A response to my First Commenter ! !

LifeisEasy posted : " what 30% when did it go that high ??? I was working for $2.01 an hour and got 15% if they had great service..."

At one time 15 percent was considered better than average -- some people to this day will just double the tax which was (still is some places) standard practice. Wages per hour are higher in most places now. The lowest I ever made an hour was maybe $3.20 and now it's at like $4.65 maybe. Waiters are not working for this money as you know LifeisEasy , it is just to make us on the books employees. A waiter's real and true salary are his or her tips!
Where i work, if I got only 15 percent tips. I would walk with 10 percent because I tip the food runners 2 percent, the busboys (the do-nothings-where I work anyways) 2 percent and the bartender 1 percent! If I want to leave with 15 percent in my pocket, I have to average 20 percent. Yes 30 percent was an exaggeration but not entirely! I'd say more and more people are leaving between 20-25 percent.
The people who are still leaving 15 percent or less are usually from middle america or down south (or as some of them say, souf -- not all..but some). Personally I feel like 15 percent is the lowest acceptable tip -- to me it's insulting to get anything less than 18-20 percent. I can live with 15 but I'm not loving it!
The biggest problem with tipping and customers is that they are served by usually ONE PERSON (some places you get more of a tag team style of service) but that doesn't mean only ONE person is making their experience. The waiter most likely (although I have done some of these things for my own table as I'm sure some of you have) did not A) Make your bar drinks, B) cook or prepare any of your food, C) set your table or wipe it clean before you sat, D) sat you at your table and handed you menus, E) got you that hi-chair or booster seat, F) Make sure your bathroom experience was a clean one and maybe even make sure you got clean towels/soap, G) Bring you all your food, H) Answer all your questions about the restaurant, menu or other, I) Showed/told you where the restrooms are & exit, J) Got you extra something..napkins or sauces, K) A million other things that I'm not going to list...!!!
People don't give any of that a second thought...they gasp at me when I'm trying to tip..especially because they would never come close to leaving what I would leave...so deep down inside they feel guilty or strange.
I once went on a date and left like a $6 tip on a $27 bill. I thought that was a nice tip...nothing special. The girl was in shock saying that her and her girlfriends(maybe two others with her) wouldn't leave more than $3. Well the waiter would probably get to keep half of that $3 tip after tipping out...which means they talked to us, got our order/drinks, checked on us and did it all in a timely fashion..and all for a measly $1.50.....
I appreciate your comment.... but I guess knowing that the other night in one night I was tipped $45 on a $71 tab as well as $70 on a $190 check.....the 15 percent is not looking so good!!!
Thanks for giving me a real first big rant to write on the only REVENGE page in town...!!!
Happy Eating!