[MickeysMommy]

I just read a very interesting article on the BBC website regarding the author's view of the American custom of tipping. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7927983.stm

I'd like to know what all of you think about 'the mechanics of tipping American style'. Do you think that tipping ensures good service, etc, or do you think that it's superfluous?

 

[Jinx]

i don't think it ensures good service, but i tend to tip less for bad service and more for good service. that is service only. the waiter/waitress isn't responsible for your food not being cooked properly.

 

[sarah]

I have worked in alot of restaurants in Australia. Here it is not customary to tip and majority of the time people don't. The restaurant employee's base wage usually is enough to cover basic living expenses so it's a bit different. If people DO tip I know for a fact that most restaurants "pool" the tips and they get given out equally to all the staff at the end of the night. Plus, if you pay for your meal by credit card... how do you know it goes to the staff and not the restaurant owner? I doubt it does so what's the point in tipping?

When we were in Hawaii, we ate at one restaurant which the food was great. At the end of the night the waiter gave us our docket and actually worked out and wrote on the docket how much each tip would cost us. IE: If we left 5% it was this much, 10% this much, 15% this much. At first we were a bit peeved... we found it rude. In our country, this would be rude. But we figured it must be a custom thing (??) and paid him a 10% tip and left.

 

[Jefferson'n'Ted]

Usually, American wait staff work mostly for tips. They get little to no base pay.
I tip 20% whenever I go out.

 

[Jinx]

...At the end of the night the waiter gave us our docket and actually worked out and wrote on the docket how much each tip would cost us. IE: If we left 5% it was this much, 10% this much, 15% this much. At first we were a bit peeved... we found it rude. In our country, this would be rude. But we figured it must be a custom thing (??) and paid him a 10% tip and left.

i think that's a bit rude. if the service is good i tend to tip more than 15% anyways. that would put me off. and i try to have cash for a tip and give it to the waiter/waitress personally as opposed to just leaving it on the table.

 

[sarah]

Jinx said

i think that's a bit rude. if the service is good i tend to tip more than 15% anyways. that would put me off. and i try to have cash for a tip and give it to the waiter/waitress personally as opposed to just leaving it on the table.

we tipped 15% almost everywhere else in Hawaii when we were there for the week except that dude.

 

[Jinx]

i have a friend that was amazed i tip for delivery service. he never does. i wonder how often people spit in his food. not that i do it for that reason, but still.

 

[sarah]

I am always hesitant to send a meal back if I am not happy with it in a restaurant in fear of the whole 'spitting' in food thing ... or something worse!

 

[Halle and Mavericks Mom]

I believe in tipping for good service Having had a son who worked in the service industry I always tip well. Its a hard job and the pay stinks.

 

[amazongold]

Usually, American wait staff work mostly for tips. They get little to no base pay.
I tip 20% whenever I go out.

We do the same unless the service was poor. In that case, the tip can be reduced to 15% or even 10%.

 

[Allie]

I always tip for good service...20% generally, including pizza delivery. If you pay by CC, the waiters keep their slips and are given that credit at the end of the day, so CC tips are definitely acknowledged. I don't mind when they add up the tip percentages at the bottom--makes it easy to see how much to tip if you want. I don't think it's rude--it's understood you should tip.

I will add that while I have no problem tipping well for good service, I don't tip well for subpar service. If you're slow or don't fill drinks in a timely manner, the most you're getting is $2. It would have to be horrible for me NOT to tip, though. Getting $2 an hour sucks balls.

 

[rubberballs]

I tip 20 percent unless I am drunk. Then I tip 50 percent or more

 

[AZLAB]

I tip 20% if I receive good service. Also quite often mum and I split a meal. But if we are doing so we always order an appetizer and a full meal. I am also known to tip based on service if I am eating in a "cheap" place. Just because I had the $2.99 breakfast special doesn't mean the waitstaff worked less than someplace that charges $7 or $8 for the same thing. If the bill is under $15 it is rare I leave less than a $3 tip.

I also tip if I have food delivered. And I leave $1 per person at a buffet for the staff if they have cleared the plates etc.

I do not tip if I have furniture or something delivered unless they do extra. For instance I had a new sofa delivered a year ago and my BR and nephew had not made it over to haul the old one to the alley where the junk people will grab it. I had just shoved it into the middle of the floor so the delivery people could get the new one in. They offered to haul it across the yard and out my back gate to the alley for me. I gave each of them $5 for what took them about 2 minutes. When the men delivered my new freezer a few years back hauling to old one away was included. But I ask them if they could give me 5 minutes to sweep and mop the floor while the hole was empty. I tipped them because they had to wait while I cleaned. But not only did they do that but they shoved my fridge which sets right next to the freezer out without being ask so I could clean there also.

 

[Allie]

Yeah, I wouldn't think to tip for furniture or appliance delivery. When we moved I did tip the movers--I think about $25 each. But they worked fast and were really nice (we were paying by the hour).

Do you guys tip bag boys? I know it says not to at some stores like Publix, but they do still accept tips (apparently). I never tip those guys, mostly because I never even have $1 on me.

 

[Bob Pr.]

In the USA, the wait staff are typically paid minimum wage. I tip 20% for good, adequate, satisfactory service but proportionately less for poor, inattentive, slow service and somewhat more for outstanding service.

 

[sarah]

OK I guess from a perspective of someone is a whole different country (IE: me!) My question Bob is

Why tip for crap service at all??? Shouldn't it be tip accordingly for outstanding/great/good/adequate/satisfactory service and no tipping for service less than satisfactory?

 

[AbbyandMolly]

When we go out to eat we typically tip 20%. Like you all have said more or less depending on quality of service.

My brother is a server, and he has gotten some amazing tips (and some crappy ones too). This one man was on the news for winning the lottery and he frequents the restaurant my brother works at. He left a $100 tip on a $40 bill!! I'd love to get tipped like that all the time (haha). His base salary is something crazy like $2.15 per hour.

I don't know how it works at all places but a lot of waitstaff have to tip out the people who help them (people who buss tables, bar staff, and some places the hostess). There are usually set percentages that they have to give.

 

[gailatmsu]

We generally tip 20-25% when dining out, little less if dervice isn't great and more if its awesome.


Groceries, I generally shop at the commissary and the baggers are paid salaries from tips. I generally give them 5-10 or so, more around holidays since I generally get the same couple of people. I figure it takes them 10 mins at the most so 30/hr isn't shabby if everyone gives about 5.


The boys' hair stylist gets a 50% tip because she is so awesome with them. We see her on base pretty often and she always makes sure to talk to us and the kids, and she remembers their favorite colors for their suckers. She's also very patient with the kids. Jason uses her too (she's at the barber shop on base).


We don't have deliveries often but we also tip for that. When we have a pet sitter come in, we also leave her a gift (usually a nice candle) and a tip.

 

[Labs4life]

I tip all the time and it depends on the circumstance. Restautants I tip minimum 20%. Door service at the hotel 5 bucks a the start of my stay and 5 when I leave. Cleaning staff gets 5 bucks at the begining of my stay and 5 when I leave. If I use the free hotel shuttle service I tip 3 to 5 dollar each way.

I average 40 dollars a week in non food tips.I do not claim anything on my expense reports other than meal tips as our accounting department doesn't understand that people with service jobs make their wages from tips.

 

[blacklabparent]

OK I guess from a perspective of someone is a whole different country (IE: me!) My question Bob is

Why tip for crap service at all??? Shouldn't it be tip accordingly for outstanding/great/good/adequate/satisfactory service and no tipping for service less than satisfactory?

That's here too. If you don't do your job, or do it poorly, why in the hell amd I going to tip you? You don't get a yearly bonus for crappy work, why should foodservice staff get tips for poor service? Bad service = no tip from me. But it hads to be bad service.

That said, if I get exemplary service, I tip well above, and I make a point to speak with the manager or supervisor on the way out about an employee who excels at their job. I think customer praise goes a long way too.