Tipping - what are your thoughts

[AndyinLiverpool]

4 minutes ago, Needlesh said:

If the service is good, I'll round up or add a few quid. Aim at about 10%, but I'm not getting the calculator out. If anything annoys me or is less than I expect, not a chance. They're on minimum wage, not a pittance.

Minimum wage is a pittance

[Brammie Steve]

11 hours ago, angieram said:

They flipping are! But my hairdresser isn't a partner so she's not the one raking in the profit.

I wished she'd go mobile then I wouldn't have to pay salon prices and she'dearn more, but she never will.

Mrs B has a professionally qualified Mobile hairdresser.

She charges salon prices but always does an excellent job.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

23 hours ago, angieram said:

It's been a tradition to tip serving staff for all my life in the UK too.

Mum used to tip the binmen, window cleaner and paperboy at Christmas as well. Given we never had any money she was quite generous,  really!

I tipped my Hermes delivery person the year of lockdown as she was the only person we saw for weeks on end and her service was exceptional. 

It's sometimes just a nice thing to do.

 

From experience, the Christmas tips as a paper boy were the best thing ever!

[Sparkle]

I only tip if the service is excellent and I only do it in cash - I will not tip for basic functional service and don’t ask me if everything is ok every time I try to swallow some of it ! 

I travel to the USA a lot and it’s a different creature and sometimes a right cheek - yes I tip 10-15% and yes it affects my purchases - will I order a bottle of wine which will generally be $60 ? Not when when they want to stick tax of 8.1% on top then want 15-20% of that amount on top  as well - Tap water tastes nicer ! 

[Bob The Badger]

49 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

I travel to the USA a lot and it’s a different creature and sometimes a right cheek - yes I tip 10-15% and yes it affects my purchases - will I order a bottle of wine which will generally be $60 ? Not when when they want to stick tax of 8.1% on top then want 15-20% of that amount on top  as well - Tap water tastes nicer ! 

I'm guessing you visit California as that has the highest taxation, but sales tax there is still *only* 7.25%.

Most states are considerably less. Florida where I lived was 6% and whereas it caught me out a few times early on, you soon get used to adding it in your head. 

Their sales tax is equivalent to our VAT, so it's clearly a LOT lower, it's just that thee separate the two out which can be confusing. 

I think it's more a cheek for us to go to a foreign country and expect them to do it our way than for them to stick with how they do it.

As has already been discussed in the thread, minimum wage in the US includes expected tips, so owners can pay as little as around $2 per hour (and do) knowing that the servers will still get paid. If people then only tipped if they got great service the system would collapse.

I knew a fair few tight people over there, but I never went out with anybody who didn't tip 15%. Seriously, never. It's just part of life. And the reason they sometimes add a service charge if there are more than say 4 or 6 people, is because they know if they don't tips will plummet.

Having worked part time in my sisters restaurant for a decade we used to dread large tables for that very reason. People either forget to tip, think others will or just see it as a way of being a miserable git and save some cash.

Also, as I mentioned (and you must know if you visit often) almost everywhere in the US the tip is listed independently on the check and it has to go to the wait staff. There's nothing like the risk of an unscrupulous owner thieving it like there can be over here.

Prior to moving back we'd eat out 2 or 3 times per month and I've never paid $60 for a bottle of wine in the 14 years of living there (including a few trips to LA. and San Francisco). $30 or even occasionally $40 for sure, but you must be eating in some very nice places or like fine wine to be paying that.

 

[Sparkle]

1 hour ago, Bob The Badger said:

I'm guessing you visit California as that has the highest taxation, but sales tax there is still *only* 7.25%.

Most states are considerably less. Florida where I lived was 6% and whereas it caught me out a few times early on, you soon get used to adding it in your head. 

Their sales tax is equivalent to our VAT, so it's clearly a LOT lower, it's just that thee separate the two out which can be confusing. 

I think it's more a cheek for us to go to a foreign country and expect them to do it our way than for them to stick with how they do it.

As has already been discussed in the thread, minimum wage in the US includes expected tips, so owners can pay as little as around $2 per hour (and do) knowing that the servers will still get paid. If people then only tipped if they got great service the system would collapse.

I knew a fair few tight people over there, but I never went out with anybody who didn't tip 15%. Seriously, never. It's just part of life. And the reason they sometimes add a service charge if there are more than say 4 or 6 people, is because they know if they don't tips will plummet.

Having worked part time in my sisters restaurant for a decade we used to dread large tables for that very reason. People either forget to tip, think others will or just see it as a way of being a miserable git and save some cash.

Also, as I mentioned (and you must know if you visit often) almost everywhere in the US the tip is listed independently on the check and it has to go to the wait staff. There's nothing like the risk of an unscrupulous owner thieving it like there can be over here.

Prior to moving back we'd eat out 2 or 3 times per month and I've never paid $60 for a bottle of wine in the 14 years of living there (including a few trips to LA. and San Francisco). $30 or even occasionally $40 for sure, but you must be eating in some very nice places or like fine wine to be paying that.

 

Nevada ?

[Rev]

10% if the service is OK, 15% if its beyond the norm. 

A few quid to the barber, same to takeaway delivery drivers, and round a taxi upto the nearest quid for a short hop.

[Ram-Alf]

4 hours ago, Sparkle said:

Nevada ?

This is what happened to the last person who didn't tip in Nevada

[Sparkle]

4 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

This is what happened to the last person who didn't tip in Nevada

Been finding them in barrels as lake Mead has lost 200foot of depth 

[Ram-Alf]

7 hours ago, Sparkle said:

Been finding them in barrels as lake Mead has lost 200foot of depth 

Yes I read that, I wonder whether Jimmy Hoffa is down there?‍♀️

[BaaLocks]

Can't stand this "I don't tip because the owners should pay their staff more". You know the gig when you go into the restaurant, if you want to make a stand about it then refuse to eat there unless the owners give you the discount needed to pay the staff what you think they are worth. Otherwise, you're basically just saying you want to penalise the very people you claim to be concerned for and the only benefactor is yourself, who get a cheaper dining experience.

In conclusion, in these times if you can afford to eat out you can afford 10% for decent service, a little bit more if they've made an effort.

Oh, and they have name tags for a reason - look at it and use their name, be nice, be courteous. And remember that most times when something goes wrong it is very rarely the waiter / resses fault, they just happen to be the people carrying your food.

And yes, I do work in the catering / service industry ?

[ariotofmyown]

51 minutes ago, BaaLocks said:

Can't stand this "I don't tip because the owners should pay their staff more". You know the gig when you go into the restaurant, if you want to make a stand about it then refuse to eat there unless the owners give you the discount needed to pay the staff what you think they are worth. Otherwise, you're basically just saying you want to penalise the very people you claim to be concerned for and the only benefactor is yourself, who get a cheaper dining experience.

In conclusion, in these times if you can afford to eat out you can afford 10% for decent service, a little bit more if they've made an effort.

Oh, and they have name tags for a reason - look at it and use their name, be nice, be courteous. And remember that most times when something goes wrong it is very rarely the waiter / resses fault, they just happen to be the people carrying your food.

And yes, I do work in the catering / service industry ?

I didn't tip you due to your rude name badge!

[Boycie]

Woah!

Why are catering servers soo special?

ohhh, they bring you your food.

Poor things are on minimum wage.

What about all the other people on minimum wage or zero hours?

Shop workers serve you don’t they? Shoe shop workers can be in and out a stock room like a fiddlers elbow for an indecisive customer.  Do they get tips? Nah fam.

“I only tip if the server can keep the cash”. What about the poor pot washer working their nuts off in the back? (Sorry to assume gender there)

This sector is viewed as poor and only on minimum wage. There’d be complaints if they put there priced up to the living wage!  Would you still tip if they did?

As for barbers and hairdressers, throw me a freakin’ bone. They rattle through en mass at my barbers, all cash. Don’t get me started on the blond Dick Turpins masquerading as hair dressers!!   

Taxi drivers? Now, yes, mini cabs I will tip as when I’ve asked if they’ve been busy they say they have. Over worked, plus they’ve been on since 5am.

I won’t tip a yellow cab though, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used one. Too expensive!!

Tip my arse.

Rant over

[BaaLocks]

Because it's recognized that the responsibility to tip the waiter / ess is on the diner - and everyone knows it is - so when you choose not to do it you impact directly that person's take home wage when, often, the reason you don't want to tip is not their fault.

I agree btw, many on mimimum / living wage that equally deserve it but there isn't an agreed (unwritten) expectation that you cover their shortfall in salary (e.g. car mechanics).

Personally, I prefer the way it is in Japan, it's all in the bill and they will not accept tips even if you offer them.

And, yes, all tips should go in the jar and be shared so that all workers (inc. pot washers) get their share but I do think that is pretty much the case everywhere.

[TuffLuff]

On 05/06/2022 at 10:38, Boycie said:

Servers over here will get National minimum wage or above as places are struggling for staff.

If I’m not mistaken, servers in America don’t get a minimum set wage and rely on tips to make up their income.

Im an electrician, I don’t get tips for doing my job and that’s normally trying not to kill people ultimately.

Barbers, taxi’s we all assume these should have tips, why is this?   You’ve cut my hair correctly without cutting my ear off, you’ve driven me to the correct area without crashing into a wall?  Not sure I get it?

As for restaurants adding a 12% tip on your bill automatically, well that does boil my blood.  It’s so presumptuous that you’ve had a good experience and prays on the English nature of not complaining or making a fuss.

 

Surely in your trade you can very nicely ask if they want you to take away their copper wiring for them though?

[Boycie]

27 minutes ago, TuffLuff said:

Surely in your trade you can very nicely ask if they want you to take away their copper wiring for them though?

Only if the tip me on the way out.

Im going to start hanging around like a hotel porter who’s just done his job and wheeled your suitcase to your room.

I’ll clear my throat a few times, and turn around with my hand open behind  me.

[TuffLuff]

2 hours ago, Boycie said:

Only if the tip me on the way out.

Im going to start hanging around like a hotel porter who’s just done his job and wheeled your suitcase to your room.

I’ll clear my throat a few times, and turn around with my hand open behind  me.

*cough cough* “Don’t forget I’ll need the petrol money to get all this to the scrap yard please”

[Chester40]

My policy on tipping is to only do it at night and I generally make sure it's only big items like old sofas, mattresses or huge piles of rubble that I would need to pay to get picked up or I'd have the hassle of getting a permit to take to the recycling centre.

I detest those people who dump loads of overflowing black bags that the bin man could easily take and which inevitably rip and spill out dirty wet wipes or food that's clearly been wasted...idiots like them are running the environment. 

[Day]

I tip everyone but electricians, they over charge already for what they do. 

[Leeds Ram]

I do tip as I feel it's the correct thing to do. Oftentimes servers aren't paid great wages and if you're splashing out 100 quid on a meal it feels mean not to give your server £8-10 tbh. Although, with the inbuilt tipping service make sure you ask that the tips go to the servers. When I went to the Ivy at Leeds I was told this was not the case and was shocked but it's been the case at a few of the nicer restaurants I've been to, so it's always worth double checking.