Tip Jars on Store Counters

[mjkacmom]

So? If they don't get paid enough, they find another job that pays well. If enough people quit the job (because of low pay), the business owners are all but forced to increase the pay. Problem solved. Of course, then they'll raise prices and the workers will still EXPECT to be tipped because "we don't get paid much".

I have a friend who door dashes, she has a full time job but needs it to make ends meet, and she has a non verbal autistic 17 year old son who can’t be left unattended so has limited options. Her ex-husband refuses to take him at all, but when he did, he was pretty physically abusive with his son, so she won’t go to court and force visitation. Fortunately she’s been doing it long enough to choose her deliveries wisely.

 

[RedAngie]

Just one. Who are you and what have you done with RedAngie? The RedAngie I know would have taken her $5 back.

Like George Costanza did??

 

[RedAngie]

I saw a news report where drivers for these services won’t pick up an order without a decent tip. Especially now with the cost of gas.

I’m also seeing reports where customers promise a good tip to entice drivers then cancel the tip after delivery. That’s really low.

 

[RedAngie]

How did the clerk behave otherwise?

Acceptable service but not outstanding.

 

[RedAngie]

I'm thinking you've just had a run of bad luck, @RedAngie and encountered a few bad apples. I always put something in those tip jars, and they always say "thank you."

Yes, I agree. Most such places thank me, but this was the 3rd or 4th time in the past two months when they didn’t.

 

[EveDallas]

The only place I can think of that we go to regularly that has a tip jar is our local ice cream stand. It’s mostly teenagers that work there and we always put a couple dollars in the tip jar. They are working, and we appreciate that they are. So many places need workers and too many could work but choose not to since the pandemic. Are they all getting welfare?? I just don’t get it. We have a few local fast food places that their indoor dining is still closed due to the fact that they can’t get enough workers, even at $15-17 per hour.

For years people told service workers "if you don't like your salary, get a better job". Now that they have, people are annoyed that no one wants to work those jobs.

 

[mrodgers]

Historically you tipped off of food delivery so how is this any different? I mean it's discretionary IMO what someone tips (although yes that gets controversial) but are you telling me you never tipped for pizza delivery even decades ago? Cuz that would have been really out of line with social norms back then.

Even when I'm ordering through the restaurant I'm tipping for delivery, sometimes when you order through the restaurant they contract it out through ubereats/door dash sometimes it's their own employees.

No matter what way you slice it (pun intended) delivery fee along with tipping for food delivery has been around for a long time, who is doing the delivery and just how much those delivery fees (and service fees) are have changed and that I can understand having issues with.

Historically I paid for food and a driver from the restaurant delivered it and I tipped him. I didn't pay the restaurant nor a 3rd party for delivery plus tip.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Historically I paid for food and a driver from the restaurant delivered it and I tipped him. I didn't pay the restaurant nor a 3rd party for delivery plus tip.

So you don't tip delivery even though you used to because a delivery fee? Delivery fees have been around before 3rd party stuff came around. I remember paying for delivery fees 13,14 years ago. That's a long time for you to not tip delivery when tipping has been customary.

You could search places that have $0 delivery and order from them. I get not liking the fees, no one actually does, but I wouldn't stop tipping to stick it to 'em.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Does anyone else just toss a dollar in to be kind? I always felt like it was a nice thing to do, regardless of the mood someone was in. I never really know what other people are going through in life anyways. And more often than not I get thanked with a smile. Altruism can boost your mood and I am willing to pay a dollar for that. =)

 

[RangerPooh]

I think that the tip jars have gotten out of hand. You order from the Sonic app, and it's there too. This may sound bad but I generally ignore it. Unless someone is going above and beyond, or it's really busy I'm not going to tip. Especially when it's highly likely that the order I receive is incorrect or missing items. More often than not, the employee who I interacted with was rude just going through the motions, so no I'm not tipping.

Where I do tip is waitstaff in a sit down restaurant, or delivery. Whether that's pizza or grocery I'll add a decent tip. The delivery fee is not going to them, and I want to make sure that someone picks up my Kroger or UberEats order, or show my appreciation for someone else taking the time to bring me my items/order.

 

[Boopuff]

deviating off the jar for a second: do you tip on tax? My mom was adamant that you don’t tip on tax! So, being my mother’s kid, I looked at the last receipt, and they have the “helpful” tip amounts at the bottom (18, 25, 30%) but those totals covered the tax..... interesting....

 

[penn19]

When I cash in my chips at the casino, there’s a tip jar. When I’ve won a hand pay at the casino you’re supposed to tip the person who counts out your cash.

 

[mrodgers]

So you don't tip delivery even though you used to because a delivery fee? Delivery fees have been around before 3rd party stuff came around. I remember paying for delivery fees 13,14 years ago. That's a long time for you to not tip delivery when tipping has been customary.

You could search places that have $0 delivery and order from them. I get not liking the fees, no one actually does, but I wouldn't stop tipping to stick it to 'em.

I just don't do delivery because of the cost to have it delivered these days.

 

[RedAngie]

deviating off the jar for a second: do you tip on tax? My mom was adamant that you don’t tip on tax! So, being my mother’s kid, I looked at the last receipt, and they have the “helpful” tip amounts at the bottom (18, 25, 30%) but those totals covered the tax..... interesting....

I’ve seen those tip suggestions calculated both ways, based on pre and post tax totals.

A 30% suggested tip???? The highest I’ve seen was 28% last summer at an upscale restaurant.

 

[mrodgers]

deviating off the jar for a second: do you tip on tax? My mom was adamant that you don’t tip on tax! So, being my mother’s kid, I looked at the last receipt, and they have the “helpful” tip amounts at the bottom (18, 25, 30%) but those totals covered the tax..... interesting....

For wait staff in a restaurant, I do just because it's easier than trying to find the total without tax. I don't study the check, I just glance, pay when she comes, and leave cash on the table. I typically do even amounts in $5 increments also, to an extent. If with tax it's a bit over $5 for a tip, I would just tip $5 as that shouldn't drop it below the untaxed amount. If it's $8, I just tip $10. If it's the whole family (rare any more for it to be more than two of us) I round up to $5 until I reach $15. I'll leave an $18 tip, but a $14 tip will just be a $10 and a $5 on the table. Same with something at like between $7 and $10, I'll just throw a $10 bill down.

I don't eat out often, it's something we do special rather than something we do regularly.

 

[RedAngie]

When I cash in my chips at the casino, there’s a tip jar. When I’ve won a hand pay at the casino you’re supposed to tip the person who counts out your cash.

I often give a tip to the crew at a craps table, win or lose, because I sometimes ask them to place bets for me where I cannot reach to do it myself. Or I might “play the wrong way” and they have to place the chips in a specific manner apart from others on the table.

 

[PollyannaMom]

deviating off the jar for a second: do you tip on tax? My mom was adamant that you don’t tip on tax! So, being my mother’s kid, I looked at the last receipt, and they have the “helpful” tip amounts at the bottom (18, 25, 30%) but those totals covered the tax..... interesting....

I was always taught you calculate tip on the pre-tax total and then round up.

But I've definitely seen the hints you described do it after tax as well.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I just don't do delivery because of the cost to have it delivered these days.

Yeah not what you said before nor did I get the impression it was something that just happened these days, because delivery fees have been around for quite a while. But if you don't do delivery now at least you're not shorting people so that's something.

No, I pay for the delivery, the driver gets paid, done.

These aren't high school kids not getting paid and working for tips.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

deviating off the jar for a second: do you tip on tax? My mom was adamant that you don’t tip on tax! So, being my mother’s kid, I looked at the last receipt, and they have the “helpful” tip amounts at the bottom (18, 25, 30%) but those totals covered the tax..... interesting....

That's always been something that varies from place to place to place.

Some electronic tablets at the table calculate off pre-tax most seem to calculate off post-tax. I think most receipts have it post-tax. None of that means that's what you have to do. The establishment doesn't get those taxes anyhow.

Around here you have sin tax, TIF or CIDs, city tax, state tax and county tax, so a lot of taxes can be added.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was always taught you calculate tip on the pre-tax total and then round up.

But I've definitely seen the hints you described do it after tax as well.

Sales tax here is 6.6% so sometimes I just triple the tax.