sure, i tip. at least, when it's expected. i'm not one of those weirdos who tips my mail carrier, fucker already makes more than me. generally i tip $5, until the bill is high enough that $5 is less than 20%. then i usually do 20% or a little higher. they legally have to make at least minimum wage, one way or another. so if they get tipped enough that their tips bring them up to minimum wage, that's that. if they don't make up the difference in tips, the restaurant has to pay the difference.
How does the restaurant know how much their staff is getting tipped? The money is handed directly to them or left on the table and pocketed before anyone can see it... Well unless you tip with your credit card.
credit card tips generally are enough to cover the gap and ensure they are getting minimum wage. since that's all computerized, they have to claim those tips. in my experience, cash tips are usually not claimed, and thus not taxed. if someone didn't get enough credit card tips to make it legal, i guess it would be kind of on the honor system to claim enough of their cash tips. management doesn't usually care what is claimed as long as they don't have to pay out extra, but if a server handled 20 tables in a four hour shift and claimed to make less than minimum wage, it would probably raise some red flags for management.
I work in an industry where tips are appreciated but not necessarily expected. I try to be a good tipper. It has to be a horrible experience for me to go below 20%. Typically I will tip 25-30%. Although I will say I didn't tip a cab driver when we were in Vegas last month because I seriously thought I was going to die and that's not an exaggeration. My husband and I were at a restaurant once and saw a couple dine and dash. When the server found out they left she was so upset because that would come out of her check. We overheard her talking to a coworker. She never brought it up to us. She said something about her son to her coworker. We tipped her 100% to help make up for what she was going to lose out on. She started crying when she realized what we did. I don't want a kid to go without because of a few assholes. The biggest tip I think I've gotten was $120 at Christmas time.
Here is a question I have though. When you call in an order to go and you go pick it up, do you tip? I mean, they really didn't do any more than what a drive thru person would. They didn't really provide you any service besides taking your order and ringing you out. I've always been confused and don't know what to do about that.
I usually tip a couple bucks on takeout. Although i've gotten takeout twice since all restaurants here were ordered to go to curbside only, and I tipped around 30% each time.
