Message: | I tip about fifteen per cent on the food as a rule, but I take into account the quality of service and any extra effort by the server. If my niece (the sloppy eater)has been with me or if the server has been extra helpful then I tend to tip a bit higher. I also tip a premium if the server has shown exceptional knowledge of the menu and/or wine list.
I also generally tip in cash even when I pay the bill with a credit card, because that way I know the server actually gets the tip. I know of places where the managers do not give servers the full amount of the tip, or where they average the credit card tips so that the servers do not get the individual reward.
If the service is actually so bad as to warrant a one penny tip, I generally follow up with a note to the management. The unfortunate thing about leaving a one-cent tip is that anyone who has given such bad service as to deserve it will probably not be deterred by it... They'll shrug it off and give the same bad service to somebody else who tips by reflex. If the management doesn't know they have a bad employee, they can't do anything about a server who is alienating their customers. |