American custom dictates that we should tip our servers in Tampa restaurants even if we receive abysmal service. The rule of thumb is to leave the minimal “suggested” tip for the servers because this will go into a pool and will subsequently be divided among the wait staff. But if you really received poor service, maybe you can, once in a while, serve a lesson to the wait staff to be more courteous to you. Then again, if you’re feeling generous, that is completely up to you.
For a more specific response to the question “should I tip or not?,” we collected a series of situations that would dictate if you need to tip.
When you received excellent service
Excellent service demands a pretty good tip. We know it’s the job of the waiter or the waitress to provide food service to you seeing as that’s technically and literally their job, but it should not come as a surprise to you that the service industry is notorious for its low salaries and subpar benefits. The only way that the industry survives is to allow and “suggest” and “demand” customers to tip. Just a little note: do not judge a good service based on the food, whether you liked it or not. The wait staff has no control over that.
When your party stayed long after the food is gone
So, you may have stayed way after desserts and your coffees are gone because you forgot there are other diners waiting for your table or there’s simply too many things to talk about that time passed by so quickly. This is a good reason to tip your servers because they had to explain to the people waiting for your table to clear that there’s no way they can push you out of the door.
When your party is composed of five or more people
Believe us, even if the members of your party are not demanding when it comes to service, there’s a huge chance that your servers had a hard time servicing your table because there’s just too many people in it. If you are a party of five or more, make sure to leave a good tip for the waiter/waitress because it’s stressing to serve so many people.
When you have too many demands
When you’ve got too many demands, the wait staff expect you to pay up good through your tips. That means you probably asked for water too many times and demanded for a dish to be served in a certain way. These demands could certainly take its toll on the waiter/waitress serving you, so leave a little something to take the steam off.