Tip your waiter

The hardest part of eating out is determining how to divide the bill to give a good tip.

Yet it’s the most important part, so my limited math skills have gotten quite the workout this summer.

The importance of leaving a good tip was hammered into me during my stint as a barista in high school. Food service workers who get paid minimum wage are the lucky ones.

Because I went straight from school to work several times a week, I usually had to get dinner on my shifts.

The food court at a nearby mall was pretty cheap, but I tried to pay out of my tips, as that was the only cash I had on hand (yay, direct deposit). That pretty much took care of my tips.

Baristas are usually overlooked in the tips department (as are ice cream scoopers, which my cousin found out while working at Ben & Jerry’s). Depending on what you get, that drink could be more than four dollars — not cheap.

But the people trying not to burn themselves while heating milk to 160 degrees so you can have your mocha don’t set the price, and they’d like some recognition for the sometimes painful work they put in for you.

It’s not asking much — dump your change from a dollar, or leave 50 cents per drink. If everyone did that, the two dollars and the few dimes and nickels sitting in the tip jar wouldn’t be so lonely.

And if you leave a tip, chances are good that the service will be pretty good — which is important if you plan on being a repeat customer.

Even though I usually made two or three dollars per shift in tips, I was one of the lucky ones ­— because I was getting paid minimum wage. Most waiters aren’t nearly so lucky.

I learned at a waitressing interview that the decent-but-not-overly-priced restaurant you would take your family to pays waiters about $2.50 an hour — about $5 less than the minimum wage. That’s because the rest is expected to come from tips.

That’s pretty general knowledge, as is the fact that you’re supposed to tip 15 to 20 percent for decent service. And there’s no reason not to — these people are doing something for you.

It’s usually only a few extra bucks per meal, but it makes a huge difference. If you can’t afford the tip, you shouldn’t be eating out.

I only worked at the coffee place for a few months before it closed, but the experience left me with a lasting impression about the importance of tipping when someone makes you food. It brings the already high price of a cup of tea even higher, which I can’t always afford — and when I can’t, I make sure to stick to my tea bag supply from home.

Quite frankly, it’s rude not to leave at least something, even if the service isn’t top-notch. No one’s asking you to leave 30 percent, though I’ve learned that former waitresses tend to leave large tips when they can.

But a little change out of your pocket can go a long way — and if everyone did it, food service would be a much better experience.


E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu