How do you tip?
 

So,

A discussion I had with a friend the other day is still running around in my head, and I would like to see some more worldly views on it. How do you tip?

15%

20%

do you rate it by the service you get?

How about a taxi?

The person who cuts your hair?

Your tattoo artist?

Do you tip when getting carry out?

Do you toss tips in a tip jar, and how much?

For example, I always tip $1 every time I order 1 drink. So if I order 3 drinks at once I will leave the bartender $3. If I have a tab running I will tip out around 20% usually. Every time I get my hair cut I tip $5, and every time I get delivery I tip $3 (unless it is a huge order), every taxi ride I take I tip a few dollars (I was told this is common practice when I was in Chicago), and sometimes if I have just out right horrible service I will only tip a few dollars.

So, how do you all go about tipping?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_tipping


:D

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...ept333/cow.jpg

But yeah, usually 20% minimum. If the service is really good (or cute), I may go as high as 25-30%. If it's terrible service, depending on the reason, I may leave as little as a dollar tip for a restaurant tab. But that's very rare.

Tip the taxi? Yup. And anyone who has to drive to do something for me, like pizza delivery... Often I tip when I get carryout from my favorite Chinese place, as they always make the meal fast and delicious, and are very friendly every time I see or call them. If I pay cash for a service, like food from a restaurant, usually I'll toss all the spare coins in, and depending how much money I have spent and left, I may left a dollar or two.

I keep it simple; calculating 15% is easy. I do increase that amount if the bill is very small, e.g. a large cup of coffee is $1.50 where I get it and I leave a quarter, not 22.5¢; I always round up to the nearest 25¢. I tip taxis, barbers, etc. using the same rule usually rounding up to an even dollar if I don't have change. In Canada there are 1-dollar and 2-dollar coins, so they make handy tips.

If I am a regular somewhere I definitely tip more and I do toss money in the tip jar at places I eat a lot at. Most of those places know me by name now and take care of me when I go there.

i do it as how good the service was...
did not refill my drink glass when it was half full...etc
usually it is 10-15% for my self and if more 20-25%

I'm in the 10 to 20 percent range... rounded to the next highest dollar. See no need for big tip for self service or no service other than clearing the table when you leave.

By comparison, the standard 40 years ago was:

10 percent --- if there was no table cloth
15 percent --- if there was a table cloth
20 percent --- high end, luxury service
25 percent --- only if the waitress was female and topless

25% wouldn't have happened often 40 years ago unless you were abroad.

I'm about like you. A dollar per drink at the bar, and usually almost always 20%+ at restaurants. Basically, I just figure out 10%, double it, and round up to the nearest dollar to make the math easy.
If it's a place I go to a lot, I tip more. They remember me and generally give better service and friendlier smiles. :)

I have to say that I detest the "Parties of n or more will automatically have an 18% gratuity added to the bill" trend at restaurants. Not that I often eat out with that many people. It's just a principle thing. I'd probably tip 20% if the service were great, but wouldn't want to tip 18% if it weren't. I suppose the individual case could be argued with a manager, but...

I understand that sentiment, but having worked extensively in the hospitality industry, I'll give that side of the issue. For one, large parties are more work for the entire operation when it's table service (as opposed to a buffet). On top of that, that extra work means that the business wants to protect itself (and its employees) from having a large party come in, take up ample space and labor, and then fail to tip the server (and other employees who may share in the tips).

While it's understandable that you and others may have a principled disdain for this practice, it's a reasonably fair compromise that protects the business. I say it's fair because it guarantees customers don't bilk the business, yet they don't typically raise the prescribed tip much beyond what most people consider the minimum (15%).

I will say, I don't like when the business — usually in the menu — says, "For your convenience, an 18% gratuity will be added for parties of 6 or more." My convenience? Don't spit in my face and tell me it's raining.

My very last job before my first IT job was working for the same computer company that I got my first IT job, but in their customer service department instead of their service department. Customer service is probably the worst job ever, I would say it is worse than waiting tables or tending bar.

Why?

I would have to uphold return policies to customers, only to get berated, name called and threatened, then to have a manager come over and ease the tension by breaking said policy. So, why not just bypass the bull crap and let the customer just break policy? That way I don't get yelled at for nothing?

That's a management issue, tlarkin. The better-run businesses explain to employees how and when they would like exceptions made. Not that this reason makes bad customer service any better to deliver or receive.

For comparison, you are probably familiar with how Apple Store employees clearly have delineated leeway. The whole experience, on both sides of the counter, goes much better in situations like that.

Simple example: I took my iPhone in when it was still under warranty. It was randomly popping up the message that the attached device was not compatible. This was occurring when nothing was attached to the phone. I had a 1:45 appointment. At 1:58 I was back in my car with a new phone in hand.

Clearly, I left there satisfied and impressed, but their internal systems are what enabled the whole process to go so smoothly, both for me and the Apple employee.

I have had OK, and some not so good experiences with the Apple store. Especially, with their "Geniuses!"

It also depends on where you live too. The part of town I was working in, was the yuppie rich part of town where people just feel generally entitled.

In three different states and on all but one occasion, I've had good experiences with Apple Store employees. The only bad one was a guy who did his work fine, but he was either having a bad day or just naturally had poor interpersonal skills.

No matter. Replace Apple Store experiences with any place you have dealt with the customer service representative(s) who handled a situation promptly, politely, and helpfully.

I still stand by my statement that customer service jobs are the worst jobs period. Well, I am sure there are worse jobs, like having to shovel elephant poop or something like that, but I would hold being a server over working in customer service. At least in the service industry you have the potential to reap more money for good hard work, where in customer service that may get you a 25 cent raise....

Didn't mean to imply I think differently. If asked, though, I think being a toll-booth operator or a mattress salesperson might get my votes for worst jobs. Those two positions always sound brutal to me, but I imagine with some thought I could think of worse ones.

I have to say, I find tipping odd in this day and age. (I'm from the UK.) To me, tipping seems like a relic from days of gentlemen with coin purses, and muddy-faced urchins eager to do their bidding.
I remember one American waitress explaining (as we had not tipped) that she made "less than minimum wage", so relied on tips. We didn't get into how someone could earn less than the minimum wage, but we did tip her when we settled, though we did feel shamed into doing so, which isn't how it ought to be.

I think when you get to the point where it is expected (or almost demanded), and when not tipping makes you feel awkward, then really, they should just charge more and pay their staff better out of the receipts.

In the UK, generally, restaurants put 10 - 12.5% on the bill as a service charge. I have had some terrible meals or bad service, and we have said "we won't be paying that, thanks". Some people say that the staff don't see the service charge if you pay by card, so you have to leave some cash as well, which seems bizarre.
I might round up a cab fare because neither of us have the change. Generally, UK bar staff don't expect a tip, unless it's your local in which case you'd buy them the odd drink.

I would also suggest that if you pay an individual for a service, such as a tattoo, then I don't see the point in tipping, unless they have gone way over their expected duty, as they should be making enough from whatever they quoted.

I'm afraid that I'm with Steve Buscemi in Reservoir Dogs. You don't tip the guy in McDonalds. Why is that? Yes, poorly paid serving staff should get a better deal, but why are they the only ones to get tips?

The other problem I have is when you go to a toilet with waiting staff. Firstly, not only do I find it difficult to go whilst someone is hovering behind me with a brush, paper towels or cheap aftershave samples, but it's the obligation. If I'm in a pub all night, drinking several pints, I'm going to go quite a few times. Do I really need to give a pound for someone to hand me paper towels from the paper towel dispenser?

It has to be said that in the UK, service is pretty poor. (Many people think that service is demeaning and I can't remember the last time someone called me "Sir", rather than "mate", "are you guys alright", etc.) So perhaps if there was more tipping, things would improve.

I think there is also an issue which I have with Sales Tax. In the UK, the price on the label is the price you pay. In other countries, you go up to the till, and they say "Oh, plus 17% Sales Tax". It's not that I'm cheap (No, really!), I'd just like to know how much things cost me up front.
The fact that there is a discussion about how much is the right amount proves my point. Do you actually rate the service and tip accordingly, or has it just become an arbitrary amount, and as long as they didn't spill anything down you, they get X percent?
It's strange to me that Tlarkin still feels obliged to tip a few dollars, even if he gets horrible service!!!!

However, I have just been on holiday to Syria, where the local currency is peanuts, and I did rather enjoy showering my largesse. But then I have friends who warn against over-tipping when abroad, as you can encourage hyper-inflation in touristy areas...! What's a man to do?

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I think being Royal has to be the worst job.

There is no degree of compensation that would tempt me to trade places with, say, Crown Prince Chuck, or one his sons for that matter. Being a national mascot is one thing, as is involuntarily providing the fodder that employs a whole legion of paparazzi and “journalists” writing social pornography; but just the thought of living my life inside a glass box just gives me the shivers!
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its not an 'English' thing to tip....

you would tip 10% at a meal if you got REALLY good service... but short of that we pay the price that is advertised....

Taxi... defiantly no tip
Meal.... tip if the meal/service is good.
Hair Cut.... never

on a side note... my american cousin came over to the UK for a few weeks and when we went to a pub she left £5 on the bar (as a tip) after paying for her drinks... just to illustrate how unexpected tipping is in the UK.... the bar made brought her the £5 note she had 'left on the bar' :)

There are lots of horrible jobs on this planet, but the worst of them all have a job title that starts with the word "Assistant." That word means you get all the crappy little tasks the person who is not the assistant feels is below her... plus whatever other personal tasks they can dump on you (make coffee, clean her mess, go get her laundry, fill her car up, cover the most boring, tedious meetings, take her to and pick her up from the airport, etc, etc).

Don't blame the waitress.
In the US, minimum wage is $7.25.
A waiter/waitress/bartender makes $2.13.

The labor department is assuming that these jobs will equate to at least the minimum wage after tips are added in.
The reality is, a high school kid mopping floors at a fast food joint can make more than your waitress, depending whether or not anyone tipped her or not.

In Australia hospitality staff get paid properly so any tips are a bonus. If the service or food sucked then I won't tip anything.

In restaurants I tip on a sliding scale beyond the service (like most I shoot for the 15 to 20 percent range) but of course if I eat somewhere and the bill is 20 dollars I am likely to leave $5. If I am somewhere and the bill is heck of a lot more I am likely to leave a lot closer to 15 percent.

I don't blame the waitress at all. But that's all kind of wrong. Once the Govt. expects tips to be a part of the basic salary, then it's compulsory and not a "gratuity".

You might as well just show your bill as:

1 Beer: £0.50
Delivery charges: £0.75
Management overheads: £1.00
Tax: £3.80
Serving Staff: £1.20 (calculated at 20% of subtotal)

That's the messed up part about it. Tipping is NOT compulsory. But the law allows servers to be paid a pittance because they expect people will tip. Hence, if people don't tip, the server probably spends more money on gas to get to work than she makes at work.

Much the same here in the Frozen North, AFAIK the notion that customers have to pay half the staff's salary direct is unknown and would be regarded as barbarous.

I tip about 10% at restaurants if the service is acceptable or upwards, but there have been occasions on which I pay the bill precisely (I always use cash, never card) and add nothing but a parting glare. Taxis, I round up a bit, drivers don't expect 10% here. "A few dollars" seems excessive to me. My ride to the airport already costs 40 dollars thank you. I almost never go to pubs, so I don't know the drill; I see no reason to tip if I fetch the drink myself. The trend towards a jar at cafés has spread here, but since I have a Stammkafé I don't mind too much -- not least since we have a relationship whereby if I absent-mindedly leave without paying, they will remind me next time I come in, unless I've remembered myself in the meantime.

Let's see, what else is there.... I've never seen Benwiggy's toilet with people handing out paper towels, and absolutely don't see the point. In Spain you get an old lady sitting by the door with a saucer, you give her half a euro or so per visit, but she doesn't hover. I don't have any tattoos. Or hair. :p

We have them at nicer nightclubs here. He also has a collection of colognes that you may use. Technically free, but you're pretty much expected to drop something in the tip basket.

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I worked for minimum wages (in Australia) about 15 years ago. I got around A$9.50 per hour before tax. My partner's son works as a hotel cook for about A$30 - 40K PA minimum, but that has improved since last year.
The point being that tips are not seen as part of the remuneration stream.
Frankly, I almost never tip. Even at places I go several times a week. The staff get me my "usual" without me having to ask. That's the way it should be.
When I was contracting I declined tips and gratuities wherever I could. They are corrosive to the client relationship.
When I was with IBM we had very strict guidelines on tips/presents etc. We were supposed to decline anything other than nominal gifts (pens, glasses, mouse mats, calendars).

I have been in a meeting where representatives from a printing company offered us a large wad of cash -- £000s -- which they actually put on the table, if our publishing firm put some work their way.
Is that a tip?

As for cow-tipping, that's an "urban" myth. With the emphasis on urban.

There is no set formula for tipping and there are many ways to tip. I was just curious to how you tip. Like, I sometimes don't know what a good tip is with certain services.

In some countries you don't tip because the wages are better.

Then there is this from Reservoir Dogs. The language may not be safe for work there is some cursing in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

hehe. I know firsthand. I can't tell you how many times we attempted to tip some cows. We'd take this big football playing troglodyte with us, and most of the time you can't even sneak up on the cows. Or sometimes they slept laying down. (I think that depends on breed?) Or if you were lucky enough to sneak up to one before it saw you, it was impossible to knock over. By the time you exerted enough force to push it's 1000lbs over, it had spread it's legs out, and was looking at you. Then the whole herd is looking at you, and then you start to get a little scared. :p

It parallels snipe hunting!

Interestingly, I have found that the "higher class" a place deems itself, the more likely the staff are to expect a tip.
I used to travel on business a couple of times a year. Wound up in a variety of lodgings. Motels never expected a tip. Neither did cafes in rural areas. Big city hotel staff were more likely to look for a tip as would waiters at restaurants. I was on "real and actual" expenses so they were all out of luck.
A friend of mine would leave an insultingly low tip if she thought the service was poor; she didn't tip otherwise.

I live in Thailand where tipping is not customary. However, it is common to leave the coins when retrieving your change after dining.

In places where we're regulars and appreciate good service we usually leave 20 baht (about US$0.60) in lieu of whatever shrapnel is left on the plate. (This is for a meal that would cost 200-300 baht for the two of us.)

I usually tip the barber 10 or 20 baht; the latter if he manages to get me in and out in less than 10 minutes. (I can't stand wasting my time in a barber chair.)

I also tip taxi drivers if they've managed to select a non-ripoff route and navigate expeditiously.

That's about it.

My experience is the opposite here in Thailand. Most places seem to expect it, except fast food, etc. I will leave 20 Baht in a bar, regardless of the bill size. Occasionally nothing if the service is bad/beer tepid. On the golf courses here, tipping is borderline mandatory. I had a right miserable cow once and did not tip at all and she went banzai.

Being from the UK, I would tip a barber, taxi driver and a little in restaurants with no service charge and good service. These auto-tips that are pre-added to the bill drive me mad. Buying a drink for your barman/barmaid in your "local" is customary, but not obligatory. "One for yourself George?" Although I have not lived there for many years, I believe many people tip food delivery staff.

I really do see it as subsidising a cheap employer. I am not sure about now, but years ago the then Inland Revenue used to tax hairdressers on an assumed rate of tips! Outrageous, IMO.

I hail from: Canada

Restaurants:
10-15% depending on bill size. For fancy restaurants or business travel %25.

Bars/Pubs:
$1-$2 per beverage. (Unless I am being charged more then $5 for a domestic beer, then they get whatever change is left by rounding up to the nearest dollar, eg, if the beer is $5.25 they get $0.75. (Their fault... for committing highway robbery))

Taxi's:
Almost never, if the fare is $19.20 i'll just leave them the $20 though. Here the taxi fare starts at $3.50 when you get in the car and goes up rather quickly. You are charged distance and time when the cab is stopped, ie, it continues to count up at a long red light. Creative driving and intentional catching of red lights inflates the price. I won't tip for that.

Hair cuts:
I have my hair done at a rather pricey salon, a mens cut & colour is usually $110 but I get a massive discount and only pay $50. My stylist has also made a couple house calls in emergencies for me and has worked late to accommodate my schedule. I bring her a Starbucks beverage of her choice every time I visit and tip $10-$15. Drinks are also on me any time she stops by :)

Delivery:
If there is a "delivery charge" already on the bill %10, if there is no delivery charge %15.

Carry-out:
Never. I used to be a cook, cooks get very little (sometimes nothing) from the tip share and in a carry-out situation they did all the work. I am not tipping the cashier for the work someone else did.

Exception to all of the above:
Bad service = %0 - I do not feel obligated to tip someone who made my experience unpleasant.

And, for the record. I think tipping is stupid, but society expects it here. I know bartenders who make $40,000/yr. and clear >$500 in tips on a Saturday... The old "I live off my tips" is generally bullshit. No waiter/waitress makes "under minimum wage" that would be illegal. They may make exactly minimum wage, but there are people working for minimum in industries without tips - suck it up.

I'm in Australia, and I'm with you entirely on this one.

I almost never tip. Not because I'm a stingy tightwad, but because here it's really not in the culture. Americans seem to forget that giving a tip is a gratuity, not a obligation. You tip if the service was great, worthwhile, pleasing and memorable. It is very common in Australia to not tip at all after a meal.

That said, I DO tip taxi drivers almost every single time. Why? Because in Australia taxi's make peanuts as pay.

Hudson's Coffee in Australia only employs fresh asian and indian immigrants, that way they can get away with paying them only $4.22 per/hour in A$ (that's around $3.90 US)

Fair?

I'll tip a taxi driver in Sydney if he knows where he's going.

Me: "Can you take us to Neutral Bay?"
Driver: "Where's that?"
Me: "It's just over the bridge."
Driver: "What bridge?"

Seriously. I've had taxis in Sydney hand me a map and ask me to navigate.

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An acquaintance of mine had a stint as a cab driver in New York, while studying art. He once picked up this couple and spent nearly an hour trying to find their destination. Finally he gave up and at their demand drove them back to their point. Yes, there was shouting, and yes expletives were hurled. And, yes, his career as a New York cabbie was very brief, indeed! :cool:
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I always toss the cabbie a few bucks, especially if he takes me straight there with out a lot of turns and loops.

My theory on tipping is pretty straight forward, I will tip very nicely pretty much all the time so I get a reputation. Then when people see me, they are nice because I generally have dollars signs following me around. You get what you pay for, simple as that.

There are the rare exceptions. But trust me, if I don't leave a tip, I'm talking to the manager as well, that's how poorly the service had to be.

Again, this is just my pet theory. I'm not a sociologist, but it seems to work for me.

And to forestall the question, do I tip people who I assume I'll never be seeing again? Yes, grandly in fact, force of habit... ;).

"You may do a tour of Sydney
But in fact it's on the cards
The place you sought
When you climbed aboard
Was up the road a hundred yards."
From an old comedy song.