I didn't do, refusing to let me use the tills so I never earned commission on sales, etc - and they stuck on the kids department as none of the other staff enjoyed working it. Anyhow, one day a grandmother came in with her granddaughter to get her shoes. I served them pleasantly, had a nice chat, etc, and a few hours later they returned with a kit-kat as a reward/tip for my service.

Okay, so it was a kit-kat, not money, but it was the sentiment that counted. They'd taken the time to show that they appreciated what I had done for them. Didn't last long as another member of staff got in my face about it and ended up throwing my kit-kat in the bin (I was around 14 at the time and even I found it childish as they were around 18+!)...but yeah...point is, tips of any kind are gestures to acknowledge good service.

mcduff16

I`d rather tip the person who made my food, not the one who bought it from the kitchen to the table.

Saying that I only tip if the whole experience was nice or the restaurant has gone out their way to accomodate our needs. For example the chef once came out and discussed with my friend (who is gluten free) what dishes he could cook for her.

gunsandbanjos

mcduff16 wrote: »

I`d rather tip the person who made my food, not the one who bought it from the kitchen to the table.

Saying that I only tip if the whole experience was nice or the restaurant has gone out their way to accomodate our needs. For example the chef once came out and discussed with my friend (who is gluten free) what dishes he could cook for her.

Where I work the kitchen get paid more than FOH to make up for the lack of tips.

FOH do all the dietary requirement in my place, we regularly get coeliacs, dairy intolerance, allergies etc and we take the time and go through what we are able to make.