Proper tipping etiquette with ever more expensive dinners

[Value Buy]

We have seen a sizable increase in menu prices at every monetary level of restaurants whether ma and pa. midsize chains, or upper level gourmet restaurants in the last two years.

We have pretty much tipped at the 15% to 17% level, unless service was really excellent, then a little more.
Cheap breakfast, or lunches we tip even higher based on the small check. The wait staff works just as hard on a $25 check as they do on a $50 meal, so we tip more to keep the cost of their service about equal to the staff.
We stopped at Olive Garden yesterday afternoon, and for three of us, the bill was $45, with  no alcohol and ate off the mid menu lunch items. 
Soup and salad
and two mini bowl items between us
One coffee one lemonade and a water.
I admit the waitress was attentive and was good.
My problem is with food inflation, the check even suggests up to 22% gratuity. and if I remember correctly, the 15% was the new minimum suggestion.
I settled with 17%, but imo, the gratuity is getting out of hand.
If we had ordered alcohol instead of water and lemonade, it would be over $50 for lunch in a less than upscale restaurant.

I know many here will say just stay home if you do not want to tip a decent percent, but cmon, who other than the one percenter's can keep this pace up?
The tip is fast becoming the price of another entree at the table.
Thoughts?

[Bluerobin]

Time to end tipping.  Let the cheap owners pay better.  Even if they paid $15 per hour, it is better than each of us shelling out $10 for a tip.  If the servers don't like it, get a better job. 

[zibazinski]

I tip in cash if I use a credit card. Since it's not discounted because of using a credit card I'm still at 15% or round up to nearest dollar. I do tip on the tax as well because I'm too lazy to fuss over a few cents. I also tip better at less expensive meals.

[dee27]

For fancy restaurants w/ excellent service, I tip 20%. Breakfast/lunch-15-17%.

[Anne_in_VA]

I too think that restaurant workers should be paid no less than minimum wage and more if in anything than fast food to eliminate tipping.  I usually tip at least 15% unless the server is really bad in which case I'll tip 10%.  I have been known to speak to the owner or manager if there are too few servers and they are unable to take care of the number of tables they are assigned. 

[gooddecisions]

I always tip 20% on the total, but i rarely go out to eat anymore. Eating out is a huge rip-off and not worth it. I'd much rather put together a picnic and go to a park if I want to eat out.

[weltschmerz]

Jul 7, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I always tip 20% on the total, but i rarely go out to eat anymore. Eating out is a huge rip-off and not worth it. I'd much rather put together a picnic and go to a park if I want to eat out.

I would never tip 20% if I got lousy service.

[gooddecisions]

Jul 7, 2017 19:57:47 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Jul 7, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I always tip 20% on the total, but i rarely go out to eat anymore. Eating out is a huge rip-off and not worth it. I'd much rather put together a picnic and go to a park if I want to eat out.

I would never tip 20% if I got lousy service.

I am not picky and my expectations are not high when it comes to wait service. I rarely require a refill or extra services. I don't care if they take the plates early or leave them until we're gone. I don't care if they are extra friendly or succint. I order from the menu without asking a bunch of questions or asking for substitutions. So, I can't think of a single time I've had service so poor I reconsidered 20%. But again, I am not picky, needy or demanding and I worked in restaurants for 5 years, so I know the drill.

[Sharon]

In Oregon waitstaff are not allowed to be paid less than the state minimum wage and any tips earned is extra income above the minimum wage.  As of July 1st the minimum wage in most of Oregon is 10.25 per hour.  In Portland it is $11.25 per hour.

[whoisjohngalt]

Jul 7, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I always tip 20% on the total, but i rarely go out to eat anymore. Eating out is a huge rip-off and not worth it. I'd much rather put together a picnic and go to a park if I want to eat out.

Once again I wish I was just like you when I grow up.  I LOOOVE eating out.  Neither my budget nor my fat ass appreciates that.

[zibazinski]

Jul 7, 2017 22:19:34 GMT -5 Sharon said:

In Oregon waitstaff are not allowed to be paid less than the state minimum wage and any tips earned is extra income above the minimum wage.  As of July 1st the minimum wage in most of Oregon is 10.25 per hour.  In Portland it is $11.25 per hour.

Colorado and California too as I recall. So tip accordingly. Servers love out of state tippers because they get 20% or so off them. In staters give maybe 10%.

[zibazinski]

My aunt and uncle leave a couple of bucks regardless of where they eat in Oregon because of that. 😑

[alabamagal]

Well several places have tried "no tip" restaurants, paid wait staff higher wages, and it didn't work. They just raised price of dinners, but customers thought prices were too high. It is just a psychological price thing. Thirst were higher end restaurants and they changed back to tip model.

Most wait staff that work in high end restaurants make decent money. A lot depends on how well the restaurant is managed.

My DS had a job one summer at a Japanese steak house restaurant one summer, the kind where they cook at the table. The owner was terrible to the staff. The servers really only took orders and drink orders. The tip split was 15% to the chef, anything over to the servers. If tip was less than 15% the wait staff had to pay difference to chef. Pay was minimum wait staff wage $2 something, plus tips. If tips were low for week they would make it up to minimum. Only time DS made over minimum was 1 or 2 times when groups ordered expensive wine, which would earn better tips for wait staff. Wait staff usually only lasted a few months.

[Ryan]

I always tip 20% just to make things easy on myself, but I would probably adjust if it didn't line up with the amount of work they are doing. Waiters at a nice restaurant recommend more, have less tables, are generally more attentive than going to chills (although not always).

Bartenders are the ones that really piss me off. You go to the bar, get a beer, they take off the cap and hand it over.

That's kind of why I like places that are self serve like Jason's deli or corner bakery.

[wmpeon]

I hate when the bill shows a "suggested" tip.  I can figure it own on my own, thank you.  Also, I've noticed that a suggested gratuity is basing the % on the after-tax total, not the meal total, which means a 20% tip is closer to a 22% tip.  This may be small peanuts, but this type of thing irritates the heck out of me and I feel deceived.  

[zibazinski]

Isn't that funny? I like the suggested tip because it's easier to do the math!!🤣

[Deleted]

I like the machines that sit on the tables to check out where you can move the tip thing up and down. 

[weltschmerz]

We have seen a sizable increase in menu prices at every monetary level of restaurants whether ma and pa. midsize chains, or upper level gourmet restaurants in the last two years

We've seen the price go up, but it's not due to higher wages, but higher food prices.
This year is awful.. most produce has shot up astronomically, probably due to bad weather and poor yields.
$1.00 for ONE lemon.
$2.50 for ONE avocado.
$8.00 for ONE medium watermelon.

....and don't get me started on fish!

[zibazinski]

Jul 8, 2017 18:59:56 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

We have seen a sizable increase in menu prices at every monetary level of restaurants whether ma and pa. midsize chains, or upper level gourmet restaurants in the last two years

We've seen the price go up, but it's not due to higher wages, but higher food prices.
This year is awful.. most produce has shot up astronomically, probably due to bad weather and poor yields.
$1.00 for ONE lemon.
$2.50 for ONE avocado.
$8.00 for ONE medium watermelon.

....and don't get me started on fish!

😲 Whoa. That's a lot for sure. 😲

[TheOtherMe]

I, too, have seen the prices going up at my favorite restaurant.  It has meant I don't go as often.  I have overheard servers saying business is slow.  I told one of them it's because of the prices going up.  I do generally tip 20%.  If I have real issues, I talk to the manager--that has only happened once.

[zibazinski]

You can see those states where the servers get 10-11 bucks an hour plus tips. Breakfast is very expensive even in chain restaurants like Dennys. Only when you find family owned, worked, and run restaurants can they make enough to have it worth something. So the foreign restaurants do well. My aunt loves to eat out but also has cut back. So I usually get her restaurant gift cards. Going to a crap place like Applebees costs a lot. If I'm going to spend that kind of money it sure isn't going to be there.

[weltschmerz]

Jul 8, 2017 19:41:00 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Jul 8, 2017 18:59:56 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

We've seen the price go up, but it's not due to higher wages, but higher food prices.
This year is awful.. most produce has shot up astronomically, probably due to bad weather and poor yields.
$1.00 for ONE lemon.
$2.50 for ONE avocado.
$8.00 for ONE medium watermelon.

....and don't get me started on fish!

😲 Whoa. That's a lot for sure. 😲

Provigo has lemons at $1.50 apiece!  For a lemon!! And they're crappy, dry lemons.
You need a million dollar loan from Daddy if you're a vegetarian or pescatarian.
The only thing that's affordable is pork.

[zibazinski]

Pork is okay but not constantly.

[Shooby]

Get more takeout!

[raeoflyte]

Colorado doesn't pay servers minimum wage.  

[kittensaver]

Jul 7, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I always tip 20% on the total, but i rarely go out to eat anymore. Eating out is a huge rip-off and not worth it. I'd much rather put together a picnic and go to a park if I want to eat out.

(the bolded part)

<<< kittensaver runs off to find her flameproof suit >>>

[Miss Tequila]

Jul 7, 2017 22:19:34 GMT -5 Sharon said:

In Oregon waitstaff are not allowed to be paid less than the state minimum wage and any tips earned is extra income above the minimum wage.  As of July 1st the minimum wage in most of Oregon is 10.25 per hour.  In Portland it is $11.25 per hour.

Then I'm assuming tipping is no longer required. The waiters in my state make $2.35/hour so tipping is part of their compensation. If they were making $10-$12/hr I would not be tipping

[zibazinski]

You'd think that but you're still expected to tip. I'm getting tired of it. I have some furniture being delivered tomorrow and I paid $50 to have it delivered yet I'm still expected to tip. I'll be moving the 28th. It's going to cost me $384 but I'm still expected to tip on top of that. I'm fed up with tipping when I already pay for a service. Pay through the nose.

[Sharon]

Jul 14, 2017 19:05:46 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Jul 7, 2017 22:19:34 GMT -5 Sharon said:

In Oregon waitstaff are not allowed to be paid less than the state minimum wage and any tips earned is extra income above the minimum wage.  As of July 1st the minimum wage in most of Oregon is 10.25 per hour.  In Portland it is $11.25 per hour.

Then I'm assuming tipping is no longer required. The waiters in my state make $2.35/hour so tipping is part of their compensation. If they were making $10-$12/hr I would not be tipping

Oh no, tipping is still expected.  We are constantly told that the poor wait staff expect tips as part of their salary.  I suspect that most people don't realize that they are being paid full minimum wage.

[zibazinski]

Jul 14, 2017 20:32:46 GMT -5 Sharon said:

Jul 14, 2017 19:05:46 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

Then I'm assuming tipping is no longer required. The waiters in my state make $2.35/hour so tipping is part of their compensation. If they were making $10-$12/hr I would not be tipping

Oh no, tipping is still expected.  We are constantly told that the poor wait staff expect tips as part of their salary.  I suspect that most people don't realize that they are being paid full minimum wage.

They don't want them to know. They love out of state tippers who tip 15-20% because they think the servers get $3 an hour.