Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Politics and Other Controversies
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-10-2013, 03:16 AM
 
Location: England
26,272 posts, read 8,403,600 times
Reputation: 31335

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by marlinfshr View Post
Many businesses the tips is most or ALL of the income. No, I don't bother tipping fast food and carry outs but a sit down restaurant gets 20% and a bar, well at least 20%. bartenders work their but off serving me my drinks so I'm going to compensate them, They don't take the job to work for free.
So let me understand this..... you go in McDonalds say..... the workers there are running about in a feverish fashion preparing your ordered food. It is put on a tray, which you collect.... no tip. But, if instead, say for instance, staff in McDonalds had to carry the tray a few feet to your table, that is service, and deserves a tip. That is really the difference, as I see it, from fast food, to a restaurant.

You say "bartenders work their butt off serving me drinks, so I'm going to compensate them...." You mean like when they take the lid off a bottle of beer? I think you have to be an outsider like me to see how ridiculous it is. I feel many Americans are frightened of being called 'tightwads' or something equally ridiculous. Last year my wife and I, and two American friends went in a bar. This is a locals bar, not the tourist area. We had a very pleasant few hours drinking Bud lights..... so American.... I loved it. Anyway, a tab was run up, and we got the bill at the end. Our friend told us the cost, plus the tip, which we split. After we left, I asked, "why do we have to tip the guy for taking the top off our beers, is he very lowly paid like wait staff?" My friend said, "oh no, he'll probably be on minimum wage, wait staff get much less." So I said, "so why do you tip him then?" He looked puzzled, and said, "I don't know really.... they expect a tip."

I do understand tipping is ingrained in America, and of course, I tip accordingly. There is no way I am going to be served by wait staff, and not tip. I do understand they are paid below minimum wage. But, that doesn't make it right. No one in England is paid below minimum wage, wait staff, nobody. I just don't understand why wait staff are expected to jump through hoops to get tips, and make a living wage, while their employers get workers for peanuts. Sorry if I offend anybody, I am trying to keep this light, and with a slight tongue in cheek! But if you read all this thread, and others like it, there is a sense of some folks feeling tipping has got out of hand, and there is an expression of resentment from some. Especially some people feeling they're expected to tip people who are earning a much better living than they themselves are.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-10-2013, 04:54 AM
 
Location: USA
192 posts, read 321,464 times
Reputation: 283
I tip if the service is good, if it isn't and I tip I feel I send the wrong message. I may have others that may not agree but it is the same when you compliment someone, you wouldn't say great job when the job was less that great would you? I think that is a big problem and I just don't feel that I should give my hard earned money to someone who has not met the simple expectation in providing good service just because they expect it when overall my expectation is what will not only drive the tip but the amount of it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2013, 05:55 AM
 
Location: England
26,272 posts, read 8,403,600 times
Reputation: 31335
I'm trying to keep this light hearted, because I know nothing is going to change, The tipping culture is too deeply ingrained in American culture. I just find it curious how it started, goodness knows back when, and how it has evolved over the years. It's the deciding who deserves tips, and who doesn't I find interesting.

I can be served in a shop like say Macy's or jcpenney. The employees are very friendly and helpful I find. They don't get tipped, same as fast food workers, who also work very hard. But, if someone brings a plate of food to my table, this is different somehow. For some reason. these people are paid hardly anything by their employer, and the customer is expected to make up the shortfall. This doesn't make sense to me.

"Ah" Americans say, "I get better service by tipping." In other words, you want servers who jump to it, with a smile on their faces. "More coffee?" they say with a fixed grin. Plus every few minutes, "everything OK here?" Well, sorry, I don't need that. May be Americans like servers hovering nearby, awaiting a waved hand demanding more napkins...... I don't need it, but, I'm not used to it.

If a national vote was taken in the US with one question, 'should all tipping be banned, and employers have to pay at least minimum wage' I believe it would be a landslide 'yes' vote. I get the impression many folks aren't happy with the situation, and feel many servers make a better living than they do, yet feel pressured to tip because it is expected they do.

I also have fallen into the trap. I read somewhere that the people in my hotel who make up my bed expect tips. I didn't know this till a couple of years ago. So now, I give the maid $20 before we leave for home. I know I don't have to, but I do anyway.......well, I'd hate her to think I was a tightwad.......
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2013, 06:06 AM
 
34,254 posts, read 20,498,148 times
Reputation: 36244
Quote:
Originally Posted by English Dave View Post
I also have fallen into the trap. I read somewhere that the people in my hotel who make up my bed expect tips. I didn't know this till a couple of years ago. So now, I give the maid $20 before we leave for home. I know I don't have to, but I do anyway.......well, I'd hate her to think I was a tightwad.......
'ello, Dave! I don't think the housekeepers in Vegas EXPECT tips, but I am sure it is appreciated.

I heard tipping the maid in Vegas will get you lots of extra miniature bottles of shampoo and soaps, which you can then take home with you. We didn't tip the maids in Vegas, but we always come home with lots of little shampoos and soaps. Don't ask me why we do that.

I rarely tip except in very nice restaurants. But locally, we don't have many of those. But we do give $1 each at the buffet. And you are right, they don't do anything except bring our drinks. We go get our own food there. My bar days are over, but yes, i was a generous tipper when tipsy! And if you are a regular, it pays off. I remember being a regular and a lot of times, the barmaid would just wave off the price of the beer and I would put the $$ in her pocket. A little understanding we had.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2013, 06:14 AM
 
Location: England
26,272 posts, read 8,403,600 times
Reputation: 31335
Quote:
Originally Posted by _redbird_ View Post
'ello, Dave! I don't think the housekeepers in Vegas EXPECT tips, but I am sure it is appreciated.

I heard tipping the maid in Vegas will get you lots of extra miniature bottles of shampoo and soaps, which you can then take home with you. We didn't tip the maids in Vegas, but we always come home with lots of little shampoos and soaps. Don't ask me why we do that.
Hi red..... we do the same with the little bottles of shampoo. We put spare ones in a drawer, then take them home. They come in handy for other holidays in countries where the shampoo isn't very good. The shampoo in the 'Golden Nugget' is excellent.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2013, 03:21 PM
 
Location: Waiting for a streetcar
1,137 posts, read 1,387,365 times
Reputation: 1124
You should expect to tip everyone who provides personal services. You should be generous about it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-10-2013, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Riverside Ca
22,146 posts, read 33,381,488 times
Reputation: 35433
I tip if I get good service. If I get bad service I actually leave no tip. Its a GRATUITY not a requirement. Too many people are expecting a tip these days.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2013, 09:59 AM
 
Location: Newport Beach, California
39,044 posts, read 27,462,475 times
Reputation: 15955
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfw1979 View Post
Tipping..tipping and more tipping...where do you all stand on this?

I know the average person probably tips 15-20% when going out to eat, getting thier hair and nails done etc... but what about ohter things that maybe most don't tip? Is it fair to expect someone who is receiving flowers as a gift to tip the delivery person? How about furniture delivery? Most places if not all charge a decent delivry fee so are you still expected to tip the people that deliver it too? How about your mailman. Some people tip thier mailman around Xmas? How about when you are staying at a hotel and you have a few xtra towels brought up?

What do you think?
I always give a small gift to my mailman and UPS guy during holiday season. I am 28 years old and I've been doing this for at least 7 years. My new mail man looks like he is 100 years old and I feel bad for him because I always receive heavy packages, flowers, and gifts from friends, relatives all over the world. His hands look very rough and he has whole head of gray hair.

I think he deserves some special thanks from me.

If I stayed in the hotel, I normally just leave $10.00 on the table for the cleaning lady. That is about it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-15-2013, 10:28 PM
 
Location: South Carolina
3,010 posts, read 2,263,651 times
Reputation: 2157
I usually tip at a sit down restaurant though I will not tip at a buffet. If the only thing the waiter/waitress has to do is fill up my drink that is not enough for a tip.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-22-2013, 03:39 PM
 
Location: all over the place (figuratively)
6,611 posts, read 4,847,569 times
Reputation: 3596
I only tip waiters and occasionally the man who cuts my hair. There are many problems with tipping, including the possibility that it doesn't improve service.
Wells Joins the Gratuity Debate: 'Tipping Doesn't Work' - Tipping - Eater NY

There's a better article out there from someone in the restaurant business who explains how servers often don't care about a given customer's generosity, but I'm not sure how to find it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Politics and Other Controversies
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:38 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top