Your Server

How much do you tip your server?

I've been a server at a local barbecue restaurant for a few months now, and the variations in tips I earn always surprise me. How much do you usually tip, and what do you expect from your server when you eat out?

Public Comments

1. at least 15% but if they are excellent i tip 20%
2. general rule is 15% of the total bill
3. I tip 15% if the service is average. I tip about 20% if it is above average. I've given as little as a nickel to waitresses who blatantly don't care and give crappy service. They know who they are. I like when they give you your food and only come back once during the meal to ask if you are ok. If they come back more than once while I'm eating it gets really annoying. Plus I hate having to say I'm ok with a mouth full of food.
4. i never tip, why tip some waitress to do her job
5. if there good my parents pay 10
6. Your question means that "Are there other servers who gets tips like you?" . Well the if you serve them a bit faster they will tip a lot. There goes the saying "As you sow so shall you ripe".
7. if its a really nice restaurant you tip 20% of what your check is ... if otherwise you tip 15%.. sometimes ppl... tip less though...
8. I tip 15-20% or more depending on the bill. I always round up, so on odd amounts or especially small bills, the % is usually higher even as high as 30-40%. Now, your question about what to expect as well as your experience with different people shows just how different many people are. For example, a person above stated they did not like to be bothered and found attentive servers to be annoying. Most people i know are the opposite- they like servers to make sure to keep the drinks filled, make sure the food is good,etc. For me there is nothing more annoying than an empty glass, poorly cooked food that needs to be sent back but the waitress is nowhere to be found,etc. If your place has dessert, I think the server should offer that. One ting I hate is when someone brings a check when you arent done yet, doesnt offer dessert or refills,etc. That's especially stupid if you want big tips. A couple times I have wanted to order dessert and/or other things and the waitress dropped off a check and disappeared. They cost themselves and their company a lot of money when they do this. Of course it depends on the place. Some places like to just turn people and then wonder why they don't make any money.
9. A lot of people depends on there income how much they leave ! The best thing a server can look nice and clean smile and keep the glasses full and the bread or chips coming you take care of those things most likely you will get a tip . It dont matter how bad the food taste its the service you give! 10-15%
10. i expect our server to stop by the table maybe twice to see if we need anything like drink refills or extra napkins, and not be grumpy. That is all. I tip depending on the class of restaurant and the number of people I am with. If i go out with one other person, and the bill is $50, i will leave ten. If it is a cheaper place like a little diner and the bill only comes to $25, I will leave $5. I am a server too and my place is terrible. I work at Pizza Hut, and I'd say 2 or 3 out of every ten tables leave nothing at all. I really would be happy with $1 per person. often i will have parties of 3 or 4 leave $2. I need a new job!! of course there are the nice people that leave $5 for just 2 people, and big parties that tip nice, but it's more bad than good, i think it is just the type of people that come in. I am a really good server, i just need to work somewhere nicer.
11. You usually tip servers 15%, unless you like them alot, then 20%.
12. I usually tip around 20% of the total. I like to drink a lot of tea with my meal so I really like it when the server wanders by and notices when I'm low and refills without asking.
13. 20 % as the norm, less or more depending on the service.
14. Unless you bring a calculator with you or you can easily do the math in head, it's 15%. Don't know what state you live in, but if you live in So. California, it's double the tax on the bill, and at some places gratuity is already included in the bill, so if you are not sure, ask them, so you are not OVER tipping them. I expect a server to come check at my table more than twice, if not then they are not doing their job, no matter how busy they are, that's their job!
15. Depends on the quality of the place and the service provided. A nice, sit down restaurant, I tip at least 15% unless the service is terrible. For a buffet, I might tip a couple of dollars if the server is getting us drinks, rolls, and clearing plates. I'm not very impressed with servers who interrupt conversations or do not wait for us to finish praying before they start serving food. I expect courteous service with a good attitude. Attentive to needs like getting drinks and clearing plates. Professional. All the other good stuff - friendly, funny, nicely dressed, etc - are nice but not crucial.
16. I never leave less than 15% and often more than 20%......but then again I'm a server, and have been for 20 years. I think a server should be polite and friendly w/o being over-bearing. There is a balance to be found with experience. Good luck, and "never let 'em see you sweat"!! That means customers and co-workers alike.
17. I'm a waiter, and we have it harder then people really think we do. Tip 15% as a minimum, unless the service really sucks, then tip lower. But if it was good or very good. 20 25 30 what ever feels good. But don't confuse bad service for quick service. Sometimes on a Friday or Saturday night waiters will get weeded, which means there in over there head, so if you see them running around a lot and apologizing for not being at the table a lot, try to understand.
18. it depends how good they were and how much i ate
19. I have been know to tip 25% and more depending on the following: Greet me with a smile! (If they are having a crappy day, then I don't see it in the way they treat me) Take drink order and allow me time to browse menu while drinks are being made. Check on refills and bring condiments to table just before food is brought out. Allow some time and then check back on drinks and ask about food quality. Clear plates and offer refills again on drinks. Then come back with "thank yous" and the check. If there's a smile, I never have to ask for condiments or glass refills, dishes cleared and a courteous thank you at the end then that's a minimum 25%. I have been on a date before and if my date doesn't tip well, I will find an excuse to go back in without him (dropped a lipstick or whatever) in order to not hurt his feelings but yet to leave a more substantial tip. I think it helps if one has ever been a server. It was about 20 yrs ago when I was 20, but some things one just doesn't forget. I followed the above steps and I always made about 20% more a night than my fellow coworkers. I tried to teach them, but some just don't "get it".
20. usually ony 10% or 15% of the bill price.
21. i honestly tip what ever i feel in the moment because at that point im full and i don want to calculate
22. Always 20%, sometimes more. I tip 10-15% if the wait is too long or if the server is rude to me.
23. we went to dennys spent 25 and gave a 6 dollar tip
24. I am a server I tip 20%-35% depending on how much I like the service I try to observe and see how much they are really doing.They are not just taking care of you. If the service is bad I tip 15% .We are all just people and everyone makes mistakes or has bad days.
25. %15. Sometimes I'll throw in a lottery ticket worth at least one million US dollars (at great odds).
26. 15% or 20% depending on the service (any amount in between is too hard for me to calculate in my head). When I eat out, I expect my server to be polite, courteous and to make sure we have what we need to enjoy our meal.
27. 15% for OK service 20% for great service 25 to 35% for exceptional service I expect a friendly,couteous ,patient, knowledgable waiter/waitress. I expect him/her to make sure the table is clean,our drinks are never empty for long and if our food is taking longer than usual,let us know why.