Tipping (street, percent, woman, story) - Page 13 - City-Data Forum

Mike from back east · 12-16-2006, 12:24 PM

I tip nicely in bars and conventional restaurants (not fast food) and put my change in the bucket at starbucks. At my insistence, the local Quizno's now has a tip bucket too....minimum wage people who make great sandwiches for my wife and I are welcome to my coins or a dollar bill.....it won't kill me....

I tip those who work for my benefit, from the trash truck and recycling guys to the letter carrier. Always at Xmas, always $20 per person. Yesterday I tipped the trash trucks guys (a 2-man crew) and he made a note of where I lived and said "we remember the people that remember us." I'll never have any issues getting MY trash picked up....

Pay-by-mail forms for my newspapers and for the home milk deliveries include a spot on the form for a tip, which I do at Xmas only.

When we moved from VA to CO, I tipped the guys who loaded the semi for the van lines and the guys who unloaded it here. These guys are "occasional labor" and usually hang around truck stops or van line offices and get very little pay. We had large, heavy pieces and those guys worked their butts off. Tipped 'em too.

When we bought several rooms of new furniture here, yes, we tipped the furniture delivery guys, who assembled it and set it up for us. I think it was my usual $20 per person.

So yes, SableBaby, if you wanna give each guy a $5 tip for delivering a chair, they'll be grateful, you will too when you see the smile on their face....

We need to remember those who serve us, even though they get a paycheck. A smile when they visit and a tip or gift at Xmas goes a long way to improving the level of pleasantness we all feel each day....

I'm partial to waitresses....my Mom was one....her tips kept together a family of 4 kids and an invalid husband....tip tip tip....you never know how needy some of those folks are....

And I wish a pox, bird flu, swine flu, and black plague on people who kick others when they're down....

s/Mike

sablebaby · 12-16-2006, 03:07 PM

Nice post Mike, it is nice to be nice to others.

And, I'm really learning this concept of abundance. Giving money out to the universe will come back tenfold (or something like that).

It's funny though, I worked 5 years on tips (through undergrad) as a pizza delivery girl. Sometimes I'd get a tip of $5-$20, just for delivering one pizza to a customer's door. So, that kinda puts my big chair in perspective (even though I'm paying the company $50 for delivery).

square peg · 12-17-2006, 01:06 AM

For about 3 years I delivered and installed furniture and appliances. The company I worked for did not charge for simple delivery and set up. Some of the more complicated installations such as dishwashers and built-in wall ovens that required additional labor carried an installation fee.

Usually there was pleasant conversation with the buyers as they were feeling chipper even if their old refrigerator had just bought the farm and wasted a weeks worth of groceries. Seldom were there any tips though and I did not expect them. The few that I received were most likely to come from blue collar types around the holidays. To this day (and it's been over ten years since I did that work) my wife and I will be out driving and I'll point to a house and proudly tell her what I installed in there. I always thought it a bit odd that a pizza deliverer would likely get a tip and a guy who brought you a big side by side refrigerator or sectional sofa would not. Not complaining here - just saying. When a big ticket item is purchased, money is exchanged at the store. Pizza, on the other hand, is paid for in cash at the front door. Maybe this is the difference.

exhdo1 · 12-17-2006, 08:43 AM

I usually do. Right now I'm in the process of taking care of the garbage guys, mailman and paper guy. I take care of the garbage guys a couple of times a year and I'm sure they appreciate it, my lids are always back on the cans and "ALL" my garbage is always picked up. My paper guy always makes sure that my paper is inside my storm door regardless of weather and mailman is just a great guy. I know they all get paid to do their jobs but I like to give a little extra. As far as deliveries I normally do. I also take care of my automotive guy. We have our vehicles (5) all serviced at the same place. The young guy that does oil changes and tire rotations is a great kid. There is never an issue when he services our cars and most importantly they are always as clean when we get them back as when we dropped them off. As far as waiters and waitresses, there are some restaurants that we go to very often. We always request the same people. We know them on a first name basis and we are always well taken care of. As far as visiting a new restaurant we tip on the level of service received.

exhdo1 · 12-17-2006, 08:46 AM

I usually do. Right now I'm in the process of taking care of the garbage guys, mailman and paper guy for the holidays. I take care of the garbage guys a couple of times a year and I'm sure they appreciate it, my lids are always back on the cans and "ALL" my garbage is always picked up. My paper guy always makes sure that my paper is inside my storm door regardless of weather and the mailman is just a great guy. I know they all get paid to do their jobs but I like to give a little extra. As far as deliveries I normally do if I think the delivery guys were carefull with my delivery. I also take care of my automotive guy. We have our vehicles (5) all serviced at the same place. The young guy that does oil changes and tire rotations is a great kid. There is never an issue when he services our cars and most importantly they are always as clean when we get them back as when we dropped them off, (something I cannot say about the dealer I just took one of my cars to for a recall repair). As far as waiters and waitresses, there are some restaurants that we go to very often. We always request the same people. We know them on a first name basis and we are always well taken care of and we take care of them the same. As far as visiting a new restaurant we tip on the level of service received.

rdbeard5 · 12-17-2006, 09:10 AM

Check this site out. I'll expect my tip in mail for sharing this!

http://www.betidy.com/trivtip.html (broken link)

dandevder · 12-18-2006, 06:53 AM

wow! I would not have considered even tipping half of those people! I feel like such a cheapo now!

My hubby did appliance delivery for several years and tips were not often given. So I asked him about it and he said..."when someone offered a tip I usually went out of my way to make sure that person was satisfied. Even if it meant doing something he was not required to do like moving other furniture or taking equipment out of the house." ( there was a charge to do it) He also said he remebered who tipped, so they got better service the next time.

FL_TN_Nana · 12-18-2006, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

And I wish a pox, bird flu, swine flu, and black plague on people who kick others when they're down....s/Mike

Why would you think not tipping would be the same as "kicking others when they're down?" I don't think anyone not tipping a delivery person deserves the wish you gave. Most of us tip or give a Christmas gift to some of the same people you do...we just don't tell everybody who and how much we tip any more than we tell everybody how much we give at church or to charities. In fact, I'd rather give an extra $20 to someone who needs it yet does not perform any service for me. That takes any selfish motive out of the giving.

DTexas85 · 12-18-2006, 08:47 AM

Sometimes I tip the boy who carries my groceries out to my car, especially if it's raining, cold or I have alot of bags. And even sometimese when I only have 2 bags, but he insists on carrying them out for me. It's usually no more than change or a buck and I say "this is for a coke on your break", because I do know for a fact they are not to accept a tip....I just kinda sneak it in.
Also, don't know if you all have Sonic drive-ins or not, but we do big time here in Texas, and I had never thought about tipping the car hop until my daughter worked there her Soph. year in HS, and she sometimes brought home $40-$50 in just one evening.

Dedalus · 12-18-2006, 02:33 PM

...as American as apple pie. Go to Europe where there is no tipping, and experience truly terrible restaurant service. I recall being in London and waiting for about 10 minutes (I was the only person in the place) while the server finished talking to her friend. Never happen in the USA. (I tipped them anyway - 10%.)

I did restaurant work, have done all kinds of manual labor jobs...yeah, you better believe you get better service if you pony up "a little something." Why not? It gives you, the consumer, direct control over how much the person who waits on you is paid.