I'm not sold on the "to insure prompt service" as the correct rendering (according to the dictionary) would be "to ensure prompt service", which spells "TEPS", not "TIPS". But I agree that servers ought to be paid more. I believe they should have a base salary of at least minimum wage.

In California and in most other advanced societies, servers get paid they same as other get paid. In Utah, the patrons are forced to pay server's wages. It may not be fair in the Christian context of fairness: but Utah, is run by republicans who believe others should pick up their tabs.

You hear Utah's conservatives talk about sacrifice and patriotism being American values. You are hard pressed to fine one willing to sacrifice two cents for fair wages or a dime to pay for the war they support.

Someone once told me to <i>really</i> get prompt service, bring something for the kitchen, like a a bottle of wine if it's a good restaurant. Nobody ever tips the kitchen. I haven't tried it yet.

@Utah values: You truly must be a one-note musician. But thanks for my first good laugh of the day! To turn this into a political GOP vs. Democrat issue is hilarious!

I think people want great service, but they do not want to pay for it.

Tipping is a stupid, antiquated system. The sooner it is gone, the happier I'll be to eat out.

Thanks "Utah values," for a good morning laugh. It is hillarious that you would tie the custom of tipping to a conservative / liberal debate. That tipping, good or bad, falls along some imanginary party line, is beyond inane.
I do agree that the system is antiquated. Each year, I take my extended family out for a formal dinner at Christmas time. It is my intent to tip large as a bonus to the server(s) as an extra gift, but if the bill comes with a mandatory 18% gratuity attached, which is considerably less than I budget for the tip, I pay it and let the manager and the server know that he cost his server dearly. Gratuity means what it means. If you bill me for it and make it mandatory, it is not a gratuity.

I'm very willing to pay a tip for great service. I just haven't seen any lately, so I'm not too happy about tipping. I do it to avoid a nasty look from the waiter.

I have never gotten it. I go to a restaurant where people bring me my food. They bring me the food, and then I am supposed to be indebted to the server for doing his/her job?

I'll tip if the server is above and beyond the norm, and I will tip what I want to give, not what some worn out old lady in a magazine decides is the proper amount. Some folks can barely afford to eat out anymore, let alone pay the salary for the server.

If its that bad, just let me know when my food is ready, and I will go to the kitchen and pick it up myself. Its not rocket science.

TIP is an acronym for To Insure Promptness, it may be misspelled but that is what it means. I worked as a waiter for the Hotel Utah and the Hilton, My Mother worked as a waitress virtually all her adult life. The rest of our family are cooks or Chefs. I think that the state in all fairness should mandate minimum wage, with a tip being in addition to that. If one feels they had poor service, do not tip, that is only common sense. People should not rationalize though, my Mother was told once that they only give the Lord 10%, so why tip 15%?, what Tithing has to do with tipping, I don't know. Restaurant owners cheat their employees by paying less than minimum wage, why Utah allows this is not rational. The money of the owners does not pay part of the Salary of the Waiter or Waitress. And Jud if you haven't seen any good service lately-you either do not eat out more than once a year, eat at fast-food joints or are so rude to the server that they treat you as you treat them. Tip if feel you can and without regret.

I tip as a rating of how I was served, not on how I want to be served. Tipping in Utah however is very strange. Until I came here I had never seen tipping before in places where the owner was also the server(talk about double profit), or where there was no waiter at all(i.e. fast food), or where food service wasnt even involved(like in candy stores).

While tipping in Utah is a little wierd, it would be disasterous to get rid of it in actual food service. With a tipping system you've got the control on the waiters paycheck, that gives them a little extra motivation to do a great job. Take away the tips and the waiter no longer cares if they do a good/bad/quick/or slow job, they get payed the same either way with fixed pay.

Think a simple complaint is going to fix that, not likely, your only one in a hundred people served that day, 5 seconds to a manager with thousands of things to deal with doesnt mean anything. Especially since some people complain regardless of good/bad service everyday.

You know, Utahns have a WORLDWIDE reputation for cheapness, and I guess this discussion is the proof. And no hyperbole: I've travelled all over the world and have witnessed, even in the most remote and unlikely places, that "Utahn" is an internationally recoginzed word for "cheap", though sometimes is the local word for "boys in bad suits", and occasionally it is translated by indigenous populations as "don't serve me coffee".

But on the topic of tipping and service, if you want top quality service the best way to get it is to treat the server like a human being, and eat at places that treat their severs like human beings. I frequent the same group of small, locally owned restaurants every week. I don't have to tip exorbitantly because we have a relationship, and most times the service is beyond fantastic.

My opinion is that tipping is just one of those foolish things that probably won't go away, like tax credits for having children, so I just pay what I honestly think the service was worth. Avoid the Olive Garden and Chili's, learn your server's name, and it's really not so painful.

Having worked once where a tip was greatly appreciated, I think tipping is a way of letting those who serve you know that you appreciate their effort. I especially feel generous to those who frequent the table and ask if everything is OK or the maid that quickly goes about her work and leaves a spotless room. It's easy to spot the students, the expectant mother, even the illegals trying to make end's meet. These are usually starter jobs for most, and it feels good to assist them on their way to something better. To others, well the next time you have your hair cut or some service that you take for granted, think about the difficulty of replacing that service, with someone as competent, if you were to move away from the area. A tip, or a expressed "Thank You" are small compensation for the comfort and convenience of their service.

To those too small to tip (sometimes the server depends on the tip to survive in today's bad economic times):

Does the word "cheapskate" mean anything to you?

REALITY CHECK:
If you tip people remember you and will give you better service (or usually try)
If you don't tip, and you are a known Non-Tipper your service will be sacrificed for those who do tip.
If I'm delivering 2 pizzas, one to a known good tipper and one to a known non-tipper, I'm going to the tippers houser first reguarless of what my manager tells me to do...period.
Not tipping is worse than a poor tip. And dont' add insult to injury by insulting those who handle your food. these are low end jobs and they tax you emotionally and physically all day, the last thing you need is for a customer to yell at you.

I am amazed at how many commenters just don't realise how much servers make. Most servers easily clear more than $15 - $20 per hour BEFORE they get their hourly wage. By law, tips plus wages must exceed the minimum wage, but it usually does by 3 to 4 times. In many restaurants, the servers make more per hour than management. If, as the brain-dead 'Utah Values' and others suggest, servers were paid the same as the other employees, they'd have to cut their pay at least $10 per hour.

Just look at tipping as a tithe.
Maybe you will feel better about it.
It might also generate some good karma vs. bad karma.
You never know.
You might find yourself a homeless person in your next lifetime.

Fascinating discussion.

Just to throw something out there, the "insuring/ensuring prompt service" argument really doesn't work very well when the tip comes after the service. While a server may work harder hoping for a tip, it is not guaranteed. I'm sure this leads to "customer profiling," and God help the regular customer who is known to be a poor tipper (ask any pizza delivery guy to name five houses that are ALWAYS going to be last on his list).

I have no problem with the "pay for better service" model, I just wonder if it might not be better handled up-front. For example, a restaurant might offer standard service (15% added automatically), relaxed service (10%) and premium service (20%) that you can select at the time of your drink order and be treated accordingly.

I don't think its ever really going to change though.

It is truly sad that we have people today who believe it's good to tip if you think you are going to get something back (better service, etc.) for yourself.

ME. It's always about ME today.

These same types would never understand the concept of giving extra for no other reason than you are a generous person and it seems like the right thing to do(no pun intended).

Liberals tip liberally.
Conservatives want to know, "what's in it for me?"

Hatuletoh - Funny comments. You throw a broad, unproven generality out there about Utahns being notoriously cheap (I've traveled in and out of the US a bunch, and that's not been my experience), then you talk about how you go to the same few restaurants and build up a relationship so that you don't HAVE to tip very much.

Welcome back to Utah. You obviously know about cheap Utahns because you are one of them.

Back on subject, I hate the whole tipping garbage. Why I have to pay the restaurant's employees separately because the restaurant only pays them $2.13 per hour is a joke. Regardless, it's the system we have today, and I'm not going to punish some poor waitress for that. My average tip is 20%. I'll do 25% for a cheaper meal. Funny thing is, I haven't noticed a change in service. It's not like I can discuss the tip with the server afterwards to explain why they got what they got.

Oh, and I'm a conservative Utahn, so all of you who say that we're cheap are full of Chinese take-out.

Generousity is better directed to those in need. Giving a 20% tip to the guy who sold you a bike for $500 is not exactly the definition of generocity. I have yet to see that act of generocity happen but there must be generous people in this world. Right?

Tips at a restuarant aren't acts of charity or generosity, its part of paying for a service IE the waiters paycheck. Hence the reason that waiters are the only legal people who can receive a per hour pay less than minumum wage.

I'm a conservative and tip 15% as a standard and 20% for good service. I usually find I tip 15% and above 80% of the time. Does that mean liberals give 30% or more??

Good Grief: What a bunch of tightwads on this post. If you can't afford a decent tip, don't go out to eat. Stuff your face in some dark little cranny. Eating out should be a good experience for everyone, including the server.

Who says this only goes on in Utah? I've lived in several other states and it's the same everywhere I've lived- where the wait staff only get paid a minimal amount and rely on tips to make up the difference. Denigrating Utah by saying that it is the only state that does this only shows your ignorance and prejudice. Not saying that I like the way restaurants do this- only that it isn't only done in Utah. What exactly are the other "advanced societies " that "Utah Values" is talking about? And if some of you despise Utah so much- why are you still living there? Last I checked there were 49 other states out there where you surely would feel more comfortable-except then you wouldn't have so much to complain about- would you? Good grief!

If you don't have the class to pay tips, there are plenty of places to go where the employees won't expect them, and you'll probably enjoy the food more as well: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, the list goes on.