With The Cost Of Meals For Eating Out Going Up ,should People Still Tip

[gollob]

If so how much?

[Arrods]

The Devil - I really have no problem; it's a matter of choice.

[TheDevil]

No I know you don't, why would you :)

[Bobbisox1]

If we’ve had good service then we will tip, if we haven’t, then we don’t tip, a lot of waiters depend on tips to make up a decent wage ( shouldn’t be that way ,but it is)

[dannyk13]

Only person I have ever tipped is the paper boy at Christmas.

[pastafreak]

//A restaurant would never randomly offer me more than I ordered so why would I randomly pay more than what is expected?//

But the tip doesn't (or shouldn't) go to the restaurant, it has less to do with them than the individual waiting on you. It's to recognise good service...and often tops up the notoriously low salaries that servers get.
If I'm not mistaken, the minimum wage is lower in the States than here, maybe that contributes to its prevalence there.
I've always tipped, I have no problem doing so.

[TheDevil]

If the tip goes to the waiter or the restaurant doesn't bother me. The fact it leaves my pocket does.

I pay for my food, I don't need to pay some unskilled person who is employed more money for doing their job that they're getting paid for.

[douglas9401]

I always give a tip.

Keep your thumb out of my food and cheer up you miserable farquhar.

[Jackdaw33]

I tip my barber and the taxi driver because I am disabled and they go out of their way to help me. I also give my cleaner/shopper a tip at Xmas, and that's it; I don't dine out.

[Bobbisox1]

TD, that’s quite an offensive remark ^^^^
“ I don’t need to pay some unskilled person who is employed “
Thankfully they are employed but very often on a minimum wage ,do you look down at people like them?

[New Judge]

//I don't need to pay some unskilled person...//

That's a bit telling. Waiting on table (properly) is not an unskilled job. when done by an unskilled person who has not been properly trained you can understand why this is so. Do I take it that if the server was skilled (in your opinion) that you would leave a tip. Seems not from your earlier posts, in which case why mention the skill factor?

[pastafreak]

Hmmm...that 'unskilled person' may be trying to do their best to support themselves, or they may be a student earning rather than taking from mum and dad. Try putting yourself in their shoes.
You're sounding a bit arrogant.

[douglas9401]

Some might say that a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits to the guy cutting the grass is a tip but I'm sure that'll be the exception.

[vulcan42]

Further to New judge and his skill factor comment, The Devil earlier commented that he would tip if he were rich, Why? you either have principles or you don't.

[Apc2604]

At my all girls school back in the day we were taught silver service waiting and had to take turns at serving the teachers who sat round the table having their dinner. I dropped a knife covered in gravy down the neck of the English teachers blouse!

A waiters job is not unskilled. That's a rude comment. If you do any job and do it well then you have the skills needed!

[TheDevil]

Maybe I'm trying to do the best to support myself by not over paying needlessly for a meal / service that I've already paid my fair share for.

It's not arrogance in the slightest, anyone can wait a table don't try to throw offence in your answer just for the sake of it. and just because I say it's a skilless profession doesn't mean I look down on them. A jobs a job.

I've made my point clear and it's along the same lines as DeskDiary's. I think anyone trying to make a point out of tipping is just signalling a virtue. Good for you, must be nice having enough money to not only pay for food and have it cooked but also to pay for someone to bring it to your table separably from that which is the restaurants bill.

In the UK waiters do just fine, this isn't the states acting like their lives depend on my 13%

[TheDevil]

Vulcan - "Why? you either have principles or you don't."

It's not about principles. It's about being able to afford to overpay for a service needlessly. If money isn't an object yeah throw it about but if it is of importance to you, and ever penny counts then why on earth pay more than necessary?

Principles haha! And they say principles don't cost a thing.

[TheDevil]

And when I say unskilled, do you think the average waiter at pizza express has had specific training or done a course to make him privileged to take the position? No, he applied online and needed no prior experience.

[Bobbisox1]

So if you get exceptionally good service from the unskilled waiter at your table, does your rule of a none tip still stand?

[TonyV]

Silver service waiting or waitressing is a very skilled job, no peas down your front, and a nice flambéed pancake prepared table side.