If you want to send the message that you got poor service, leave a poor tip, 8-10%. No tip at all simple says your asshole, not nessecarily that the server did anything wrong.
1.The server has to pay taxes on a minimum of 8% tip of bill, regardless of whether they got that much or not.
2. Many times people are not pleased with something at a restaurant, it's not the server's fault
3. If your food is cold, ask yourself, did someone at the table order something that takes a long time to cook? Blame that asshat with you that ordered Filet Mignon well-done.
4. Are your complaints even reasonable?I once had a table complain to the manager that I wasn't the one that brought out their food. WTF? We should have left the food under the warmer to sit until I got back to the kitchen?
5. If the restaurant is full and you had to wait to get your table, guess what... YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR YOUR FOOD TOO! and it's not the server's fault
6. It is NOT the server's fault you had to wait 30 minutes for a table, so don't take it out on them
7. If you treat me like shit from the moment you sit down, don't get pissed when my smile becomes forced and I become scarce
8. Is something not right? Did you bring it to the server's attention? NO? then shut the hell up and leave a tip. They can't fix it if they don't know it's not right or you aren't willing to speak up. Most places will bend over backwards to right a wrong, but they have to know about it. Also,9 times out 10, if you speak to a manager you will get something for free or a discount of some kind. Complaining in a nice way can reward you
9. Did you take up 2 or 3 times the amount of time it should take for lunch or dinner? then leave 2 or 3 times a normal tip. Servers only make $2.23 an hour, if you take up their tables all thru the rush, you are in effect, stealing from them
10. Can you guess what I did for a living for 10 years?
[show less]
on June 23rd, 2006. 69 grupies have voted on one or more of the 12 answers. 
Comments
Leave a comment
This tip thing is a pet peev of mine. Why the hell should I tip someone for "adequet" service. That's what your paycheck is for. If I feel you are exceptionally well then and only then should I feel obligated to tip. Just as in other service industries. Tips have just lost their meaning, its now just expected instead of appreciated.
And nothing pisses me off more when they put a mandatory tip on.
Except that the wages for an average server in a restaurant are pitiful at best and often are actually lower than minimum wage. The IRS requires employers to ensure that the total tip income reported is 8% of total receipts for that pay period and are required to pay any difference between the amount reported and the 8%.
The mandatory gratuities are usually added to bills for parties of large size due to the amount of extra attention such a party requires (which takes away from the waiter's ability to "adequet"ly [sic] serve other parties).
I'm aware of all that. That's not my point, my point is the culture that has sprang up around the "tips are expected" view. Becuase of that expectation employers have reduced wages, and the IRS has made special rules. Tips should NOT be expected, they should be given only when exceptional serivce has been performed, and then appreciated. For instance, like in Germany.
And as for "large parties"... If you want to charge me a "large party fee", FINE. Don't call it a gratuity. I will leave that on my own as a Gratuity. Another word that has lost it's meaning.
I of course tip the "expected" 15% and I tip more for execptional service nomrally 30%. Because I know they under cut the servers, BUT, that doesn't change my opinion it's a bunch of bullshit. They need to pay the servers a larger wage, even if they pass that cost on to me in the cost of the food.
My friend in Germany told me of the reaction he gets when he tips, he gets appreciation. I don't get that here in the states, even when I tip 30%, and all those reasons make it a pet peev of mine.
Considering you can't spell 'adequate' or 'peeve,' I am going to assume you are not properly educated to speak knowledgably on these matters.
You may be a good candidate for the Proper Police. See: http://www.grupthink.com/grup/72
I'm going to assume that since you are attacking my spelling and not my arguements you are an intellectually bankrupt fool.
Succexxy:
Oh and I thought I should just point out that you did not spell "knowledgably" correctly. The least you can do when you are going to attack someone on spelling is spell correctly.