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Waiting tables

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  1. pablo pablo is offline

    Posts: 113
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:08am)

    Let's say you're waiting tables at McCormick & Schmick's on a Saturday night. Patrons are finished with the meal and you bring the check to the table. When you return to the table to close it out, dude that handles the bill asks you "What do I need to tip?"

    How do you respond?

    Notes:

    -Standard respectable party of 6
    -Check was ~$150
    -Everyone had wine with dinner
    -The service was solid (Johnny on the spot w/refills etc)
  2. jtown1010 jtown1010 is offline

    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:19am) in reply to pablo

    Just be straight with them, $30 sounds fair imo.
  3. Niceguy Niceguy is offline I will find you.

    NV
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:27am) in reply to jtown1010

    since they asked, you deserve the standard 30% tip of 40-50 bucks.

    If they tip less, call them cheap faggots and spit in their face.
  4. GreesonEV GreesonEV is offline

    Odessa, TX
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:41am) in reply to Niceguy

     
    Originally Posted by Niceguy View Post

    since they asked, you deserve the standard 30% tip of 40-50 bucks.

    If they tip less, call them cheap faggots and spit in their face.


    nice guy
     
  5. ericINtheX ericINtheX is offline

    Bronx, NY
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:48am) in reply to GreesonEV

    Awkward...that's for shit sure
    Honestly, who asks that? Besides a polite and/or clueless foreigner

    My gut instinct would be, "Ugggh? $20? I don't know man." Verbally. With a hint in my voice/mannerism that this was weird.
  6. savvy savvy is offline

    Deer Park, NY
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 10:55am) in reply to ericINtheX

    id prob tell them that by law you have to declare a minimum of 8% of ur sales as tips regardless, and that in the restaurant business people generally tip 15-20%
  7. goofy2485 goofy2485 is offline This thread sucks.

    Tucson, AZ
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 11:56am) in reply to savvy

    I used to always tell them just base it on how well of a job I did. How much was my service worth? Something along those lines. Def hated that question.
  8. quietwinner quietwinner is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 12:32pm) in reply to goofy2485

    tell him a BJ from his wife, and you wanna shoot it in her eye.
     
  9. time4badbeat time4badbeat is offline

    WI
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 1:55pm) in reply to pablo

     
    Originally Posted by pablo View Post

    Let's say you're waiting tables at McCormick & Schmick's on a Saturday night. Patrons are finished with the meal and you bring the check to the table. When you return to the table to close it out, dude that handles the bill asks you "What do I need to tip?"

    How do you respond?

    Notes:

    -Standard respectable party of 6
    -Check was ~$150
    -Everyone had wine with dinner
    -The service was solid (Johnny on the spot w/refills etc)

    Just say whatever you are comfortable with, then if you want to get specific say that you auto-grat 18% on parties of 8+
     
  10. Popperhead Popperhead is offline

    Toronto
    Canada

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 2:01pm) in reply to time4badbeat

    Tell him you want the whole thing not just the tip
  11. tennisee tennisee is offline aka PhiAlphaMTSU

    Boston, MA
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 2:11pm) in reply to Popperhead

    "how do you think the service was"
    -----
    "a good server usually gets 15-20%, a great server doesn't get a percentage but a large sum."

    sorry for the quotes, i am inspired by the quotes thread.
  12. OneUglyMoFo OneUglyMoFo is offline

    New York City, NY
    United States

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 2:16pm) in reply to tennisee

    20% is pretty standard at decent restaurants as long as the service wasn't particularly bad.

    Because he asked, no need to be timid, id simply say 18-25% is standard for good service.
  13. joeykukzMSU joeykukzMSU is offline

    Peoria, IL
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 2:20pm) in reply to OneUglyMoFo

    i ate at mccormick and schiicks on saturday in chicago fwiw.
  14. Scha Scha is offline Creator of SchaArcade & SchaCam

    Trondheim
    Norway

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 2:34pm) in reply to joeykukzMSU

    My brother was in New York a week ago, and was at some restaurant thingie at the airport waiting for their plane back to Norway. They had been drinking beers and having some food, and his gf left to go to the bathroom and they were going to meet at the gate. So my brother is trying to get the attetion of someone to get the bill, but nobody responds. After about 15 minutes they start calling his plane, so he just starts walking out of there. Then they obv notice him and come running after him and tell him he has to pay. He gave a $5 tip on a $75 bill, and the waitor gave him a "is that all?"-look. When he told me this, I said I wouldn't tip anything...
  15. Howdoiplayxx Howdoiplayxx is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 3:54pm) in reply to Scha

    who tips before tax and who tips based on the total bill?
     
  16. Werglum Werglum is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 3:57pm) in reply to Howdoiplayxx

    "Whatever you feel is fair, sir"
  17. XquiziVex XquiziVex is offline

    French Polynesia

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 3:59pm) in reply to Werglum

    I'm fairly certain that the average Mccormick and Schmick customer knows the answer to this question before they ask.

    It sounds to me like the guy was impressed with your service and was allowing you to name your price.

    In any case, my answer to this question when I bartended was basically the truth with a jokingly upside spin..... somethig along the lines of...good service gets 15 to 20, excellent service... the sky is the limit (lol haha har har).

    Edit: I love Mccormick and Schmick.. the wife and I go there once a month to destroy a few Oyster Samplers.
    Edited By: XquiziVex Aug 23rd, 2010 at 04:03 PM
  18. SMD-PLZ SMD-PLZ is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:01pm) in reply to Howdoiplayxx

    Explain that 15%/$22 -is standard for basic service, 20%/$30+ for above average service. Oh and McCormick & Schmick's happy hour burgers are the tits...
  19. grapsfan grapsfan is offline Head Curmudgeon

    Rosemount, MN
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:13pm) in reply to XquiziVex

    How on earth did people have dinner on a Saturday night at M & S, with wine, for $25 per person? Did they just get appetizers or something? Or burgers?
     
  20. XquiziVex XquiziVex is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:21pm) in reply to grapsfan

     
    Originally Posted by grapsfan View Post

    How on earth did people have dinner on a Saturday night at M & S, with wine, for $25 per person?

    good point Graps.... we, as a party of 2, never get out of there for less than $100.
  21. Basics Basics is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:23pm) in reply to XquiziVex

    this can be tricky based on the type of restaurant. When I worked at a really expensive french fine dining place and someone asked ttlhat I usually would graciously say "whatever you feel is appropriate." this would almost always result in 20% or more. The only time I would say 20% is if the party was kind of douchey or obnoxious. If a table really pissed me off I have actually told people "i don't care, leave whatever you want" or the epic "dont even worry about it, you're all set." this usually resulted in an overtip, reverse psychology ftw.
  22. locustbend locustbend is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:30pm) in reply to Basics

    Isnt it 20% before the wine?
  23. Lameass_ Lameass_ is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:32pm) in reply to Popperhead

     
    Originally Posted by Popperhead View Post

    Tell him you want the whole thing not just the tip

    this is the correct answer
  24. JksRbetter JksRbetter is offline

    Valdosta, GA
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:44pm) in reply to locustbend

     
    Originally Posted by locustbend View Post

    Isnt it 20% before the wine?

    No, If you drink alcoholic beverages then you need to tip for those also. In alot of restaraunts they have what is called a tip out. At the end of the night the server has to tip out the Bartendars on the % of drinks that they sold.

    And to the OP, I would have told the person that he should leave what ever he feels that you deserve. The standard however is 15-20% for good service. And in a joking way make sure he knows you are better than good.
    Edited By: JksRbetter Aug 23rd, 2010 at 04:49 PM
  25. joeykukzMSU joeykukzMSU is offline

    Peoria, IL
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:48pm) in reply to Basics

    i still dont get how anyone who graduated high school cant figure out how to tip. have they never heard other people talk about what to tip? is the math of 20% too hard? Especiallty at a restaruant >applebees, if you can afford to go out to a dinner $100+ for 2 people you probably have a job that requires you to know how to figure out 20% of something. Its not a fuckin calculus problem, there is no real right or wrong answer. How do these people balance a check book, pay bills? God knows how big the dick in thier ass is on a mortgage rate and financing if a tip is to hard to figure out. FFS, theres even apps for this. your phone has a calculator on it. Heres a simple formula that should be tought in junior high. To figure out 20% for a tip, if the bill is under 100, take the first number and times it by 2, if the next number is over 5 add one, and theres ur tip. bill over 100 do the same but with the first two numbers times 2. if the server sucked take a few bucks off. Fuck print the formula out and put it in your wallet if its so hard.

    /rant
  26. Basics Basics is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 4:50pm) in reply to locustbend

     
    Originally Posted by locustbend View Post

    Isnt it 20% before the wine?


    you're one of the people I would have busted out the "dont worry about it, you're all set" line on and avoided you like the plague if you ever came back.
  27. locustbend locustbend is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 5:02pm) in reply to Basics

    I don't typically drink wine but that is always something I thought.

    Also when i do go to a resturant I always do tip for the service. Sometimes 30% sometimes 15% depends on the server.

    What I really like to do with a really good server is when I receive the bill and say it is $75. I'll say excuse me (with a really confused look) and say "do you know what 3% of $75 is by any chance?"
  28. FI5HMAN FI5HMAN is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 5:04pm) in reply to Basics

    I'd probably say something like "well it depends on how good you think the service was. Personally, I usually tip 15-25% based on the quality of service [30% if I'm in a really good mood and it was like amazingly good (not sure I'd say that though)]."
     
  29. LarsonLarsen LarsonLarsen is offline

    Pekin, IL
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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 5:05pm) in reply to FI5HMAN

    Ask that they please be generous as you're usual game on a Saturday plays a lot like 1/2
  30. Moonlight Graham Moonlight Graham is offline

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    Aug 23rd, 2010 (8/23/2010 5:06pm) in reply to grapsfan

     
    Originally Posted by grapsfan View Post

    How on earth did people have dinner on a Saturday night at M & S, with wine, for $25 per person? Did they just get appetizers or something? Or burgers?

    ^^^... this
    and

    you: "Tip me what you think i'm worth, $30 would be avg."

    i usually leave 30% unless they suck
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