Tipping Etiquette

I don't tip at carry outs. It would be like tipping someon at McDonalds.

They make min wage...so why not tip them too?

No, you have to earn a tip in my book. Picking the bag up from the end of the counter and bringing it to me doesn't count.

Maybe I should tip the cooks? I mean, they actually do work for my carry out.

Oh this raises so many questions....

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I make a distinction between fast food and carry out.

The two places I ususally do carry out from don't even offer table service. Maybe if they did I wouldn't necessarily tip. I tip in those places if I eat there so I tip when I carry out.

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oh I tip at buffets too, like 10% of the bill.

they do have to clean up, bring you drinks, etc, that's worth a couple bucks

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Chai Tea, Our buffets costs a little over $7 for seniors. A $1 tip is more than 10%.

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I'm going to be the rebel in this thread. I don't tip anywhere. I don't believe in the practise - period.

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Reyn wrote:

I'm going to be the rebel in this thread. I don't tip anywhere. I don't believe in the practise - period.

Are you serious?

Like in a restaurant, for the waitress?

How much do waitresses make an hour where you live?

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I'm with Reyn - I don't believe in it, either. I do it because it's expected but it really irks me and I wish they'd outlaw it.

In BC the minimum wage is $8.50/hr. While I don't think that's enough to live on (in Vancouver, certainly it isn't), lots of people make minimum wage and don't get tipped, like gas jockeys, retail sales clerks, stock boys at hardware stores, etc... so why tip servers and not the others?

Also, hairdressers can often make $20 per hour or more, so why are they getting a tip?

If people want to serve, that's their choice, but I don't think they should be rewarded for doing their job.

Nobody tips me.

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I think here waitresses make well below the minimum wage but there's some complicated way that it's allowed because of the expectation of tips. Like, $2.50 an hour or something.

I wouldn't mind seeing it outlawed as a concept, I don't think -- can see both sides of that, would have to think about it more. Until it's outlawed, though, I know way too many people in the service industry to think about not tipping. (They need tips, genuinely.)

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Does this place also do sit down? 'Cuz the machine doesn't know the difference between a takeout order and a sit-down order. In fact, the machine was probably set up for a sit down place whether the place you're going is or not. It might have more to do with what the owner got from the supplier when he or she went online with credit than it has to do with any sort of expectation of tipping.

Personally, I tip for labor and scale it according to the type of service and the level of effort and achievement. (Cheerfulness is of no account, and a cheerful server who's inept isn't getting much.)

I've actually got the opposite problem. There's a bagel place I go to and make somewhat complicated orders, and they've got a tip jar, and if I'm paying cash I tip a couple of bucks. A lot of the time, though, I'm paying with plastic and have no cash on me, and their slips don't have anywhere you can add in a tip, nor does their system allow the cashier to put in any amount other than the amount of the sale.

Less of a problem as the quality of food prep there has been falling so much lately that not only am I not tipping, I'm generally not going at all.

Seriously, what is up with people who put a thin dusting of cream cheese on a bagel? It's not butter, for chrissake.

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I'm a big tipper if I'm happy with the service. I'll give a $5 tip on a $12 hair cut any day if it was a good job. Same with eating at a restaurant. Good service... BIG tip. Decent service... Maybe only a 20% tip. Crappy service, meaning you were rude, or ignored us, I'll give the 15% tip, however I'll also give your boss a tip or two about you. :wink:

Tip for take out? Ummm... no. Razz

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On a personal level, I think tipping has become the common practice in many countries around the world, and usually tip 20% at full service restaurants in the US, and lower in other countries. I just returned from Israel, and the "accepted" tip is between 10 and 12 percent. In Japan, tipping is not expected - but that was some years ago, so that may have changed.

Here in Silicon Valley, most of the workers in restaurants are underpaid in a very high cost area. I make it a point to tip at least 20%, because I enjoy eating out, and want our restaurants to survive. We're lucky, because we have so many good restaurants in our area.

Tipping has always been a personal decision. On many cruises, tipping can cost about $10/day for the room stewart/maid, waiter, asstwaiter, and matre'd. They automatically tag on 15% on drinks at the bar and wine in the dining room.

Some places recommend tipping taxi drivers; it can become endless.

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As far as I know the minimum cash amount an employer in the USA has to pay to tipped employees is $2.13 an hour.

If an employee's tips combined with the employer's wage do not equal the hourly minimum wage of $5.15, the employer is required to make up the difference.

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True old europe. It's close to that, but I think the minimum has gone up quite a bit over the years. The minimum when I waitressed at Pizza hut was $2.50 an hour. That was 18 yrs ago. ( Shocked

Where does the time go??)

CI- They are most definately "tip happy" on cruises! OIY!

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Reyn and Mame....I guess it's a matter that it's a different country.

Here, if you didn't leave a tip, everyone, including your dinner partner would find it extremely embarrassing.

Mostly because waitstaff don't make minimum wage even, more like $2 and something an hour. As many people know, the word tip originated in "to insure promptness"
Being a good waiter is definitley a skill, and the more skill you have, the more you need to be recognized.

Question, know tipping is ubiquitous in the U.S. and knowing that waiters only make a couple bucks an hour, would you tip if you were vacationing here?

Actually, don't most countries have some sort of tipping system? I know if I was visiting another country, I'd sure look up the customs, and be on the generous side.

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Chai Tea, One of the first things I look for before visiting another country is their tipping policies. It can get confusing!

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Chai Tea wrote:

Question, know tipping is ubiquitous in the U.S. and knowing that waiters only make a couple bucks an hour, would you tip if you were vacationing here?

What annoys me somewhat is when you (not American) are out with a bunch of people (American) and they pay a lot of attention to make sure you (the foreigner) tip at least 20 percent because that's the custom here (in America).

Don't they think the quality of the service should somehow be involved?

Apart from that, when in Rome........

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old europe wrote:

Chai Tea wrote:
Question, know tipping is ubiquitous in the U.S. and knowing that waiters only make a couple bucks an hour, would you tip if you were vacationing here?

What annoys me somewhat is when you (not American) are out with a bunch of people (American) and they pay a lot of attention to make sure you (the foreigner) tip at least 20 percent because that's the custom here (in America).

Don't they think the quality of the service should somehow be involved?

Apart from that, when in Rome........

oh...if they don't give a certain level of service, I won't tip them 20% for sure.

for me, it's based on how well I'm served.

I dunno...it's a good feeling to tip someone who's not even expecting it, that is, if you know it's a position where it would not be offensive because of their position, like a doctor.

I wish I could remember the situation, but I do remember the feeling...I was someplace where whoever was working there, in a typically none tipped position, TOTALLY went out of their way to make sure everything was just right....I slipped them 10 bucks when I left, telling them sincerely they really made whatever the experience was excellent. I do remember it was a younger person, who got really surprised, then a really pleased/proud look on their face. Just that look made it a win/win situation for both of us, and I'll bet the next person benefited as well.

I guess it's kinda like an act of random kindness. I mean, why not make someones day?

I remember when someone makes mine.

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Chai Tea, Good for you!

On our last dinner is Tel Aviv, I paid the bill by credit card, and left a 50 shekel note as a tip at the cashier, and they all looked surprised that the tip was a little more than they usually got between 10-12%.

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Chai Tea wrote:

Reyn and Mame....I guess it's a matter that it's a different country.

Here, if you didn't leave a tip, everyone, including your dinner partner would find it extremely embarrassing.

Mostly because waitstaff don't make minimum wage even, more like $2 and something an hour. As many people know, the word tip originated in "to insure promptness"
Being a good waiter is definitley a skill, and the more skill you have, the more you need to be recognized.

Question, know tipping is ubiquitous in the U.S. and knowing that waiters only make a couple bucks an hour, would you tip if you were vacationing here?

Actually, don't most countries have some sort of tipping system? I know if I was visiting another country, I'd sure look up the customs, and be on the generous side.

Well, Chai, as I said, I tip because it's expected, not because I want to, so the embarrassment issue doesn't enter into it. I wouldn't tip if it weren't socially pariah-like. The reason I don't want to because they're being paid $8.50 per hour, not $2.50 or even $5.15 per hour. They're being paid the same as a lot of other people, as I mentioned. Why not tip the guy who changes your oil? Or your friendly Walmart checkout lady? Or the janitor who cleans the bathrooms in your office? Tipping is not universal among the lower-paid - it's not fair, which is one reason why I don't like it. I also don't like it because you're paying someone something over and above just to do their damn job.

And before anyone gets on their high horse, I was a waitress, a barmaid and a bartender for 8 years, so I'm not talking out the other side of my mouth here.

If I were vacationing in a certain state, I'd find out what they make. I'd tip anyway because I tip here, where I don't think I should have to. I DO tip; it just makes me cranky.

Like I said earlier, no one tips ME for just going to work.

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I tip for take out - usually not much.

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