OT: Tipping dilemma

[18IsTheMan]

Curious to see what folks on this issue of tipping I recently encountered.

Went out with a big family gathering the Friday before Mother's Day to an Italian restaurant. I was not in the mood for pasta, so I ordered meal that had a steak and mashed potatoes. It was, hands down, the worst steak I ever had, and that includes Ryan's and Golden Corral. For starters, it was barely warmed. It had a sickly gray color to it. I ordered it medium but it was cooked well. It tasked about like a dish sponge. It gave every appearance of having been previously cooked and then warmed up for my order. Also terribly tough. My father also got the steak and his was terrible, so it wasn't worth sending it back to have them try again. Also, I didn't want to wait for them to cook another steak while everyone else was eating. Potatoes were also barely warm. I'll add, I'm not even a steak snob like a lot of dudes pretend to be. Sure, I thoroughly enjoy a truly great steak, but I can make do with a family steakhouse kind of steak as well.

Here's the dilemma: the service was good. I wouldn't say it was GREAT, but it was good. Nothing to complain about.

I know all these restaurants split/share tips, so it killed me to know the person who served me a steak that should be illegal would get some tip money. I've been in restaurants where I've had good food and bad service or bad food and good service, but this was the biggest discrepancy I've ever had between food and service quality. So the question....

Do you factor food quality into the amount of your tip? I would say I typically do not, but when it's genuinely one of the worst food items you've ever had, I don't see I couldn't take that into consideration.

 

[LazyIslander]

So, tip sharing is usually done with the service staff, meaning the host, server, bartender and expediter (the person who gets the plates ready to serve and compiles the tables' orders) but not the kitchen staff. They make normal hourly wages or salaries. So, I would not consider the food quality when tipping. However, I definitely would have let the server know of the issue and considered the reaction to it in determining the tip.

 

[Lakemurraycock]

So, tip sharing is usually done with the service staff, meaning the host, server, bartender and expediter (the person who gets the plates ready to serve and compiles the tables' orders) but not the kitchen staff. They make normal hourly wages or salaries. So, I would not consider the food quality when tipping. However, I definitely would have let the server know of the issue and considered the reaction to it in determining the tip.

Well said.

 

[will110]

Curious to see what folks on this issue of tipping I recently encountered.

Went out with a big family gathering the Friday before Mother's Day to an Italian restaurant. I was not in the mood for pasta, so I ordered meal that had a steak and mashed potatoes. It was, hands down, the worst steak I ever had, and that includes Ryan's and Golden Corral. For starters, it was barely warmed. It had a sickly gray color to it. I ordered it medium but it was cooked well. It tasked about like a dish sponge. It gave every appearance of having been previously cooked and then warmed up for my order. Also terribly tough. My father also got the steak and his was terrible, so it wasn't worth sending it back to have them try again. Also, I didn't want to wait for them to cook another steak while everyone else was eating. Potatoes were also barely warm. I'll add, I'm not even a steak snob like a lot of dudes pretend to be. Sure, I thoroughly enjoy a truly great steak, but I can make do with a family steakhouse kind of steak as well.

Here's the dilemma: the service was good. I wouldn't say it was GREAT, but it was good. Nothing to complain about.

I know all these restaurants split/share tips, so it killed me to know the person who served me a steak that should be illegal would get some tip money. I've been in restaurants where I've had good food and bad service or bad food and good service, but this was the biggest discrepancy I've ever had between food and service quality. So the question....

Do you factor food quality into the amount of your tip? I would say I typically do not, but when it's genuinely one of the worst food items you've ever had, I don't see I couldn't take that into consideration.

Personally I'm going to tip 18-20% no matter what, even if it's poor service. That's how most of these folks make a living, so even if they're having a bad day, I'm not going to try and make it worse.

If service is good, then I'll tip higher.

Food quality is not going to be something I take into consideration when tipping.

 

[Rhode Island Dork]

I'd like to see the expected tipping practice to go away forever. Restaurants should pay their employees, not the customer.

 

[Viennacock]

I'd like to see the expected tipping practice to go away forever. Restaurants should pay their employees, not the customer.

We would ***** that the prices were too high. Restaurants would certainly have to raise prices substantially. I'm good with tipping. That said, it's nice when you go to a restaurant (normally lunch) and order from the counter with no tipping.

I recently ate at a restaurant in Georgetown in which you ordered from the counter, but had a waitress. You paid your bill and tipped when ordering, if you were using a card. Waitress was awful yet I tipped her 20% up-front. I'll take cash next time.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

What about the tip screen when paying for a carry out order where all they do is take the order and hand it to you when it's ready?

 

[92Pony]

What about the tip screen when paying for a carry out order where all they do is take the order and hand it to you when it's ready?

I never tip when picking up to-go orders.

 

[Viennacock]

I never tip when picking up to-go orders.

I'm with ya. I may if there's a cute young lady or someone I know but normally no. That said, i have been more generous because most of these workers are high school or college kids. My kids are in the same age group so I'm a little more empathetic.

 

[Thunderstick]

My cardinal rule: I never tip before receiving my food.

 

[Rhode Island Dork]

I never tip when picking up to-go orders.

This.

 

[Gradstudent]

I tip better, the older I have become, its not as important of a deal to me, and pretty much 20% min, but if great service then, I can be generous.

I'm reluctant to complain to much and really never send food back, but my wife will in a instant, , she has no qualms about that LOL

To Go is pretty tricky, I get all arguments, i don't think you tip the same as a sit down for the servers efforts at all and get not tipping or tipping a smaller % if you feel so inclined.

 

[FootballLVR]

In similar experiences, I eat the salad, send the rest back. Tip based on the total price but refuse to pay for the steak and potato. Then I get a burger on the way home. They can take the overcooked steak and undercooked potato, turn it sideways, and stick it up their......

You get the idea

 

[18IsTheMan]

I guess I’m just old-school. Can’t bring myself to tip extra for poor food or service. You wouldn’t do that under any other circumstance…so I don’t know why people feel compelled to do it in restaurants.

I know servers have a low hourly wage, but that should be all the more incentive for them to give good service. I worked in a restaurant for nine years and knew a lot of disgruntled servers who did not work hard because they felt they didn’t make enough. Then they would get further disgruntled when they got bad tips so they would give worse service and get worse tips. On the other hand, there were servers who busted their butts and made great tips and that made the ones who didn’t work hard even madder that these other servers were getting good tips while they got bad tips. it’s just common sense.

 

[Rhode Island Dork]

Does the pennies left on the table custom still exist?

 

[KingWard]

Curious to see what folks on this issue of tipping I recently encountered.

Went out with a big family gathering the Friday before Mother's Day to an Italian restaurant. I was not in the mood for pasta, so I ordered meal that had a steak and mashed potatoes. It was, hands down, the worst steak I ever had, and that includes Ryan's and Golden Corral. For starters, it was barely warmed. It had a sickly gray color to it. I ordered it medium but it was cooked well. It tasked about like a dish sponge. It gave every appearance of having been previously cooked and then warmed up for my order. Also terribly tough. My father also got the steak and his was terrible, so it wasn't worth sending it back to have them try again. Also, I didn't want to wait for them to cook another steak while everyone else was eating. Potatoes were also barely warm. I'll add, I'm not even a steak snob like a lot of dudes pretend to be. Sure, I thoroughly enjoy a truly great steak, but I can make do with a family steakhouse kind of steak as well.

Here's the dilemma: the service was good. I wouldn't say it was GREAT, but it was good. Nothing to complain about.

I know all these restaurants split/share tips, so it killed me to know the person who served me a steak that should be illegal would get some tip money. I've been in restaurants where I've had good food and bad service or bad food and good service, but this was the biggest discrepancy I've ever had between food and service quality. So the question....

Do you factor food quality into the amount of your tip? I would say I typically do not, but when it's genuinely one of the worst food items you've ever had, I don't see I couldn't take that into consideration.

Absolutely not, with respect to linking food quality with what I tip. I tip the wait person according to his or her performance, and I have to be downright displeased to go under 20 per cent. Usually I tip a little more. I also interact cordially with wait people, and consequently, I get good service everyplace in town. Additionally, I tip in cash and hand the money to the wait person discreetly. It matters to them and is remembered.

 

[RevRuss]

I be crazy, but I usually tip bad servers as much as good because they may be having bad day and they need the money more. My wife made a living off tips and had a lot of bad days living with me.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

When a tip machine is pushed in my face at a drive through window I give them $1 just to get it over with. The other tip I give them? Get back in school.