Tip $ crazy...

[TinkerBrie]

I must be overly generious I guess. i was taught that anyone that does a personal service for you should be tipped.

I tip the following people:

Mailman - X-mas
Paperman - X-mas
Magical express at WDW - every time we ride the bus and the load or unload bags
Mousekeeping / any hotel housekeeping- daily
Any waitresses / bartenders - every time we go
Room service - every time
Bell hop - Everytime
Hair - everytime




A tip does not have to be huge but it is noce to show some one appreciate for a job well done.

Agree!! My list is pretty much identical! I tip the trash collector at Christmas too!

 

[Flight]

As a frequent traveler, I leave a tip each morning for housekeeping.

No envelope, just a simple "thank you" note with the money underneath on the night stand.

 

[smidgy]

I am sorry but I am confused. You have customers that only order water and the bill comes to $25 - that is some expensive water

sorry for the confusion. I meant only water as opposed to cocktails or soft drinks. often people who drink water only "with a slice of lemon,please" are doing so to save money, so, not only is the bill lower than the table who orders martinis, they tend to be a bit "tighter" with the tip.

there has been a recent trend, however, for more people to drink water only for health reasons and many are tipping a bit more (just like the table who stays and chats for a long time over coffee tips for the time they are taking up your table)
I work in the dining room in the back, but up in front, at the sports bar, during our football buffet, or during Karaokee at night, if a customer wants to enjoy our buffet or entertainment and drink water, we have bottled water for them to purchase.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

lol, we have been drinking water forever. It is our choice. That said, we save a ton not buying drinks for 8 people. Tips are standard because restaurants pull them. A server has to be excellent for me to tip more, because it irritates me that the restaurant is presumptuous enough to choose the tip amt. for us.

It is pretty chinzy for a restaurant not to provide tap water for a customer paying for the buffet unless it is dirt cheap. We are stubborn enough to just not drink at that point.

 

[smidgy]

lol, we have been drinking water forever. It is our choice. That said, we save a ton not buying drinks for 8 people. Tips are standard because restaurants pull them. A server has to be excellent for me to tip more, because it irritates me that the restaurant is presumptuous enough to choose the tip amt. for us.

It is pretty chinzy for a restaurant not to provide tap water for a customer paying for the buffet unless it is dirt cheap. We are stubborn enough to just not drink at that point.

what does "pull them" mean?
anyway, it is NOT the restaurant that doesn't give tap water. it is in the front SPORTS BAR. like I said, it is football buffet. $3.00! (I should have put the price in my previous post). the owners pay big bucks to have the NFL ticket. you can see ANY game (not just the bears). it is popular, not just for fans of another team, but a lot of people do fantasy football now, and want to see all the games. they put out a $3.oo buffet on sundays IN the BAR, only (not the back restaurant)to help bring people in, so they will spend money drinking.
they get tacos, chili, hot dogs, polish sausage, italian sausage, potato salad, mac salad, coleslaw(all salads homemade) pulled pork or sloppy joes. sometimes soup instead of chili. sometimes fruit, or a dessert. all for $3.
plus ALL the games.(which is expensive).
no. someone's not going to sit there and watch all the games and all they can eat for $3 and drink tap water.(no free refills on pop, either.) it's not charity, it's a business. so the buffet is with the purchase of a drink only. (you can't get the buffet and not drink at all, stubborn or not. lol. well you have to pay for one drink, whatever it is. you don't have to drink it though!)
(but I'm sure you were thinking a more expensive buffet, like at disney).
same thing with karaokee. it's in the BAR. it's not cheap to pay the KJ/DJ. no cover charge, but people were coming in to have fun singing all night for free, and drinking tap water.(and not tipping the bartender, since they were only drinking water) so now, if you want to sing and have fun, you need to at least pay for a drink, even if it's a pop or bottled water.

I used to tend bar at a place that had free sloppy joes on monday nights. to bring in business on a slow night. to buy drinks. to make money. there, too, you had to buy something to drink to get free sloppy joes. didn't have to be alcohol, but it wasn't a
"soup kitchen".

we are talking 2 dif. things here, a restaurant, and a bar. where I work now, we have both... 2 dif rooms. sorry I didn't clarify better!

 

[smidgy]

I have a couple who come in every sat. at 5:15. they only drink water and their bill is usually $25-28. but they always leave me around $8.
QUOTE]

I am sorry but I am confused. You have customers that only order water and the bill comes to $25 - that is some expensive water

ok, went back to look. I did say they only "drink" water", not only "order" water.

since I didn't mention the price of the $3 buffet , I thought, "I must be really leaving pertinent info out!"
I try to be brief, if I didn't I could go on (and on and on) and write a Doctoral dissertation (I do get a mite wordy, as some of you know!) guess , in this case, I what I thought was obvious wasn't so. mea culpa.

 

[Dopey420]

I tip Mousekeeping because they are in my room when I am not there, with all my stuff. I like to keep them happy and maybe they won't steal my money, laptop, etc.

That's reality.

 

[irishsharon]

I always feel bad for the wait staff that gets stuck with the breakfast shift,you know when your bill is only ten dollars,my dh and I have a rule that we never leave less than $5 if we have been served a meal. I know another poster mentioned about (gifts) for sanitation workers(ours send a card every christmas)the mailman and various other people, I have no problem with tipping but sometimes I just dont have the money.There have been many years my dh and I do not exchange gifts because we contribute to the teachers gift the coaches gift and various others during the holiday.I am in no way saying they dont deserve it trust me they do but I am overwhlemed with the amount of people to thank.Last year my ds had a OT,PT speech therapist, teacher,teachers aid.tutor.religon teacher.scout leaderMy other ds starts pre-school in september

 

[Main Street Matilda]

Other than a few jobs where tipping is part of the employees usual compensation (i.e. waiting tables, hair dresser, cabbie, etc.) I sort of see tipping as a "thank you" for taking care of something that I would otherwise have to do myself. If someone takes my bags at a hotel, I give them a few bucks because I didn't have to lug my bags myself. Likewise for housekeeping. They are performing a service that I appreciate and would otherwise do myself.

Having said that ... tipping is way out of hand lately and I just go with what was traditional. No one typically tipped the person at a fast food place or the bakery or donut shop. Sure, if you had a larger than normal order and the server patiently took care of you, you'd hand him or her a few dollars, but heck, handing me my coffee in the morning just isn't enough effort to warrant a tip from me.

 

[nancyjvanwyk]

I have a question on bell service tipping---Do you tip the persons who are putting it on the cart from the car or do you tip the people who bring it up to the room or both.
Sometimes when I arrive, room is not ready so I wont even see the folks who bring the stuff up to the room.
And how much? I ususally carry my own bags, but if I want to have them taken up this time I need to be educated by you folks.
thank you.

 

[sam_gordon]

no one chooses to be a waitress knowing the pay is less than minimum wage. they choose to be a waitress knowing that tipping is expected(unless, of course, service is bad. this waitress will eventually quit if she is a bad server, anyway). I am not talking about bad service. I am talking about the fact that waitresses and diniers in sit down restaurants all know that tipping is expected. this is what they base there job choice on, (Not less than
minimum wage.)
by tipping, you are not "subsidizing" anything. you are doing what everyone expects you to do in a sit-down restaurant. everyone figures this into the cost of dining out.
(again, I am not talking about poor service).

But aren't people complaining that some think tips ARE expected (ie: the tip jar at a fast food place)?
I dislike the idea of EXPECTED tipping, regardless of whether it's wait staff or not. I agree with the line about people knowing what the pay rate is when they took the job. Which leads to...

if there were no tipping, restaurant owners would have to pay the servers MUCH more, and the prices of the meal would reflect that.. (I don't know any servers who would do that job for even minimum wage. ) we expect tips, diners are expected to tip. this is the norm.
If the price of entrees rose to make up for no tipping, you would still be paying the same amount as if you were tipping... you wuold just have no choice in the matter anymore.

You would have no choice in what matter? How you are treated? So you tip so your server will do their job? I've worked for the same employer for 20 years. I guess about 5-10 of those years, we've gotten Holiday Bonuses. THOSE, IMO, are tips. They shouldn't be expected. They were given because the owners felt we did a good job. Did my work performance drop on the years we didn't get bonuses? No. So why should a waiter/waitresses performance drop if they don't get a tip?

Here's what I think should happen... EVERYONE has to follow minimum wage laws. A server who does the bare bones necessary to get you your food, 0% tip. A server who does above average, 5%. A server who goes above an beyond 10-15%. If the server WANTS to share their tips with the cook/bartender/host, that's THEIR choice. If I go to a restaurant and don't order drinks, why should the bartender get part of my $$? If a restaurant makes it their policy that tips should be shared, that should be discussed before someone accepts a job.

ETA: I do tip... generally 15-18% "standard". Doesn't mean I like it though. lol

 

[Anthony1971]

There are contries where tipping is not the norm and not expected and service is poor at best...
The U.S. Goverment Labor Laws allows what is considered Tipping positions to paid at a lesser rate then minimum wage.
Any person at eating out needs to budget for and understand they will be tipping 15-18%
If the service is poor then you can tip less if it is better then expected tip more.... This benifits the prson being served it would be a sad day for all if tips were included... see how fast your drink gets refilled after you ask-- a lot of places I get refills long before you ask and that is not something that has to be done or it is a person doing his/her job... Do you refill your childs cup before it is empty or do they ask multiple times.. lets be honest with the answer...
I am not in the service industry but I did deliver food to help pay for college and I have seen a lot.. Please note that these people use thier own car and pay for gas but also may get min wage...

 

[sam_gordon]

This benifits the prson being served it would be a sad day for all if tips were included... see how fast your drink gets refilled after you ask-- a lot of places I get refills long before you ask and that is not something that has to be done or it is a person doing his/her job...

um, no, that should be part of the job.

Do you refill your childs cup before it is empty or do they ask multiple times.. lets be honest with the answer...
I am not in the service industry but I did deliver food to help pay for college and I have seen a lot.. Please note that these people use thier own car and pay for gas but also may get min wage...

So I call and order a pizza to be delivered. Let's say it's $15. Someone makes the pizza and puts it in a box. You drive it to me. Isn't that your job? Did you not know you'd have to use your own car?

Again, I OCCASIONALLY get tips (holiday bonus) for doing my job. But my job quality doesn't change if I don't get tipped. I have no problem tipping someone for going above and beyond. But why tip someone for simply doing their job? If they do a poor job, complain to the manager... like you would (or should) at any other retail establishment.

 

[DOOM1001]

Here's what I think should happen... EVERYONE has to follow minimum wage laws. A server who does the bare bones necessary to get you your food, 0% tip. A server who does above average, 5%. A server who goes above an beyond 10-15%. If the server WANTS to share their tips with the cook/bartender/host, that's THEIR choice. If I go to a restaurant and don't order drinks, why should the bartender get part of my $$? If a restaurant makes it their policy that tips should be shared, that should be discussed before someone accepts a job.

ETA: I do tip... generally 15-18% "standard". Doesn't mean I like it though. lol

Waiting tables can be a very hard job and some restaurants have 25-30 servers on the floor at any one time,restaurants can't be paying all these servers minimum wage as well as cooks and other employees who are making $10-$20 an hour and not raise food prices.According to your scenario a server who doesn't give excellent service will just be receiving minimum wage and no tips,this will not work as nobody will choose to be a server to just make minimum wage,too many easier jobs to make minimum wage.On that fact many servers might be excellent servers but could be weeded by 3-4 tables getting sat at the same time or a table that requires more attention,or countless other reasons that could delay your service,a server should not be punished because of things like that.Same thing goes to the other workers the servers tip out.People like bartenders where there could be one bartender just taking care of the bar seats and another one making drinks for the rest of the restaurant,is this bartender going to work for minimum wage making 200+ drinks an hour,no way!!Food runners who all they do is take food to tables all day long carrying heavy plates,you think they're going to want to just work for just minimum wage,many times especially during the busier shifts these food runners will still work super hard and still not make much money since there could be 5-6 of them food running and they have to divide the tip outs between them meaning they could only make $30-$40 in tips on top of the $4 they're making an hour,probably half or a third of what the servers on the floor are making.The end result is that this is the best system they've come up with for the servers to make sure they take care of the tables and keep prices low,many servers will say if you don't like the tipping system and don't want to tip head to McDonalds.

 

[smidgy]

But aren't people complaining that some think tips ARE expected (ie: the tip jar at a fast food place)?
I dislike the idea of EXPECTED tipping, regardless of whether it's wait staff or not. I agree with the line about people knowing what the pay rate is when they took the job. Which leads to...
You would have no choice in what matter? How you are treated? So you tip so your server will do their job? I've worked for the same employer for 20 years. I guess about 5-10 of those years, we've gotten Holiday Bonuses. THOSE, IMO, are tips. They shouldn't be expected. They were given because the owners felt we did a good job. Did my work performance drop on the years we didn't get bonuses? No. So why should a waiter/waitresses performance drop if they don't get a tip?

Here's what I think should happen... EVERYONE has to follow minimum wage laws. A server who does the bare bones necessary to get you your food, 0% tip. A server who does above average, 5%. A server who goes above an beyond 10-15%. If the server WANTS to share their tips with the cook/bartender/host, that's THEIR choice. If I go to a restaurant and don't order drinks, why should the bartender get part of my $$? If a restaurant makes it their policy that tips should be shared, that should be discussed before someone accepts a job.

ETA: I do tip... generally 15-18% "standard". Doesn't mean I like it though. lol

what I said was, IF there were NO tipping. in sit down restaurants (NOT talking about counter service) the management would have to increase the pay scale enormously to get waitresses willing to work. (now they pay, lke $2.50)
you would NOT have to tip... at all! nothing! but, to bring the pay scale up to where anyone would be willing to do that job, without tips, they would have to increase the price of their meals... a LOT!
ergo: the price of that filet (or burger, or pasta) just went UP! alot! you are paying extra so the restaurant owner can pay his staff extra. (a LOT more than $2.50 an hour). and now you have NO choice in the matter... even if the server ignores you the whole time.
wouldn't you rather have a tipping system, where you have some say as to how much the server makes? according to how well she serves you? that is the system that exists in the USA today.
I don't know ANY server that would even take the job for $8.50 an hour. we do it because we know we can make more than that. because we are good at what we do.
but we are paid MUCH LESS than $8.50 an hour.
but if you want a system that pays the server (at SIT DOWN RESTAURANTS) minimum wage, 3 things will happen:
all the good servers will disappear.
the price of all your entrees will increase
you will wait forever for your meal.

 

[smidgy]

by the way, I NEVER said tipping at the jars at fast food counters are "expected'. I rarely tip there, either.

 

[smidgy]

I dislike the idea of EXPECTED tipping, regardless of whether it's wait staff or not. I agree with the line about people knowing what the pay rate is when they took the job. THIS WAS A QUOTE FROM ANOTHER POSTER.
sorry, not good at quoting, sam. but wait staff DOES "expect" tips. when they take the job, or they wouldn't take it. if you know the pay rate is $2.50 an hour, no one in their right mind would take it! ALl wiat staff "expects" tips" (at least in the usa)


and when we took the job, we EXPECTED (as most people do) that the tips would make up the difference between the wait staff pay, and the minimum wage, and actually, expect to make a lot more.

if the restaurant isn't doing so well, we move on to a better restaurant. If other wiatresses are doing a lot better than us, we know, hmm, perhaps this isn't our "calling"(not speaking from personal experience, of course)



now , I looked over my tips from the last 3 weekends, and almost all my customers tip me %20. some less, some more. but it still irks me, that party of 8, a few weeks ago, that took up ALL of my time. I took the call. I asked them , do they want a round table OR a table by the fireplace? them"can we have both?" no sorry.

well, I thought about it, and before they got there, I PERSONALLY, killed my back! moving tables around, to pull the big round table over by the fireplace, and moved the other tables away. had it ALL set up for them! greeted the "birthday girl" by name. made a placard out for her at her setting!
since I "got" the "big" table, I had to forgo other tables, so I could wait on them. and I waited on them, hand over foot. they had my FULL attention. I had NO time to wait on other tables. everytime a drink was ordered, I asked "anyone ELSE need a drink?" no, as soon as I brought that drink, someone else suddenly needed a drink. I had NO time to take any other tables.
they RAVED the whole time about what a GREAT waitress I was. I decided NOT to add the 18% automatic gratuity for parties of 6 or more. they were SO happy, (I brought out a free cheesecake with a candle, sang "happy birthday")and I feel silly adding a gratuity.
they left me 10%. and, on their way out, said "we'll be SURE to tell your boss what a GREAT waitress you are!"
now, I still had to tip out the bartender and busboy on the total of the bill. and gave up other tables to take that table. and they were REALLY nice people. they obviously didn't know any better.

but.. my night sucked. Ihad fun with them, true, but I could have had fun at home with hubby. um, I work for a reason......

 

[Halbleib1]

The problem is that the tip is an expected part of the compensation, it's part of the calculation when the server takes the job. Traditionally tipped jobs are legally subject to a lower minimum wage (currently $2.13) precisely because it is expected that tips will make up the difference.

In fact, servers are taxed on the tips the IRS expects they make. There are formulas that calculate expected tips based on the restraunt's expected sales, etc. So, if you don't tip you are requiring your server to subsidize your meal because she is taxed on the money you aren't giving her.

Not true. The IRS tax book actually says that if a waiter/waitress does not make enough in tips that the employer has to pay them at least minimum wage. So whatever the difference is between their hourly wage and tips is that night if it is not enough to equal the minimum wage legally the employer has to pay the difference. I realize many employers probably get away with not doing this because the employee does not complain but that is the law. Just as many waiters/waitress's get away with not claiming all of their wages because they are paid in cash and so there is no record of it.

 

[Halbleib1]

I must be overly generious I guess. i was taught that anyone that does a personal service for you should be tipped.

I tip the following people:

Mailman - X-mas
Paperman - X-mas
Magical express at WDW - every time we ride the bus and the load or unlad bags
Mousekeeping / any hotel housekeeping- daily
Any waitresses / bartenders - every time we go
Room service - every time
Bell hop - Everytime
Hair - everytime


A tip does not have to be huge but it is noce to show some one appreciate for a job well done.

Do you have the same mail person/paper person all the time? Otherwise how would you know who to tip? Ours varies throughout the year we have different people esp. for the newspaper. Our newspaper person never leaves an envelope for tips either so how do you get the tip to them? I do not even know the names of these people. I could see if you got to know the people well because they were the same all the time and they went out of there way to help you such as the mail person delivering a package right up to your door when they could have just left a card in the mailbox etc.

 

[smidgy]

OMG! I have heard this posted many timeson many tipping threads.
do you realize the paper work that would be required for this law?
ok, all the hours I spend doing "side work" ie, rolling silver ware, polishing silver ware , rolling them into napkins, fillining up dressing cups, etc etc, ad infinitum...

and average it out over a year? and you want ALL that paper work done to ENSURE that we make.. what $8.50 and hour? WHO would do that job fo r $8,50an hour?

every tipping thread that comes up, some one comes up with that ridiculous law.. and we DON"T get "away with" not claiming cash tips , because it IS compared with the totals of the restaurant. (and most of our customers pay with a credit card, anyway.)
If you want to compare our total receipts for the year (yeah, good luck with that) with our total tips, if it turns out I earned less than 15%, no way amI continuing in this business! and if you think I deserve $8.00 anhour to be your waitress at a fine dining establishment, then, please, eat at steak and shake.
regardless, no one at ANY restaurant keeps these totals. this is just a ridiculous argument for someone who wants to eat out at a sit down restaurant and have an excuse to NOT TIP.
I've tried to be nice but, if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out. (and AGAIN, for the umpteenth time, I am NOT talking about BAD service, so please don't reiterate the time you ate at such and such restaurant and the gum-chewing(YUK) waitress was talking on her cell phone and her abusive boyfriend came in and she THREW your dinner on your table without so much of a howdy-do!
(or any other scenario, ie.once in a life-time situation of a horrible waitress, as in "when waitresses gonebad!"
I am ONLY talking about decent service here.
we have ALL (me included) have terrible waitress stories, where , I agree, a tip was uncalled for.
(just to stop the TONS of stories that will come in , now, from that ONE time, there was that ONE waitress who.....(you fill in the blank)
whenever I post about waitresses and tips I am referring to good service.