Tipping in restaurants

we should get tipped extra for cleaning up after families with kids, who make an awfull mess
I have cleaned many messes and I dont get a tip, they might just leave some pennies on the table thats it.and WES, IF you dont like to tip us hardworkers then stay out of our restraunts, we dont need arrogant jerks like yourself ruining our day.

This is the kind of view that makes my job a misery. Waiting tables is really hard work. Having done numerous retail jobs, I took up a position as a waitress to try out a slightly different trade. I work long hours with no breaks, am on my feet for hours (walking and running, never standing still) and am simultaneously responsible for up to 60 people's satisfaction at a time. I am in charge of taking orders, running drinks and food, seating people and closing cheques, as we have minimal management and no bussers/runners. I am earning less as a waitress than in retail, for loads more effort and loads more strain both physically and mentally. It is only when I get a decent day's tips that I feel it's made up to me. And where I work the only money I see in tips is whatever is pooled between the floor and bar staff on a given shift ON TOP OF a 12.5% service charge which goes straight into the company's pocket. I'm not sure how anyone would go about reforming the system across the board but the post sounds to me like the opinion of someone who has never, ever waited tables in their life.

In the USA you usually get what I call service, efficient and friendly, and good portions of good food. I am of course referring to proper restaurants and not junk food outlets. Good service merits a reward.

Sullen, unsmiling, disinterested people who bring your food to the table and slap it down with no interest in, or knowledge of, what they are serving, and who do not offer some help when you are ordering, do not provide added value and thus do not deserve a reward. When service is bad and a service charge is added, I deduct it.

Whether you agree with the system or not, it is the system. If you do not tip the waiter in the US, he/she, pays towards your meal! Let me break it down.
The waiter in most good restaurants tips out the busser, the food runner and the bar on a percentage of the gross sales 2, 2, and 1 percent respectively. After which, he/she has to pay taxes on a govt. estimate (15%). So.. for a $100 sale, the waiter will tip out 5 dollars and also will be taxed by the govt. Oh, the waiter wages in New York, Boston etc, are approx $2.65 an hour which is never seen since taxes eat that up too and the waiter gets a weekly check amounting to "ZERO"
So leaving without a tip essentially means the waiter pays out of pocket for your meal. Most patrons have somebody in their family or circle thats clued them in to the facts. Others.....
Now you know. Research where you are before leaving a tip or not. In some countries, the tip is included in the price of the meal. In the US, it is commonly understood that service is provided at a charge. Do the right thing.
Peace.

The DIY shop I go to has actually put out a tips box on their counter. It's like a begging bowl. Why do people lose their self-respect so readily?

if your service is bad,then you can have the service charge deducted,and dont leave a tip,but if not then why not leave a tip,you are paying a service charge it is called that for a reason,the price on the menu is the price of the food,sure the waitress might be paid minimum wage but when they run around for you getting sauces pouring wine, cleaning up after you ensuring you have a good meal then lezve a tip,this makes a big part of their wages, and if you too cheap too then stay at home and eat,

You have already paid your tip in your bill total when eating out. To leave another tip on the plate/table means you have tipped twice.
Has anyone watched "don't get screwed" ? look it up, there is some good advice on there about all kinds of things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Get_Screwed

Have you noticed that everytime there is a seeming commitment to have to pay a tip, the tip benefeciary virtually corners you that you cannot avoid paying it, and very definitely makes it extremely plain that the tip is "compulsory", and will cause untold public embarrassment should you fail to leave one?

You are made to feel very guilty, horrendous psychological pressure is put upon you to pay up.

In effect tipping is extortion.

How many time have you failed to give the hotel doorman a tip for hailing a taxi?

How many times have you refeused assistance from a hotel "porter" supposedly helping you and your luggage to your room, in grand expectation of the "tip"?

Baksheesh, backhanders are all extortion.

The tip you leave on the table who should it go to?

Who should have a share?

Who has made your evening's dining experience a pleasant one and deserves a share of the rewards?

The waiter?

The head waiter?

The chef?

The sous-chef?

The kitchen skivvy?

The manager of the restaurant?

The owner?

The cleaner of the restaurant?

The cashier?

The accountant?

The accountancy clerk?

The garbage collectors?

The health and safety inspectors?

The journalist who gave the restaurant 4 stars?

The interior decorator who designed the restaurant?

The chef who wrote the cookbook?

The tutor who taught the chefs?

...

ALS, it's a co.uk site. Your country's tipping practices are not the same as the UK's

We have been visiting in Phoenix for the past week. During this time we dined at Olive Garden. The food was good, the service was good. But, why was I charged automatically for a tip on my bill? What if the food sucked, and the service was terrible? Why should I have to contest the tip with management? I should be able to tip if I wish or not. These food places are not paying their help the appropriate wage so why should we as consumers have to pay the wages for them? This is a gross misjustice. I personally have a problem with paying the wages for a place of business I do not own. These employees are not mine they were the Olive Gardens employees. So...Olive Garden ripped me out of a very large tip.

Reasons To NEVER Work At Denny's...

1. If you work day shift they have WAY to many servers, so you don't make any tip.

2. It pays LESS than minimum wage.

3. You don't REALLY get a break, but they take half an hour out of your paycheck as if you do.

4. They are open 24/7/365, which means it doesn't matter if you celebrate the holidays or not, you don't anymore; because if you work night shift you HAVE to work ALL holidays!!! THEY ARE MAKING ME WORK CHRISTMAS EVE AAAAND CHRISTMAS, and I already worked Thanksgiving. They'll probably make me work New Years Eve too...

There are plenty of other reasons to not work at the Denny's I work at in particular, but I'll keep this rant short. I am just REALL REALLY upset that I'll be missing my dad's birthday, christmas Eve, AND Christmas... It's not fair actually. I REALLY REALLY want to quit tomorrow, but we need the money.