Restaurant Tips Mandatory

[Admin]

Customers are encouraged to leave a tip once they are done with their meal if a waiter/waitress is involved. Tip should be about good 15% of your total bill but can be lower if you were not satisfied with your service.

What do you think about those restaurants that includes the 15% in your total bill? Shouldn't the tip be the customer's decision rather than the restaurant's decision? Good thing not all restaurants have agreed to such rule.
Maybe those who works as a waiter/waitress will disagree.

[Bryansix]

I think that the tip has to be the decision of the customer. Otherwise it is like the restaurant is charging you more for your food and paying the waiter/waitress more. I genarally leave more then 15% for anything ranging from adequate to great service. I mean all I really want is my drink to not be empty and to get the right food. On more then one occasion though I have left a penny. One time it was because after I pointed out that my glass was cracked to the waitress, she said she could get me a new drink but she would have to charge me. What crap!

[swagner]

I am a waiter. Being a waiter has funded my trip through Cal Poly. An interesting note in reference to tips the the general public does not know : whether or not you get a tip, you are taxed upon the "theoretical" tip that the IRS thinks that you should get. Hence, some restaurants add a tip to the bill if the party is large (i.e. 8 people or more). This is done because the server would be likely to be taxed a great deal on a large check; if a tip is not given or is substantially low, a server could be unfairly penalized. Overall, I think that tips should be at the discretion of the restaurant guest, but in terms of large parties, it is better suited to the restaurant.

[Admin]

Originally Posted by swagner

I am a waiter. Being a waiter has funded my trip through Cal Poly. An interesting note in reference to tips the the general public does not know : whether or not you get a tip, you are taxed upon the "theoretical" tip that the IRS thinks that you should get. Hence, some restaurants add a tip to the bill if the party is large (i.e. 8 people or more). This is done because the server would be likely to be taxed a great deal on a large check; if a tip is not given or is substantially low, a server could be unfairly penalized. Overall, I think that tips should be at the discretion of the restaurant guest, but in terms of large parties, it is better suited to the restaurant.

Oh the IRS.
The waiter did tell us beforehand that the restaurant will add the 15% tip to the total before we ordered our food. So I guess it is fair since it was a large party and the waiter had to do lot of work himself. I bet you guys make good money on those weekend jobs.

[swagner]

We do okay - it certainly is the best weekend job around. About $100 - $200 per night plus wage.

[Admin]

Originally Posted by swagner

We do okay - it certainly is the best weekend job around. About $100 - $200 per night plus wage.

Per person? That's good money if you ask me.
My buddy applied to California Pizza Kitchen twice and didn't get a response. He also applied at Todai and no reply either. Hard to get a job at a good restaurant.

[swagner]

Yeah, it's not bad. I know what you mean about it being hard to find a good serving job; I applied to tons of places before I finally got hired. What do you do for a living?

[Admin]

Full time student. I also help my parents out on their small business.
I think I should start searching for a job now.

[Springles]

15% is a large tip considering that the waiters only bring you the food and refills the drink.

[swagner]

Only? The waiters put up with rude and disgusting people all night long. See how you like 50 some people who all need something "right away" on a Friday night.

[swagner]

By the way - 15 % isn't so large. The waiter only gets to see about 6% on an average 15% tip. (after taxes and tip-outs to the cooks, hosts, bar, food expo, cocktail servers, etc.)

[Bryansix]

Cry me a river. Working at McDonalds is a lot harder work. You put up with Little kids crying in your face, Moms who can't control thier kids, People who can't speak english and point at the menu while you confusedly try to figure out what they want and the people behind them in line start cussing you out, Managers all over you every second you are on the clock... need I go on?

Being a waiter/waitress is a great job and usually the service gets the tip accorrding to how well the customer was taken care of. At least you get a tip!

P.S. I work as an IT/IS consultant now. No more golden arches for me thank you very much.