Tips in restaurants. Cash or ?????

My thoughts on this are:

1)Why give the credit card company 1-3% of the tip.
2)I'll let the server decide what they want to declare
3)Many servers share with the staff

With me, food money is separate from "fun" money so It's not like I'm ever short on cash.

I don't charge them to the room either because I KNOW that they won't be taken off with comps.

Also, since 99% of my meals are comped, I'm a notorious "overtipper". (30-40%)

 

Most places card but in Vegas I'm now pretty much all cash, in part because my food gets comped off usually but not the tips so I figure I might as well deal with the tips in cash at the time of the meal. So, for that reason and for some of the other reasons you noted.

 

I use a company credit-card for most of my meals and the company won't let me do a penny over 15% (and that's before tax, they check), so I always carry cash to pad the tip a bit when I have good service.

 

DaiLun we always give cash tips,whether it is charging on our AmEx or to the room (which we would pay for at the end anyway), like you we want the wait person to know how their service rated with us. We are generous and have left up to 25% for great service like at Strip House, as we know we are getting the food and beverage comped so make sure the staff is compensated and we know it is split among the staff............Rick

 

Everything on the card for us. Then we get 3% cash back at restaurants. In Vegas, 95% of our meals are comped, so then we tip cash. I don't separate food/drink/gambling. But, I'm too lazy to keep track. My guess ~$200 for 4 nights.

 

I can go either way. I just do what's convenient for me in the moment.

 

If it's comped, then charge it to the room and tip the snot out of the wait staff. If not, then cash and still tip the snot out of the wait staff.

 

Cash tips in Vegas for some of the reasons you mention.

I didn't think about the credit card taking a % of the tip - but you are right - so I have just added another reason to give a cash tip.

 

Sorry to highjack this topic but don't forget to tip your Uber/Lyft drivers. I know Uber claims the tips included but trust me it's not. I've had this discussion on other boards and while most agree, you have some knuckle heads that don't think they should tip ride share but have no problem tipping a traditional cab. As a professional limo driver tips are always appreciated. I don't care how much the tip is, it's just a nice acknowledgment of my work. In the professional limo industry most companies charge a mandatory tip of 15-20% depending on what the account negotiated. In exchange for that the drivers are paid less then minimum wage, and the tips make it over minimum wage. However since most of my passengers are using the service for work they don't tip additional since they're told the tips included. That's why I said earlier that I appreciate any tip.

As far a restaurants, I always tip at least 20% unless the service is bad. Even then I'll tip 15%. You don't always know the circumstances of the bad service, could be someone new who's nervous or just having a bad day. And since they rely on tips to make a living you've got to give them something. I usually charge to the room or pat with a card for points. But almost always leave cash for the tip.

Sorry for the long rant but I'm passionate when it comes to tipping.

 

Cash, always.

 

I also tip in cash while I'm in Vegas.
I start tips at 20% BEFORE any discounts and I go UP from there.
I read somewhere that the I.R.S. looks for a minimum of 12% of a servers net sales as tips.

Even if I pay with a CC I will leave a cash tip.
(Easier to keep accounts balanced.)

The only bad thing can be waiting for the waiter/waitress to pick up the check holder.
I wont just leave the cash on the table in Vegas.

 

I always bring a separate amt in cash for tips. Because I'm normally on a comp it makes it easier at check out.

Outside Vegas I don't mind adding a tip to the credit cards. I have to pay taxes on all I make, why are the service staff exempt? It puts more of a burden on the rest of us. I worked as a restaurant manager for years. Because of that I'm a big tipper, I know how hard they work and how difficult it can be to deal with the public. However, most nights when I would tip out the staff, I'd hand them more than I was making in a day and I KNEW they pocketed at least that much in a day. (Upscale and local joints). I don't begrudge them the the money, they just need to pay taxes like we all do. Worst part is they have to declare weekly tips at least equal to what we had recorded on credit cards. Did anybody ever declare over the amt we had? Of course not.

 

I'll normally tip in cash if I have it. But, I usually just have larger bills with me in Vegas. Normally I'll double the tax, and round up. But, that also depends on the service. I'll go up if it's good, and down if it's bad. But, I've only left a $.01 tip once before.

 

Man. I think I'd find a new job.

 

When I waited tables they didn't hold the CC fee out of my tips. The employer ate it. Someone else can chime in if this has changed.

Hence I put it on the card to get the points.

 

I waitressed for over 20 years - we did not have the CC fees deducted from our tips either Rumor.

 

This is the second time you have made a similar point and I am not sure I understand what you are trying to get at. A tip is included for everyone so why would a person using it for personal reasons be more likely to throw in an additional tip than someone using it for work? Unless the personal use person doesn't know the tip is included because they are not specifically told, so you double dip because they basically tip twice without knowing it? I use a car service for both personal and work trips, and I never consider an additional tip since the company I use includes 20% which I think is more than reasonable.

Your point seems to be that the personal use people are more generous than the business use people, which I find hard to believe.

 

Always cash.

 

That was the rule for my employer when I had a job with travel. I am sure many have rules on how much they will charge/reimburse for tips and I would be shocked if they would allow for more than 15 or 20%.

 

My point is simply that we do receive a mandatory tip since our hourly wage is below the minimum. The tips are between 15-20% depending on the account. Now when most of our customers are using the service for personal non business related travel they do tip additional. Not always but usually. And even with personal travel their company is usually paying the bill. One of the perks of being an executive. What I was trying to get at was it would be nice if everyone tipped. Even if it was a couple of bucks, just to acknowledge my work. When I pick some passengers up at say a hotel they'll tip the door man $10-20 just for opening the door. I'm driving them to where they need to be, which is more work then the door man did. Of course when they don't tip I still wish them a nice day and am not upset about it.