question about proper tipping

[shy*violet]

I really like Vintage Leather's list.

I don't really buy into that "it's part of their job description" guideline for tipping vs. not-tipping.

A server/waitresses job description is to wait on the tables, enter orders, refill drinks, etc etc etc, and we're still tipping them

[sarasmith3269]

what about the shoe cobbler?

[Iscats]

My husband is a bartender at a higher end hotel, Yes you should also tip them 20%. I dont agree with the 10%, I do agree with the $1.00 per drink, anyone that gives me great service always gets at least 20%!

[onegirlcreative]

see, that's my point. where does it end? does that mean we should tip the sales clerk at Saks because they schlepped clothes in and out of your dressing room?

or the checkout clerk at safeway because they're ringing up your stuff? there needs to be some sort of guideline and line drawn for tipping vs. putting a tip jar out by the register for the heck of it.

i'm sorry but having a tip jar at dairy queen is beyond absurd to me. i am not going to tip them for pulling the lever and putting ice cream into my cone and then ringing me up. especially when the cone costs less than $2 anyway.

i guess as an ex-waitress, i'm a little bitter about this whole tip jar thing. i do find it insulting and when i'm at places like dairy queen or chipotle, and i pay with my credit card, there's no way in he!! that i'm putting in a tip on that tip line just because there's a tip line on the receipt.

but that's me. maybe i'm cheap? i don't know. but leaving $5 in a jar for something that cost $2 is more than generous. i guess if you're able to do that on a regular basis, that's awesome. me? not so much. things are tight nowadays for us, and i don't want to have to feel guilty for getting a $2 ice cream cone and not tipping.

but that's me.

and yes, i always always leave a minimum of $1 to the bartender PER drink.

[blah956]

Originally Posted by annemerrick

What about at Sonic??? Do you tip???

i never did until my BF told me that you are supposed to. a friend of mine has a friend who worked at sonic and she'd come home from tips.

so apparently you DO tip at sonic.
especially if you "eat" there in your car. they do go out to your car and ask if you need any ketchup, refills, more napkins, etc. i tip if my order was complicated or if i intend to sit in my car and eat.\

also, at most grocery stores and hardware supply stores, it is in the employee rules to NOT accept tips. they are supposed to offer the service as an employee if asked.

[LindaP]

Originally Posted by onegirlcreative

see, that's my point. where does it end? does that mean we should tip the sales clerk at Saks because they schlepped clothes in and out of your dressing room? or the checkout clerk at safeway because they're ringing up your stuff? there needs to be some sort of guideline and line drawn for tipping vs. putting a tip jar out by the register for the heck of it. i'm sorry but having a tip jar at dairy queen is beyond absurd to me. i am not going to tip them for pulling the lever and putting ice cream into my cone and then ringing me up. especially when the cone costs less than $2 anyway. i guess as an ex-waitress, i'm a little bitter about this whole tip jar thing. i do find it insulting and when i'm at places like dairy queen or chipotle, and i pay with my credit card, there's no way in he!! that i'm putting in a tip on that tip line just because there's a tip line on the receipt. but that's me. maybe i'm cheap? i don't know. but leaving $5 in a jar for something that cost $2 is more than generous. i guess if you're able to do that on a regular basis, that's awesome. me? not so much. things are tight nowadays for us, and i don't want to have to feel guilty for getting a $2 ice cream cone and not tipping. but that's me. and yes, i always always leave a minimum of $1 to the bartender PER drink.

Totally agree with you, where does it end?! I was at Subway the other day and they had a tip jar out there, so does Baskin Robins and Coldstone Creamery. I refuse to go along with that.

I would not tip the Home Depot guy that carries stuff to your car, it's part of their job to help you get heavy items to your car.

However, at a restaurant I would never tip less than 20% unless the service was really bad.

Linda

[~Fabulousity~]

Originally Posted by onegirlcreative

see, that's my point. where does it end? does that mean we should tip the sales clerk at Saks because they schlepped clothes in and out of your dressing room? or the checkout clerk at safeway because they're ringing up your stuff? there needs to be some sort of guideline and line drawn for tipping vs. putting a tip jar out by the register for the heck of it. i'm sorry but having a tip jar at dairy queen is beyond absurd to me. i am not going to tip them for pulling the lever and putting ice cream into my cone and then ringing me up. especially when the cone costs less than $2 anyway. i guess as an ex-waitress, i'm a little bitter about this whole tip jar thing. i do find it insulting and when i'm at places like dairy queen or chipotle, and i pay with my credit card, there's no way in he!! that i'm putting in a tip on that tip line just because there's a tip line on the receipt. but that's me. maybe i'm cheap? i don't know. but leaving $5 in a jar for something that cost $2 is more than generous. i guess if you're able to do that on a regular basis, that's awesome. me? not so much. things are tight nowadays for us, and i don't want to have to feel guilty for getting a $2 ice cream cone and not tipping. but that's me. and yes, i always always leave a minimum of $1 to the bartender PER drink.

Agreed.

[mundodabolsa]

One customary tip that I refuse to give is to maids at hotels. I'm sorry I'm just so against it. To me if I'm paying for a night in a room, I'm also paying for the cleaning of it. It's not an extra service, it comes with the package.

and I know most people would think I'm totally wrong and rude for this, but it's just how I feel.

[natalie78]

I am pretty generous with my tipping practices, but I also refuse to tip at a Starbucks or fast food restaurant. I never accept carry out services at a grocery store because I figure that loading my vehicle takes a couple extra calories off my hips, so that takes off that delima. At the beginning of the summer, I got a truckload of landscaping supplies from Home Depot and two of the workers loaded my truck. I didn't have a bedliner installed at the time, so one of them took the time to go find a tarp to cover everything so they wouldn't scratch anything. I didn't tip them, but went back inside and got each of them a bottle of water. I figured that it was fair enough.

I am having the tipping delima now that the holidays are close. I am not sure what I should do for my yard crew. Once a week, a crew (usually three guys) come to my house and take care of the lawn. I am not sure if I should tip them for Xmas since I already pay a monthly fee for their services. Bake some cookies for them, perhaps?

[lvuittonaddict]

no....and in some businesses, employees are not allowed to accept tips- for any reason

[onegirlcreative]

Originally Posted by lvuittonaddict

no....and in some businesses, employees are not allowed to accept tips- for any reason

i know, and i love those places! that's why i love getting takeout from noodles & co. they have a sign that says "tip-free zone" or something like that. i think that's awesome.

let's face it, if employers actually paid their employees a little more per hour, maybe 50¢ or a dollar, the customers wouldn't have to feel "embarrassed" for choosing not to tip. it's not being cheap or even being frugal, for that matter, it's a matter of principle (for me) and since they're spending a total of 5 minutes with me, what did they do to warrant that tip? nothing but their job description.

i bought this huge, heavy pumpkin at sam's club a few weeks ago, and i couldn't even pick it up, it was so heavy. the guy that worked there helped me out to my car and lifted it up for me and put it in the back of my car. i still didn't tip him. maybe in that case, i should have. i don't know. i guess there's such a gray area here.

but fast food joints like subway, et al, and places like starbucks and dairy queen—not so much.

the whole point of a tip is they are going above and beyond giving you excellent service. not just making your coffee like the rest of them, but clearing your table, wiping it off, getting you a side of ranch dressing, making your side salad, serving your drinks from the bar (because the waitresses have to not only tip the bartender, but they have to tip their busboys, as well), preparing your dessert and adding ice cream and hot fudge sauce on the top, and most of the time, you're in their station for at least 40 minutes or longer. that warrants a tip. and then the waitress STILL has to recommend what type of wine goes with what, or recite the specials of that day's menu. the list doesn't end as a waitress.

and the ONLY time i have ever actually stiffed a waitress was because they were rude. if the service is bad, i will still tip them 15%. you never know why the service was bad. maybe the kitchen screwed up but it isn't your waitress' fault, but unfortuantely since they're the one that has to face the table, they get screwed over. so no, i won't stiff for that, but if they're rude. you're damn right i'll stiff them. it has only happened to me twice where i completely walked away without tipping a dime.

[linpaddy]

Ooh, this is a helpful thread!

I live in LA and always wonder about tipping policies. I do have a question. When it comes to eating out, do i tip based on the total COST of food/drinks BEFORE tax or AFTER tax?

I'm asking because state tax is almost 10%. Let's say the meal is $100. Do I tip $10 to $20 based on the cost of the meal or do i base my tip on cost of meal plus tax ($110).

I know it may not seem like a big deal but I would like your take on this!

[plain jane doe]

Wow. I hate tipping. It is crazy, and I can't keep up with it. Tip for furniture delivery?? I was not aware of this one at all. Every time I have purchased furniture, delivery was an extra cost that you paid for in the store. So you would pay twice for delivery, or do you have some great furniture store that delivers for free? Same thing for the concierge. Having great concierge service is part of a hotel's offerings and a perk that is already reflected in the price of your stay. I don't want to pay more for something I am already paying more for. I basically feel the same about the maid, but since they make very little I do try to tip some unless the hotel was just expensive out the ass to begin with.

[plain jane doe]

Originally Posted by linpaddy

Ooh, this is a helpful thread! I live in LA and always wonder about tipping policies. I do have a question. When it comes to eating out, do i tip based on the total COST of food/drinks BEFORE tax or AFTER tax? I'm asking because state tax is almost 10%. Let's say the meal is $100. Do I tip $10 to $20 based on the cost of the meal or do i base my tip on cost of meal plus tax ($110). I know it may not seem like a big deal but I would like your take on this!

Based on the total before tax. It used to work out pretty well to double the tax line, guess that doesn't work anymore!

[blah956]

Originally Posted by plain jane doe

Wow. I hate tipping. It is crazy, and I can't keep up with it. Tip for furniture delivery?? I was not aware of this one at all. Every time I have purchased furniture, delivery was an extra cost that you paid for in the store. So you would pay twice for delivery, or do you have some great furniture store that delivers for free? Same thing for the concierge. Having great concierge service is part of a hotel's offerings and a perk that is already reflected in the price of your stay. I don't want to pay more for something I am already paying more for. I basically feel the same about the maid, but since they make very little I do try to tip some unless the hotel was just expensive out the ass to begin with.

on delivery, i agree it can get ridiculous to be expected to tip! a lot of times, the customer HAS to pay a delivery surcharge!!

also, i'm neutral about tipping hotel maids. i'm only inclined to do it if the room is a total mess or if my sisters made a mess of the room.
but the funny thing is, as a kid, my parents always made us clean the hotel room or any mess we made so that the maid didn't have a lot of work to do.