TIPPING YOUR WAITER/WAITRESS is a MUST

[Matthew Rappaport]

I think for many people, the idea or very thought of tipping is an afterthought or even nonexisent!!

I would say almost 100 Percent of Waiters do not get to keep all of that 'what you thought was a VERY generous' tip!! Waiters have other employees they are forced to tip out including bartenders that make them drinks to serve to you,busboys who clear the tables, runners who bring the food out from the kitchen to the table and some places have tipouts to hosts,maitre d's,sommeliers(wine service),even cooks,managers and cashiers have to be tipped out by the waiters in some establishments!!

Every time a waiter serves you -- he starts out with less money than 0! The waiter usually has to tip out based on his or her sales. Occasionally in some places the waiter tips out a percent of their actual tips. Most places won't do this because there is no way to check what the waiter ACTUALLY made in tips since some are in cash! I do wait tables and have to tip out 5 percent of my sales. The math is simple - If I get a 20 percent tip, I personally keep 15 percent of it. So when you only leave 15 percent, I make a 10 percent tip.5 percent is actually low compared with some places who make their waiters tip out between 6-8 percent. I cannot imagine getting 20 percent tips all night and leaving with 11 percent!!

Now I know what some of you are thinking and it's..."well that's not MY problem..I tipped him a FAIR amount!" Most places have a mix of hard workers and lazy workers, in every occupation!

The next time you are out and the bill arrives...remember that doubling the tax is not OUTSTANDING. I'm not asking for everyone to make up for the money the waiter loses(unless you deeply want the waiter to get to keep all of the tip...so if you leave 20 on 100...you need to leave 25 for the waiter to make the 20!...some places you might have to leave 26-28...and feel free to ask the waiter, they will be more than happy to let you know they tip out a certain percentage to other people!). If more people left 20 percent or closer to it, that would make most waiters happy. As soon as you leave 10 percent or less the waiter is making very little,nothing and sometimes is actually losing money because of your ridiculous tip!

I kid you not...I have had people..."grown men" who pull out $5 or even $3 on a tab of $70,$90,$100+ -- They will say "Here, that's for you!" and act like they just did the greatest thing ever. They will even say they had good or great or even excellent service...because they have no clue and have somehow been taught that that's a lot of money or a good tip.

Tipping is all over the place now for almost any occupation. The people who DEPEND on tips and work for tips because they get paid under min. wage since the employer assumes that the tips will bring their hourly rate above min wage are WAITERS and BARTENDERS as well as busboys!

I've had tables that wanted their food to go and sometimes I'll ask if they want me to wrap it or bring a box b/c some people don't like their food being handled or wrapped by anyone but themself (even though someone else prepared it and it was touched anyway!). One time a lady said very aggressively " No, YOU can do it!" but then when it came time for my tip - she only wanted to leave me $1 and change on a $75 bill....she told me : "That's all the money I can give for that!"

Obviously there are many excellent and above average tippers out there...waiters do appreciate you!

No waiter cares about verbal praise....it all comes down to money. The more you praise...the more money you need to leave!! If you ever dare say "I'll take care of you"...the tip needs to be at least 20 percent if not 30!! 15 percent takes care of nobody!!

It's too bad the waiter can't be told beforehand what tip percentage they were getting, so they could SERVE accordingly!!