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I just ordered some food from a local restaurant I love called “Zonies” using my credit card. After I got done ordering and giving him my information, he asked me how much I want to tip the driver. The food was around $8 so I said I’ll tip him $2. His voice shot up and said “Thanks!” as if he didn’t expect it, I thought it was a somewhat meager tip to be honest.
This is usually the reaction I get when I tip people and I really do not understand it. Do people not realize that delivery men usually use their own car and pay for their own gas? The constant wear and tear on their car from delivering food is terrible, the least people can do is actually give the person somewhat of a tip to live on. Sorry, just got off the phone and am ranting.
I dunno, $2 on an $8 bill is a pretty decent tip (25%). How much I tip depends on what the service is, and how good it is. Just being my server does not automatically entitle them to a tip – it needs to be earned.
If the server just did their job and that’s it, 10-15%. If they were exceptionally helpful/friendly/timely, I’ll increase the tip accordingly. Same if they were actively unhelpful/rude – I have no problem with leaving no tip if you were a jerk.
I usually tip 15-20%. For deliveries, I may adjust a bit. I agree with Tigerblade that $2 tip on an $8 purchase is generous for a delivery guy. I might feel differently if I was the delivery guy. 🙂
Whether or not this sparks some reaction – it’s not my intention just honest opinion on my part. I won’t be as lengthy as I’d like as I am on my way out the door to the gym.
I see a ton of people not tip and I am one of those people to some extent. I tip only when I get good service and if it’s just decent service it just depends on how much money I have at the moment. I do not believe in that whole “if you don’t have money to tip then don’t go eat at all.” Pfft.
Just because their profession chooses to pay them less and encourage them to live off tips is not my fault either. I don’t get tips from my patients for my good service – I get paid from my employers. Your job is your job and yes their jobs were intended to live off tips but that doesn’t mean I have to pay extra on my meal because I should feel bad because their pay probably is a rip off.
Yeah, I’ve never waitressed for a living nor done delivery not because I feel superior to it but because I’d suck at it. My hats off to people who can put up with it because there are really rude people out there.
In my defense, at least I’m a good customer. I’m not picky, don’t return food, and am not demanding.
Well must go – if I get a response to this I shall try to log on later tonight when I get home.
Nessa, since you brought it up, I think there are cultural norms. Servers in the U.S. generally get paid minimum wage plus tips. In many places in the country, minimum wage isn’t enough to live off even if you worked 40 hours a week (which is unusual in the restaurant business).
So why do people accept the work for minimum wage? Because the cultural norm is that people will tip. When I was young, 10% was the norm. Over time, that’s grown to 15% or even 20% for exceptional service.
In many other countries, the cultural norm is entirely different. In much of Europe, you do not tip at all, or if you do, it’s simply to “round up” to the nearest Euro. But the servers there are paid enough to live without the tips. It’s just a different system.
In the U.S., it’s further complicated by the fact that your server is expected to “tip out” to the bus boy, the bartender, or even other servers (often they cover for each other or help with large parties). And on top of that, their employer actually withholds income tax — not based on their actual tips earned — but based on 15% of their gross receipts (or the actual tip, in the case of a credit card charge). For cash transactions with a lower (or no) tip, they end up hurting as a result. Their minimum wage paycheck includes withholding for taxes on tips they didn’t even get!
All that being said, I don’t tip at coffee shops (well, rarely anyway). I don’t tip at places where you order your food at a counter (even if they do deliver the tray to your table). I only tip at “full service” restaurants where you sit down and they take your order.
Full disclosure: my daughter currently makes her living as a server, and one of my sons works at a well-known coffee chain.
I don’t tip at places where you order your food at a counter (even if they do deliver the tray to your table). I only tip at “full service” restaurants where you sit down and they take your order.
I follow the same rule of thumb. I half feel bad when I hand the receipt back at some restaurants with the “tip” line with an X or N/A on it, but then I realize all they’re doing is ringing up the bill and sending someone out with a tray. NOT worth a tip.
I do tip my barber well (I never know what to call her. Barber? Haircutter? She’s not really a “stylist” to me… anyway.) because that’s a more direct, more skill-based service. I trust her to make my hair not look like a drunken chimp took a pair of shears to it. I tip delivery guys well if I made them come out in a downpour or a blizzard. I don’t tip the 15-year-old waiter because he remembered to bring me fries. Sorry kid.
Nessa;238376 wrote:“if you don’t have money to tip then don’t go eat at all.” Pfft.I’m curious. What do you have to say to the people who believe in not going out if you can’t afford a tip?
TheNorthernForest;238407 wrote:I’m curious. What do you have to say to the people who believe in not going out if you can’t afford a tip?I think that’s taking it to an extreme. Choosing not to go to the place you want to go to simply because you can’t afford the tip!! I’ve had times before I started working where I just had enough to buy the meal I wanted – I wasn’t going to not go because of that. I don’t consider myself a horrible person or cheap bastard because of it though.
anthonium;238412 wrote:Because of the worldwide economic crisisor they’re just cheap bastards.
Well per you I’m a cheap bastard. 🙂
@Nessa 238414 wrote:
Well per you I’m a cheap bastard. 🙂
*I* am the original cheap bastard. Trust me. 🙂
I try to avoid sit-down restaurants when possible for this very reason. I like to pay people to cook my food, but carrying it from the kitchen to the table and refilling my water is something I can handle even after the longest days at work.
Barbers are a different story. If a couple bucks keeps the man holding a knife to my neck happy, by all means, take my couple bucks.
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