If the food was unpalatable then why should that be reflected in the waitresess' tip? It's not likely she made the food.

And getting on your waitress's butt can get you something in your sandwich you may not like.

Waiter: If you know the food here is so lousy, why do you keep coming back?

Customer: It reminds me of my ex-wife's cooking...

Yea, but at least I got on her butt!

"It's not likely she made the food."

They are your very personal representative to the kitchen - they know what it's supposed to look like and if they bring you something that they know is sub par it very much shows a poor level of service and absolutely results in a MUCH lower tip.

I'm not a Mr. Pink, but a tip is EARNED not guaranteed in any way. Part of earning it means keeping drinks filled at a reasonable interval and of course only bringing dishes from the kitchen that are up to par - if the 'server' fails to do that and they will suffer personally, as they have failed to live up to their end of the bargain.

The waitress did not make the food, but it is the waitress that brings you food they know is not up to standard.

chouse, it's not the job of the wait staff to control the quality of food coming out of the kitchen. If you are brought something that looks or tastes poor the manager needs to deal with it. The last thing a waiter/waitress wants to do it police the chefs food as it comes out.

"chouse, it's not the job of the wait staff to control the quality of food coming out of the kitchen"

I call bull@!$%# - indeed most chains train the wait staff to do exactly that, as they know the assistant managers are normally too busy with other random tasks. And beyond the chains, any family owned restaurant in general does that more than even the chains.

Nice try speculating!

"The last thing a waiter/waitress wants to do it police the chefs food as it comes out."

Who cares what they 'want to do' - if they want their tip they do their job correctly, and part of that means at least making sure the food looks as it should - sure if it's a bit rare in the middle they may not be able to tell that, but if it's actually cold then that normally means that they were @!$%#ing around letting a ready order sit under the heat lamps for too long.

Being a server is such an easy job it's not even funny - and since they get paid rather well for such a simple job, they are expected to do a decent job of it.

Mike 757;

The statements that you make are the exact problem in the story. It is not the waiter/waitresses job to maintain quality is incorrect. As a member of the team that has been employed to provide a service to a customer, makes it their job. Quality of service belongs to everyone. When quality is poor then that business shall suffer and so will all employees. The tip is a reflection of the quality of the product and service. I have waitresses ask me if bad food or service was OK and I tell them it was ok. Then I leave without a tip or an extremely small tip. They know what happened. If they don't then they will continue with poor tips.

I may tell you it was fine but it will be reflected in your tip.

I dislike people like you. Which I'm sure your just fine with that. So am I. Yay!

The waitress gets a small tip. Why? The !@#$ if she knows. Because of your passive-aggressiveness, the restaurant missed its chance to improve itself.

SAY WHAT IS WRONG. As long as it's not some horrendous minutia about the meal, say something. I'll never understand that...

Punishing people, lying to them with a smile, and then totally slapping them in the face when their back is turned is pure cowardice.

"Being a server is such an easy job it's not even funny - and since they get paid rather well for such a simple job, they are expected to do a decent job of it."

It is very obvious that you have never had to wait tables and that you are a judgemental jerk. It is not really a very easy job at all. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees is 2.13 an hour. Do you think that is getting paid well? And, the regular minwage has continued to go up and up but the tipped minwagehas been the same for over 20 years. Why? Don't get me wrong, it is the servers responsibility to make sure everything is as close to perfect as they can get it. I waited tables for over 10 years and I made decent money doingit and not by bringing people cold food or letting their drinks go dry. But, Chouse, I can tell just by the tone of your post that you have eaten ALLOT of REALLY REALLY GROSS stuff over the years without knowing it. You should probobly start going to self serve type places.

Rule #1 in any restaurant, don't mess with the people who handle your food.

My base rate tipping is 15 to 20%

1) Don't leave me with an empty glass - that is my A-number-1 tip-killer. I will tolerate a lot of things because I know kitchen staff is responsible too. minus 10-15%

2) Don't be rude - I hate wait staff that act like I'm bothering them. Keep my drink filled and I'll only take off 5% -- otherwise it's the nickle for you.

Other factors I consider --- how busy is the place. how late is it. whether they will split the check. if there is a automatic gratuity (if they have that I usually get exact change).

Most restaurants don't have a professional wait staff, that is someone who takes pride in their position and enjoys it. They instead are there trying to make ends meet with this job because they can't find one anywhere else.

I was pleased to meet a professional, and paid for it, at Antoine's when the waiter told me he had served this table we were eating at for 30 years!

TIPS was marked on a bucket for money when you walked in the door of a restaurant to let the staff know you were in a hurry. Now it is expected regardless of the service.

"The waitress did not make the food, but it is the waitress that brings you food they know is not up to standard."

I absolutely agree only if the waitress knows that the food isn't up to par - ie. if the dish doesn't look right...there are often times when the food looks appetizing, but is complete crap. I would hardly think that the waitress should be penalized because of the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen.

Well we go to our favorite restarant at least 3 times a week. We always go on Sunday am for breakfast. The food is always good with good prices and excellent service. We have our favorite waitress and when she isn't there we'll be seated in anybody elses section. We love our favorite waitress. She is very good at her job and has become a good friend. When she isn't there the other wait staff are excellent but we prefer Alicia when she is there. No matter what i always tip her30% cause she is worth it. We seldom have to complain cause she always makes everything perfect. But when we are in a restaurant and the server is bad i let them know and also the management. If food comes late and isn't like it is suppose to be we'll let them know. If she only shows up 2 times to take our order and then to serve it, it will show in their tip. Why are people so complacent with the service they're getting? I always check for spit. LOL

chouse,

I worked as a busboy at Denny's my first 2 years in college, and have seen it many times. If, as you suggest, the watress tries to police the cook, when that cook gets pissed off, it's totally within his ability to make sure she gets crap tips for the rest of the night. Her orders go to the rear of the queue of what he's preparing, he'll slip orders that came in after hers ahead of her orders, and he'll generally do what he can to make the orders he gives her sub-standard. Yes, if he does it enough times, the manager will get involved, but the fact of the matter is that no one coming into a bar rush at Denny's is expecting a 5 star experience, and she won't have many customer complaints to back her up if she complains to the manager.

I call bull@!$%# - indeed most chains train the wait staff to do exactly that, as they know the assistant managers are normally too busy with other random tasks. And beyond the chains, any family owned restaurant in general does that more than even the chains.

Nice try speculating!

Perhaps I should have clarified since it wasn't obvious enough. I am not talking about waitresses sending something back if it is visually wrong, like ordered scrambled egg and they cook made fried, or if something is clearly burnt to a crisp, I am talking about the taste, or other things that couldn't be picked up on by your average waitress.

At the end of the day it is the chefs and kitchen managers responsibility to control the quality of the food. The waitress's job is to get your food to you, refill your drinks and if you do have a problem relay it to the people that MADE THE FOOD. I don't really care what they train for at some crap chain, I am talking about real restaurants.

Cheapskates will always look for whatever reason to tip less - it's just in their nature...cheap and ungrateful.

If they're is stuck on 5-10%, nothing any waitress can do will change their mind about it.

Stay home and cook yourself, please. OR get a job waiting on cheapskates for just one day, you'll come around.

I agree 100% 11pct

Mountain Troll.

I may tell you it was fine but it will be reflected in your tip.

Absolutely agree and well would not go back....When it get's really bad I tend to call the manager or e-mail home office also. They should not suffer for a bad employee...if it is a one off thing that is fine but truly, if someone is paying to eat out or make a purchase for the most part the experience should be pleasant.

As for the nail tech that disappeared....I wouldn't have been patient for ten minutes...I would have asked the MGR to have someone else finish the job and they would have received the tip.

Livinginthewoods: Your statement is incorrect. The rule for a 'tipped' employee is that their tips + wages must equal minimum wage. So while a waitress/waiter may be earning $2.00 an hour wage, their 'nightly' wages + tips must come out equal to what they would earn had they been paid straight wages. For example, on an 8 hour shift at minimum wage they would earn $57. If the restaurant says they will receive $2.14 an hour plus tips it still has to meet that $57 mark. If their tips do not make up the difference, their wage for that night has to increase.

I have 20 some odd years of experience as a payroll specialist, so if you know of any restaurant that is not following the federal guidelines for Tipped Employees, I suggest you report them to the Labor Board.

As for the nail tech that disappeared....I wouldn't have been patient for ten minutes...I would have asked the MGR to have someone else finish the job and they would have received the tip.

Are you forgetting the manicure was FREE. Hard to get upset waiting ten min when you are getting something done for nothing.

It depends upon the type of restaurant as to whether the waiter/-tress can be viewed as accountable for the food quality. This really only applies in the gourmet restaurant. I would not do this at a truck stop for instance.

Andy-534371

I may tell you it was fine but it will be reflected in your tip.

"I dislike people like you. Which I'm sure your just fine with that. So am I. Yay!

The waitress gets a small tip. Why? The !@#$ if she knows. Because of your passive-aggressiveness, the restaurant missed its chance to improve itself.

SAY WHAT IS WRONG. As long as it's not some horrendous minutia about the meal, say something. I'll never understand that..."

You don't understand that people are afraid of some disgruntled food handler/wait staff member messing with their food if they complain? What's so hard to understand about that? That is the #1 reason I don't complain directly in the restaurant when I am there.

I personally know people who worked in food service and I know plenty of stories of things people did to food of people who complained. It's not a risk I am willing to take. I'd rather leave a PENNY than get eye drops in my food that causes me to get sick and have the waiter/waitress get pissed off and wonder why. Sucks to be true, but that's what the horror stories have led people to do.

HOWEVER, in the day and age of social media I make dang sure that my reason for the small tip is known on their Facebook page. I may not directly identify who I was but I will let them know of the problem and that the problem was reflected in a tip I left. This is especially effective if it's a locally owned place and they are not a chain.

And YES, the tip is low if the food is bad even if the kitchen staff is directly responsible for that. Tips are often split among all employees so why not lower the tip if somebody in that place failed to do their job right? It doesn't all just go to the waiter/waitress.

Restaurants not following the federal guidelines should be reported. Just note that this may cause the IRS scrutinize their records more.

So basically you're a passive-aggressive liar and a coward. Too scared to say something to someone's face, when it might actually make a difference, but only too glad to short the tip and scamper away like a scared bunny rabbit.

In certain situations I've let them know AFTER I've eaten the food. But in extreme circumstances (such as service so terrible I know I wont' be back) I have no hesitation to let them know.

For the times I like the place and want to go back, no, I don't want them to remember me as the S.O.B. who complained. Best to follow up with the experience online or via Facebook to let them know what the problem was. Again, it comes back down to people don't want their food messed around with. It's a VERY PERSUASIVE influence on some people. Glad you're not inhibited in confronting wait staff, however. Enjoy your extra serving of lung butter!

I have often told staff of any problems. Sometimes it is better to tell a manager instead.

A few years ago, Subway around the L.A. area apparently was not training any of it's employees. Food-handling gloves should always be worn when handling sandwich items, but not all followed that rule. Or they would use the food preparation gloves when cleaning up. The store managers did not seem to understand the problem. So I tried locating an area manager, only to find out that Subway franchises, that their corporate is somewhere in Chicago - and that they would not respond for anything.

It took several years for me to return to a Subway store, but I never will routinely buy from them ever again.

A lot of assumptions and misconceptions about the food service industry in this thread. I've been on both sides of the table, so to speak, and would like to share some near universal truths:

1. The Kitchen rules, always. It's a heck of a lot easier to find a serviceable waiter/waitress/busser than a serviceable chef, short order cook, etc.
2. Waiting tables is physically and emotionally exhausting work. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply ignorant, period.
3. Retaliation for diner rudeness can and does happen, though only in the most egregious cases in my humble experience.
4. Quality of ones meal is rarely the result of the wait staff. Thus, in conjunction with truth #1 above, it is neither fair nor reasonable to penalize a server with a bad tip simply because one is too much of a wuss to be honest.

Andy-534371, much of society behaves that way in many situations.

livinginthewoods, you are 'short of a six pack'.

"It is very obvious that you have never had to wait tables and that you are a judgemental jerk"

No you could not be more incorrect if you possibly tried.

I do my job well and if somebody working for tips would like me to pay them a good tip it is earned - by them doing the same (doing their job well).

If their head is not in the game that day, too bad - not my problem. I will be in your restaurant for the duration of my meal and that is the limited time you have to show me that you deserve a good tip. If you're off @!$%#ing around in the kitchen and let my soda sit empty for more than 10 minutes, you automatically lose out - since I did not get the dining experience that I was paying for, there's no way you're going to get a huge tip.

As to the other comments made about (boo hoo) waiting being a sub-minimum job - your point is? The vast majority of your income is from the tips - therefore it is in your best interest to do a good job and inspire people to give you good tips. If you're doing a poor job, there's absolutely no surprise that your take home that day will suffer a bit. However if you do a good job, you're going to walk out of the restaurant at the end of your shift with significantly more in your pocket than most of the people working there, so you've got no room to whine and complain whatsoever.

Again, not the fault of the customer one bit.

As to other folks saying it's difficult - seriously, you must not have ever had a hard job in your life. Sure it's fast paced, but it's one of the easiest jobs out there that can pull home that much money. You need almost zero training, and just about anybody can do the job. You name me any other job that can pay so well with so little training/experience.... (dead silence) - yeah no reply since there really aren't many regular jobs that fit that bill.

Anybody that thinks that serving food is stressful really has no perspective on the world, as the stress level is tiny compared to most professional jobs. Truly tiny.

Sorry to mock all those waiters/waitresses that really do a great job, but unfortunately you're the minority - most waiters seem to think they're doing brain surgery when all they have to do is to remember who ordered the steak and who ordered the fish.

Bad food quality is not the waiter's fault, but the server should make sure that if I order a baked potato, that's what's on the plate, not rice pilaf. If the steak is tough or well-done instead of rare, that's not his/her fault. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to put up with it. A good server will always check back to make sure everything is satisfactory and if something is definitely wrong, they should know and tell the kitchen or the manager and get the matter resolved. People who put up with crappy food and service and still pay a large tip are STUPID.

Damien, you can bring to the attention of a server that the food is not prepared how you prefer it to be without "complaining". Most people consider complainers to be whiners. Bringing up the issue (not complaint) in a polite manner will never earn you eye drops in your food or even spit. It all has to do with interpersonal skills. Rude people are treated as such, as to why you may have heard horror stories from people you know, or they're urban legends that happened a while ago and it just so happens that a friend of so-&so's cousin's nieces boyfriend had such and such happen to them. Restaurants cannot please you and give you an enjoyable dining experience if you do not address the situation promptly, because they will never know who you are as a valuable customer and they won't have any idea even 5 hours later at the end of the shift when they may read the post to facebook as to who you were or what you were "complaining" about.

I used to work as a waitress for a "high end" restaurant. The owner/chef was a louse. He was so worried about getting food out fast that he never cooked it enough and his presentation was lacking. I complained all of the time and refused to take things out if they did not look right. He yelled and screamed at me about knowing my place and how waitresses are not supposed to think just look good and bring the food. I always responded that he might not care about repeat business, but I was not going to let his bad attitude ruin my tip. One night he insisted that I take undercooked tuna to a table and I did, setting it down and telling the customer that the tuna was undercooked but that the owner insisted I allow them to decide if they wanted it that way. Of course I then took it back into the kitchen and told him that the customer was extremely disgusted and refused to come back again. I then told him that I was taking the meal off of the bill and giving them free dessert. I got an $80 tip from that customer, and the owner asked me if I made enough money that night and when I told him no he gave me $100. When I quit he begged me to stay telling me I was the best waitress he'd ever had. Funny, I was the only one he never called stupid or made a pass at, I yelled at him all the time and insisted that he fix every little thing so that it was perfect, and I did it because if my hubby and I went out to eat somewhere that we knew the bill was going to be over $100 for just the 2 of us I know that it better be perfect, and I am sure other people feel the same way. I have also walked out of a restaurant without leaving a tip at all, and once the service was so bad I left a nickle in a glass of water (this is meant to be a grave insult to a professional wait-person). My advice to anyone that is waiting tables is just do a great job, you'll make a lot more money.

You don't understand that people are afraid of some disgruntled food handler/wait staff member messing with their food if they complain? What's so hard to understand about that? That is the #1 reason I don't complain directly in the restaurant when I am there.

Complaining after the fact doesn't harm your food. And to be honest, the whole Waiting thing with food is totally over-played. As for complaining itself; it totally depends on how you approach the situation. If you approach it as constructive feedback, or place it on a feedback card (CONSTRUCTIVELY) it's appreciated. If you rant, complain, moan !@#%^ and groan - yes, you're going to be viewed as an arrogant twit. And of course, depending on the severity of your rambling; buyer beware.

I personally know people who worked in food service and I know plenty of stories of things people did to food of people who complained. It's not a risk I am willing to take.

I question the company you keep. If they're ranting and insulting food employee's, they're toying with peoples emotions. Again; constructive, non-aggressive feedback normally works.

I'd rather leave a PENNY than get eye drops in my food that causes me to get sick and have the waiter/waitress get pissed off and wonder why. Sucks to be true, but that's what the horror stories have led people to do.

So, let me get this straight - you're not going to let people know something was wrong because your scared something might happen to you. The waitress might not know, and genuinely care about you - but your THAT passive-aggressive? I see now...

HOWEVER, in the day and age of social media I make dang sure that my reason for the small tip is known on their Facebook page. I may not directly identify who I was but I will let them know of the problem and that the problem was reflected in a tip I left. This is especially effective if it's a locally owned place and they are not a chain.

OK, so you're just a crusader. Your FaceBook profile is public, yet your afraid of direct confrontation because they MIGHT see you there? What logic is this? They know you're complaining. They KNOW YOUR NAME. You are only fooling yourself and making yourself more hated by NOT tipping and not explaining why.

And YES, the tip is low if the food is bad even if the kitchen staff is directly responsible for that. Tips are often split among all employees so why not lower the tip if somebody in that place failed to do their job right? It doesn't all just go to the waiter/waitress.

Because the wait staff makes 2.13 and the kitchen makes full wages still? I can tell you're just the kind of person who looks for excuses to cut corners with money, and look for tiny, unreasonable things to deduct tip.

Andy-534371, much of society behaves that way in many situations.

Sadly, you're right.

I wish the wait staff made full minimum wage. In most countries, they seem to enjoy their job a lot more when they're not panning for tips :\

Here in Japan, the customer service is GODLY. I mean, when you walk in - the entire staff yells "An honored guest is present." they then seat you, pour your water, and help you pick out a meal - even at a noodle hut. They are courteous polite, and the food is amazing. They don't just want your business; they crave it.

Of course a lot of that comes down to their society and also the whole Honne Tatemae thing :)

Yeah it is absolutely obscene how that works.

The server, bartender, and BUSBOY (???!!!???) normally get a cut of the tip but the line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers and everybody else get the shaft?

What a positively stupid concept - if anything the line cook should get the largest cut. Just about ANYBODY can serve food, but you can't say the same thing about being a good line cook.

Chef's and cooks get paid more than $2.13 an hour, which is what most servers get paid, as it's the minimum wage for employees who generally receive tips.

Im guessing you havent worked in a restaurant. It takes a team to deliver the best food and service to the guest. Anyone can mess up, and all are there to help each other.

There is a difference between a given plate being made poorly as an exception, and the chef generally delivering sub-par food in general.

If a plate is for some reason made poorly, it is for sure a good thing if the waitstaff can catch that before delivering to the guest. If this causes a delay, explaining that is much better than delivering a poor dish to the guest.

If the chef has some sub-par dishes on the menu, then the waitstaff should be recommending others when appropriate, and they should be alterting the chef of problems or complaints with those dishes.

Tips relfect the full experience. Great service cant make up for sub-par food. If the food in general is poor, the tips will be low, and the place may go out of business. So it is on everyone to help out. You can just say "not my job man"

I was a cook for a decade and the waitresses made 2 to 3 times as much on average when I was cooking over anyone else.

So no matter what you people think, the food is always a huge part of the tip regardless of the service.

John - According to the premise of this article, it would suggest you were a sub par cook. The customers had to lie about how bad your food was, and too make up for it, tipped the servers more.

Of course, I think the premise is flawed. My wife and I are "nice" people who rarely complain about anything. We almost always tip 20%. Not because we had to lie about things, but because we are "nice" people.

MadTown, I think you are reading too much into the article and you have somewhat misunderstood the "premise" if you think it is saying big tips always accompany a bad experience. The point is quite a bit more nuanced than that.

I understand the premise. From the story above: "Consumers who lie to avoid confrontation are more likely to reward the people who have irritated them, scientists now say."

I would have to read the study to see how it was conducted to fully understand the point they are trying to make. Was there a control group to measure the tips when there was no interruption in service, as described above? I could be that those who lie to avoid conflict are more likely to give a higher tip under any circumstances.

Tips:

TO

Insure

promptness

To Insure Prompt Service

*ahem* http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp

MadTown-2924251-Of course, I think the premise is flawed. My wife and I are "nice" people who rarely complain about anything. We almost always tip 20%. Not because we had to lie about things, but because we are "nice" people.

I agree- They could have also worded their results as 'people who are nice/generous and tip well are less likely to complain over minor inconveniences'.

Despite the rhetoric in this thread that you may read about lowering the tip when the food is of poor quality, that is not what tipping is for. The wages paid to a person who receives tips (the waiter or waitress) are usually far below those of the person who doesn't (the chefs and cooks). In case you are unaware, minimum wage for U.S. tip receivers is $2.13. For most workers, it is $7.25. Sadly, far too many people are unaware of that.

Also, despite the "wisdom" in this thread that you tip for the quality of food, that has always been considered poor manners. You tip for prompt service--not for food quality. It's generally conceded that food quality is not within the power of the waitstaff to correct (though if something is obviously amiss, say gravy smothering the sauteed vegetables, they would do well to bring it to the attention of the customer and ask if the customer would like to wait while that is fixed). Those who reduce the waiter/waitresses tips for food quality are just more proof that Americans are becoming more and more uncultured.

--mark d.

I used to be a waitress, and always did what I needed to do, and with a smile. There was one couple that came in three times a week, and ordered food and sangria that came to about $40. No matter who served her, no matter what we did for these people, they only tipped $3. There were several other regulars that tipped the same way. No matter who served them, no matter the quality of food, or service, they were cheapskates.

Now, when I go out to eat, I tip accordingly, unless the server was a jerk, or a real screw up. However, I will not punish someone who is obviously new, and nervous. That is just wrong to do to someone.

Some 'food for thought': If you use a taxi, will you tip the driver with the luxury cab more than the driver with the clunker?

Chouse, I'm not sure if anyone brought this to your attention because once I read your comments I had to scroll down to respond.

You don't know a thing about the food service industry and really need to stop convincing anyone that you do.

First, the service staff, your waiter or waitress, is the lowest paid employee in the restaurant. The busboy makes more money per hour. Wait staff are the only people in the restaurant that are paid less than minimum wage. As a matter of fact it is one of the very few professions in the country that don't make minimum wage.

You also seem to believe that the wait staff is capable of looking at any food dish and determining if it was cooked correctly. Are they supposed to cut open my steak to see if it is medium rare? Are they supposed to taste every dish to make sure it is seasoned correctly? A dish can look perfectly fine but still taste like crap or is under or over cooked.

The cook/chef who is generally the highest paid person on the staff is responsible for making sure you are being served what you ordered. The wait staff is there to make sure you are served, everything is okay and your glass is filled. They aren't your concierge making sure everything is perfect. The assistant manager or manager is there to field any and all customer complaints. What little things are they doing that they can't take the time to make sure that the people that keep their facility open are satisfied?

You either need to get a clue or stop going out to eat because you are insulting these hard working people. Yes there are bad seeds like there are in any profession and I have had my share of terrible service but the majority of time everything has been excellent and I frequent the establishments that do have the best service. I usually tip a minimum of 20% and have tipped as high as 50% when the service is above and beyond what I expect.

In the end, the wait staff works harder than anyone else in the restaurant. They are constantly moving, memorizing, balancing, serving and, these days, busing all while keeping a smile on their face even though they have to deal with people like you.

Educate yourself instead of making assumptions. I, like a lot of people, started out in the restaurant industry and I truly got tired of seeing our waitresses busting their butts to serve lunch to businessmen in fancy suits only to see them leave a quarter for the tip.

Now that my rant is done I believe they should do a survey to determine how many people in this country understand how the food service industry works. If more than 50% of the people don't know that the wait staff makes less than minimum wage we should abolish that law so these hard working people, usually putting themselves through school, can make a decent living kissing our behinds.

Either pay them on your own or be forced to pay them with higher prices because if the hourly rate is increased so will the cost of eating out.

I would love to see wait staff make at least minimum wage. Then tips could be what they probably ought to be: a token recognizing service. Not a guilt charge to make up for the fact that nobody is willing to pay wait staff minimum wage.

That is what will happen Browns Backer. However, this should not result in higher prices because their overall wages have never kept up in reality. This is complicated by the increasing incidents of raising costs at whim.

"You don't know a thing about the food service industry and really need to stop convincing anyone that you do."

@BrownsBacker: I'm not going into my professional background other than to say that although it is not my primary field, I spent a number of years doing industrial R&D, Q.A., etc for a company that produced millions of dollars a day in products, and we did extensive on site inspections at the various restaurants. My knowledge of the foodservice industry, food science, sanitation, labor and the economics behind it would be enough to make you faint, so DO NOT randomly step up to somebody and try to make such stupid assertions as you have made, as you just look like a little wanker. I have done more focus groups than you've even pondered the subject most likely.

Well madtown, I can tell you failed critical thinking.

Aside from getting paid less than minimum wage, waitstaff have taxes with held from their pay checks for tips, whether they receive the tips or not. It's based on how much they sell.

@Mike-L - I completely agree. Remove tipping all together and pay the wait staff, or like in Eurpoe include the tip as a service fee in the bill.

"waitstaff have taxes with held from their pay checks for tips, whether they receive the tips or not. It's based on how much they sell."

Huh!?! In just about every jurisdiction I can think of they have to report the exact amount of tips that they received each shift and the withholding is directly based upon that and number of hours worked, etc - at least at any reputable business.

If you had withholding based upon your total sales then you either worked for an idiot who couldn't read the laws or you have some very odd laws in your area.

Either way, the withholding is just that - money they keep initially but you may get back when you file taxes depending on your income, etc - it's not something they take and you don't get back like FICA.

I worked as a waitress, chouse. You must not work outside of one area/state and I really doubt that you are also a tax accountant besides being an INDUSTRIAL R&D person. I doubt very much that you were ever involved in the accounting for any of the businesses in their PAYROLL. I doubt very much if you even have taken a single BUSINESS class in your life so you probably have no CLUE how it works.

In the place where I waited tables, the management kept track of the total checks for a server and THAT was entered into the payroll to then add on 8% which was shown on the paystub as "tips" and on the W-2 as "tips" also. Then again, we were not a "tip-sharing" shop and all tips went only to the waitstaff so the management had no interest in knowing EXACTLY what our tips were.

Just because a FEW places tip-share or require their employees to account for their tips to the penny doesn't mean that ALL places do so. Then again, if you had taken a statistics class you would know that what you have is a spurious argument because of lack of data.

sonofmolly/cat- I've had waitressing jobs in three different parts of my state, and each one required that you mark down tips received when you clocked out. Those amounts were used to figure income taxes, and to make sure you made enough tips to total minimum wage when added to your wages.

"I doubt very much if you even have taken a single BUSINESS class in your life so you probably have no CLUE how it works."

WTF is with all these people who don't get that sometimes a real subject matter expert will walk into the conversation.

You are the one who has NO CLUE. I've taken more than a few business classes and more industry experience than you'd believe. Really, I'm laughing that somebody would even try to make the assertions that you have about me.

Nice try pretending that you know what you're talking about - indeed most of the large national chains do exactly what I mentioned (which is why I mentioned it in the first place). You are the one who clearly doesn't know what they're talking about.

"Then again, if you had taken a statistics class you would know that what you have is a spurious argument because of lack of data."

Been there, done that - nice try, but once again, big fail! Knowing that is exactly what some of the larger chains in the industry do is more than a sufficient basis on which to comment. Obviously state and local laws can vary the requirement per jurisdiction, however I was not talking out of my butt as you clearly are based on your experience in one city. Have a nice day.

I give a nickle... it lets them know you didn't forget.

If, on rare occasion, the food is bad enough to warrant complaint, I will do so. But I do it politely, letting the server know that I realize they are only the "messenger." I've never had a server not try to make me happy, and for the extra effort they deserve a good tip. Even on occasions when the server brought the wrong order, expressing the error politely pays off, and when they say "sorry" and make a cheerful effort to correct it, I still give a reasonable tip. The tip only goes down if they've been rude or neglectful.

It always pisses me off when I hear the public think that food service employees spit in people's food. Only low life scum would ever do such a thing and in the 15 total years of restaurant work I was in, I only knew of one such instance. I was a manager and it happened before I got there. I pulled the 3 aside allegedly involved in the incident and told them that I didn't care what happened but if I even heard a rumor of it happening again, I would fire them or anyone else involved on the spot.

I never did and would give anyone around me an earful if they even suggested it in my presence. I have too much respect for the dish I prepare to dare disgrace it.

Severs never forget the "nickle" tipper. Right to refuse service.

John I hear what you're saying and maybe you worked at a place that was better than that, but even ONE instance One time a million years ago is enough to make me just not complain at a restaurant.

ditto. I'm overly generous when tipping as long as the server refills my drink and doesn't make me feel like I'm intruding on their day by taking my order. 20% or more is my norm. I've been known to go up to 50% or higher for extraordinary service.

LOL, that's funny. You're fortunate enough to be able to let them know when the service stinks but there are those who are not used to confrontation even if it's in their own best interest. I think much of it dates back to when mommy took care of everything. Now that junior is all grown up, he/she doesn't know how to handle small situations.

MNPat, I think you hit the nail on the head. Your assessment is probably more accurate than the researchers

I agree E_Ruff. MNPat, your assessment is on target. This report is more about how nice people treat each other. Although, the actual test was having the service person walk away for 10 minutes, a nice person may assume, at least once, that it was not the person's fault or it was urgent.

IF the test had the server stand a few feet away and talk to a girl friend on her cell phone for 10 minutes, the outcome would probably be different.

Wow, Eric, you should have run the test. Seriously; I'm not trying to be sarcastic.

--mark d.

Many years ago . . . let us note that food prices were completely manageable for the average customer back then.

http://www.cbs.com/shows/2_broke_girls/video/2163068432/2-broke-girls-old-lady-bitch-pass

I think the show is stupid yet i still watch nothing on TV anymore i guest like the customer waitress conflicts max participates in.

The proper frequency is whenever someone's drink is empty... preferably offering to fill all the glasses.

It seems that at most places they like to wait to ask you whether you like your food until your mouth is either stuffed with food or you're engaged in a great conversation or you just put your glass to your lips and started drinking your water. When the wait staff throws a wet blanket over my having a good time or endangers my health by making me choke then the tip goes down.

wj-777816

If you keep coming to my table and asking if everything is fine every 5 minutes... you may not get a tip.

That is annoying, and when you finish, they're no where to be found.

Oh I hate that. It's hard to keep a conversation going at the table when that happens. We once had a waiter start telling us his life story as if he were on a date with us. I wanted to say, why don't you just pull up a chair and join us for dinner (sarcastically). My fear was, he may have accepted the offer.

This behavior will only prevent me from tipping if I am in a focused conversation.

You can tell by feeling the plate, looking to see if their is steam. If you are familiar with the foods and served them a lot, you can tell.

What if it's cold in the center, like I have seen many times. The steam just lets me know that it is hot on the outside, not thoughout.

Geez

Three of the best quality gages:

Does the water taste good?

Are the bathrooms acceptably clean? Reasonably speaking, through the course of a day?

Are the tables too crowded together?

I guess I'm one of the 'nice' people. I generally don't complain, but I almost always leave a good tip. However, if the service is awful, I just choose not to go back to that restaurant any more.

tip actually means "To Insure Promptness" so technically, a tip should be paid in advance of the meal if you really expect to change their behavior. If someone said what you suggest and I was serving them I'd assume they were going to stiff me and give up on the table.

Mark, that is an urban myth.

Tipping in America has pretty much been diluted to being mandatory not a generosity. In fact, if you have so many in a party, they will add a mandatory tip to your bill whether you like it or not.

Even if my etymology is wrong, I would still give up on the table because anyone saying something like that is probably already planning to screw me over. Perhaps they would make worth my while (say doubling the tip), but it would be a risk to apply extra effort to a table that has raised the stakes like that. By paying more attention to them, I risk loosing the tips at other tables.

Better to do my job normally, or apply that effort to multiple other tables that aren't so conceited.... at worse I break even and keep my dignity.

rkb5555 -

Obviously you have never waited tables. If you have ever had a party of 20 people on a busy night that takes up your entire section, sits there for 2 hours during the dinner rush, and then leaves you 5% on their $300 bill...you would never complain about a gratuity. This is how servers pay their bills. If you can afford to go out to eat with a large group, don't complain about parting with a bit more money to reward the server for doing their job. If the server has abysmally failed at doing their job and there is a gratuity added, you can always talk to the manager and ask to have it removed. If you have a good enough reason, they will most likely comply.

As someone who waited tables for many years, you really have to piss me off to make me tip less than 20%. I will tip upwards of 30% for exceptional service. And I live on a tight budget, I just don't go out to eat unless I have the disposable income to eat out AND tip well for the pleasure.

C.S. -

You just reinforced a perception of mine that people who get tipped tend to tip better (Yes, I work in an industry where I get tipped).

rkb -

You just reinforced a perception of mine that people suck. Stay home to eat and stop resenting people for trying to make a living.

"So many people without a back bone"? Nowhere in this article did they state a number or percentage of people who fell into this category. It is clear from your attitude that you are not a part of whatever small minority would fit into the category. I'm also guessing your attitude might have some influence on the number of bad service cases you experience. You reap what you sow. Folks can spot a bad attitude from a mile off -- lowly service staff, too -- and it is only human to respond accordingly.

Dear Saddened:

You must be one of those customer service representatives to be unconditionally offended. I don't get mad unless they give me a reason to be mad. I give everyone a chance.

I agree. I usually tip 20% or more if its a small bill (eating out bymyself) but if you ask if I want change back thats a quick way to get knocked down to 15% or worse if the service sucked too.

Unless he stopped to count the bills at your table in front of you first (which I have never seen a waiter do before asking that particular question), how was he supposed to know what percentage the change would have been? He may have been a terrible waiter otherwise, but Iwonder if maybe you weren't being a little too sensitive over this last "offense."

In this particular restaurant the servers were paid at the table (we had to get the manager involved in order to get him to come to get paid! We had to get the manager to get him to come back to the table to get our order, we had to get the manager and ask him why we didn't have our meals after 45 minutes, etc. the waiter would just disappear and the manager couldn't find him. The manager brought us our meals after finding out he had not even turned them in to the kitchen!) If one gives someone $40 to pay for a $25 meal, and the server asks you if you want change BEFORE giving you back your change, that is rude and in his situation ridiculous since the manager had to do 85% of his job! I doubt he was intelligent enough to understand percentages, but $15 for $25 meal is a bit excessive even for an excellent server, which this guy obviously wast not!