FGCU (Harrison): Tipping

People who work at restaurants are surprisingly very interesting people. In essence it is a wide range of individuals working for different reason. You have your typical college student who is trying to make it through school on a sturdy income. This student tends to struggle a lot financially and has to fit in as many hours as possible on top of classes. Then there’s the high school student who usually occupies the lower positions such as a hostess, bus boy or dish washer. They just work for spending money to finance extracurricular activities or habits. You always have a couple of the older workers who are in it for the long run like the waiter/waitress or managers. My favorite, the crazy old cook who just creeps everyone out. He/she will say or do whatever is on they’re mind.

The problem with today’s society is that people only want to pay the price that is shown on the bill. That bold print that stands out and eliminates all satisfaction of what was just consumed. They have horrible excuses like he/she took too long to re-fill my drink or take my order without considering the amount of tables they’re waiting for. This is a condition called “denial”. They just want a reason to sleep better at night. The worst is when a waitress/waiter encounters a prick. Someone who thinks they’re funny and leaves a note on a napkin saying, “TIP: Reconsider your options in life and invest your time in a real job”.

Some people just don’t understand how frustrating that can be. It’s not only about non-tippers. Occasionally there will be someone who leaves a tip that was better off not leaving one at all. Your customers receive a bill of a little more than thirty dollars and they give you a fifty. They ask for change and when you return with small bills and some loose change you come to soon find out that the loose change is now your tip. It boggles my mind and there’s nothing that can be done to hinder this from occurring.

4 Responses to “FGCU (Harrison): Tipping”

  1. T. Clark (FGCU) says:

    When I enjoy fine dinning at a well-respected restaurant I expect a certain level of service. That being said I don’t think I have ever tipped a server less than 15 percent even for horrible service. I will typically leave a 20 percent tip and if I receive excellent service I will request them the next time I patronize that establishment. Even in fine dining the food is only enhanced by better service, if your server is not trained properly on how to serve and is not familiar with the menu it will make the experience less than expected.
    Different cultures have unique tipping expectations; one example is some European countries are not tippers. The real question is how tipping etiquette is learned. If you worked in a restaurant are you more likely to tip for better service and less likely to leave a tip for lousy service? I don’t know never having worked in a restaurant. I think that tipping is a learned trait; if your parents tip then you will be more likely too. Tipping etiquette extends far beyond just restaurants but few people are practicing it.

  2. student says:

    Nicole Migut (FGCU):

    A normal tipping percentage is usually 10% above. I agree that tipping has been downhill in recent days. Waiters/Waitresses work hard for their money. They serve their customers their every little need. I believe that a good server should recieve a good tip. Put yourslef in their shoes. Would you want to recieve a horrible tip after your hardwork? Probably Not. People need to learn to be considerate, and not so greedy these days. Tipping is yet another social problem, that has to be fixed.

  3. student says:

    Katherine Blackford(FGCU)
    I always like to tip 20% when I eat out. I know that the person serving me is only making $2.40 an hour or so and that they work hard. Being a waiter requires you to hustle and keep moving at all times. I know people can be rude and so quick to judge a server. However, I think a lot of the problems in a restaurant probably come from the cooks and the kitchen not so much the waiters. I know this job is usually for younger people but when I see an older person as a waiter I feel sorry for them. I know they must not want to be on their feet all day and listening to people making demands. Especially today when people in general have no patience! Please leave a good tip for good service…its only fair!

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