Tipping!

[raljr1]

I think our tipping culture has gotten out of hand. Seems like everyone who does anything for the public wants a tip.

I order at the counter, pay at the counter, pick up my food when it's done, clear my table, but the person who rang me up wants a tip?

I pay whatever Uber charges, often handle my own bag. Does that tip warrant a tip?

Now, I always tip servers at a sit down restaurant 20 percent rounded up on the total including sales tax.

Some of these other situations i have really started to back off on handing money away for little or nothing.

Barbers, hair salons, nail care, postmen, delivery drivers, these are not minimum wage jobs in most cases.

Maybe because I never worked anywhere that I got tips for doing what I was hired to do, I think differently.

In many European countries, tipping is not expected. Now I know many servers in the US would scream bloody murder if someone said you are getting $25 per hour and no tips, but I'd rather see it that way and my bill is the bill, period.

 

[grover99]

That is the way I see it. Are the employers seeing this as a way to pay people less or are the servers getting greedy. I aways felt that people should be paid a living wage and any tip for good service is extra.

 

[UncleEd]

An often posted thread.

Let your conscience be your guide.

And service unto you will be rendered accordingly.

 

[UncleEd]

That is the way I see it. Are the employers seeing this as a way to pay people less or are the servers getting greedy. I aways felt that people should be paid a living wage and any tip for good service is extra.

If you are referring specifically to the restaurant business, I do not believe you understand it nor its pay structure which in many cases is written into the law.

 

[old bear]

I am a generous tipper, 20% to start, but only if the service was good or better than just good.

 

[BigBoy99]

Tips depend upon service. I have tipped good service as much as 30% and poor service little as a quarter.

 

[Mule Packer]

I am a generous tipper, 20% to start, but only if the service was good or better than just good.

Yep. Same here. I have a tough time at a fast food restaurant when I place an order at the counter and the screen asks how much I want to tip. Tip???!!! For what?? For placing my order??

 

[Onomea]

I've been tipping barbers since I was old enough to go into a barbershop by myself. (Not that I have been in one in 25 years or so, being mostly bald and favoring a buzzcut from my wife these days... Now she doesn't get a tip. Good service is expected at home....)

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I believe the new party line is that tipping is 'required' for anyone who bothers to show up for work at a service or retail location and I have started to see it requested for online and transactions where there was no service whatsoever. OK, I did get half my Taco Bell order correctly prepared, but that does not garner a tip. Not this grumpy old man.

 

[mrcvs]

I guess I don't understand the restaurant industry, but I simply cannot understand how food can be marked up so much, alcohol even more, and restaurant owners are basically given almost free labor, as tipping accounts for much of the serving staff's wages—and yet so many restaurants can't make it. Where does all the money go?

I'm not saying I understand at all the restaurant industry. Then again, I can't understand why most folks willingly go to restaurants, to the point where it impacts household finances, e.g., those who can afford it least often go. We pay a lot for convenience in this country.

If it wasn't for tips, it might make dining out more enjoyable. Tipping truly has gotten out of hand in this country ever since Covid. All it does is subsidize those who don't need to be subsidized (a business owner, often corporate).

Dining is so much more enjoyable in Great Britain. A tip is not expected, you leave the spare coins from your tab, and the wait staff is happy. Like 68 pence.

I once tipped 18% at a restaurant and was asked if I was dissatisfied with my service. Because they felt the tip was low.

I hate to be such a curmudgeon here , but tipping used to be 10%. The argument was that tips went up because the cost of living went up. Nonsense! The prices on the menu also went up, and 10% of higher priced food results in a greater tip. The percentage shouldn't need to increase as well.

But even I have been guilt tripped into leaving even more than 10%. I usually leave 15 to 17.5% before tax. I'm astounded at the number of places that "conveniently" figure out your tax for you and it usually is on the sales tax as well. And, I'm dismayed, during one recent experience, that the preset amounts were 20, 25, and 30%, or custom. So a reasonable tip becomes, by default, a custom tip. When you are doing that, your waiter or waitress is, no doubt, thinking what a loser you are.

I would prefer there was no tipping at all anywhere. I purchased 3 bottles of wine at a winery and they expected me to leave a tip for ringing up my purchase. I left zero, that's a service that shouldn't require a tip.

And now some restaurants have an up charge of 3% to cover credit card fees. Which is another absurdity.

I hate to sound bitter, but it's something I feel strongly about. As in what a bottom feeder business the restaurant industry is. I would avoid restaurants entirely because of all of the above, but my other half feels differently about this. After a long day at work, she likes the convenience. I think being waited on makes her feel special, long after her current position has lost all charm.

If you are in the restaurant industry and I have offended you, i apologize. But some things in life just seem like a scam.

 

[SMSgt]

...In many European countries, tipping is not expected. Now I know many servers in the US would scream bloody murder if someone said you are getting $25 per hour and no tips, but I'd rather see it that way and my bill is the bill, period.

When I toured Europe (1970), tips were automatically included in the tab, like it or not.

 

[Golddollar]

I used to work as a volunteer bartender at the American Legion when the Sons were helping to reestablish the bar to benefit the veterans. I didn't get wages but got to keep the tips. It was a small bar, and didn't require having to mix drinks, just sell beer and pop and handle the tickets. It required some hustling to make sure that nobody went more than 10 seconds with an empty bottle in front of them. I always thought I was a decent tipper, but from that bartending stint I upped my game tipping. It was an experience seeing something about the lives of people who lived on tips. I always hope that the Golden Dollars help servers remember that I left them a good tip. But I do keep a critical eye on the service.

 

[arjay]

Tipping is a way for the employer to charge a bit less and let his customers pay part of the wages directly. It's a good deal for him and the customer,but only a good deal for the employee if it's an expensive establishment lol. Check the minimum wage in your state for waitstaff. It's a joke in mine

 

[Rudi]

I tip well for good service, Poor service or no service not much or none.

 

[LVSteve]

When I toured Europe (1970), tips were automatically included in the tab, like it or not.

1970 is an alien universe compared to today. Under EU law all taxes, fees, charges, or whatever must be shown up front. Often you will see something like '8% Service Charge' on the top and bottom of the menu. There's none of the 'fee' nonsense that only gets blurted as you reach for your card that we get here.

 

[Bald1]

I guess I don't understand the restaurant industry, but I simply cannot understand how food can be marked up so much, alcohol even more, and restaurant owners are basically given almost free labor, as tipping accounts for much of the serving staff's wages—and yet so many restaurants can't make it. Where does all the money go?

I'm not saying I understand at all the restaurant industry. Then again, I can't understand why most folks willingly go to restaurants, to the point where it impacts household finances, e.g., those who can afford it least often go. We pay a lot for convenience in this country.

If it wasn't for tips, it might make dining out more enjoyable. Tipping truly has gotten out of hand in this country ever since Covid. All it does is subsidize those who don't need to be subsidized (a business owner, often corporate).

Dining is so much more enjoyable in Great Britain. A tip is not expected, you leave the spare coins from your tab, and the wait staff is happy. Like 68 pence.

I once tipped 18% at a restaurant and was asked if I was dissatisfied with my service. Because they felt the tip was low.

I hate to be such a curmudgeon here , but tipping used to be 10%. The argument was that tips went up because the cost of living went up. Nonsense! The prices on the menu also went up, and 10% of higher priced food results in a greater tip. The percentage shouldn't need to increase as well.

But even I have been guilt tripped into leaving even more than 10%. I usually leave 15 to 17.5% before tax. I'm astounded at the number of places that "conveniently" figure out your tax for you and it usually is on the sales tax as well. And, I'm dismayed, during one recent experience, that the preset amounts were 20, 25, and 30%, or custom. So a reasonable tip becomes, by default, a custom tip. When you are doing that, your waiter or waitress is, no doubt, thinking what a loser you are.

I would prefer there was no tipping at all anywhere. I purchased 3 bottles of wine at a winery and they expected me to leave a tip for ringing up my purchase. I left zero, that's a service that shouldn't require a tip.

And now some restaurants have an up charge of 3% to cover credit card fees. Which is another absurdity.

I hate to sound bitter, but it's something I feel strongly about. As in what a bottom feeder business the restaurant industry is. I would avoid restaurants entirely because of all of the above, but my other half feels differently about this. After a long day at work, she likes the convenience. I think being waited on makes her feel special, long after her current position has lost all charm.

If you are in the restaurant industry and I have offended you, i apologize. But some things in life just seem like a scam.

Reading this I can't help but think about your thread on ocean front property. I am now convinced you can easily afford it. You're just to damn cheap……LOL JUST KIDDING

 

[jimmyj]

Now that I survive on a disability pension I very rarely eat out, but when I do I tip 20% or more reguardless of the food or service.

 

[UncleEd]

The markup on food, alcohol is at least 300 percent for a restaurant to cover kitchen staff, waitstaff, insurance, upkeep of the building, utilities, taxes, inevitable wastage, vendor costs, breakage and replacement of dishes, silverware and theft of
items by customers..

I know one restaurant owner who upgraded with fancier salt and pepper shakers. Within a month, they were all gone as an example of customer theft.

And the day begins well before the doors are open and lasts well after the last customer at night for cleaning, setting up the next day.

I'm sure I've forgotten other costs just to keep the doors open.

 

[mrcvs]

Reading this I can't help but think about your thread on ocean front property. I am now convinced you can easily afford it. You're just to damn cheap……LOL JUST KIDDING

I'm thrifty, that's a given.

Places within walking distance to the beach seem like a …well, I don't know what, but being not that affordable, I'm not exactly reaching for my wallet. My wife wants a place, however.

 

[lihpster]

I usually tip 20% or more if the service isn't completely horrible. I have worked the job. I know what it's like. Give me a few customers like the one in another thread, with sending the fork back 3 times because the tines weren't straight enough, and that minimum wage alone just isn't enough. If it wasn't for the tips it wouldn't be worth catering to the every desire of entitled idiots.

Tipping story. Took the daughter of a family friend out one time. She had been living in Vegas, but moved up here to live with her mom. Her mom asked me to take her out and show her a good time. We wound up at a bar I knew. I ordered the first round of drinks and paid cash. I also gave the bartender a $5 bill.

She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You know, it looks classier if you wait until the end of the night and tip then." I smiled at her and said, "Here in Oregon the drinks get stronger if you tip every drink. Besides, look at me. Nobody is gonna call me "classy" no matter what I do." At the end of the night I took a very intoxicated and smiling young woman home.