Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Restaurant Tipping Guide

By Lori Buenavista


Although it is not as typical in Europe and Asia, leaving a tip at a bistro is standard practice in the States..Exactly how much should you tip your server? Here's the best way to figure it out. What amount to use to figure the tip? Whenever you receive your bill, the very first order of business is determining just how much your bill is "tippable." Be sure that there is not already a gratuity imposed on the check. If your get together is big or it's restaurant policy, there could be a 15%-20% tip incurred. Therefore, it's not required to leave anything extra, unless you'd like to provide a little more.

If you've used a coupon or a discount, figure the tip depending on the amount prior to the discount. Just because you had a buy-one-get-one-free deal doesn't imply that the server did half the work-he still brought two meals to your table and dished up 2 different people. The Federal government thinks that servers will earn a certain proportion of their total food sales in tips. When you don't tip your server, it's really costing him money for the pleasure of serving you.

How Was the Service?

Look at the service you received during your dining establishment visit. When thinking about the tip, take the following into consideration: did your server greet you punctually? Was he / she pleasant? Was your meal order correct? Did meals arrive right away, and at the appropriate temperature? Were your plates removed promptly? Were drinks and water glasses filled? Were your wants met on your meal? Was your bill correct and was your payment processed quickly?

When it's Not the Server's Fault

Your server only has control over some areas of your restaurant encounter. Don't base your tip on these items that are out of her control: You didn't like the decoration. The menu wasn't extensive enough, or didn't have the item you wanted. You needed to have to wait a long time to have a table. You have a table someplace you didn't like. The food was too spicy/bland/saucy/dry, etc. The costs were too high. The ambient temperature in the restaurant was too hot or freezing. The music was too deafening. Instead, mention those concerns to management, who can do something to fix the issues, and may offer you compensation (like a reduced bill, free treat or free meal).

When the Service Was Good

A couple of items to take into consideration: It's common process to tip 15% for average service. In case you felt that your server did a great job of taking care of you during the meal, consider tipping 20%-25%. Tipping your server in cash money (even if you've settled the meal with a credit card) is yet another nice gesture. Some dining establishments have a policy of holding tips placed on credit cards until the charge clears-which usually takes up to 1 month. If you've purchased alcoholic beverages, consider that the server usually has to give a certain percentage alcohol sales to the bartenders. So if you've ordered a $60 bottle of champagne, your tip should reflect that amount, too.

When the Service was Poor

A lot of people feel that poor service shouldn't be paid with a tip. That might be fine, but if you really feel that the server was so terrible that he ought not to get a tip, you should speak to the supervisor. Just not tipping won't necessarily improve service. Your server may assume that you've forgotten to tip, and the boss will probably never know regarding the bad service you received-and for that reason won't make any move to correct the situation.




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