E
erikthewise
Guest
OT -- Just a question, no agenda...
I have been told that even if service is bad (not beyond belief bad, but very poor), you should tip at least 10% because that is the assumption and what servers pay as minimum tax. Further, 10% tip is a well-known signal to the server that the service you received was poor.
Maybe I talk to people who don't know what they are talking about?
Still, I have never left less than 10% and when I have done so on the rare occassion, I thought I was giving the server a thumbs down.
So, is the 10% "rule" correct?
There is no "correct" here. If the service (not the cooking) was so bad that it ruined your meal, there is no reason to leave any tip, except perhaps a microscopic one to make it clear you didn't "forget". You are doing nobody a favor by tipping for abysmal service. In particular giving 10% may be enough for the server to continue in a job for which they are not suited and continue to inflict themselves on future diners.
(There have been times, though not at WDW, when I have been tempted to enter a negative amount on the tip line, thereby reducing my bill. I've never actually tried it though. )
On the other hand if the service is just sub-par or inferior (a misdemeanor rather than a felony) and didn't ruin your meal, 10% makes sense. In any case you are free to use your own judgement. Don't be intimidated by posters who think their tipping habits are morally superior, and thereby are "rules" that everyone else must follow.
I'm not an expert, but seem to remember reading somewhere that servers must pay taxes on the assumption they received an average 8% tip. Hopefully somebody will verify or correct me.