Ricky, I completely agree with you… on everything in this post.

I too waited tables and there are many factors that go into the tip. Quality of the service in my mind is huge. I always tip well (as does the bf and in my mind he's a bit ridiculous with the tipping but I like that about him). I also think about how much work they had to do. If you look at Olive Garden – they refill drinks, bread, salad, soups, meal – they do a shit ton of work (for me at least – I eat a-lot there) so I tip them better. If I'm at an Applbees – they usually don't do as much work. If I'm with my dad (who is an asshole to servers) I leave a bigger tip since he's a demanding jerk. I use the bill amount as a base for my decision while the percentage of tip is decided on service.

Enjoy this comment Ricky, as it's not often we agree on… well, anything.