STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

lunch tipping

Hermes

yeah, it's not much, but most if not all of those servers also work nights. when I waited tables, I was required to work a certain amount of lunch shifts in addition to my evening shifts (since no one wants to work them due to not making any money.)

I don't feel obligated to tip any differently during lunch than I would for a more expensive meal/dinner (15-20% - depending on the service.)

that said, there is a place I go to lunch often that is very inexpensive (homemade food though - it's wonderful), and I have kind of an "assigned server" - she actually takes over my table from other servers - weird, I know. anyway, since she really goes out of her way for me and the people I bring for lunch, I tend to tip her over 20%.

was that confusing enough of an answer?

FashionPrincess · Hermes

Yeah, I tip the same for lunch as I would for dinner.

itsapinkthing · Coach

D wrote:

yeah, it's not much, but most if not all of those servers also work nights. when I waited tables, I was required to work a certain amount of lunch shifts in addition to my evening shifts (since no one wants to work them due to not making any money.)

I don't feel obligated to tip any differently during lunch than I would for a more expensive meal/dinner (15-20% - depending on the service.)

that said, there is a place I go to lunch often that is very inexpensive (homemade food though - it's wonderful), and I have kind of an "assigned server" - she actually takes over my table from other servers - weird, I know. anyway, since she really goes out of her way for me and the people I bring for lunch, I tend to tip her over 20%.

was that confusing enough of an answer?

This my be a rule of thumb for chain/franchise resturants, but is not neccessarily always true. I worked as a server for a small local place, and depending on what was going on with other servers lives (school/kids/other jobs). We sometimes had regular schedules of only dinner service or someone would pick up only lunch.

I really am firm believer of tipping based on sevice. I had regulars who required lots of attention, and wanted to chat everytime I came to the table. They like me and always requested me, but never tipped more than 10%. I liked them but dreaded it on a busy day. Although I had others who tipped like 25-30% and never really asked for anything xtra. That said no matter what time of day I always tip at least 15%, unless the service was noticeably bad. And tip more depending on the time of year, like at Xmas.

Hermes

itsapinkthing wrote:

D wrote:

yeah, it's not much, but most if not all of those servers also work nights. when I waited tables, I was required to work a certain amount of lunch shifts in addition to my evening shifts (since no one wants to work them due to not making any money.)

I don't feel obligated to tip any differently during lunch than I would for a more expensive meal/dinner (15-20% - depending on the service.)

that said, there is a place I go to lunch often that is very inexpensive (homemade food though - it's wonderful), and I have kind of an "assigned server" - she actually takes over my table from other servers - weird, I know. anyway, since she really goes out of her way for me and the people I bring for lunch, I tend to tip her over 20%.

was that confusing enough of an answer?

This my be a rule of thumb for chain/franchise resturants, but is not neccessarily always true. I worked as a server for a small local place, and depending on what was going on with other servers lives (school/kids/other jobs). We sometimes had regular schedules of only dinner service or someone would pick up only lunch.

actually, only one restaurant was a chain - the four others I worked at were independants (two of which were fine dining.) the worst was the mexican restaurant -- not only was I not making an hourly wage after taxes, but I had to tip the bussers 10% out of like $10 tips for lunch, and they got mad when I would only give them a dollar -- on top of it I was required to work kitchen shifts (on a $2.50/hr server's wage) -- at least I walked away knowing how to make some good mexican food wink

-- Edited by D at 10:40, 2008-02-08

Kelly · Hermes

I guess it depends. If the check is under $10 I might tip a little more, but I usually tip about the same no matter where I go. I think the servers get a lot more people going through during lunch (but maybe I'm making that up, I've never worked at a restaurant).

I usually tip 20% and 15% for bad service. I know that's ridiculous, because 15% still isn't that bad, but I don't usually eat at expensive places to begin with so I feel bad tipping any less. Last weekend I went out with some friends and the waitress was absolutely worthless. I tipped 15% (which was only about $1 on my bill because I just had a drink, but still). My friend next to me just about lost it, he kept going on about how since I was never a waitress I couldn't possibly understand how much it would suck to get a $1 tip. I kept saying that it was still 15% which is a higher percentage than she deserved anyway (seriously, she was horrible) but he just kept yelling at me in front of everyone. It was so embarassing (even though everyone else agreed with me about her service)

edited because I lack basic typing skills in the AM :)

-- Edited by ttara123 at 11:13, 2008-02-08

itsapinkthing · Coach

D wrote:

itsapinkthing wrote:

D wrote:

yeah, it's not much, but most if not all of those servers also work nights. when I waited tables, I was required to work a certain amount of lunch shifts in addition to my evening shifts (since no one wants to work them due to not making any money.)

I don't feel obligated to tip any differently during lunch than I would for a more expensive meal/dinner (15-20% - depending on the service.)

that said, there is a place I go to lunch often that is very inexpensive (homemade food though - it's wonderful), and I have kind of an "assigned server" - she actually takes over my table from other servers - weird, I know. anyway, since she really goes out of her way for me and the people I bring for lunch, I tend to tip her over 20%.

was that confusing enough of an answer?

This my be a rule of thumb for chain/franchise resturants, but is not neccessarily always true. I worked as a server for a small local place, and depending on what was going on with other servers lives (school/kids/other jobs). We sometimes had regular schedules of only dinner service or someone would pick up only lunch.

actually, only one restaurant was a chain - the four others I worked at were independants (two of which were fine dining.) the worst was the mexican restaurant -- not only was I not making an hourly wage after taxes, but I had to tip the bussers 10% out of like $10 tips for lunch, and they got mad when I would only give them a dollar -- on top of it I was required to work kitchen shifts (on a $2.50/hr server's wage) -- at least I walked away knowing how to make some good mexican food

-- Edited by D at 10:40, 2008-02-08

D, I hated tiping out busserers too, especially when they were slow and I'd have done 1/2 their job before they got to the table. Plus we had takeout, and the waitstaff would have to ring those guys out or chat them up while they waited for orders, but if they tipped us we'd have to give it to the cooks who already made 3x what we did. I really liked everyone I woked with tough.

blink · Coach

I tip the same. I tip 15% for adequate service, then up to 25%. If at a lunch shift all they had to do was bring my food, drink and check, then why should I give them more?

I used to work lunch shifts, it's no secret that lunch shifts make less money. The server working the shift knows this.

The lunch rush is fewer hours than the dinner rush, the turnover is fast paced and can be hard, but because it's over quickly, it's typically a lot less work than dinner. Patrons generally need less attention too, since many just want their check quickly because they are on their way back to work. They need fewer drink refills, they don't often order desserts and appetizers and they don't order a lot of alcohol which requires a wait for the bartender.

Ttara, your friend was an idiot for yelling at you about 15%.

blubirde · Chanel

I give 20% generally no matter what, unless it's a counter-type place in which case I just tip a dollar or two. I don't tip differently based on lunch or dinner. I'll give 5% more or less depending on service but 90% of the time, it's 20%.

kealoha · Kate Spade

blubirde wrote:

I give 20% generally no matter what, unless it's a counter-type place in which case I just tip a dollar or two. I don't tip differently based on lunch or dinner. I'll give 5% more or less depending on service but 90% of the time, it's 20%.

same here.

Suasoria · Chanel

20% for me too, unless service was awful. At the place we go to lunch once a week like clockwork, I'll leave slightly more since the place is mostly empty. Our check is usually about twenty bucks and some cents, and I leave $25.

littlebean · Kate Spade

I always do 20% unless:
-the service is really bad, and then I do 15%, or
-the bill is $5 or less (just getting a milkshake or something), in which case I leave a $1.

lynnie · Chanel

I'll leave more if the bill is small or if I feel like the server probably doesn't have great luck where he/she works. If I get great service at a place like Chili's (i worked there in college and let me tell you- I would get stiffed often. It was the crowd/area..) then I'll be more apt to leave extra. I know it will mean more then some place where the servers regularly make hundreds of dollars. In Nyc, that's a lot of places...