do you tip well?

I have a rule that I set myself for giving Tips to Taxi Drivers, if they speak to me & have a conversation with me on a long journey & reply to me when I speak to them, then I tip them

If they ignore me & put on some foreign language radio station that I cannot understand or a live Sports coverage of some sporting event, then they get no Tips

 

I didn't remember it for my first post here, but in my restaurant working experience, we have what is called a "tip share" system. Calculated based on the total sales and credit card tips the server makes in a shift, they have to contribute some of that money to the bartender and hostess, because they make less than minimum wage as well and don't get as many direct tips. So if somebody pays their bill with exact change, their server is paying out of pocket for them to eat.

I think the reason behind a tip system is to motivate servers to work hard, but other jobs get paid by the hour and the people filling them work their damnedest. Why should we put our livelihoods in the hands of strangers' generosity when other industries need not? I'd welcome a switch to the European way of paying restaurant staff.

 

I tip some. Just depends on the service. I have no set % that I tip though. I rarely think waiters do a great job though, so I rarely tip great.

 

I always tip good, unless I'm short on money.

What annoys me is, when I tip good, or give money to homeless people ( even the greedy ones ), I get called "Stupid" or get told its unnecessary. I mean what has it got to do with them? its spare change, I don't mind.. learn to share ... bitch

 

I tip pretty well. I've only had one instance in which the service was so terrible that I didn't tip at all, but normally, I tip around 20%. If someone does really well, I leave more.

Chip, I hear what you're saying. It's the same with pizza delivery drivers in some places, which is even worse because a lot of the time, they have to drive their own cars using their own gas.

My uncle did pizza delivery for a while, and he said that the poor people always tipped, but the rich people like doctors and lawyers never did.

 

20% rounded up.
I don't think I've ever had poor service in order to tip less than that yet. I try to not eat out much.

I used to tip 40% ($5) for haircuts, but started doing 15% due to less quality hair dressers. I'm probably going to switch haircut places soon...

 

Another reason I tip as well as I do is the fact that I know server's in Texas make $2.13/hr but that is taken away due to taxes and whatnot, therefore I know that all their money comes from tips. And I feel bad that if I don't tip well enough, they're basically paying for me to eat there

 

Apparently if tips do not add up to $7.25 an hour (the minimum wage elsewhere), then the employer must make up the difference. Does anyone know how well enforced this is?

If so, then I've got less of a problem with tipping culture. But it does just go to show that the tips don't go to the staff (unless they exceed $5.13 per hour), they simply increase the business's profit margins as they reduce the amount they have to pay out to the staff.

 

The foreign ones are often the most interesting, at least to me. They all have a story. As for cab tipping, that one stays constant, since being driven somewhere doesn't change much from driver to driver. However, restaurant service varies more from server to server.

 

I usually tip 20 percent unless the service is horrible or the server has a nasty attitude. Being known as a good tipper gets me great service at the local pub unless they are very busy

 

Yes always leave a tip and the amount will depend on the overall service received.
I think showing your appreciation is important, but if they are rude or just don't care then maybe I might consider not leaving one.

 

I always make sure to tip at minimum 20%, good or poor service. I never worked as a server but I can't stand how much they are underpaid over here. If i had a job like that i would want the same courtesy.

 

Totally agree. When I get American taxi drivers, they pretty much act like I don't exist until it comes time to pay. But the foreign drivers I had, have been the opposite. Probably the most interesting driver I had was a guy from Iran. He didn't speak the best English but we still had a great conversation. I don't really think he quite grasped the differences between Middle Eastern driving and American driving, either, as he was quite happy to go on the sidewalk to make turns at a red light. :lol:

As far as tipping goes, at restaurants my usual tip is 15%, rounded up. The service has to be really bad for me to go below that, and that's only occurred once, and I still gave 10%. If the service is very good, then I'll give somewhere between 20-25%. And if its exceptional (which has only happened once) then I'll give upwards of 30%. For most delivery drivers, I give a flat $2, unless they get here really quickly, in which case I'll give more. But even if they take a while, I still give $2.

 

I have maybe had bad service once in New Zealand and we have never tipped. Not having tips doesn't equal bad service.

Employees should be paid properly. They should know what they are going to get paid and it shouldn't come down to external factors and luck like whether they get a generous customer, or customers at all. What happens if no one comes in that night? They just get a few dollars because that is all their employer pays? Awful.

Why are people serving in restaurants a special case anyway? Why are they treated differently to every other job? It's silly and unfair. Why isn't someone on customer service hotline paid in tips? Builders? Government employees? Because it would just makes everything difficult for everyone involved - just as it does for people in service.

 

Years ago I was told you should tip the cab driver a dollar a bag for each bag the driver helps you with. It should probably be two or three dollars a bag now.

 

Usually 20-25% if the service is good.

Less for bad service. I have been known to leave no tip at all... or the more insulting... 2 cents as a tip.