tipping?

[witzend]

husband and I rented a house in a local resort area last weekend, and we paid in addition to the nightly fee, we paid a $65 cleaning fee in advance. When we got there, on the kitchen counter, was an envelope with a message that before we left we should load and start the dishwasher, take out the trash, and put our towels in the washer. It also announced that Maria was going to clean after we left. Well, Bully for Maria! I didn't leave anything for her.

Really, were we supposed to leave something for Maria? Did she not get the $65 or any part of it?

Then today, I got my nails done. This is something that I just started doing. I had to get my acrylics filled and the color blended. It cost $30 and I paid with my card. They don't take tips on the card. So I asked if he had change for a $20. He asked how I would like it. I told him to just give me a $5 and a $10 back. He went to his stash and held up two tens and asked if I was sure I wanted a $5 and a $10. If they had taken the tip on the debit card, I would have done 20% and given him $6. But I figured it would be easier to give me $15 back so I replied "Um, yeah." Then he dug out a $5 and a $10 and gave it to me. I figured that 18% was a decent tip. Was I wrong? I also tipped him $5 when he did a $20 job, but don't I get to decide?

 

[Nancy]

I think your $5 tip was just right. And no I would not have tipped the cleaning person on top of the cleaning that you did yourself.

I am getting annoyed at tipping lately too. I don't have a problem tipping for good service but it's to the point now where everyone is expecting to be tipped from furniture delivermen to fast food places.

Nancy

 

[flutterbee]

Tipping is based on quality of service, not entitlement. I wouldn't have tipped the cleaning lady either, both because of what you were expected to do and because she cleaned after you left and you have no way of determining the quality of the work.

I think a $5.00 tip for a $30.00 service is more than adequate.

 

[meowbunny]

People seem to have forgotten that "tips" means To Insure Prompt Service -- wished it was to insure good service but guess we can't have it all. If I had to pay $65 for maid service and then still have to clean up, I can't imagine leaving a tip. If she had done something extraordinary for me while I was there, I would tip for that but I'd probably tip at the time the service was done.

As to the manicurist, I think I would have told him to forget it, I didn't need any change and just left without tipping. $5.00 is a more than adequate tip. I really dislike people hinting they deserve more than I think they do.

Truth be told, I'm one of those people who will deliberately leave a nominal amount if I am displeased with the service. By nominal, I mean no more than 25 cents -- just enough to leave a message that I didn't forget to tip, I just wasn't willing to tip for bad service. I've actually gone out of my way to tip the busboy and leave nothing for the waiter if the service was poor.

 

[goldenguru]

Personally I would have tipped the cleaning lady. I'm sure she did not get the $65.00 you left for the service. If she's a legal citizen, she is lucky to have gotten minimum wage. So many of the domestic help personal are receiving sub standard wages and working hard for it.

The subject of tips is a touchy subject ... but I have a heart for people in the service industry. They are rarely paid what they are worth.

in my opinion.

 

[Fran]

I'm pretty tired of the ever growing tip group. It was pretty clear who got tips and who didn't. Now even a jar at the counter for me getting my own coffee.

I'm not begrudging the minimium wage worker a decent salary but it is vague who gets tipped. I tip when my hair is colored and cut. Do I then tip the girl who washes the dye out too? I'd rather have a concrete price. Give the staff a decent wage and throw out the tip jar. Starbucks should be ashamed.

I have to pay the airport for taking my suitcases and then tip the gentlemen who picks them up and puts them on the belt. I now end up paying double. (it was just the guy getting a tip before the airport horned in on the scene)

I keep thinking of folks like my mom who 1.00 tip is a lot. Not everyone has all those extra dollars. It seems like an inefficient way for folks to earn a living.

I think I tip well to the regulars that do provide good service. They always seemed pleased but every time I turn around I feel like I should be giving someone a tip.

I don't like it at all. It's not fair to the hard working people who don't get tips and are just squeezing by.

PS: I don't tip the room maid.

 

[Lothlorien]

I would not have paid a tip if I had to pay a cleaning fee in advance.

Normally, if we stay in a hotel room, I leave a $5.00 tip on the first day with a note asking that extra towels and washcloths be left in the room (there are never enough). When we return, there is usually an extraordinary amount, usually too much (they are grateful). Then we leave a couple of dollars when we check out.

Nails....18% is fine.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

This is a hot topic in my house. husband tends to usually be tighter with money than I do. Except when it comes to good service. If I get good quality service I am a generous tipper. If the service is bad very little (I even picked up part of what husband laid down one day because of bad service).

I know a lot of people depend on tips. I just don't think it is fair to expect it from someone if you barely do the job. If you don't like what you are doing do something else.

Beth

 

[Abbey]

Ha! I live in Vegas. You have to tip the clean air when you walk out the door each morning. <span style="color: #FF0000">EVERYONE</span> is tipped here. You just kind of get used to it. No sense in fighting it.

After a few years of living here, I finally started to valey my car. Heck...for $1, I have some sort of safety, and a lot of ease in not having to sort through layers of floors to park on.

I also do NOT tip just because it is expected. If the service is good, then I'll tip.

Your cleaning lady probably didn't get a dime out of your initial deposit. We see this all the time with our DJ business. Typically, the client will pay a tip up front to the casino. It is supposed to cover everything. They think we work for the casino, when in reality, we are a subcontractor. Oh, well.

Abbey

 

[susiestar]

Lots of people in foodservice (ie servers) are paid a little more than $2 per hour. That is right, just 2 dollars and a few cents per hour. with-o tips they would starve.

I tip well in most instances. Servers I am rather generous with, esp if I can see they are shorthanded and management is expecting the server to deal with all the tables in the restaurant (or even half). You would be very surprised how often this happens. As a former restaurant mgr, I used to chip in and wait tables when we were in a crunch, but MANY managers would not. They would just expect a server to cover it all, as well as if they had a full staff. I have been known to tip 75% of the bill in some situations where a server was kind and gracious and obviously way overworked.

I do not respond well to hints for tips. My hairstylist is usually confused when I add a tip to her fee. She has tried to give me change back. We went to school together and we have kids who are freinds, so I laugh about it with her. She earns it.

Bad service deserves a very small tip. This lets them know the service was not good. I don't tip starbucks because I know they pay quite well and often their staff here has an attitude that they are being nice to me.

I used to work at a restaurant years ago where we all got minimum wage or more, and we all tip shared. A few clients wouldn't tip because the server got paid minimum. But for the server to do a good job, all the other parts of hte restaurant have to work. If the cook is not good, the server may be out of luck. It worked well because we all pitched in to do whatever had to be done. many a time I didn't have orders waiting and went out to clear a table or seat someone or deliver food. This still happens, and I still tip very well when I go there.But this is NOT the standard in the restaurant industry.

As far as nails, I don't have any experience with that.

I do hate it when someone acts like they expect a tip.

Susie

 

[hearts and roses]

I typically tip anywhere from 15% - 20%, depending upon where we are and how our service was. I am offended by people who when they take our money ask us if we want the change! How pushy can one get? Of course I want my change! I will decide what to leave, not you!! That just bugs me.

I would say that we're good tippers. Sometimes I think H leaves too much when we've had sub par service, like this evening. They got his dish wrong and while he waited for his dish, they served mine and my mom's dinner. I felt odd eating while H had none, but I also didn't want my food to get cold! Plus, I noticed that at 3 other tables, they got orders wrong also! And the busboy dumped (accidentally) an entire tray of water glasses just behind us and water and ice went everywhere. H left a 18% tip. I would have left 10%...but that's me, always trying to make a point. &lt;

I do go to the spa fairly frequently all summer to get waxed, pedicures and sometimes a mani. I tip about 15% because I don't like the way they dangle my change just far enough that I have to reach for it because they are trying to suggest I let them keep it all. However, last week, I got a pedi, daughter got a nail color change and we were both waxed - the bill came to $96. I gave a $20 total tip for them to split up since about 5 people worked on us total. $20 was more than 20% of the total cost, but the pedi was to die for and the wax job was perfect. I even told the woman to please do the splitting up as I could not figure out how much each person should get. She said she'd take care of it and laughed. Incidentally, most of the nail spas around here are family owned and they all divvy up the tips between one another at the end of the evening. They used to do that at Friendly's years ago - not sure if they still do.

I think it's rude to have a tip cup next to the cashier at a bagel or deli shop, or Dunkin Donuts, etc. They are not waiting on my table or getting me new flatware, more water, ketchup, etc. They are handing me my coffee and giving me my change...no special service in my opinion that requires a tip. My H routinely tips at the drive through at Dunkin Donuts! I think he's insane. What did they do extra? Nothing. It isn't like they have any control in how fast the care before me moves or anything. And they get paid $8/hour around here, so it's not like they are making next to nothing.

on the other hand, we're from NY and if you don't tip in NY, your service people will remember it next time. If you don't tip the gas attendant for helping you put air in your tire or check your oil, next time you're basically scr@wed. Haha. My H works in construction and when he first moved to CT from NY he automatically tipped the lumber delivery guy and he said they guy asked him, "Are you sure?" and my H, not knowing anything, just said yeah - go get yourself some lunch or something. He said the guy nearly did a kick in the air her was so psyched! Haha. Now that delivery guy ALWAYS delivers to my H first thing in the AM - he takes care of H all the time. "In NY, you gotta give a lot of grease if you want to be taken care of" and that's a motto my H lives by here in CT. It's funny.

Personally, I think tipping has gotten out of hand.

 

[susiestar]

OMG, you TIP for them checking your air in your tires??

I get all my gas at a family owned store that does full service for the dame price (within 2 cents/gal) of the chains. They will check all my fluids, tires, whatever. They are confused by tips. They charge more for oil and antifreeze than if I got it at WalMart, but not more than if I bought it at the other gas stations and put it in myself.

I pulled in for ice on the way to a party early this summer. They told me I had a flat tire (It was fine at my house, but I had been to walmart and apparently the summer fun for hte preteens was letting air out of tires). They took my tire off, put soapy water on it, filled it up, checked everything they could and it was just fine. Just emptied by some kid in the lot at WalMart.

I paid for our drinks and ice and gave the guy $10 in a tip. He thought I was nuts. But he and his coworker shared it. But tipping them is just not something they expect. I still add teh 55 cents they are charged for running a credit card on to the bill, they appreciate it but don't ever cahrge it. I just was talking wit them once and learned about it.

Starnge the way things are different in different areas.

Susie

 

[goldenguru]

After reading this thread yesterday I went and picked up a pizza for dinner. Lo and behold, right there on the counter was a "tip jar". After the young man literally threw my boxed pizza on the counter and grunted an amount owing to me ... I thought "Buddy, you're gonna wait a long time before a nickel hits your jar with that attitude." I can see tipping for delivery ... but for picking up my own pizza at their counter? Give me a break already.

 

[donna723]

GG, I know exactly what you mean! I've never put anything in one of these "tip jars" and I probably never will. The servers who bring the food to your table are usually all over you, killing you with kindness in hopes of getting a bigger tip. But it almost seems like most counter people are getting ruder and ruder! It's like you bothered them by making them do their job and they're making a great effort to hand you your food and take your money!

I had tires put on my car very early yesterday morning and was going shopping from there so I hadn't had anything to eat. I stopped at a McDonalds. There were a lot of people in the drive-thru line, a crowd of people in front of the counter, and at least ten employees behind the counter yelling at each other - total chaos! I joined the crowd in what appeared to be the line, but it turned out that all those people had already ordered and were waiting for their food. Pretty soon it was down to just me. And I stood there and stood there ... and stood there. Hello!! Am I invisible?? Is this the "Twilight Zone"? Nobody even looked at me! Finally I just walked out. If they had a "tip jar" it would have been empty!

45 minutes later I got to where the mall is and stopped in a Hardees, starving by this time. I got waited on and after a short time of standing there holding my number (I was "18"), she shoved my hamburger across the counter at me. I said "Thank you". She looked very surprised and said, "You're welcome"!

I feel like saying, "Hey kid, you don't have it so bad! My brother worked on a chicken farm when he was your age! Nasty! And my daughter worked in a nursing home wiping old people's rears! You are shoving hamburgers across a counter! Get over it kid!"