About Sales Director
Jenn Price does not proclaim to be an expert on dating…but her years of practice (and willingness to share stories) will certainly get people talking. Join in the dialogue each week as Jenn tackles matters of the heart.
If you’ve ever worked in the restaurant industry (or know someone that has), you know that servers work for tips and that their less-than-regular minimum wage would never cover their bills without that extra cash.
Does this mean just because you sit down in a restaurant, you are obligated to tip 15 per cent or more (or at all) even for bad service? No.
I have a pet peeve when it comes to tipping, and admittedly, if I notice a guy doing this on a date, it raises an amber flag for me (even if I try to overlook it, it usually spells doomsday).
I get annoyed when people tip the sum of the tax on a meal. Worse yet, when they deduct the entire amount of a bottle of wine from the total, then tip on that reduced subtotal. This means the gratuity usually ends up being less than 10% and that to me, as a former server that worked her butt off, is insulting and embarrassing. Nothing screams cheap like a poor tip. (In the case of horrendous service, by all means, leave nothing, but let the server know why.)
On a first date, I once witnessed a guy who (very graciously) put down his Visa when the bill came, but then became flustered when the server only brought back the hand-written total of the bill without the subtotal. He uttered that he hates when this happens (and in my mind I’m thinking this is simple math, $60 bill: 15% = $9, 20% = $12 etc.). He proceeded to take at least 5 minutes to long-hand back-calculate what the subtotal might have been on a $60 bill and then proceeded (after better-than-average service) to tip a mere $7. (OK I tried not to look, but I couldn’t help it!)
I chalked that experience up to a possible case of nerves and agreed to another date. On the second (and last) date, he forgot his wallet. I paid (and calculated an appropriate tip in my head).
I really believe that the more generous we are with others, the more we all win. (Within reason of course. If a guy is consistently a huge over-tipper, this might mean that he’s trying to impress, which can be indicative of insecurity.)
When a guy nickels and dimes over a few dollars and expends effort stressing over gratuity rather than enjoying the moment with his date, I think that’s a sign that his priorities might be a little off. Top it off with a chincy tip, and this ultimately leads to the breaking point.
How do you feel about tipping? What are your tipping points for dating and dining?