Restaraunt Service - Tipping?

[formulanone]

The rule is 10 percent lousy service.
Fifteen for good or average service.
20 percent for awesome service.

Pretty much how I do it. I usually round to the next dollar or 50-cent increment, if appropriate.

I have given $1 tips for utterly crap and uncaring table service, and the only times I didn't give a tip was when a server muttered about us (in a way not worth repeating on this site) so that the manager comped our meal, and another when food took 90 minutes to serve (I didn't want to seem like we were stealing our fountain drinks).

There's also plenty of times I give greater percentages for cheaper fare, like breakfasts. I used to go out for a $3-4 breakfast special but giving 75 cents seems a bit tight-fisted for consistent quality with a smile at 6am.

I confess that I usually give a dollar for cheerful and prompt counter service (usually if only because I know they have answer phones as well as manipulate a register and such). And you know what? It can pay you back. At a pizza place I'd frequent for a decade, that translated to free samples of their newest stuff. When Chili's screwed up my order every so often, I'd get $20 gift certificates without resorting to yelling, whining, nor Do You Know Who I Am tactics.

After that, I probably give $3-4 for a haircut tip. I probably don't tip much else outside of occasional taxi rides and black-car service...it's usually reimbursed so I give as generous as our corporate limits (20%) allow.

I've delivered pizzas before, and tips help a lot. I've had jobs where I live and die by excellent survey scores. While nobody deserves an automatic gratuity for doing nothing, I'm quite fair.

[texaskdog]

I tip.  But what I'm tired of is people at counters who have tip jars, tips on receipts for pick-up service.  Everyone asks for tips now and it hurts those who deserve them.

I don't tip 10% for lousy service I tip a nickel.  They need to know you just didn't forget, and that they sucked....and they get the crappy yelp review they deserve. 

[jakeroot]

They need to know you just didn't forget, and that they sucked....and they get the crappy yelp review they deserve.

I hope the crappy Yelp review is a review of the server, and not the restaurant. I know, yes, the server should represent the restaurant, but I'm sure there are other servers in the restaurant who are far better. I usually make two or three visits to a restaurant before I write a review.

[texaskdog]

Yes, I'm very particular about whether it was the restaurant or the server, or both.  The last review I said they were both great but the hostess had a sour disposition all night LOL.