Tipping

For my first blog post I want to address a topic that is always on the mind of customers... tipping. This subject is always debatable on what is an appropriate amount for a tip. I believe that if you are going to come out to eat at a restaurant you should be prepared to spend money. There are many factors that go can into the decision on making a tip.

First of all, was the service what you expected? If the server fails to meet your expectations than I think it is up to the customer on what the server deserves. No one should ever be stiffed ($0) but a server also has a job they need to do. That is to make the guests happy and make sure the dining experience goes smoothly.

If the server does meet your expectations then the minimum in this day and age should be 20%. Now I know many people believe 15% should be a good enough tip but the new 'standard' should be bumped up to 20%. Servers are not using their weekly paycheck to live off of, they're depending on tips. With the prices of everything rising, including food, the standard should be raised to 20%.

If the service goes above what you were expecting than the server should be rewarded. Not just with a compliment, which are always nice, but with a tip. If the service you received was more than you expected then that means the server worked very hard to make you happy. Since you came out to eat and are expecting to spend money, than reward your server.

I will have a post that goes into more depth about this next topic but, another factor that should be considered with your tip is night you are out to eat. It doesn't matter if the restaurant is busy or not but is your server busy or not. Even if you are one of 5 other tables in the restaurant, your server could be getting very busy by another guest they are dealing with, trying to make happy. If you can see your server is putting all their effort in trying to make their tables happy than be patient and know they're busy.

Remember when out to eat be patient and tip your server accordingly.