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This weekend, I noticed two ridiculous examples of pandering for tips. The Starbucks drive-thru had a tip container built into the cashier window. Okay, they already charge a ridiculous amount of money for coffee and they expect a tip on top of that? I paid $8 for two grande coffees and they want a tip too? What do they do that is any different than a Taco Bell worker? In fact, the Taco Bell worker does more work. The Starbucks worker simply pours some coffee into a cup, some non-fat milk and a pump of peppermint flavor from a plastic container and that warrants $1-2 in tips?
The second example is at Pappa Johns pizza. At Pappa John, they had a tip cup for people carrying out pizza. If you order delivery, you are required to pay a Delivery Charge and are expected to tip the Driver. So when I pick up pizza, I'm supposed to tip too now? Well helI, why don't I just tip the guy at Wendys who makes my burger while I'm at it or how about cashier at Wal-Mart for bagging my merchandise.
Tipping is ridiculous. When I went to pick up my pizza, I wrote a big fat zero with a line crossed through it indicating no tip and the cashier gave me a dirty look. Don't pander to these people by tipping them. I'm a great tipper when it is warranted (dining in a restaurant) but unnecessary tipping leads to more unnecessary tipping. For example at a hotel, you can end up broke tipping people (the person who opens your cab door, the person who takes your luggage to the room, the maids, and when you leave the hotel to venture into the city, you are supposed to tip the person who calls your cab and then the person who then opens your cab door. I understand tipping the bell hop who brings your luggage to the room but why do I need to tip someone for opening a cab door, I can do that on my own, I don't need to give you $2-$3 for doing that.
You should tip generously when it is warranted and when someone has gone out of their way to provide good service. But mindless tipping is unwarranted and sets a poor precedent. According to Judith Martin, the infamous "Miss Manners" and authority on etiquette, you are not expected to tip for picking up food because several costs are built into a food item. For example, restaurant food includes not only the price of the food itself but also the accoutrements involved with the restaurant such as the furniture, ambience (music, scene of the ocean etc) yet when carrying out food, you are not receiving any of those services yet are paying for it so it is not customary to tip in these cases.
I agree. EVERYWHERE is asking for a tip; even places that are essentially fast food.
Location: Georgia, on the Florida line, right above Tallahassee
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Had a friend that used to be a manager of a Little Ceasar's pizza place about 15 years ago or so. They had a deal, 2 medium pizzas for $8.88. I thought it was a good deal. He told me it took them 10 cents to make a small, 15 cents for a medium and 20 cents for a large pizza. The rest was for overhead... store costs, lighting, running the freezer, rent for the location, etc. and for worker pay, and profit.
Those two pizzas for $8.88 cost them 30 cents to make.
I used to work for Hardee's 20 something years ago, when I was in high school. The "cheese" they used costs them 1 cent a slice. It costs the customer 25 cents extra, if I recall. Same for drinks. I can buy a 2 liter at the local gas station for $1.50. Or I can go to a place and pay 3 bucks for a 20 oz. glass. That's more expensive than gasoline. And a whole lot easier to make, too.
Where I used to live, in southern New England one of the fish markets I used to go to had the audacity to put a tip jar on the counter. They aready charged an arm and a leg for the fish and all they did was weigh the piece in the case that I told them I wantd and wrap it up and take my money. Just imagine if there was a tip jar at the bakery and deli and meat counter of your grocery store.
Geeze! I help people save thousands of dollars every year on health insurance with my sage advice about types of plans to purchase that don't have hidden risks or exposures people normally don't think about. I'd LOVE it if people gave me just a 5% of the savings I showed them how to realize not to mention the increased protections and coverage they ended up with as a result of coming to me. versus going to a competitor.
I think people that expect tips (from me at least) for no extra service, ar barking up the wrong tree.
Counter people are not to be tipped for doing their job. If they do something extraordinary then it's fine but it should not be a regular thing.
Of course waiters and waitresses should get at least 18% just for having a pulse. If they are absolutely terrible then tell them you'd have tipped more and detail your reasons. NEVER withhold a tip from a server for something the kitchen screwed up. If the server is incompetent then ask for a different server. Ask to talk to the manager and let them know, politely, why you are dissatisfied.
Always tip the bellman, minimum of a dollar per bag upon arrival and departure, and a fiver at the very minimum.
Never tip your bartender in change! Tip at least a dollar a round for yourself and at least 20% of the total bill when buying a round for a group. Feel free to tip heavy! You will be rewarded. Bartenders have long memories. If some bartender refers to himself as a mixologist then leave and find a real bar. No self respecting bartender would ever call themselves a mixologist. That's for metro-sexual poseurs.
Never tip the owner of any establishment! So if you go to Moe's Barbershop and Moe takes care of you, you don't tip him.
In a hotel assume anyone who does a service for you ought to be tipped.
Chambermaids: $10 per person per night.
Door man, who often double as valet parking: $5 minimum anytime they take/deliver the car, or just if they're getting you the door.
Room service, one of life's little luxuries, typically add a gratuity so normally just sign.
Take especially good care of the concierge as they can work miracles. If they do anything for you at all then upon departure make sure you leave an envelope with at least a $50. In hotels that don't have a concierge, if you rely on the front desk person for more than check in and check out they deserve a tip.
There is a class system in any good hotel and people should be tipped according to their station, however, exceptional service always warrants an exceptional gratuity.
Yikes! I think you're hotel guide to tipping is a bit extreme. $50 to concierge?!? Never heard this before.
Yikes! I think you're hotel guide to tipping is a bit extreme. $50 to concierge?!? Never heard this before.
One can only imagine you have never been a guest at the type of hotel that employs a concierge if you think it is excessive to tip him $50 for his services.
One can only imagine you have never been a guest at the type of hotel that employs a concierge if you think it is excessive to tip him $50 for his services.
I don't deny that a concierge can be valuable but when I ask him for directions once I'm not sure he deserves $50.
On the other hand, we had a great doorman/concierge (or at least he acted like one) at a hotel in SF and my dad gave him a handsome gratuity for all his knowledge that he gave us.
I don't deny that a concierge can be valuable but when I ask him for directions once I'm not sure he deserves $50.
On the other hand, we had a great doorman/concierge (or at least he acted like one) at a hotel in SF and my dad gave him a handsome gratuity for all his knowledge that he gave us.
I've had concierges get us theater tickets that had been sold out, find someone that would dry clean clothes in the middle of the night, get us reservations at the most popular restaurant in town....those are just a few of the things a concierge has done for me and mine over the years.
of course, I was in the restaurant and hotel business for quite a few years, so I know that not all guests are going to tip as they should.
BTW, who said that directions are worth $50?
Finally an issue that unites the left and the right.
It just might be the only thing in the world Ovcatto and Chango can agree about too.
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