Originally Posted by Colette-S
Really? If you had done that to me I’d have taken the $20 tip back. Personally I would have tipped more but unless it’s a compulsory tip then everything should be accepted graciously and it would be bad mannered to confront a diner See more... |
Also, it wouldn't be legal to demand more. The law - and the IRS - makes it quite clear that the tip is voluntary. It is purely up to the customer how much they tip or even if they tip at all. Demanding that the customer tips a certain amount is not allowed.
Originally Posted by buryboy
I’ve never understood why tipping is done in percentages
Dors the waiter/waitress do more work serving lobster and caviar in a Michelin starred restaurant than in a greasy spoons cafe ? See more... |
Potentially, yes.
In theory, the server in a posh restaurant should have more skill and knowledge, offering their recommendations on which wine best accompanies that lobster and caviar, more insight into the ingredients and methods used to prepare this dish, and generally offering more of a service than that in a greasy spoon cafe. Just as the food is significantly better in the Michelin-starred restaurant, so is the service.
That's why a percentage was first suggested as a convenient and simple way to judge how much you should give. The more expensive the meal, the better class of service you'll probably receive, and hence the suggestion that you base the tip on a fraction of the meal cost.
It's a convenient rule-of-thumb. You're not meant to stick religiously to it. And, of course, you're supposed to adjust the amount you give depending on the actual service you receive.
In practice, I guess it depends on how much you use the experience and knowledge of your server. Many of us don't question our server about the dish, asking for their recommendations on which soup course goes best with the lobster, or which one of the many single malt whiskeys best compliments the caviar. So the service we receive tends to be mostly the same.