Across the Ist-a-Verse
Restaurant Week started last night. That's really awesome for you and me, the average diners who maybe can't afford to eat at many of these restaurants. It's less awesome for the servers who are really going to be getting stiffed on tips.
You see, when you're getting a super deal at a restaurant, you should still tip approximately in accordance with what your meal is worth, not what you paid. So if you happen to find yourself, say, on Penn's campus after eleven p.m., and you decide to head over to Mad4Mex for half-price food, and your bill comes out to four bucks (last night was rough, so no margarita for you), you should tip approximately what you'd tip if you weren't paying half price. That would be 15-20% of eight dollars, not four.
Why?
Your servers aren't doing anything different when they bring you food when there are specials than when they bring you food when everything's full-price. The kitchen staff isn't paying less attention to your food. Even though the restaurant can afford to take the hit, its staff probably can't. It's possible to make good money bartending or waiting tables, but only if the tips are good: servers usually get paid well below the minimum wage. (It's legal because, theoretically, their tips should more than bump them above it.) If you're not tipping your waiter properly, it's like you're giving him a paycut. It hardly seems fair.
A recent post on Ask Yahoo! indicates that, while nobody really knows for sure where tipping comes from, it's been around a long, long time. Which means that people have probably been making their livings from what they make on tips for a pretty long time, too. Bear in mind that a lot of what might lead to your dissatisfaction at a restaurant isn't the server's fault. That burger that you wanted without onions came with onions? The line cook might just be having a bad day. But he's not the one you're tipping. Your server did his job: he took your order, and he brought you your food. If you tell him (politely, always!) that the order is wrong, he will probably be more than happy to take it back to the kitchen for you. This is what you're tipping for. Forget the onions and remember the smile.
Of course, if your server is a real asshole... I'm definitely not saying that you should stiff him on the tip. I'm just saying that that's a decision you need to make on your own.
Photo: Mark Wenzel.
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Right on Jill; I'm a maniac about the tipping, and have had to explain this very concept to many people.
alternately, i tip on the lowest possible price of the food. so if its on sale for $4, no need to feel obligated to tip on $8 next time you go in. after all, they're not doing more work regardless of the price
"Bear in mind that a lot of what might lead to your dissatisfaction at a restaurant isn't the server's fault. That burger that you wanted without onions came with onions? The line cook might just be having a bad day. But he's not the one you're tipping. Your server did his job: he took your order, and he brought you your food. If you tell him (politely, always!) that the order is wrong, he will probably be more than happy to take it back to the kitchen for you."
It DEPENDS if the server inputs the order wrong into the computer, it VERY WELL CAN BE THE SERVER'S FAULT. Also, I've had a burger that I wanted onions on that was OPEN-FACED on the plate, which my husband had onions on his burger, but not mine. Since the server can *SEE* the something is not correct, they should NOT take it to the customer. Now, if the burger is closed faced or under the meat patty and the server printed the ticket correctly, then NO, it's NOT the fault of the server. If, let's say, I order "No pickles" and it's on the side of the plate as it sometimes is served in restaurants, it's the SERVER'S fault 100% unless a food runner is taking the food to me and of course as long as the ticket was printed correctly, then the food runner would be at fault for not reading the ticket BEFORE taking me my food. If you can actually *SEE* the mistake, it's on the SERVER if the same person that takes my order brings me my food. If the pickle is under a bun, it COULD be the fault of the server not printing the ticket correctly and it could also be that the cook messed up. In that case, I assume my server input my order correctly because I can't actually know for sure who's at fault. The server can't *SEE* the pickle under the meat or bun so I can't fault the server unless they actually tell me they input the order in the computer wrong or if my check has the proof that it doesn't say no pickle. One time that happened, because I asked for no tomatoes also, they had a pickle on my plate. A food runner brought out the food, but the check had only no tomato and add bacon, NOT "no pickle." So on that check, it PROVED that the SERVER was 100% at fault that a pickle was on my plate. Most checks don't go into detail like that, but I've had a few restaurants that do. My husband and I have had wrong entrees due to servers admitted they printed the ticket incorrectly.
BTW, I don't stiff for a minor error such as a pickle that I didn't order, but I DO, however lower the tip some UNLESS the item can't be SEEN. Like if a food runner takes my food to me with the specifications not on the check like I mentioned above or if the server can't SEE the item as he or she brings it to me and the specifications aren't on the check as well as the server doesn't tell me they inputted the order into the computer incorrectly. If I know for a fact it IS the server's fault, I will lower the tip some like 12% or something like that. Could be higher if I get an apology, which sometimes I don't. If it's something like a pickle, I usually just take it off the bun, because it's easier that way instead of telling the server about it. It's too time consuming to send food back when a minor mistake happens. You also risk getting your food spit in by sending food back. So I try NOT to send food back if at all possible.
My MAIN point is, it CAN BE the fault of the *SERVER* SOMETIMES.