Tipping

[Dissonance]

While this might not be a controversial topic or something I'm still inclined to post it here because it could be a really cool debate.

When you go out to eat at a restaurant do you tip?

I don't.  I find it absolutely ridiculous.  As a person coming in to eat, it's none of my business the arrangement that you (the waiter) and your boss have worked out concerning your wages.  Why is this the only instance in our society that we are expected to pay more because the owner of the establishment isn't paying his employees enough?

I honestly hope that people stop tipping at such rates that employers are forced to stop being cheap bastards and raise their waiters and waitresses wages to that of other jobs.

 

[tai]

I tip, but not generously. I automatically figure in tip when I look at the prices, so I don't really feel that I'm 'paying more'.
For "average" service, I tip about 8%, and I'll tip anywhere between 0% and 15% for other cases.

In the end, it's really the same whether we tip or not, because if we stop tipping the waiters/tresses will demand higher wages causing product prices to go up if the business wants to keep the same profit margin. I wonder where this defacto standard of tipping originated from, though?

And just as a note, it's really standard for asian-run establishments to split their tip evenly amongst the staff, though I don't know if its split to just the waiters or to all the employees. At least, where I live. (Ontario, Canada)

 

[Sailerius]

I'm personally appalled by people that don't tip at restaurants.  Some waiters/waitresses are paid less than minimum wage because the nature of their job expects that the lowered wage will be offset by tips.  It's also a form of quality control; an employee is inspired to work harder in the hopes that they'll get a higher tip, which in the end gives the customer better service.  When people don't tip, it completely offsets this system and the employee has no inspiration to do any more work than is required.

 

[Venetia]

I'm conflicted.

I tip because the people in this state make $2.50/hr outside of tips.
I tip because I frequent certain restaurants, and I like getting my food without spit in it.
I tip because tipping customers get preferential treatment sometimes.
I tip because being a waiter/waitress/server can be a tremendously, ridiculously hard job.

I don't want to tip, because the employers should simply be paying their employees enough that tips aren't a factor.
I don't want to tip, because I'm only giving extra money to these people who are just doing the jobs they are expected to do.
I don't want to tip, because most of the time, service is par to sub-par. So what's the point?
I don't want to tip, because then I always pay more for the meal than I was expecting.
I don't want to tip, because occasionally, servers get pissy about small tips. As if it were a paycheck.

Initially, tips were supposed to be a means of the customer's expression of: "Hey, you did an incredible job. Much better than I'm used to. Here's a little incentive so you do it again." It's supposed to be a conditional thing, a benefit for tremendous service, of going above-and-beyond.

When I was in retail, I was helping customers one-on-one in the copy center. Sometimes I stayed late, and BUSTED MY ASS to help them. I mean, I'd spend HOURS AND HOURS on a job of theirs. And they'd come in, and thank me, and about 1/10,000 of them filled out a comment card in my favor, and that'd be it.
When I walk into Chili's, sometimes it takes 10 minutes to be greeted, and 40 minutes to be seated. Then I'm wedged between two families with little fussy kids. Then the server takes like 10 minutes just to take my order, and it takes like 30 minutes to get my food. I sit there with an empty glass for long bursts of time. And when I'm done, I have to wait an additional 30 minutes to wait for the check, plunk down the credit card, have it taken, have it brought back. Then I see that there's a little "gratuity" line under the total.

It kills me! I HAVE to leave something! I'm guilt-wracked! I figure, "the service wasn't too hot, but it's busy, she's having a hard time ..." and leave like 5-8%.

But why??? Why give any money at all?? My service wasn't extraordinary! In fact, it was rather poor, by comparison!

Chaps my ass. But I guess it's one of those little social faux-pas that every community has. It makes no sense, but it's the norm. I'm generally offended by people who are poor tippers, but then I have to take myself back and ask myself why this is so ingrained in me.

It's like washing your hands after you use the restroom. Even if you didn't touch a damned thing in that bathroom with your bare hands, and your hands never made contact with your downtown/weewee, you're still absolutely COMPELLED to wash your hands. You MUST. Or else you're GROSS.

It's like people who sit at a red light, in a turn lane, with their turn signal on. Why indicate that you're making a left turn when you're in the LEFT TURN LANE and you're sitting at a LEFT TURN SIGNAL? Because something inside them is compelling them to flick that little lever!

It's just "one of those things".

 

[bedi nik bzez emak]

;D

 

[khmp]

In a perfect world it would be an incentive to work harder. Not something guaranteed or expected by us. However my boss isn't going to dish out raises because she realizes people are tipping less. Besides that would just raise the cost of the food you get and ergo you still pay more. Worse you don't come out and the restaurant goes under for lack of business. So far it seems like you guys want the solution of us getting higher pay, if at all. And for tipping to become optional. This is extremely unrealistic. But I guess money is tight right now so I can't really blame you all. I tip at a 15% minimum for all us mining canaries of the economy.

 

[Despain]

I tip. I really don't think I should, though. I do only because there aren't many places around here and I pretty much go to the same few places pretty regularly, and I'm horribly afraid of people recognizing me as "that guy who doesn't tip" or whatever.

Steve Buscemi's little speech in the beginning of Reservoir Dogs hits the nail on the head.

I work at McDonalds and bust my ass serving food to customers and just because I'm behind a counter doesn't mean I'm working less than "regular waiters". In fact, with the crazy timers and speed limits and stuff, I wouldn't be surprised if it was more stressful (easier probably, but more stressful to anybody who gives a shit enough to do a good job). We don't get tips.

When it comes to delivery, though, I always tip, and after one memorable night discussing the topic with Sixty in irc, I've been tipping pretty generously for the delivery guys. I mean if they aren't getting reimbursed for the gas money or anything, in addition to mileage or whatever on their cars, they deserve it. Plus they drive in the rain and shit at night.

One thing makes me question, though, is buffets: I mean the waiters don't really do anything other than clear your plates. It hardly counts like the McDonalds thing either, though, because most of the time they just stand around looking to see if any tables need their plates taken away. Recently a buffet waitress was horribly rude and pretty much stood there waiting for a tip so it sort of scared me into leaving tips at buffets but in the past I never did it. Help!!!

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

Haha I remember that night des XD

Yeah I tip delivery guys pretty well.  Probably better than I'd tip anyone else.  If a waiter/waitress is doing a good job and was enjoyable and all that, I'll tip.  If they're just being asses, rude, and can't get anything right - fuck 'em.

Delivery guys I tip well though.  Then again I order from the same places, and they look out for me, possibly because of the nice tipping or the regular customer and such.  Free side dishes, little extras thrown in, and not charging for changes to an order here and there (like one meal from this Chinese place is an extra 25 cents per added wanton - I've ordered two of those with 5 extras each, and wasn't charged for that, and got a quart of pork fried rice for free - they even added the egg and onions like I like :D ).  Hell, I've even gotten entire orders for free, or if I realized I was massively short, like one day having 4bucks for a 12 buck order, they let me slide.

Thing is, when you do  tip you generally get better service the next time.  I tip the garbage men on holidays, and they take things they shouldn't, or ignore things here and there.  I tip the paper boy and I'm the only one who when it's completely pouring for hours, has a dry news paper.

It's extortion really if you look at it.  But then again it's just simple business.  You get what you pay for, and the tip here and there ensures the service I want later.

 

[gavdaddy]

I tip, but not generously. I automatically figure in tip when I look at the prices, so I don't really feel that I'm 'paying more'.
For "average" service, I tip about 8%, and I'll tip anywhere between 0% and 15% for other cases.

so you tip more in expensive restaurants then cheap ones?
Living in a non-tipping country I always though tipping would have been nased on how friendly/effective the waiter was. We dont have tipping in Australia because our waiters are paid enough.

 

[eharper256]

Tipping, what is this phenomenon? Nah, don't worry, I do know, but its something that most Brits find ridiculous, and presents a culture shock if and when we visit the states because we're typically of the opinion: "You've been paid by the resturant, now do your job. If its not enough, quit."

In most circumstances, a Brit only tips when the service is extremely expedient and worthy of praise, or one is in a high class resturant where such is expected. But even then, you just typically leave your loose change that probably amounts to less than 1% of the cost of the meal. At least the waiters bus fare is covered, I suppose... :lol:

EDIT: Yeah, I forgot about this: Obviously, tipping has become so bad that some of the higher class resturants have sneakily started giving you a bill with an optional 'service' box you can tick to add 2-5% to the meal's cost, presumably to make use of the guilt factor in not tipping. This is actually a rather cunning scheme, given on how it is typically a social taboo to discuss the bill and any facet of payment with the staff (and in some of the real high-end places, indeed, with fellow diners).

Leaving tips when you go to the pub for a meal is almost unheard of, but then, the idea of extremely helpful waiters and waitresses in those situations is equally unheard of.

They will do their job, efficiently to good standard, and cover the customer services basics, like 'Need any sauces?', 'Everything okay with your meal?', but there won't be any of the whole 'You're welcome' and 'Have a nice day' that you americans seem to have as standard. But then, we don't want or expect such. It actually creeps us out a little: we're used to invisible service personel, I guess.

 

[Venetia]

What I love is how, when you have a party of 8 or more, 15% gratuity is ALWAYS added into the check.

It's like, what about if they did a shitty job?? What if I want to pay 10% instead? Motherfuckers

 

[Calibre]

Jesus-christ I'm going to hate this aspect of traveling.  Where we live you get a standard wage of any sort of job at that level and then tips are accumulated and put towards an end of year party / trip / bonus pack shared amongst the staff.  That should encourage teamwork rather than individualism to get the best tippers.  I don't tip anyone but then the staff are aren't paid a pittance here.  It's the companies problem, not mine.  I've been reading you have to tip every drink you buy in a run of the mill bar stateside.  Fuck that. I'd just rather be rude if that's what rude is.  "Oh thanks you took my bottle cap off, here's £10."

 

[Venetia]

I dunno, I only tip bartenders if they've been aptly tending to me for a while. If they pass me one drink, I don't give them shit. "Yay, you blended some liquids together, charged too much for it, and slid it towards me. Here's a tip." Yeahno.

Althought at ritzy bars it's kind of expected to drop a tip.

I only had one real memorable bartender. It was at a slightly more upscale strip club. My favorite drinks are Bahama Breezes, Flaming Dr. Peppers, and Long Island Ice Teas with pineapple rum. Not a lot of people know how to make the two former, and a lot of bartenders will ignore me and just pour regular rum in my LIIT's. This barkeep knew every obscure drink I threw at her (and I watched, she didn't even look at her book), made it right then and there, and they were PERFECT every time. She also kept a perfect tab, even though I was moving around a lot, and even knew the exact decorations and glasses to use for each drink. I was so impressed I slipped her a $50.

There was another tender at the LuXor in Vegas who was almost as good, and he knew how to make the PERFECT double-shot Rob Roy, but sadly I was pretty wasted and I can't remember if I tipped him ;-;

But yeah for bartenders, Calibre, I'd say only tip if you're impressed.

 

[Diaforetikos]

I tip when I see good customer service. If I see average work, I'll toss down $3 to $6(I don't spend much when I eat out). Also, I barely eat out at privately owned restaurants so I know the workers get paid minimum wage or higher.

I have a couple friends who work at restaurants and they make $2 to $3 more than me. I work at Gamestop(I don't expect to make as much as them). I use to work at KFC. What a freaking pain that was. Plus it was surrounded by poor ghetto apartments and homeless druggies. Do you know how many times I got yelled at by homeless people, man-looking women, stink freaks, and just straight up bitches. I did receive a few tips while working there, but not many. I've never been to a restaurant where it was like that and I don't plan on seeing one, but if the waiters/waitresses don't do anything outta the ordinary, they aren't gonna be getting much from me.

I know when someone deserves a tip and when someone doesn't. A lot of the waiters/waitresses don't. The only other way I'll tip is when I feel in my heart that someone needs it, even if the service was crappy.

 

[bedi nik bzez emak]

;D

 

[tai]

but its something that most Brits find ridiculous, and presents a culture shock if and when we visit the states

Maybe for you, champ.

But it is a very cultural thing. In Japan waitresses chased after us after we paid and left because they thought we left money behind. Tipping is so 'inborn' for me that I would question it if someone I was eating with told me I didn't need to leave a tip, regardless of what country/culture I'm in.

 

[bedi nik bzez emak]

;D

 

[eharper256]

but its something that most Brits find ridiculous, and presents a culture shock if and when we visit the states

Maybe for you, champ.

Huh? Why me specifically? You go to any country that has practices you are not familiar with and have to indulge in, you have some culture shock. As in, your mind goes, "Hey, lul, wut are you doing? Why are leaving money on the table?".

Doesn't stop you following those practices. When in Rome do as Romans do, and all that, adapt to your surroundings.

If you don't, you become the worst kind of tourist; the type who carries the weight of their entire country with them. And if you do that, whats the point in going? You may as well just have a caravan holiday in Weston Super Mare if you want to stay British whilst you go on a break.

 

[bedi nik bzez emak]

;D

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

I might be, apparently, really -really- smart.  When I go someplace new with a different culture I actually look to see what's so different about it.  I might even pay attention to what other people are doing, or hell might try to read up on some of the more common things involved.

It's like, it amazes me when people look at me funny when I wait cross the street by standing in the street and not the side walk, when I was elsewhere.  It's like if you go to someplace new, the little customs or trivial things like waiting to cross a street while standing in the street itself seems odd or weird.  But, with a minimal effort it's amazingly easy to find out what other people do - crap there's web sites out there just to tell you what areas do tip, and what the expected courtesy is (15%? 8% etc).

And before the internet there were *gasp* books called travel guides that let you know a lot about what different regions do.

It's not a cultural shock.  If it is, then exchanging your $100 for a 10644 Â¥ (JPY) is a life changer.  Or better yet, when you go to another neighborhood or county, and instead of the casings of their traffic lights being yellow, they're green D:
Oh, let's not forget when you wake up and instead of having some toast or a bagel it's a bowl of nuts and cream

No, a cultural shock is going someplace and the culture is drastically different!  Tipping isn't even up there with driving on the other side of the street, or new languages, or where saying hello is a gentle slap on the face, where women are not allowed to do things, or where staring and line pushing isn't rude and your transparent patience and acceptance is tarnished with a push that makes you very confused, and dare I say a little paranoid and xenophobic at times.  When something DRASTIC is happening you do not understand or comprehend, or the taboo is commonplace.  If leaving or not leaving a few dollars on a table under the salt shaker is DRASTIC then fuck, you got some boring ass life.