Tipping!

[Farmer17]

I went to a new salon near my new home to get a haircut a few days ago. When the lady was finished I went to the front waiting area to pay the bill and the person working the register was speaking pretty loudly when I was paying with my credit card. She said loudly "WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE A GRATUITY?" like she was wanting everyone in the waiting area to hear and and pressure me into saying a higher amount so I wouldn't seem like a cheapskate. I said add ten dollars and left a bit irritated by her actions. Then when I got home and saw my haircut I got even more mad, it was awful.

 

[zeke]

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.

As the saying goes "the best tippers are ex servers"

 

[mchom]

Just a few thoughts …

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?

Off the top of my head In the arena I have familiarity with
( harder for mom & pop locations):
Food and paper (non alcohol) typically run 33%
Operating & cleaning supplies 3%
(Suppliers pass on any increase in goods caused by supply chain issues/costs)
Labor (Mgt/Staff/Payroll tax) around 27% (Non tipping establishment)
Utilities 5%
Outside services (landscaping, grease service, exhaust cleaning, alarm service / maint etc, etc…) up to 10%
Most Credit card handlers will charge 3%
Bus insurance / Employee injury Insurance 5%
Uniforms/linens 1-3%
Maint & Repairs (this can be a tough one) 5%
Accounting/Admin/Payroll admin 2%
Small parts and new equip 1-5%
There can be occasional large equipment but usually capitalized
But effects cash flow
Debt service/ primary loan repayment …won't show on P&L but again affects cash flow. For most small bus it's 7 years to repay
Property taxes typically $15-25k annually per site. Just a guess tho…I am in middle of country. I can imagine much worse in certain areas of country.

There is more but point is most establishments run on thin margins. It's so easy to have zero at end month. Or less…


And consider Govt by nature adds costs over time.

I'm not disputing the frustration we all feel
just sharing where the money goes.

 

[Golddollar]

15 gold dollars. How many do you typically carry on you?

While they come from the mint in $25 rolls, usually it's a matter of how many loose coins a particular bank has when I go in to acquire them.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I'm following this "tipping" trend lately, and much of the thing you do with the person holding the card reader thing doesn't deserve or warrant a tip. Any sit down place is an instant 20%, +/- . Okay so I am important enough to have personal security. Some squirrel comes out and wants a piece of me. All of a sudden one of my guys comes up with a thing to choose the tip. These are my personal protection personnel. Hell of a choice here! Weird situations deserve some thought.
Gotta go recharge..

 

[Ματθιας]

Is it a tip when I give folks money to get things done faster?

 

[Bekeart]

Bribe vs Tip

Is it a tip when I give folks money to get things done faster?

I would define it as a bribe for future services.
In you case "future" might be a matter of minutes ...

As in poker, call your hand yourself ........

In my dictionary/lexicology. (Great chance to use a fancy word)
Up front payment, before an act, is a bribe.
After the fact payment is a tip/reward.

 

[UncleEd]

In my dictionary/lexicology. (Great chance to use a fancy word)
Up front payment, before an act, is a bribe.
After the fact payment is a tip/reward.

Eh, shades of a SCOTUS ruling?

 

[03hemi]

Now when tipping, I leave a note on the check to support tax free tips.

 

[steelslaver]

Tipping the bartender and barmaid in advance may technically have been a bribe, they didn't care and I didn't wait. I would also signal with money in hand
.
But, then I spend some time as a bouncer, occasional bartender and dated bar maids. Hitting on barmaids is generally a waste of time as it is a constant for them. When you don't, they get curious and you know what they say about curious.

 

[NYlakesider]

Tipping in general.

After I retired on a decent pension waiting the few years for the wife to retire I went out and got a job. My union rules I could not go back on the hire list, nor I could I do work that was similar to my trade. (pipefitter/welder)

I had a CDL and figured I would drive for a while.

My delivery was considered tailgate unless arrangements were made in advance. Now many times I helped out the receipant no matter if they were just a homeowner or a hired contractor.

I got my fair share of tips. I was not doing that to get tips just helping out a little if needed.

I have a lot of bad to say against my state but it appears that the tipping culture the closer to NYC, or delivering to someone that has moved out of that area was interesting.


I delivered in about 60% of upstate and most of the tips or better tips came from what I said last paragraph.

Now I certainly did not need tips but it was a nice feeling to be appreciated.

I did some oddball stuff like soldering up a coupe joints a homeowner had goofed up. Got $25 for under 10 minutes work (This was 1998 and $25 was good money then.)

Also helped out another person when his contractor failed to show and do the unload!. He had a lot of windows and I carried my share into his house.

He said he had no money but I deserved consideration for helping him out. Said all I have is a Travelers check. He cosigned it and gave it to me, It was a $50. Told him I appreciated that but that was way too much. His reply I can afford it and you appeared to work harder than my contractor.

 

[pawngal]

Pay cash, if they can give you the correct change, then tip.
Yes, I'm aware of the "cashless", airports and concert venues.

 

[A-37]

Had my 2-story house washed today by a 2-man team. Price was a reasonable $300. I added $50 and said, "This is for showing up on time and doing a good job."

I'll hire them again next year and expect the same good service.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I had dinner recently in a nice, family-owned steakhouse in Western Maryland (which is a world apart from the rest of the state). I noted this sign on the front door...

 

[AugieTN]

I was ordering lunch online (pickup order) and i looked at my cart and said something is wrong. When I pulled the cart up it was auto adding a 18% pickup tip.

It just seems like a tip on a pickup order is too much.

Personally I don't like the concept of tipping in the first place.

 

[NYlakesider]

I was ordering lunch online (pickup order) and i looked at my cart and said something is wrong. When I pulled the cart up it was auto adding a 18% pickup tip.

It just seems like a tip on a pickup order is too much.

Personally I don't like the concept of tipping in the first place.

Did you get the order, with the tip or without or just plain cancel.

I would have canceled!

 

[brucev]

I tip. I do not quibble about it. If I am not able to tip, then I cannot afford to eat at that restaurant. I go somewhere where I can afford to eat. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[AugieTN]

Did you get the order, with the tip or without or just plain cancel.

I would have canceled!

I was able to change the tip to -0-. If I wasn't able to change the tip I would have cancelled.

If i eat at a restaurant, I will normally tip at least 20%. I won't tip someone handing me a sandwich on a pickup order.

Like I said, I don't like the whole idea of tipping so an employee can survive on a below minimum wage.

 

[pantannojack]

Yes it can take me three hours to prepare my own dinner, but then I tip myself 6$, enough for a discount market bottle of good Spanish Red.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Generous tipping can also be viewed as a retainer for future good service.

The staff have long memories.