In a state with 8.125% sales tax on prepared foods, I tend to tip on the whole check, including tax.
If the service sucks, I say something before the check even comes. I’m pretty easy though, I worked in food service, I “get it”…and if the service is really atrocious, the server pays by being poorly tipped by us. However, that is not always the case.
This past week we were on vacation. So, most dinners out, most brunches in the house. In fact, all brunches in. We went for dinner- at a place I now adore and ate at three meals out of 7. On Meal # 2, my daughter’s dinner never arrived. There were 5 of us. We were eating…and…eating…and no shrimp scampi for the daughter. After about 5 min, I asked. Our waiter went to look, and said, " Oh, another few minutes". Hmm. Okay, I sit and wait on my meal so daughter won’t be eating alone.
Another 6-7 minutes go by and I go to find the owner. I asked how this could happen, since we’re only a party of 5. Owner goes and checks out- and while she is checking out, the dinner appears in front of daughter. ( true co-inkydink, the plate found my child before the owner walked by our table and into the kitchen to check things, as it turned out ).
Did I shy the server? Nope. The server is not the cook. HE put in the entire order properly, and had every reason to expect it to arrive ready at the service bar, to be prepped and served all at once. I am guessing that he figured the shrimp scampi was JUST behind the other dishes and so he served the rest of the order- a logical choice.
I wasn’t thrilled, but yes my daughter got her meal. ( Which she inhaled 
). Our server was VERY unhappy with it, and apologized profusely. He also was told by the owner to comp my daughter’s dinner, which was nice of them. I still overtipped our waiter. HE wasn’t responsible for the dynamics of the kitchen, and I knew that.
Our first and third outing there were flawless and damned tasty to boot.
I tend to overtip. I mean, at least 15% on full bill with tax as I mentioned up there. I always figure that if I can afford to eat out, I can afford the few extra dollars that the fuller tip represents. If money is that tight for me, I have no business eating out in the first place. ( my two cents, anyway ).
Speaking of two cents- to stiff someone shows a lack of class and an inability to communicate. If the meal was THAT atrocious or the service that lousy, then it’s incumbent upon you to say something to the management. If you were mistreated by a server, don’t stiff them. Leave then a penny, where you are sure they will see it. I learned that at the IHOP, back in the day. It shows a willful intent to send a message of awful service.
Sometimes, you have to eat out and have to spend all of your money…on your food, and I surely do understand that. Stiffing a server may be necessity. Leaving a penny sends a message that stiffing them does not. 
Cartooniverse
