“Christians Are the Worst Tippers Ever.”
I told a story last week at Immersion that made people gasp. It spoke to the notorious stinginess of those who follow Jesus. I couldn’t tell if the gasps were “agreement gasps†(“Oh no you dih’int!â€Â) or “horrified gasps†(In Sunday School, I once saw a little boy pick his nose and munch on his nasal treasure like it was a crisp, autumnal apple or a fistful of Cheetos. That was a horrified gasp moment). But they were gasps nonetheless.
I told the story of how when I used to work in the service industry, waiting tables, no one ever wanted to work Sunday morning brunch. I could never figure it out. Even the hardiest partier could drag themselves out of bed by 10am and paste on a “server smileâ€Â. Right?
“What gives?†I thought.
“It’s the Christians,†was the reply from my co-workers. “The Christians always come in on Sunday mornings for brunch after their church service and they don’t tip. At all. Christians are the worst tippers ever.â€Â
When I heard that, it was like a kick in the gut.
Why?
- Mostly because it was true. We don’t tip very well. As a matter of fact, we’re pretty cheap. What makes this worse is that we paint “cheap†with a religious sounding veneer and call it “being a good steward.†Nothing like hiding behind the Bible to camouflage your stinginess.
- Because God is so generous. We are most like God when we are being generous; generous in all things, but especially with our dough!
Las Thursday I laid down the “Fat Tip Challenge.†The FTC asks you to lay down more than your normal tip next time you go out to eat. Usually put 10% down? Try 30%. Are you a 20% tipper? Bump it up to 50%. If you’re feeling really crazy, try a 80, 90, or 100% tip next time you dine out! Make up for all those lousy tips from other Christians throughout the years.
God says, “I own the cattle on a thousand hills.†As children of this great and generous God – the God who owns everything – can’t we afford to part with a few more of those tightly-pinched pennies? God can afford your generosity. So go on, be generous!
Are you a server with a tip (or non-tip) horror story? Let us hear you. C’mon … Let it out .
So here's the thing. I usually do tip – on average abou 15%, more if the service was exceptional. But I struggle with this. Here's why.
I think a tip should be for extraordinary service. There are lots of folks out there doing a great job, working hard for minimum wage (like my own sister) at a job where tips are not required, or even allowed.
Then there are jobs – like in a Denny's or some such restaurant – where you're lucky if you get a smile, a nod, or a cup of coffee on time, and you're expected to tip. Or when people clean your rooms in hotels or wherever.
I hate the whole “required tip” thing. It makes me nervous because I often don't know if a tip is expected or not, and I feel awkward. Usually the service is standard, but not over the top, and so I don't even want to tip.
I say people should get paid for the job they do, and tipping should be reserved for exceptional service.
I'll probably get shot for saying so, and I will still tip anyway, but it bugs me.
There. I said it.
Darlene
(PS – I am ashamed, though, that we Christians are the worst tippers. That is sad. I will take your challenge next time 'round)
You feel bad about tipping people who make under minimum wage? Waiters rely on tips to pad their pay, on average $2.25/hour. You struggle with giving that person a lousy 15% tip even if the service was not great?
And I feel repulsed that your only reason for tipping more will be to erase the bad name of Christian diners. That's like praying only if you can find some way to benefit from it.
I have many many problems with what you said, some of which kaz already beautifully worded.
The very fact that it's a struggle with tipping is pathetic. Right now it appears you only tip because it's the social norm.
You say you are ashamed and sad that Christians are the worst tippers and you will take the "challenge". It makes me very sad (and mildly frustrated) that you had to be challenged to properly tip someone.
How can you possibly not know when to tip? did someone take your drink order and bring your food to you? then you should probably tip. did you just order a cheesy double beef burrito? then I think refraining from tipping will be okay.
I think you need to sit down and think about why it's so hard for you to tip. If you've read any of the other responses down there you would learn about how important tips are in the food industry.
You truly disgust me and people like you is what drove me away from church and away from believing in god.
If tipping bugs you and you reluctantly give – your heart is not in the right place.
Ok, there's been a BIG misunderstanding here.
1. I do always tip unless I've been treated very badly, but I usually tip about 15%.
2. My issue is not with whether the person deserves the tip or not, it's that certain industries decide that they can underpay their staff and have me pick up the tab. I don't like being "forced" to tip because the restaurant owner is cheap.
3. My issue with "do I tip or don't I" is not with restaurants, but with life: Do I tip the person who opens my car door? The lady who cuts my hair? The cashier at the grocery store? The receptionist who books an appointment? I am often very uncomfortable when I travel, trying to figure out who gets tipped and who doesn't. I don't want to not tip out of ignorance and insult someone unknowingly, or tip when it's not called for and make someone uncomfortable.
My challenge to myself was to increase my tip to 20%.
Hope that clears things up. I'm really not that disgusting – I promise you. I just think
business owners should pay their staff according to the work they require – like most do – and that tips should be saved as a "thank you" to exceptional service. In an ideal world. I realize that this is not where we live right now.
Darlene, something you need to understand is that your food is only as cheap as it is because waiters are paid less than minimum wage. Restaurants are a very difficult business to run and generally have razor-thin profit margins, so by paying their servers less, restaurant owners are making your food cheaper. If you don't tip, then these people don't make their rent. However, if you do tip, you are basically making up for the cheapness of the food in the first place. So either you pay it in the tip, or if the societal norm changes and waiters are no longer tipped. then restaurants have to start paying their servers more and you start have to paying more for your food.
In general, unless you are riding in a taxi or having someone bring something to wherever you are seated, you don't have to worry about tipping (I'm assuming you don't stay at ritzy hotels with bellhops). Just about any other person in the service industry is making at least minimum wage, but waiters and cab drivers absolutely depend on tips to even make ends meet. Just keep that in mind.
I agree with Darlene. Tipping is just a societal norm for some countries. Although the idea of giving a little extra for someone that puts in extra effort can be nice, it is a pretty arbitrary idea in its current form. In this country, you tip those that provide services in some forms of transportation, food delivery in some types of restaurants, room cleaning, and some other services, but not for the vast majority of them. Like Darlene said, the choice of industries to tip is partly arbitrary. Do you tip a computer tech support agent? A barber? A doctor? A plumber? A pizza delivery person, vs one that delivers mail, packages, or flowers? Do you tip a car mechanic, a receptionist, or a teacher for their good job? Tipping in its current form is largely (not completely, in my opinion) a societal norm that only makes things unnecessarily more complicated.
Right now, a bit reason for that is that tips are established in those areas, which results in the companies giving those workers a smaller wage, and not tipping is highly frowned upon by society. Maybe companies should just pay their workers more instead of having customers tip them… or give them a raise if they are doing an exceptional job. Customer evaluation cards maybe?
I tip the standard 15% of course, but I feel that tipping is an arbitrary custom that is done in only certain parts of the world.
Anyways, my take on tipping.
I usually by default tip 20% just because of the stereotype. I do struggle with the stereotype though because I personally when going out for lunch with fellow Christ followers have seen anyone give a lousy tip. I don't want to argue with their experience though.
I can see Darlene's point, but the only time I give less than that is when I get horrible service. Keep in mind that the money they make are largely from tips, not their hourly pay rate which is pretty abysmal. If you want to do something extra with exceptional service either tip more or ask to see their manager. Managers are not used to having people want to talk to them because an employee gave exceptional service. It puts a smile on their face and looks good for that employee.
Just for argument's sake, I have to ask: Could it be that there's a reverse cause/effect relationship going on in this example as well?
If a server gets up on Sunday morning with that stereotype in place, it tells me that he/she would be in a bad mood before ever getting to work. This isn't to excuse the church crowd from tipping, but the quote from the server at the restaurant seems indicative of a poor attitude that simply promotes the behavior it loathes, not vice versa.
I'm like anyone else – if I'm treated like a chore, I'm going to respond like I've been treated as such.
Okay, seriously.. could all of you just stop trying to make an excuse for why we "Christians" don't tip very well?
The servers obviously have been burnt by Christian tippers in the past enough times that it has given them a "poor attitude." The poor attitude isn't the result of a bad Christian tipper. Think about it.. if Christians were good tippers- or even an average tipper!- there would be no reason for servers to have this bad image of us. And I can assure you that image wouldn't exist if we did our job.
Also, to those of you who think you should tip according to the service you recieve- that's CRAP! Jesus is the Giver of all givers! Jesus welcomed sinners-bad attitude or not- because he believed that God is love and that his ministry was to give human, visible expression to that love. For Jesus, God's love was more concerned with forgiveness and reconciliation and new life, a fresh start, than with condemnation, punishment and retribution.
A bad attitude is the sign of a person who is hurting. Have you ever stopped to ask you server how their day is going and then tried to cheer them up? Or instead, do you just open yourself up to the same sin they were dealing with by, in return, having a "poor attitude" and not give them a tip? Which, in truth, only gives your server an even worse day..
I'm a Christian, and I've worked as a server and in retail. When I began at both jobs, I kind of didn't want to work Sundays just so I could do church and stuff, but I was excited about working after church so I could maybe meet other Christians. I grew to loathe Sundays. Not only are the after-church crowds stingy, they're mean! They expect things that can't be given, and are very unforgiving. I made about half the amount I made on other days when I had to work Sunday.
@Darlene: I hear you, girl. People gotsta earn their keep! But imagine this:
The food runner just dropped the entire order of a 10-person table – your table. That'll be 30 extra minutes to get their food re-cooked.
Your daughter is puking at home and you don't have enough money to get a babysitter. She's 11, so you put a bucket by the couch and tell her to call you if it gets really bad.
Your manager just yelled at you. The bartender won't make the drinks for your table fast enough. And you know that unless you get $100 in tips tonight, your rent will have to wait another month.
Now, there's no way you or I could possibly know that as her customers. But after serving in the industry, there is no way to completely know what causes a server to deliver bad service. When I go out to eat, it's my chance to bless them even when they don't deserve it!
@Shane: Brother, you must dine with some people who “get it.” I've left restaurants with my jaw firmly planted on the ground when seeing how poorly Christians – Christians you and I both know – tip their servers.
I've also been on the receiving end of these poor tips. By people wearing matching Bible camp shirts. Who also leave me a tract. And write, “bless you” on the receipt.
@Lucious: I can see your point. It's like, “don't come to work with a crappy attitude and blame it on people of faith.” That's bunk.
But let's say the servers are, for the most part, justified in their position? What do we do with that? How do we respond? How do we “think differently” as followers of Jesus?
I struggle with this stereotype of Christians being such bad tippers. Not because I don't believe it but because it is so very true. I work at a restaurant downtown DM and several times during the year different Christian conventions come through for a few days at a time. Almost every time this opinion of Christians is reinforced. Consistently they will leave me with a 10% tip…not to mention a nice little tract to cover the rest….The worst part for me as a Christian is the fact that my fellow believers are doing a huge disservice to their message. I have really seen the damage this does to a non-believer's view of the faith in general! Not that their opinion of God should be based on a tip…but I know sometimes it is….I always tip 20% (standard rate) and extra if they have been attentive, It's a lot of work for less than $4 and hour….Everyone has bad days at work right?!….the difference is when a server has a bad night you can tell. But why make their night worse by tipping less than you would have otherwise tipped? Us Christians should be gracious…Give some feedback on the receipt in a loving manner, but don't cut their pay….
Johanna
Yeah I pretty much do. That is why I said I didn't want to argue with the servers' experience.
I knew all too well about this stereotype as I've known several people who were in the restaurant biz and told me all about this. One of them also liked to contrast this with the fact that the men who stopped by after the gay bar down the street had closed for the evening, were among their best tippers and left a very generous tip for something as simple as coffee and pancakes.
By default, I give a 20% tip, even more if the service is better than I had expected it to be. I will, on occasion give a larger than expected tip just for fun, simply to surprise the heck out of the server and indulge my playful/mischievous streak by throwing a huge surprise someone's way. It's fun, and I will most definitely make an effort to try it the next time I'm eating anywhere after church on Sunday.
Also, who's the sadist who designed those tracts that you fold up so they look like $20 bills? Found one of those on the floor at a restaurant a few years ago and felt a wave of embarassment, humiliation, and anger. I'm sure the designer had the best of intentions, but there are so many better ways to do that than to disguise a tract as an actual $20 bill.
I agree completely with the “Christians are crappy tippers” deal. I work in a gourmet restaurant, so one would think that the tips would be pretty good. Oh no, especially not from Christians, rich people and the Red Hat Ladies. I don't know if the latter are a Christian group or not, but one lady left me a $0.37 tip and patted my hand while doing so and said “You can just keep that.” So, on one hand it is a good opportunity to practice humility and service as a waiter, but at the same time, I only make $4.25 per hour, the rest is made up in tips. It is my opinion that a $5 tip is mandatory, no matter how cheap or expensive your meal and you only go UP from there.
“If you only greet those who greet you, what credit to you is that? Do not even the hypocrites and sinners do that…” – Jesus
Uh, I'm not in your town.. but I saw this on my reader. I wait tables in Nashville TN, and have in Ohio, KY and Missouri as well. Servers' wage in these states is as low as 2.13/hr. (half of minimum) S/S and taxes on what tips I claim (and as a believer, I claim all tips) come out of that hourly amount. In working full time, my checks are $0.00, and have been since May 2008. I work for Tips only. Out of those tips, I tip out the food runners and bartenders a set percentage of sales.
God calls ups to be kind, patient, forgiving and generous. Frugality is not a fruit of the Spirit.
If your service is abysmal, tell the manager. I've called the “how are we doing” # from my table to complain about service at other places. Email corporate. (you can do this from your phone now) But still tip. It's a chance for you to actually offer real grace to someone. You say you're kind and generous; prove it.
Kyle
Server
P.F. Chang's,
Nashville, TN
oh. worst tip? 2.xx on 57.xx (apparently they couldn't go past $60)
lowest was $1.24 on $28.76 (they paid once, tipped 6 on 23, ordered $8 of dessert, and signed the new credit slip with the same number as before.)
It's an interesting argument Darlene. My brother makes the same point at family functions. (Servers should do a good job like everyone else, and be paid hourly. It shouldn't be added to my bill) There are restaurants that pay their staff hourly, and do not require tips; there's a whole industry called fast casual that does this: Pei Wei, Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, Panera, Atlanta Bread Co, McCallister's Deli, etc… However, these restaurants are not full service (you order at the counter and get your own refills). I know some states require servers to be paid minimum wage, but I don't know of any full service restaurants here in the states that are set up in the manner you describe. (though there are some like this in Europe)
I've never worked in the restaurant industry, but several of my friends have, and they find that Christians are quite often the most complaining and rudest bunch, and yes, tip very little. Good call…These people are often living on tips and need this money to get by.
The bitterness of the following comments might take this whole discussion over the edge:
Generally speaking, Christians are not just horrible tippers, but horrible customers.
My wife works in the cosmetology industry. She is an amazing hair stylist and is very reasonably priced (considering where she works and the quality of her work). Many of you reading this here know me and my wife, so you know that just over a year ago we left the where we attended. At the time roughly 50% of Sarah's customers attended this church.
Once we left to start a new church, she lost nearly all of her customers who attended the church we left. Gone. After months of loyal service, gone. Never to be heard from again.
Was it because they were bitter we left? Was it a convenience issue (i.e. it's too much work to set up an appointment on the phone vs. seeing you on Sunday mornings)? I don't know.
I do know that her business took a huge hit and so did we. So thank you, Christians, for being so unloyal and stingy and nearly putting our family in financial ruin.
Awesome.
Dave,
That is unfortunate to say the least, my friend. I would think (sadly) it was more of a convenience issue than anything, but who knows. I tip my hair stylist because she is a wonderful person who does a fantastic job and goes the extra mile!
I think that not only is it important to tip but also to interact with love and humility to someone providing you a service. I've tried really hard to implement this in my life because $$ is great but if you can follow that up with some positive interaction…well, then you've doubled your tip for sure.
Hi Dave
I'm sorry for what had happened but here's one thing I'm so sure about. God has his plans and purposes. about the customers not being loyal. It's them not "christians" perse. I think it's wrong to brand Christians (all) as worst customers.
Just have to ditto a lot of these previous comments. I waited tables through college in the Des Moines area. It was almost 100% true that the worst tips were on a check with a Bible verse or fish symbol. If you saw the family pray before eating it was nearly a guarantee the tip would be lousy no matter the service. And I was a darn good server for my $3/hr + tips – %tip share for hosts/bartenders. We all need to be better witnesses.
can I just chime in for a minute? I am a Christian who worked as a server for many years before becoming a Christian. (I left work in part because of my new relationship with God)…anyway many high end restaurants require to claim a 17%tip before clocking out. (it is an IRS issue and they are trying to avoid the likelyhood of an audit) so there were several times I had to claim tips that I didn't actualy make just to get my (meager) paycheck. Just a little inside info to consider.
Peace to you all.
As a college student, I usually tip 15%, which I find to more than the standard within my age group. If the service is great, It'll be up to 30%. Also though, i like to write a little note on the receipt. I just say thank you, and I appreciate your service here and I end with a little smiley face. I don't mention God or leave a tract, I just try to brighten their day a little bit. It makes me sad that Christians are the worst tippers, but I absolutely believe it.. I've been a part of that culture before and it's also people's attitudes that say after church on Sunday they just emptied their pockets into the offering so they're maybe even subconsciously stingier than usual. I don't know though, I certainly dont want to justify it by any means.
Here's my deal. I actually worked for a restaurant for a good part of last year, learned the trade, cooks, bussing, bartending, everything, just to do something new and meet some people. In my mind the majority of lifetime servers are under-educated, underpaid, and pretty green when it comes to the world. They want what's good for them NOW and they want to get their fix so they can buy drugs, alcohol, pay child support, etc. The majority of my people just needed a whole lotta love and hope, and not necessarily bad tips.
Therefore, I learned how far a tip will go by working with the people who really needed it.
I also learned that the best tips come when you're not working for it. I schmoozed my tables, small-talked, and cracked jokes and often received 30-40% tips by generally enhancing the life and bringing joy to the table.
Gay men tip the best. By far. Then it's the single women. A little flirting goes a long ways during girls nights + martinis.
People who visit from out of town who lived in towns under $500 didn't know how to tip. Those tables were bad. Cranky people were sometimes good, sometimes not.
And finally — about Christian tippers. If you cannot afford to go out to eat and pay for the standard tip, then you shouldn't be there. Standard tip is 20% regardless of the quality of service or food, BUT you have EVERY right to complain to the manager.
A simple way to tip enough. Say the bill is 15.50, tip 20% then round up to the next dollar. 20% ~= $3.00 plus $.50. Good enough tip and it makes someone's day.
I have not worked in the restaurant business “officially” but working at my uncles restraint waiting tables during summers and Sunday brunches with all the Sunday morning christians who go to church and say there amens and give offering but then come to the restaurant and run my through the ringer and treat me like the scum of the earth while I am pleasant and polite to earn my low tip. I do not really get a check only tips since it is my uncles restaurant.
I think that if we are going to talk the talk we need to walk the walk. If you where a church camp shirt or a christian shirt ruin the stereotype and give the server a good tip it will make them a little less bias to us.
I just watched “Reservoir Dogs” which has a debate quite like this in the beginning of the movie. One man doesn't “believe in tipping” and therefore doesn't tip the waiter. All the other men at the table look at him like he's crazy, but he holds his ground that he only tips when he gets exceptional service. Here's a link to the video, but be warned that there's explicit language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFUDbOldMs
20% is standard. I expect to add it to my bill and I consider it when I'm ordering. It's part of the budget. However, I wasn't raised to believe that so every time I sign that 20% it stings a little. But it's a good sting. The sting of giving more than you want to, when you could get away with giving less.
I liked what Kyle said about tipping bad service out of grace. Just knocked my “10% for abysmal service” argument on its side. So… that's gonna sting too. But I'm resolving to never tip less than 10%.
Now, can someone offer insight on how much to tip delivery guys, hair stylists and other non-restaurant situations?
I think Dave it's not into the amount and for whom. it is for us to be generous. how you define that based on the Bible makes the difference
For Hair Stylist – it depends upon the service. A hair cut for a guy – maybe $5. But a full highlight/haircut/style for a woman with long hair – closer to around $20.
I dislike the tipping system just as much as anybody else, but I can't offer a practical alternative. Would you rather pay an additional 25% to receive service from someone who doesn't care how well they perform? I worked very hard for my tips with absolutely fantastic service; not with flirting or superficial small talk (unless that's what kind of service the table wanted). I learned how to be the type of server my table wanted (chatty, quiet, omnipresent); I had a 6 month run as the highest tipped server in my restaurant.
I graduated from a well known Christian College, and I never figured out how to be a great server for a Christian table. I tried quoting verses alongside them and pretending not to be familiar with their favorite verse. I think that Christians might just naturally be the lousiest tipping population. Has anyone ever been offered something of great imagined value from any other demographic as payment?
My three favorites:
Couple leaves $1 bill with tract ($25 bill)
Bible verse on check rounded up from $19.XX to an even $20
Two families (table of 9) who met after church tipped $0.37 on a $65 tab
Oh, and from my experience as a bartender, I can confirm that the gay population is consistently the best tipping. They won't try to solicit or convert you, either. Well, I suppose they might, but never instead of a good tip.
One comment out from the server's mouth! May we be examples of generosity as God had demonstrated it by giving His only begotten son Jesus Christ to us.
This one hit me big time. It's just so horribly … predictable. I can't say that I'm surprised either.
Why the disconnect, do you think? Great comment.
This epidemic seems to be not only industry wide, but also faith wide in a broader sense. I am reading the book UNChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, and they are talking to unbelievers about Christians. And in short, unbelievers see believers as hypocritical, self-absorbed (as a whole) and not truly portraying what Jesus really is. Even before reading this and that book, I could see how that is true. And after reading both, it just solidifies the facts. Kinda hard to believe that the people 'trying the hardest' to portray Christ are doing the worst job at doing it.
I work at one of the most upscale restaurants in my city. I have also that tables that pray before their meals, regardless of the day or time, tip terribly. While I find believing in magic to be silly, I appreciate your efforts to give your gullible brethren a little more class. Not tipping well breeds a great deal of resentment in servers, especially the young, “worldly” ones you so desperately need to convert before they hit college and start reading about that evil science.
I work at one of the most upscale restaurants in my city. I have also *noticed* that tables that pray before their meals, regardless of the day or time, tip terribly. While I find believing in magic to be silly, I appreciate your efforts to give your gullible brethren a little more class. Not tipping well breeds a great deal of resentment in servers, especially the young, “worldly” ones you so desperately need to convert before they hit college and start reading about that evil science.
I have been a server for 25 years and you worked briefly in one restaurant. How dare you call me under educated, green, and basically a dreg of society. Yes there are chain restaurants that make the mistake of hiring undesirables but do not lump all servers in your self-righteous, sanctimonious diatribe. The majority of servers are people who have education and yes, even degrees. We are single mothers or people who have chosen this field because a) we enjoy it, and b) it actually, sometimes, pays more than degreed professions. Your attitude is one of the reasons servers hate “the Sunday Christians.” They hold the same self-righteous, holier than thou attitude your post exhibited. How Christian of you!
This post echoes exactly what I've known about the Christian community (unfortunately) for several years.
I've never been a waiter at a restaurant, but I do volunteer at our church cafe. We get paid with a free meal (which makes it worth it), but we also have a tip basket sitting up on the counter, and if there's anything in there at the end of the night (that's a big IF) we split it up. We are open every Sunday night after evening service, and we serve a wide demographic of people – all the way from teenagers with their own money to young families with 5 kids to 70-something year old retired couples. We do about 50 orders in the course of the evening, and serve probably 75 or more people in the course of an hour and a half. How much is in the tip basket at the end of the night? We're doing good if we have enough to make change for a dollar.
Contrast this with when we're open during Upward Basketball season. We are open for about 6 hours on Saturdays while parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. come to watch kids play basketball in a friendly and nurturing environment free from yelling coaches and fights with the referees. We have people from church come in and buy food as well, but most of our orders come from the non-Christian attendees. Almost every single person not from our church that comes in and orders an actual meal drops something in the tip basket (if they simply order a candy bar or a drink they don't usually). It's not uncommon for us to have $20-$40 to split between the 3 of us at the end of the day, plus the free food – not bad for volunteer work!
I am blessed with a best friend and a fiance who have the same convictions as I do about leaving a gratuitous gratuity anywhere we go. Whenever we go out to eat, we typically hang out there for an hour or more, and many times we ask the waiter/waitress if we can pray for him/her. ESPECIALLY if we ask that, we make sure to leave a nice tip. We regularly tip 30-40%, and many times much more, depending on the size of the bill. I tipped $2 the other night even though all I had was water while my friends had meals. I don't say this to tell people how awesome I am, because I certainly am not. I just want to encourage people to not be stingy. I am a commuting college student that has to work 28 hours a week to keep my head above water, so I'm no rich man. It doesn't take much to show someone that you love them and God loves them.
Think about this: the average meal at some place like Friendly's, O'Charley's, etc. including a drink is going to be about $10-$15. Let's say $15 for this example. 20% of $15 is $3. That's a normal tip – nothing to write home about, but not enough to complain about either. Add a couple bucks, and you've got a $5 tip. That's 33%. I think that would get someone's attention. I really feel like Christians should seek to bless the socks off of people we encounter in everyday life. What a cheap way to show God's love! Add $2-$5 to your tip and someone's really going to notice that! You might not be able to change the stereotype about Christians being bad tippers, but you can definitely remove yourself from that stereotype!
I know people that leave gospel tracts with their tips (my dad is one of them), and I don't necessarily think that's a bad idea. However, I do think that if you're going to leave a tract, you had better leave a darn good tip that's WAY higher than 20%. And don't try to hide the money inside the tract, because that makes them feel like they got ripped off.
There's a slogan that we used at a weekend retreat a couple years ago: “Show God's Love in a Practical Way.” I think that definitely applies to tipping.
Ok, I just have to weigh in here. A 20% tip is for excellent service. A 15% tip is for average service and tips of 10% and below are reserved for servers who are actually mean or rude. No one “deserves” a 20% tip – they are not entitled to it.
This is coming from someone who MORE OFTEN than not tips more than 20% and someone who was a server for a good while during college. 20% is certainly not the minimum “required” as some of you have suggested. I always start a meal willing to leave 20%, but I can't say I always end that way.
Why do I tip at least 15% almost 98% of the time? Because I understand that servers depend on the tips as wages. It is not a “bonus.” They are making $3/hour, not $8 in most cases. On the other hand, if a server is openly mean or rude, or unapologetic about major failings in service, I reserve the right to withhold a tip.
I've withheld a tip, I think, twice. Once the server took over 50 minutes to deliver our meal, and she brought my husband the wrong food. Then, she blamed it on him saying he ordered the wrong thing! (when he clearly did not). She even went back to her pad, and then realized she had ordered it incorrectly but did not apologize. Then, she came back with the right dish, but it was completely frozen inside (meat). When alerted to the situation, she said – “So, do you want something else?” Gee – no kidding? She was completely ungracious and unapologetic. So, I did not leave a tip – or maybe we left a dollar or something.
The second time, I went to a seafood restaurant and ordered a calorie conscious meal along with a salad, no dressing, asked for unbuttered veggies and a plain baked potato along with my grilled fish. I also ate one of the cheese rolls that they offered there as I knew the calorie count and had budgeted to have one. I waited until the end of the meal to have mine, which I had set aside while the family ate the others. At the end of the meal I asked if she had nutrition information for the deserts, or perhaps a lower calorie dessert. She came back and said no, and I said oh, ok then I won't have dessert and she said “Well, you know those rolls are laden with fat and calories and you've been sitting here eating those – I mean, how many have you had?” “I've had one,” I replied. It was an awfully awkward few minutes.
I didn't tip her. I almost wrote a tip down – “get into another line of work.”
So, I reserve the right not to tip when service is deplorable and downright rude. It makes me irritated when people tip servers who display such awful behavior. They should not be servers, and I'm not going to encourage them with my money.
That said – if the service is decent, even if something bad happens or the food is slow – as long as the server shows some modicum of decency, you should plan on giving at least 15%. That's what I say anyway.
I owned a print shop and we had a rule about anyone ordering a business card with a fish symbol or scripture on it. That little symbol stood for “cash in advance.” Of all the people that failed to return to pick up their cards and pay for them, those with the fish symbol or scripture were the vast majority. Says something, doesn't it? Those “Public Christians” somehow didn't have to follow the rules of decency that make society work. Made me embarrassed to be a Christian, and I NEVER put the fish symbol on anything as a result.
First of all great blog (my first visit because of this post). Second of all I get it. I have many friends who have worked in the food industry where tips are part of the 'pay package'. Usually that means the server is being paid below minimum wage because they are going to make it up in tips. Also the IRS has tax rules where they estimate how much a server should be getting in tips and taxes them based on that estimate.
For almost 20 years I have tipped at least 15% unless the services was absolutely the bottom 1% of my going out experiences. For instance, in a practically empty restaurant and having to just about drag the server over to get my water glass refilled.
When I go out to a local blues club, my 'tab' is rarely over $30 (for my wife & myself because we just don't drink alcohol) for the night. I am now trying to tip about $30. I figure I was there all night and the server kept my soda or juice glass full they should get a good tip.
But the biggest reason I tip well is I am blessed with having a great career & salary. By any reasonable standard I am rich (not Bill Gates rich), especially when compared to what most people in the USA make and especially what the average standard of living the world over is. God blessed me with all of this 'stuff' I want to spread it around.
I deliver pizza for a living. Not my number one choice, but after doing it as a second job far a bit, i realized i could do it more and have time to go to school.
anyways
Without fail.. If i pull up to a house and see any indication that they are Christians (crosses, scripture plaques, bumper stickers on the car) i know that my chance of getting a tip just went from 80% to 20%. Sure, other people stiff me, but not in the predictable quantities that outward Christians do. I have actually gotten Bible pamphlets instead of tips. I will say that most outward Christians are general pleasant to deal with, but that niceness didn't pay for my gas to get here or my bills at home.
I've read responses to this problem before and it usually has the same defense.
“Christians are just watched closer”
Not true. Like I said, I usually have about an 80% chance of getting a tip. Unless it is at a retirement home, which you never get tipped, but i understand and would never expect one anyways, or at a hotel, in which case, almost always result in a tip. But on a Christians doorstep, i am likely to get nothing, or maybe a few cents.
Can anyone tell me honestly why this is?
Read "Nickle and Dimed" and you will realize what it's like for a lot of the people working in those service industries.
I worked as a pizza delivery dude for awhile, and I noticed this about Christians. I delivered to churches on several occasions, and each time, without fail, I'd get a "tip" of the bill rounded up to the nearest dollar (e.g. if the bill was $42.46 I'd get $43) if they paid in cash, or a check written out to the penny.
One of the "round up to the nearest dollar" folks actually wanted coin back for his 43 cents or whatever it was on that occasion. I had to shortchange myself and give a single back because I didn't carry coin (it's heavy and a pain in the ass).
Odd, really.
I recently saw a story on several blogs (I think it came from an actual news story of some kind) about Christians who come to restaurants on Sundays and don't tip, giving the excuse "You shouldn't be working on the Sabbath, so you're not getting a tip!" Now, that's probably just an easy excuse to be cheap, but still… If you don't think that they should be working, why are you employing their services?
There were also people talking about getting fake $20-bills with bible verses and stuff on them as a "tip".
I'm so happy that I'm living in Scandinavia though. Here people generally don't tip at all, because that's not the custom here. Serving staff is paid a living wage and any tips are just unexpected bonuses. A serving charge is included in the bill. It's just so much easier. And if the service or food is bad you complain to the manager/chef/owner instead of not leaving a tip; thus bringing the problem to light, maybe helping to make things better for future customers, instead of always blaming it on the serving staff and robbing them of their income.
VERY interesting point on the Sabbath/Patronage angle. If they "shouldn't be working" on the Sabbath, should you be "dining out" on the Sabbath? Good grief.
Good to hear life is good in Scandinavia. What part, specifically?
So… as a career waiter, I want to weigh in on this.
If you don't think it's proper to tip, you should NOT eat out. It IS the 'norm', is IS expected, and it's a known dynamic the moment you sit down.
Don't be a jerk; don't eat in a restaurant if you 'don't believe' it's right.
Don't play 'the game', either- "Oh, you didn't get back here with my third refill in time, so I'm not tipping!" You're STILL being a jerk.
If you arrive at a restaurant wthin the last 30 minutes they are open, you are preventing at least three people (cook, server, manager) and possibly more (bartender, busser, etc) from going home after wlaking and putting up all day with cranky people, and more than likely working a double shift where they are there for at least 12 hours. You ARE imposing at that point, and you NEED to be gracious, and you NEED to tip WELL.
Don't like it? PLEASE stay home. If you don't you contribute to an atmosphere where servers don't WANT to work because they make no money; with no experienced or motivated people, restaurants WILL have to pay a LOT more for labor, and your food will suddenly cost 2 to 3 times as much. Trust me, it's bad for everyone.
Finally… my worst 'Christian' experience- I'm waiting on a Sunday, and we get a call from a local Baptist Church. They have a a special event today and need to get 30 people in and out in an hour- can we do it? I use my entire 5 table station, set them up, and rock them- all in and out in 1 hour, and the thank you's are flying left and right. Then the pastor pays, again with more thank you's.
The bill was $339.57. He handed me $340, and told me it was the best service he ever had.
I made 43 cents. I lost two hours of income because no other tables could sit in my station. I had to claim aprroximately $25 in tip income because you don't want to get flagged for audit by the IRS-they lookat your sales and assume you made a minimum of 8% after tipping the bartenders and bussers and food runners that work for you. Since I paid taxes on that imaginary $8, I PAID $8 to wait on the church.
And THAT is why, after 20 years of being very good at waiting tables, I got out. The 'verbal tip' doesn't pay the rent.
-Denver, CO
I had no idea this stereotype existed before reading this post, although I can see why it’s true. I reckon most church-going families feel like they’ve given enough after tithing every couple of weeks (or whenever they get paid).
My mom worked as a waitress when I was younger, so she really put the value of being a good tipper in me (although she doesn’t advocate over-tipping, either). I used to tip 15%, but now it’s usually around 20% since it’s easier to calculate tan 17%.
I’m always so embarrassed when I go out to eat with people who are bad tippers. Servers remember bad tippers just as well as they do the good ones.
i really am guilty. I don't tip at all. I'm sorry Lord!
As a server who is also scraping my way through college, I know personally that it is more than true about christian tippers being the worst.
And I'm appalled by the people on here who support not tipping.
Most people on a wait staff make about $2 an hour, and that goes straight to taxes. A paycheck for 2 weeks worth of work for me might have $12 on it. Sometimes nothing.
Pretty much every week I have tables that will tip me a pathetic 5% and then leave a church bulletin or flier for me. As if that is going to make me want to visit their church.
We need, rely, and count on our 15% at LEAST
As a server who is also scraping my way through college, I know personally that it is more than true about christian tippers being the worst.
And I'm appalled by the people on here who support not tipping.
Most people on a wait staff make about $2 an hour, and that goes straight to taxes. A paycheck for 2 weeks worth of work for me might have $12 on it. Sometimes nothing.
Pretty much every week I have tables that will tip me a pathetic 5% and then leave a church bulletin or flier for me. As if that is going to make me want to visit their church.
We need, rely, and count on our 15% at LEAST
When i first started serving over a year ago I thought it would be interesting serving the 'after church' crowd. I was wrong. First week of serving I had a lady from a church group walk out and not pay.
If I have to work Sunday morning I am still going to give you great service. It's just that I know the odds of me having to put up with some really nasty stuff is greater.
I have had church people outright stiff me, yell at me, tell me I shouldn't work on Sunday, and steal from me. Very sad witness.
Tipping well should be something Christians should strongly consider.
I've been studying the sermon on the mount for a sermon, and in it, Jesus talked about not laying up treasures on earth.
Why is it so difficult for us (Christians) to get that this life is not about the abundance of what we possess?
Some say “Well, a server should earn their tip.”
This may be cliche, but we have no ability to earn anything from God. He only gives us what we have out of His love and grace. I see nothing in the Bible that says we are to “earn” something from God. In fact, I see the complete opposite.
If we believers are supposed to understand that this life is not about possessions or money, and that God will provide for us, and that our true blessings are eternal because this life is fading fast, why are we so freaking stingy?
I honestly don't think we get it.
If we want to follow Jesus, we've got to sell all we have and give to the poor. Otherwise, we're not following Him.
I was raised by single mother who worked as a waitress to feed us and put herself through college to eventually get her master's. On more than one occasion I would find the garbage Bible tracts that were left as tips. “Tracts don't put food on the table” my mother would always say. Now as a pastor I work this into my sermons a lot because it really bothers me. And I was always a 20% tipper until my son was born and now we are forced to tip more because they work harder because he makes a mess.
Chalk one up for the good guys. You are single-handedly changing the opinion of servers everywhere!
I agree that tipping OUGHT to be only for exceptional service — and I do think the concept started that way — but unfortunately, the service industry reached a point where tipping became a part of a server's salary. I image that one time, some upper management folks thought, “Hey! Here's all our lowly customers, makin' it rain on our employees, and we ain't gotta do a thing! Let's just reduce their paychecks and let the customer foot the bill! Perfect.”
A lot of restaurants pay their servers much, MUCH less than minimum wage. Where I worked, I think it was $2.15 an hour. So really, just to make minimum wage, a server has to earn at least $5 in tips per hour. And while $5 doesn't sound like much, when you only have 4 or 5 tables per hour (and when you think that, really, $7/hr is not nearly enough to actually live on if you've got kids to feed), stiffing a server (or even undertipping) is like a slap in the face.
My favorite was when a server would have to wait, holding drinks, while a table finished a long prayer, and then the party would have to gall to leave a tract and a couple of quarters.
Please, if you're going to be an awful tipper, don't pray before your meal. You're just mocking Christ.
Think of what a blessing you can be, though, if they DO hear you pray or talk about Christ during your meal, and then you leave an awesome tip at the end, just because God loves them. Awesome.
I worked as a server for a total of 8 months, and prior to that, I bussed tables for about 5 months. My Job prior to that was a barista at starbucks. Needless, to say, I've been in a lot of tip related positions. I have had several experiences that were similar to the content of the post, but I have also had experiences that are totally to the contrary.
One thing to consider, regardless of religious leanings, is that some states, like Missouri for example, do not pay minimum wage. They pay half minimum wage, and will supplement the amount of total compensation in the event that you didn't receive minimum wage, tips and hourly put together. When I worked as a server in MO I earned $3.54 an hour, plus tips. There would be several nights a week were I would work for three hours and make around 9 dollars in tips, so at best, with employer compensation, I would earn 21 dollars for 3 hours of hard work. Which is pretty much nothing. There were several times when I would have to borrow money to put gas in my car to get to work.
The real kicker here is that in addition to that fact that unless I had a lucky night I was paid very minimal amounts of money for a high stress job, I was taxed on 11% of my total sales for the night by the federal government regardless of weather I was actually tipped or not. In essence, if I wasn't tipped from a meal I was paying taxes on money I never made.
Keep that in mind the next time you lay down a tip.
Great post. So good in fact, with your permission, I'm running it front page on spiritnewsdaily.com
Post away! Glad you found it useful.