There you are sitting in a restaurant--it could be TGI Friday's or a nice upscale steakhouse, doesn't matter--after finishing your meal, waiting for the waitperson to come and pick up your payment. More times than not, s/he picks up the 'money folder,' looks inside, does a quick calculation in her/his head and asks, "Do you need change?" Excuse me????? So, you just assume the extra money there is for your tip? What ever happened to being gracious and allowing the customer to indicate that the money is a tip? Why can't you just say, "I'll be back with your change." and let the customer say "No need."?*
I always tip and at a minimum of 15%. Most of the time I tip far greater than that, so it just really bothers me when it is practically forced on me. I'm sorry, but tipping is a voluntary thing, that is why it is called a 'gratuity.'** I just think with a few, better chosen words, it would feel less like they are standing with their hands out and more of a 'good job' reward.
That is all.
*I KNOW the punctuation is wrong here, but it doesn't LOOK right no matter WHAT I do with it. So, this is the way it will stay. :)
**gratuity: a gift of money, over and above payment due for service (Dictionary.com)
I would rather the server ask if I need change than assume that I didn't, I guess. But you do have a point, there must be a more genteel way of asking.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, why not just say, "I'll be back with your change." More genteel, don't you agree?
ReplyDeleteAnd YOU have a point, I would rather they ask and not just assume. Frankly, I wish there was some way to just get rid of the tipping system altogether. Sure would make everyone's lives easier, hey?
I agree! So much!! Something really annoying happened to me last night. I met a friend for happy hour. We both had two glasses of wine each and we both got a salad. The bill came and since I ordered a burger for my hubby to take home to him my tab was bigger so she put $25 with her card and my tab was $30 and I put down two $20's. I thought I'd leave a $6 tip which is 20% of my bill and they didn't bring my change at all. He pocketed it!! I told my girlfriend not to tip on her card b/c they kept my $10. I should have said something, but I just left annoyed. ugh!! They should bring your entire change back and let you decide what to leave!!
ReplyDeleteVery, very, VERY annoying!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd what is with this new thing-"How is your food tasting?" usually asked when you have a mouthful--I am sorry, my food does not taste-I do! Anyone been bit by a burger lately???
ReplyDeleteI am usually a good tipper except when I have incredibly bad service (which has happened). I always hate when you have a larger group and are forced to leave a certain amount of tip. I mean, it is taking away my option. It is like automatically making you pay x-number of dollars more for your meal. Frosts me every time.
ReplyDeleteOh, and yeah... I agree with you.
sue: YES, YES, YES!!!! Why are we automatically charged a tip for more people? It is something we SHOULD be allowed to do voluntarily.
ReplyDeleteyoopergirl: Also, I HATE it when they come to the table two minutes after the food is brought to ask me how everything 'tastes.' First, as you said, my food doesn't taste, I do and second, I haven't even had the chance to TAKE a mouthful, much less decide how it tastes! I have this happen ALL of the time--for breakfast, I like to put jam on my toast before I 'dig in' and at dinnertime I usually am finishing up my salad or 'fixing' my food in some way before I start eating. Obviously, they want to 'get it over with' and come back to the table immediately so they can go on to do other things. Drives me insane.
Grrr I hate that too! I hate the whole concept of tipping period. I do tip, and I am not stingy but still...
ReplyDeleteThis non-tipping attitude changed for me when my daughter was a server. As a server, it doesn't make any difference what you do, somebody's gonna be ticked off. Come to the table and ask how everything is? Someone's upset. Don't ask? Someone's upset. Really my dauhter was one of the best servers around--she could get a job anywhere and broght home good tips, but she said a lot of the time you just can't please people.
ReplyDeleteI tip hugely--sometimes 40% of the tab if I believe the server is doing well, and caring about my service. I do it in honor of my daughter's time in the "trenches". But my hard and fast rule is "always tip a dollar more than you think you should".