TIPS ON PROPER TIPPING

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.儲存倉M.Sept. 29--In her job as a server at Milly's, Valerie Parraz doesn't just field questions about daily specials or the heat level of the green chile.Some customers, she said, actually have asked her if they're tipping the right amount.As Parraz -- a full-time student who has been working in Duke City bars and restaurants for 11 years -- likes to remind them: "It's up to you, actually."But is there a restaurant tipping norm?According to the Emily Post Institute, a national etiquette organization, tipping for wait service at a sit-down restaurant should be 15-20 percent of the pretax bill. The rate is 10 percent at a buffet. Bartenders should get $1-2 per drink or 15-20 percent of the bill.But averages tend to vary not just based on the quality of the service, but also on factors like geography and the class of the restaurant.Albuquerque etiquette expert Thelma Domenici said tips are usually higher on the coasts and can sometimes even approach 30 percent in certain locales.In the Duke City, though, Domenici said the standard should be 18-20 percent at what she calls a "full-service, quality restaurant." Customers obviously can register great satisfaction or unhappiness by going up or down from there.At places with more limited service -- say you order and pay at the counter but wait staff takes it from there -- Domenici sticks to about 10 percent."There's still some service involved there," she said. "They have to bring your food and drinks. I'm very conscious of wait staff."And don't forget about carry-out. The Emily Post Institute says there's no obligation for tipping on takeout but recommends 10 percent for service such as curbside delivery or on large or complicated orders.According to New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight, the employees packaging the takeout are not usually tipped employees -- and therefore paid a higher hourly wage -- but Wight says theirs is a tough task that she rewards with gratuity."I tip 15 percent for that, because I know how hard it is," she said.Varies by locationCrystal Scott, a longtime Albuquerque server who currently works at Range Cafe on Wyoming NE, said the average customer there heeds the 15-20 percent rule.But Scott said that may not be the case citywide, citing the Range's Northeast Heights location and its devoted clientele for the consistency."We have a wonderful group of regulars," she said. "We're lucky to have lots of repeat customers, so I think our percentage runs a little bit higher."When someone leaves 20 percent, Scott said it conveys a clear message that she's done her job well."I feel that's where my level of service is at, and I feel properly validated when I get that 20 percent," she said.At the Albuquerque location of Five Star Burgers -- an upscale burger restaurant -- owner Bob Gontram said the average customer is leaving 18-19 percent of the bill before sales tax.That rate, he said, is "certainly right for us," estimating that customers base their tip primarily on service but also consider the establishment itself."I would think if you're in Moriarty and you're in a cafe, you'll probably be lucky to get 12 (percent). It depends on the city, where you are and your clientele and customer; it depends on type of service the server gives and the restaurant gives," said Gontram, whose Five Star Burger originated in Taos and also has locations in Colorado and Missouri. "It's really an overall experience."Lu迷你倉最平as Coshenet said he almost always tips 20 percent when he eats out. A Realtor and photographer, Coshenet also has worked as a waiter off and on for the last 14 years and currently has a few shifts at the Standard Diner in EDo.He agrees that 15-20 percent should be the norm but laughs when asked if he always receives it."Depends on the night," he said. "Oftentimes you get like 10 percent tips or even less or you have other people who will give you 20 percent or more. It evens out right around 15 percent if you're lucky."Content at 15 percentOver at Milly's, Parraz said she gets an average of 15 percent from her customers. And she's perfectly content with that."People in this particular location are really awesome at tipping," she said after a lunch shift at the popular Journal Center eatery.After more than a decade working in Albuquerque area restaurants and bars, she's certainly seen a range.In a former position at Garduno's, Parraz said, "there was a lot of 10 percent -- unless I was doing cocktail and people were drinking a lot and not eating as much. Then it would be sometimes 20 percent. I think alcohol affects the tips a lot."Albuquerque servers say tipping hasn't changed much since the city passed a minimum-wage law that raised their base pay. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the ordinance boosted the minimum wage for tipped employees from $2.13 to $3.83.Scott said she expected to hear about it from customers or perhaps even see her tips shrink, but only a handful of customers even have addressed the higher wage. The ones who have mentioned it did so to show their support, she said.If the new wage has prompted anyone to tip less, Scott hasn't noticed."If there has been any change, it's been negligible, and I've talked to other servers at our location as well, and they haven't noticed a difference," she said.There have been attempts in some restaurants around the country to change the system to eliminate tipping altogether by raising prices and paying wait staff a higher set wage.But Gontram said those attempts often fail, possibly because it is so ingrained in our culture and also because servers might resist -- the best among them, he said, know they can do better with gratuity than any flat wage they're likely to earn.Scott said she can see the benefits of both systems but tends to prefer the current mode."I like getting tips; it's a connection to the customer," she said. "It's almost like this gift you bestow upon them with the service, and they return that gift. It's nice feedback." Tipping guidelinesConfused about what to do when filling out the tip line on that restaurant ticket? Here's what the Emily Post Institute has to say about tipping on food and drink: Sit-down restaurant with wait service: 15-20 percent of pre-tax bill. Buffet restaurant with wait service: 10 percent of pre-tax bill. Takeout: No obligation, but 10 percent for extra service such as curb delivery or a large and complicated order. Home delivery: 10-15 percent of the bill. Pizza delivery: $2-5 depending on size of the order or difficulty of delivery. Bartender: $1-2 per drink or 15-20 percent of the tab. Tipping jars: No obligation but contribute occasionally if the server is extra helpful or if you are a regular customer.SOURCE: emilypost.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存