When you tip, are you supposed to figure the tip before or after the tax? Any thoughts?

I think most people do it pretax. I do posttax, personally. I do believe the general rule is pretax, though.

@dbuttram wrote:

When you tip, are you supposed to figure the tip before or after the tax? Any thoughts?

I do pre tax but I have noticed when a restaurant computes the tax for you at 15%, 18% or 20% they usually do post tax.

As a previous bartender/server when I was in my 20s, I prefer to tip a little bit more if I can. Most MSCs allow the percentage to be posttax I do believe.

I just look at the total.

I'll never forget my very first sit-down-get-table-service shop. Of course, I'd eaten out in many restaurants before, but not on shops. I knew the total I would be reimbursed, including the tip, so when I filled out the charge slip, I added enough tip to bring me up to the maximum reimbursement. I didn't feel it was adequate, so I also left some cash on the table (I tend to tip generously).

I got a quite nasty e-mail, from someone at the MSC. Don't recall if it was an editor. She said, in effect, by leaving a tip up to the maximum reimbursement amount was shorting the server. I wrote her back, explaining that I had also left cash on the table, and she explained in no uncertain terms was I never to do that again! LOL, lesson learned, boy howdy!!!

Shop was accepted, and I was paid (but was out of pocket for the cash left on the table).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2019 01:12AM by ceasesmith.

There are some strange situations that I have encountered on mystery shops. One was a serve myself restaurant. I ordered at the counter, brought my own tray with plate, cups, utensils etc to my table and then served myself at the salad bar that I had ordered. The only thing the "server" did was bring my bread once.
She seemed to have half the restaurant which was okay as there was not much work for each table. Drinks were refillable at the drink bar. Someone must have cleared my dishes at the end but my server had already gone home. I did not feel this level of service required the same percentage of tip as a full service restaurant and if it did the server really cleaned up as she seemed to have over 20 tables vs the norm of 4 or so for a full service place. The editor admonished me for not leaving the same tip percent as i would have had I gotten full table service. I do not think the msc realized what sort of place this was where you get up and get your own food and lug your own plates etc to the table.
And another thing I wonder. Anyone know? If they say 15% max and I leave 30% of the bill because I bought the half price item of the day or was comped for something and tipped on what the whole price would have been then what? When it has happened to me I have usually not been with a company that tells you the max you can tip.

Back to the original question, I'm seeing more and more places tell you right on the bill what a 15, 18 or 20% tip is. It's a chart usually at the bottom of the receipt.

You tip with regard to comped/free items.
You tip whatever the MSC allows regardless of whether it's reimbursed or not. You tip according to the instructions and not what you feel is justified for the service. That's just the way it is. I tipped 22% while on a job and was chastised for doing so as that would make me memorable. I love the companies that allow 20% tips. That's about 2 MSCs that I can think of off hand. My DH is a big tipper, 25-30%. It never fails when we are on a job where he is disgusted with our tip if the service was excellent.

Edited to add we tip pre-tax.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2019 03:50AM by Madetoshop.

@Madetoshop wrote:

You tip with regard to comped/free items.
You tip whatever the MSC allows regardless of whether it's reimbursed or not.

Could you clarify your answer to my question regarding the tipping when an item is comped or half price. I was not asking how I personally should tip, I was asking what the msc does about it in anyone's experience. I have never seen tip instructions about a situation where I was comped or paid half price for something.
Example: My bill is $20 but if I had not purchased the 50% item of the day it would have been $30.. The msc says I should tip 15%. Does the msc want me to tip $3.50 (15% of $20)? or will they fully reimburse a tip of $4.50 (15% of $30)?

@kimmiemae wrote:

I'm seeing more and more places tell you right on the bill what a 15, 18 or 20% tip is. It's a chart usually at the bottom of the receipt.

I've seen images of receipts like this posted online where the calculations are completely wrong.

I have been seeing a lot of those automatic tip calculations with 18%, 20%, and 22% calculated after tax.

Hi sandyf, based on your example, you tip $3.50 and inclusive of the comp'd items.
Not my rules but I follow them as per the MSC/client. I was offering my experiences with tipping while MSing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2019 12:48PM by Madetoshop.