Do you tip? When and/or for what?

odddrums

I just always find it interesting to see how other people feel about tipping.

I tip for great service, though I've noticed it's become rather expected here in California. Still, my time delivering pizzas and working in kitchens has made me appreciate when the food comes quickly and with a smile. Same with valets and doormen, and especially barbers. I usually wait too long between haircuts so I feel a tip is due for dealing with my mangled mess of hair.

Thoughts?

Gestahl

Seeing as many workers can only make a livable wage (or effectively any wage at all) off of tips, I consider it a social obligation to tip for restaurants and food delivery... usually 20%. A little more for being totally awesome. 15% for unusually bad service. I think I've only not left a tip twice, and those were after being completely abandoned for more than an hour.

Never really been around valets or doormen, but I'm the same way with barbers - my hair is a mess, so an extra $5-$10 is usually in order.

aquarabbit

I always tip for food. Usually 20% for table or pickup service (15% if it's horrible service) and 25% for delivery. I haven't gone to the hair dressers in so long but when I did, it was 15-20% there too. Valets and doormen, usually a 30%. I can't say for sure, since it's usually some extra cash on top of what I'm giving them, but I'll always give them some extra even if I get validated. And at our grocery store, people walk your bags out to the parking lot with you, so that's usually between $3-5. I hate cash, so I've been in situations where I haven't had any extra money on me for a valet or the grocery lady, but I try and do something at least. I've gotten them coffees and snacks before too since I can buy that with my card. I had one valet who thought that me buying him his favorite coffee was the coolest thing ever. So anyways, I always try to do something.

bizco

I consider it a social obligation to tip for restaurants and food delivery.. 15% for unusually bad service

15% for BAD service? No way, not this chick.

wolverine66

i try to tip well, generally. I will hold back if the service is especially bad - but sometimes the person who i am dealing with (i.e. the waiter) may not be the source of the bad service.

i find that if you have been in the service industry, you are more likely to be a decent tipper. There are exceptions. I know a woman who is currently in the service industry and is an awful tipper because she is hyper-critical.

Sarah4fitness

In before the drama.

Because there will be drama. This topic incites drama on every forum I've ever seen.

Here's the thing, I live in California, where (particularly) servers in restaurants are paid below minimum wage, and expected to "break even" or make more money in tips than they do on their hourly, thereby increasing their very low hourly wage to a living wage. I have worked in the service industry, as a bartender and sailor on a tourist catamaran (in Hawaii), as a waiter, and barback, and busser in a restaurant. I would never, ever imagine going to a restaurant with sit-down service and leaving anything less than a 15% tip. In the grossest occasions where the service has been outright rude, I've left 10% and a note to the server to explain why.

I think all positions should be paid at least minimum wage, but until that system is fixed, I believe that the few extra bucks I'm leaving means more to those who receive it than it does to me, or I shouldn't be eating out in the first place.

It may be a partially generational thing; my parents are far better off financially than I am, but they try to do cheap things like deduct the tax from the total to figure the tip, or deduct alcohol (dafuq?!) or count it down to a penny rather than rounding up a buck. I find it shameful and embarrassing for them.

headofphat

Servers/Waiters-always tip unless the service is terrible.

Pizza guy-No way. He gets paid to deliver the pizza and isn't on a waiters/servers pay scale.

Hair person- I don't have hair now so it's not a problem but i was raised by a hair dresser and i asked her one day why people tip and she shrugged her shoulders and said " i don't know". If you're paying $15 (avg) for a men's haircut and they can knock out 3 to 4 of those an hour then that is $45 to $60 an hour cutting hair. please don't feed me the bs about paying a booth fee. there isn't a small business owner on the planet who doesn't pay fees to work.

seltzermint555

I used to be a bad tipper (or worse tipper) in restaurants because my parents and grandparents "taught me" that 10% was the appropriate amount. I just thought "oh ok that's simple" and I feel kind of bad now because I was probably 27 yrs old before I found out otherwise, or realized I should switch it up when I get a $4.99 appetizer and water...that 50 cents wouldn't be an appropriate tip on that check, lol. I now tip anywhere from 20%-30% or even more depending on service and how long I occupy the space - my girlfriends and I have the habit of hanging out in a booth for 3 hours (non-busy restaurant/bar) and tipping very well due to that.

Honestly I don't *mind* tipping at all but I've had conversations (online and irl) with servers and past servers who have delusional ideas (IMHO) about any tip under $10 being a slap in the face and I personally think that's absurd unless they work in a pretty nice restaurant where everyone's getting steaks & alcohol on their bill. Sorry servers, but I'm not leaving a $14 tip on my $21.50 bill.

I rarely go to salons for any reason but when I do, I tip usually somewhere between $2-7 - I have very rarely had any service over $30-ish so I have no clue what is really appropriate or "correct".

If I stay one night in a hotel or motel I don't leave a tip but if I am there for 2-3 nights or more I'll leave something in the range of $5-10 in the room on checkout.

I always leave my change in the tip jar at places like Starbucks, Chipotle, etc. If the change is under 50 cents or the people working there seemed extra cool/friendly I will drop in a buck or two. And I always leave at least a buck or two in their jar at the local coffeehouse where they know me.

I LOATHE Sonic but on the rare occasion I go on someone else's insistence, I'll always round up to the nearest dollar for my carhop if I have cash and I'm paying. Maybe more if it's icy/snowy. Otherwise, nada.

On the rare occasion I order food to be delivered I always tip around $3-5.

I'm so clueless, really...I take a cab like once every 3-4 years on work trips and that's it. I've given the driver an extra $3-5 when paying cash.

Really interested to see others' responses because I am admittedly CLUELESS!

Derp_Diggler

No! Why would I pay someone for bringing me food that they get paid to bring me? I tip strippers because they usually give a little extra, but what does tipping a waitress get me?

Loogie free food?

WendyTerry420

I always tip for pizza delivery, but I don't eat out or get my hair done or any other service that involves employees who work off tips.

miss_jessiejane

I'm an excellent tipper, because I was a waitress for many years, and I hated people that ran me ragged and then left me a cruddy tip. Even bad service gets a tip, because waitress pay is terrible.

PinkyFett

I tip my tattoo artist. Don't go out to eat too much, so I dunno. Usually tip something unless the waitstaff was horrible.

seltzermint555

It may be a partially generational thing; my parents are far better off financially than I am, but they try to do cheap things like deduct the tax from the total to figure the tip, or deduct alcohol (dafuq?!) or count it down to a penny rather than rounding up a buck. I find it shameful and embarrassing for them.

Yep! My dad's almost 70 and he is not "rich" but he's definitely well-off and comfortable, owns tons of rental properties and investments etc...he tips 10% strictly and thinks extraordinary service warrants 20%. Also he is a very well mannered and friendly guy, he's not super critical or anything he is just so old school about this. It's totally embarrassing.

My mom is similar (they are no longer married) but at least I feel like since she is on a fixed budget and very low income it makes sense. My husband & I usually treat her but if she insists on taking us out for a special occasion we ALWAYS do the tipping.

PinkyFett

I'm an excellent tipper, because I was a waitress for many years, and I hated people that ran me ragged and then left me a cruddy tip. Even bad service gets a tip, because waitress pay is terrible.

Why would bad service get a tip? You picked the job, you should do it. I believe you should do whatever you do well or not at all. It's not my fault you hate your job and your pay is poop. I hated my past job and I still did it the best I could and pretended to like it.

Chezzie84

I only tip if the food and the service have been exceptional because unless someone goes above and beyond I won't reward them.
Why would I pay any more than I have to for poor food and poor service?
I hate it when I go into restaurants and there is a 10% service charge on the bill, I never pay it because I will not have anybody dictating to me what I spend my money on.

Edit... I just read that waitresses work for tips because the wages are crummy. How is that everyone else's problem?
I am sure there are other jobs that pay crappy wages where the employee does not get tips.
In the UK there is something called minimum wage that requires employers to pay no less an hour than the amount. May be something that should be brought into the US.

grumpyldo

Food tipping is based on my service. If you are average you get 15%, but I will easily tip 20-25 if someone takes good care of us. On the flip side, I have left no tip with a complaint to the manager for crap service. If you don't want to serve me, get another job.

I get my hair cut for $10.80 and I leave a $4.20 tip each time. Not a bad tip for 15minutes of time.

BraveNewdGirl

I always tip, especially generously if the service is exceptional. I just feel like a total cheapskate and jerk if I don't. It's part of enjoying some services and I recognize that, often, people in the service industry really don't make enough to begin with.

1PatientBear

No! Why would I pay someone for bringing me food that they get paid to bring me? I tip strippers because they usually give a little extra, but what does tipping a waitress get me?

As someone who waited tables for 5 years when I was younger, this irritates me.

Why would bad service get a tip? You picked the job, you should do it. I believe you should do whatever you do well or not at all. It's not my fault you hate your job and your pay is poop. I hated my past job and I still did it the best I could and pretended to like it.

So does this.

If you don't want to tip, go eat at McDonald's. If the server is intentionally rude or neglectful, then tip 10% instead of 15%. But tipping is part of the deal when you go out to eat and get served. $2.13 an hour is what my hourly rate was when I was a server. I depended on those tips to pay my bills. Granted, I worked hard, smiled and joked around with my tables and generally, bad tips weren't an issue. But inevitably, all servers get that person who thinks it's hilarious not to tip or that they don't have to because the server "picked the job" and should take whatever they get.

What goes around, comes around. Enjoy acting like jerks, people.

miss_jessiejane

I'm an excellent tipper, because I was a waitress for many years, and I hated people that ran me ragged and then left me a cruddy tip. Even bad service gets a tip, because waitress pay is terrible.

Why would bad service get a tip? You picked the job, you should do it. I believe you should do whatever you do well or not at all. It's not my fault you hate your job and your pay is poop. I hated my past job and I still did it the best I could and pretended to like it.

Because bad service isn't always the fault of your server. I hated that I'd get bad tips because the kitchen/bar messed up an order. It wasn't my fault it took forever to come out or wasn't done correctly, and I don't think my server should be punished for things out of their control. And even if what makes the service less than exemplary is the personality or enthusiasm of the server, the fact of the matter is they're making very little per hour. And I went out to eat with the intention of leaving a sizeable tip, so what does it hurt me to leave them a decent tip? It doesn't.