I do my tipping on a bell curve system. None of this B.S. rules where you have to tip at least 15%. I say at least half the time you should be leaving
LESS than 15%. Think about it, half the time your getting below average service, why should they get an average tip?. Just make sure your tips average out to 15% and your ok.
Im a coffee fiend in the morning and when i go out to breakfast and dont get my coffee filled and the waiter/waitress goes awol, i dont think twice about holding out on tip.'
And i love how whenever there's a tipping discussion going on all the waiters/waitress come out and bitch saying to tip 20% (i keep hearing from my waitress friends that tipping is 20% now? and 15 is too low? i asked why one time and they said INFLATION!!)I know waiters and waitress that can pull 20-25 dollars and hour on a good friday or saturday night easy. And they dont bust their ass a tenth as hard as i do as a warehouse laborer making 8.50 an hour, and nobody ever tips me!
Picture somebody who is a waitress at an exclusive restaurant in Manhattan or San Francisco. They have an 8 hour shift, and the food being prepared fresh takes time. Say an average of 120 minutes at a table. They just have three tables they are responsible for on their shift so they can be attentive. The place is trendy and it is booked solid. They just have 12 customers the entire shift. Each table averages out to a $110 bill, some a bit more, some less. If... they only tip 15% on average, this waitress is taking $198 in tips for the day. Don't cry for her Argentina.