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#26

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:20am

I kinda think it's gouging, truthfully. And this is coming from a former waiter.

The price of dining out has gone up significantly since the "era" when I was waiting tables. And tips have gone up just as proportionately as a result, since it's a percentage of the bill.

There's no need to increase the "expected" percentage, unless you think the service is outstanding. It's already being increased every time prices are raised.

Call me a cheap tipper if you want to, then, but I really think this is gouging. Probably more of that entitlement thing sweeping the nation.

I will qualify my position in that if it's a small total bill, say, under $10, I will always tip a higher percentage.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#27

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:22am

And reg, to address your comment, I absolutely adjust my tip if the service is either outstanding or terrible. Nothing "expected" about it.

I have overtipped for above-and-beyond the call of duty, and I have undertipped as well for lousy service or crappy attitude. They deserve it, on both counts. I have never walked out without tipping anything, though.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#28

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:27am

Reg, it's not uncommon for some places to do something along those lines. I know that certain performance venues here in NY that have table service--Joe's Pub and Le Poisson Rouge, for example--add a flat gratuity (usually 15-18%) to all checks, regardless of party size or the price of the bill.

The restaurant where I worked for years was more upscale; a table of two could easily rack up $100 on just food BEFORE the bar was factored in. I never would have turned my nose up at a 15% tip, but it definitely did seem like 18-20% was the standard and expected rate. For as long as I can remember, leaving 10% was the customer's way of saying that the service was unacceptable.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

Updated On: 8/19/11 at 10:27 AM

#29

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:31am

Some of my thoughts on tipping:

People with kids should tip more. Kids' meals are cheaper, but they usually require more attention and more clean up. Plus, wait staff should get something for telling you your kids are cute.

I start my estimate at 20% of the bill BEFORE TAX, and round up or down from there, depending on the level of service.

I usually tip a little more if someone is drinking water, or getting constant free refills of soda. That's extra work for the staff that doesn't show up on the bill.

Call me cheap, but I tend to round down on the tip if folks are ordering the most expensive items on the menu. It doesn't take any more work to deliver a filet mignon than it does to deliver a bowl of spaghetti. I wouldn't make a major adjustment, just something minor.

If I am very displeased with the service, I will leave a minimal tip, just to make it clear it is deliberate and not an oversight. I always let management know if there is a serious problem with the service.

"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson

#30

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:34am

"And reg, to address your comment, I absolutely adjust my tip if the service is either outstanding or terrible. Nothing "expected" about it."

I'm not sure what comment you're referring to. I haven't said anything about expectations (I don't think . . . ).

#31

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:36am

"I sometimes think there should be some standard rate rather than a tip based on the bill, since the bill doesn't reflect how many items have been ordered or how hard the waiter had to work."

I thought I was addressing this comment about variances in service, Reg, but apparently you didn't think so.

And a "standard rate" would be an "expected" rate, no?

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 8/19/11 at 10:36 AM

#32

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:45am

I wasn't trying to offend you, besty. I thought perhaps you'd misdirected your comment, since several people had actually used the word "expected."

#33

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:49am

This thread has gotten me thinking, so I did some googling.

Definitley it seems the 'going rate' is 15 to 20%; now I don't feel as cheap as I did at the begining of the thread!

I think the problem is with the "expectation" which I believe has led to poor service. If servers think that the minimum they SHOULD receive is 18%, they have no incentive to actually provide good service. I will not reward poor service with an expected tip. (I have never stiffed a waitperson.)

How about Hotel tipping? I always believed that one night stay requires no tip, (but I usually leave something) but I have been shocked of how many folks don't EVER leave a tip for the housekeepers. I asked a friend for a couple of bucks to leave for a tip (along with my tip) and she was aghast. She had NEVER left a tip for housekeeping (and refused -- we've not since traveled together). Even my own sister, remarked, "Aren't you nice?" for leaving a tip. (But she didn't add any money, or offer to split the tip with me.)

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

#34

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:54am

Reg, you didn't offend me at all, I just didn't understand why you were questioning my response. I was actually carrying over my own choice of word "expected" to answer your comment about "standard rates" for service.

That idea would be addressing the "expectations" of both the waitstaff and the customers if tips were standardized. I still think at least some amount of tipping is subjective, making it difficult to standardize.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#35

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 11:01am

Drama:

I think you are correct re: hotel stays. I don't believe you are expected to leave anything for a one night stay, although, like you, I usually do. On more than one-night stays, I'd say leaving a daily tip for the housekeepers is expected. I always leave something, and I increase my tip if I am requesting extra service (e.g., extra towels, new sheets, etc).

Re: restaurant service. When it comes down to it, I think that more people than you'd expect have a standard tip that they leave no matter what kind of service is provided. I've given great service and received a less-than-acceptable tip. I've had off nights or made mistakes that were clearly my fault and still received a generous tip. I once spilled a man's drink on his lap accidentally and he left me something like a 25% tip that I'm sure I didn't deserve. This has led me to believe that a significant amount of people have a standard tipping percentage that they leave regardless of the level of service.

#36

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 11:08am

I think you're right, AC, and I've had similar experiences as a waiter.

Most people don't want to take into consideration all the elements of service while they're with their guests enjoying a meal and socializing. It's easier to just have a regular thought on the subject and quickly move on, although my hat is "tipped" to madbrian for his thorough assessment!

I know I couldn't do that. If I were having to fill out a mental score card, I would either never leave the table after we'd finished or never talk to my fellow guests during the meal while I was absorbed with calculating a performance "rate card" tip.

Still, madbrian, I agree with your reasoning on why certain services and situations should affect the end result.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 8/19/11 at 11:08 AM

#37

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 3:44pm

The comment about the penny- we are having the same issue here in Canada. It does cost more to make than it's value. The answer is to "round" up to the next level ( as NOone will round down & lose 2 cents!) but that's when the fighting starts about making "extra profit" on the consumer's back and then there are the charities. Yep they would be the big losers as all of that extra change 3-4 cents at time often gets stuck into the box at the cash register and over time it really adds up. ( MacDonalds Tim Horton etc run programs specifically from these donations)
Soooo I don cee dis changhin henny time soon.

#38

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 6:58pm

On the subject of tipping... I would say I am stingier with taxi drivers than I am with waitstaff.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#39

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 7:02pm

I'll be honest: I'm never quite sure what to tip people in certain professions--cab drivers, hairdressers, masseuses--of which tips are expected but there is no "standard".

#40

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 7:13pm

I think 15 to 20% is pretty standard in most cases...do a google search....lots of sites address all of these things.

I think it's interesting that if the owner of the shop is who took care of you (a hairdresser for example), you weren't suppose to tip -- but now you are. It's all rather strange.

#41

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 7:21pm

My rule of thumb here in NYC is double the tax is standard, tip higher for exceptional service.

Re: Taxis... I tip higher if they will bring me to Brooklyn without attitude. Tip is diminished with the amount of 'Tude exhibited

Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!

Updated On: 8/19/11 at 07:21 PM

#42

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:06pm

I'll be honest: I'm never quite sure what to tip people in certain professions--cab drivers, hairdressers, masseuses--of which tips are expected but there is no "standard".

I never know how much to tip the woman who washes my hair in the salon. I usually only give my hairdresser $3-5 (on a $30 haircut). And I'm also stingier with cab drivers than anyone else.

For restaurants, I usually tip about 18-20%, but have felt really bad about leaving less if I don't have a lot of money. I always leave about $2 tip for the bartender (with each drink), and I think there have been a few times I've given them a 50% tip. But when drinks are that cheap, what's another few bucks?

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#43

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:44pm

I normally tip $1-2 to the shampoo person and about 15% to my hairstylist. Taxi drivers I take on a case-by-case basis.

Drinking at the bar is interesting. Most bartenders I've spoken to have told me they expect a 20% tip per drink. I think it's a lot more common for a bartender to receive $1 per drink. I'm usually somewhere in the middle. When I'm drinking at a bar where I'm a regular and the bartender knows me, I usually don't pay per drink but rather receive a bill when I'm ready to leave. In this case, I usually leave 20-25% on the whole bill. When I'm paying per drink, I usually leave $1-2 per. This is usually based on the amount of work required to prepare the drink. Beer or wine is $1. An intricate mixed drink will yield a larger tip from me. At Happy Hour or when receive drink specials, I usually overtip to reflect the discount in the price. (During Happy Hour, this counts for food as well as drink)

Updated On: 8/19/11 at 08:44 PM

#44

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:57pm

Re: tipping the owner of an establishment.

I heard this when I was working in restaurants. When the owner of a restaurant serves you, you SHOULD tip him/her if there are other people working (bussers, bartenders, etc) who will be receive a portion of that tip. If the owner is serving you and is working alone, no tip is necessary. Your patronage is the tip.

#45

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 9:05pm

At bars, I generally do $2 a drink- but I usually get fairly inexpensive drinks, like gin and tonics, so $2 is usually a third or a quarter of what I spent.

There have been occasions where I go out with friends but don't drink and just have water- in those cases, I leave $2, as well.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#46

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 9:14pm

I would probably do the same thing too, Kad--considering that you are taking up a spot at someone's bar, even if you're just having water or a soda.

#47

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:24pm

I'm a pretty steady 18% tipper across the board. There's only been one time in my life when I didn't tip someone doing me a service, and it was a cab driver who told me to go f--- myself for making him sit in traffic when I asked to be driven from Union Square to 45th Street during rush hour.

I know you. I know you. I know you.

#48

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:51pm

^ That makes me laugh. Because aren't they getting paid for time being stuck in traffic anyway?

"I don't want the pretty lights to come and get me."-Homecoming 2005 "You can't pray away the gay."-Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy. Ignored Users: suestorm, N2N Nate., Owen22, master bates

#49

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/19/11 at 11:25pm

I guess he had something better to do. The thing that made me angriest is that he never apologized or even backpedaled, even after I made it clear that was the reason he didn't get a tip.

I know you. I know you. I know you.

#50

Cheapest celebrity tippers

Posted: 8/20/11 at 12:04am

Since we're on the subject of tipping, there is a question that has always been on my mind. When dining, and if service was bad for one person at the table but OK for the other diner(s), does that affect the tip that you leave?

I've always struggled with this scenario. If someone at the table has received bad service (and I usually associate bad service with rude service, as I don't blame waiters for kitchen problems), then it does affect my level of enjoyment of the meal, and I am prone to leave a smaller tip on my portion of the bill, even though service for me might have been OK. But other people at the table don't usually share my view.

So for example, if we are a table of 6 and if I felt that the waiter was rude to one of my companions (and I mean rude, sloppy, or with attitude), then I will leave a smaller tip for my portion, while the others may leave a normal tip. It usually annoys everyone, because they feel like I'm being cheap and making them look cheap, and I get annoyed because I feel they are being selfish and only concerned for themselves.

Has this ever happened to you - bad service for one person at the table - and how do others deal with this? I consider good service to be for the entire table, not just individuals, but obviously others only consider their own service. Just curious what others think.

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