The Murray State News

Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: Features

The meal was delicious, the drink was never below half-empty (or half-full, depending on one's level of optimism) and the service received was better than any recent restaurant trip.

The only thing left to do is pay, and with that price comes the question of tipping.

The situation is reversed: the service was terrible, the wait staff inattentive and things could not have gone any worse. What now?

For some, tipping seems like a no-brain option - a certain percentage in all situations, a bonus if the server went above and beyond the call of duty.

Others are unclear of how much to tip and when to do it.

According to the Original Tipping Page, tipping.org, "tips are a way of expressing satisfaction" and there are no official guidelines or rules to tipping.

Steve Buscemi had similar views in the 1992 film, "Reservoir Dogs."

"I don't tip because society says I have to," his character, Mr. Pink, declares. "All right, I mean, I'll tip if somebody really deserves a tip, if they really put forth the effort, I'll give them something extra. But, I mean, this tipping automatically? It's for the birds."

Erin Gidcumb, junior from Murray, said she has served at Tumbleweed since April and worked as a server previously.

"There are a lot of people (who) tip very generously, but there are also a lot of people who completely jip us," Gidcumb said.

Because some servers are paid below minimum wage, they depend on the tips to make up for lost income, said Gidcumb.

"The restaurant pays us to deliver food to tables, but what we live off of is making sure they get what they want, their drinks don't go empty and they leave happy," Gidcumb said.

The Original Tipping Page at tipping.org opened in 1999 when Manny Gonzalez was looking for information online and was unable to find any. Now the web site gives suggestions for any sort of tipping situation.

According to the Original Tipping Page, 15 to 20 percent is suggested for a server at a restaurant. Gidcumb said tips are a hot topic among the staff of restaurants.

"(At any workplace) there's always something everyone talks about when they go on break," Gidcumb said. "For every waitress, it's about tips."

As a server, she said she understands how the dining process works when she visits a restaurant.

"Being a server changes your perspective on the dining experience," Gidcumb said. "People don't always understand. Sometimes we get really busy and a table gets upset that you took too long to get to them. You're trying to do your best to get to each table, but I don't think they realize how hard you're working."

Continued...

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