by Jackie D

Created on: April 14, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

When my husband and I dine out, we frequently debate over this subject. I am more understanding (actually I would be classified as a sucker), he is more critical. My husband believes that tips should be granted based on the service we received and not really about the food. Let me explain. We've placed our order. Or server returns with our drinks. We are now waiting for our meal. The meal is taking longer than one would expect. If the server either doesn't come back to refill our drinks or doesn't return to explain the delay that is MISTAKE #1 The food finally arrives and it is not prepared the way we ordered it, that is the cook/chefs mistake, however you point it out to your server and they return the food to the kitchen and again you are waiting for your food. The person you are dining with has their food. Do they wait to eat their food or wait for yours to return allowing their food to get cold? The server again fails to return to inform you that your food is almost up or to ask if there is anything else they can do, MISTAKE #2. Finally your server brings the food and asks if you would like anything else. You ask for a refill of ice tea and some hot sauce. Your server never returns. MISTAKE #3. You need the hot sauce to go with your meal so you resort to asking another server to assist you. The other server promptly brings your hot sauce and ice tea and 10 minutes later your original server returns without the hot sauce and has a glass of ice tea in her hands and notices that you already have one but doesn't apologize for forgetting in the first place. MISTAKE #4. You are finally done with your meal and you are looking for your server to get the check. You have to wait so long that you finally get out of your seat and look for her. MISTAKE #5. You are disappointed with your meal that you have overpaid for in the first place, you are really annoyed that all your server did was pick your food up from the kitchen and drop it off at your table. She expects a tip for that? BIGGEST MISTAKE.

Even at the end of this either bad or not so good experience, I find myself feeling bad and want to leave at least a 15% tip because I am a sucker, my husband believes in tipping accordingly. He doesn't base it on the food because he knows that is not the servers fault. If you provided good service, he tips good. If you provided exceptional service (which I believe all servers should do) he tips exceptionally. If you were poor or just terrible, he leaves nothing and will slip

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