Waiters and waitresses are on their feet during their whole shift. Apart from getting the specifics of everyone’s order right, carrying thirty pounds of foods on a tray with one hand, and refilling everyone’s drinks multiple times, they’re also responsible for wiping down tabletops, tallying up bills, and cleaning up spilled drinks. That’s a lot of job for one person to handle, yet many people do it every day and manage to keep a smile on their face as they do. Perhaps no other profession teaches you how to work with the general public better than the restaurant industry. You may be polite to your waiter or waitress, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is. A lot of restaurant goers don’t have any idea how physically and emotionally demanding being a waiter or waitress is, and will not make any attempt at being civil. Indeed, a good waiter or waitress deserves a tip perhaps more so than any other profession.
How much should you tip your waiter or waitress? Anywhere from 15-20%, but the norm is increasingly becoming 20%. It all depends on how happy you were with his or her service. Did you have a large group, but the waiter catered to everyone’s needs? Did you send something back, only to have the waiter nod understandably? Upon answering these questions, keep in mind that waiters and waitresses don’t make minimum wage because restaurant owners expect them to get tips. Without tips, they’d would not make enough money to live off of.
