Wow, I'm amazed at how difficult people find it to calculate 20%. I'm no Doogie Howser, but even I can calculate that shit.
Math is not my strong suit. I always use the calculator on my cell phone these days to calculate tip after messing up and shorting (or almost shorting) a waiter unintentionally a couple of times.
I always tip on the total bill, including tax and alcohol. It's an ongoing dispute between DH and I, who strongly feels you should tip on the pre-tax total and remove alcohol from the equation.
Post by awkwardpenguin on Jan 22, 2013 14:04:09 GMT -5
FWIW, I know I've messed up tip once or twice on tipsy bar bills. It sucks but it happens. Tip generously in general and it's less likely you'll accidentally leave a really egregiously wrong tip.
I often end up pitching a few bucks in cash on the table to make up for my stingy tipping friends. Drives me crazy and I figure the server shouldn't suffer.
Wow, I'm amazed at how difficult people find it to calculate 20%. I'm no Doogie Howser, but even I can calculate that shit.
Math is not my strong suit. I always use the calculator on my cell phone these days to calculate tip after messing up and shorting (or almost shorting) a waiter unintentionally a couple of times.
I always tip on the total bill, including tax and alcohol. It's an ongoing dispute between DH and I, who strongly feels you should tip on the pre-tax total and remove alcohol from the equation.
Why would alcohol be any less tip-worthy than, say, an entree or a soda? It takes effort to make or fetch the cocktail much like it takes effort to fetch the entree. There may be a bit of a tip windfall on expensive wine or whatever, but the way I look at it, those who are earning tips generally work really hard, long hours and deserve generosity. Particularly because the tips tend to get spread among a few people.
Post by njohnson1972 on Jan 22, 2013 15:00:38 GMT -5
What happens when those of you that just double the tax travel some place with a different tax rate? I just doesn't seem like the best way to figure out the tip.
But I'm amazed at all these people that have scientific methods for figuring out the tip. I just look at the bill, round up to some number that seems logical, do a double take to make sure it's some respectable amount, and just add it on.
But I'm amazed at all these people that have scientific methods for figuring out the tip. I just look at the bill, round up to some number that seems logical, do a double take to make sure it's some respectable amount, and just add it on.
But I'm amazed at all these people that have scientific methods for figuring out the tip. I just look at the bill, round up to some number that seems logical, do a double take to make sure it's some respectable amount, and just add it on.
Lol @ math being a "scientific method"
But seriously, could you expand on this? Are you saying you don't do any rough calculations to come to 15 or 20%? You just pick a number that seems "logical"?
I've never heard of this pretax tipping thing, and it really doesn't seem worth the trouble. If you're worried about the insignificant amount you might give to a server by tipping on the tax, you really shouldn't be spending money on eating out, lol.
My understanding is that when restaurants have to estimate tips for tax purposes, they have to use the pre-tax amounts on the receipts.
I will also throw this out there - I'm more likely to go by pre-tax amount when dining in San Francisco than elsewhere. Minimum wage for servers there is higher than anywhere in the country (ie restaurants don't get to pay them less because they get tips), plus there's a health insurance mandate, so nearly all of them are getting about $1-$3/hour extra on top of their hourly wage in health care dollars being put in an HSA or going towards insurance, plus many restaurants tack on a 1-5% employee benefit surcharge on to the bill (that often is not even disclosed to customers before dining). As a result, it is not uncommon for the pre-tax amount to be 15% less than the post-extra fee amounts, and that's on high restaurant prices (they have to charge higher rates to cover the higher cost of labor).
I don't consider myself cheap, but I draw the line at tipping on a employee benefit fund surcharge.
But I'm amazed at all these people that have scientific methods for figuring out the tip. I just look at the bill, round up to some number that seems logical, do a double take to make sure it's some respectable amount, and just add it on.
Lol @ math being a "scientific method"
But seriously, could you expand on this? Are you saying you don't do any rough calculations to come to 15 or 20%? You just pick a number that seems "logical"?
Let's say I get a bill for $37. in my head, the number $45 pops up. I think about it for a second and guestimate that $7 is less than 20% of $37, but I know that $10 would be too much because that's 25% of $40. So I might toss on an extra buck or two if the service was good. I have no idea how much that is, but it seems fair to me.
I don't pull out calculators and sit around and think if my wine was brought to me fast enough to warrant 18% or 20%, if that is what you are asking.
But seriously, could you expand on this? Are you saying you don't do any rough calculations to come to 15 or 20%? You just pick a number that seems "logical"?
Let's say I get a bill for $37. in my head, the number $45 pops up. I think about it for a second and guestimate that $7 is less than 20% of $37, but I know that $10 would be too much because that's 25% of $40. So I might toss on an extra buck or two if the service was good. I have no idea how much that is, but it seems fair to me.
I don't pull out calculators and sit around and think if my wine was brought to me fast enough to warrant 18% or 20%, if that is what you are asking.
That actually sounds like a lot more math than the "I do the math" people are doing
Let's say I get a bill for $37. in my head, the number $45 pops up. I think about it for a second and guestimate that $7 is less than 20% of $37, but I know that $10 would be too much because that's 25% of $40. So I might toss on an extra buck or two if the service was good. I have no idea how much that is, but it seems fair to me.
I don't pull out calculators and sit around and think if my wine was brought to me fast enough to warrant 18% or 20%, if that is what you are asking.
That actually sounds like a lot more math than the "I do the math" people are doing
But I didn't say I didn't do math. The pp put those words in my mouth. I said I don't have a scientific method. I don't have a set routine - Ie all the posters saying that they tip 20% post tax if it's good and 18% if it's mediocre, and 16% if it's abysmal. That's what I was commenting on. I have absolutely no idea if I tip 20% religiously.
I guess my point with the 5% times 4 was I guess I'm tipping on the pre-tax amount. I never thought about it before though because it's just easier.
My preference is they give me the PIN machine and it asks if I want to tip 20% so I don't have to do anything. How they figure that out is up to them. Probably after tax amount, but I really don't care because I didn't have to do math
Dude, I got a C in Algebra. I'm no math wizard. If they start throwing letters into the tipping calculation, I'm royally screwed.
Really, though, 10% - you just knock off the last number. $150? $15. $132? $13. Then double it for 20%. Easy peasy. Round up a bit to be nice
This is how I do that, as well.
But really??? No one had a phone/calculator??? NO ONE?
Yeeeeeeeeeeeah. You stiffed your waitperson. You tipped 13% on your bill. THIRTEEN PERCENT. No cool.
Are you just posting this to stir the pot? Because it doesn't sound like you even looked at your bill when you gave that tip. It makes no sense, no matter what your math is.
But seriously, could you expand on this? Are you saying you don't do any rough calculations to come to 15 or 20%? You just pick a number that seems "logical"?
Let's say I get a bill for $37. in my head, the number $45 pops up. I think about it for a second and guestimate that $7 is less than 20% of $37, but I know that $10 would be too much because that's 25% of $40. So I might toss on an extra buck or two if the service was good. I have no idea how much that is, but it seems fair to me.
I don't pull out calculators and sit around and think if my wine was brought to me fast enough to warrant 18% or 20%, if that is what you are asking.
The difference between $37 and $45 is $8, not $7. $8 would be a fine tip on a $37 bill, though, since it is 21.6%.*
*Of course I used a calculator to get the decimal, but even so it's pretty easy to think of $3.70 being 10%, then 2*$3.70 = $7.40...
P.S. This whole thread (not ESF's post) is making me sad.
Let's say I get a bill for $37. in my head, the number $45 pops up. I think about it for a second and guestimate that $7 is less than 20% of $37, but I know that $10 would be too much because that's 25% of $40. So I might toss on an extra buck or two if the service was good. I have no idea how much that is, but it seems fair to me.
I don't pull out calculators and sit around and think if my wine was brought to me fast enough to warrant 18% or 20%, if that is what you are asking.
The difference between $37 and $45 is $8, not $7. $8 would be a fine tip on a $37 bill, though, since it is 21.6%.*
*Of course I used a calculator to get the decimal, but even so it's pretty easy to think of $3.70 being 10%, then 2*$3.70 = $7.40...
P.S. This whole thread (not ESF's post) is making me sad.
Post by shopgirl07 on Jan 22, 2013 17:14:07 GMT -5
I find it hard to believe that you screwed up the math that badly. I think you're just cheap.
I'll never understand the lengths people go to in order to tip just right and, god forbid, not "overpay" their server by more than a few cents.
Even if you decided to tip based on the pretax amount of that check, your tip should have been like $37ish. Just throw in the extra few bucks and call it a day. You can't be that strapped for cash if your bill was $200.
Personally, I'd be so embarrassed about this and definitely wuld go back and give the server $20.
There's no excuse for not being able to calculate 20%--particularly with phones and paper at your disposal. Some of my cognitively impaired patients can do this.
I know I read on here (or maybe the "former here") that you tip on the pre-tax amount (although at the end of the day, I guess who gives a shit over tipping on a couple of additional bucks, no?). Maybe the person that posted that was on crack though, and it's way wrong.
Ah well, I tip pre-tax and before any coupons, gift cards, etc.