Tipping

[Estreeter]

Yep, Tipping
I know in some countries it's customary to tip, not in mine though. It's not done here often, though we do occasionally.
I tend to leave the change or a few dollars for good service. I've posted here before that I worked at a casino valet for a short time and we did receive tips, though I didn't need the tips to get my next meal, I did appreciate getting them no matter how big or small they were. But by the same token, because it's not our custom here I didn't expect them.

So, who do you tip, are you selective and how much if ever ?

[tabler]

I usually tip about 10% maybe a bit more, for good or friendly service. What annoys me is where there is 'service charge' built into the bill. The waiters, waitresses, chef's etc dont see a penny of this and why should I pay to have my food brought to me?

If I am feeling particularly belligerent (who me?) I will ask what its for and insist on it removing from the bill. (only if I'm not going back for a while, I can do without 'gentlemens relish' in my food.).

[Night Haunter]

I always tip the taxi driver and always leave a tip in restaurants.. other than that I'm not a firm tipster, always thought its more of an American thing than British .... then again I could be wrong nowadays

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by Night Haunter

I always tip the taxi driver

That reminds of of the time I had a cab fare of $9, I gave the cabbie a $100 note thinking it was a $10 and told him to keep the change. I was drunk at the time and didn't realize I gave him the hundred , All I remember was he did ask if I was sure about the tip. Guess I made his night

[MaxJoker]

I`m crap at maths and so likewise at working out percentages for tipping . Not through a lack of ability i`m sure , more through me not caring. So my tipping is done purely on whether i liked someone rather than me liking the service or food. I mean i once had the worst bloody meal in history at the Premier Inn (Big surprise eh) that cost £34 but still tipped the waitress a fiver , because she was cute . Also my old barber charges £7 but i usually tip him £1.50. Or depending on what change i have £2 .
Seldom ever tip taxi drivers though as in the main they`re total c#nts who add their own tip even before you`re opened the door and climbed in. My overriding memory of coming back to England and getting a taxi from Rochester station to a Tesco`s was the wanker driver who insisted i`d underpaid him by 20p . Even though i`d actually tipped him with a 50p afterwards. As in a here`s your fee and oh here`s a tip you know. Now a normal person might just think to themselves " It`s ok so i got thirty pence tip instead of fifty" . But no not this tosser. He f#uking well called me back after i`d got out of the black cab (Those BC bastards are the worst) and said i`d short changed him.
Only i hadn`t short changed him as i`d counted out the eight pounds before i handed it to him. I refused to pay any more so he gives me a load of verbal under his bad breath as he drives off. Obviously was trying it on as i was carrying luggage and he`d picked me up from the station.
Thing is as he left i saw a Chelsea scarf in his back window

Yeah i know

If i`d realized i wouldn`t have gotten in the cab in the first place, let alone given him a tip.

No i`d have tipped the cab over instead

[tabler]

I never tip taxi's. Mainly because they are the bastard sons of satan on the roads.

You get cut up at a junction? Its a taxi. You doing 30 in a 30 mph limit and an old Skoda overtakes you at 60 and creates a gap that isnt there? Its a taxi.

I think these guys must go to a special 'Bastard School Of Motoring' before they can take the job, or they learn it before they come out of prison.

Having said that, I was once in a London taxi and found the driver so witty, charming and knowledgable about Newcastle United that it was a while before I noticed we had been down the same street twice. I actually did tip that guy, in admiration.

[MaxJoker]

Originally Posted by tabler

I actually did tip that guy, in admiration.

Well there`s not many a taxi driver that`d help an incontinent passenger . Just fortunate the guy was Indian , because thanks to that 15p tip of yours i hear Mr Singh was able to retire back home ,buy a detached house , and put his eighteen children through college

[buttsie]

Personally i think its a disgrace that Employers factor in tips when they decide on their employees hourly rate...I know a few people that have run restaurants over the years and the money they've made is quite obscene compared to the wages paid out

I'm not against tipping excellent service but all too often thesedays its simply expected
because the hourly rates are so pathetic in some countries ie 7/8 dollars an hour
so you end up with situations like the absurd one in the USA awhile back where a group refused to pay the tip/service charge due to woeful service and were arrested.

In many ways its akin to slave labour except the workers have their freedom
Their desperate for those tips which is not a nice enviroment to work in
and probably explains the rise of those working 2/3 jobs to make ends meet.

I just hope my country never gets so big that this sort of regime becomes entrenched
but knowing business its only a matter of time

[TexMadrid]

Good topic. I hate tipping; I feel awkward and a little pretentious tipping: "here boy a shilling for you". And then there is the issue of have I given enough or too little? Now restaurants are easy %15. I tip my barber $2 for a $12 haircut; I should just give him $15 and make it easy but I don't; just seems too much for a 10 min haircut. It's that value thing.

I once tipped 2 furniture delivery guys $20 for delivery and setup. They thanked me profusely and just made me feel awkward. But then if I don't tip I get the feeling that I should have and I am left feeling awkward anyway. I don't like the expectation and attaching value too something so subjective.

Once got a tip card that left me feeling that I should tip people at every turn in my daily life. I got rid of the tip card!

[tabler]

Just out of curiosity Tex, whats a tip card?