Tipping Rules [General]
2007 Mar 14
I skew it a bit based on cost. I don't tip less than $2 for a full meal so if it's an $8 lunch they automatically get at least 25% unless they really screw up. I'm also more generous with the tip when I feel I'm getting incredible value.
The higher the price of the food, the more demanding I am of the service. Like you, I use 15% as a starting point and will rarely go higher than 20% or lower than 10% on a big bill. If I were tipping less than 10% I'd feel I should explain the reason to the server and/or the manager -- they deserve specific feedback so they can improve.
The higher the price of the food, the more demanding I am of the service. Like you, I use 15% as a starting point and will rarely go higher than 20% or lower than 10% on a big bill. If I were tipping less than 10% I'd feel I should explain the reason to the server and/or the manager -- they deserve specific feedback so they can improve.
2007 Mar 15
I used to use the tax as the tip (before GST went down) b/c I refuse to tip on taxes! It is still a good starting point for me and I usually round up to a nice even number if the service was good.
I remember reading a funny comment years ago about the difference between Canadians and Americans in restaurants. Canadians will tip, even with mediocre service, but not return. Americans will not tip, make a stink, but still go back. Obviously a generalization, but interesting nonetheless.
I remember reading a funny comment years ago about the difference between Canadians and Americans in restaurants. Canadians will tip, even with mediocre service, but not return. Americans will not tip, make a stink, but still go back. Obviously a generalization, but interesting nonetheless.
2007 Mar 16
Tipping starts at 15% for me. If something is exceptionally bad, say the food, I still tip the server, but I talk to management. If the service was just awful, I tip accordingly (ie, much less than 15%) and I speak with the manager if I feel it's necessary. If something is extraordinarily good, I tip extra (I've gone as high as 25%), and I mention it to the manager. Good food/service needs to be noted where it counts, same goes when it's bad.
2007 Mar 17
Just keep in mind that sometimes if you get your meal slow or something that it is the kitchen's fault and not the waitress/waiter, and at some restaurants, they make the waitress pay out to the dishwasher/cook/others based on their sales, and if you don't dip past a certain amount, she is actually paying out of her own pocket to pay the other people. Just something to keep in mind. (I've never been a waitress but my sister is).
2007 Mar 21
Not to mention that the server will pay income tax on the tip you're not leaving...
Using taxes as a guideline for tips reminds me of a funny story: my father got so used to doing this that he did it outside Canada as well, without thinking. We were in Vegas in October (for my wedding! woo!) and after a nice dinner, the waiter came up to my father and asked rather pointedly if he had done anything wrong. My father said, no, everything was great, and the waiter asked why, then, had my father left a 5% tip! My father felt bad for this guy, and even worse for everyone who had been serving him for the past 3 days!
Using taxes as a guideline for tips reminds me of a funny story: my father got so used to doing this that he did it outside Canada as well, without thinking. We were in Vegas in October (for my wedding! woo!) and after a nice dinner, the waiter came up to my father and asked rather pointedly if he had done anything wrong. My father said, no, everything was great, and the waiter asked why, then, had my father left a 5% tip! My father felt bad for this guy, and even worse for everyone who had been serving him for the past 3 days!
2007 Mar 21
Okay, lets try this again. Maybe it won't crash on me this time.
Fossettes, I'm not sure I understand what you mean, "will pay income tax on the tip you're not leaving..." ?? What I am sure about is that I would be totally shocked if ANY of the tips we are leaving appeared on their income tax returns.
Tipping, quite literally means, To Insure Proper service. So start with that and go up or down appropriately. I also start with the taxes and adjust & round up.
My big beef w/ all this tipping business is : what about all those other jobs out there that do as much or more for us, but because they are not in a restaurant, tipping doesnt apply. Retail jobs are a great example of this. Retail & food service pay about the same amount (slightly above minimum wage) but retail doesnt get a bonus at the end of the night.
Also, while tipping in the U.S. is more important than here, they also have a lower minimum wage for restaurant staff, in part because they know tipping will more than make up for it. It is not uncommon for wait staff in Cdn restaurants to clear one or two hundred dollars on a good night. All TAX FREE!!!
Why do you think students love those jobs??
Cheers all.
Fossettes, I'm not sure I understand what you mean, "will pay income tax on the tip you're not leaving..." ?? What I am sure about is that I would be totally shocked if ANY of the tips we are leaving appeared on their income tax returns.
Tipping, quite literally means, To Insure Proper service. So start with that and go up or down appropriately. I also start with the taxes and adjust & round up.
My big beef w/ all this tipping business is : what about all those other jobs out there that do as much or more for us, but because they are not in a restaurant, tipping doesnt apply. Retail jobs are a great example of this. Retail & food service pay about the same amount (slightly above minimum wage) but retail doesnt get a bonus at the end of the night.
Also, while tipping in the U.S. is more important than here, they also have a lower minimum wage for restaurant staff, in part because they know tipping will more than make up for it. It is not uncommon for wait staff in Cdn restaurants to clear one or two hundred dollars on a good night. All TAX FREE!!!
Why do you think students love those jobs??
Cheers all.
2007 Mar 22
I don't know about elsewhere in Canada, but in Quebec:
a) the minimum wage for restaurant servers and some other employees who normally earn tips is indeed lower than the "regular" minimum wage;
b) the employer gives you a tax receipt indicating your sales, the government estimates your tips as a percentage of those sales.
I doubt that no other jurisdiction in Canada or North America has similar dispositions.
a) the minimum wage for restaurant servers and some other employees who normally earn tips is indeed lower than the "regular" minimum wage;
b) the employer gives you a tax receipt indicating your sales, the government estimates your tips as a percentage of those sales.
I doubt that no other jurisdiction in Canada or North America has similar dispositions.
2007 Mar 25
"Tipping, quite literally means, To Insure Proper service."
Myth. Urban legend. It doesn't even make sense; it might if you tipped beforehand, and it was "teps," to "ensure," but...
en.wikipedia.org
What I am sure about is that I would be totally shocked if ANY of the tips we are leaving appeared on their income tax returns.
CCRA assumes a certain per cent of tips based on earnings. And too bad if you make below that amount in tips; it's still assumed.
When I worked in a restaurant -- years ago, but -- the wait staff seemed to get audited with frightening frequency.
It is not uncommon for wait staff in Cdn restaurants to clear one or two hundred dollars on a good night.
I'd debate "uncommon," but. ("Good nights" are not common.) So what? It's not an easy job, and that's still not loads of money, all things considered.
Also, while tipping in the U.S. is more important than here, they also have a lower minimum wage for restaurant staff
Er. Just like the lower minimum wage for alcohol servers that also exists here.
www.businessandtax.com
If you don't like to tip, then just don't eat out. Don't propagate myths.
Myth. Urban legend. It doesn't even make sense; it might if you tipped beforehand, and it was "teps," to "ensure," but...
en.wikipedia.org
What I am sure about is that I would be totally shocked if ANY of the tips we are leaving appeared on their income tax returns.
CCRA assumes a certain per cent of tips based on earnings. And too bad if you make below that amount in tips; it's still assumed.
When I worked in a restaurant -- years ago, but -- the wait staff seemed to get audited with frightening frequency.
It is not uncommon for wait staff in Cdn restaurants to clear one or two hundred dollars on a good night.
I'd debate "uncommon," but. ("Good nights" are not common.) So what? It's not an easy job, and that's still not loads of money, all things considered.
Also, while tipping in the U.S. is more important than here, they also have a lower minimum wage for restaurant staff
Er. Just like the lower minimum wage for alcohol servers that also exists here.
www.businessandtax.com
If you don't like to tip, then just don't eat out. Don't propagate myths.
2007 Mar 25
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with the last bit of this - since when is tipping on poor service a prerequisite for being allowed to eat out? Tipping should be discretionary, not forced- if the tip is totally undeserved, why should anyone fork over extra cash whether they "like" to tip or not.
If a server doesn't want to pay taxes on the tip they didn't get, then they should ensure that they don't give me shitty service.
Incidentally I usually DO tip on poor service because I'm a wimp - but I wish I had the guts not to. Generally I tip 15% or up - my mom taught me how to figure it out easily (I don't have a "math brain" either) - just take 10%, then take 1/2 of that (5%) and add them together.
Example: $28.00
10% = $2.80 (just move the decimal)
1/2 of $2.80 = $1.40
$2.80 + $1.40 = $4.20 = 15%
If a server doesn't want to pay taxes on the tip they didn't get, then they should ensure that they don't give me shitty service.
Incidentally I usually DO tip on poor service because I'm a wimp - but I wish I had the guts not to. Generally I tip 15% or up - my mom taught me how to figure it out easily (I don't have a "math brain" either) - just take 10%, then take 1/2 of that (5%) and add them together.
Example: $28.00
10% = $2.80 (just move the decimal)
1/2 of $2.80 = $1.40
$2.80 + $1.40 = $4.20 = 15%
2007 Mar 25
That's the formula I use as well.
And I agree that tipping shouldn't be expected, however I really wish that wait staff's minimum wage would be increased. It IS hard work, and I beleive it deserves more.
(Isn't it nice of the gov't to raise the minimum wage over three years? By the time it's up to 10.25/hr the cost of living will be exponentially higher. I find it laughable, although a step in the right direction, I suppose.)
And I agree that tipping shouldn't be expected, however I really wish that wait staff's minimum wage would be increased. It IS hard work, and I beleive it deserves more.
(Isn't it nice of the gov't to raise the minimum wage over three years? By the time it's up to 10.25/hr the cost of living will be exponentially higher. I find it laughable, although a step in the right direction, I suppose.)
2007 Mar 25
Yeah, none of this is news to me, but it awakens an urge to rant. In Switzerland (and other European countries), every bill includes a mandatory "service" fee of 15%. This is part of the servers' pay. On top of that, people usually round up to the nearest dollar amount or the nearest multiple of 10 for a bigger bill. If you're spending $560 (including "service") for a big crowd you'd probably leave $600 if things went really well, out of appreciation. This is how tips *should* work.
If the government assumes a certain tipping rate and charges tax on it, then it should be formally enforced on the bill as a fee for service. Anything else is ridiculous, but what else do you expect in a country where retailers add tax to the ticket price of most items at checkout time (gasoline excepted). Don't get me wrong, I love this country but some things we do are really backward.
If the government assumes a certain tipping rate and charges tax on it, then it should be formally enforced on the bill as a fee for service. Anything else is ridiculous, but what else do you expect in a country where retailers add tax to the ticket price of most items at checkout time (gasoline excepted). Don't get me wrong, I love this country but some things we do are really backward.
2007 Jul 13
I tip based on performance. If the server is competent and motivated, they receive 15% for doing their job right. If they are not enthusasitc, rude, arrogant, or careless, the tip is reduced accordingly.
Basically, they are in control of their income and get the little bit extra from their customers based on their actions. On the other hand, they can totally ruin a perfectly cooked meal and make customers never come back to that restaurant due to their poor attitude. There are one time I paid no tip to the server.
They pick a job in a service industry and have to be good at what they do. Otherwise, they will not make any money and wont' be able to continue in the server position.
Customers are not obliged to tip 15% if the service sucks!
Basically, they are in control of their income and get the little bit extra from their customers based on their actions. On the other hand, they can totally ruin a perfectly cooked meal and make customers never come back to that restaurant due to their poor attitude. There are one time I paid no tip to the server.
They pick a job in a service industry and have to be good at what they do. Otherwise, they will not make any money and wont' be able to continue in the server position.
Customers are not obliged to tip 15% if the service sucks!
2007 Jul 14
I generally tip 15%, and at my favourite restaurants which I attend frequently, if the service is good (which it almost always is), 25%, because they know me there, greet me when I come in, come over to talk to me a bit, usually go that little extra bit to make me feel welcome and at home, and sometimes even go so far as to offer me a free appetizer or dessert (totally never expected, and such a wonderful surprise that makes me feel really valued as a customer).
That being said, I recently tipped 0% at a restaurant where the service on all ends (cook and wait staff) was so abysmally bad that it was laughable. I let them know that I was unimpressed and why before I left, so as to justify the lack of tip. If I'm going to "punish" them through no tip, I want to make my reasons clear.
Bad wait staff and bad restaurants should be forced out of the food game, and if one way to do that is through low tips, then I'm all for it. Some people just aren't cut out to be food servers and should look for careers elsewhere. I doubt that I'd be good at it.
That being said, I recently tipped 0% at a restaurant where the service on all ends (cook and wait staff) was so abysmally bad that it was laughable. I let them know that I was unimpressed and why before I left, so as to justify the lack of tip. If I'm going to "punish" them through no tip, I want to make my reasons clear.
Bad wait staff and bad restaurants should be forced out of the food game, and if one way to do that is through low tips, then I'm all for it. Some people just aren't cut out to be food servers and should look for careers elsewhere. I doubt that I'd be good at it.
2007 Jul 15
Having lived in France for six months last year, I usually found that tips were already calculated into the price of whatever item you were ordering (unless states otherwise on the menu - which was rare). I had the impression (and correct me if I am wrong) that leaving a tip when it was technically already included could be taken as an insult to your server (I still don't understand the French way of doing things).
However, it seems like tipping in Canada is expected in many cases. I am a firm believe of tips reflecting the performance of the staff. I will still tip if the food is mediocre but the service is excellent. I think it is the discretion of the diner whether or not they will tip - why would you spend money on bad service or a negative experience?
I feel like this thread should lead into a second thread called "Restaurant Horror Stories: Don't tip, run for your life!"
;)
However, it seems like tipping in Canada is expected in many cases. I am a firm believe of tips reflecting the performance of the staff. I will still tip if the food is mediocre but the service is excellent. I think it is the discretion of the diner whether or not they will tip - why would you spend money on bad service or a negative experience?
I feel like this thread should lead into a second thread called "Restaurant Horror Stories: Don't tip, run for your life!"
;)
2007 Jul 16
Hmmm, I have to admit that if the server is attractive, and friendly (no.. not sit on my lap friendly) then I often forget small things that might normally have reduced the tip. I will reduce this to say that for the most part, my tip is proportional to the experience I have. If I have a good experience, the tip is good (15 to 20%, or on rare occasions higher). If I have a bad experience, the tip is low, or non existent. It interests me that some people seem to tip based upon how hard the staff tries. I agree that if they try harder, then it is more likely they will get a larger tip from me, because the experience was likely better, but this is not always the case. If you read my old Meditheo review, you can see where I had a terrible experience, even though they did try (not very well) to make amends, and if I remember the tip was non existent. I try not to leave what I would call surprising (low) tips, in that I try to help the staff make me happy, and if they are unable to, then it should be no surprise to them that the tip will reflect that. I am not sure this is obvious to all restaraunt staff out there (are you listening?) but I do not go out to get served food per se, I go out to have an enjoyable experience, and if they can provide that, they can have my patronage, and my tips. I was recently at the Cornerstone (Market) and after being seated, waited maybe 15 minutes for a server to show up. The server asked how we were that evening, and I curtly replied "Impatient for service". After that, the service was quite decent, and the server ended up getting a decent tip. I think it is counter-productive to let a server give you bad service all night, just so you can deny them a tip, or give them a big explosion of dissatisfaction at the end of the meal. My 2 cents (and Welcome Jules.. haven't seen you here before)
2007 Jul 16
That is unfortunate Mousseline, but I do not blame the servers for that sad fact. I blame the restaraunt for not training them properly. I find it amazing how restaraunts take it for granted that someone who can walk and talk just MUST be able to give good service. It reminds me of a story my mother tells about one of her first college jobs waitressing at a diner. The owner 'made' the new servers serve him over and over again, until they could get all the finer details correct, BEFORE he would let them serve real patrons. And these were just the basics like where to put the utensils, which side of the patron to lean over, how to address the patron.... Ahh... those were the days...
2007 Jul 17
I love the idea of a secret mark.
Something like hobo signs for foodies.
Hobo signs: www.cyberhobo.com
(I note #48, "Good place to hang out," is just an X in a circle...)
Something like hobo signs for foodies.
Hobo signs: www.cyberhobo.com
(I note #48, "Good place to hang out," is just an X in a circle...)
2007 Jul 18
Tangenting back for a bit, I'm sure that many people tip the same way I do:
A) Go to restaurant
B) Wine
C) Get great meal
D) Wine
E) Get bill
F) Calculate 15% and then round up to a number that "looks nice"
G) Find out the morning after that you gave a 30% tip
H) Realize that it was totally worth it.
A) Go to restaurant
B) Wine
C) Get great meal
D) Wine
E) Get bill
F) Calculate 15% and then round up to a number that "looks nice"
G) Find out the morning after that you gave a 30% tip
H) Realize that it was totally worth it.
zymurgist
I start at 15% (including alcohol) and adjust down for poor service, or up for exceptional. It's rare that I get lower than 5% or more than 20%, though it does happen.