A question on tipping - Page 2

$2 is a good idea. Specially if the service is superb and fast...they just deserve it. I usually leave $1 or $2 depending on service. 

i disagree with tipping as a rule, it should be there to reward exceptional service not an expectation for someone doing the job they are being paid to do.

and dont give me crap about staff needing it, low wages etc, employers should pay a reasonable wage not paying slave wages.

lol tipping in a bar...

i never tip in bars, 

mainly because drinks are so expensive, espiecielly when go clubbing in larger city & they charge a lot for getting in. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 

i disagree with tipping as a rule, it should be there to reward exceptional service not an expectation for someone doing the job they are being paid to do.

 

and dont give me crap about staff needing it, low wages etc, employers should pay a reasonable wage not paying slave wages.

Isn't it a well-known cultural difference between the US (all of NA?) and most European countries that in America, one must tip, and in Europe, it's almost strange to tip. It is what it is, man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by logwed 

Isn't it a well-known cultural difference between the US (all of NA?) and most European countries that in America, one must tip, and in Europe, it's almost strange to tip. It is what it is, man.

It's like that in Japan and China too. My dad says every time he tried to pay a tip there, they kept returning it to him.

Do what any reasonable man would do, drink two of them and tip $3 ;)

I have a number of thoughts about tipping.

 While I agree that a tip is not mandatory, I don't think that tipping should be reserved for exemplary service either. I am a 20% tipper, but usually tip more, and sometimes use other criteria than the bill-total to determine the tip, e.g. if it takes a lot of work to serve a low-priced item.  My dad is a solid 15%-er, and calculates the tip on the pre-tax total.  I've also seen people who will tip $1 for a cup of coffee refuse to tip 20% on a large tab, because it ends up being too big a tip in $$, rather than as a percentage.....

Tipping guidelines may vary by cultural location- but here in the US, 20% is considered customary- and generally expected in situations where tipping is the norm (at least that's my understanding of the cultural standards).  There is no law requiring you to tip, nor are there tip "caps" which you cannot exceed - I say you should tip generously when you can afford it, and if you cannot afford to tip at all, perhaps you should go places where tipping is not part of the norm (fast food counter service places, e.g.).  Generally the amount of money involved in "over-tipping" is pretty small and can really have a positive effect on the person providing the service-  so I say go for it!

Just my 2 cents worth

(must have been a 10 cent tab!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fzman 

I have a number of thoughts about tipping.

 

 While I agree that a tip is not mandatory, I don't think that tipping should be reserved for exemplary service either. I am a 20% tipper, but usually tip more, and sometimes use other criteria than the bill-total to determine the tip, e.g. if it takes a lot of work to serve a low-priced item.  My dad is a solid 15%-er, and calculates the tip on the pre-tax total.  I've also seen people who will tip $1 for a cup of coffee refuse to tip 20% on a large tab, because it ends up being too big a tip in $$, rather than as a percentage.....

 

Tipping guidelines may vary by cultural location- but here in the US, 20% is considered customary- and generally expected in situations where tipping is the norm (at least that's my understanding of the cultural standards).  There is no law requiring you to tip, nor are there tip "caps" which you cannot exceed - I say you should tip generously when you can afford it, and if you cannot afford to tip at all, perhaps you should go places where tipping is not part of the norm (fast food counter service places, e.g.).  Generally the amount of money involved in "over-tipping" is pretty small and can really have a positive effect on the person providing the service-  so I say go for it!

 

Just my 2 cents worth

 

 

(must have been a 10 cent tab!)

I share your philosophy on tipping for the most part. The worst it seems is people who go to a diner for a cup of joe and only tip like 25 cents or less. 

When I was living in Germany, it's considered normal to tip only 1 or 2 euro, no matter if it's a 8 euro meal or a 30 euro meal and they will think you're strange if you try to be gracious with your tip but in the end will eventually take it. 

One thing you never want to do is poorly treat food/bar service industry persons! (I think it's right after "never get involved in a land war in Asia")

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 

i disagree with tipping as a rule, it should be there to reward exceptional service not an expectation for someone doing the job they are being paid to do.

 

and dont give me crap about staff needing it, low wages etc, employers should pay a reasonable wage not paying slave wages.

Well they don't.

Servers are usually paid something on the order of $2 hr to be there and the rest of the income is from tips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite 

It's like that in Japan and China too. My dad says every time he tried to pay a tip there, they kept returning it to him.

I don't know about China, but in Japan it's customary for the tip to be included as part of the cost.  It's a fairly common challenge in Hawaii with the amount of tourism from Japan that unless they've been educated otherwise, they will not tip because for them it should have already been taken care of.

As for the $1 or $2 tip, I think in my position I would tip the $1 I normally would if it's something I'm not ordering too often...say if I normally drank pints and decided to get the larger size for fun sometime.  If that's what I decide to drink most of the time, however, I can see the point of tipping the $2 since you would have ordered more than one drink.  Thinking back on it, I usually tip $3 or more for a pitcher, and that's not a whole lot more service being rendered beyond the heavier item and getting some additional glasses.