Tipping out of control?

[hockey mom]

I seriously doubt anyone would risk losing their job over one customer not tipping by stealing sweatpants or spitting in food. If someone was going to steal anything they are going to do it with or without a tip.

Fatcow- if I remember correctly you did not enjoy your last vacation and are not looking forward to either of these 2 coming up so why on earth are you still going? I am sure there are plenty of other destinations you would enjoy much more.

 

[Raggedy]

why would someone risk their job over sweat pants. I know their are some stupid people out there. But wow. That is against the law. I wouldn't just be worried about my job. I would be worried about a criminal record.

 

[FatCow]

Originally posted by hockey mom

Fatcow- if I remember correctly you did not enjoy your last vacation and are not looking forward to either of these 2 coming up so why on earth are you still going? I am sure there are plenty of other destinations you would enjoy much more.

Hockey Mom,

Although there were quite a number of problem I encountered during my first trip, I did enjoyed my trip very much. I enjoyed it so much I planned for trip number 2 and 3 at the same time.

Only after I've paid for everything, all the billing problems (caused by WDW) emerged. I'm still enthused about the WDW itself, but I'm still concerned whether WDW finally got all my booking dates etc straightened out and whether Air Canada is going to change my flight time/day again (I'm going to lose the 2nd half of my last day in WDW because they moved my flight about 5 hours earlier, also I'm going to lose about half a day on my first day because they cancelled the 7am flight and moved it to 10am.)

Also, a trip to WDW is the only thing I can afford. It's more expensive for me to go to Australia (about CAD$2000/person for the ticket alone).

 

[hockey mom]

Fatcow-Gotcha. I hope this trip turns out to be way more than you expected. Have fun.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by FatCow
Wow, reading this, it makes me want to go to WDW even less.
I guess my September '05 trip will e my last time.

i mentioned it was not at wdw, this was a little mom and pop hotel in hershey pa...the goofs also had signs taped up not to steal their cheesy homemade paper plate holders with plastic flowers glued on them that were pretending to be "wall decorations"( talk about Disney themeing!!!!) my husband mentioned it to a school he attended there that uses many of the local hotels for rooms for their visiting students so figured that loss of income more than paid for my ratty old sweats & figured i'd just never stay there again! that is a good point about not knowing i wouldn't leave a tip on the last day but guess they figured since i hadn't due to the previous 3 days "warning" i wouldn't & either wouldn't catch what they'd done till i got home or didn't care if i did or not. we had made last min. arrangements to stay longer and moved to this hotel cause the other one didn't have room so i can't remember the name of the hotel or i'd mention it but it was about 3 doors down ( west) from the little coffee shop that is near Hardees on the main st, within walking distance to the park if anyone is familiar with the area. it was a white stucco building.( discription given here to compensate for the second pair )

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by hockey mom
I seriously doubt anyone would risk losing their job over one customer not tipping by stealing sweatpants .

and uhh not to be overly sensitive but i don't lie, yes they did steal them

 

[FatCow]

Originally posted by jann1033
i mentioned it was not at wdw

Hmmm, reading back, I think I need to read more and type less. Shame on me!

 

[hockey mom]

Sorry jann let me rephrase. What I meant was I think this person might have stolen anyway with or without a tip. I was not questioning whether anything was actually stolen. I know myself as a server when someone doesn't tip you have to take it in stride in order to keep your job so I don't think this person was to serious about her job.

 

[madscrapper]

Hi,

We stayed in Bostion this summer at The Seaport Hotel...very nice upscale hotel. They have a "No Tipping" policy. No one is to be tipped and if you offer a tip (as I did when I forgot) they refuse the tip. What a concept. No tipping anyone - valet,wait staff, bellman, etc. My DH said that made the vacation more enjoyable.

And we also had a great room rate.

If it can be done here, why not more places???
\
Jeannine

 

[FatCow]

In Japan, at least until 6 years ago (my last trip to Japan), giving a tip is considered as an insult to the recipient.

One person politely informed me (when I was about to tip him) that he is insulted with the idea of him doing a good job for the extra money (tip). He then told me further that he is just doing his job... and returned my money.

PS: there is no "no-tipping" policy at that particular hotel.

 

[wmarsich]

Originally posted by FatCow
In Japan, at least until 6 years ago (my last trip to Japan), giving a tip is considered as an insult to the recipient.

One person politely informed me (when I was about to tip him) that he is insulted with the idea of him doing a good job for the extra money (tip). He then told me further that he is just doing his job... and returned my money.

PS: there is no "no-tipping" policy at that particular hotel.

Instead of tipping in hotels in Japan, they add a service fee to all bills. Tipping of taxi drivers, porters(airport and rail), and chaffuers is still customary, though.

Tipping in Japan - Sorry about the caps - it copied that way
(from http://www.allrez.com/static/japan/tipping.asp)

TIPPING IS NOT A JAPANESE CUSTOM. THEY ARE NEVER EXPECTED. THERE IS SERVICE CHARGE OF 10-20% WHICH IS ADDED TO THE BILLS AT HOTELS, RYOKAN AND RESTAURANTS. IF A VISITOR WISHES TO SHOW PARTICULAR APPRECIATION FOR A SERVICE, PERSON CAN GIVE A SMALL FINANCIAL GIFT TO THE STAFF, INSTEAD OF MONEY. SPECIAL PRINTED ENVELOPES CAN BE BOUGHT FOR THESE KIND OF FINANCIAL GIFTS.

 

[FatCow]

Yup! I'd rather pay "service charge" rather than "tip" because there is a clear-cut set amount that I can adhere to.

 

[crisi]

Me too.

Plus, it gets rid of the unfairness of the situation. I don't enjoy tipping, but I do it because that is the system in place. I don't think its a good system, but I'm not dictator of the world. It really boils my blood that the system isn't mandatory - that my dinner will cost me 15% more than Dana's because I have an obligation to tip and she feels she can ignore that obligation.

I suspect if it were mandatory, we'd see tip amounts stablize. I remember 8, 10, 12, and 15% all being good tips - now more often I hear 18 or 20%. I suspect that has a lot to do with the number of checks the waitstaff gets stiffed on.

 

[hockey mom]

But at least with tipping you have that option on little to nothing if you recieve poor service. If it was a service charge you would see the level of service decline quite a bit and you are still paying the same if not more than the tip in the first place would have cost you.

 

[Muushka]

Originally posted by hockey mom
But at least with tipping you have that option on little to nothing if you recieve poor service. If it was a service charge you would see the level of service decline quite a bit and you are still paying the same if not more than the tip in the first place would have cost you.

I agree.

Also, I am pretty old (hint: minimum wage was $1.60 when I was 16 ) I honestly do not remember when giving less than 15% tip for a meal was acceptable (unless the waiter/waitress was a total loser). When you think about it, prices of meals keep going up, so the tip goes up with it, right?

I agree, today it is upwards of 20+ %, which is a lot of money! Don't agree with that unless the server is oh-so-excellent.

 

[fac]

Originally posted by hockey mom
But at least with tipping you have that option on little to nothing if you recieve poor service. If it was a service charge you would see the level of service decline quite a bit and you are still paying the same if not more than the tip in the first place would have cost you.

Isn't true that many people will work the best they can be even they were paid a fix salary? or that they know their performance will affect their ability to keep the job. On the otherhand, should we hope that all professions, say the teachers, the caregivers and the policemen, be paid based on their level of service?

 

[kitn]

It would have to be a very high fixed salary to keep people in the service industry. Most teachers, caregivers and policemen do not do what they do for the money. They have a rewarding job. Most tipped professions are not very rewarding. I think everyone should work in a tipped position sometime in their life so they have some idea what we go through.

 

[hockey mom]

While we would like to hope that everyone gave the best they had regardless I don't think this is the case. A server has no choice but to be pleasant because their income depends on it. First thing that comes to my mind is when a cashier at your local corner store is talking on the phone while ringing up your purchase. What do they care? They are doing what they are getting paid for.

 

[fac]

My point in responding to an earlier post was that we cannot on one hand complained that waitstaff was paid below minimum wages and people stiffed them, but on the other hand not favor a fixed salary.

Originally posted by kitn
It would have to be a very high fixed salary to keep people in the service industry. Most teachers, caregivers and policemen do not do what they do for the money. They have a rewarding job. Most tipped professions are not very rewarding. I think everyone should work in a tipped position sometime in their life so they have some idea what we go through.

DH worked as a part-time waiter while in college and decided that it was not for him. I understand it is hard work. I am not arguing whether waitstaff position is rewarding or how much they should be paid. Don't we think construction workers and sanitary workers should be paid well ? I also do not think that "we" can decide for the teachers, policemen that because their work is "rewarding" therefore they should get (or should accept) what they are paid for. How do we know whether people take the job because they like the job because it is rewarding, or just it is secure, or that they cannot find anything better.

May be I am wrong, but the bottom line is, we take what we consider to be acceptable and , in most cases, the market dictates the salary.

 

[hockey mom]

Remember too that restaurants have the highest turnover in staff because most are kids putting themselves through school in order to achieve that rewarding career.