If you go to eat in a restaurant (**haha**, my mumcee pronounces the word in French but with the Yoruba tone), in Yankee, you are expected to tip the waiter. That is to my knowledge.
I know not everyone will tip like a Johnny Depp, who tipped a waiter $4000.
If you tip at all, my point in question lies somewhere there. How much? Most restaurants recommend 15%, where I reside. When I'm in a restaurant with poor service, I'm like 'say who die?!?' Reason is that I'm a middle class student, I can't be tipping $3 for every $15 or so meal, every time. During breaks, I eat out a lot. In fact, I love to eat dishes, from different places. Any Sushi, Panini or Pad Thai grubbies in blogsville? Related randomisity, I organized a Food fair for the Intl Stud Assoc at my school, last Sat. So much food, from different parts of the world, was too busy to sample much tho.
Back to my tipping story, I pay for my eat-outs myself, most times. This one time, I went out with 4 other friends and we were billed ensemble. The waitress did not even ask if we wanted to pay separately. Anyway, you will not believe she indirectly told us to do the maths ie. calculate whose food costs so so and so. Escusez-moi? I expected her to apologise for not asking how we wanted to be billed and offer to sort out the bill. I was pissed seriously. And I bet she still expected to be tipped. After eating with delight, we started using the calculator in our phones to divide tax and ish. Trust American students, every man for his bill.
Another situation, that a friend told me about, was when she ate at a Thai restaurant and forgot to tip. One of the waitresses caught up with her and her friends to remind them to do so, out side the restaurant. Last time, I checked, tipping was recommended and not necessary. Am I right?
Maybe it is the Nigerian mentality in me but I think it is up to these restaurants to pay their workers well and not make customers feel guilty for not tipping. In Naija restaurants, with comparable standards, tipping is not a must but for sure, customers leave their bill payment balances(change) for the waiters, according to their own judgment.
One time, a friend decided to have a to-go at some place because she did not want to feel guilty for not tipping the waiter, if she ate in there.
Case in a nutshell, I'm just a middle class student, who likes to eat. I don't want any waiter to think that I'm miserly cos don't tip generously. I try.
PS: I am not referring to 5-star restaurants.
Back to my tipping story, I pay for my eat-outs myself, most times. This one time, I went out with 4 other friends and we were billed ensemble. The waitress did not even ask if we wanted to pay separately. Anyway, you will not believe she indirectly told us to do the maths ie. calculate whose food costs so so and so. Escusez-moi? I expected her to apologise for not asking how we wanted to be billed and offer to sort out the bill. I was pissed seriously. And I bet she still expected to be tipped. After eating with delight, we started using the calculator in our phones to divide tax and ish. Trust American students, every man for his bill.
Another situation, that a friend told me about, was when she ate at a Thai restaurant and forgot to tip. One of the waitresses caught up with her and her friends to remind them to do so, out side the restaurant. Last time, I checked, tipping was recommended and not necessary. Am I right?
Maybe it is the Nigerian mentality in me but I think it is up to these restaurants to pay their workers well and not make customers feel guilty for not tipping. In Naija restaurants, with comparable standards, tipping is not a must but for sure, customers leave their bill payment balances(change) for the waiters, according to their own judgment.
One time, a friend decided to have a to-go at some place because she did not want to feel guilty for not tipping the waiter, if she ate in there.
Case in a nutshell, I'm just a middle class student, who likes to eat. I don't want any waiter to think that I'm miserly cos don't tip generously. I try.
PS: I am not referring to 5-star restaurants.
