Tipping in Restaurants

gunsandbanjos

jjblondie wrote: »

Have you ever found that this encourages larger groups of friends to go and spend their money elsewhere? We had a surprise 15% service charge sprung onto our party at a restaurant once, which rather threw budgeting and expected prices out of kilter.

Nope, we're over run by big parties, we've actually started turning them down because they really do mess the night up.

Service charge is not mandatory, you can ask for it to be removed. And surely with a large party dining you would have expected to pay for service?

balletshoes

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.

thats fantastic service - and on the basis of those examples, I feel completely justified in leaving no tip for normal acceptable service.

sunflower_2

i always tip 10 - 20% of the bill depending on the service.

recently our waitress in cafe rouge @ center parcs was really amazing.
she entertained our kids, even took them to make balloon animals whilst we finished our food.
she really did go the extra mile.

the bill was £90 and we left her £10 and gave the kids £5 each to give her.
also, she kept refusing the money from the kids - which shows she wasnt just being nice for the money
but we insisted as even they had enjoyed their dining experience (they usually eat, then moan to leave

my hubby would ever rather leave £2 for terrible service than nothing - he hates feeling embarrassed/tight

it annoys the hell out of me when they add the tip onto the bill :mad:
although i would never ask them to remove it - i would never return.

gunsandbanjos

balletshoes wrote: »

thats fantastic service - and on the basis of those examples, I feel completely justified in leaving no tip for normal acceptable service.

Thank you, but please don't use my fantasticness to justify being stingy to others.

Violet8

I'd like to say thanks as this thread has put my mind at reat a bit and I've realised I'm an OK tipper! If I'm with my bf we usually try and leave about 10%, more if we're really happy with how things went. I get really embarrassed when I go out with my 2 friends and they think something like £4 on a £100 bill is a "good tip" but by the sounds of things most waiting staff would not be surprised at such an amount, going by the amount of times they must not get anything at all. I shouldn't have been surprised really as at my old job tips weren't covered by expenses (whereas a business meal was) so if we ever went out for lunch or dinner the servers would get no tip at all from the manager paying with the company card- maybe that's why service charges have crept in?!

When I worked at a cinema I somehow managed to get designated as the one that dealt with vomit as it didn't bother me to clean it up. Turned out for the best when one lovely lady came over and handed me £20 for cleaning up her son's puke then rushed off I obviously wasn't supposed to accept but she actually did bolt before I realised what she'd handed me and the manager turned a blind eye. Was very nice but tbh I was only doing my job!!

Sambucus_Nigra

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I can answer that and I've never been a waitress. Do you know how much mark-up restaurants make on the alcoholic drinks? And on the coffee it would make your hair curl. Depending on what time in the evening it is, that's why they do it. If they think that they can squeeze an extra sitting in your bum won't be on the seat long enough to warm it.

Even if we have not actually ordered any alcohol or coffee throughout? Even at lunchtime or 3pm?
And even when the place is chocka with people queuing out the door?

Just always happens; for some strange reason.

meritaten

I was going to say that I had never had a job where I got tipped - but of course I HAVE! worked behind a bar many times - and yes we got tipped! most nights some customers would say 'and have one yourself' when buying drinks! of course we werent allowed to actually drink on duty! and looking back some pubs had different rules for this! in one place I worked I actually had to have those 'paid for drinks' as drinks when off duty! and the tight !!!!!! wouldnt let me 'pay' for OHs drinks out of those! other places mostly had a 'tips' jar and either nightly or at the end of the week you could take the contents of 'your' jar home. the worst place was where they had a 'communal' jar - and it caused no end of trouble as some staff got a lot more tips than others - I could name you one surly guy who in the months I worked there NEVER had a drink bought him!
but this was before minimum wage and the wages were abysmal - you also didnt get paid 'clearing up time' either! and some of the customers didnt seem to have homes to go to! I was often there at least 45 minutes after my shift ended!

an9i77

I don't do this myself but a friend of mine will leave coppers as the tip if the service is awful, as if to make a real statement about how displeased she was. I'd just up and leave without leaving a tip myself, but no, she's scrabbling about in the bottom of her bag for pennies to leave. Must really p1ss off restaurant staff when that happens (or maybe its only my friend that does it?)

gunsandbanjos

an9i77 wrote: »

I don't do this myself but a friend of mine will leave coppers as the tip if the service is awful, as if to make a real statement about how displeased she was. I'd just up and leave without leaving a tip myself, but no, she's scrabbling about in the bottom of her bag for pennies to leave. Must really p1ss off restaurant staff when that happens (or maybe its only my friend that does it?)

Id rather someone left nothing than coppers, that's just rude.

I've been left coppers even when the service and food have been great, some people are just knobs. Yes it does !!!! us off.

Errata

an9i77 wrote: »

I don't do this myself but a friend of mine will leave coppers as the tip if the service is awful, as if to make a real statement about how displeased she was. I'd just up and leave without leaving a tip myself, but no, she's scrabbling about in the bottom of her bag for pennies to leave. Must really p1ss off restaurant staff when that happens (or maybe its only my friend that does it?)

It certainly says more about her than it does about the service.