Very true, this is the best way when using a card and they don't have to wait. Plus as stated, it acually cost the bar to tip on a card, so the server can end up with less..

Part of the confusion is that waitstaff and bartenders are allowed to be paid at below minimum wage. In my wife's restaurant, waitstaff make about $3.75-4.50/hr. Supriisngly in this area that is about $1-2 more than most similar type restaurants.

Jim +1

Karl
88 Targa

One last point and I'll shut up...in most establishments, front of the house servers have to "tip out" back of the house staff every night; i.e., from their evening tips they give a percentage of what they earned in tips to a kitty that is distributed to bussers, dishwashers, barbacks, etc.

So that ten spot probably ends up being $6 after taxes, tip out, etc.

Very true, many places Tips are split out with everyone, sometimes I tip twice. And yes, $3.75(as stated, high end) is based on tips, ad a good server can do very well with this, and bartenders have folowing, so the owners with good servers benefit very well from this, it can make or brake a good happy hour, I have seen it. Also, tip the pizza guy too when he delivers..

Thought I'd throw in my $.02

Tipping is not a city in China. LOL, Had to say it.

I have worked in Hotel kitchens for over 30 years, from Colonial Williamsburg, The Big Island in Hawaii, ski resorts in Vermont, The Grand Canyon, and Islands in the Caribbean, I’ve seen a bit.

A tip and a service charge, may or may not, be the same thing.

It depends if it’s in the restaurant, room service, or a banquet.

In most restaurants you would normally just leave a tip dependent on your experience. If there is a gratuity already added it generally goes to the server. The server will tip out the bussers etc, sometimes the cooks might even see a little. In the resort towns/ vacation spots restaurants will add a fixed service charge to large groups simply to insure that the staff wasn’t working for free all night. If you want to give more , go ahead. I,ve known a few places where this wasn’t a policy and I have seen waitresses break down in tears after a large party whose bill may have been $500 or more leave the girl 10 bucks because they were just plain ignorant. Watching one of your own cry in the middle of the kitchen is not a pleasant sight.

Then you have the occasional “eat and run” A-holes. They will split without paying their bill. To keep wait staff honest (not giving free food to their friends and family) some restaurants I’ve seen will take that money out of the waitresses check. Again, I’ve seen girls work the entire evening, get stiffed and wind up making 0 dollars for that shift. It’s not pretty.

Room service “service charges” generally go to the staff member delivering the food. In the kitchen, it doesn’t matter to the cooks where it’s going unless room service has special china and glassware. All the work getting the food on a cart, making sure everything is there, and eventually taking it up the elevator to the guest rooms is all on the server. So the service charge is usually given to them as the tip. Room service is where the easy money is for the servers, you don’t have to deal with a party all night long, just the 5 minutes it takes for you to drop off the cart. And then, most people always tip a little extra.

A hotel banquet service charge can be broken down to be paid out to a whole list of people, the housemen, the servers, the bussers, the sales people, the banquet chef. And a portion could go to the house.

When I was in Hawaii I received 5% of the gratuity plus my salary, and I lived in company housing. We did close to $6 million just in banquet sales. There were four restaurants in the hotel as well.

When my wife and I go out we will always tip too much. And we always tip in cash.

Just out of curiosity, how many room nights are you guys out? Or are you just talking vacation time here?

I average 80 room nights out per year. Room service only 2 - 3 times per year.

Ian

wow, many knowledgeable responses here. Thank you.

When I travel on business, I'll end up using room service ocassionally - usually the night I arrive after a long flight, as it's usually late and I'm tired. I want make sure the guy bringing my food gets paid for it, and I didn't know if the automatic service charge goes to him or to the hotel.

I'm not a big tipper. In normal restaurant situations, I tip 15%. If service was particularly good or it's a smaller bill, 20%.

Motel 6 doesn't do room service so I have no idea....