How do you feel about tipping? Should it be done away with and living wages be paid?

[happystuff]

Divided by five are you kidding? Like in my head you mean!!??

No here’s how you do it:

Figure 10% and double it. A bill of $34.62 becomes a tip of 3.40 x 2. Rounding is permissible.

—iris, math challenged

Ate out last night and, looking at my copy of the receipt, the tip percentages were broken out at the bottom of the check - 18%, 20%, 22%. Easy peasy. lol

[GeorgeParker]

No here’s how you do it: Figure 10% and double it. A bill of $34.62 becomes a tip of 3.40 x 2.

You're doing it the hard way by thinking 10%. Just move the decimal one place to the left, round up to the next non-penny amount, and double it. $32.24 becomes $3.224, which is really $3.22, so round it up to $3.25 and that times two is $6.50. By moving the decimal instead of thinking in terms of percentages, you can easily "see" what the number you need to double is by just looking at the total on the bill. And rounding up to an amount that ends in 5 or 0 makes doubling the tip easy.

[Rogar]

In my couple of years waiting tables I never had a problem with the system and made what at the time was I thought was a decent wage, though it differed in some respects to my pay for performance evaluations later in life. I don't eat out much these days, but have typically been a generous tipper. I won't tip the usual percent for poor service.

[happystuff]

Oh, on a side note. A sibling who was a server for quite a while said it was always a good practice to pay cash for the tip, especially when using a credit/debit card to pay the bill. Make sure to write the word "cash" on the tip line! This made it easier for the server to actually get their tip and harder for anyone who was not honest to change the charge ticket by writing in or adjusting the tip amount that was written. (example: they were witness to a server saying "This tip is way too small" and proceeded to change a $9.00 to $19.00 tip). Definitely NOT saying all servers are dishonest!!!!! Just saying that "things happen".

[Alan]

You're doing it the hard way by thinking 10%. Just move the decimal one place to the left, round up to the next non-penny amount, and double it. .

I can see it in my head without moving anything, it's not hard at all. I like to tip in even numbers so when we do a family night out and get a bill of say $93.50 my thought process is 9-18-20, that is 10% of 90 equals 9, 9x2=18, round up to 20. It takes about a second.

[catherine]

Divide the total by five, pay one fifth, makes it pretty easy.

I do it by multiplying the tab by 2 and rounding up and putting the decimal in the right place. So, $40 tab, x 2=8.00 tip.

I rarely give huge tips, but I give at least 20%.

I'll have to ask my server son, but I think the argument could be made for both. I kind of like the meritocracy of tips--great service gets a great tip. But OTOH, if the restaurant is empty, there's no tips. I suppose servers could get paid a decent wage and there's no law against a patron giving a tip for great service anyway.

[GeorgeParker]

I can see it in my head without moving anything, it's not hard at all.

But the odds are you're seeing it in your head via a process similar to the one I described, not as a mathematical equation, unless you're a math wiz. Most real people who are good at everyday math use a lot of mental shortcuts they're barely aware of, or not aware of at all.

[Alan]

But the odds are you're seeing it in your head via a process similar to the one I described, not as a mathematical equation, unless you're a math wiz. Most real people who are good at everyday math use a lot of mental shortcuts they're barely aware of, or not aware of at all.

I think most everyone can do it when beginning with a base of 10 without having to move a decimal, in my mind that would double the amount of processing power required and make it "the hard way". But, whatever works for you.

[happystuff]

I think most everyone can do it when beginning with a base of 10 without having to move a decimal, in my mind that would double the amount of processing power required and make it "the hard way". But, whatever works for you.

I'm sure the servers don't care HOW people figure the tip, as long as they get a good one. LOL.

[herbgeek]

I'm ambivalent about tipping, but I do it anyways. Giving 20% for a meal where the staff take your order, deliver it, check back with you, take away dirty dishes, sure. 20% for a beer tab where the server is handing you a canned or bottled beer? Seems excessive.