Tipping
Just wondering what you all tip?
-At Restaurants? I used to leave 15%, but since I'm usually in the city now, I leave 20%.
-Hair Salons? This one is tough for me. I usually just go to supercuts and am never sure if its appropriate to tip. They never to a fantastic job, and it's "just" supercuts, not like a real place. I've seen people walk out without tipping and some others (usually women who's hair is guess is harder.) do
-Gas Station? I've heard that in some areas it's customary to tip gas station attendants who pump your gas. I've never done this and think it's crazy.
The Soap People in bathrooms? I hate them and never tip them, oops.
Anyone else?
-At Restaurants? I used to leave 15%, but since I'm usually in the city now, I leave 20%.
-Hair Salons? This one is tough for me. I usually just go to supercuts and am never sure if its appropriate to tip. They never to a fantastic job, and it's "just" supercuts, not like a real place. I've seen people walk out without tipping and some others (usually women who's hair is guess is harder.) do
-Gas Station? I've heard that in some areas it's customary to tip gas station attendants who pump your gas. I've never done this and think it's crazy.
The Soap People in bathrooms? I hate them and never tip them, oops.
Anyone else?
Comments
yes, how to recognize the Americans. (15-)20 % tip.
Originally posted by Dogcow
Just wondering what you all tip?
-At Restaurants? I used to leave 15%, but since I'm usually in the city now, I leave 20%.
I usually do 15-20%. I'll go lower if the service is bad, but I feel bad about doing so, so I have to be really put off to dip below 15%.
Hair Salons?
I never spend much more than $10 to get a haircut, and I usually leave a $2 tip.
Gas Station?
Never have tipped a gas station attendent. I nearly always do self-serve anyway.
The Soap People in bathrooms? I hate them and never tip them, oops.
Hell, I'd consider tipping them to stay away from me. My life style doesn't put me in that kind of situation very often, but every once in a while on a business trip and I run into someone trying to hand me a towel in the hotel restroom, I'm thinking to myself "Get the f*ck away from me! You gonna offer to wipe my *ss too?"
I don't even like having bellhops carry my bags. There's helpful, and there's just plain intrusive.
i tip car wash people and the girl who cuts my hair. oh and of course at resturants
so in Europe this tipping thing is non-existant?
Originally posted by burningwheel
so in Europe this tipping thing is non-existant?
No. But its mostly in restaurants, fast food places and hotels. Not when you get your hair cut.
Sometimes I pay nothing, sometimes up to 50%. I´ll rather pay a lot sometimes when there is a reason than "an expected" 20% always. I would never tip someone for making me "cut the line" in any way. But if they help making a restaurant visit a special experience then Ill express my thanks not only monetary. Honest gratitude is in short supply today.
(btw, at many places there will be an indication on the menu that taxes and 'service' are included in the prices).
Originally posted by SpcMs
Tipping is basically not done in Europe. Minimum wage is sufficiently high and the selectiveness of the process is plain silly (the owner: no; the waitress: 15%; the bellboy: 10$; /whatever). The only tipping that goes on is when someone is doing an exceptional service for you, and it usually consists of letting them 'keep the change'. I'd actually be offended if i notice someone is expecting a tip from me.
(btw, at many places there will be an indication on the menu that taxes and 'service' are included in the prices).
That's outstanding. I would really prefer something like that instead of being at the whim of customers' generosity. I close every Friday and Saturday nights at a local restaurant. It's tough, stressful, and low-paying work. Hardly rewarding. Some people thank you for exceptional service, laud the quality of the food, and even ask about you as a person. Despite all that, they might leave less than 10%. Some people just don't tip well. When I go out to eat, I almost always tip 20%. Servers have to lie to me to get less. If they're honest about screwing up, or a slow kitchen staff, or other circumstances-- then that's not a problem for me. I understand. But still, I hate subsidizing a system that denies most food servers the opportunity to earn, on average, more than about $17,000 per year.
Originally posted by SpcMs
Tipping is basically not done in Europe. Minimum wage is sufficiently high and the selectiveness of the process is plain silly (the owner: no; the waitress: 15%; the bellboy: 10$; /whatever). The only tipping that goes on is when someone is doing an exceptional service for you, and it usually consists of letting them 'keep the change'. I'd actually be offended if i notice someone is expecting a tip from me.
(btw, at many places there will be an indication on the menu that taxes and 'service' are included in the prices).
i wish it were that way here the US , because everyone expects a tip these days, it's out of control. the resturant and store owner should pay more, so i guess i think mininum wages should go up here
I pay about $16 for a haircut (I think?), I don't know, I just give her a $20 bill. I friggin' HATE having to find a new hairdresser, so I do my little bit to make sure she makes enough and never quits.
Pizza delivery guys? Hell yeah I tip them. I figure if the same guy comes to my place a few times, and he knows I'm a really good tipper, maybe he'll make sure I get my pizza fast.
As for the tip jar thing, that really pisses me off. I can't believe the number of places I see these in now. A goddamn gas station with a tip jar. Yeah right. I feel like writing "here's your tip: quit being greedy assholes." on a piece of paper and dropping it in.
I was at the airport a while ago, paying crazy high prices for a couple of coffees for us. The guy in front dropped over $2 in change into the tip jar after ordering a similar amount of stuff. I think the bill was $7.35 or so, he dropped the change from the $10 he used in that thing. There is NO WAY IN HELL I am tipping some broad over $2 just for serving me a couple of coffees. It wasn't even at a table, this is walking to the counter, waiting forever for her to come over, and standing there until it's handed to you. That's your bloody job, lady. I'm not tipping you for punching a few keys on the cash register.
Originally posted by ShawnJ
That's outstanding. I would really prefer something like that instead of being at the whim of customers' generosity. I close every Friday and Saturday nights at a local restaurant. . . .
It's funny how different our viewpoints are. I like the concept of the tipping system, even though it has created a social construct that has made my business a lot more difficult.
Basically, at most bars, restaurants, etc, they'll collect and re-distribute the cash tips evenly across the staff. The paycheck you get will actually be a lie, as it will be enough to reach a net-zero point after taxes. So all of your real income is tip-based, and undeclared to the IRS. In the end, this makes a much better value proposition for these kinds of service jobs than you'd expect.
The difficulty with this is being able to convince the workers that a cashless system will end up paying them just as much, even though it's all declared.
And there's yet another reason why I don't believe in an income tax.
Europe: N/A ...
yes, how to recognize the Americans. (15-)20 % tip.
Its official: UK = 51st State.
Whole lotta tipping going on here in London.
Waiters 10 - 15%
Taxis - 10%
Anyone delivering anything bulky (TV, white goods, building materials etc) £10 -£20.
Tradesmen - electricians, plumbers, brickies etc - £20 - £50
Bar Staff - '...and one for yourself' - 'Thanks I'll have one later' = takes the cost of a drink.
Hell even the dustmen (garbage collectors) used to knock on the door at Christmas for their 'bonus'.
I generally do 16.95 on a 13.95 haircut at Supercuts. The credit card person will generally ask something like "The total is 13.95? Do you want to do it for the same amount or....?"
Restaurants I'll generally do 20%. Taxis or such I'll give about 15%.
Oregon has attendant gas by law, only NJ also still has this AFAIK. However, I find the service to be very spotty, the majority of the time there are too many cars for the attendants and so I wind up starting it myself. And then I always so something like, "oh I am from WA and I forgot Oregon has full service." It's hard to be thrilled about a service which I perform myself 99% of the time without being bothered. A haircut or something I can't do myself or serving my own food etc I wouldn't want to do myself while dining but pumping my gas doesn't bother me at all, otherwise I'd just be sitting in my car. Moreover, I try to avoid getting gas in Oregon just for that reason, I always fill up in Vancouver or Northern CA and then you can make it easily across the 300 mile length of Oregon w/o stopping.
Generally speaking most people who make tips aren't making a lot of money hourly so I'm willing to give them theirs. That's how the system is set up, like it or not and IMO anyone doing their job deserves a living wage.
For all the Europeans et al, when in Rome, do as the Romans please. I've seen so many Europeans not tip when they really should be when in the US. That's considered just as rude here as all of that annoying stuff those loud American tourists do when they visit your country.
Originally posted by ColanderOfDeath
For all the Europeans et al, when in Rome, do as the Romans please. I've seen so many Europeans not tip when they really should be when in the US. That's considered just as rude here as all of that annoying stuff those loud American tourists do when they visit your country.
I guess you're right, but when you're used to drinking 1 - 1.6?/$ high-quality beer, it's difficult to tip on a 4$ Heineken, especially when you'r a) not used to it b) a student.
Except if you're an anti-income tax guy like Splinemodel, tipping is a anomaly when it becomes the rule, no matter how you look at it.