Tips tips!

[tzikeh]

The tip poll--and only a week late!

This is a U.S.-centric poll. Tipping in the U.S. is very different from tipping in Europe; the results would be hopelessly skewed if it were a poll that included all nations. (I don't know if Canada's tipping etiquette is just like the U.S.; if it is, feel free to join in!)

If you find it interesting, please point friends in this direction.



[Poll #1439233]

Comments

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

FYI, when I say tipping is related to my income, I ALWAYS tip at least 15%. My ability and preference for tipping 20% is one of the good things about making decent money. (Another good thing? Giving to charity.)

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

Also: I overtip hotel maids when I'm at a con, because I know the chaos that cons cause. (Often, I think they enjoy it, but there's certainly a lot of crap to navigate round in a hotel room when it's full of con attendees.)

Also, when I found a good groomer for Herself, I shamelessly overtipped to ensure continuing good service and extra special care. It worked, too, and was worth every penny.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

I always tip, even if it's just a dollar. My parents are pretty good tippers, so as a kid I learned that it's just the thing you do. Once I worked as a barista/waitress, I learned how necessary tips are to making a decent wage, so I make to always leave something.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[ladysorka]

I also tip dealers, etc. in casinos and the guys who bring your car up from valet. I don't use either very often, but I've lived in Las Vegas long enough to know I'd better.

Oh! And bathroom attendants. There's one concert venue in town that I know I have to keep ones in my pocket if I see a show there.

[kerri]

They didn't have a cab service for a city of 21 000 people?? Really??

[fantasmabob.livejournal.com]

As a tour guide for small historic homes, I would occasionally get tips. And once, a mailed thank you note.

[sunqist.livejournal.com]

I didn't say home food delivery, but it wasn't until I submitted the poll that I realized you meant, like, pizza, and not home grocery delivery (which isn't a service I use). I also tip valets, when I use such things.

I went on a horrible date once in high school with an older dude to the local Baker's Square. He was really rude and awful to the waitress, and then he ended up tipping her, like, a nickel. I tipped that waitress about ten bucks (usually on an eight dollar check) for years after that because I felt so bad about it.

Also, I tend to tip pretty well (at least 20%) on most things, but the baristas at the local Starbucks get exactly twelve cents every time, even though they know my order, because a) that's the change from my drink, and b) I'm not actually sure I'm leaving a tip since the jar on the counter is labeled "Dominick's Fund" (the Starbucks is in a Dominick's). I feel like Starbucks employees are much less tip dependant than most other positions on this list.

I worked for a delivery company once, but it was mostly corporate accounts. One time I did make a delivery to a residential address, and the woman insisted on tipping me twenty bucks. I wasn't even sure I was allowed to accept tips, but my dispatcher laughed at me when I asked. In retrospect, I have to wonder how much the delivery itself cost, since we only got a fraction of the charge and they would bitch at us if we wanted everything itemized. Twenty dollars seemed like a huge amount, but it was probably a standard percentage.

[sunqist.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I always tip at least 50% to bartenders on my first round (which is usually only one or two drinks, so it's not like it breaks me) because that ensures good service and strong drinks for the rest of the night, even though I go down to 20% on subsequent rounds.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

You forgot strippers! (I'm assuming the bra comment referred to something else)

I just don't use some of those services, but in general I try to tip well. In most cases it's related to food or drink and if I can afford the food I can afford a nice tip. I've certainly noticed as my income has increased so has my generosity but I've usually been a pretty good tipper regardless.

Thankfully I do not live in a state where tipping is subtracted from the minimum wage but if I did I'd dig in my pocket for a few more dollars.

One exception: I keep forgetting to tip my mail carrier at Christmas and then I feel like a heel until eleven months later when I forget again. After I've lived in a place a few years I just feel ashamed.

[grace-om.livejournal.com]

A lot of the services I didn't check because I don't (or very rarely) use them. We hardly ever get cooked food delivered. I do sometimes get groceries delivered, and the instructions from the store are not to tip, so I don't (though I imagine some people do anyway). I don't think it would be right to tip a postal worker -- they're Federal employees and not badly paid. I don't always remember to leave something for the hotel maid -- unless I'm staying somewhere for awhile.

Other categories you didn't mention where I do tip: tour guides and cruise ship cabin stewards (they work their asses off and deserve generosity).

For wait staff in restaurants, I generally calculate 15% and round up. I'll go to 20% if it's a big group or otherwise we've required a lot of attention... I also tend to tip higher at places I like and go to often. I won't go lower just because they've made a mistake or something was slow, but rudeness...yes, I'll under-tip for that (which I can really only recall *one* spectacular occasion). I'm pretty generous with my hairdresser too. I don't go often, but I want to be welcome there!

[amadyce.livejournal.com]

Not always true. At the restaurant where I work people get a tip check each week, so any tip they make on credit cards they have to wait for.

[starwatcher]

.
Note about who I do/don't tip... most of those services don't apply in my small town, and/or I personally don't use them.
.

[amadyce.livejournal.com]

Twenty years ago, in the eighties, what I understood to be standard tipping was 15%. Twenty years ago. Now, most people and businesses I know of consider 18% to be the standard. I've worked in restaurants for years and have several friends who work in salons and or hotels and the common understanding is that 18% is standard and that 15% is outdated or undertipping. In fact, restaurants that automatically add gratuity for larger parties add 18%. Unfortunately, I've listened to many server stories where they had a customer who was vocally pleased with the service, but tipped 15% or below and the servers just felt that the customer was unaware of standard tipping practices. Again, this is my experience.

I generally leave 18-20% depending on the service and how competent my calculation skills are at the time. And I always include tax when calculating the tip and never let my current financial situation dictate my tipping unless I'm overtipping.

[deaver.livejournal.com]

We have cab service, but the only thing it ever gets used for is tourists getting from the airport 20 miles away to their hotels here in town. Locals don't really ever use the cabs. Partly this is because everything anyone needs is within walking distance and partly because we are an extreme car culture around here. I don't know a single person who has used a cab for anything other than airport trips when they are unable to find a friend to take them!

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I've definately been generous on dog groomer visits. My guy nips and we once brought in a dog we were rescuing who was very well behaved but, severely matted and stinky and she looked like a littel princess when she was done.

These days, I just do the grooming myself. It's cheaper, I don't have the liability if he actually halls of and bites someone, and if he loses patience with me I can always finish later on.

[redangel618.livejournal.com]

i live in new orleans. i am friends with many many waiters / waitresses / back of house persons / bartenders. tip often. tip well. politely explain problems to the person you had a problem with (i.e. last time we were here you brought out the appetizers as the same time as the entrees. could you bring out the appetizers first this time?)

[wingstar.livejournal.com]

I live in a city of 55,000 and no one I know has EVER used a cab except maybe for getting to the airport the next city over. One exists, but the only reason I know that is because once in a blue moon I'll see one on the road. Like deaver (do you live in the south?), the car culture is all-encompassing here. There is no public transportation, and things are too spread out for walking (and sidewalks are sparse at best), so using a car is the only way to get anywhere.

[alchemise]

I try to always tip baristas, if I've got the money. At least with Starbucks, the employees are being taxed for $.50/hour in tips by the IRS. I don't know if that's true for any other major chains though.

I also checked other for tattoo artists. I'll leave at least $20 extra or so as a tip.