BellaOnline Forums Education Math Calculating a Tip

How do you calculate tips at restaurants? Do you have some sort of a set formula you use, like twice the sales tax? Do you actually calculate it out with a percentage? Do you use a calculate in your phone or something?

I generally leave about 20% of the total - if the service is sub-par I'll leave 15 or even 10%...if it really sucks I'll leave 50 cents or a dollar (I heard once that if service is particularly horrible you should leave a very small tip versus no tip; if you don't leave anything the server might think you simply forgot and won't get the message). For really great service I'll leave 25 or even 30.

And I just do the math in my head...

I take 10% and then add half.

If I feel the waitstaff was worth more - I will definitely go above the 15%.......if not - I stop at the 10%.

I usually leave 20% of the total too. I calculate it in my head.
Sometimes,my husband uses his Tip Calculator on his cell phone.
He's a gadget guy.

In Australia you don't tip anywhere except in restaurants and even then it's optional. 10% is the usual if you're tipping.

The reason for this is that people receive minimum award wages which particularly in the hospitality industry has heaps of loadings depending when you work.

Since my Mom's a caterer, and at one time owned a family based restaurant - I am very fanatical about tipping. 20% is my norm - I always do it in my head - never really thought about it before, I just do 10% and double it, easy enough.

But like Sofie said above, if the service has been really lousy, I will leave a small tip, and usually a comment to the manager as well. I don't want people to make the mistake that I forgot the tip when I'm actually upset about the service thst was performed.

For other services, like my hair and nails, I usually figure 15%.

I aim for 20% and I do it in my head too - I do 10% and double it

I do leave less for bad service ...

In the States, I leave 15 to 20% - more for exceptional service. Lousy service gets a dime. I just calculate it in my head - easy 1 - 1/10 of the bill and then add half of that back for 15% or double it for 20%.

In Europe, the gratuity is already added into the bill and you only tip extra for very exceptionally good service.

What I don't understand is why tip percentages have increased so much.

Yes, 20% over 15% is a 33% increase - that's a chunk. If you read around, you'll find 22% as a norm rearing it's ugly head, and as seen here, people speak of leaving 25-30%.

If the prices of restaurant food had not gone up, then it would seem reasonble to me that tip percentage should have gone up. However, since the 'principle' (price) indeed has gone up ...

Have you ever asked servers at discussion boards what they believe they should get as hourly remuneration? I have several times, but I cannot give you the answer since I have not once received an answer.

I can say this - if I occupy a table for 90 minutes and leave a $15 tip, I am paying the server $10 an hour. Including what the house pays, that doesn't seem real bad for unskilled labor. Of course, if the server has two other tables to wait on during that same 90 minutes, he or she plainly cannot be working for me while working for other patrons.

So let's divide the server's time up equally - out of that 90 minutes, he or she is working for me for 30 minutes (it usually works out differently, I dine alone quite often and just as often, I am the only solo diner in the establishment). Now I am paying the server $30 an hour.

Looking closer though, we realize that in a 90 minute dinner, the server might spend - what, 10 minutes actually physically engaged in serving me? Does that seem an unreasonable estimate? Let's credit another 10 whole minutes to waiting to serve me. That's 20 minutes actually working for me and not someone else, for which I pay $15, which is now $45 an hour.

That ain't hay, and it ain't 20% either.

Would that it worked that way. You forgot the "hours" spent doing "sidework" which includes stuff like filling salt shakers, making salads or desserts, stocking supplies, rolling or polishing silverware, refilling condiments, and essentially, cleaning everything in the server station & dining area and more.

And, typically the "house" pays less than $3 per hour--about half of minimum wage.

Unskilled labor? Hardly. A waiter has to have people skills, time management skills, communication skills, sales skills, math skills, plus the physical ability to haul food around and work on his/her feet for however long their shift may be--usually 4 to 8 hours or more. They have to learn everything on the menu, plus how to describe cooking methods and ingredients, and how/when substitutions can be made. Add a bar to the mix and they are expected to be well-versed in wine pairings and cocktail brands and mixology. And, all while smiling and trying to be nice to people, some of whom seem determined to be jerks.

Then, add in the fact that some people just do not tip. And, some tip really badly. But, you still have to pay income taxes on your sales, tips or no tips.

And, then, you often have to share tips with bartenders and bus persons. Again, the taxes are on the waiter who rings the orders up.

I last waited tables in the early 1990's and I made from $12 to $20 an hour in tips at a family-style restaurant.

I think everyone should wait tables, too. It's a great education in human behavior.