Tipping, what is acceptable?
Good Service, Bad
Service, Okay Service what do you tip based on what they are doing for
you.
We have put a man on the
moon, we have cured diseases that have killed thousands and yet it is still not
clear on what the “proper” tip should be.
Do you tip the same
percentage no matter who is the service person?
Meaning food service waitress in high end restaurants, your local
restaurants, bartenders, bar wait staff, etc.
No matter where you are
ask yourself this, what type of a client am I?
Do you order like Meg Ryan as “Sally” in the movie when Harry met
Sally: everything on the side because
they will never get it right?
Let’s take a look at bar
staff first:
Bartender
$1/drink (or 15% of total bill). Pre-tip for better
service is a lesson learned the first time you enter into an
establishment. I like to find out if the
bartender on duty is a regular or filling in because that changes how I
approach anything. If they are a regular
and you plan on returning to the bar tip well the first time and tip again when
you leave. When I go with friends I try
to buy the first drink. If the bill is
$6.00 (or what they like to do is $6.25) I will give them a $10.00 and tell
them to keep the change. Trust me they
will remember you. If they treat me well
I will give them another 20% when I leave.
I know this sound high and some of you are saying that is way too much
but I do this because I know I am going back and the next time I may not have
the ability to do as much.
Restaurants
Are we dining at a fine restaurant
or a middle of the road? Is it a chain
or locally owned? I will tip more at a locally owned restaurant than a
chain because I support in the local small business owner. If I am at a local
restaurant, middle of the road and the service is good I will tip a minimum of 15%. If the service is excellent I will tip a
minimum of 20%. In both scenarios I will round up the tip also, for example
the bill comes to $42.78. 20% is $8.56
so I will leave $9.00 as a tip. The local fine dining will start out at 20%
is the service is good and 25% if the service is excellent. Chain
restaurants I will start out at 10% if it’s middle of the road and 15% if it is
fine dining.
If you are Sally,
from When Harry met Sally you need to add a minimum of 5% no matter where you
go.
Now let’s talk
about bad service: You have to ask if it
is the bartender or the owner that didn’t order correctly or if it’s the wait staff
or the cook. If your server (bartender
or wait staff) is pleasant and the problem is not their fault I do not take it
out on them. The only time I will refuse
to tip is attitude and if it is so bad that I would not leave a tip I normally
request another if it is possible.
If you can’t afford
to take care of those who serve you have one less drink, skip dessert or stay
home.
Many years ago, a 10-year-old boy walked up to the counter of a
soda shop and climbed onto a stool. He caught the eye of the waitress and
asked, “How much is an ice cream sundae?”
“Fifty cents,” the waitress replied. The boy reached into
his pockets, pulled out a handful of change, and began counting. The waitress
frowned impatiently. After all, she had other customers to wait on.
The boy squinted up at the waitress. “How much is a dish
of plain ice cream?” he asked. The waitress sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Thirty-five cents,” she said with a note of irritation.
Again, the boy counted his coins. At last, he said, “I’ll
have the plain ice cream, please.” He put a quarter and two nickels on the
counter. The waitress took the coins, brought the ice cream, and walked away.
About ten minutes later, she returned and found the ice
cream dish empty. The boy was gone. She picked up the empty dish—then swallowed
hard.
There on the counter, next to the wet spot where the dish
had been, were two nickels and five pennies. The boy had had enough for a
sundae, but he had ordered plain ice cream so he could leave her a tip.
When you go to Jimmy's Tavern plan on extra money for tipping because the customer service, the service and the staff are worth it!!
Friday June 15th LIVE MUSIC, GREAT SERVICE and a wonderful atmosphere for those who want to have a great time!
