The tipping point is?

[BruceK]

Her: Good afternoon.  May I help you?

Me: I'd like a cheeseburger, fries, and a cup for water. 

Her: Okay.  The total is $8.78

(I hand her my Visa card, she swipes it, and hands it back to me with a paper receipt)

Her: Okay, you are number 47. 



Total elapsed for that interaction was about 20-25 seconds.  So why exactly would someone feel compelled to provide a tip to a cashier after a brief mundane exchange like that?    Exemplary service?  Not exactly!

So now the bar has been lowered so far that tips are expected for everything?

I spotted this electronic tip jar (first one I've seen - but then again I don't get out much), right in front of the cashier, suggesting you insert your credit card to provide a $1 tip.

Yeah,  I realize it's totally voluntary.  But why?

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Whenever a machine asks if I want to tip, I almost always guiltily do. I struggle with this constantly. I've seen it argued that the cooks/staff earn the tip while preparing your food, and that it's not necessarily for the cashier. Same with Barista's at coffee shops asking for tips. Typically if I find the overall service good (happy, friendly staff, good food, quick transaction), I'll throw at least something on there.

That being said, I'm an apologetic, self-guilted Canadian, who can't say no to people.

...I should stop tipping so much.

[gr8kornholio]

Damn, I need one of those for my cube.  O, you want that done, now, at the end of the week as I'm leaving.  Swipe here please!

I really don't like that every receipt now prints out a tip line.  I've got accustomed to writing my 0 down and not feeling bad about it.

[MiniDave]

I tip to someone who serves me at the table, I do not tip at fast food joints.....and I do not feel guilty about it.

[94touring]

I tip when I'm served, and I tip well provided the service is good.  The only place I tip for simply ordering is a coffee shop I frequent, because they are working like maniacs back there, are nice, and often bring my coffee and whatever else I order to my table.   

[SoCalMiniFan]

As a previous Starbucks Coffee Slinger prior to Starbucks being the corporate conglomerate that is stands as today tips were much appreciated but never expected.  However I chatted up customers had their orders memorized, and felt like I knew them on a decent level so the tip jar was there should a customer feel so inclined.  What I didn't like was that Starbucks auto-matically deducted .50cents p/hour for tip assumption.  They ASSUMED we would be tipped, I liked to get tips but I didn't expect to get tips.

Mom and Pop shops if there is a tip jar I'll toss in but it can't be the owner working with their husband/wife.  I go to a bagel shop and it's the same psuedo scuzzy unfriendly guy that mans the register and his wife makes the food. I'd stop going there but they make a mean bagel sandwich! They're only open a few hours each day and they have NO other workers.  The other sandwich shop always has some rad younger girls working their butts off and I always tip them. 

The electronic tip jar is new and I can kind of see where it's helpful in coffeeshops.  At Starbucks tips HAD to be in cash there wasn't a spot on the credit/debt slip to write one in so it was cash or no tip.  We had a lot of customers come back with tips or tip us out on Friday with a $5 to make up for the week which was really really nice of them.

I wonder if the Electronic Tip jar makes it so all tips are just like one big transaction making it easier to count at the end of the day.  At Starbucks we pooled the tips and they were totally separate from the register.  I can't even imagine having to do credit card receipt tips after a coffee shift when closing a Til out.

Or is the electronic tip jar just a card phisher stealing all your info disguised as some new fangled E-Tip Collector.

[Jims5543]

I tip because I am blessed with a good career that makes me a good paycheck.

The person at the counter, they are depending on tips to make their day a bit more profitable, they are at your mercy.

What is a 20% tip on a $10 purchase? $2? Is that going to ruin your budget?


I do not know what to say, I guess 4 years ago when I became a Chiver I changed my attitude towards people I encounter every day. If I can toss a 20% tip, even at a sub counter service place where they make my sub to order, I will happily oblige.

I have had too many CC alerts where my tip was too big and they wanted to make sure it was not fraud.

These are at places I frequent, places where my beer in on the bar before I can sit down because they remember me. They ask about the wife and kid and chat it up through the stay.

Hell I take it up a notch, I see a cop in the drive through, I ask the drive up window for their bill and pay it.  If I figure out I have some vets at the sports bar sitting near me, their beers are on me. Many time I do not say a word, I just pay it and mosey on off they find out after I am gone.

Try RAKing* people, leave a retarded tip once in a while pay someones tab for them because you liked something about them. Do not stick around for the gratitude, the best part of that is knowing you made someones day.

I grew up poor, my early married life was really troubling financially.  At one point every month that went by we would go another $100-$200 in debt because I was not making enough to cover the bills and we were already making huge sacrifices.  I have been where some of these folks are. I know how much an extra $20 would have meant to me back then, if I see a chance to make someones day, I take it.


*RAKing is Random Acts of Kindness

[gr8kornholio]

The tip pandemic continues. Seriously almost said something this time.  Ordered some pizza online from Dominos for carry out. Went in and was greated and ask how I could be helped. Informed them I had a carry out and gave my name.  They pull it up and I go to pay, and low and behold there on the screen is a question about tip amount. This is where I bit my tongue, hit no, paid and left.

I'm sorry but that is absurd. All those people are paid an hourly wage regardless of what they are doing. What makes you think you need a tip for doing your job properly. Especially when it consisted of a greating and hitting a few keys on a screen.

Tips are a part of life for servers. It's not a bonus it's part of their wage. They typically spend 30+ minutes serving you to earn the tip. So to ask for one to boost your whatever is insulting and annoying. Want to earn tips go be a server.

I don't get tips. And not to brag but I kick ass at my job. I don't get squat for extra effort. But damn I'm thinking of putting up a tip account at work. So next time someone needs something extra they can step up and tip! 

"Money for nothin"

[94touring]

Last week I took Jen on a mini vacation along the east coast.  We being foodies went to several restaurants.  One in particular was a somewhat upscale place and the manager for whatever reason went above and beyond by telling us it was about to rain, so we'd need an umbrella to walk to our next destination. He gave us an umbrella with the check and told us to enjoy our night.  The server got a  35% tip out of the deal.  It poured cats and dogs too.

Next big tip spot was a hole in the wall southern food/bbq buffet I'd hit up anytime I'm in Wilmington NC. I tipped 35% because the staff is so nice and I simply love the place.

[gr8kornholio]

Now that is tip worthy service.  What was the name of the BBQ place?  I'm going to check the map and see if we go by it on our summer road trip.

[BruceK]

Just got back from 2 weeks in the UK where much time was spent buying drinks & food at pubs and meals at restaurants.  After the first day of not tipping - or dealing with anyone who expected a tip - I settled in and throughly enjoyed not even thinking of tips for the rest of the trip.   

I remember when I was a kid and my father first explained tips to me.  Back then a decent tip was 15% and I was taught that would only apply IF the service was extraordinary.  Otherwise a 5-10% tip for good service.  And no tip at all if service was bad. None. Zilch.  Nada.  The idea was to reward good service - not take on some sort of obligation to part with your money absent of any service evaluation.   

So somehow things have morphed to 20% (and more!) to be paid no matter how the service was?  Crazy.

[94touring]

Now that is tip worthy service.  What was the name of the BBQ place?  I'm going to check the map and see if we go by it on our summer road trip.

Casey's off Oleander Drive.  Very non fancy.  Complete with gizzards and chitlans.