Most liked posts in thread: The Ubiquitous Tip Jar

I tip at restaurants/bars according to the service I get, and being fairly easy to please, i.e. hot food, cold beer, the wait staff usually do OK by me. But if they tag on a pre-determined amount, which is never as high as I usually give, well that's all they get, and I'm likely not going back. Don't even think about getting me started on the rolling eyes of wait staff when you asks for separate bills, BEFORE ordering:mad5::incazzato:rrr:

At a 7-11, dry cleaner, Home Depot, etc, neverut:

Mark

 

Good work on the drawing, I like it. :lol:

My father never tipped. I guess I got it from him. He would rant for literally minutes about how they don't deserve it for just doing their job, etc.

 

I'm a big tipper, ever since my days as a delivery driver I've always tipped at least 20% for good service, higher if they go above and beyond. This only applies for tips at standard restaurants (not fast food or buffets), food that's delivered, and barbers. My Grandma's worked in a restaurant for at least 25 years and her pay is taxed with the expectation of a certain amount of tips, this means if she or another server were to make nothing in tips she still pays taxes as if she made 20% in tips of her total sales, so tipping less than that amount and the server is essentially paying to serve you. Granted at the end of the year one could tally up the difference in taxed earnings versus tips received and claim the difference in a refund but should someone have to wait a year to collect the money they paid in taxes because you didn't think my grandma was hot enough to get a tip from you?
There's a million and one reasons to tip, it has nothing to do with entitlement, when gas first went to two dollars a gallon there were quite a few nights when my tips didn't cover the gas needed to fill up my delivery vehicle, it didn't help that at the time I was driving an old farm truck but I found that I could get 20mpg in that thing, V8 and all, on the way out to the houses of people who didn't tip.
This site's a good read: Remember To Tip The Pizza Delivery Driver

And remember, tip the delivery guy, he knows where you live.
Oh, and I never don't tip. If you leave no tip for bad service the server thinks your just a jerk, if you leave a penny then the server knows, you thought about what amount to tip left the penny out of dissatisfaction

 

I spent sometime waiting tables so I can appreciate what it takes to put out great service in light of the fact your making below minimum on your hourly rate.

I'll give 15% fairly easily ala mark, hot is hot, cold is cold and stop by the table every once inwhile. 20% for someone going out of his/her way.

(as he gets on his soapbox.........)

The one that frys my cookies is the mid level quality carry out joints, Calif Pizza Kitchen comes to mind as one of the biggest offenders.

You call your order in for pickup, drive to the restaurant, go in and pick up your own food and see a tip tray. The staff at the one closest to me will with sledgehammer subtlety will make sure your eyes are drawn to the tip tray. ie tidying it up while you are stashing the receipt in your wallet. Let me get this straight- You removed my food from a heater/took out of a fridge and rang it up and I owe you 10-15%? really And the beotch of it is that people are actually falling for it, if the tip tray they keep the charge slips in is any indication. PEOPLE WAKE UP

Ok I'm done..........

 

Yeah... in general, tips for carry-out is nuts. I occassionally tip the cute girls at the dedicated carry out counter at my local Italian joint - but not much. You get 15% for being attentive to my table's needs for 30-90 minutes, for taking my order, for making sure my drink glass and bread basket are never empty, and for getting my food to the table in a timely, hot, and correct manner. If I'm at a location where those things don't happen, then you don't get tipped for them.

In my earlier post, I said I wasn't offended by tip jars anywhere. I'm not. But that doesn't mean I put stuff in them.

 

I tip my sushi guy when I do pick up. I don't tip him the same amount as if I am sitting at the bar, but I appreciate well prepared sushi. And I have been going to the same place for the past 10+ years so the extra tipping buys me things like being able to get a table when the place is packed, or having my pick up order prepared on short notice instead of the customary 1 hour. (this place gets busy).

I also tip a few bucks at my local Deli on pick ups. They have you pay before you get the food and maybe this is a placebo effect, but I don't seem to wait as long as others. It could also be that corned beef on rye is not that hard to make.

The ones that burn the hairs on my butt are the self proprietors who have tip jars. I used to go to a barber who charged reasonable prices and had a movie like Italian accent and his name was Tony and he had a gift of gab. He ended up selling the place to a Russian guy who immediately raised the prices and added a tip jar. I did not feel like discussing the virtue of him setting his own prices, working for himself and the need for the said tip jar. I just bought a set of Wahl clippers and started shaving my head.

 

I used to deliver flowers and would sometimes get tips...this was nice but in no way necessary as most who order flowers are not the intended recipiant...The other guys would sometimes ***** about not getting any tips, but I kept having to explain that most people didnt even know they were getting flowers until the phone rang with some delivery guy asking if there was anyone home to receive them...

I agree with the above posts...if a tip is deserved, then I leave a tip...the paper boy for instance - always leaves the paper on the mat (not in the driveway...the bushes...the roof...you get my point) he is well mannered, respectful, and always gets my paper to me on time. I like him, so when the time comes for collection...I always leave a little extra...I used to do the same thing with the girl that cut my hair until she raised her rates...now the 5 bucks that i used to give her as a tip doesnt exist any more cuz its included in the cost of the haircut...

If someone is just doing their job then who are they to ask for a tip...is that not PanHandeling???

 

It is one thing to add a tip for someone making less than minimum wage, but here in OR they have to pay everyone a minimum wage (which is close to $9 an hour now).

 

I am HAPPY to say I have not seen tip jars pop up around me in the 7-11 or Wawa. I do see them in the Dunkin' Donuts, but I rarely leave a tip..... maybe if they are speedy fast with preparing my order and I am in and out.

I am a very good tipper.... I was a waitress throughout college. I tip 20+ % at restaurants, I tip drivers, valets, my tattoo artist, etc.

But I really have a problem with like many of you have stated, tipping someone for DOING THEIR JOB! No one tips me in the office for showing up on time or completing a project... that's because it's my job and I'm expected to do it. if I didn't, then I wouldn't have a job anymore.
I agree that kids today really feel like they are entitled to a lot!

Oh, and L'Shana Tova, Nathan

 

OK, see, this one always confuses me. Tattoo artist, hair dressers, etc. Most of them are technically self employed. They are renting a chair from the shop, or splitting their fees if they don't outright own the establishment. I know my tattoo guy ain't cheap. If I spend 3-4 hours in the chair he usually charges me $300-400. I don't have a problem with that. But since he keeps most of it, do I really have to tip him and if so, how much? Is it the same ~20% as the waitress who brought me booze and made me think she liked me?

 

That does get tricky, I typically tip a few maybe two bucks on a hair cut which works out to just a little less percentage wise than a waitress would get and that's really because she does a great job and I have a tendency to fall asleep while she's working. If it's a buffet where all the waitress does is refill drinks and remove dirty dishes I tend to tip quite a bit less since there's less overall work on his or her part. For a delivery guy (using there own vehicle) I tip hugely, basically $5 is the minimum at that point since I know how much wear and tear that puts on a car. I also don't tip the kids at the coffee shop, it's one of those situations where it's simply your job and I have to stand at the counter and wait.

If the person owns the business outright I see no reason to really tip unless they do something that goes above and beyond in service but even if they're only renting the chair in the store I see fit to tip them since they can't really set their prices above the other people in the shop, even if their service or skills are superior. The big reason for a tip as I see it is to set a positive encouragement for better service, especially in situations where you'll encounter that person repeatedly.

 

I really didn't know the norm when I first went to my ink guy, so rather than make a bad impression, I tipped him..... I've been doing it ever since (it's been 13 months now :rolleyes5 I know their hourly rates, and he charges me about 1/2 of that. I figure in the end I'm making out, but in all reality, I guess it's just my opinion to tip him. He has done an amazing job. I give him the same tip amount every time I go, so it's not a set percentage I give, but rather a set amount.

I guess I was always in the habit of tipping the hairdresser. There I usually leave 20%.

Servers I always leave a tip... even if I was not really happy with the service. Although, if I'm getting annoyed, I try and look around to see if they're running around and have been over seated. I have to admit, 99% of the time, when I go out and eat I get pretty good service... it's rare I don't.

 

I look at Tip Jars more as a suggestion than a rule...kinda like the pirate code, aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr. Nice way to handle it though and the mental image I got about a kid in a beater honda drifting around soccer moms to get your pizza to you on time made me laugh out loud, now people are staring

 

I'm cheap I guess...

Tipping in restaurants is normal here, but not everywhere. I was in a bar in Tokyo and left some money on the bar after getting some drinks. The bartender came out from behind the bar to return my money!

I got in a bit of an arguement with one of my wife's friends. She tips 20% no matter what, sometimes higher! I asked her why, she said waiting tables was hard work and didn't pay well. I basically said so the eff what? Just cause someone chose a shittty job I have to pay extra? Seems stupid to me. We really aren't giving the server extra money, every place I've ever known the details for does some sort of tip pooling, so the lazy get the benefit of the hard working, and the chefs get a slice too. OK and fine.... But I'm with the 15% for doing a good job, a bit more for excellent work. Less for crappy work.

For the other tip jars around, It depends. Dry cleaner, never. For Starbucks or ColdStone, it depends on my mood and the service.

Really, tips are more of a subsidy for the owner, they can pay thier staff less and have us make up the difference. System sucks.

I've also noticed that those that have been wait staff tend to be higher tippers than folks like me who haven't been. But I've had crappy low paying jobs, and I've never gotten tips for doing what I was hired to do. The service industry employees have it good, as they see the customers and have access to tips and a culture that promotes it.

Overall, I think the Japanese have it right...

Matt

 

Yeah, I was going to mention the situation in Japan but then thought that people would say "But we live in America, not Japan."

Japan: no tipping, and the price you see is the price you pay (tax is added into the displayed price, everywhere)

It was glorious.

 

This I agree with..... it's a crappy system.

but I guess I'm willing to tip well for not having to cook

 

I also feel the tip jar is a suggestion at best, and depending on where I am and my mood at the present time, and if I feel like having coins jingle in my pocket or not, will determine if I leave anything. On a similar but separate note, what about those charity boxes they have set up? Do you leave money in there? Don't, at least some of them, seem sketchy? Like they were set up to keep the cashiers beer/weed fund stocked?

 

I am annoyed by the Girls Scout / Boy Scout / Homeless / Veteran / Sheriff / WhoKnowsWhats staked out by the entry into my local grocery store every time I go shopping.

 

Like Vinny in My Blue Heaven, I tend to overtip, but you know what, it seems almost like I get worse service for doing so.....maybe it's just me......

But tip the dry cleaners? I don't think so, Tim.....