OT: Tipping & Gift-giving

cycloneworld · 12-21-2006, 12:59 PM

I think tipping is getting out of control. Who aren't you "supposed" to tip these days??? And according to an article in the DMR (and I've heard it on other outlets as well), the standard restaurant tip is now 20%. Servers EXPECT 20% now?! How about some freaking service that is deserving of a 20% tip? Personally, I start at 15%...if you are average, you get 15%, above and beyond, you get 20%, terrible you get 10-12%.

Which leads me to an even more frustrating concept...you are supposed to give gifts to your hairdresser, mail carrier, trash person, trainer, pet groomer, babysitter, etc, etc, etc. When did this happen? These people are supposed to get gifts for doing their job? I'm an engineer and our clients sure as hell don't give me any gifts and I do my job well! If you have a friendly relationship with them, then that is totally different...

What really upsets me is that people EXPECT things to just be handed to them without providing extraordinary service or going above and beyond...

What are everyone else's thoughts?

garn91 · 12-21-2006, 01:06 PM

I have a paper route to pick up a little extra cash to help pay for my son's pre-school and I bet i've racked up $200 in tips this week. Most tips have been between 5-15 dollars.

I really didn't expect so much in tips simply because I was doing my job, but they are appreciated.

zdorr40 · 12-21-2006, 01:07 PM

It's getting out of hand, I agree. I have a gift idea for my mail carrier: a Ric Flair chest-chop for putting my Sunday paper at the end of my driveway. If he even tried to throw the paper a couple of feet closer to my house I might kick a little cash his way....

jtdoyle1 · 12-21-2006, 01:08 PM

I agree to a certain extent. Tipping should not be expected. It should be based on merit and good service.

As far as gift giving we don't give gifts to any of those listed other than our in home daycare provider because we think she does an exceptional job with our child. My wife is a teacher and she gets gifts from some of her students, but they are never expected.

garn91 · 12-21-2006, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by zdorr40

It's getting out of hand, I agree. I have a gift idea for my mail carrier: a Ric Flair chest-chop for putting my Sunday paper at the end of my driveway. If he even tried to throw the paper a couple of feet closer to my house I might kick a little cash his way....

When I started delivering the Register, I didn't think twice about putting the paper anywhere but on the porch or front step. Call the Register customer service and ask to have the paper put on your porch.

ISUFan22 · 12-21-2006, 01:22 PM

Personally, I start at 15%...if you are average, you get 15%, above and beyond, you get 20%, terrible you get 10-12%.

I do the same. I've given 25%+ tips in a few cases where the service was just fantastic.

bostinelosd · 12-21-2006, 01:24 PM

I tip 15 percent at restaraunts unless it is exceptional service. Holidays tend to get me to do more as well since they are super busy and deserve it for putting up some a-holes out there. I worked at a grocery store for 5 years as a bagger when i was groing up. We took their groceries out to their cars for them in ever crappy weather situation and alot of the time with huge amounts of groceries. We didnt expect tips because we knew it was our job. However i had a gripe. It was a higher class grocery store and you got alot of snobs and such in there as well as the general middle class folk. More times than not you would take some well-to-do's stuff out to their car just for them to not tip, get in their car and shut the door without a thank you. 20 minutes later you would take someone stuff out to their car who were not well off, who really couldnt afford to, but they would give a tip. That is a pretty good indication of how things work these days. Now when i go to the grocery store i try to tip those guys because i know what they go through. I generally tip my barber as well. I think it comes down to personal preference and generosity, but I would never expect someone to tip me no matter what. It should not be the norm to get a tip for doing your job, but if you are a caring individual who works hard and is customer friendly, I would think you should get something from time to time to differentiate you from the not so great help.

wonkadog · 12-21-2006, 02:10 PM

The pressure to tip is the one main reason that I don't order pizza delivery much anymore. I drive the 2 minutes to get it and save myself the idiotic second-guessing of whether I tipped too little. I'm under the opinion that people should just do their jobs and if they get tipped, good for them. The problem is that employers (especially at restaurants) base their starting salaries on the assumption that everyone is going to tip a bunch. Stupid if you ask me.

247cy · 12-21-2006, 02:21 PM

It's getting out of hand, I agree. I have a gift idea for my mail carrier: a Ric Flair chest-chop for putting my Sunday paper at the end of my driveway. If he even tried to throw the paper a couple of feet closer to my house I might kick a little cash his way....

Don't forget to WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! in his face after that chest-chop, zdorr.

zdorr40 · 12-21-2006, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by 247cy

Don't forget to WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! in his face after that chest-chop, zdorr.

Then dance around in a sequin robe. The best, though, is when he's getting his butt kicked, gets down on his knees to beg for mercy, then quickly sneaks a thumb to the eyes. Wooo!

cycloneworld · 12-21-2006, 02:33 PM

How much do you tip the pizza guy?

I'm usually around $2. Don't know if that is good, bad, or average.

What about the barber/hairstylist?

As the the gift giving, the trash collector gift takes the cake...I'm paying this guy $10 per month (and that's cheap compared to other cities) to pick up my trash once per week. The City get $2.50 for about 30 seconds of work...or about $300 per hour. However, the trash guy doesn't actually get out of the truck to pick up my trash, he has a little robotic arm to do that for him.

So the real question should be...What should I get my robotic arm for Xmas?

bostinelosd · 12-21-2006, 02:36 PM

i usually give the barber around 2 bucks or so. But my haircuts are around 14 so im ok with that. She and a friend personally own the place so I try to help out. If its a big time stylist place and you are paying 30 for a hair cut I would have to hesitate on that one.

wonkadog · 12-21-2006, 02:37 PM

I used to give the pizza person whatever change I could round up. For haircuts I never tip (guess I'm horrible) but I mean I feel like I'm already getting raped. It's usually what, $15-$25 for a 10-minute haircut?? Maybe you could get the robotic arm some spam and he could rub it on the satellite dish for you so it doesn't accumulate snow.

bostinelosd · 12-21-2006, 02:38 PM

Pizza guy i give a couple of bucks. I worked at Davinci's in ames and the drivers made more than us kitchen crew who actually took the order and made the food so with those guys, listening to the gripe about getting jack for tips irritated me. They most of the time used the Davincis truck as well.

C.John · 12-21-2006, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by cycloneworld

So the real question should be...What should I get my robotic arm for Xmas?

My robotic arm really likes "White Lightning Lube" used for bike chains, WD 40 just attracts dirt.