Photo by joe shlabotnik/Flickr CC
When Food Channel curator Corby Kummer wrote about tipping a few months ago, he came to one major conclusion: "The current system doesn't seem to please anybody, so consider this an invitation to submit solutions."
Two recent blog posts confirm the fact that no one is happy with the way we tip--or clear on how it works.
The San Francisco Chronicle's food blog tries to help out a reader who doesn't know how much to tip on a pricey bottle of wine: Should he pay the standard 20 percent on a $500 bottle, or something less?
The post cites the following advice from Rajat Parr, wine director at San Francisco's RN74:
He thinks that if the wine is $200 or below, 15-20 percent is correct. Wines in the $200 to $500 range should garner a 12-15 percent tip. For bottles over $500, he thinks 10 percent is adequate.But the piece ends with the caveat that vexes restaurant-goers as they puzzle over how much to add to the bill at the end of the meal: "These are only guidelines, because every situation differs...Now that you have the guidelines, let your conscience be your guide."
Proving that tipping is just as confusing to the server as it is to the diner, Slashfood offers these thoughts from a veteran waitress:
There's nothing more ambiguous than the 15-percent tip, which could just as well be a "thanks for nothing" grat from a miffed diner who always leaves 20 percent or a sincere show of gratitude from an infrequent restaurantgoer who thinks 15 percent is still the going rate for good service. Only the tipper knows for sure.So, even if you do follow your conscience, your server may not get the message.
Is it time to switch to China's tipping culture--that is, to get rid of tipping altogether? Or is there another way to end the tipping confusion? Again, suggestions for solutions are welcome.
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I always leave a 20 percent tip, and in some cases I have had poor service when I did so. For a great service and my favorite server who knows my name and what I like, I go 25 percent or sometimes 50 percent, because I like the personal service I get. By doing so, I get favorable treatment and more food and wine samplers than I otherwise would. http://www.mydochub.com
In Australia, tipping is only expected if you think the service is worthy. People in the food service industry are paid real wages with real benefits.... just like a real job.
A great topic for discussion. I had a couple thoughts:
First, I believe that the majority of restaurant-goers are NOT good tippers. I base this on my experience in the service industry, as well as my partner's (she still works in service). Since the economy started going south, not only has restaurant business been down overall, tipping has been down! Most service industry employees do not have health insurance or other such benefits (job security, salary, etc.) There seems to be a prevailing attitude amongst customers that service industry employees are well compensated and tips are something of a "bonus". It's not. I wouldn't say the attitude is common, but certainly not uncommon either.
As for high end restaurants (I'm thinking here about 75+ dollars a head for FOOD), I don't think tipping should change. If you have the money to spend at such an establishment, you should be gracious enough to tip the server the same as if you were eating at Applebee's. Ditto for some of the highest end restaurants, where you could be looking at 150+ a head for food. Factoring in alcohol is a bit tougher though, especially when it can include a multi-hundred dollar bottle of champagne or wine.
My preferred approach is to ask for advice on the wine (even if I don't need it and have already made a decision). If the restaurant in question has a sommelier, I will tip him/her a solid 10 - 15% on the bottle, but not higher (unless the sommelier has gone out of their way to be of particular service). If the server happens to be particularly knowledgeable about wine and offers good advice or recommendations, I will include the price of the wine in the total when I factor in their tip. If the server is not knowledgeable about wine, I would follow the breakdown given by Rajat Parr above. (As an aside, I give a nominal tip to any restaurant employee who goes out of their way to assist me; e.g. a particularly helpful bartender, a hostess who works to put you in the most desired seating location, etc.)
When I'm doing a tasting menu with specific beverage pairings, that's an easy one. I tip on the total bill, alcohol included. A tasting menu is a product just like any other. If you don't want to tip on the total, don't get the beverage pairing!
As for total tips, I tip 20% on the total for adequate service, 15% for sub par or rushed service (for example, bringing out an entree when I'm still eating my salad, anyone at the table going 10 - 15 minutes with an empty glass, etc.), 30 - 35% for excellent service, and if I have an experience that is unpleasant, I will NOT tip, and I find the manager and explain the reason for not tipping. I have never had to do that. But I feel you're pretty disrespectful if you do something like leave a penny (this happens!), or tip 5% or something like that. If your server was rude, you're merely saying "I'm as rude as you."
The bottom line is, I respect people who bring me food. I am very willing to pay for that luxury. My personal opinion is, if you're not willing to compensate the people who bring you your food and drinks, stay home and make your own.
All that being said, if I'm at a chain restaurant, I just tip 20 - 25% on the total as a rule. Chain restaurants are working a whole different ballgame, and I think you know what you're getting going in. Unless your experience was poor (see above about talking to the manager), it's pretty cut and dry.
The tipping issue is a VERY volatile issue with me, and one of several issues that dissuade my wife (a medical professional) and I from eating in restaurants unless necessitated by business or travel.
And, I might add that 'trefingers' remark (posted above), "My personal opinion is, if you're not willing to compensate the people who bring you your food and drinks, stay home and make your own." is illustrative of the attitude that makes the practice of tipping (or of EXPECTED tips) so offensive to me.
I WOULD BE willing to compensate the people who prepare my meal, deliver my meal, wash my dishes, etc (just like we COMPENSATE our housekeeper) at a restaurant. BUT, I do NOT approve of the attitude of expectancy demonstrated SO CLEARLY by your remark, 'trefingers'. The price of the meal should INCLUDE the preparation AND delivery of the meal --- period!
Until this issue (along with issues of sanitation, cleanliness, and courtesy in general) is resolved, my wife and I will -- as you suggest -- stay home and make our own.
I don't know why my comments would be offensive; it's merely my opinion on how I personally choose to compensate people that bring me my food. I re-read my comments and I fail to see where I mentioned that my way was the correct way? I'm not the etiquette police, I just try to be gracious.
Regarding the totality of tips and service, it's common practice for servers to tip out to all members of the staff, excluding the kitchen staff, who make normal wages. Many restaurants require a portion of the tip for this. It's not pocket money for your server.
In an ideal world, the check would include everything, from supply to plate. Until that time, I choose to have some sympathy for those folks who work in that industry. I consider eating out to be a luxury, and like most luxuries, it assuages the conscience a bit to spread the wealth.
SOUND good?
The issue is not whether the serving staff -- upon doing a good job -- are entitled to fair wages. The issue is whose responsibility it is to pay them? In almost every other business, the *employer* pays the wages, but in the food service model it seems that the customer is expected to provide a supplement because the employer is unwilling or unable to carve out appropriate margin from their revenues.
So, given the ownership of making up someone's income, the original idea of tipping (as a reward for above-and-beyond service) has largely been set aside by a perceived entitlement. Which means the consumer no longer has the same ability to reward; if the baseline expectation is 15-20%, and even at 15% you run the risk of offending the waitstaff, then one could reasonably argue (assuming the staff do a good basic job) that they are at least 15% underpaid, on a per-customer basis.
If that's true, I would rather pay 15% more in menu prices, and have some confidence that the establishment was paying its staff fairly.
The downside, of course, is that the staff attitude changes because the 15% becomes the new reference mark, and there is no longer any incentive to make an extra effort.
The cycle is unending, and the only solution is to terminate it altogether. Restaurants need to offer staff a fair wage & benefits, and the staff can decide if the wage is acceptable on its own merits. Customers, in turn, need to know that the prices on the menu reflect the additional overhead incurred by the restaurant, and not complain about how expensive everything has become.
The problem with tipping is that everyone thinks they are above average.
I tip between 15-20% for the meaty middle of the bell curve. Good service (the top 20% of my encounters with waitstaff) goes to 20-25%, and really exceptional service (top 5%) goes to 25-30%. Still, for obvious reasons, most people are not the best of the last 5 waitstaff I've encountered, much less the best out of 20.
Well, servers would be less miffed if they realize that 20% is *not* yet the customary standard tip across the USA. It started in the lower half of Manhattan a generation ago, and the growth of similar foodie destinations in many other metro areas means this has become something of a minority standard in those kinds of places. But across most of the USA, 15% on the pretax amount (inclusive of liquor) for full table service remains the customary standard (10%, of course, for buffet service). Thus, in describing the current US custom, 15%-20% on the pretax amount (inclusive of liquor, but excluding the effect of coupons or comps not due to the server's errors) would be the most accurate description. Tip up for good service and if you hold a table longer than a typical turn.
As for wine: the gradation suggested in the piece itself has some issues. If there is a wine steward or sommelier who assisted in the selection, a portion of the tip is due her or him (and it might be worth asking the MOD if the server would take care of that via tip-out), more if she or he pours the wine. Still, unlike in older times, the wine goes on the sale on which the server is taxed and withheld, and so it's important not to screw the server in that regard.
As to the arrival of 20% as the new "custom," I blame the same know-nothing trend that has led to standing ovations at 90% of theater events.
Pretentious bobos want to believe that every performance they attend is one of the top 5% of the performances of history, that all of the service they receive at a nice restaurant is in the top 5%, etc. But 95% of the service isn't.