Do you always tip?

I’ve heard many arguments concerning tipping in restaurants. For me, it’s soley based on the service I’ve received, and normally I tip for takeout, but not if my bill is under $5, for say, buying a coffee.

I don’t agree with it, but I know people who view tipping as a form of entitlement (normally they are entitled themselves.) And I’ve known people to tip their servers even when the service was poor, mainly because they feel sorry they make minimum wage (normally), which I think is stupid.

I’m all for willing to help my server out if they put in the work.

Not for takeout 11
Only if the service was good 24
Yes, always 19
No, tipping is entitlement 4
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Comments ( 32 )
  • Twatmuncher

    Good service, good tip....bad service, not a chance....although I have been known to leave the “tip” written on a napkin or piece of paper suggesting the server get a personality or a better attitude.

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    • Maid_in_Pink

      Yeah, I've had chats with them if they did a good job but were a bit bland and I don't give tips to people who are mean/rude and/or are bad at their job. It's why I don't go to Chili's anymore.

      They have(or maybe had, it's been years since I've been in one) a Mandatory 18% Gratuity on every check. I asked the manager about it and they said yes but our service is excellent...It was in fact...not excellent it was one of the worst experiences I ever had and when I complained at the end they offered to comp me my meal. I said the Meal was fine I don't want to leave a tip. I ended up leaving without paying a tip and swore to never go back until that mandatory gratuity was taken care of. That was in like...2010 or 2011 I think.

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      • Checkmate_King

        Yep screw that. Mandatory tipping is absolutely unacceptable.

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    • Hahaha. I might try this one day.

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  • MangoTango

    In some countries it's not customary to tip. Like in Japan, no, you don't tip. Australia is the same.

    Okay, in the U.S., I can be persuaded to tip servers just because I know that their base earnings from their employer can be appallingly low. I tend to be generous with tipping servers. At hotels I tip the usual people like housekeeping.

    Sometimes I've skipped out on customary tips when I forget to bring cash, or I'm just suddenly stingy, or feel like the tip is exploitation when I already paid well enough for something.

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  • nikkiclaire

    20% regardless and believe me as an Aussie thats good. Why? Cause I've been a waitress.

    If they are a cunt, I will give them a "tip", but they still get 20%.

    I never expect a dime though.

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    • Dustyair

      I thought you lived in America?

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      • nikkiclaire

        I do but I'm Aussie.

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        • Dustyair

          Cool

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  • RoseIsabella

    One time when we were in college my, we didn't have anything for a tip so we left a free condom, because broke college kids sometimes do weird stuff.

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    • Ummitsstillme

      Ive left nugs of herb before back in the day if I knew they were down, that was always appreciated.

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      • RoseIsabella

        Oh, Hell yeah!

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    • nikkiclaire

      No way. Isn't that like, "fuck you"?? 😂😂😂

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      • RoseIsabella

        No, not really.

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  • Nickvey

    i tip 10 percent if food and service are to my liking , and thats most of the time because one fuck up and i never go back. A tip is a gift. If i have the extra dough to eat out i can share the wealth. i won't tip you if i find out you serve leftovers. (thats factory prepared food you zap in a microwave in the back) those places get one visit. And they are everywhere one right after another lined up to take your money. i can get a steak in my town that only the owner is allowed to cook and he brings it out to you.

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    • I never eat there, but I've heard Applebees microwaves their food.

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      • armenianHotdogBunLeague

        figures

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  • abnormoth

    Of course always. Someone giving me bad service doesn't mean they don't deserve payment. They depend on tips to survive. If they were paid decently I wouldn't tip.

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  • Boojum

    I've lived in the States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

    I think tipping used to be a peculiarly American preoccupation, but it's spread to the UK in recent decades.

    In Italy, tips don't seem to really be expected, although in places like bars (cafes) you'll see a little saucer next to the till where customers often put a few small coins (nothing like 10%). Generally, the attitude seems to be that if there's a price on a menu for a meal in a restaurant, then that's what it costs, end of story. Waiters won't throw a tip back in your face, of course, but it does tend to mark you out as being a tourist as much as asking for an "expresso" does.

    In recent months, there have been stories in the UK media about restaurants - including high-end, Michelin-starred restaurants - charging for service, but the staff never seeing either this money, nor the additional voluntary tips some people add to their card payments. I don't eat out a lot (and when I do it's not in places with stars), but my impression is that service charges are still relatively uncommon in Britain. I don't expect a lot of service staff in restaurants (I know it's a pretty shitty job), but if they're courteous and do their best to make the meal a pleasant experience, I will normally tip at least 10%. If I do, though, I always do it in cash, in the hope that the workers, not the owners of the place, will actually get the money.

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    • Ummitsstillme

      I often agree with everything you say, but you are far out of your mind and very confused to think any, even single, Michelin star restaraunts would expect anything other than what is lest than perfect service.Food is huge but is only one part of gaining stars. Service is a huge part of ganing those stars. Particularly that second and third. There is an amazing responsibility of food quality, service, and a kitchen sitchuation that most people can't even begin to understand.

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      • Boojum

        Eh?

        I do understand something of what's required to get a Michelin star. My point was that these are very expensive and supposedly highly professional outfits, and they were shamelessly screwing poorly paid, exploited, and often generally abused staff out of tips. It'd be bad enough if some sketchy kebab place did that, but these were classy restaurants with high-profile chefs who had a very different public image.

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        • How else they gonna pay a snobby, conceited chef, arranging micro greens on a plate with a tweezers $120K a year.

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  • JustAHuman

    Yes. At a restaurant, I always leave a 20% tip if I'm served by waitstaff. But if I have to walk up to the counter to get food, and clean off my own table, I'm not putting anything in that tip jar.

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  • Ummitsstillme

    I'm American and almost always leave 20% +$1. Sometimes more if the service was particularly good. They have to be rude or seriously suck for no obvious justifyable reason for me to leave less than 20%, which has almost never happened and I eat out a lot. If i eat somewhere and the bill is super cheap like less than $20 like say a waffle house or denny's I'll leave atleast $5, hell the server did the same work or more than places that just charge more and have alcohol.

    Now if its a very expensive meal and i buy a bottle of wine, i dont tip the full price of the wine and i tip on the pre-tax bill, but still atleast 20%. In the states servers make far less than minmum wage and rely on tips unlike most everywhere else in the world so it is the social norm to tip at the very least 15%, assuming service was decent. Some of you are some cheap fucks if you're living in the states.

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    • Alichael

      Not leaving a tip is considered an insult to waiters/waitresses in America, even leaving just 10% is a sign of being a cheapskate. Waiters/waitresses get paid smallass wages and need tips to earn their living, at least 20% is recommended. However, it's ok to leave smaller than 20% if the service was bad, or rude, but don't leave no tip at all unless the server was so shitty, like if they literally slammed your glasses down on table in front of you, or they literally undeservingly used a pissy hostile tone with you.

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  • armenianHotdogBunLeague

    I leave 15% of the food as the tip.

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  • redrainbow22

    When you dont get a tip, it makes you appreciate the ones when you actually do get a tip.

    When you always get a tip, it makes you being spoiled to the point where you feel entitled and expect a tip everytime.

    And if you dont get one then you act like a big baby.

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  • 10% if the service was poor (or I leave before ordering and leave nothing). Sliding scale up to 25% if the service was excellent. On a few occasions I have left tips that exceeded the bill for exceptional service.
    For a coffee, I dump whatever coins I get back into the tip jar.

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    • There's one place near my work that has really good coffee. Normally the bill is $3.00, and I may leave a $1.00 tip.

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      • That’s good and I’m sure the staff appreciates it.

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  • megadriver

    I tip for a good service. If everything was top notch and done from the heart, I can even leave 10 bucks for something as silly as a coffee and some water. This trend goes on, as I get drunker. Remember leaving a 50 Euro tip on a 150 Euro bill. The whole place was practically working for us. My friends and I, made them a profit of over 1200 Euros. I'm a generous tipper when drunk, again only if the service was good. If it was shitty, forget about it. I am going to wait for my change, even if it is 1 cent!

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  • Dustyair

    Yes, I can't remember the last time my service was bad and I didn't tip. I tip my stylist too, she always does a great job with the two hairs on my head :)

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