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College students are notoriously strapped for cash and known for their bottomless stomachs.?But whether they’re dining out or calling in for their fifth round of pizzas, college kids are still obligated to tip, regardless of how empty their wallets actually are.
“If you don’t have enough money to tip,” said senior justice administration major Toree Edwards, “don’t go to a sit-down restaurant – it’s just that simple. Eat fast food.” Edwards is a server at Texas Roadhouse on Dutchman’s Lane.
“Don’t scrimp on the tip,” added U of L senior political science major Evan Buckley, a regular waiter at Rima’s Diner in northern Kentucky. “I’m a college kid too and need the cash.”
Tips at dine-in restaurants range from 15-20 percent, with average service getting 15 percent. Delivery service tips are about 15 percent, or no less than $2.
But what happens when waiters keep messing up orders or take 20 minutes to bring out the drinks?
“You still need to tip,” Edwards said. “If you don’t, you’re cheating other people out of money, not just the server,” she said.
The waitstaff, especially in larger sit-down restaurants, generally split their money with busboys and bartenders, and the less money the customer tips, the less everyone down the line gets paid.
Customers also need to make sure they don’t blame the waiter for something they’re not responsible for, said Buckley.
“Sometimes it’s the cook’s fault, not the waiter’s, and customers need to keep that in mind,” Buckley said. “I’d be glad to take something back and ask the cook to fix it. Don’t take it out of my tip.”
In his online “Tipping Etiquette” guide, James G. Lewis pointed out that if someone gets awful service, they need to talk to a manager about it. “The manager cannot correct the situation if he doesn’t know about it, [and] skipping the tip will not accomplish anything,” Lewis stated. “They server will just take it out on the next customer.”
Tips can be tricky, especially when you’re the one buying the meal and your dinner date offers to get the tip. Lewis suggested that you buy the whole meal (tip included) and tell your date to pay the next time. “This prevents any uneasiness about them seeing the amount of the bill or worrying that they will be stingy on the tip,” he stated.
