There were media reports earlier this month that restaurant servers in San Francisco were seeking to have 25 per cent adopted as the standard tip amount for service.
While it was initially reported by the Contra Costa Times that this was an organized effort backed by some area restaurants, it now appears that this was simply an opinion expressed by several restaurant workers who were interviewed. The newspaper issued a retraction.
But it raises the age old question, what is a fair tip to leave for good service at a sit-down restaurant? Should 25 per cent become the unofficial “standard” tip?
For most diners today, the usual tip seems to be between 15 per cent and 20 per cent. According to the restaurant review source ZAGAT, the average tip is now 19.2 per cent, having creeped up a fraction in the last couple years.
When the “25 per cent tipping standard” story first broke, most consumers interviewed were opposed to the tip hike, saying that 25 per cent went too far. One person commented, “Tips should be earned, not expected.” Another said, “The government puts 15 percent as the tax tab for individuals getting tips. Does anyone really think restaurant workers will admit to the additional income and report it to the IRS? I’m sticking with 15 percent as my restaurant tip.”
But there were some supporters of the proposal. “Given the state of the economy, I think 25 per cent is not unreasonable,” Valerie Green of Oakley, Calif., said. “I usually do 20 percent, but everyone needs some extra money now and I’m all for it. I’m going to go with 25 percent starting with my next meal out.”
Contributed by Trendwire the Food Channel