When you’re in a small mom and pop and the owners wait on you? They aren’t working for waitress minimum. If they are then they won’t be in business long anyway.

If they took the order, brought/refilled my drinks, delivered my food...in other words, if they waited on me, I'm tipping them.

Tipping culture is out of hand, I'll be the first to admit, but I'd also assume mom and pop work their fucking asses off for small margins.

That distinction isn’t something I’d even think about. If I am in a restaurant, I tip the wait staff. When I cannot afford to do that, I will stay home and fix my own meals.

In my own small town I consider tipping generously to be a way of directly helping people who are working for a living rather than being parasites and not sending money off to a pit someplace that benefits everyone except those who need it.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
If they took the order, brought/refilled my drinks, delivered my food...in other words, if they waited on me, I'm tipping them.

Tipping culture is out of hand, I'll be the first to admit, but I'd also assume mom and pop work their fucking asses off for small margins.

Yep it's out of hand because data processing companies for CC have found that putting that Tip in front of checking out allowed businesses to reap 15 to 20% increases in gross margin on every over the counter sale.

It's getting to the point I'm going to carry cash to pay for any restaurant/coffee/drink purchase over the counter or in a car line because of it. Especially if it's mom and pop stores, putting that on the CC machine to force you to pick no or an amount is a psy-op, it preys on peoples good nature.

Maybe I should just be the a-hole I've been accused of being more often.

I usually tip well when I tip provided the service warrants it. We have a bunch of mom and pop places we like and the owners wait on us sometimes. I tip them like I would tip any wait staff. I'm not tipping the wait staff because of how much money they get paid, I'm tipping because of what they have done for me above and beyond just taking my order and bringing me the food. Are they personable, knowledgeable about the menu, keeping track of the drinks for timely refills, checking the order before they bring it out to make sure it is right, checking to see if we need anything, and my favorite; when I pay with cash, say "I'll be right back with your change", instead of asking if or assuming they can keep the change.

I don't tip for counter service, drive thru, or any place I have to do the work. I will tip for take out orders at a sit down restaurant and the pizza delivery guy. I went through the Dunkin' Doughnut drive thru to pick up some K-cups for the wife and they had a cup sitting on the ledge with Tips handwritten on it. Sadly, it didn’t surprise me.

I'm no fan of the tipping culture, or of tipping at all, but if they did the work that would normally receive a tip, they get the tip.

I generally tip decently, if the service meets expectations.

But, coming back from 9 days in Italy, it was nice not having the tip request on every transaction.

quote:

Originally posted by Krazeehorse:
When you’re in a small mom and pop and the owners wait on you? They aren’t working for waitress minimum. If they are then they won’t be in business long anyway.

What an odd way of looking at tipping for services rendered.

Do you also check if wait staff has another job bringing in extra money to determine if they need the tip too?

Often mom and pop owners are waiting on you because they can't afford to hire more wait staff. One of my regular local places puts their kids to work during their vacation from school...right up until the week before he had to go back to college (MIT)

I tend to tip more generously at mom and pop places if the food if good (since they actually cooked it) and they were helpful when ordering something new

If you can't afford to tip or need a justification not to tip, consider not eating out.

I tend to be more generous in a mom/pop type place, so long as the service is there. Fast food workers and other counter-types that aren't waiting on me and aren't earning server wages do not get tips from me unless they go above and beyond.

When did it become acceptable for the waitress to toss a pile of menus and silverware on the end of table and come back later to take orders?

I tip generously, particularly in Mom and Pops. Margins suck, and I don't want to have to always eat at a major chain.

Small is more expensive, but I am willing to pay for it.

Don’t care. I’ll tip them just as I tip the waiters/waitresses according to how their service was.

Bad service, little to no tip. Great service, GREAT tip. Average service, 10-15 percent.

Bad service, no tip. Great service, good tip. Average service, no tip.

Doesn't matter if the server is the owner or the waitress. Same rules apply.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Average service, no tip.

???

A tip, by definition, is something on top of what is normal or average. Tip of a spear, for example. I feel no need to be guilted into paying someone extra, for a job that they are already being paid to do, when the service they provide doesn't warrant it. Put in a little above and beyond? I'll slip you a little extra for the effort.

I usually tip 15-20% depending on level of service. I do have a rule, if I have to walk up to a counter, I’m not tipping.

I tip around 15% of the meal cost unless the service is bad or truly exceptional which is pretty rare. The exception is low cost places like the little country restaurant where lunch might be $7 I leave $2 or dinner $12 I leave $3. TBH I wish the practice went away.

BTW question; do you tip the hygienist who cleans your teeth? I never have since I believe they now make pretty decent money but after I had my check up last week I happened to wonder.

Also your barber. When I first went to the one in my little town, after the great hair cut and conversation when I asked how much he said $15. I gave him $20 and did ever since. Unfortunately his wife's job relocated her to Boston so they had to relocate. I didn't know that until I went for my last hair cut and the place had somewhat remodeled with a new barber. After the cut I asked how much and he said "$25 for now but it's probably going to $30". The cut was good and he was personable enough but I don't know if he'll keep the customers at that price. I gave him $28.