For The Love Of Port

Excuse my ignorance, but what is "the 99%"?

Derek T. wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but what is "the 99%"?

Was wondering that myself.

Derek T. wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but what is "the 99%"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_are_the_99%25

Ah. So the 99%ers = the wasters who have been sitting outside St Paul's Cathedral in London (causing many highly respected clergymen to lose their jobs) for the past few months in their expensive new tents drinking Starbucks coffee and complaining about capitalism.

Derek T. wrote:Ah. So the 99%ers = the wasters who have been sitting outside St Paul's Cathedral in London (causing many highly respected clergymen to lose their jobs) for the past few months in their expensive new tents drinking Starbucks coffee and complaining about capitalism.

That's them alright!

They (99%) are NOT the point. The dolt who decided to take out his wrath on the server ... acting boorish and cheating her out of a decent tip (we don't know what kind of service she gave but are left to believe that was not the issue). Having worked in hotel restaurants for tips when young, this type of behavior is worthy of banning the jackarse from entering the establishment again. I have nothing against his politics, but foisting them on a server at lunch?

The service would have to have been truly awful to warrant a 1% tip. Unfortunately, the article really doesn't say, and the blog where the details were posted has been taken down.

Say, Roy - from your years in the hospitality industry, maybe you can comment on something I've heard a few times: "You don't tip on alcohol". In particular, the comment was referring to the appropriate tip to leave when part of the meal included an expensive bottle of wine from the restaruant's selection. What do you think about tipping on corkage fees? Or using a restaraunt's standard corkage fee as the basis for how much to tip on a bottle of wine (e.g. $500 bottle of wine in a place with a $25 corkage fee would be tipped at 18% of $25, not 18% of $500)?

Say, Roy - from your years in the hospitality industry, maybe you can comment on something I've heard a few times: "You don't tip on alcohol". In particular, the comment was referring to the appropriate tip to leave when part of the meal included an expensive bottle of wine from the restaruant's selection. What do you think about tipping on corkage fees? Or using a restaraunt's standard corkage fee as the basis for how much to tip on a bottle of wine (e.g. $500 bottle of wine in a place with a $25 corkage fee would be tipped at 18% of $25, not 18% of $500)?

TIPS ... "to insure prompt service" leaves the alcohol tipping up to the individual.

If buying a bottle off the restaurant list, I usually figure my tip on the food portion alone first. In a casual quick service restaurant, I am usually in the 15-18% range depending on the quality of the waitperson's food service. For a fine dining meal with decent service in that same range; add "friendly" into the mix and seamless, professional service in a fine dining place and I am in the 20%-25% range. That's for the food alone.

If I bring in my own bottle and don't get charged for corkage, I will typically add $20 for the first bottle and when I bring two bottles I usually add on $30 on top of the food tip. I realize this is not standard, but having worked as a hotel waiter (and cook) throughout college, I appreciate their work and pay attention too; especially in an upscale eatery.

The difference is when I am doing a wine dinner in a restaurant where we get full wine service and have brought in a slew of bottles of our own and are not getting charged ANY corkage because of loyal patronage. Decanting, polished stems, level pours around the table, no spillage, refills without having to wait OR ask ... then I am typically very generous and will mustter tips that exceed 25% of the food bill and often 30% is exactly what I am happy to pay for excellent food and wine service when bringing in a table full of bottles.

I hope that helps. Obviously, others will likely find this way different than what they do, but maybe not?

Back to the initial scenario, on the occasion that I purchase wine from a restaurant's list (my preference is to bring my own, whether I have to pay for that privilege or not --- where permitted) I will tip between 5-10% of the value of the bottle ... depending on the quality level of the wine service. If impeccable, 10%. I don't care what the bottle costs, but in restaurants I've never spent more than $200 on any single bottle, so 10% is no big deal, especially if they decant the bottle, bring over nice stems and go through the ritual with aplomb. If they just pop and pour and don't pour a sip first (hey, it happens!) or pour my glass full before my wife, then I don't bother to leave more than an extra $5 above and beyond the food tip, no matter what the bottle costs.

Roy Hersh wrote:TIPS ... "to insure prompt service"

Should that not be "to reward prompt service" or "to insure prompt service the next time you visit"? (or should it be assure or ensure?)

I admit to being willing to pay more for the second of those scenarios than for the first. For instance, at our tastings in the UK we tend to find that the venues we use waive the corkage charge entirely, which can be a considerable sum of money given the number of bottles that end up on the table. Our usual practice is to give a tip on the bill (10% is normal in the UK) plus give the entire cost of corkage to the serving staff. On some occasions this can result in a "tip" that is close to the cost of the meal. This has served us very well

Derek,

Way to go!

It always blows my mind how different the European way is ... when it comes to tipping. I realize some places automatically put in a service charge in lieu of tips over there, but sometimes I feel bad for the wait staff. Speaking far more about Portugal than UK though.

Do any of you tip the Sommelier when he or she makes a brilliant suggestion?

What about a tip for the Maitre'd in a fine dining establishment when you are given a great table?

Most places in the UK operate a system of pooled tips so it is very unusual to be able to tip an individual.

That might seem unfair in a place where staff rely on tips as a significant portion of their wage, such as in the USA, but in the UK tips really are tips, so they tend to be shared amongst everyone who contributed to your experience, whether they are in the front of the house or in the kitchen.

On the auto-added "service charge" - I remain to be convinced that staff see any of that money in addition to their wage. It is simply a mechanism for the establishment to present prices which are lower than what you will actually be charged. However, it does unfortunately have the effect of disuading people from leaving a separate tip. Brits being Brits, it is very very rare that anyone would ask for the service charge to be removed from the bill unless the service or food was truly awful.

I have worked in restaurants in the kitchen (actually many, right after culinary school) and only one had the service staff pool tips and share with the kitchen staff. I have to say, it motivated us to be on our game every night. A great concept that should be done everywhere. When I owned a restaurant outside of Boulder, Colorado in the late 1980's; we pooled tips with all employees and even my dishwasher and busboys got a nightly envelope. I don't understand why more places don't do it. In the early-mid 1980's it was in fashion in NYC, but not anymore. For some reason, bartenders HATED sharing their tips with anyone.

As to restaurants pocketing service charges, that would lead to a revolt of the staff here in the USA!

Derek T. wrote:Most places in the UK operate a system of pooled tips so it is very unusual to be able to tip an individual.

That might seem unfair in a place where staff rely on tips as a significant portion of their wage, such as in the USA, but in the UK tips really are tips, so they tend to be shared amongst everyone who contributed to your experience, whether they are in the front of the house or in the kitchen.

On the auto-added "service charge" - I remain to be convinced that staff see any of that money in addition to their wage. It is simply a mechanism for the establishment to present prices which are lower than what you will actually be charged. However, it does unfortunately have the effect of disuading people from leaving a separate tip. Brits being Brits, it is very very rare that anyone would ask for the service charge to be removed from the bill unless the service or food was truly awful.

My experience from 98-2003 in the UK when i worked a number of these types of jobs was not so universal in terms of pooled tips.

In terms of the auto-added "service charge" in the UK or amounts paid by card to the restaurant, this causes issues because the employer must then be responsible for PAYE tax and NICs, or the troncmaster must take on certain responsibilities to account for these, thereby reducing the amount that goes to the waiter/waitress. Cash in hand direct to the waiter/waitress avoids these complications, though technically speaking the waiter/waitress should still declare their tips to HMRC for income tax purposes (hmmm...is that likely....?).

Tipping culture is very definitely different in the UK to USA - more for restaurant meals than bar food/food brought in cafes. And certainly less of a feeling that the staff are "entitled" to it even where service is considered below par - bonuses "just for turning up" are only acceptable in the finance industry! But usually dissatisfaction just leads to the absence of any tip whatsoever and perhaps a word with the management in the case of serious grievances, rather than a personal note accompanied by a symbolic 1%!

Rob C. wrote:though technically speaking the waiter/waitress should still declare their tips to HMRC for income tax purposes (hmmm...is that likely....?)

It was becoming so unlikely in the US that many states now require restaurants to report some percentage of gross sales as tips for each of the wait staff. I think the number is 8% in Washington, which is still laughably low but better (from the IRS's perspective) than 0%. Due to this, at one restaurant where my wife worked, the evening staff sometimes owed the restaurant money on pay day because their tips so vastly outperformed their wages.

Rob C. wrote:bonuses "just for turning up" are only acceptable in the finance industry!

A well deserved low blow

FYI, the 1% tip thing turned out to be a hoax.

Eric Menchen wrote:FYI, the 1% tip thing turned out to be a hoax.

Why am I not surprised...