question about proper tipping

[guccimamma]

Originally Posted by 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.

i'm just the opposite, i feel that if somebody is picking up after me...and cleaning my toilet...i can certainly leave them a few dollars/day.

hotel maids make minimum, i can't think of a more thankless job.

your room may be totally neat, but lots of people turn into complete pigs when they step into a hotel. i feel for those ladies.

[sillykitty]

Originally Posted by 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?

Employees of grocery or home improvement supply chains aren't allowed to take tips. So I don't think anyone needs to worry about this.

As far as gardeners, the way I look at it is it's hard work that I don't want to do. IMO, it's very low pay for the difficulty of the work. Usually there is just one owner and then he pays a couple of guys very low wages. So to me giving each guy $20 would be a lot to them and comparatively little to me.

[sillykitty]

Originally Posted by plain jane doe

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.

Tipping the coincierege is standard if they do something for you. As far as the maid, I feel the opposite. Maids at high end places don't make more than cheap places and will have higher standards, more to do. If I can afford an expensive hotel room, my conscience doesn't allow me to stiff the women cleaning my toilet.

[natalie78]

I agree, guccimama. I've never left a mess, but I cannot imagine having to fix 100 beds and clean 100 toilets a day! And I have seen people trash their rooms for no other reason than to be jerks.

[Jahpson]

Originally Posted by 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?

exactly. i'm definitely following your lead. What a great idea

[curlsjang]

When we had the security system installed, DH tipped him $40. His theory was, you don't want to piss off the guy who knows where your security sensors are around the house.

[vegisvegis]

Hm, interesting. I only tip for restaurant service, haircuts, prompt pizza delivery, and bellboys/porters.

My bf however, tips for just about everything. For furniture delivery, he tips based on how heavy and difficult it was to move the item. Okay, but I'm sure a cold can of soda or water is enough to express appreciation. For starbucks and subway, he tips because he feels bad for the employees.

I just don't see why I should tip if the amount I paid for includes service. Like hotel rooms; isn't the cleaning service included with the price?

[yeliab]

Oh no... I usually don't tip the concierge's at a hotel. When I ask for directions to a bdlg or a recommendation to a restaurant I don't tip.. even when they take out a map and highlight it for me.

If I were to tip the Concierge's each time I think they'd cost as much as the entire stay.

What's the usual protocol to tip concierge's??

Originally Posted by sillykitty

Tipping the coincierege is standard if they do something for you. As far as the maid, I feel the opposite. Maids at high end places don't make more than cheap places and will have higher standards, more to do. If I can afford an expensive hotel room, my conscience doesn't allow me to stiff the women cleaning my toilet.

[sillykitty]

Originally Posted by vegisvegis

Hm, interesting. I only tip for restaurant service, haircuts, prompt pizza delivery, and bellboys/porters. I just don't see why I should tip if the amount I paid for includes service. Like hotel rooms; isn't the cleaning service included with the price?

I'm surprised by the number of people who don't tip hotel maids! Why do you tip the people you do tip, hairdresser, bellboys, isn't what they do included as well? My theory is it's easier to stiff people whom you don't see. It's awkward to give the pizza delivery boy exact change, but easy to leave your hotel room wo leaving a few dollars on the pillow.

Originally Posted by yeliab

Oh no... I usually don't tip the concierge's at a hotel. When I ask for directions to a bdlg or a recommendation to a restaurant I don't tip.. even when they take out a map and highlight it for me. If I were to tip the Concierge's each time I think they'd cost as much as the entire stay. What's the usual protocol to tip concierge's??

I probably wouldn't tip the coincierege each time if I was asking for little things, restaurant recs, directions, etc. I would tip at the time if I wanted reservations to a restaurant I couldn't get myself, or show tickets that were hard to get, etc.. If I was using his/her services for little things regularly, at the end of my stay I'd give him/her $3-$5/day.

[canada's]

i tip if someone is performing a service and does an extraordinary job. this is the purpose of tipping. if it's standard, well expect standard pay and that's the money you already make from the job. go above and beyond and expect more pay, plain and simple.

i recently stayed at a certain four seasons and was BLOWN AWAY by the housekeeping team. i have stayed at various FS locations before, but these guys took the cake. our room was cleaned TWICE daily and it looked flawless every time, organizing my 24309234923 beauty products, folding my husband's clothing, taking his shoes out to be shined, etc. i seriously wish i could afford to have these people come live with us because their work was so outstanding and their tip reflected that.

[glistenpearls]

standard 15% for restaurants and my hairdresser/beautician. i gave less than 15% in restaurants before, but that due to bad services. I also gave few dollars to hotel maids but not concierge or bellboy mainly because we carried our own luggages to our room and we never really have special requests or directions (we always carry our laptop so we can just get directions before we go out).

[gutu28]

I really wish that everyone would have to serve as a waitress or be a hotel maid for a week or two in their lives. I wait tables at a bar&grill type restaurant. Minimum wage for waitresses is STILL $2.13/hr and that's what most of us still get. There are some restaurants that are nice and bump it up to $3/hr. 18% of my total sales are automatically claimed for taxes. This means if I don't make at least 18% on a shift, then I am essentially PAYING to wait on tables. I get it..recession and everyone is broke. If you can't afford to tip your waitress at least 18-20%, the skip that extra beer or appetizer. I shouldn't have to suffer because you're trying to cut back on your spending.

Another thing that gets me..those of y'all who have teenage children that can go out to eat by themselves, PLEASE teach them how to tip! Nothing irritates me more than when I get 5-6 who take up my table for 2 hours to drink water, eat a basket of fries, and not leave a tip.

Also..if you go somewhere to watch a 3-4 hour football/basketball/fill in appropriate sport here game and stay the entire time the game is on..you tip more than the customary 18-20%. We make money to pay our bills by rotating tables. I miss out on anywhere from $20-$50 when you sit there for 4 hours.

Lastly..PLEASE tip your hotel maids. They are making minimum wage to CLEAN your TOILET! You should read Nickel and Dimed to see how hard maids and other minimum wage earners work to make sure your toilet is clean, your cappuccino is frothy, and your salad has enough tomatoes in it.

Sorry..I get going about this kind of stuff. I have worked as a waitress all through college and it amazes me how clueless some people about service workers and some of the ridiculous demands we get from customers.

..off my soapbox..

[dr. twiggers]

I usually tip 20-25% for food....I've tipped 50% for my favorite waitress at a regular breakfast joint.

I don't tip furniture delivery people.....I already paid the furniture store an outrageous fee for delivery....and the delivery guys usually end up rubbing a wall or something.

I tip my movers though....I want them to move quick and save me some money. I also feed them.

I tip the hairdresser (usually around 20%), the dog groomer (about 10%), bartenders (usually $1 + whatever change they gave me), valet (usually a buck or two - which kills me because I'm paying $25/day for them to park my car), etc. Oh, I also tip taxi drivers or shuttle drivers.

I don't tip at fast food restaurants (including Sonic) or the concierge (I usually don't use their services). I've argued with DH about the maids at hotels...he doesn't agree, but I try to sneak money here and there.

I do feel like this has become a tip nation.....people from Europe (where they don't really tip, right?) must have a heart attack when they come here. I understand rewarding for exceptional service....but when you give subpar service (i.e. hotel room not cleaned in a timely manner, slow valet service, etc.) why should you get anything extra?

[glistenpearls]

^^ True. I lived in Australia for 15 years before I moved to the US 2.5 years ago, I was shocked! In Australia is not a custom to give tips. Once in a while I did give tips, but that's because I'm a regular customer and I know the manager well.
Mmm...I'm not sure about giving tips to Sonic? I only been to their drive through, so I don't see why I need to give tips. But then I never give tips to any fast food restaurants, you normally clean up after yourself at fast food places, even I refill my own drinks, so why tipping? they are not a full service restaurants.

[Vegas Long Legs]

[QUOTE=gutu28;12792233] Minimum wage for waitresses is STILL $2.13/hr and that's what most of us still get. There are some restaurants that are nice and bump it up to $3/hr. 18% of my total sales are automatically claimed for taxes. This means if I don't make at least 18% on a shift, then I am essentially PAYING to wait on tables. I get it..recession and everyone is broke. If you can't afford to tip your waitress at least 18-20%, the skip that extra beer or appetizer. I shouldn't have to suffer because you're trying to cut back on your spending.
QUOTE]

I worked for $1.05 as a waitress. It was a job I had for one summer, what I choose to do at the time. When the job no longer suited me, I moved on to something that did.

The system is broke when you are paying to work as a waitress & no one sees this as wrong. The blame lies directly with your greedy boss & the whole industry. They are the ones who've successful brianwashed waiters to blame the customers for this. There is no reason why they can't change this. They won't cause of greed & they can find those that will work under these rules.
If you are being paid less than minimum wage at anytime you need to file with the state. There are laws in every state against this. I am talking not making minimum wage after tips, where one claims they have to pay to work there.