To Tip or not to Tip?

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mgroothand's blog

Posted by mgroothand on September 29, 2006 - 12:22 PM

Somehow I feel quite sure that the subject of TIPPING has already appeared in this Augusta Chronicle Blog space. For you â€œolderâ€ and more knowledgeable bloggers please let me know if it has. I have a problem with tipping, but let me clarify:
Going to a nice restaurant and being well served and attended to, tipping the waiter/waitress is a natural and appropriate way to express your appreciation. Tipping the Maitre Dâ€™, the Sommelier, the Chef, the coat check girl and Valet runner becomes a little much. Going to a buffet restaurant where you have to serve yourself with drinks the wait staff fully expects a 15% tip. Why are they even there?

Taxi drivers, doormen, bell captains, bellboys, hair stylists, shoe shiners, croupiers, car washes, the list goes on but most anyone in the personal service business expects and get tips. Even the folks at Starbucks have a tip jar. Do I get a better Latte if I tip? Are we supposed to feel empathy for those who are in the business of living off tips? In some parts of the country mailmen expect a generous tip at Christmas time for doing their jobs.

It canâ€™t be good for our wonderful IRS, that taxes our earnings, since I do not for a moment believe that all tips are declared. Iâ€™m not saying stop tipping; I will say that all taxes on tangible goods provided should be deducted before applying the appropriate tip.
I will also say that this tipping business is getting out of hand.

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Submitted by gimpel on September 30, 2006 - 9:38 AM.

I don't like the tip jars at places like Starbucks, either. I notice Nacho Mama's has a tip jar on the counter. I always put in a dollar, but don't really know why. Sort of a peer type pressure, i suppose.
But, I have noticed that, after a nice tip, the service is much better the next time I visit a restaurant.
At places like Bees Knees, Blue Sky, Mellow Mushroom, and 1102, the waitresses remember a nice tip.
In those cases, tipping is kind of like an investment in good service for the next visit.

Submitted by mgroothand on September 30, 2006 - 10:24 AM.

So, what you're saying Gimpel; it's all greenmail. In order to receive decent service from such establishments, you pay upfront. If a hairdresser does not receive a "justifiable" tip, she/he can give you a real bad haircut next time. I think the owners of these businesses that have employees like that are the losers. If a customer perceives that he did not tip enough and thereby angered the employee, he won't be back.

Submitted by gimpel on September 30, 2006 - 3:48 PM.

having been a bag boy long ago and far away, I know how good, or bad, tips can sharpen memory. Basically, anyone receiving tips is a business within a business. Consistently good tippers get better service.
Augusta National, I've always thought, sort of has a system of tipping- a business within a business. They ensure their patrons will be well-behaved by knowing locals lucky enough to get badges will only sell them to people they are sure will behave properly. Get kicked out for bad behaviour, and lose the badge.
They know the locals sell the badgesat high prices, but they also know the locals will not risk losing their badges.
Works out for everyone.
Everything else gets off topic too... apologies

Submitted by gmansmomy on October 02, 2006 - 5:11 PM.

I agree that tipping has gotten a little out of hand! My husband and I have agreed that if the service is bad or slow, their tip goes down! If we go somewhere were its a buffet or something, then we leave maybe $2, because like you said before, what did they do? I tip for a haircut, and I really think thats all I would tip for. I've never tipped anyone who has delivered anything to my house, weather it be big or small.

Submitted by mgroothand on October 03, 2006 - 1:34 PM.

So you discriminate. The pizza delivery person who has to find your home, often in the dark at their own peril (they get robbed) and bitten by unfriendly dogs gets nothing but the waitstaff at a buffet, that do nothing, gets $2
Somehow that doesn't make sense.
You tip for a haircut because greenmail tells you you'd better!

Submitted by aaronwalshwalsh74 on October 03, 2006 - 5:52 PM.

If you can't afford a tip, maybe you shouldn't order things. Pizza guys especially deserve a tip, and leaving something once a year for the mailman and trash guys is a decent gesture as well. I agree $1 a person for a buffet is more than enough for refilling drinks, and of course slow service=less tip.

Submitted by september on October 05, 2006 - 10:12 AM.

?????????????????????/

Submitted by september on October 05, 2006 - 10:18 AM.

who refills yor drink? at least 3x
who brings you extra plates? at least 2
who cleans your table?
waitstaff at a buffet,what do they do?

Submitted by mgroothand on October 05, 2006 - 12:00 PM.

Sure, in some cases that happens, but a busboy can handle those simple tasks. To expect 15% for those mundane tasks is not reasonable. A good waiter/waitress should be very knowlegeable about the food featured on the menu and as the menu changes, more of that knowledge should be imparted by the chef who prepares it. There ought to be a daily update by the chef to the waitstaff. Since most restaurants do not have sommeliers but wine is served, an indoctrination about wine should also be mandatory. When all that knowledge becomes clear to the patrons, it is a service much appreciated and the tips become more generous.

Submitted by imdstuf on September 30, 2006 - 5:53 PM.

I usually tip well, unless service is bad, then I definately let it be known. I would not feel the need to have to tip at a restraunt of they were not legally allowed to pay the wait staff less minimum wage.

Submitted by purmkinhed on September 30, 2006 - 9:58 PM.

I've been in the F&B business for over 25 years. (Bartender) I always give the same service, product and conversation to tippers as to non tippers. For every non tipper there is a tipper that tips above the required 15/20% not to mention that I realize that some people simply cannot afford to tip well or at all. Without your customers your business is nothing and you won't stay in business long so equal service is a MUST! One time I had a customer who took me aside and said "I'm so sorry but I can't tip you because I do not have a lot of money to spend." He then handed me a hard candy and said this is all I have. I gave him a hug and told him not to worry about it that I understood and that I loved hard candy! I was truely touched by his gesture! You know the following week he came in again. This time he tipped me $20.00! So you see, one should always treat their customers the same way reguardless if they tip or not because you just never know!!!

Submitted by weekapaug05 on October 02, 2006 - 2:25 PM.

I firmly believe that everyone at some point in their life should work F&B just to know what its like. You get paid next to nothing and your tips are taxed. I always say tip appropriately depending on the situation. Even if you have bad service tip at least a little, and ask to speak to the management to let them know why you were not satisfied with your service. One thing a lot of people do is tip poorly because of the quality of the food. That is not the wait staff's fault so don't take it out on them by giving them a poor tip. It's the kitchen's fault and you ask for management. If you have good service though tip well to let the wait staff know that they're doing a good job.

Bad tips = upset wait staff = bad service
vicious cycle

good tips = happy wait staff = good service
circle of life

Damn I'm glad college paid off and don't have to wait tables or bar-back anymore.

Submitted by cthrelkeld on October 03, 2006 - 12:57 PM.

And then there's this guy:

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/stories/Tip083106.shtml

Submitted by FrozenOne on October 08, 2006 - 7:47 PM.

The wife and I usually tip 10% of what the bill is. Even if the staff wasn't friendly, because we believe that everybody is entitled to a bad hair day.

Submitted by brightstardiva on October 09, 2006 - 10:16 AM.

I have mixed feelings about tipping. Mainly because I'm not sure how and who to tip. I do not tip the stylist who cuts and colors my hair because he owns the shop. I have given him a Christmas present on occassion and a tip once or twice when I have been extremely happy with how I look.
I tip the person who washes my hair or does something for me to help out the stylist.
I always tip F&B, even at a buffet. I do not think anyone should place an automatic tip amount. If the amount is not discretionary to the patron, it's not a tip - it's part of the bill.
I don't think people who earn a decent wage and are just doing their jobs should be tipped - mail carriers, for example.
I mean really. I don't get a tip.

Submitted by mgroothand on October 10, 2006 - 8:29 AM.

Automatic tips are very prevalent in Europe. There they simply add 20% to the amount and that is what you'll pay. Needless to say that without an incentive to provide good service, the service in European restaurants is awful.

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