Restaurant tipping: pre-tax or post-tax?

[Norelco]

The "fancier places" issue always bugged me too. I feel uncomfortable rewarding a bartender with a larger tip because my Jameson and Coke cost $9 instead of $5 at the other place down the road. The effort/skill/knowledge put into making it (which any 7 year old could learn, for that drink) is the same.

Yes, but usually along with a "fancier place" you expect the service to be that much more exceptional.

[EternityEnd]

I always tip about 20% post-tax, unless they really suck.

Same, but they generally get a comment or two from me if they really suck. >_>

[Daahan]

I work @ a Ruby Tuesday

Tell your company that your chips have way too much salt on them.

[Kazen]

I tip pretty well (usually 20-30% for good service post tax) and by good I dont mean OMG AMAZING, I just mean pretty much normal service you would expect. As long as my drink stays filled, bill brought to the table within a reasonable amount of time of being done the meal, etc.

[Priran]

I'm incredibly old-fashioned in that don't tip based on calculations. I tip based on how well the service was and I eyeball it according to the bill.

yeah seriously, are you people bringing calculators and pennies into this shit?

18% tip pre-tax what the fuck

[Ryko]

What I never understood is why people pay a tip based on the bill. If I order an extra plate or dessert or something that adds another $30, a server gets an extra $3ish for moving their arm from their serving plate to my table? Same with fancier places, I dont care if your steak cost $20 more, you as the server do nothing extra special then they guy who serves the less expensive steak.

I base it off of how well of a job done, then again, I rarely go and sit down in a resturaunt either.

The "fancier places" issue always bugged me too. I feel uncomfortable rewarding a bartender with a larger tip because my Jameson and Coke cost $9 instead of $5 at the other place down the road. The effort/skill/knowledge put into making it (which any 7 year old could learn, for that drink) is the same.

It's rather uh... silly to opt to go to one place instead of another, knowing full well that the place is expensive to begin with, then gripe about an extra 4 bucks thrown on top of a check, if that. It makes as much sense to me as people going on about 3 cents a gallon, but oh well.

[Correction]

Why tip post-tax? It's like tipping the guy who just sold you gas...

[Daahan]

If you think about it, tax has to do with what goes to the government lol. Technically the tax had nothing to do with your service, so if I did decide to use calculations and what not I'd probably go pre-tax, but that's the core service you're getting charged for.

(why is this topic so intriguing?)

[Ryko]

Why tip post-tax? It's like tipping the guy who just sold you gas...

Most people just don't put that much thought into it. The difference between "doubling the tax" (which is essentially "overtipping" pre-tax) and going straight 15% post-tax based on a 100 dollar bill (108.25) is 30 cents, it doesn't matter.

[Kazen]

(why is this topic so intriguing?)

Because we get to see how cheap each other is 8)

[sephir]

I usually tip the same as the tax(14% here) but can vary depending on service quality.

[Correction]

Why tip post-tax? It's like tipping the guy who just sold you gas...

Most people just don't put that much thought into it. The difference between "doubling the tax" (which is essentially "overtipping" pre-tax) and going straight 15% post-tax based on a 100 dollar bill (108.25) is 30 cents, it doesn't matter.

But you'd think it would be easier doing the math for a meal that cost you 16 bucks before tax than $17.32 after tax (in CA, but other states don't matter)

[Ryko]

Why tip post-tax? It's like tipping the guy who just sold you gas...

Most people just don't put that much thought into it. The difference between "doubling the tax" (which is essentially "overtipping" pre-tax) and going straight 15% post-tax based on a 100 dollar bill (108.25) is 30 cents, it doesn't matter.

But you'd think it would be easier doing the math for a meal that cost you 16 bucks before tax than $17.32 after tax (in CA, but other states don't matter)

In my case I don't carry much if any change except quarters, so it's essentially overtipping then cutting out anything above the nearest quarter. In effect people do things such as that or just "doubling the tax" so they don't have to "do the math" at all.

[archibaldcrane]

What I never understood is why people pay a tip based on the bill. If I order an extra plate or dessert or something that adds another $30, a server gets an extra $3ish for moving their arm from their serving plate to my table? Same with fancier places, I dont care if your steak cost $20 more, you as the server do nothing extra special then they guy who serves the less expensive steak.

I base it off of how well of a job done, then again, I rarely go and sit down in a resturaunt either.

The "fancier places" issue always bugged me too. I feel uncomfortable rewarding a bartender with a larger tip because my Jameson and Coke cost $9 instead of $5 at the other place down the road. The effort/skill/knowledge put into making it (which any 7 year old could learn, for that drink) is the same.

It's rather uh... silly to opt to go to one place instead of another, knowing full well that the place is expensive to begin with, then gripe about an extra 4 bucks thrown on top of a check, if that. It makes as much sense to me as people going on about 3 cents a gallon, but oh well.

I don't gripe, I tip $1 per Jamo and Coke, regardless of cost. The argument that it should work otherwise is what irks me.

[Jimmayus]

Working as a waiter at a sushi bar, I think you are getting what you pay for if you don't tip well. It's getting easier and easier to tell, and some demographic groups are just universally bad tippers, with choice few exceptions. Sometimes people are so angry if I am like 2 minutes late to bring a beer, nevermind I have 4 tables all the way across the restaurant from each other. Sometimes I feel like a pinball.

That being said, I tip 20% base after tax; 10% feels like a slap in the face, and I would reccommend against tipping that unless you don't like good repeat service.

[Tristam]

Working as a waiter at a sushi bar, I think you are getting what you pay for if you don't tip well. It's getting easier and easier to tell, and some demographic groups are just universally bad tippers, with choice few exceptions. Sometimes people are so angry if I am like 2 minutes late to bring a beer, nevermind I have 4 tables all the way across the restaurant from each other. Sometimes I feel like a pinball.

That being said, I tip 20% base after tax; 10% feels like a slap in the face, and I would reccommend against tipping that unless you don't like good repeat service.

Ah good another question for you I just thought of, when sitting at a table in a sushi bar and eating primarily sushi, how much do you think we should tip the sushi chefs on top of what you would normally tip? The restauraunt I usually go to includes a 15% tip for all parties (2 or more), but I can't figure out if that's for the wait staff in general or if that's just the waitress or whatever, so I usually throw a few extra bucks in the sushi chefs tip jar.

[Jefe]

Frankly, I don't tip >_> However, when a waiter/tress provides what I'd consider a good "service," (attentive, prompt, etc.) I''d be more than forthcoming to "reward" their "work," but I ain't obligated.

[Mala]

I tip based on the attractiveness of my server. A hot waitress will get a nice lump of change, with my cell phone # on the bill, while a fat waitress might get $2, with the phone number to the gym on the bill. I'm a terrible person though. . .

(I don't tip waiters at all)

Yeah, that pretty much makes you a jerk, hope you're joking.

20% post-tax is what I tend to do to avoid confusion, take total bill, lop off the last decimal spot, double it, kaBLAM. Never even thought of doing it pre-tax, but its a decent way to go, I suppose.

Yeah it was a joke, i generally tip 15~20%, but the serious part of the post was i find myself giving good looking waitresses more then i would normally tip.

[Headspace]

I usually only eat at Applebees during happy hour, so my meal is a half price appetizer and a water. Comes out to about $6.67 depending on what appetizer.

When it comes to the tip, I usually just put $1 on the receipt, maybe $1.50 if it's a crazy Friday night and my company are a bunch of douchebags. Does that make me cheap?

(Also goes the same with places like Steak and Shake and Skyline (for those from Cincinnati))

[SephYuyX]

I need to go pick up some skyline after work now..