While waiters and service workers are paid a minimum wage, many rely on the additional income from tips to make ends meet.

We asked our Facebook audience whether they always tip and, if so, what the going rate should be. Read a selection of their responses below.

Lisa Jean Klie – Absolutely yes, a minimum of 10% or more for good service. Waiters earn a tiny wage. They work long hours, deal with customer attitudes and if the food isn’t good people tend to think it’s their fault when they are just delivering the food. They also pay the runners out of their own pockets and in some restaurants if a customer bumps them and a tray of glasses falls, they have to pay for the glasses. I can’t believe this is even a question. If you can’t afford to tip or don’t want to… don’t eat out!

Dawie Miennie Jnr – I tip according to service. If the service was not up to standard then sorry, nothing from me. For good service, I would sometimes tip up to 20%. Servers shouldn’t just expect a tip, they should work for a tip.

Volker Grunewald – I tip 15% to 20%. Even for takeout food, Uber and everywhere else. Car guards R10-R20.

Cindy Govender – Restaurant owners must stop hiding behind tips and the goodness of customers and pay waiters appropriately. No other job has such nonsense with the exception of waiters. What will people do if the petrol attendant, security guard, etc, now work on the same basis and depend on tips?

Melissa Hamlyn – I always leave a nice tip, especially a bit extra if the service was wonderful. If the service was not great, I still tip a minimum of 10%. If someone else at the table doesn’t tip, that’s completely unacceptable. You never know what these staff go through. A few weeks ago in Joburg I had a waitress give us terrible or almost non-existent service, until we saw her crying around the corner. It turns out some mean things happened behind the scenes that really brought her down. We in turn tried to lift her up, got great service afterwards and help from another waitress. I do feel you don’t show personal issues at work but most of the time these are young girls just navigating life and trying to earn money. They do actually need these tips. Order less if you can’t tip.

Nkosenhle Nqobani Khuzwayo – Restaurant owners substituting paying salaries with the tips we give is wrong. Waiters should have a basic salary and whatever we tip them should be a bonus. By tipping, I think we have made the situation of waiters worse instead of better.

Ryan McLaren – So you must pay for your food plus tip the waiters? One meal is quite expensive and without waiters restaurants cannot operate. If a restaurant needs a top chef and waiters, it should be able to pay its staff and not depend on sit-in customers.
Brad Polmans – I tip according to service. Back in the day I was a waiter myself, I got great tips for great service and k*k tips if I gave k*k service. So, very simple: if you do the bare minimum you won’t be tipped much. Do your job properly and I’ll tip you better.

Read more comments here.