Restaraunt Tipping Question

When I get my bill, I figure the tip on the total amount, including the tax. My Mom on the other hand subtracts the tax before figuring the tip. The fact that she needs a little printed “tip card” to figure out 20% is another story. :rolleyes:

So Dopers, include or exclude the tax when calculating the tip?

Doesn’t seem worthy of the effort that would be required in order to label yourself a cheapskate.

Example: If your bill is $25 and just for example tax is 7% = $26.75

20% of the $1.75 = $0.35

I’ve heard that some people tip only on the food amount, and exclude drinks. Those same folks would probably exclude tax.

I just tip on the total bill.

Total bill here too.

Total bill and I tend to overtip because I appreciate good service and I like to help break the stereotype that younger people tip for shit. If I can’t afford to tip right, I eat at home.

I don’t tip on the tax.

with tax at 8 (8.5) I just double the tax and round up a bit.

I don’t tip on the tax either. Why should I? That’s tipping on something that’s madatory. It probably comes out the same though as I always round up to the next dollar anyway.

I tip on the total bill, at least 20%, and then some. I once slaved as a server, pulling in a whopping $2.13/hr plus tips (I think that is still the hourly wage). The work is hard; the hours usually terrible; dealing with the public - always a challenge. Many, many times if you receive bad service, it is not the fault of the server. I will forever feel the pain of a server and tip generously.

So when did the tipping amount become 20%? I think someone forgot to send the memo to the area I live in. My friends and I will tip 20% if we’re really happy with the service, but 15% is what is customary.

No clear consensus here I guess. At least not yet anyway.

I usually go 20% more or less. If the service is very good, I’ll often round up a little. If it’s poor, 10% or less.

We used to frequent a family owned Chinese restaurant, and for two people, the bill usually ran to $15 or so. I always tipped $3 regardless. If I went by myself, I left $2.

I’ve never had a really expensive bottle of wine, but I’m told that it’s not usually included when figuring the tip. Not a problem I expect to have anytime soon.

If it’s a place you go to a lot, try overtipping. Karma is great-- the owner or server will almost certainly comp you stuff in the future. I go to a lot of places where I know the staff quite well, and almost always get a “here, try this new appetizer we have” or “I think you’ll like this wine, try a glass”.

That said, I generally look at the pre-tax bill and then tip 20% or so if it’s a place I don’t expect to be a regular at. But then, I live in Santa Clara county, and the tax is close to 10%. I’m completely baffled by the idea of not tipping for drinks. Don’t you tip bartenders? I usually tip bartenders a buck a drink, and that averages about 20%, so it seems to make sense to roll that up into the tip, too.

Same here. It’s the only good thing that comes out of an 8% tax, I’m automatically tipping 16% of the bill (before tax). If I want to give more for exceptional service I can. I never even thought of tipping on the tax.

Once more, with feeling: you’re tipping on the service, not the cost of the meal. Technically it shouldn’t even be a percentage of the bill but that’s a convenient way of figuring it out. Tax is something I gotta pay, they gotta pay, everybody’s gotta pay. It’s not adding to my enjoyment, on the contrary, it’s annoying if anything.

Your comment made me laugh since your location is listed as “Earth”. :slight_smile:

LOL! I never thought of that. I live in the land of Cheddarheads, but on the Mississippi River side of the state.

I tip on tax and the cost of drinks. I do not know why someone would exclude drinks as they are delivered to the table just like food. I tip on tax because as pointed out earlier the difference is too small to worry about.

What I don’t do is tip 20%. When I grew up tips where 10%. Over many years I have come to accept that they have risen to 15%. It would take another 20 years to convince me 20% was necessary.

I think the people tipping 20% are very generous, till they mention a meal cost of $13.00. When we dine for two the meal is between $50 and $100 depending if we ordered drinks. Also there is a shortage of labour here, and no server of ability would work for less than $10 per hour, $15 is more likely.

When I mentioned not tipping on an expensive bottle of wine, I’m thinking of something in the $150 a bottle class. Seems excessive to tip $30 for that. But as I don’t frequent places that serve that kind of stuff, so I’m prepared to learn.

Wow. Here the wage can be less than minimum wage, with the assumption that tips will make up the difference. Oh wait, would Canadian $15 = $2.13?

Yeah, I tend to leave a minimum amount regardless of a really low bill. Usually $3 per person.

I have almost universally found (now all of those not polled by me will come out of the woodwork) that those who have worked in the food service industry (!) and understand how much it totally sucks tip 20%, those that haven’t stick to some variation, tax, no tax of 15%.

A lot of times it’s just easlier to round up-- especially since people usually have twenties or tens, but not so many ones. After all, if you share a meal with someone and the bill is $100, is it that big a deal whether you tip $20 or $15? I just say-- let’s each throw in $60 and call it a night. Lay down 3 twenties-- easy. What’s $2.50 to you? I don’t ever carry change anyway.

First, this really isn’t Cafe Society material, I’m moving it to the IMHO forum (it’s mostly a poll.)
Second, you might want to check out: Should a restaurant tip be based on the check before or after tax? … that’s my opinion, anyhow.