I've got shades of the opening of Reservoir Dogs in my head now

I do tip but always in cash for that serving person and never as part of a service charge by card - too many greedy-arsed managers pocket the cash for themselves in the UK now. 10% is my minimum and they get more if they go the extra mile with the service.

Not that I'm Mr Shouty-pants if anything goes wrong, I'd just take the tip down to 5% or not leave one at all, depending on whether it was the specific server's fault.

Yeah I tip the waitstaff if my cup stays full....(if my cup is empty for any extended amount of time the meter starts droppin) and my food is hot. I also tip the girl that does my hair and the chick that does my nails and pedicure provided i'm not bleedin when I leave. I don't do % I give what i can usually no less than $3 for my family of 3 but if you have an attitude believe I don't feel that I'm EVER REQUIRED to tip and have no prob with payin the bill and walkin out.

Hi
I always tip...normaly $5.00 if the servic is good 2 if not.
My wife was a waitress for many years and earned good tips that is how we made it...I like you never leave a tip on a card..
Gary

There are places out there which have sullied the idea of tipping. I have a Quizno's sandwich shop near me, and their sandwiches are good in a pinch. But they have a tip jar sitting next to the register, as if saying "give us more of your money." They didn't serve me anything like the servers at restaurants. They didn't come out to a table, take my order, and bring it out later. They just made my sandwich and rung me up. Other places do likewise, not being servers at all, they just simply have a jar there for more money.

The origin of tipping has it roots (perhaps in part) in the story of a gentleman named Dr. Johnson who would visit his local coffeeshop on some regular basis. He would drop a few pence into a box labeled "To Insure Promptness." Note these words spell out T-I-P with their first letter, hence the acronym of tip. The idea was to induce a hightened motivation in the generally listless attendants. These days it has morphed into simply supplementing a server's income, used more as a way to convey ones level of satifaction with the service.

I feel it's also good to point out that it's best for the server, if you do leave a tip, to make it in cash you're paying the regular bill with a credit card. Why? If you pay the tip on the credit card, it leaves a paper trail of liability to the server on reported income, so they HAVE to the full income tax.

What's my point? Why not leave out the greedy middle-man (IRS) and maximize your transaction?

Is that true Andy about T.I.P.? Interesting. Alan, good point as well not that I am condoning such a thing.

.

I think this is a great topic guys. I agree about if the service is bad I'm less inclined to tip well. As others stated it really all depends on the service. I didn't know about the the tipping in regards to credit cards. I've been told by a good family friend that if you don't leave a cash tip that the server doesn't get the tip at all. Never really understand it until it was explained to me in great detail here within this message. I guess I will have to try and remember that from now. Good points gentlemen.

Charlie.

Like I said before, if it's a little hole-in-the-wall place and they seem to be not making a lot, I'll tip them more. But if it's a busy place and they're making more than my wage in tips, I'm not gonna tip big just because I'm "supposed to" tip big.

I hate that...that I'm "expected" to...how hard is it to bring out a plate and drink...that's $5 worth of work? lol

Thus my issue with places like a sandwich shop just setting a "tip" jar by the register. They did nothing exceptional to seek any extra money from me. Just doing their job, their paycheck is supposed to cover that.