Wednesday, July 17, 2013

How Much To Tip At A Restaurant

By Lori Buenavista


While not as typical in Asia and Europe, leaving a tip at a bistro is common practice in the USA. Just how much should you tip your server? Here's the way to figure it out. What amount to use to figure the tip? Whenever you receive your charge, the primary order of business is determining what amount of your bill is "tippable." Be sure that there is not already a gratuity imposed on the check. If your get together is large or it's restaurant policy, there may be a 15%-20% tip imposed. In that case, it's not necessary to leave anything extra, unless you'd like to offer a bit more.

If you've used a voucher or a discount, determine the tip using the amount before the discount. Simply because you had a buy-one-get-one-free deal doesn't suggest that the server did half the work-he still brought 2 meals to your table and served two individuals. The government thinks that servers will earn a particular portion of their total food sales in tips. So if you don't tip your server, it's actually costing him money for the pleasure of servicing you.

How Was the Service?

Evaluate the service you experienced during your restaurant visit. When taking into consideration the tip, take the following under consideration: did your server invite you promptly? Was he or she pleasant? Was your meal order correct? Did meals arrive promptly, and at the correct temperature? Were your plates removed quickly? Were beverages and water glasses refilled? Were your expectations met during your meal? Was your bill correct and was your transaction prepared rapidly?

When it's Not the Server's Fault

Your server has only control over some aspects of your restaurant encounter. Don't base your tip on these things, which are out of her control: You didn't like the decor. The menu wasn't substantial enough, or didn't have the item you wanted. You needed to wait a long time to have a table. You've got a table in a spot you didn't like. The food was too spicy/bland/saucy/dry, etc. The prices were too high. The background temperature in the restaurant was too hot or freezing. The music was too deafening. Instead, mention those problems to management, who can do something to take care of the problems, and may provide you with compensation (for instance a reduced bill, free treat or free meal).

When the Service Was Good

Three points to consider: It's common process to tip 15% for regular service. In the event you felt that your server did a great job of taking care of you during the meal, take into account tipping 20%-25%. Tipping your server in cash money (even if you've given money for the meal with a charge card) is another nice gesture. Some restaurants have a policy of holding tips put on credit cards until the charge clears-which will take up to four weeks. If you've purchased alcoholic beverages, consider that the server normally has to give a certain percentage alcohol sales to the bartender. So if you've ordered a $60 wine bottle, your tip should reflect that amount, too.

When the Service was Poor

A lot of people feel that poor service shouldn't be rewarded with a tip. That may be fine, however, if you truly feel that the server was so awful that he doesn't deserve a tip, you need to speak to the manager. Just not tipping won't essentially enhance service. Your server may assume that you've forgotten to tip, and the supervisor will probably don't know about the bad service you received-and therefore won't take any action to correct the situation.




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