How Do You Tip?

Off Topic
1

What do you all think about the practice of tipping? When I was younger, it used to be 10% for waiters and a few dollars for the kid for helping you carry stuff to your car and that’s about it.

Now, every time you turn around, someone feels that they are supposed to be tipped.

Sorry, but I really don’t get it. Why do you tip your taxi driver when you already pay the fare? When you are already paying for a service (haircuts, massages, lawn service, taxi…) why is it common for people to expect more?

For instance, bartenders expect $1 per drink. Seriously, why? They hand you a beer and open it. I can understand for mixing a stout drink, but they won’t approach you if you don’t have tits anyways.

What about when you go out? Why does the doorman feel he is entitled to tips? What about the guy who stands in the restroom?

One thing that really irks me is when the tip is added to the bill. It is usually 18-20% and then there is a line for tip after that. Most of the time the waiter will get a better tip by splitting the bill and not adding the tip in.

It is my understanding that this is not common practice in other countries besides the US. What do you all in other countries think about this practice?

It is the Holiday Season and there are all kinds of recommendations about how to tip people you normally wouldn’t. Who does this?

Why are certain people entitled to tips and others aren’t? Why do you tip your taxi driver and not the bus driver? Many, many people work harder than people in the service industry and don’t get anything except what their employer pays them. Is this a practice to make it where the owner doesn’t have to shell out as much for employees and pass the expense on to the customer?

2

In other countries, waiters [and I assume bartenders] get paid by their job, anything they get from the customer is a bonus. In Texas [I don’t know about the rest of the country] waiters and bartenders make $2.13 an hour. After taxes, that’s NOTHING, almost literally. Their tips are their livelihood. As someone who’s both waited tables and bartended, I speak the truth. Be kind to your servers people.

3

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
In other countries, waiters [and I assume bartenders] get paid by their job, anything they get from the customer is a bonus. In Texas [I don’t know about the rest of the country] waiters and bartenders make $2.13 an hour. After taxes, that’s NOTHING, almost literally. Their tips are their livelihood. As someone who’s both waited tables and bartended, I speak the truth. Be kind to your servers people.[/quote]

I have worked in the service industry, also.

What about other people who feel entitled to tips who aren’t waiters?

4

[quote]Chewie wrote:
WhiteFlash wrote:
In other countries, waiters [and I assume bartenders] get paid by their job, anything they get from the customer is a bonus. In Texas [I don’t know about the rest of the country] waiters and bartenders make $2.13 an hour. After taxes, that’s NOTHING, almost literally. Their tips are their livelihood. As someone who’s both waited tables and bartended, I speak the truth. Be kind to your servers people.

I have worked in the service industry, also.

What about other people who feel entitled to tips who aren’t waiters?
[/quote]

I tip about 20% for food, up to 30% for outstanding service.

I don’t tip a buck a beer. I do it the first round or so, then periodically.

Normally I run a tab and tip that 20% or so.

5

Go watch reservoir dogs.

Society just deems certain jobs tip worthy. Its bullshit.

6

I usually tip 20%. People in the service industry are trying to make a living as well, so I feel they deserve closer to 20% than 15%.

When it comes to food, if the server doesn’t charge me for a soft drink/dessert/etc., then I make up that cost on the tip. So if a Coke is 2.19, I put that 2.19 on their tip plus extra to make up for not getting charged for those particular items.

7

Pizza Delivery: What ever the price of a gallon of gas is.

Restaurant: Good service: 15-20% Bad Service 10%

Buffet: 10%

Bar: $1.00 a drink.

8

for a waiter/waitress/bartender:

10% if the service is shitty without a reason (sometimes they get stuck with extra tables and get the shaft, so thats not always their fault)

20% if the service is good or I can see there is a legitimate reason the service is slow, likes it’s balls busy

over 20% if it’s a place I go to often and know the server

What gets me is that the government regulates them to a retardedly low amount, on the pretense that they will get tips, which is not guaranteed. It’s like they are penalized because of how some people tip them. And then you get that douchebag that stiffs them or gives coins for a tip. I know a girl that was walked out on a $90 tab…she worked about 4 hours and ended up making like $20.

I look at people that don’t tip the same way I look at guys who take a piss and walk out without washing their hands. A combination of ire at their douchbaggery and the need to yell out at them in public to embarrass their funky, no tipping, ball-sweaty hand smelling worthless selves.

9

I delivered pizzas going through grad school. Tips sometimes made the difference between getting bills paid and the babies fed, or robbing Peter to pay Paul for the electricity.

I always tip food service people and I tip big.

10

I have been to Mexico several times, the last time I was there , I saw the effects of tipping well, there were people 4 and 5 deep at the bar , but my drink came over top of every one else. It was like being a V.I.P.

11

[quote]biggjames wrote:
Pizza Delivery: What ever the price of a gallon of gas is.

Restaurant: Good service: 15-20% Bad Service 10%
[/quote]

I agree here

[quote]
Buffet: 10%

Bar: $1.00 a drink.[/quote]

Why tip at a buffet? Who serves you?

In my experience, bartenders are usually the biggest pricks are rarely deserve half of that. If you have to wait to get served (beyond reason)the tip goes down substantially. I have had bartenders put my change in their own tip jars without my consent.

12

[quote]medevac wrote:
I know a girl that was walked out on a $90 tab…she worked about 4 hours and ended up making like $20.
[/quote]

That is $5/hr + the $2.13/hr the job gives her. She made $7.13/hr. That is more than most jobs in retail, etc.

13

[quote]Hadow Khan wrote:
Go watch reservoir dogs.

Society just deems certain jobs tip worthy. Its bullshit.[/quote]

Exactly.

Do you tip the guys working on your yard in 110 degree weather? They work a hell of a lot harder than most people. Why no tip?

No one has responded to tipping taxi drivers, barbers, etc.

What about the Christmas season tip?

14

Stay out of dark alleys at night.

15

[quote]meangenes wrote:
Stay out of dark alleys at night.[/quote]

LOL

16

Barbers: I go to the same place so I always tip. I’ll keep tipping as long as they keep doing a good job.

Taxi Drivers: I live on Long Island, no need for a taxi.

Bartenders. Biggest crock of BS ever. I CANT understand why It is expected to pay an extra dollar every time they pour you a drink. I dont really care how much they make a night, they chose that profession, dont expect me to pay the rest of it. I tip not to look like an asshole but certainly not every time.

Yardworkers. Ah the mexicans. I’ll offer to buy them lunch for the day. Seems fair, plus they wont work half ass if you feed them.

17

[quote]Chewie wrote:
Hadow Khan wrote:
Go watch reservoir dogs.

Society just deems certain jobs tip worthy. Its bullshit.

Exactly.

Do you tip the guys working on your yard in 110 degree weather? They work a hell of a lot harder than most people. Why no tip?

No one has responded to tipping taxi drivers, barbers, etc.

What about the Christmas season tip? [/quote]

You guys understand the Res Dogs things was a comedic monologue meant to be funny, yes…

In any event, I dont know of anyone in the service industry who doesnt tip well, take from that what you will.

As far as barbers and the like, I usually give a few bucks, but they rent out their space and charge what they think they should make for their service. If they believe 15 dollars is fair for a haircut, thats what they charge. If they couldnt survive off of 15 dollars the price would undoubtedly go up(and it does for more time consuming services). At 3-4 hair cuts an hour thats WELL over the 2.13 some servers make. This is the same for yard workers and anyone else who “owns their own business” so-to-speak.

Waiters dont have the luxury of charging whatever they think is fair for the food, then keeping the profit. They dont rent out tables and pay the restaurant at the end of the night. Its a totally different system. Also, as opposed to retail jobs like the Gap or other clothing/goods stores, these jobs are usually used as an entry level job or a 2nd income job whereas a waiter is usually a full time commitment to make a living. Bartenders are the same in this respect.

I have no idea how taxi drivers get paid or how much they get paid. Taking a taxi is so expensive I cant imagine they dont make a decent amount of money, I could be totally wrong though.

Also, much of the service industry, ESPECIALLY bartenders/waiters are working to make sure you guys have somewhere to go on Friday and Saturday night. Its a nice gesture to give them a little tip for giving up their weekend to make yours enjoyable. A dollar a drink might not be necessary, but toss them a few bucks at the beginning and call it quits.

18

[quote]Chewie wrote:
medevac wrote:
I know a girl that was walked out on a $90 tab…she worked about 4 hours and ended up making like $20.

That is $5/hr + the $2.13/hr the job gives her. She made $7.13/hr. That is more than most jobs in retail, etc.

[/quote]

No she took home $20 total with her tips and pay. And $5 an hour to run around and bust your ass like she was is fucking criminal. I would have less problem not tipping if their wages weren’t garnished so heavily. And some places make you claim a percentage of your tips (though most don’t enforce it around here).

The one tip job that ticks me off is the bathroom attendant ninja. We have shitty clubs here that are NOT to the level of needing such a person…I was at a club with one stall and one urinal and barely enough room to wash your hands at the sink and there’s this little guy standing there who springs out to turn on the water for you.

I go to wash my hands and there’s no soap except his little squirt bottle, no towels unless he gives you one, and when I start to wash I suddenly get molested by a lint roller when my back is turned. Unnecessary and irritating.

But I pretty much tip service industry people…person that cuts my hair, gets my drinks and food, etc.

19

I’ve worked several jobs where tips were a major part of my income. TIPS stands for To Insure Prompt Service. So you tip whenever quality of service is an issue. I only tip when the person actually earns it, and I’ll give more if they go the extra step.

WAITERS
Waiters start at 15% and go up or down depending on how they do. Attitude is huge. If they are rude they don’t get shit. I don’t give 15% at buffets, but if they do a good job of clearing my dirty plates and refilling my drink, I’ll give them a dollar or two depending on how many are at my table and whatever change.

TAXI DRIVERS
There are quality of service issues with taxi drivers, but I don’t think tipping is required, they start at zero and can earn a few extra dollars based on how they do. Did the taxi show up when it was supposed to? If the dispatcher said 15 minutes, and it took 30, then the asshole was lying about how long it would take him drop off his current fair and come pick me up, and that’s going to cost him. If the driver is friendly, safe, and takes a good route I’ll give him an extra 2 or 3 dollars, maybe 5 or 10 depending on how far we had to go and how rough traffic was.

A bus driver drives the same predetermined route all day whether you are riding with him or not. He doesn’t talk to you, or spend the whole trip talking about personal shit on his cell phone. He also doesn’t have to know his city very well, and can’t take any shortcuts to get you where you’re going any faster.

BARTENDERS
It kind of depends. Liquor or a mixed drink I’ll give a dollar. If the place is busy, and they still make the effort to get to me quickly and get me my drink, I’ll tip, even if I’m just drinking iced tea. If it’s slow and they’re just popping the cap off a bottle of beer, I’ll let them keep a quarter. An alternative to giving a dollar a beer is to start a tab, then when you pay up you can give 50 cent a beer, or whatever you think is appropriate.

Bathroom attendants are a joke. I might give him some pocket change if he isn’t too annoying, but I would make note of which clubs do that stupid shit and avoid them in the future.

20

[quote]biglift88 wrote:
Barbers: I go to the same place so I always tip. I’ll keep tipping as long as they keep doing a good job.

Taxi Drivers: I live on Long Island, no need for a taxi.

Bartenders. Biggest crock of BS ever. I CANT understand why It is expected to pay an extra dollar every time they pour you a drink. I dont really care how much they make a night, they chose that profession, dont expect me to pay the rest of it. I tip not to look like an asshole but certainly not every time.

Yardworkers. Ah the mexicans. I’ll offer to buy them lunch for the day. Seems fair, plus they wont work half ass if you feed them.

[/quote]

I live on Long Island too, but I do need taxis once in a while (when all my friends drink). I tip about 20%.