Thread: Tipping Etiquette

Originally Posted by fufu

At the bars I usually tip 1-2 dollars a drink.

For a while I never even knew people tipped barbers. I remember once I was charged 18$ and she asked, "do you want change?". I was like, yes, hell yeah I want change.

At a restaurant it depends largely on the place I am at, the service and how I feel that day. I usually tip pretty well when things are good, ~25%. I don't go out to eat that often.

A friend of mine tips ridiculously...he tipped a waitress 20$ for a 15$ meal. She wasn't anything special service wise either. He tips the deliverly man 10$ sometimes.

It's a service. They cut your hair. It's the same concept as a waiter/waitress. They serve your food and expect tips for a little extra cash.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

It's a service. They cut your hair. It's the same concept as a waiter/waitress. They serve your food and expect tips for a little extra cash.

Most businesses are a service.

A barber cuts your hair...they possess the skill that effects you directly. Waitresses serve food that cooks prepare, indirect service. I tip waitresses because their pay is shit, they are supposed to get tips.

I now will tip a barber, I didn't know it was a part of American society for most of my life, however.

Originally Posted by Yanick

People depend on tips, you may not like it but that is how the system is set up. If you can't afford atleast a decent tip you shouldn't be doing whatever it is your doing, whether eating out, getting an expensive haircut or drinking in a high end bar.

I think most people just have a different opinion on what is considered "a decent tip."

I lived with a kid who delivered pizzas my freshman year in college. He would complain about how he had to deliver four pizzas and "the asshole only tipped $5." I would ask him how much he made and on some nights, he would make upwards to $50/hour or more. On a crappy night, he would still make more than most people did at 18. My last girlfriend worked at a nightclub. All she had to do was stand by a tub of beer, look pretty, and take money when someone came by and wanted a beer. On big nights she made upwards to $500 for a few hours of work. I don't think she ever made less than $150/night, for 4-6 hours of work. I don't mean to come off as insensitive, but I don't really feel these are hard jobs. I liked doublebase's explanation that he tipped well because he knew that they could use the money more than himself, but sometimes tip-workers don't really have it that bad. I don't feel that a 20 year old bartender should be making more than I do per hour. This is not to say I do not tip well myself, but you pick your profession. Easy jobs that affect minimal people should not be expected to pay well.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

It's a service. They cut your hair. It's the same concept as a waiter/waitress. They serve your food and expect tips for a little extra cash.

Doctors and dentists provide services too. Do you tip them? A mechanic fixes your car. Tip? What about having clothes cleaned at a dry cleaners? Should they be tipped also?

My roommates and I discussed this briefly last night. Apparently in London you don't tip? That's news to me, but my roommate was saying when he was over there over Spring Break that he tipped after buying his first drink and the bartender didn't serve him as quickly as he had originally. He moved on to a different bartender and came up to him as he was approaching the bar about an hour after this all happened and explained to my roommate that he thought he was being hit on because of that tip and didn't realize he was just an ignorant (everybody's favorite word) American.

Maybe that is your roommates way of putting a spin on it, and he was really hitting on him.

Originally Posted by KentDog

Agreed. A total scam way for businesses to pass down operating costs to the customer.

Cover operating costs?.....you're tipping the server, not the owner. Keep in mind that the federal minimum wage for servers is still $2.13 p/hour....although the employee must make (regular) minimum wage on average.....I have to pay this difference. And yes, in order to stay in business, costs must be passed down to the customer........this is sort of the idea behind being in business.


Tipping is a very case-specific topic. As a restaurant owner, I spend a great deal of time making sure that our service is well beyond that of franchises. I also spend a great deal of time giving my standard "the amount of gratuities you receive is directly related to the service you provide" speech. So when I hear people bitching about gratuities, it gets on my nerves.


MinO, I would have had you tarred and feathered......ya tight wad!

Originally Posted by KentDog

I think most people just have a different opinion on what is considered "a decent tip."

I lived with a kid who delivered pizzas my freshman year in college. He would complain about how he had to deliver four pizzas and "the asshole only tipped $5." I would ask him how much he made and on some nights, he would make upwards to $50/hour or more. On a crappy night, he would still make more than most people did at 18. My last girlfriend worked at a nightclub. All she had to do was stand by a tub of beer, look pretty, and take money when someone came by and wanted a beer. On big nights she made upwards to $500 for a few hours of work. I don't think she ever made less than $150/night, for 4-6 hours of work. I don't mean to come off as insensitive, but I don't really feel these are hard jobs. I liked doublebase's explanation that he tipped well because he knew that they could use the money more than himself, but sometimes tip-workers don't really have it that bad. I don't feel that a 20 year old bartender should be making more than I do per hour. This is not to say I do not tip well myself, but you pick your profession. Easy jobs that affect minimal people should not be expected to pay well.

Pretty girls in clubs/bars will always make tons of money. Thats just how this world is, they have it 'easy' until the looks start going. Delivery jobs are hit and miss, you drive your car (wear and tear, gas), you get a ticket and thats your day's work. Some days you luck out and make great money, one day i made $450 in about 7hrs/work. Other days i have made literally 1 dollar.

Other jobs like waiting/busing tables, parking cars and carrying people's shit around are more labor intensive IMO and pay less in general.

OTOH, anybody who worked a tip job with wealthy clientèle. Have you noticed that rich people are typically the cheapest fuckers around. I park an S55 AMG (120+k car) and get $1-2, then i park a 1995 rusted out Bronco and get a $5.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Maybe that is your roommates way of putting a spin on it, and he was really hitting on him.

I wouldn't doubt it...

Tipping is a great topic for me.

Most of the time its always 20%. Hair cuts are really the only hard part. Take out service? I try not to tip ever. To me, take our or carry out is just like McDonalds, yet I see some people tip for this service. I actually think this is too much.

However...

If I go to a bar that I like and know I will be back, Ill tip OVER 20%. I believe in paying it forward when it comes to getting drinks at a bar and most of the time, it pans out. If I come to a bar and tip generously, I will bet that on my 3rd visit, I will either get a few free drinks or some strong drinks. After thats established, I tip 20% most of the time and over 20% every so often.

Although, when I tip 20% or when I tip higher than 20%, but on a smaller tab, I might not get free shit. That irritates me. It shows that bartender is greedy. For example, in my home town, I have a good friend that serves me free shit every so often. I usually tip her over 20%, but she knows I am not made of money.

However, when the tab is $8, while I drink $12 worth of drinks (short night) and I leave a $6 tip, she says I dont tip as much as I used to even though its over 20%. That makes little sense to me. On the contrary, I used to have the best bartender in the world who gave me a tab under $5 no matter how much I drank. Well, guess what, that fucker always got a HUGE tip from me. I mean, if hes going to put his job on the line just to get me drunk, the least I can do is give him some good severance pay.

Originally Posted by danny81

is dat really 25% i give a 3 dollar tip on a 12 dollar haircut 2.

Retard!

Originally Posted by DaMayor

Cover operating costs?.....you're tipping the server, not the owner. Keep in mind that the federal minimum wage for servers is still $2.13 p/hour....although the employee must make (regular) minimum wage on average.....I have to pay this difference. And yes, in order to stay in business, costs must be passed down to the customer........this is sort of the idea behind being in business.

Tipping is a very case-specific topic. As a restaurant owner, I spend a great deal of time making sure that our service is well beyond that of franchises. I also spend a great deal of time giving my standard "the amount of gratuities you receive is directly related to the service you provide" speech. So when I hear people bitching about gratuities, it gets on my nerves.

Yes, operating costs. If you are a restaurant owner, you can choose to pay your employees the $2.13/hour minimum, or you can choose to pay them more. The more you pay them, the less they are reliant on tips. You could choose to run a restaurant that doesn't accept tips altogether. But if you don't, you are essentially choosing to pass down operating costs (employee compensation, because you must pay the employee) to the customer. From my understanding, it is not uncommon for waiters and waitresses, bartenders and other floor workers, to be required to kick back a percentage of their tips to busboys, cooks, and barbacks (how does how well the busboy does his job directly correlate with the service provided by the waiter or waitress in which their tip is dependant?). So instead of paying a busboy, cook, or barback the national minimum wage, a restaurant or bar can essentially pay them less because they are receiving that kickback.

Originally Posted by KelJu

Retard!

You know better than that. Retards are smarter.

Originally Posted by KentDog

Yes, operating costs. If you are a restaurant owner, you can choose to pay your employees the $2.13/hour minimum, or you can choose to pay them more. The more you pay them, the less they are reliant on tips. You could choose to run a restaurant that doesn't accept tips altogether. But if you don't, you are essentially choosing to pass down operating costs (employee compensation, because you must pay the employee) to the customer. From my understanding, it is not uncommon for waiters and waitresses, bartenders and other floor workers, to be required to kick back a percentage of their tips to busboys, cooks, and barbacks (how does how well the busboy does his job directly correlate with the service provided by the waiter or waitress in which their tip is dependant?). So instead of paying a busboy, cook, or barback the national minimum wage, a restaurant or bar can essentially pay them less because they are receiving that kickback.

Busboys, cooks, and barbacks must be paid minimum wage. Servers tip busboys and cooks because they directly affect the earning potential of the server by doing their job better. For example, busboys will clean the tables better, and work more quickly to clear tables away to seat new customers faster which makes the customer happier and they will be more likely to tip more. Another example would be the quality of the food and the speed at which it comes out highly affects the servers earning potential. Therefor servers tip out to the people that help them earn more tips. It maximizes customer service.

It is a good system that does not need to be fucked with. Why are ya'll being so vaginal over this?

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

You know better than that. Retards are smarter.

No, they just get better grades.

I only tip at restaurants and even then to a scale of how much i thought of the meal/service.

Sometimes i tip 20%, sometimes 15% or 10%. Sometimes i tell them just how shitty their service was, if it was shitty.

Its great when they say "was everything okay with your meal?" and you come out with a blatently pissed off "no".

They dont know what to say :P

Im a believer in credit where credit is due, so the same goes in the opposite direction. I cant stand when people bitch about the food the whole time they're in there but are all smiles and banknotes when the staff come around.

Though, if they did do a great job and the food was awesome, i love giving that little bit extra because hell, why not? Once i even tipped 25% because the evening was so fucking faultless. I go there all the time now.