Tips on Tipping

I have acquired a job as a waitress, server, and along with it came a new found appreciation for the work that servers do. I have been known to be rude to servers in the past, but I've turned over a new leaf.

SERVER: Are y'all doing all right? Can I get you anything else?

LUZ [in a bitchy tone]: Yeah.....you can get me that coffee that I asked for an hour ago.

The truth is servers are trying the best they can because they want that tip. They aren't kissing your butt because the like to be brown-nosers, they need the tip, so do realize that that they are trying.

With that being said, you need to tip based on the assumption that if something goes wrong it is likely due to something out of the server's control.

Your server cannot whip the cooks with a cat of nine tails so they can hurry up. If a cook grouchy, he does have the option of taking it out on any server they wish by not cooking an order quickly. Cooks are also human, so they are bound to make mistakes and have to restart an order.

Your server does not make the policies of the restaurant. If the establishment insists on charging you for substitutions, your server has to enforce those rules, lest s/he wants to get laid off.

Your server is not a computer scientists, so when the system starts acting up, your server cannot fix it immediately.

Your server is not in charge of inventory, nor is s/he in charge of putting orders for eggplant. If the restaurant is sold out of cheesecake, your server cannot make it in the five minutes that you want it to appear on the table.

You also need have proper etiquette. You are not royalty, so don't expect anyone to bow down to your feet and drop everything they are doing just to serve you. Don't treat your server like s/he's a dog, or beneath you. They are not. They just happen to have jobs in the service industry. I would never mess with anyone's food, but maybe other servers or cooks would. Also, don't sit yourself at a place where a hostess is supposed to sit you. You are messing with the system and only hurting yourself.

Tip 15% if the service was mediocre. Tip 20% if it was good. Tip more if it was great. Tip less if it was quite bad.

Bad service can be an extremely long wait, a bad attitude, or empty drink glasses. Bad food is not the server's fault. You can ask her to take it back to the kitchen and get it corrected, but do realize that your server didn't cook it, so don't take it out on her. The wrong food may or may not be the server's fault. Perhaps she input the order wrong, or perhaps the cooks read it wrong. Tip on the side of forgiveness. Prices are set by management, so don't blame your server if drink refills are not free.

Don't tip less than 10%. The rule of thumb for tax purposes is to claim 10% of all cash sales, so you're messing with your server's IRS stuff if you tip less than 10%.

Don't EVER tip nothing. People who tip nothing are just cheap. They look for any reason to keep their money in their pockets and have no respect for the fact that they are still receiving service, even if it's not perfect.

If you have coupons, tip according to the value of the food that was brought to the table, not the amount that shows up on your check. Your server still had to carry out a ton of plates and cater to the needs of 5 or 6 people. If 3 or 4 of them ate for free, the server should still be compensated for having given them service.

If you have kids, add $1 per child to your tip amount. They take long ordering, they are always asking for additional things, and they leave a horrible mess.

If you do not have kids, but still left a mess in your table, add an additional $2 or $3.

Lastly, throw an extra dollar if the server did anything out of her way for you. Did you ask for a bunch of substitutions? Did you pay with an extremely large bill that she had to go out of her way to make change? Then show your appreciation with a couple of Washingtons.