As a former manager in a restaurant, I may be able to answer your question, Liebling.
The reason the wage is so low for servers is because it is classified as a sales position, and our government allows this because they know that what isn't paid in wages is more than made up for in tips 95% of the time. If it isn't, the restaurant makes up for it.
Personally I think cheap people shouldn't eat out if they haven't figured the tip into the bill ahead of time. Most people who wait tables are students working to pay for school -- it fits their schedule.
Does that help?
Here's how I tip:
- 5% = Poor service
- 10% = OK service
- 15% = Good service
- 20% or more = Exceptional service
I judge a server's performance by their friendliness and attention to detail. It's pretty general but if you spend a lot of time dining out you get a feel for who deserves a good tip and who doesn't.
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