How to calculate tip when you're getting freebies?

[Buckethead]

My wife is in the food media and sometimes when we go out, we get free dishes sent out to us. We are charged for everything we actually order, though. I was just wondering what's expected, tip-wise, by servers when this kind of thing happens. Should we just ignore it and leave a tip based on what's on the check? Should we calculate the tip as if we did pay for those dishes? Add the cost of the dishes to the tip? What we've been doing is just tipping extra generously (30% most recently) based on what's actually on the bill.

[mr drinkie]

I tend to do it in a variety of ways depending upon the situation. If the bill is relatively small, I will do the 30% method of the total. If the item is something I would have ordered anyhow (such as a beverage like the wine I am already drinking) I will give a much more generous tip, sometimes adding 80% of the cost of the drink on top of the regular tip, but I usually do this when I am a regular and plan to go back. If it is something I wouldn't have normally ordered, then I tip as if the item was added to the bill. For me it also depends upon if the freebie is the idea of the server or not. If the freebie is an experimental dish from the kitchen or a mistake just being unloaded and the server is just a 'messenger' then I just bump up the tip a bit at the end.

Of course I could be wrong on all of this, but for me it depends upon if I am a regular, if I would have ordered it or not and the relationship to the total cost of the bill.

Chowhound did have an article on when to tip over 20% that was interesting. Here is the link.

Cheers,

k.

Edited April 16, 2010 by mr drinkie (log)

[philadining]

I've been facing this dilemma as well, and it's often not clear what the motivation is: is it just because I'm a regular/good customer? Do they know I post here on eGullet or on a blog? Are they just thanking us because we drastically over-ordered, or got an especially nice bottle of wine? Is it just because we seemed interested or in-tune with what they're doing?

My response has generally been to savagely overtip, but I've been having a hard time deciding what's reasonable. I start with tipping as if any extra dishes were on the bill (although it's often impossible to know what they would have cost...) then throw on a bit more...

There are so many variations of that as well - did the kitchen just send out a little taste of something extra or several extra entrées? Is it something they're sending out to everyone? To regulars? Are they trying to butter you up, or did they just think you'd really like the dish? Do any of those differences matter?

I'd be curious to hear what folks on the other side of the equation (owners/chefs/servers) think is appropriate. To some degree, majorly overtipping doesn't seem like a properly-targeted response, except perhaps for bartenders. It's usually not the servers who are comping the dishes, it's chefs, managers and owners. Sure, the servers should be compensated for the extra labor and attention required to serve the extras, and it's just generally good mojo to overtip in that situation, but massive overtipping seems like thanking the wrong people, especially where tip pools are in effect.

Of course, there's always the option of sending a round of drinks to the kitchen or something, but I never know how appropriate that is in all circumstances: the chef sent you a dish, and in return you contribute to the delinquency of his line cooks... If it's a place one goes to regularly, next time one can always bring whoever is sending the comps a bottle of wine or something. That has usually seemed to be appreciated.

The person sending the comp is trying to do something nice for you, whatever the deeper motivation, so I'm sure they don't mean to compel you to pay extra... But at the same tie, it seems ungracious to not acknowledge the gesture in some way.

So, you folks giving the comps, what's appropriate?

[Holly Moore]

Back in my column writing days it never occurred to me to tip extra when a chef sent something out from the kitchen. I still don't think it is called for.

On the other hand a particular restaurant owner and I had become very good friends. He would never let me received a check when I was dining alone, at the bar. I threatened not to come back, etc. But still no check. As a result I always tipped the bartender or server bring the food, the full value of the meal. Win-win-win. My friend's hospitality remained intact, my integrity remained intact (at least to me) and the staff seemed always glad to see me.

[docsconz]

If it is a little something extra, I will probably not adjust my tip as I believe I tip fairly generously. If my meal is comped and I have had extensive service, I tip very generously to make sure that the servers are not penalized by the good will extended to me.

[tim]

Should we calculate the tip as if we did pay for those dishes?

Is this not obvious?

Tim

[Dave the Cook]

A few things to keep in mind:

• The waitstaff did not decide to send out extra dishes or comp your meal. The chef, matire d' or owner did.
  
• Therefore, an extra dish is likely to be an unwelcome distraction to a server. All the more so because you've now been identified as some sort of VIP by the kitchen or the owner, and the server knows that they must do their best, without an explicit promise of compensation for service.
  
• An extra dish is not recognized by line cooks as extra work. It shows up on a ticket and they make it. If it doesn't show up on a ticket, the chef or a sous prepares it. In any case, none of these people work for tips (sorry, commis!)
  
• If you neglect to tip appropriately, a good chef or maitre d' will make it up out of their own pockets. (This does not bode well for your future visits.)
  
• There's no good excuse for not knowing the appropriate amount to tip. If you're confused, ask the maitre d' or chef what the approximate value of the freebies was. They're not going to be embarrassed, and neither should you. No one -- except maybe you -- thinks that this is anything other than a commercial transaction.
  

[xxchef]

As an artisan supplier to a number of very high end restaurants, I am almost always piled with "extras" when ever I am able to visit one for a meal. This can range from a couple of free glass of wine to a comp'ed entire multi-course meal. This can easily amount to hundreds of dollars in value.

My tipping policy is very straight forward if not simple.

1. Understand the value of what you have been given, add it to the check amount and tip the server accordingly. THEN
   
2. Further, understand who it was who actually gave you the freebies (maybe it was the chef sending out extra courses, or the sommelier bringing another bottle of wine, or the owner comping the whole meal) and reward them appropriately.
   

That can be the tricky part.

For the sommelier this might mean sending him back his favorite adult beverage or something else easy. For the owner or chef it probably means something much less tangible but infinitely more valuable - future good will and loyalty. The next time I'm running low on product he'll still get his order when somebody else might not. Or when he needs a rush order for a last minute party - he's gonna get it ASAP.