Tipping advice needed.

[cndrdk]

I also always leave a few bucks, generally three, on the hotel bed for the maids who clean up my hotel rooms. My mother taught me that. Most maids in hotels are hard workers, and it is a thankless job, on the whole.

I also do this always, they are the hardest working people around, and like you said, it is sometimes a thankless job. I leave the money on the nightstand or wherever the notepad/pencil is and write "housekeeping" so they will not think you just forgot some cash lying there. And....on occasion, have received back a nice thank you note in return. Also, if staying while, they know who you are, and I suspect you will get their best work.
During the Rodney King riots we stayed at a large motel occupied by mostly police officers. Like always, I got stuck on the 12 hr night shift. After being at the motel for a while and seeing almost no maids (having no conversation/interaction) due to the hours we worked, our rooms were always cleaned at odd hours so I would leave the tip before I went to bed. One morning I couldn't sleep and after a few hours I got up and was going down to eat. As I passed a supply area where several maids were congregating, one said "good morning, are you going to be out of the room for a while". I said I was going down to eat. Later, when I returned to my room, it had been cleaned and refreshed. I always wondered how the heck did she know which room was mine?

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

At motels, each morning in some conspicuous place, I will normally leave a $5 bill for the maid. Put it under a sealed water glass or something a maid would normally touch. They'll know it's for them.

I have two twenty something sons who work as servers in busy main stream steak restaurants. You might be surprised to learn, that even in these times, about 5% of customers leave no tip at all. Often, it will be larger groups or individuals who make lots of demands.

 

[4011]

A pleasant attractive waitress can drive a Lexus.

 

[HARDWARE]

"individuals who make lots of demands" are notorious bad tippers according to my waitress neice.

 

[Absalom]

....
I have two twenty something sons who work as servers in busy main stream steak restaurants. You might be surprised to learn, that even in these times, about 5% of customers leave no tip at all. Often, it will be larger groups or individuals who make lots of demands.

That definitely was my experience when I worked food service in what now seems like a lifetime ago

And even if the group is nice, shorting the tip is often psychological. That's why many places have that policy that has been mentioned about adding a tip to the tab for groups from a certain size up.

It's perfectly normal to leave a couple of bucks for an individual $10 lunch tab, but if you're the one paying the $200 bill for a lunch meeting, a $40 tip seems huge, even though it's exactly the same percentage.

 

[chaparrito]

I have worked side jobs in fine dining and bartending my entire adult life and still do, one day a week. Here are some observations.

-If you had sub-par service, don't stiff your server. Your server will just figure you're a cheapskate. Instead, leave a low tip. 10% or less. The message will get through.
-Tip bartenders at least a buck a drink. If it's a well built cocktail, more.
-15% for decent service is bare minimum. Out west, 20% has become the norm.
- You can argue all day long about how tipping is a raw deal and why don't these restaurants and bars pay their people more and blah blah but in the end, it is what it is and if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat/drink in places that have more than counter service.

 

[StakeOut]

The place I get my scissor haircut,shampoo and shave is $30.

The person doing it is the shop owner.

How much would you tip the owner or wouldn't you?

 

[Chuck24]

First make sure the cow is really asleep

 

[chaparrito]

The place I get my scissor haircut,shampoo and shave is $30.

The person doing it is the shop owner.

How much would you tip the owner or wouldn't you?

Tip the owner. My wife owns a small salon. She makes no more than the other two stylists who work there and gets nothing out of the time she has to spend on books, scheduling, etc...time she could be cutting and styling and earning money. I just asked her, and she said she'd be thrilled if she got a 6 dollar tip on a 30 dollar cut.

 

[Golddollar]

I also do this always, they are the hardest working people around, and like you said, it is sometimes a thankless job. I leave the money on the nightstand or wherever the notepad/pencil is and write "housekeeping" so they will not think you just forgot some cash lying there.

Thank you for the suggestion. When I saw envelopes left in the room for housekeepers I always left a tip, but I haven't known what to do since it seems like those envelopes aren't used any more,

 

[keith44spl]

Out of town.....good service 15%....less than good service 10% -0%

My local haunts....25-50%.....

When I was working and the local establishments comp'd LEO's meals, 100% gratuity.


.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Oh that tipping. I was ready for advice on cow tipping!

 

[farmplinker]

The place I get my scissor haircut,shampoo and shave is $30.

The person doing it is the shop owner.

How much would you tip the owner or wouldn't you?

I still leave a tip for the owner. I only get a haircut, which costs me $13. I usually give another $3 tip (to the owner).

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I am not encouraging anyone to shortchange their servers, but there are several mentions above about servers making only $2.xx an hour. This is true in some states (including mine), but absolutely not true in other states. Many states have the same minimum wage for waiters as everyone else. So, don't just assume you are making up for sub-minimum wages when you leave a tip.

U.S. Department of Labor - Wage & Hour Divisions (WHD) - Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees

Frankly, I feel worse for most of the kitchen help than I do the servers. Most of the cooks are making minimum wage or not much more, in a hot and stressful environment, and often don't get a share of the tips.

 

[GaryS]

My tipping percentage is higher for breakfast because the meal itself usually costs less. The server still has to do about the same amount of work, especially considering how much coffee I like with my breakfast.

That being said, for most meals it' 18-20%, because I more or less take 10% of the total and double it. Then I round it up to the nearest whole dollar.

As a friend of mine has pointed out, it's sort of a sacrifice to the gods in thanks that we never had to work in a restaurant.

 

[Whitwabit]

20 to 25 percent of the bill in cash not added to a credit card if used..

On a few occasions I have left a larger tip if service is outstanding and/or if special attention is given to any children with us ..

I like to hand it to the waitress/waiter and not just leaving it on the table ..

 

[Golddollar]

I like to hand it to the waitress/waiter and not just leaving it on the table ..

I do that a lot too. I usually tip with my Gold(en) Dollars and I want to make sure they know I'm giving them dollars and not quarters.

 

[johngalt]

I generally tip 15-20%. I also NEVER pay with a credit card. The one time I did, my number was stolen. For me, restaurants are now cash only.

 

[Squarebutt]

If my wife and I go out for dinner, I'll usually pay the bill with a credit card and hand the server a cash tip of at least 20%. If you want to see a server smile, tip him/her with silver dollars.

 

[johngalt]

If my wife and I go out for dinner, I'll usually pay the bill with a credit card and hand the server a cash tip of at least 20%. If you want to see a server smile, tip him/her with silver dollars.

$2 bills are kind of cool too.

 

[03hemi]

Always tip anybody that does a service for you, like wait on you, change your oil, etc. I tip anybody that performs an acts of service that is not the owner of the company. Food with excellent service=25%, good service=20%, mediocre service=10%, bad or no service= 1penny with a note on the check for the manager to see, its an huge insult to get one penny in the service industry. Oil change, pizza delivery, movers and just about anybody else $5-$10, per person that touches your stuff. I used to be in the service industry, so I get it. If you're a cheapskate and tip lousy, you're a moron and simply don't get it. Sorry if I offended anybody and if I did, you're probably one of the morons that don't get it. Cash is better because they can get away without claiming it. "When the going get's tuff, the tippers get served" is what we used to say!