This tipping thing is really out of hand

[Goofcoaster]

What about the counter service places where you order food from the counter, then go sit down, and they bring you your food, although you are responsible for drink refills and busing your own table.

I don't leave tips at these places, but I feel really odd about it, am I in the wrong here?

 

[Hoof Hearted]

I tip really well because I never know who I will need as a witness in the future

 

[Li Li]

I tip really well because I never know who I will need as a witness in the future

Ha! Awesome!

 

[Bob NC]

If the guy is bringing three pizzas and a couple of sides of breadsticks, and it's on time, and the guy seems decent enough, yeah, maybe more would be deserved.

He brings three pizzas, he brings the breadsticks, he's on time......How in the world do you decide whether he is decent enough to deserve a tip?

 

[mmackeymouse]

He brings three pizzas, he brings the breadsticks, he's on time......How in the world do you decide whether he is decent enough to deserve a tip?

Oh my gosh....you certainly can make a mountain out of any molehill, can't you?

What I mean is...does the person have greasy hair hanging down in his face, mumbling indecipherable words? Or is he polite and articulate? Does he give me a dirty look when I ask for change back? Does he seem professional and like he handled my food with care or does he have an attitude that suggests he may show a certain disregard for the rules of the road?

DO I really have to explain he difference between someone who is professional and courteous (ie: decent) and someone who isn't?

 

[Bob NC]

Oh my gosh....you certainly can make a mountain out of any molehill, can't you?

What I mean is...does the person have greasy hair hanging down in his face, mumbling indecipherable words? Or is he polite and articulate? Does he give me a dirty look when I ask for change back? Does he seem professional and like he handled my food with care or does he have an attitude that suggests he may show a certain disregard for the rules of the road?

DO I really have to explain he difference between someone who is professional and courteous (ie: decent) and someone who isn't?

Look, you said it, not me.

 

[luvsJack]

That really doesn't have anything to do with the tip, but more so the employer was not paying correctly.

Honestly sounds like the employer is stiffing their employees.

I delivered pizza for awhile when I was younger, I made above minimum wage, was paid for usage of my car, and received tips. With the amount of money I made, I had no problem paying for gas for my car.

What was the price of gas at the time?

That makes huge difference. And I would imagine the pay rate is going to be different with different companies. DS worked for a national chain.

Some positions are fairly well known as being a tipped position and pizza delivery guy is one of them. If all pizza deliverers suddenly decided to demand more pay and the places decided it wasn't worth the cost and did away with the service, you would have to drive and get your own pizza. Soooo, you are asking for a service from a person that works at a tipped position.

I worked as a waitress for years in a restaurant where I was also cashier. So I made minimum wage. Making minimum wage did not make it so that I didn't depend on my tips.

 

[Bob NC]

I worked as a waitress for years in a restaurant where I was also cashier. So I made minimum wage. Making minimum wage did not make it so that I didn't depend on my tips.

100% of people in the U.S. know that tipping is a societal norm.

99% of people tip because because they know it is standard and it's the right thing to do.

The other 1% will resort to the thinnest of reasons to avoid parting with their money.

"I don't tip my doctor, why should I tip for someone serving my food"

"I don't tip because their employer should be paying them more"

"I don't tip because my brother in laws cousins babysitter said that when he delivered Chinese food he didn't expect tips"

"I don't tip because the pizza delivery guy had messy hair"

We all know tipping is expected for certain services. We all know we can avoid tipping by avoiding using those services.

Some folks want to have it both ways, "I expect you to serve me knowing full well a tip is expected, but you're not getting one from me.

 

[luvsJack]

100% of people in the U.S. know that tipping is a societal norm.

99% of people tip because because they know it is standard and it's the right thing to do.

The other 1% will resort to the thinnest of reasons to avoid parting with their money.

"I don't tip my doctor, why should I tip for someone serving my food"

"I don't tip because their employer should be paying them more"

"I don't tip because my brother in laws cousins babysitter said that when he delivered Chinese food he didn't expect tips"

"I don't tip because the pizza delivery guy had messy hair"

We all know tipping is expected for certain services. We all know we can avoid tipping by avoiding using those services.

Some folks want to have it both ways, "I expect you to serve me knowing full well a tip is expected, but you're not getting one from me.

Very true!

I agree with the OP to an extent. I don't think there should be tip jars at every place you go and I was surprised that we were expected to tip at dgd's birthday party BUT I do think there are certain positions that are known to be tipped positions and when we use their services we should tip them (if the service they give is acceptable).

 

[LisaR]

100% of people in the U.S. know that tipping is a societal norm.

99% of people tip because because they know it is standard and it's the right thing to do.

The other 1% will resort to the thinnest of reasons to avoid parting with their money.

"I don't tip my doctor, why should I tip for someone serving my food"

"I don't tip because their employer should be paying them more"

"I don't tip because my brother in laws cousins babysitter said that when he delivered Chinese food he didn't expect tips"

"I don't tip because the pizza delivery guy had messy hair"

We all know tipping is expected for certain services. We all know we can avoid tipping by avoiding using those services.

Some folks want to have it both ways, "I expect you to serve me knowing full well a tip is expected, but you're not getting one from me.

I don't disagree with anything you said, but I would add that a large percentage of people tip properly but we still love to complain about it (myself included). I truly feel tipping is out of hand. I do it. I tip generously. But it irritates the heck out of me in certain situations.

 

[Bob NC]

I don't disagree with anything you said, but I would add that a large percentage of people tip properly but we still love to complain about it (myself included). I truly feel tipping is out of hand. I do it. I tip generously. But it irritates the heck out of me in certain situations.

Lol, yes!!

I am like you, I'm a good tipper but I must admit I ignore most tip jars.

I pretty much have no problem tipping people who truly rely on tips, waitresses, valets, baggage handlers, etc.

Without consciously thinking about it, though, I don't often tip folks who do earn regular wages and don't rely on tips. Sure, I might throw my change into the jar when at Starbucks, but more often than not that's just because I don't like carrying change around in my pockets.

 

[sasywtch]

100% of people in the U.S. know that tipping is a societal norm.

99% of people tip because because they know it is standard and it's the right thing to do.

Who said it was the right thing to do? 40 years ago, all these positions were not tipped. Who were the people who decided everyone under the sun should be tipped for doing their job?

The bottom line is, back in the 70 and before, most positions weren't tipped other than waitress and haircutter. Now all of a sudden, the movers, the cable guy is getting tipped.

My dad owned 3 lumberyards in the area. They cut the lumber to the customer's request, they loaded it in their truck, they did deliveries (yes they charged a delivery fee). They were in the heat, the cold, climbing up stacks of lumber, pulling out the good boards and there was never an expectation of tips. The drivers did not get paid extra, it was their job.

The fact is, we have been guilt ridden into tipping everyone. I don't use it as an excuse. I pay a service, I expect a good job. I do tip waiter/ess as they are under min. wage here. You all can hand your money here and there but I'm not going to. The very few times I have had pizza delivered, I did tip for their gas money.

The other 1% will resort to the thinnest of reasons to avoid parting with their money.



We all know tipping is expected for certain services. We all know we can avoid tipping by avoiding using those services. Waiter/ess are the only ones that I am aware that can be paid below min. wage therefore, that is the only one that should be expected.

Some folks want to have it both ways, "I expect you to serve me knowing full well a tip is expected, but you're not getting one from me.

Thinking a tip is expected when you are paid minimum wage or above is your problem, not mine unless you are in a business that doesn't have to pay minimum wage.
Ooops I blew it. Part of my response is in red above. I thought I got out of the brackets.

 

[CaliBear]

This thread is making me think of an article I read in The Atlantic about how the US is portrayed in guide books for people from other countries. Tacked on at the end of the article is this bit about tipping, which the author says may be from a Japanese guide book to the US:

Americans have a social institution called a "gratuity". Basically, the price on the menu at any place which serves food is not the real price. The real price is 20% higher. You have to calculate 20%, write it under the subtotal, and sum to arrive at the real price. Taxis work the same way. It is considered very rude not to pay the "gratuity."

It's an interesting way to look at the price of eating out.

http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...books-tell-foreign-visitors-to-the-us/257993/

 

[Ember]

I don't disagree with anything you said, but I would add that a large percentage of people tip properly but we still love to complain about it (myself included). I truly feel tipping is out of hand. I do it. I tip generously. But it irritates the heck out of me in certain situations.

It irritates the heck out of me in most situations. I do tip in North America, and I tip well, but I think it's a ridiculous practice and far prefer not to have to do it. (It's even siller in Canada where servers all make minimum wage.)

 

[tvguy]

This thread is making me think of an article I read in The Atlantic about how the US is portrayed in guide books for people from other countries. Tacked on at the end of the article is this bit about tipping, which the author says may be from a Japanese guide book to the US:



It's an interesting way to look at the price of eating out.

http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...books-tell-foreign-visitors-to-the-us/257993/

Talked to some folks from the Eastern Europe on a cruise last year about some "Americanisms" like tipping. They said they weren't accustomed to tipping, but understood it was expected in our culture.
Kind of funny, they had more trouble understanding how where you could smoke was restricted than they did with tipping.

 

[Bob NC]

Thinking a tip is expected when you are paid minimum wage or above is your problem, not mine unless you are in a business that doesn't have to pay minimum wage.

Actually, I don' think the cable guy and the mover and the landscaper or the Dunkin Donuts person who just hands you a coffee deserve to be, or even should be, tipped. Though, if these people have gone above and beyond I have tipped these types of positions.

The problem is that many of the people that have a problem with tipping start their argument with the fact that tipping has gotten out of hand with the tipping of traditionally non-tipped services then expand that way of thinking to the tipped services, like restaurant serving, or valet, or porters.

 

[disneylovin24]

Put me in the group of not believing in tipping. It shouldn't be required because it is called doing your job!

Now, if someone goes above and beyond and does a great job, sure they deserve a tip. But it stinks when you have to tip someone who does a poor job! Or you don't have to but are expected to.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Put me in the group of not believing in tipping. It shouldn't be required because it is called doing your job!

Now, if someone goes above and beyond and does a great job, sure they deserve a tip. But it stinks when you have to tip someone who does a poor job! Or you don't have to but are expected to.

Something tells me that you never worked in the service industry a day in your life.

 

[DeniseinNS]

Put me in the group of not believing in tipping. It shouldn't be required because it is called doing your job!

Now, if someone goes above and beyond and does a great job, sure they deserve a tip. But it stinks when you have to tip someone who does a poor job! Or you don't have to but are expected to.

Not sure if you realize that at alot of restaurants the servers has to tip out a certain percentage of their sales to the kitchen, bartender, etc... so by not tipping it actually COSTS the server money out of their own pocket to wait on those who do not leave anything. Do you think anyone enjoys spending their own money to wait on a cheapskate????

 

[Squidgyness]

Coming from a non tipping culture I have a problem tipping, I really do...

I go tip crazy! Seriously, I went on a school trip to Europe, and I was handing out 25-30% tips like smarties. Of course the waitress I gave a 30% tip to was very pretty, but I digress. My father does this too.

When we go to the US, we tip servers (which were 95% awesome and only 1% terrible), hotel shuttle drivers and taxi drivers as that's all we will meet. Usually nice amounts. One guy got us there in 2/3 the time it usually took, he got a $10 tip on top of a $15 fare.

So keep an eye out if you work in the service industry in Florida and see a rotund british guy enter, your luck might just have come in though I might have a problem tipping self service places.