CleaningLadyinCleveland Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 That's not exactly true, but I do agree with your point that you shouldn't punish waitstaff for bad food if the waitstaff is doing a good job.it is true - for waitstaff at restaurants table and counter/bar food and beverage service - all sales rung up by the waiter are taxed at 8% and if a tip is left on a credit card they are taxed the credit card tip amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 it is true - for waitstaff at restaurants table and counter/bar food and beverage service - all sales rung up by the waiter are taxed at 8% and if a tip is left on a credit card they are taxed the credit card tip amount.It is assumed by the IRS that an 8% tip will be left, on average. That is then applied to their tax rate. So for example if they are in the 15% bracket and there is a $100 tab, the IRS takes $1.20. So you would only need to leave a $1.20 tip for them to break even.But anyway, that's not taking into account that most people are going to leave significantly more than 8%. Waitstaff typically get away with a lot of income tax evasion by not properly reporting their cash tip income. If waitstaff average more than 8% and accurately report their income, the 8% thing is a moot point, because they will be reporting more than the minimum the IRS requires. You would be very hard-pressed to find a server who is making less than 8% per tab, aside from places like buffets where they just refill your water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 That's not exactly true, but I do agree with your point that you shouldn't punish waitstaff for bad food if the waitstaff is doing a good job.Unless everyone including the cooks are included in tip sharing. Which raises the question of do you tip standard or better if the service is lousy but the food is outstanding? My opinion is counter service gets $1 per person ordering if paying with credit or debit. I only feel this way because putting a goose egg on the tip line of a receipt makes me feel crappy, even though I rationally know it's optional. But, if I pay with cash, all tips are off the table. I keep all my change. I tip for convenience, and I don't like the idea of tipping people who perform essentially the same task as a McDonald's order taker. I don't feel bad about not tipping those guys, so why should I feel anything about not tipping someone who does essentially the same thing in a fancier place? With that said, at a sit-down, full-service joint, my low tip for less-than-average service is 15%. Excellent service gets 25%. If someone wants to supplement their income with tips, they need to find employment that is more conducive to that, like bartending or taxi driving. Giving someone an extra buck for being capable of saying "number one with cheese" into a microphone is just plain retarded, and I'm starting to resent the encroaching implication that my altruism is now required to ensure they can afford their electricity payment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) My tipping rules:Satisfactory service gets 20% on food tab plus $2 per drink. Exemplary service gets >20%. Unsatisfactory service is a quickly sliding scale. If I'm slightly dissatisfied, maybe 15% and $1 per drink. Anything greater than slightly dissatisfied is 0. I do not hesitate. Our tip box is our carrot or stick, depending on the server.Counter service, 0. Take-out, a dollar or two because they have to bundle up the plasticware, put it in a box, etc.Some places blur the line. Order at the counter but a server brings it to you. I'm still working on a system for this... Edited November 17, 2009 by kylejack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 My tipping rules:Satisfactory service gets 20% on food tab plus $2 per drink. Exemplary service gets >20%. Unsatisfactory service is a quickly sliding scale. If I'm slightly dissatisfied, maybe 15% and $1 per drink. Anything greater than slightly dissatisfied is 0. I do not hesitate. Our tip box is our carrot or stick, depending on the server.Counter service, 0. Take-out, a dollar or two because they have to bundle up the plasticware, put it in a box, etc.Some places blur the line. Order at the counter but a server brings it to you. I'm still working on a system for this...Pappas made me so mad when they started the deal where you stand in line to order, then a waiter comes to your table and reviews your order with you, then from there, normal table service. When I go to one of these places, I walk up to the nearest waiter and ask him to take my order at my table and they have never turned me down. I was a waiter/bartender for 13 years and I always tip where appropriate, but I expect full service for full tips. Pappas started that crap to be able to pay the below minimum wage to their employees. Now they do it at Luby's. Pay your danged employees or have full table service where your employees can make decent tips. Lola doesn't have a tip line on their charge receipt so my assumption is they are not soliciting tips. My further assumption is they are paying their employees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Lola doesn't have a tip line on their charge receipt so my assumption is they are not soliciting tips. My further assumption is they are paying their employees.I wish we could move to the system the rest of the world uses and put the onus on the business owners to actually pay their employees a living wage. It seems so strange that the customer is required to express their gratitude for good quality service when good quality service should be implied in the employee's job description. All in all, it would be better for everyone if tipping stopped entirely and prices were raised to accomodate for the necessary raise in income. Then, generous people would be able to eat cheaper, and cheapskates would be forced to pony up for the services the rest of us have already been subsidizing for them. For every one Kylejack paying 20% for good service, there's one DB paying only one dollar on a $50 tab - regardless of the quality of service. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleaningLadyinCleveland Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) Unless everyone including the cooks are included in tip sharing. Which raises the question of do you tip standard or better if the service is lousy but the food is outstanding? My opinion is counter service gets $1 per person ordering if paying with credit or debit. I only feel this way because putting a goose egg on the tip line of a receipt makes me feel crappy, even though I rationally know it's optional. But, if I pay with cash, all tips are off the table. I keep all my change. I tip for convenience, and I don't like the idea of tipping people who perform essentially the same task as a McDonald's order taker. I don't feel bad about not tipping those guys, so why should I feel anything about not tipping someone who does essentially the same thing in a fancier place? With that said, at a sit-down, full-service joint, my low tip for less-than-average service is 15%. Excellent service gets 25%. If someone wants to supplement their income with tips, they need to find employment that is more conducive to that, like bartending or taxi driving. Giving someone an extra buck for being capable of saying "number one with cheese" into a microphone is just plain retarded, and I'm starting to resent the encroaching implication that my altruism is now required to ensure they can afford their electricity payment.I guess it's the way you were raised. White trash usually can be lousy tippers and stiff on occasions where they were "taught". Waitstaff at restaurants should be treated just like bartenders or taxi drivers - they are both low skilled service jobs that depend on tips. Stiffing waitstaff (when someone comes to the counter or your table and takes your order and then delivers the food/bev to you) will get spit in your food or worse - I've seen it (not done that). In fact I even know someone who stiffed on a credit card tab - the waiter used the credit card number to buy a couch and sent the couch to the house of the guy that stiffed him. Next time you go into a place where you stiffed someone and you get a really really really friendly welcome back... Edited November 17, 2009 by CleaningLadyinCleveland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) Stiffing waitstaff (when someone comes to the counter or your table and takes your order and then delivers the food/bev to you) will get spit in your food or worse - I've seen it (not done that). In fact I even know someone who stiffed on a credit card tab - the waiter used the credit card number to buy a couch and sent the couch to the house of the guy that stiffed him. Next time you go into a place where you stiffed someone and you get a really really really friendly welcome back...And this is why a waiter who would do that will always be crap -- someone who would commit a crime (like tampering with a consumer product or credit card fraud) because they got stiffed on a tip should be locked up for a long time. And I'm sure that the honest, non-sociopathic waitstaff around the country would resent your implication that it's a normal occurrence. Edited November 17, 2009 by heights 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 If it's order at the counter and pay at the counter, I'm not tipping right there. I usually leave a buck or two for bus boys if that is the case. When they throw a server in there at places you order at the counter, that's just annoying. Usually at these places you get to pay at the end and not up front, so you get a chance to tip based on service. Tipping at the counter up front before you get any service is asking to get screwed. Have a few bucks in those cases and tip cash when you're done. The amount should be dependent on service received, and in my opinion should be no more than 10% because you've taken out the hardest part of their job, managing your order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) I guess it's the way you were raised. White trash usually can be lousy tippers and stiff on occasions where they were "taught". Waitstaff at restaurants should be treated just like bartenders or taxi drivers - they are both low skilled service jobs that depend on tips. Stiffing waitstaff (when someone comes to the counter or your table and takes your order and then delivers the food/bev to you) will get spit in your food or worse - I've seen it (not done that). In fact I even know someone who stiffed on a credit card tab - the waiter used the credit card number to buy a couch and sent the couch to the house of the guy that stiffed him. Next time you go into a place where you stiffed someone and you get a really really really friendly welcome back...Having waited tables and bartended for 13 years, I can tell you these people do exist, but they are the minority. Most waitstaff is honest and moral and would not spit in anybody's food. I did hear of a fine dining establishment where the waiters went back and urinated on a certain customer's mink coat for past misdeeds, but that could be all talk. They are no longer in business, I don't remember who told me so don't come asking. Edited November 17, 2009 by EMME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porTENT Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 "I don't believe in tipping" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights_yankee Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 My tipping rules:Satisfactory service gets 20% on food tab plus $2 per drink. Exemplary service gets >20%. Unsatisfactory service is a quickly sliding scale. If I'm slightly dissatisfied, maybe 15% and $1 per drink. Anything greater than slightly dissatisfied is 0. I do not hesitate. Our tip box is our carrot or stick, depending on the server.Counter service, 0. Take-out, a dollar or two because they have to bundle up the plasticware, put it in a box, etc.Some places blur the line. Order at the counter but a server brings it to you. I'm still working on a system for this...Lola is the last kind. You order at the counter and they bring you your food.I am generally a 20%+ tipper. I tip 20% and then add a buck or two on to the end. Let's say my tab was $40. I would leave $50 because at the end of the day that extra $2 over 20% doesn't make a huge difference to me, but psychologically for a waiter it can be huge. I know because I waited tables for 10 years. I also know a lot of waiters are living tip to tip (like paycheck to paycheck, except they don't get paychecks for the most part) and I know it can be a struggle.At the counter service places, I imagine all employees are making at least minimum wage. Therefore they are not living off the tips. The tips do make life easier for them- it's not easy making at or near minimum wage, which is also less than the average waiter makes. So, since I am of the financial means to do so, I leave a few bucks in the jar when I have cash on me. If I don't have cash and there is no tip line on the credit card slip, I don't feel terrible leaving nothing but it's not my preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcook2002 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 some of you people blow my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 some of you people blow my mind. Could you contribute a little more to the dialogue if you bump a 2 day old thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights_yankee Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Could you contribute a little more to the dialogue if you bump a 2 day old thread? he must justbe saying how mind-blowingly awesome we are and how valuable our opinions are. he is now better educated on everything from how to tip at various restaurants to the pros and cons of protesting a demo permit. he is a better person for having found HAIF and just wanted to thank us for it. mcook2002- you are very welcome 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegacyTree Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 If everyone stopped tipping, maybe restaurant owners might actually have to pay their employee's a decent wage like any other service industry. What a weird tradition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 If everyone stopped tipping, maybe restaurant owners might actually have to pay their employee's a decent wage like any other service industry. What a weird tradition.Just hope that this doesn't happen when you try:Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Just hope that this doesn't happen when you try:Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay TipThat's why I never eat in groups larger than five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcook2002 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 he must justbe saying how mind-blowingly awesome we are and how valuable our opinions are. he is now better educated on everything from how to tip at various restaurants to the pros and cons of protesting a demo permit. he is a better person for having found HAIF and just wanted to thank us for it.ha - something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc281 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 4 total tries, I've never had one GOOD experience with Lola's or DragonBowl. The food is just very sub-par , bottom line. Good riddance if you ask me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callisthenes Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 4 total tries, I've never had one GOOD experience with Lola's or DragonBowl. The food is just very sub-par , bottom line. Good riddance if you ask meMore specifics would be helpful.For instance, I consider being fed morsels of food by gyrating bellydancers a "good experience", so I can agree with you that I have never had a "good experience" at Lola. Never been to Dragon Bowl, but Pink's has good pizzas.If you consider the food at Lola subpar, you should establish what "par" is. To me, the combination of food/price warrants only an occasional visit from me, based mainly on convenient location. I wouldn't call it a "greasy spoon", but they aren't really trying to be more than a neighborhood joint.I have only had breakfasts there, because the ambience seems to fit that best for my taste. I can say thier offerings are roughly "on par" with but less greasy, more "fresh" and much pricier than Andy's, and better food than 11th Street Cafe (which I only patronized once five years ago). I will also say they had better fix their toaster, it doesn't seem to toast well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Note duplicate L-O-L-A topics merged. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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