How much to tip? It depends. I’m not a fan of tipping, but I will admit that I have tipped more than once. But when I do, it does not go over five dollars unless it was an exceptional meal with excellent service. I’m not a fan because I believe that when I pay for a meal, good service should be included in the bill. My boyfriend is the opposite. He thinks that you should tip to show your gratitude to your wait staff.
To determine whether or not to tip or how much to tip, we look for the following things:
- How often do we get refills – Water is usually free and more often than not, it’s our choice of beverage. So I expect our glasses to be filled with water regularly and not be lingering below the halfway mark. Let’s not talk about me having to get your attention to get a refill. That is the ultimate no-no.
- How often the wait staff checks to see if everything is ok – Once in a while, wait staff usually checks in to make sure that everything is to our liking and to find out if we need anything else. Frequent checking in is a huge plus and can increase the size of the tip.
- Bringing exactly what was ordered – I’ve never experienced this, but my boyfriend has. It’s always corrected without a fuss and a load of apologies. I must admit that I’m usually impressed when someone takes my order without writing it down and nails it without a hitch.
I’ve heard people say that they also use the length of time it takes to get their order as a tip determinant. My issue with this is that it might not necessarily be the wait staff’s fault that your meal is late. I would say that if that if your meal is indeed late, the wait staff should update you and offer apologies for the delay. That courteous gesture could mean an increase in the tip.
My boo usually starts at a maximum tipping amount, and if there are any infractions, a dollar gets taken off. If it’s a major infraction, two dollars and up are deducted from the maximum tipping amount. If everything goes perfectly, then the wait staff gets the full tip and maybe extra!