Resturants. To tip or not to tip?

Eckostyle · Post by **Eckostyle** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:42 pm

This is a nice little conversation from the beginning of the movie Reservoir Dogs. When all the people at the table are asked to throw in a dollar to tip a waitress, Mr. Pink refuses and proudly argues why.

EDDIE
All right. Everybody cough up some green for the little lady.

Come on. Throw in a buck.

MR. PINK
Uh-uh. I don't tip.

EDDIE
You don't tip?

MR. PINK
No - I don't believe in it.

EDDIE
You don't believe in tipping?

MR. BLUE
You know what these chicks make? They make shit.

MR. PINK
Don't give me that. She don't make enough money, she can quit.

(Mr. Blonde laughs.)
EDDIE
I don't even know a fucking Jew who'd have the balls to say that. Let me just get this straight. You don't ever tip, huh?

MR. PINK
I don't tip because society says I have to. Alright, I mean I'll tip if somebody really deserves a tip, if they really put forth the effort, I'll give 'em something extra, but I mean this tipping automatically is for the birds.

(Eddie laughs.)
I mean as far as I'm concerned they're just doing their job.

MR. BLUE
Hey, this girl was nice.

MR. PINK
She was OK - but she wasn't anything special.

MR. BLUE
What's special, take you in the back and suck your dick?

(They laugh.)
EDDIE
I'd go over 12% for that.

MR. PINK
Hey Look, I ordered coffee, right? Now we've been here a long fuckin time, and she's only filled my cup three times. When I order coffee, I want it filled six times

MR. BLONDE
Six times? Well, you know, what if she's too fucking busy?

MR. PINK
Words "too fucking busy" shouldn't be in a waitress' vocabulary.

EDDIE
Excuse me, Mr. Pink - the last fucking thing you need's another cup of coffee.

MR. PINK
Jesus Christ - I mean these ladies aren't starving to death. They make minimum wage. You know, I used to work minimum wage. And when I did, I wasn't lucky enough to have a job society deemed tip-worthy.

MR. BLUE
You don't care they're counting on your tips to live?

(Mr. Pink rubs two of his fingers together.)
MR. PINK
You know what this is? It's the world's smallest violin playing just for the waitresses.

MR. WHITE
You don't have any idea what you're talking about. These people bust their ass. This is a hard job.

MR. PINK
So's working at McDonald's, but you don't feel the need to tip them, do you? Why not? They're servin ya food. But no, society says don't tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here. That's bullshit.

MR. WHITE
Waitressing is the number one occupation for female noncollege graduates in this country. It's the one job basically any woman can get and make a living on. The reason is because of their tips.

MR. PINK
(pauses) Fuck all that.

(They all laugh.)
MR. BROWN
Jesus Christ!

MR. PINK
Hey, I'm very sorry that the government taxes their tips. That's fucked up. That ain't my fault. It would appear that waitresses are just one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. You show me a paper says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it. Put it to a vote, I'll vote for it. But what I won't do is play ball. And this non-college bullshit you're giving me, I got two words for that: "Learn to fuckin type." Cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent, you're in for a big fuckin' surprise.

MR. ORANGE
Hey - he's convinced me. Give me my dollar back.

EDDIE
Hey! Leave the dollars there.

Only a piece of a great film, but kind of a decent debate, even if for fun. Whos side are you on? Mr. White, or Mr. Pink?

Zealous zerotype · Post by **Zealous zerotype** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:38 pm

God. Damn. It.

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:22 pm

They make minimum wage. You know, I used to work minimum wage. And when I did, I wasn't lucky enough to have a job society deemed tip-worthy.

That's actually wrong, sort of. Depending on where they're working, they can be paid under minimum wage. However, if their income combined with tips is lower than minimum wage, their employer has to pay the difference.

I like having tips for a couple of reasons. For one, it gives them some reason to try harder, which is nice for the customer. Two, it lets them get paid more than most other jobs in that bracket. The problem isn't so much they get paid too much, it's that other people get paid too little. I also like to be able to leave shitty tips for shitty service.

And fast food employee's do far, far less per customer than a waitress normally does. There's a reason barristas often have tip jars, as they have to do far more on an individual scale for each customer than fast food employees.

Post by **pixel** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:32 pm

The help has to be absolutely retarded for me not to tip something.

Post by **melancholy** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:12 pm

Didn't this whole tipping thing come up in CE recently? The argument I made in there stands in here; I will tip because I have to but I think our society's tipping structure is horrible.

Jaded JAaron77 · Post by **Jaded JAaron77** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:25 pm

pretty good points, except like Lartrak said, most of the people I know that work as servers only get I think it's $2.50 an hour and the government expects them to make the rest of the $6.25 on tips..

apparently in Japan it's not customary to tip at all

Veggita2099 · Post by **Veggita2099** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:05 am

What is the tip situation when it comes to having say a Pizza delivered? I mean if the place charges a $2 fee should you still tip? Does that $2 go to the driver, or to the Pizza place?

I tell you a situation that I never did quite understand. When staying in a hotel the place delivered the food to your room. IT required a 18% gratuity on your bill. Does that mean you still have to tip the person who gives you the food, or does that 18% automatically go to them?

JuddWack · Post by **JuddWack** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:26 am

I think the $2 is to cover the guys gas and repairs, which does tear your car apartment. They deserve it in addition to a tip I think.

Japan and China are both non tipping which I have grown to love and am sure I will forget about when I come home.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:25 am

I don't tip unless somebody has gone ridiculously above and beyond the usual level of expected service. But that's from the British view where I know the waiting staff have to earn a full, proper wage and any "tips" are seen as a bonus and shared equally among the staff.

In the US, I would tip because you seem to be left with no choice, but I hate the way the system is set up. Serving my meal promptly and being polite. Those aren't service extras, but standard expectations and I don't see why I should be charged extra to cover such things. Restaurants should incoprorate service into their prices just like every other business.

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:24 pm

BoneyCork wrote:I don't tip unless somebody has gone ridiculously above and beyond the usual level of expected service. But that's from the British view where I know the waiting staff have to earn a full, proper wage and any "tips" are seen as a bonus and shared equally among the staff.

In the US, I would tip because you seem to be left with no choice, but I hate the way the system is set up. Serving my meal promptly and being polite. Those aren't service extras, but standard expectations and I don't see why I should be charged extra to cover such things. Restaurants should incoprorate service into their prices just like every other business.

But then you couldn't cheap out by getting your food carry out.

In the US, I would tip because you seem to be left with no choice, but I hate the way the system is set up.

You could not tip. Everyone would just think you were a jackass.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:44 pm

Lartrak wrote:You could not tip. Everyone would just think you were a jackass.

I guess you're right. I'll rephrase:

n the US, I would tip if I felt that I would return to that same restaurant again, because you seem to be left with no choice, but I hate the way the system is set up.

If I felt I wouldn't return, then I wouldn't tip because:
1) The food/service clearly wasn't good enough because I'm not considering coming back.
2) They can think I'm a jackass, because I won't be coming back.

TyBO · Post by **TyBO** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:01 pm

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/54297

The guy who wrote that read the article on NPR once; it had me cracking up.

Anyway, I work in the kitchen of a restaurant, and I know from being around so many servers that it sucks not getting a tipped, especially when you make a meager hourly wage of $2.63. That said, it's messed up that we expect customers to pay gratuity on top of the check when restaurant food prices are so jacked up (we charge $11 for our salads).

Vlad Tepes · Post by **Vlad Tepes** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:48 pm

I tip. I see the tip as incentive for the waiter/waitress to do a good job. If they do what they SHOULD do...I'll leave 10%, but if they go above what I expect, I'll tip 20%. I have no problem not tipping, but in those situations, I'll tip a couple of pennies or a nicle to show them I do believe in tipping...but that they just did a bad job.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:51 pm

Jaded JAaron77 wrote:apparently in Japan it's not customary to tip at all

It isn't customary in most countries, actually. In Japan, it may be considered rude.

Interestingly, the area I live in gets a lot of foreign tourists. Some of the local restaurants do accept (or even expect) tips, even though nobody outside the area does. I guess they don't want to miss the opportunity to leech some more money out of the tourists.

Prophet][ · Post by **Prophet][** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:04 am

I never tip. I might one day if the service is extra special but I don't see why I should. I dine out most weekends and have never had anyone say anything about tipping to me.

Post by **Specially Cork** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:26 am

Jaded JAaron77 wrote:apparently in Japan it's not customary to tip at all

This is true. It is considered rude because it implies that:

1) You think the manager is an idiot who undervalues his own food/service

2) You think the waiting staff are idiots who won't serve you properly unless you pay them extra

May seem like a strange point of view to a westerner but it saves you money I guess, so no reason to complain.

JellyWarrior · Post by **JellyWarrior** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:19 am

BoneyCork wrote:
Jaded JAaron77 wrote:apparently in Japan it's not customary to tip at all
This is true. It is considered rude because it implies that:

1) You think the manager is an idiot who undervalues his own food/service

2) You think the waiting staff are idiots who won't serve you properly unless you pay them extra

May seem like a strange point of view to a westerner but it saves you money I guess, so no reason to complain.

Here in OZ it's also not customary to tip at all and no one will think less of you if you don't tip.

I rarely ever tip except in situations where I've been given excellent service.

I think tipping just for the sake of tipping is stupid, a tip should be something that is earned for quality of service, my tipping criteria are:
a) I'm not kept waiting, and if I am, I want to be acknowledged during the waiting period ("Sorry, we're having a busy night" etc)
b) service must be friendly
c) food must be of good quality
d) receive some kind of thanks of acknowledgement for eating there

There is no way that anyone should expect a tip for providing a service, they should expect a tip for providing an outstanding service.

pavelbure · Post by **pavelbure** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:06 am

i base my tip on a few things, the 2 biggest factors for me are,

1 did they bring me extra napkins when i asked for them ? i always ask and sometimes they don't.

2. did i get a refill in a timely matter when i asked for one ?

i will usually give a decent tip if those 2 are met. i can't blame the waitress or waiter for the food quality, they didn't make the food.

Lunchbox · Post by **Lunchbox** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:16 am

Buffet: No tip.

Regular restaurant: Tip.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:32 am

Yeah, I do. I usually give the guy a good one too (25-30%).

I'll tell you something. You give the pizza guy $3 - $4 for a $12 order, he gets down to your house within 15 minutes of ordering. No joke. I'd say it's worth it, if you frequent the restaurant/delivery place a lot. If you don't, 15% works fine for run of the mill service. But a lot of time, if you tip well, they'll do a better job the next few times you come in.