To me knowing you are going to be charging someone $6 for 10 ounces of milk is not doing your job. And you are speaking in general terms about something very specific.

 

On a good tip, if I get really GOOD service, I tip in the 30 to 40% range.

 

So UK, is 35% a good tip?

 

If the menu states, which most do, that free refills are on soft drinks, juice, and tea then she has no obligation to mention it.

 

I would classify a good tip as 30% or up. If it's really poor service, like need to get the manager involved poor, I'll usually go down to a minimum of 20%.

We disagree on this issue as a whole UK but apparently we do agree on what constitutes a good tip.

 

I will give an example of my tipping. I went to Stong's Brick Oven in Newport last week. We had fantastic service, our bill was 26 and some change. I left 40 and was thrilled to do it.

 

I think most frugal tippers need to rethink eating out because either they are cheap or really can't afford to eat out so they look for reasons to short the server.

 

Me on the other hand, I want to leave a big tip because it means I had a great experience.

Wow ... you guys are making me feel bad. I always leave 20% and thought I was a good tipper. if I don't like the service, I will leave 15%. On a very rare occasion when the service was terrible, I leave 10%.

We disagree on this issue as a whole UK but apparently we do agree on what constitutes a good tip.

 

I will give an example of my tipping. I went to Stong's Brick Oven in Newport last week. We had fantastic service, our bill was 26 and some change. I left 40 and was thrilled to do it.

 

I think most frugal tippers need to rethink eating out because either they are cheap or really can't afford to eat out so they look for reasons to short the server.

 

Me on the other hand, I want to leave a big tip because it means I had a great experience.

 

I can jive with that. Appears I was wrong, my apologies.

 

I've always viewed entering an establishment as an unspoken contract formed between you and the server. By ordering food, you're agreeing to compensate them for their time and energy. That's why, even if extremely poor service, I always feel a 20% tip is in order because they still provided you with your meal and spent their time on you.

If the menu states, which most do, that free refills are on soft drinks, juice, and tea then she has no obligation to mention it.

 

I would classify a good tip as 30% or up. If it's really poor service, like need to get the manager involved poor, I'll usually go down to a minimum of 20%.

But the original poster said he didn't recall it saying no free refills anywhere on the menu for milk. So, if that's the case, did she do her job?

But the original poster said he didn't recall it saying no free refills anywhere on the menu for milk. So, if that's the case, did she do her job?

 

Also said they didn't look at the menu for it...

I can jive with that. Appears I was wrong, my apologies.

 

I've always viewed entering an establishment as an unspoken contract formed between you and the server. By ordering food, you're agreeing to compensate them for their time and energy. That's why, even if extremely poor service, I always feel a 20% tip is in order because they still provided you with your meal and spent their time on you.

 

From my experiences bartending and waiting tables, I would argue that 20 percent in the face of poor service is being overly generous, and I would say most others in that line of work would agree. Sometimes you get slammed and tables get burned -- it's unfortunate but it happens. In those cases, you're hoping for 15 but expecting less.

 

For decent-to-good service, 20-25 percent is adequate. For good-to-outstanding service, 25-30 percent is adequate.

Also said they didn't look at the menu for it...

Fair enough, however I will add one more thing. In my experience over the years, if the waiter/waitress asks if you want a refill (the word refill specifically), it's free, if they ask if you want another (and I'm not only speaking of alcohol) it's another charge.

I'm blown away that anyone would consider tipping 15-20% no matter how crappy the service is. When I walk into a bar/restaurant the server has 15% to start. How much more or less they get is entirely up to them. The better the service the better then tip. Leave my drink empty the entire time and bring me cold food because you let it set in the back for 20 mins after it was ready and you will get 0%. If someone thinks that makes me cheap oh well. No one should expect to be in a service job and not have to earn their money. A portion of my pay is incentive based. I don't expect to get that money if I don't perform. Neither should a waiter or waitress.

I took a look at the online Montgomery Inn menu. Milk is 2.99 and on the same line as coffee, tea, and lemonade...items traditionally seen as free refills at most places. Soft drinks 2.99 on separate line. NO MENTION AT ALL ABOUT FREE REFILLS FOR ANYTHING. Very misleading. I'm warming up to Guru's position very quickly.

Wow, can't believe some of the opinions on tipping here. I have always considered myself a pretty good tipper, maybe not great but compared to many I have seen and eaten with I would be above average for sure. With that said, there is no way in HECK I'm gonna leave a server 20% for bad service. I have left nothing before when I recieved horrible service and have let managers know why. After all, if a bad server continues to get 20%, then they are probably thinking they are doing a good job, or maybe don't care if they are or not as long as they are getting paid.

 

Not too long ago my girlfriend and I ate at a local Huddle House and was waited on by a young lady who is a good friend of my girl friends daughter. Young girl, small kid at home, single, made lots of bad choices but trying, so we know the back story with her. Well, her servering skills were a complete disaster. She was absolutely horrible and had no people skills at all and had no idea how to at least be adequate at her job. Some of this I blame on a lack of training on managements part, but she has to sholder the blame for a lot of it. Long story short, I left her a good tip simply becasue we knew her and knew she could use the money. However, we told my gf's daughter to talk with her on our behalf, that her friend REALLY needs to get better or find another job because if she continued to do what she was doing she wouldn't be making any money. Well she was fired not long after that, don't know the whole story but I'm sure her ability as a server had something to do with it and I know for a fact she had said she wasn't making any money. Anyway, after our meal my gf and I were talking about it and she was with me, had this been a total stranger she would have gotten no where near what I left her.

 

Believe me, I really like being able to leave a good tip and help someone out, probably most of the people serving can use it, but I can't agree with rewarding a bad performance.

The price of the milk isn't the issue. The fact that the waitress did not inform the customer that refills were not free is the issue. Does she have to, no...I also don't have to tip her. If she wants to be good at her job she needs to take care of the customer to the best of her ability. That would include warning them that a refill for a shot of milk is $2.99. I've never been to a restaurant where the wait person did not tell us if refills cost when we ask for one.

I've had it happen to me at Shoney's before.

I'm blown away that anyone would consider tipping 15-20% no matter how crappy the service is. When I walk into a bar/restaurant the server has 15% to start. How much more or less they get is entirely up to them. The better the service the better then tip. Leave my drink empty the entire time and bring me cold food because you let it set in the back for 20 mins after it was ready and you will get 0%. If someone thinks that makes me cheap oh well. No one should expect to be in a service job and not have to earn their money. A portion of my pay is incentive based. I don't expect to get that money if I don't perform. Neither should a waiter or waitress.

 

Exactly. If you tip well for bad service you're doing the server a disservice. If you're bad, someone needs to tell you.

The price of the milk isn't the issue. The fact that the waitress did not inform the customer that refills were not free is the issue. Does she have to, no...I also don't have to tip her. If she wants to be good at her job she needs to take care of the customer to the best of her ability. That would include warning them that a refill for a shot of milk is $2.99. I've never been to a restaurant where the wait person did not tell us if refills cost when we ask for one.

 

What if everything was perfect and they overlooked reminding you there is a charge, you're going to stiff them out of $20 or more over that?

 

I think if your service is genuinely so bad that you're going to stiff someone then it's bad enough to tell a higher-up so they can take care of the issue.