Tipping

[NJudson]

I was wondering what sort of things anyone will and will not tip for. I usually pay around 20% for dining out unless the service is really poor. For years I never tipped my barber because I'd never heard of it until someone mentioned it to me a couple years ago and I've since found that its very customary to tip your barber. I felt bad that I've stiffed him for years so my first tip to him was $20.

Does anyone tip for pizza or chinese carryout? Just curious.

 

[selenau837]

I was wondering what sort of things anyone will and will not tip for. I usually pay around 20% for dining out unless the service is really poor. For years I never tipped my barber because I'd never heard of it until someone mentioned it to me a couple years ago and I've since found that its very customary to tip your barber. I felt bad that I've stiffed him for years so my first tip to him was $20.

Does anyone tip for pizza or chinese carryout? Just curious.

Pizza carry out no, Pizza delivery yes.


I use to be a waitress a LONG time ago, however I do still remember how it should be done. Heck, when I did it we didn't have all these electronic gadgets to keep track or orders etc. Nor did we have people bring drinks and food for us etc. We did all of it ourselves.

With that said, I can be either a GREAT tipper or a harsh Tipper. I rarely take pitty on them. If they do not do a good job, I do not feel bad about leaving very little tip or none at all. However, there have been times when I left a 10$ tip for a 24$ meal due to the exceptionial service I recieved.

It all depends soley on the service.

PS, I always tip my hair dresser. You should always tip those who help you look good!!

 

[Matt Greatorex]

Pretty much any delivery people get a tip, unless they were terrible, as do waiting staff and taxis. I never calculate an amount to give, but if the person is especially good, I give more.

Any time I get told X amount 'is expected', it pretty much guarentees the person is going to have to be exceptional to get anything at all.

I always tip my hair dresser. You should always tip those who help you look good!!

I figure when they've got this much to work with, they should be paying me

 

[Bodisathva]

My wife has convinced me to be a more generous tipper, so we do leave anywhere between 20% and 30%, sometimes more for great service, but I can't stand the argument that you're just supposed to. Far too many people tip just because they think they have to and the service is terrible. If more people didn't tip the worthless, there would be less worthless in service.

my first tip to him was $20.

lucky you...my wife tips the hairdresser 10$ per trip

 

[lmnop7854]

I generally tip between 20% and 25% for dining out, even if the service is not great - the wages that servers make is pretty dismal, and I understand they may need to do a better job sometimes, but you never know what is happening with other people, and he/she may have just had a rotten day. I can forgive plenty of bad service, but I never reward rudeness.

I have been going to my hairdresser for 23 years, and once his price got to $50, I told him I couldn't tip him anymore. So he knows why. He also gives me a cut rate since I have been going to him for so long, but we are friends. I suppose I should tip him better, but I have turned on a whole bunch of my friends and family to him, so they can tip him.

Lisa

 

[selenau837]

I figure when they've got this much to work with, they should be paying me

Post a pic and let us be the judge of that.

 

[NJudson]

I guess I generally overtip for dining out since I've known friends who have waitressed before and they really get paid crappy and many times have to put up with a lot of A-hole customers.

 

[Matt Greatorex]

I guess I generally overtip for dining out since I've known friends who have waitressed before and they really get paid crappy and many times have to put up with a lot of A-hole customers.

I think the reason I don't take that into account is that I worked in retail for many years and had to deal with more of that type of customer than I can remember. I figure if nobody tips shop workers, why should waiters get special treatment?

Having said that, I do go out of my way to insult people I see being deliberately rude to staff (shop, restaurant, or anywhere else), as I don't see any need for it.

 

[Matt Greatorex]

Post a pic and let us be the judge of that.

Alas, I find the camera doesn't do justice to my piercing blue eyes, so I'll have to refrain from posting.

 

[selenau837]

Alas, I find the camera doesn't do justice to my piercing blue eyes, so I'll have to refrain from posting.

Ohh lordy mercy! Another one like Rich.

I suppose we will have to work on you too.

 

[NJudson]

I figure if nobody tips shop workers, why should waiters get special treatment?

Fair enough, but did you receive the same "typical" low pay that a waitress does? Just curious.

 

[Matt Greatorex]

I honestly don't know. At that time, I was making just over three pounds per hour. I know that was about as little as the company could pay me, without actually hitting the minimum wage barrier. Is there a seperate 'minimum' for waiting staff?

Whatever the case, I don't believe that it's any kind of an incentive to someone to do a good job, if they get rewarded for doing a bad one. To my mind, other than the actual amounts involved, there's no difference between awarding company directors six figure bonuses when the company's losing money and tipping a bad waiter/taxi driver, or whoever.

If someone performs their work exceptionally well, they deserve a bonus. If they don't, they don't. I'm not picking on waiters, I'd apply that to any industry.

Tipping someone when you know they've done nothing to deserve it is just charity and belittles the efforts of the people who do work hard.

 

[ColinEssex]

I don't tip anybody - why should I? My hairdresser does my hair. . . full stop. Waiters serve me in restaurants. . . . thats what they're there for Dustmen empty the bins. . . . .postmen post letters. . . . . . Pizza's get delivered. . . I respect these people and am always polite and chatty to them, I don't treat them like sh*te like some people do.

People don't tip me in my job. If people are in jobs with low pay, and they don't like it, they should get a better job.

Years ago, I used to be in one of the lowest paid jobs in the NHS (no tips), but did night school and took professional qualifications to get a better job.

Tipping a hairdresser $20 (£15 ish) seems alot - thats what I pay for the whole experience (including a coffee) and you get a nice young lady to do it

Col

 

[john471]

In Australia tipping is not ingrained in the culture. That said it is not uncommon to tip for services, mainly waitstaff, deliveries & taxis I suppose. I will tip for good service; I will tip well for great service. I won't tip a taxi driver when they hesitate to give me my change - carrying on like if they wait long enough I'll take a hint and forget about it - after all its only a couple of bucks - but it is MY couple of bucks and I don't HAVE to give it to them - if they are quick about giving me my change they've got a much better chance of getting it back as a tip - otherwise I sit and wait.

For restaurants & take-out or home delivery I don't usually tip if there is already a delivery fee or service fee - as far as I'm concerned that's the management writing themselves a tip already, and they should be paying their staff appropriately.

That's just me, and where I enjoy living

 

[Len Boorman]

If somebody carries out a service of some kind for me then they have done what is expected. If they do something better then I am inclined to tip. Our paperboy gets a christmas bonus from me but that is about the only basic exception.

So much communication is done via the Net these days. Again if somebody goes that little bit further then I will respond by recognising that extra assistance. Did it yesterday actually as a person did a bit extra at Amazon for me. Immediately emailed their ustomer services and recorded my appreciation.

I will also respond when the opposite is true. Anybody doing work for me gets paid on completion if the job is done properly. If its not then I do not pay until it is correct.

I think different cultures have different attitudes towards tipping.

L:

 

[Rich]

Anybody doing work for me gets paid on completion if the job is done properly. L:

What no deposit ?

 

[Kraj]

I don't know what the situation is in other countries - or potentially in other states even - but in Illinois people with jobs that are customarily tipped, such as waiters and bartenders, have a legal minimum wage lower than non-tipped employees. The minumum wage for most employees is about $6 an hour; for waitstaff, it is $3.09 an hour. That's less than $125 a week working 40 hours. The reason you are supposed to automatically tip is because a living wage for your server is not built into the price of your meal. If your server is awful, you have the power to affect their ability to make a living. If they are good, they deserve to be supported. If they are great and improve your dining experience (help fix a problem, make an excellent recommendation, etc.) then they deserve to be rewarded. Don't like that? Then don't eat at a restaurant.

 

[ColinEssex]

I think different cultures have different attitudes towards tipping.

L:

I think you're right Len, I've had the impression for ages that the Americans are more into tipping than the British. Friends of mine seem to think the same as me about it (they never tip anybody), although I do agree with you in that if a person goes the extra mile, then its worth logging appreciation with their managers or whoever.

I also will never pay full price up-front for work being done, a deposit is acceptable though as a show of good faith.
We had landscape gardeners in to redo our back garden, it cost £3500 but we only paid £500 up-front the rest on completion + discount for cash!

Col

 

[Rich]

+ discount for cash!

Col

the builder's on the fiddle

 

[Len Boorman]

Deposit. Hmmmm depends

If it is a small company and there is a fair amount of purchase element then deposit and lets see the "Purchase" content delivered to site.

Did this sort of deal when kitchen was done. Up front deposit and a load of Units and bits delivered.

Larger company with samll purchase element of the contract then maybe stage payments against agreed milestones but not in advance.

See I am reasonable some of the time.

L