41–50 of 56 posts
Jiro is a workaholic. Think about it. http://www.overcomingbias.com/2012/04/jiro-lives-worth-livin...
I wish he had framed it in terms other than whether these lives were "worth living", though.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not finishing what you're served in Japan is, approximately, the same comment as a $0 tip is in America, except about food quality rather than service. Culturally, the act of not eating something prepared for you reads like "Your food is inedible and unfit for human consumption" rather than "I wasn't that hungry" or "This particular dish, well, I wasn't quite feeling it." This will generally not endear you to fancy c…
Japanese people get in trouble on the tip thing all the time in the US I think it's not just Japan. Here in Sweden, tipping is done at times but it's certainly not something mandatory. Please do educate me more on US tipping customs. I don't want to be a fool when I go there in future...
There's no other situation in the US where tipping is mandatory; tip the same way you would in Sweden. You probably want to tip valet parkers, but you don't absolutely have to.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simple: American service has a peculiar quirk in that servers are paid (in 95% of the country) around 2 dollars an hour, and are compensated in tips instead. At minimum, 15% is expected as a tip, even for bad service, and good service has an expectation of 20%. Truly bad service should be spoken to with the manager, rather than simply leaving without any tip. Note that servers expect you to tell them if something is…
Not sure why this is down voted. I tip 20% IF I get good friendly service. It's not that much money because I don't drink. I know many people who consistently tip much less and some of them are cheap but others are trying to actively work against low staff wages and tip inflation.
that the full menu costs $300 and you will finish in 30min. also reviews of the his sons restaurant say they get angry if you dont eat everything...
Not finishing what you're served in Japan is, approximately, the same comment as a $0 tip is in America, except about food quality rather than service. Culturally, the act of not eating something prepared for you reads like "Your food is inedible and unfit for human consumption" rather than "I wasn't that hungry" or "This particular dish, well, I wasn't quite feeling it." This will generally not endear you to fancy c…
To first order, in unsophisticated American restaurants, the culture emphasizes bulk: If a quarter-pound hamburger is good, half a pound is obviously better, and if the restaurant offers you free fries they'll be surprised if you say no, because, hey, free fries! They will of course happily offer you boxes to take food home (there are restaurants at which one order will feed you for three meals) but in general restaurant eating is a system for packing on pounds, unless you constantly focus on eating just a tiny portion of everything you're served, or you eat in teams of two or three and order strategically.
Presumably they cover this in all the good Japanese-language guides to the USA, because otherwise it must be really stressful to the poor tourist, confronted with a stack of pancakes that one can barely lift, let alone finish eating.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simple: American service has a peculiar quirk in that servers are paid (in 95% of the country) around 2 dollars an hour, and are compensated in tips instead. At minimum, 15% is expected as a tip, even for bad service, and good service has an expectation of 20%. Truly bad service should be spoken to with the manager, rather than simply leaving without any tip. Note that servers expect you to tell them if something is…
I think the bit about talking to the manager is key here. Many of my friends are servers and customers will sometimes stiff them entirely on tips because they are upset about the quality of the food or some other transgression of the restaurant, but really this only affects the servers and hardly ever goes up the chain to the management. If you are having an issue, you need to talk to the manager or odds are it will…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Japanese people get in trouble on the tip thing all the time in the US I think it's not just Japan. Here in Sweden, tipping is done at times but it's certainly not something mandatory. Please do educate me more on US tipping customs. I don't want to be a fool when I go there in future...
Simple: American service has a peculiar quirk in that servers are paid (in 95% of the country) around 2 dollars an hour, and are compensated in tips instead. At minimum, 15% is expected as a tip, even for bad service, and good service has an expectation of 20%. Truly bad service should be spoken to with the manager, rather than simply leaving without any tip. Note that servers expect you to tell them if something is…
15% used to be the normal amount for good service not that long ago, before everyone decided that 20% was the normal amount and 15% was stingy. Pretty soon it will be 25, 30, and 50%.
Meanwhile most of the service industry does not get any tips.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simple: American service has a peculiar quirk in that servers are paid (in 95% of the country) around 2 dollars an hour, and are compensated in tips instead. At minimum, 15% is expected as a tip, even for bad service, and good service has an expectation of 20%. Truly bad service should be spoken to with the manager, rather than simply leaving without any tip. Note that servers expect you to tell them if something is…
I think the bit about talking to the manager is key here. Many of my friends are servers and customers will sometimes stiff them entirely on tips because they are upset about the quality of the food or some other transgression of the restaurant, but really this only affects the servers and hardly ever goes up the chain to the management. If you are having an issue, you need to talk to the manager or odds are it will…
Don't blame the customers for not tipping enough when there are such problems with labor law and restaurant management.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simple: American service has a peculiar quirk in that servers are paid (in 95% of the country) around 2 dollars an hour, and are compensated in tips instead. At minimum, 15% is expected as a tip, even for bad service, and good service has an expectation of 20%. Truly bad service should be spoken to with the manager, rather than simply leaving without any tip. Note that servers expect you to tell them if something is…
Giving 15% for bad service is not necessary. As a tourist you might as well do it just to keep everyone happy, but if you are being actually mistreated by a jerk waiter then a full 15% is not deserved. 15% used to be the normal amount for good service not that long ago, before everyone decided that 20% was the normal amount and 15% was stingy. Pretty soon it will be 25, 30, and 50%. Meanwhile most of the service indu…
However, I have found that people who are former servers use 20% as a minimum out of empathy. But they usually don't guilt others into doing that, either. Perhaps you frequently dine with former servers?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the bit about talking to the manager is key here. Many of my friends are servers and customers will sometimes stiff them entirely on tips because they are upset about the quality of the food or some other transgression of the restaurant, but really this only affects the servers and hardly ever goes up the chain to the management. If you are having an issue, you need to talk to the manager or odds are it will…
If the purpose of the restaurant is to serve the waiters then they should be paid at least a living wage up front, rather than requiring me to vacate my seat as rapidly as possible and be required to supply minimum wage on pain of death. Don't blame the customers for not tipping enough when there are such problems with labor law and restaurant management.
Going to sit-down restaurants and refusing to tip is a great recipe for becoming a pariah.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Giving 15% for bad service is not necessary. As a tourist you might as well do it just to keep everyone happy, but if you are being actually mistreated by a jerk waiter then a full 15% is not deserved. 15% used to be the normal amount for good service not that long ago, before everyone decided that 20% was the normal amount and 15% was stingy. Pretty soon it will be 25, 30, and 50%. Meanwhile most of the service indu…
Everyone has not decided that 15% is stingy. I dine out a lot and at least here in SoCal 15% is quite normal, 20% for good service or - if we're being honest - if the server is attractive. However, I have found that people who are former servers use 20% as a minimum out of empathy. But they usually don't guilt others into doing that, either. Perhaps you frequently dine with former servers?
I have found that if you're a regular at a restaurant or a bar, and you consistently tip 20%, you'll be remembered for it. It's a good thing.
Most of us wouldn't notice the difference between 15% and 20%, even at a Michelin-starred restaurant, by the time we're looking at our finances aggregated in Mint. My recommendation: just tip 20%. You'll be happier in the long run, and your servers will be too.