Good service is crucial to a positive dining experience. A Waitress or waiter who’s personable, pleasant and efficient is essential to a good restaurant. However, many people don’t seem to like to tip, which I’ve noticed as both a Server and a customer. I cannot tell you the number of arguments I’ve gotten into with friends who want to leave a lousy tip, simply because they don’t want to spend money. Not only is it rude to leave a bad tip, but it’s damaging to your server.
Did you know that waiters, waitresses and other workers who generally receive tips do not have to receive minimum wage in the state of New Jersey? In fact, they’re only required to be paid $2.13 per hour, hardly enough to support oneself. Why is this allowed? Because the government considers tips to be part of their wages. Therefore, not tipping is incredibly rude to your waiter or waitress, especially if they provide good service.
Additionally, a lot of people who haven’t worked in the food industry don’t seem to know what is actually your server’s fault and what is not. For example, if your server is rude, doesn’t deliver your food or drinks, insults you, has poor hygiene, etc., it is their fault. If your food is bad, if you notice a bug in the restaurant, if the wait is long-these are not the fault of your server. A poor tip only hurts them on what is probably already a bad night.
As someone who has frequently been on both sides, this is how I tip:
- 20% for a waiter or waitress (anything less than 15 is rude)
- $2-3 for a delivery person
- $1-2 for a barista, counter worker, ice cream server, etc.
These are not hard and fast rules, obviously. But this is what I would like to receive, what I think is appropriate to leave, and what I think is fair.
