How Much Do You Tip At A Restaurant?

Hey, its Tim Thomas in for Samantha James and I want to talk about tipping at a restaurant.

A few days ago a few of my fellow River DJ’s got together for a night out. Drinks, food, and enjoyed each others company. And we all paid our own checks. How much do you tip?

Well as someone who has waited tables and served drinks for many years…most people do not tip enough. So let me give you some guidelines to help and trust me…if you follow these…you WILL get good service.

Your default tip should be 20% on the total bill including tax. If you have a gift card…you should tip on original total before the gift card is used, if not tip a little extra.
If you can’t afford to tip fairly on your bill…you probably can’t afford to eat out.
If you tend to be a bit more high maintenance (lots of refills, modifications to food) tip a dollar or two more than the 20%.
You may not think so, but serving is harder than you think and most work for minimum wage + tips. So if you stiff someone on a bill for whatever reason…it can really hurt their lively hood.
If you tend to camp out at your table for a lengthy period of time…tip extra!

So those are a few guidelines to follow. For more info or suggestions click HERE

One final note…servers remember those who tip good AND bad. Never mess with those who handle your food! 🙂 Be a good guest and you will be paid back with good service and a better overall experience.