Monday, January 26, 2009

How to not be tacky while dining (Part I)

Being classy is not about having a lot of cash. Goodness knows you can be making the big bucks and still be one tacky, flashy, gaudy hot mess. You can also be scraping by as a lowly grad student and manage to be mighty classy in both appearance and behavior.

Today's tacky tale: the bad tipper.

I have heard every argument about why it's not essential to leave a good tip. Yes, I realize they don't do it in Europe, but the point is that those men and women bring you your burger, your steak, your beer, your wine, or whatever it is you ordered are working their BUTTS off for $2.15 an hour. You don't have to be paid minimum wage when your employer can demonstrate that you have the opportunity to make it in tips. And your waitress is already automatically having money deducted from her nightly tips to pay out the kitchen, the bartender, and the hostess.

So how tacky is it for your little pampered butt to assume that 10% is adequate?

But the tackiest of the tack is when you go out to a nice meal to impress someone and then SKIMP on the tip to save YOU some cash.

Now, maybe it's tacky for some restaurants to automatically add in gratuity, but honestly - you should probably be tipping at least that. Have you ever tried to wait on a table of four couples and three single friends who want split checks but shared wine? Damn straight that waiter gets at LEAST 18%.

Going out for nice dinners is a way to treat yourself right. Avoid the tack and budget in for that extra 18-20%. I promise, if someone catches you undertipping they will be HORRIFIED (especially if they are an alum of the fine fellowship of waitstaff), but if you overtip all they will be left to think is: damn, that's one classy guy.

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