There was a time when etiquette suggested that women did not tip as well as men (presumably because the men made all the money), and as a result women received poor service.
I went to a great restaurant with my hubby and had great service. Following week, took 3 girlfriends and were ignored. It was awful. Never went there again, so the whole restaurant suffered, not just the waiter.
We just had Tuesday breakfast in the Veranda Room of the St James Hotel. A lot of food for the money (leftovers for 3 days – I should have taken a minute to meet the cook), great service. All very Midwestern and friendly.
@bwana…at my house it’s the opposite. My (former) spouse was (probably still is) a very “frugal” tipper. I put myself through college by waiting tables…trust me I am a very generous tipper!
Ten years of waiting tables to pay my way through college.Lots of things affect tips, including part of the country, educational level of the customer, sex of the customer, etc.The actual service has a lot less to do with the tip than any sane person would expect. For example, a pretty young woman or a handsome young man will make good tips even if they’re otherwise incompetent. A very good waiter or waitress will be routinely stiffed if they’re part of a group (like gay or black) that is the target of bigots.The best advice I could proffer to anyone looking at waiting tables is to be diligent in your customer service because then if you do get stiffed, you know it’s not your fault, and your diligence will be rewarded by the “normal” customers. Also, once you’ve built up a good customer base, always be honest with them, even if it hurts you at the time. (Like telling your regulars not to order the daily special for whatever reason, or even that they’d be better off going elsewhere if they’re really hungry because the kitchen is so far behind that there’s at least an hour’s wait for food.)Ultimately, I guess, it’s treat them the way you’d want to be treated.My experience was that church people were usually the worst tippers, but even that was no hard and fast law.
When I was working, I always gave a full 20% unless the service was really bad (and if it was, I seldom returned to that place Olive Garden ). I did that partly to show that women CAN tip well. I seldom eat out now, but when I do, I tip well (or add to the tip that a date or family member leaves which I deem low).
My husband tips so frugally that sometimes I have slipped something onto his pile. Once I went into a small Italian restaurant and ordered a plate of spaghetti and a water from the male waiter. A crowd of young people came in after me and had wine all over the place. I never did get any water, even after asking two or three more times. I even got up, went to the kitchen, peered around the corner, saw the waiter, and begged for water. Ooo, I wish they’d had Internet reviews those days!
My husband tips so frugally that sometimes I have slipped more $ onto his pile. Once I went into a small Italian restaurant and ordered a plate of spaghetti and a water from the male waiter. A crowd of young people came in after me and had wine all over the place. I never did get any water, even after asking two or three more times. I even got up, went to the kitchen, peered around the corner, saw the waiter, and begged for water. Ooo, I wish they’d had Internet reviews in those days!Dunno, maybe I reminded him of his mother-in-law or something.
Today’s strip is a little ironic. My wife and I took my mom to a restaurant Sunday and were ignored by the wait staff even though a couple ladies in the next table who were seated later than us were served first. To Mom’s horror, I picked up two menus and began waving them around like semaphore flags and that seemed to help. Still, I gave less than 10% on the tip (and I’m usually good for 20-25%) and we won’t be back.
“Girls” don’t tip like “Boys” because they still make less money. And the fact that this waitress is ignoring Elly and her friend is only going to keep the cycle of low tipping women alive since why should they tip well when they’re ignored?
My husband and I eat out frequently, mostly family restaurants with upscale local restaurants a couple of times a month. We both engage with our waiter, make eye contact, smile, have actual communication with them and treat them like human beings. We’ve made a lot of “professional” friendships that way. They know what we drink, greet us even when they’re not waiting on us and take very good care of us. In return we tip well. It does work both ways, though. When we get bad or sloppy service we back off to strictly professional behavior, make specific requests (such as making sure they don’t bring the entrée before the soup / salad is finished), etc. Last resort is a diminishing tip. The worst was $1 on the table for someone who made it clear that he was in charge of our table, not us, giving us a very unpleasant evening. I do the same thing when I’m dining alone and have always had good service. I also give a larger per centage for a tip so they’re not penalized for my being by myself. Call me silly, but I’m always well cared for.
My husband has some kind of bizarre system for calculating tips involving rounding by 5’s. I have never figured out how it works, but it seems to be OK for amounts up to $60. Above that, I try to fix the tip if I can, because he will end up stiffing the wait staff. I just use the standard percentages to calculate the tip when I am paying.
-When my sister worked as a waitress, she made the same comment about women as customers and she doesn’t hate women-This particular poster makes negative digs at women cartoon characters in all kinds of contexts and subjects, so I am just responding to what I’ve read from the poster.
I, being a woman, don’t think this applies to all women. I tend to over tip and am always questioning my husband about the amount of tip he leaves. I see absolutely nothing wrong with leaving a full 20% and if it is an odd amount then more to even it out. Now if I get bad service, which is seldom, I will cut it back and usually will say something to the manager when I leave.
My husband tips more than I do reflexively, but then he’s worked in restaurants and eaten out in places where you tip more than I have. He also informed me that it’s better to tip in cash in the US because of tax requirements. If he gives them over 20% and puts it on the card, the server’ll be taxed accordingly. If he does it in cash, the assumption is that they were tipped the standard amount and they can keep the overage. Especially helpful when you have to split your tip with the busser, bartender, and who knows who!
That is rude and unprofessional to ignore a patron.This explains why the restaurant is empty. I went to a restaurant and there was a smoker at the next table. I asked to have my table changed but they said no we are expecting a large crowd and there were no tables for singles. This was years ago. Today I get up and walk out. Use to go there every weekend then stopped after that. They went out of business later on.
Not all who eat out a lot are lazy. My parents just did not cook well. Both my new man and myself are good cooks, so although he’ll sometimes ask if I’d like to eat out, we manage just fine. Camping will be interesting (tomorrow thru Sunday) and I hope we packed everything we need. My very first real camp out ;-D
I definitely tip better than my husband. I am also very polite and friendly (but quick!) in engaging the wait staff, and I never get bad service, which makes tipping well easier.
Even if there is still a “tip-gap”, if a server makes assumptions that women won’t tip as well, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and women will tip worse, as they get worse service.
ORMouseworks about 10 years ago
Its your unimagination! ;)
Templo S.U.D. about 10 years ago
Elly and the other lady really got served! (As for the man in the corner, he probably got good service.)
ILuvLu about 10 years ago
Nah! They just want you to leave.
jemgirl81 about 10 years ago
Imaginary tipz,
jemgirl81 about 10 years ago
Tip! LOL
pelican47 about 10 years ago
There was a time when etiquette suggested that women did not tip as well as men (presumably because the men made all the money), and as a result women received poor service.
Manhunter808 about 10 years ago
Time to call Robert Irvine
Lakegal about 10 years ago
I went to a great restaurant with my hubby and had great service. Following week, took 3 girlfriends and were ignored. It was awful. Never went there again, so the whole restaurant suffered, not just the waiter.
Aaberon about 10 years ago
We just had Tuesday breakfast in the Veranda Room of the St James Hotel. A lot of food for the money (leftovers for 3 days – I should have taken a minute to meet the cook), great service. All very Midwestern and friendly.
PuckerbrushCity about 10 years ago
@bwana…at my house it’s the opposite. My (former) spouse was (probably still is) a very “frugal” tipper. I put myself through college by waiting tables…trust me I am a very generous tipper!
alfracto about 10 years ago
I always tip 20% no matter what! Except maybe in cases this bad. Wait persons who don’t use their eyes aren’t doing their job.
alfracto about 10 years ago
Where is the manager?
chabias about 10 years ago
I agree. I’ve noticed several times, when a restaurant isn’t very busy, the longer it takes to get served. It’s like everything slows down.
ladamson1918 about 10 years ago
Ten years of waiting tables to pay my way through college.Lots of things affect tips, including part of the country, educational level of the customer, sex of the customer, etc.The actual service has a lot less to do with the tip than any sane person would expect. For example, a pretty young woman or a handsome young man will make good tips even if they’re otherwise incompetent. A very good waiter or waitress will be routinely stiffed if they’re part of a group (like gay or black) that is the target of bigots.The best advice I could proffer to anyone looking at waiting tables is to be diligent in your customer service because then if you do get stiffed, you know it’s not your fault, and your diligence will be rewarded by the “normal” customers. Also, once you’ve built up a good customer base, always be honest with them, even if it hurts you at the time. (Like telling your regulars not to order the daily special for whatever reason, or even that they’d be better off going elsewhere if they’re really hungry because the kitchen is so far behind that there’s at least an hour’s wait for food.)Ultimately, I guess, it’s treat them the way you’d want to be treated.My experience was that church people were usually the worst tippers, but even that was no hard and fast law.
vldazzle about 10 years ago
When I was working, I always gave a full 20% unless the service was really bad (and if it was, I seldom returned to that place Olive Garden ). I did that partly to show that women CAN tip well. I seldom eat out now, but when I do, I tip well (or add to the tip that a date or family member leaves which I deem low).
Gokie5 about 10 years ago
My husband tips so frugally that sometimes I have slipped something onto his pile. Once I went into a small Italian restaurant and ordered a plate of spaghetti and a water from the male waiter. A crowd of young people came in after me and had wine all over the place. I never did get any water, even after asking two or three more times. I even got up, went to the kitchen, peered around the corner, saw the waiter, and begged for water. Ooo, I wish they’d had Internet reviews those days!
Gokie5 about 10 years ago
My husband tips so frugally that sometimes I have slipped more $ onto his pile. Once I went into a small Italian restaurant and ordered a plate of spaghetti and a water from the male waiter. A crowd of young people came in after me and had wine all over the place. I never did get any water, even after asking two or three more times. I even got up, went to the kitchen, peered around the corner, saw the waiter, and begged for water. Ooo, I wish they’d had Internet reviews in those days!Dunno, maybe I reminded him of his mother-in-law or something.
Guilty Bystander about 10 years ago
Today’s strip is a little ironic. My wife and I took my mom to a restaurant Sunday and were ignored by the wait staff even though a couple ladies in the next table who were seated later than us were served first. To Mom’s horror, I picked up two menus and began waving them around like semaphore flags and that seemed to help. Still, I gave less than 10% on the tip (and I’m usually good for 20-25%) and we won’t be back.
alondra about 10 years ago
“Girls” don’t tip like “Boys” because they still make less money. And the fact that this waitress is ignoring Elly and her friend is only going to keep the cycle of low tipping women alive since why should they tip well when they’re ignored?
dogday Premium Member about 10 years ago
My husband and I eat out frequently, mostly family restaurants with upscale local restaurants a couple of times a month. We both engage with our waiter, make eye contact, smile, have actual communication with them and treat them like human beings. We’ve made a lot of “professional” friendships that way. They know what we drink, greet us even when they’re not waiting on us and take very good care of us. In return we tip well. It does work both ways, though. When we get bad or sloppy service we back off to strictly professional behavior, make specific requests (such as making sure they don’t bring the entrée before the soup / salad is finished), etc. Last resort is a diminishing tip. The worst was $1 on the table for someone who made it clear that he was in charge of our table, not us, giving us a very unpleasant evening. I do the same thing when I’m dining alone and have always had good service. I also give a larger per centage for a tip so they’re not penalized for my being by myself. Call me silly, but I’m always well cared for.
Argy.Bargy2 about 10 years ago
-Seriously, just curious, why do you hate women so much?
jbarnes about 10 years ago
My husband has some kind of bizarre system for calculating tips involving rounding by 5’s. I have never figured out how it works, but it seems to be OK for amounts up to $60. Above that, I try to fix the tip if I can, because he will end up stiffing the wait staff. I just use the standard percentages to calculate the tip when I am paying.
colloc about 10 years ago
I was once ignored like this. I left, but before I did, I set fire to the menu and left it propped up on the table.
She Mc about 10 years ago
Still didn’t learn that tipping thing! there’s a special class that teaches people to ignore!!!
Argy.Bargy2 about 10 years ago
-When my sister worked as a waitress, she made the same comment about women as customers and she doesn’t hate women-This particular poster makes negative digs at women cartoon characters in all kinds of contexts and subjects, so I am just responding to what I’ve read from the poster.
jeanie5448 about 10 years ago
I, being a woman, don’t think this applies to all women. I tend to over tip and am always questioning my husband about the amount of tip he leaves. I see absolutely nothing wrong with leaving a full 20% and if it is an odd amount then more to even it out. Now if I get bad service, which is seldom, I will cut it back and usually will say something to the manager when I leave.
tjlew about 10 years ago
I have some bitcoins here for the tip.
dawnsfire about 10 years ago
My husband tips more than I do reflexively, but then he’s worked in restaurants and eaten out in places where you tip more than I have. He also informed me that it’s better to tip in cash in the US because of tax requirements. If he gives them over 20% and puts it on the card, the server’ll be taxed accordingly. If he does it in cash, the assumption is that they were tipped the standard amount and they can keep the overage. Especially helpful when you have to split your tip with the busser, bartender, and who knows who!
westny77 about 10 years ago
That is rude and unprofessional to ignore a patron.This explains why the restaurant is empty. I went to a restaurant and there was a smoker at the next table. I asked to have my table changed but they said no we are expecting a large crowd and there were no tables for singles. This was years ago. Today I get up and walk out. Use to go there every weekend then stopped after that. They went out of business later on.
peconpie about 10 years ago
They must have ordered coffee in Provo…
vldazzle about 10 years ago
Not all who eat out a lot are lazy. My parents just did not cook well. Both my new man and myself are good cooks, so although he’ll sometimes ask if I’d like to eat out, we manage just fine. Camping will be interesting (tomorrow thru Sunday) and I hope we packed everything we need. My very first real camp out ;-D
masnadies about 10 years ago
I definitely tip better than my husband. I am also very polite and friendly (but quick!) in engaging the wait staff, and I never get bad service, which makes tipping well easier.
Even if there is still a “tip-gap”, if a server makes assumptions that women won’t tip as well, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and women will tip worse, as they get worse service.