Friday, June 21, 2013

How Much Should I Tip Food Service Workers?

By Cornelius Nunev


Tipping has become more of a sensitive problem recently because of the economic downturn and snail-slow recovery. How much are you expected to tip? Have higher costs and stagnant wages made tips a lesser concern than previously? Here are some tipping rules and suggestions.

Tipping and stiffing

Diners are starting to lose tips, according to the Detroit News. In fact, one waiter in California got a note with his lack-of-tip that said, "I must cut back on discretionary spending and gratuities. I wish it didn't have to be this way for both of us."

Employees depend on tips

But chances are that waiter or waitress is struggling, too, and depends seriously on those tips to pay the bills.

Record Searchlight reports that one restaurant worker told Lennie Copeland, "If you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. Otherwise, stick to macaroni and cheese at home."

According to Copeland, while the federal minimum wage is $7.50 an hour, restaurant workers generally make closer to $2.13 an hour. That, with an average infusion of tips, gives them about $15 to $20 an hour.

To make matters worse, restaurant workers have to share their tips with the other workers, including cooks, janitors, dishwashers and bussers. In addition, each is expected to claim a minimum 8 percent a week to the Internal Revenue Service for taxation. However, according to Wes Babcock at Cattlemen's Steakhouse, the IRS may red flag restaurant workers who claim less than 12 percent tips.

Learning tipping standards

Follow these guidelines for tipping.

A few older diners may remember when 10 percent was customary for almost all tipping. Today a little more is anticipated. According to etiquette experts, today it is customary to give 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax bill to waiters and waitresses.

Tipping.org explained that a buffet only needs a five to 10 percent tip since you are doing your own serving.

If there is a tip jar at a coffee or deli counter, 50 cents to $2 is all that is required for orders totaling less than $30. Even then, only regular customers should feel obligated to tip, according to Tipping.org.

Tipthepizzaguy explained that picking up a to-go order at a restaurant generally needs a 10 percent tip.

A minimum $3 tip when somebody delivers pizza is expected, though it should be about 15 percent.



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