In message Hatunen
wrote:

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:50:17 +0000, Martin D. Pay
wrote:

I have a sort-of-related question...

When I've traveled in the US, sometimes I've paid the whole bill
and tip in cash, sometimes paid the whole bill and tip on plastic
and sometimes paid the bill on plastic and left the tip on the
table in cash. Is there a preferred way (preferred, that is, by
the waiting staff)? I sometimes wonder how much the waitress sees
of a tip that goes on the plastic and so through the
establishment's books...

I have the same question and I, too, do it all three ways. I've
been assured that the tip goes to the right people when it's put
on the credit card

But in many establishments the tips all get pooled and split up
among the help, including the buspersons. This defeats the whole
purpose of tipping proportionate to the service received, and in
hope that the waiter will at least see the tip I tend to leave a
cash tip even if I pay with a credit card. Unfortunately, in many
restaurants the busperson sweeps up the tip while clearing the
table.

Even so, that means the poor service person is benefiting from the tips
of the good service people. Peer pressure will work wonders, if you let
it.

--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.