SPLIT TOPIC: Bad service in New York restaurants

erikka

You have a good point, Pitu--what if I order a $60 bottle of wine and the server merely opens it and leaves. Do I really need to tip 20+% on that bottle or can I tip 20% on the meal and discretionary tipping on wine? A lot of waiters/waitresses push expensive bottles for exactly that reason--to inflate their tips. I've had a large number of servers who know absolutely nothing about the wine list, so it's not like I'm tipping them for their knowledge since they are of no help. I tip a bartender a buck to open a bottle of beer, exactly how much should I tip a server who simply opens the wine and leaves it on the table?

anotherdayinbkln

always tip on wine-- that is what makes the overall tips for the servers and bartenders bigger. believe me, if my customers didn't tip on their wine, i wouldn't be able to pay my rent. remember- you're paying their rent. also, i never push the most expensive wines, i only push the ones i like.

at my restaurant, the tips are pooled. All the tips added to the sales are pooled at the end of the night, and we are given a percentage of that tip. You may be tipping 20%, but I'm only getting 80-85% of that tip. The rest goes to bartenders and bussers. A lot of restaurants are like that. Think about that when you are being stingy and only putting down 15%!
If 25% of our overall sales are in liquor and tips reflect that, its a great great night and makes the whole thing worth it.