To Tip or Not to Tip?
(LN, this one’s for you!)
A friend of mine carries a tip card, similar to the one at left (image from tipping.org), in her purse when we go out. At the end of the meal, she can pop it out, scan the columns and know how much to leave if she wants to give 10%, 15%, 20%. At restaurants, we always leave 20%, partly because I once was a waitress and partly because we were just raised that way: my parents left 20%; her parents left 20%.
Another person I know used to work at Pizza Hut; he was a manager for several years, actually, and once when we were out, tipping came up. “You’d be surprised at how often people don’t leave a tip,” he told me.
Really?
I’m unconvinced. Those of us who are concerned about money: we wouldn’t stiff a server, would we? Please tell me: do you tip? how often? how much? do you have certain rules you follow?
Is it different for restaurants? hair salons? bellboys?
And I wonder, slightly guilty: do you tip the guys at the car wash? the barista at Starbucks? the counter kids at Coldstone?
If you want to think before you answer, here are some links to chew on:
Jonathan Raleigh: Is Tipping Getting out of Hand or Am I?
CNN: How Much to Tip
Get Rich Slowly: Basic Tips on Tipping
Kiplinger’s:Tipping
Filed under customer service, the everyday |
6 Responses to “To Tip or Not to Tip?”
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I always tip at dine-in restaurants, but not the 20% as suggested by many people and websites, UNLESS it’s a special occasion or I’m feeling really good that night. I normally tip between 10%-15%. If the waiter or waitress has an attitude like their not happy to serve me and acts like I’m a bother when I need something I don’t leave them a penny. As for other jobs I don’t tip. I would tip the guys that carry bags at the hotel, but I carry my own to save money
Hubby and I tip heavily. Usually 20%+ (sometimes as high as 50%)… and we include tax when we calculate the tip, too. Our tips are based on things like quality of service, friendliness of server, whether or not we’re “regulars,” and the type of restaurant (I tip a larger % in small diners than in fancy-pants places… I think those servers need it/deserve it more).
We give out tips of this size for four reasons:
1. Hubby and I both worked in the restaurant industry for quite a while.
2. Hubby and I are both grateful for what we have now, and generous tips gives us a chance to help those who aren’t as fortunate.
3. Things change, and one day Hubby and I might found ourselves in the restaurant biz again. We consider this good “tip karma.”
4. We tend to frequent the same restaurants over and over again, and tips are “To Insure Prompt Service.”
We tend to tip the same percentage to things like hair stylists and bellboys. We tend to skimp on tips for things like baristas and such, but we usually give them our change. (We may be generous tippers, but there is a line that must be drawn. Truth is, there’s not much difference in service quality or time between my local coffee shop and a McDonald’s.)
In restaurants, Hubby and I can generally recognize if a problem is the kitchen’s fault or the server’s fault. And we also look around to see how busy the server is. If the service is truly lousy, we’ll cut a tip back to 15% before tax. (But that’s the minimum. I had some crappy days as a waitress, too, and I probably wasn’t super nice to all my customers.)
I guess tipping is one place where we aren’t very frugal, which is why we have to cut back on our dining out!
Oh, tipping. This is a sticky one for me. As someone who has worked as a waitress I know first hand how difficult it can be — but ironically, this has made me a tougher sell when it comes to tipping. I tip 20%+ for great service but generally 15%. For poor service I have no problem tipping 10% or less (but, always leave something. It is, after all, a shitty job). What really gets me is how suddenly EVERYONE wants a tip. Not just for service beyond the call of duty but for service at all, particularly here in Manhattan. Examples: This is an ongoing issue with my do-nothing super who expects a tip BEFORE doing his job. The grocery bagger. The dry cleaner. The deli clerk. The grocery clerk. And these are folks in my day-to-day, to say nothing of the rest. I generally do not support this tipping because I feel its the boss’s responsibility to pay a fair wage and tipping encourages the people hiring to say, “well, we won’t pay you much, after all you get tips!”… and that ultimately shifts the cost to all of us. Great service=yes, Expected service=no.
Thanks for the post, gradgirl!
Having worked in a restaurant, I really try to tip well. Especially if I go out to eat on a Sunday, I try to give a really good tip because of the testimony issue.
I wouldn’t tip the barista at Starbucks or the bagger at the grocery store; he is getting paid for his job.
On Rachael Ray’s show $40/day, she barely tips at all. I know she is trying to save money, but I hope everybody does not follow that example!
I read through JD’s comments again and saw one that said something to the effect you are being serviced for something you did not want to do (laziness), but could, then leave a tip. what?!
I am a librarian, I provide service. I guide you through the research process (often holding your hand), lead you to information sources and teach you how to evaluate them. Should I put out a tip jar?! No, it’s my job to do the above-mentioned and more.
I am reluctant to embrace the mentality that because one works in the service industry, a tip is in order. If servers depend on tips to round out their low-paying wages is that the same line ice cream and coffee shop folks use to justify their tip jars? If so, might I mention librarians are pulling down massive salaries despite the required master’s degree!
by the way, thanks for visiting my blog!
oops….
librarians are NOT pulling down massive salaries despite the required master’s degree!