Restaurant Tipping Guide

Restaurant Tipping Guide

By Lori Buenavista

Although it is not as prevalent in Europe and Asia, leaving a tip at a fine dining is common practice in the USA. Just how much should you tip your server? Here's the way to figure it out. What amount to use to think of the tip? When you receive your bill, the very first order of business is determining what amount of your bill is "tippable." Be sure that there is not already a gratuity imposed on the check. If your party is large or it's restaurant policy, there might already be a 15%-20% tip incurred. Therefore, it's not essential to leave anything extra, unless you'd like to provide a bit more.

If you've used a promotion or a discount, figure the tip depending on the amount prior to the discount. Simply because you had a buy-one-get-one-free deal doesn't imply that the server did half the work-he still brought two meals on your table and served 2 different people. The government thinks that servers will earn a specific proportion of their total food sales in tips. When you don't tip your server, it's really costing him money for the enjoyment of servicing you.

How Was the Service?

Evaluate the service you received during your restaurant visit. When taking into consideration the tip, take the following under consideration: did your server greet you punctually? Was he / she pleasant? Was your meal order correct? Did food arrive punctually, and at the appropriate temperature? Were your dishes removed quickly? Were drinks and water glasses refilled? Were your expectations met on your meal? Was your bill accurate and was your transaction prepared swiftly?

When it's Not the Server's Fault

Your server has only control over some areas of your restaurant encounter. Don't base your tip on these items, which are out of her control: You didn't like the furnishings. The menu wasn't substantial enough, or didn't have the item you wanted. You had to have to wait a long time to have a table. You have a table in a spot you didn't like. The food was too spicy/bland/saucy/dry, etc. The costs were way too high. The background temperature in the restaurant was hot or cold. The music was too loud. Instead, mention those concerns to administration, who can take action to correct the problems, and may offer you compensation (such as a reduced bill, free dessert or free food). 

When the Service Was Good

Three things to think about: It's standard practice to tip 15% for average service. If you felt that your server did a great job of taking care of you during the meal, take into account tipping 20%-25%. Tipping your server in cash money (even if you've settled the meal with a charge card) is yet another nice gesture. Some dining places have a scheme of holding tips placed on credit cards until the charge clears-which may take up to 30 days. If you've purchased alcohol, consider that the server normally has to give a certain percentage alcohol sales to the bartender. So if you've ordered a $60 bottle of wine, your tip should reflect that amount, too.

When the Service was Poor

A lot of people feel that poor service shouldn't be paid with a tip. That could be fine, but when you truly feel that the server was so horrible that he ought not to have a tip, you should speak to the manager. Simply not tipping won't essentially improve service. Your server may assume that you've forgotten to tip, and the manager will probably don't know about the bad service you received-and therefore won't make any move to improve the problem.

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