Tips: 15% before or after tax?

[GasX]

20% before tax

 

[rh71]

Ummm... just double the tax amount.. because tax around here is half of 15% anyway... well more like 8.5%.

 

[Kev]

7% tax here, so to make it easy i just multiply tax by 2 and round to the nearest dollar. so i guess tax isn't going into the tip

 

[Kev]

dammit i just repeated what 2 people said already

 

[Cenalian]

Its just basically easy to tip 15% before tax in Ontario.

We pay 15% tax in ontario, so basically just add up your tax total, and then I normally round up if it was good service, or round down if I feel they weren't up to par.

 

[arod]

I never pay change so I dont follow the 15% rule... I put how many 1 bills I have that is closest to 15%

 

[Amused]

It doesn't really matter. I round up to $1 tip for every $5 on the bill if the service is good (20%). $0.75 for every $5 if the service is acceptable (15%), and $0.25 or less per $5 if the service is poor. If I factored out tax, it wouldn't change the tip in the vast majority of meals.

 

is that extra $1 you saved by tipping before tax really going to break the bank?

How about this, everytime you have to pay a dollar amount below 1 dollar, you round that up and give it to me.

Nickel and dime you to death.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: maladroit
dammit i just repeated what 2 people said already

I'm sorry, what'd you say ?

 

[godmare]

Originally posted by: gotsmack
do you calculate the 15% before or after the tax?

How stingy must one be?

 

[MuffD]

After. The way I look at it, these guys get minimum wage and if they do a good job, they should be rewarded accordingly. What if you were in their shoes and nobody was giving you tips? That would suck. I know there are some people in here who don't have great jobs that pay well and am sure they can tell you it's pretty tough.

 

[dullard]

For good service I usually put $1 per person at the table. Note: I rarely eat at anyplace that costs more than $8 per person. So that works out to be a 12.5% or more tip. (12.5% is the minimum, If I order a $3 meal, then it is a 33% tip). Why should the waiter/waitress earn less if all I want is a salad? Why should they earn more if I order baked chicken instead of grilled chicken? Tipping on a percent of the total cost is one of the silliest ideas ever. I tip on work. More people at the table = more work = more tip. Plus the math is really, really easy.

At really expensive restaurants ($10-$20 meals) I may be more generous and up the tip to $2 per person. But I so rarely eat at places like that.

If the service was great, I'll often put an additional $1 down. If the waiter was extremely rude (such as not giving us any silverware, or drinks, and shouting at us when we ask for them - this has happened to me), I'll subtract $1 - if I tip at all.

 

[Atlantean]

I leave the tip before tax. It depends on where I am eating for how much I leave... and I will never and have never left a tip at a fast food joint.

 

[ShawnReeves]

When the wife and I eat out the bill ranges from $25-30. Ruby Tuesdays is our spot since they have "Happy Hour" all day long 7days a week! The food is good and doesnt cost an arm and a leg. I always just tip $5 no matter if the bill is $20 or $30. In the past i have left A $1 bill on the table to indicate the service was terrible. :disgust:

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: dullard
For good service I usually put $1 per person at the table. Note: I rarely eat at anyplace that costs more than $8 per person. So that works out to be a 12.5% or more tip. (12.5% is the minimum, If I order a $3 meal, then it is a 33% tip). Why should the waiter/waitress earn less if all I want is a salad? Why should they earn more if I order baked chicken instead of grilled chicken? Tipping on a percent of the total cost is one of the silliest ideas ever. I tip on work. More people at the table = more work = more tip. Plus the math is really, really easy.

At really expensive restaurants ($10-$20 meals) I may be more generous and up the tip to $2 per person. But I so rarely eat at places like that.

If the service was great, I'll often put an additional $1 down. If the waiter was extremely rude (such as not giving us any silverware, or drinks, and shouting at us when we ask for them - this has happened to me), I'll subtract $1 - if I tip at all.

You've never worked in the service industry, have you?

 

[dullard]

You've never worked in the service industry, have you?

Just 3 years part time at a restaurant (cook). My tips are as large or larger than your tips. But I base my tips on what is a reasonable basis - the amount of work, the amount of people that the waiter/waitress needs to please. Please tell me why I should tip more if I order baked chicken instead of grilled chicken?

By the way, for many many years the standards was always 10% before tax. Recently it changed to 15% before tax. Then people got confused and started doing it after tax. But ask any maners columnist - or similar source and the proper tip is before tax.

 

[Noirish]

Save yourself sometime.
If you are lazy, take whatever you order, the total price, and add 20% onto it.
It covers tax and more than 10% tip (it might be 20% if you don't have to pay tax at all.)

 

[n0cmonkey]

After, I always get good service and I know servers work hard for their money. I don't see a point in being an ass and leaving a bad tip if I get good service.

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: dullard
For good service I usually put $1 per person at the table. Note: I rarely eat at anyplace that costs more than $8 per person. So that works out to be a 12.5% or more tip. (12.5% is the minimum, If I order a $3 meal, then it is a 33% tip). Why should the waiter/waitress earn less if all I want is a salad? Why should they earn more if I order baked chicken instead of grilled chicken? Tipping on a percent of the total cost is one of the silliest ideas ever. I tip on work. More people at the table = more work = more tip. Plus the math is really, really easy.

At really expensive restaurants ($10-$20 meals) I may be more generous and up the tip to $2 per person. But I so rarely eat at places like that.

If the service was great, I'll often put an additional $1 down. If the waiter was extremely rude (such as not giving us any silverware, or drinks, and shouting at us when we ask for them - this has happened to me), I'll subtract $1 - if I tip at all.

You've never worked in the service industry, have you?

why do people always bring up this "you've never worked in food service" nonsense when talking about tipping? it's not the most complicated job, i worked it for 3 years and i have no sympathy for bad servers. you take my order, you get my food, you bring it to me. come back every so often to see if i need something. it isn't rocket science. if the server is really bad i will leave nothing. absolutely nothing. that's only happened maybe once or twice though.

 

[yoda291]

I tip according to level of service...not cost of what I ate. that being said, I've left 20-40 dollar tips if I take up a table with friends of mine just to slug down coffee for hours and hours or to take my time eatin a short stack or something. I appreciate courteous service even when they're actually at a loss in terms of tips because some a$$hole like me is taking up their table. Also, I admit, I'll tip a tad more if the server catches my eye... I don't care what you might say, food just tastes better when there's an attractive woman nearby. Me and my friends also do trivia with servers...we'll ask them out of the blue questions and if they get it right, we pad the tip.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: yoda291
I tip according to level of service...not cost of what I ate. that being said, I've left 20-40 dollar tips if I take up a table with friends of mine just to slug down coffee for hours and hours or to take my time eatin a short stack or something. I appreciate courteous service even when they're actually at a loss in terms of tips because some a$$hole like me is taking up their table. Also, I admit, I'll tip a tad more if the server catches my eye... I don't care what you might say, food just tastes better when there's an attractive woman nearby. Me and my friends also do trivia with servers...we'll ask them out of the blue questions and if they get it right, we pad the tip.

I like the trivia idea. Do you tell them before hand that you are going to quiz them, or do you just ask the questions and make it a surprise at the end?

 

[stonecold3169]

Originally posted by: yoda291
I tip according to level of service...not cost of what I ate. that being said, I've left 20-40 dollar tips if I take up a table with friends of mine just to slug down coffee for hours and hours or to take my time eatin a short stack or something. I appreciate courteous service even when they're actually at a loss in terms of tips because some a$$hole like me is taking up their table. Also, I admit, I'll tip a tad more if the server catches my eye... I don't care what you might say, food just tastes better when there's an attractive woman nearby. Me and my friends also do trivia with servers...we'll ask them out of the blue questions and if they get it right, we pad the tip.

Exactly... Up in Cornwall, Canada, there is an East Side Marios where all the waiters, servers, and bartenders showboat and try to outdo one another, doing tricks and what not... makes for a super enjoyable time, and just like if you have a cute waitress, if you're in a fun enviroment surrounded by people who look like they're enjoying what they are doing while trying to make your time pleasurable, yeah, I'll tip more then the 15% "standard"... to me, it's more then worth it. On the other hand, I've definitely been in high-class places where the service stinks, or just doesn;t do it for me... and in that case, I'll leave less then the 15%.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

My understanding has always been that you tip based on the total bill. Not the extra dollar is worth quibbling over.

 

[dabuddha]

I also use a term i call "Dry Mouth" to base my tip on. It's based on how long my glass is empty. Sometimes, I've been in restaurants where the waiter/waitress leaves me with an empty glass for almost the whole meal. I don't get a refill till I happen to yell out Excuse Me to them while they rush past without even looking towards us.

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
Before... they're not serving you tax... and if they were it wouldn't help get them a better tip.

-geoff