Cancel 2020.1
Canceled
When I tended bar for all those years, I always worked the late shifts from 10pm to 4 am. The best tippers were other wait staff people from other bars and restaurants that closed earlier in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area all coming in before going home. Also good were regulars who appreciated it when we started making their "usual" as soon as we saw them come through the door.
Something has to be horribly wrong, rude or lazy with a server for me to give less than 20%. I learned years ago to apply the practice of what TIPS actually stand for..."To Insure Good Service". So, right up front I'll part with a couple bucks just to hopefully set the mood for a good 2-way experience with the server. We have a couple nice mom & pop diners here and their breakfasts are out of this world. As I'm leaving I'll always go to kitchen and give a couple bucks to the line cook...they work very hard and are proud of the meals they produce.
I used to work for tips - ergo, I tip more than I probably should now. For me, it's just kind of a fun thing, because I remember how I used to feel when someone would tip more than the "expected" amount.
But you're right - the best tippers are generally folks who have worked as wait or bar staff. Cool that you tip the line cooks.