To Tip or Not To Tip, Version 2.0
 

I thought the other thread was going to have something to do with friends as servers, but it didn't, so consider this:

We all have friends or have had friends at some point who are servers. If you go to eat at their restaurant, and they end up waiting on you - do you tip them or not?

My first inclination is NOT to tip, because it seems condescending and puts them even further into a "server" type role. However, I almost always end up leaving them a nice tip, because I also don't want them to think I'm 1.) a cheap ass, 2.) ungrateful, or 3.) not willing to give to a friend what I'd normally give to a complete stranger.

What do you guys/gals recommend?

Be the biggest asshole, complain about your food, ask for free food, and dont leave a tip.

I expected my friends to tip me better then strangers

Or i called them cheap fucks infront of the entire bar

:thumbsup

I always leave my friends who are bartenders and servers a HUGE tip. Even better than regular servers. Why wouldn't you? I know my friends hook me up.

Neing a Ex bartendr I alwasy tip well unless its reallllly bad service

I'm of the mind set that it doesn't matter if I know them or not, I still base the amount of my tip (if any) on how good the service was. If the service was good, I'll give the standard 15%. If the service was excellent and above par, I'll give 20%. If the service really sucked ass, they don't get a damn thing, or, in some cases, a penny. (A penny is an open insult to the service received.)

I always tip well to begin with. Most of my friends are broke college kids, so I always give them extra.

I always tip, period. Even poor service gets 15% from me, since I'm also the person who has a quiet word with the manager when things aren't right.

It's not always a servers fault that things dont go well, why punish them because the hostess triple sat them, the kitchen is in the weeds, or the bartender sucks ass?

I know a house painter. Should I pay him to paint my house or stiff him because he's my friend?
:Graucho

you've never had a quiet word in your life. :winkwink:

My friends get huge tips!! And when it was me slinging the drink my friends tipped me amazingly!

That one time in your ear I did ;)

I like the color red.

I really don't understand this. Just because somebody is your friend, why would you NOT tip them? That's their income, don't fuck with it. They take your table instead of another paying table, not only are you saving yourself money, but you're also costing THEM money.

Unless your friend says "no it's ok, don't tip me", a tip should be expected.

moans don't count.

My friends would get pissed if I tipped them, but I still did. It's weird they get pissed when someobody doesn't tip them, but then they don't care if you don't! :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

jDoG

Tip everyone if they serve you right, they work for it and deserve it and even pay taxes on it where im from....
this applies to friends also, and anyone else you might think you could get away without tipping.

My tummy was hurting, I ate too much foie gras.

I think you got to stick to the rules and tip him or her the same as you would to a complete stranger

okay as a bartender and server...when my friends come and visit me at my work I ALWAYS take very good care of them...their drinks are always triples and I ususally only charge them for 1 or 2 rounds of drinks and I usually throw the shooters at them...therefore, I expect my friends to take care of me as well...

one thing that most ppl don't know unless they've worked in the industry is that we as severs, HAVE to TIPOUt at the end of the night at least a minimum of 4.5% of our SALES!!!

SOOO, if u don't tip then u are costing ME $$$...in short, always take care of your friends when u visit...what comes around goes around...needless to say anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting me at work or gone out with me here in Toronto has never gone home SOBER!!!!

but that's different

that's the difference between paying the tab and not paying the tab.

ahhh, how cute, you remember my pet name for it!

It would only be different if your friend owned the bar.

Not true. the tip is the tab for the service.

well, for the record, I think if I ever was a bartender or a waiter I'd be _pissed_ if my friends tipped me... it's like tipping your friend for holding the door for you. It's so fucking condescending. "Here. Here's a buck for being my servant."

You don't really want me to answer that one do you?

Perhaps I was a bit unclear. Sorry about that. I"ve been both a server and a bartender, so I do know how it goes. But when a server is snippy, rude, or just plain apathetic he or she does not deserve a good tip. I don't care what personal problems are making him/her act in this manner, the customer doesn't need or deserve the attitude.

hey, "petite foie gras" is still foie gras. :1orglaugh

That's silly. their tips are their pay for doing their job.
You not tipping them is you not paying them for doing their job.

I'm racking my brain and can't decide if a baby duck is called a chick or not ;)

agreed - I always will tip well. 20% is my "starting point", but if they do anything other than treat my table with the utmost respect it goes down from there, and if they treat my table amazingly - then it goes up. If there is any food comped, the server gets the value of that food in their tip (ESPECIALLY in the case when they're friends and comp me food as a favor)

they still get paid whether I tip them or not. ... see above about embursing them if they comp me food, etc.

again - this is only for friends, I just find it weird to throw money at my friends and make them dance like monkeys.

see I don't see it that way...when my friends come to visit me it's like them coming to my home...I don't feel like a servant..most of my friends know that visiting me at work is one of the only places to find me...so it's not condescending..I buy them their drinks instead of them spending their $$ on drinks...they give it to me...plus I am also taking the time to serve them as opposed to taking another table...

isnt that what friends are for?

:thumbsup

incorrect. no one in the restaurant business works for a paycheck. they work for tips.

I find that wierd to.
I also find it wierd to not pay your friends for the service everyone else in the building is paying them for.

if your friend "charges" you to do favors, then it really isn't a friendly gesture anymore, is it?

Oh great, they're still getting paid $3.50 an hour to wait on you, why give them tips?

Did you realize that some industries do not have to pay minimum wage. The food industry is one of them. Your friends that are waiters, they make crap per hour. That's why you'll always hear them talking about "good tip nights" and "bad tip nights."

Dude...you're coming to his job. Not to his house for a little dinner party.

management doesnt work for tips

Kitchen staff doesnt work for tips

cleaning crew ect ect ect

his job is to move food from the kitchen to my table.

from a friend, I consider everything above that to be "being a friend." - this is why I'd fume with rage if my friends ever tipped me if I was a server.

from a stranger - if they treat me well, etc. etc. etc. - I consider that to be "earning a tip."

I don't pay friends to act like my friend. again tho, anything that they comp me, I send back to them in the form of cash, usually off the record so the management and uncle sam don't know about it.