Life Lessons By Comic

We’ve all been there, we’ve all seen it. We go out to a restaurant in hopes of having a nice meal, served to us in a nice atmosphere, and tended to by nice people…and then the last part of that equation falls through the floor.

I guess it’s just one of those expectations I have going into a night out. I expect to have good service. After all, it’s part of what you’re paying for as a customer, and something the establishment should have prepared. Good food, absolutely important. But I can stand a mediocre meal if the service is absolutely outstanding. However, give me the best dinner ever created, but serve it with disregard and disrespect and the food won’t compete with the bile that is bubbling.

With all that in mind, something I do very consciously is tip according to the level of service I, or my family, receive. What I don’t buy into is the idea of a X% minimum tip. To that point, when I sit down for a meal, the waiter or waitress starts with a given percentage tip already in their pocket – normally the traditional 15%. At that point, it’s for him or her to win or lose against. Make sure the glasses never empty at the table, check in with us during dinner (but not to the point of being a nuisance), and be timely with the check and I’ll bump up to 20 or 25%. BUT…pretend that we’re not around…that there are more important things to do – like chat with the other employees over at the bar – and that number plummets. I understand that tips make up the majority of a wait staff’s income, but thinking that it’s something that is owed just doesn’t sit well with me.

How about with you? Is tipping automatic for you, or do you gauge it based on the quality of service you get?

B.