Another "Tipping" Story

[Buckeyebowman]

I believe in tipping well when the service deserves it. If I get attitude, or poor service, I tip very little or nothing at all! A comment like that "pro's" might cause a confrontation! 

[Philco]

I don't think it is ever appropriate for anyone to ask for a tip.  Tipping should always be left to the customers discretion. 

[dennyjones]

I had this happen the other day where I had to take a step back and look at the credit card transaction:  There wasn't an option for no tip!   I was picking up take out and using a credit card.   The options were 25%, 20%, 15%, 10% and other.   It took me by surprise for a second.   I selected other and entered 0 but was disappointed in the business for this type of practice.   

I understood the need for tips during Covid season but this is just too much.  

I do tip 20% for all small food businesses we visit even the local donut shop.

Has anyone seen this type of transaction?

[bkuehn1952]

7 hours ago, dennyjones said:

I had this happen the other day where I had to take a step back and look at the credit card transaction:  There wasn't an option for no tip! 

Has anyone seen this type of transaction?

No, I have not seen this but I will be on the look out. I know for larger groups it is common for restaurants to apply a service fee of 15-20% so I try to be careful not to over tip in those situations.

At times I wish the whole tipping practice got chucked. I bought a Christmas tree yesterday. I commonly tip the kid who makes the "fresh cut" and places the tree in/on the car. It is Christmas and the guy likely is not taking home a large bag of money every evening. Or if I do grocery pickup, I slip the person a few bucks. It would be nice if the employer could/would just pay them enough so we could not worry about lower level employees having enough money to live decently.

[phan52]

I belong to a Club, and I always tip my teaching pro and I have tipped the equipment guys as well when I get fitted. Just from habit, I would probably tip a guy who was showing me clubs and checking out my swing in a hitting bay at a golf store, but that's me. 

[ChetlovesMer]

I tipped my teaching pro for the lesson I got today.
I think my pro gives me good value for my time and his. 

I also want to make sure that I get "the good stuff". If you don't tip your teaching pro they tend to hold back the extra little secrets that you need to improve....🤪

[Denny Bang Bang]

On 12/1/2022 at 9:24 PM, dennyjones said:

I had this happen the other day where I had to take a step back and look at the credit card transaction:  There wasn't an option for no tip!   I was picking up take out and using a credit card.   The options were 25%, 20%, 15%, 10% and other.   It took me by surprise for a second.   I selected other and entered 0 but was disappointed in the business for this type of practice.   

I understood the need for tips during Covid season but this is just too much.  

I do tip 20% for all small food businesses we visit even the local donut shop.

Has anyone seen this type of transaction?

There are a lot of small food joints still struggling with staffing (I know couple  guys who own small cafes).  They’re adding the tip option to all transactions as a way to try and add a little pay for their staff.  When they’re able to post open positions and state “plus tips”, it helps bring in more job applications.

 I get pickup from one of them about once a week as it’s close to my office.  His staff are really nice and friendly, so I don’t mind hooking them up.  Every once in a while if I stop at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich on the way to an early round of golf, and the person is super nice and friendly, I’ll drop them a $10 or something if I have some pocket cash.

 I don’t think it’s anything that should be expected, but I think it’s a good option to have available.  I worked at a short order over the counter joint when I was in high school.  Never expected a tip, but always appreciated when someone would toss me a $5 to recognize that I was working hard to give them good service.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 12/1/2022 at 11:24 PM, dennyjones said:

I had this happen the other day where I had to take a step back and look at the credit card transaction:  There wasn't an option for no tip!   I was picking up take out and using a credit card.   The options were 25%, 20%, 15%, 10% and other.   It took me by surprise for a second.   I selected other and entered 0 but was disappointed in the business for this type of practice.   

I understood the need for tips during Covid season but this is just too much.  

I do tip 20% for all small food businesses we visit even the local donut shop.

Has anyone seen this type of transaction?

I know there are some folks out there who like having the "25%, 20%, 15%, 10% and other" option on the little credit card reader thing-a-ma-bob. They feel it's easier for them because they don't like to (or sometimes actually struggle with) the math involved in tipping. This just makes the math easier for them.

My concern with this type of thing is just a little different.

Sometimes I want to tip the waiter/waitress NOT the restaurant. Sometimes my waiter/waitress will go above and beyond and do a great job. I want to leave them a nice tip and I want it to go to them. I don't want it just rolled into the rest of the money the restaurant made that night. I sometimes wonder if the tip I leave at the register gets back to the server. 

[Hohjoe]

I usually tip the server in cash and it's usually 20% or a little more.

Although, not long ago I left a guy $2 on a $40 tab because the service was that bad and I did it to make a point.

[saevel25]

For something like one or two drinks at a bar, that I take back to my table. I’ll tip like $2-3. 

For a waiter or bartender serving food and drinks for a meal. I’ll tip 20% or $5 which ever is greater. Usually I max out at $10-$15. Honestly, I’ve gotten just good of service at a cheaper restaurant as I have a higher end restaurant. So, I never understood tipping based on bill price. If I  there an hour, and extra 10-15 an hour sounds good. 

[Double Mocha Man]

This is a Yelp review I wrote up for one of the bartenders at Estelle:  "You walk in the door.  At the speed of light, Grey, the ultimate bartender spots you and is concocting your gin & tonic before your butt can even hit the seat at the bar.  The guy is well on his way to becoming a legend. "

Grey is so quick that sometimes he sees me approaching this French Bistro/Lounge through the window and will have my gin & tonic on the bar, at my favorite seat, as I come through the door.  For fun, and to mess with him, I'll sometimes say, "Grey, I think I'll have a cabernet sauvignon tonight."

Generally I tip him $5 on my G&T.

 

[chspeed]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

So, I never understood tipping based on bill price. If I  there an hour, and extra 10-15 an hour sounds good. 

there are a lot of possible explanations to this (nicer restaurants have more staff per person, it motivates the staff to upsell, you spend more time at a nice restaurant, etc.)

In the end, I think the tradition is there because it's an easy to calculate shortcut and works reasonably well for restaurants and wait staff.

[Denny Bang Bang]

24 minutes ago, chspeed said:

there are a lot of possible explanations to this (nicer restaurants have more staff per person, it motivates the staff to upsell, you spend more time at a nice restaurant, etc.)

In the end, I think the tradition is there because it's an easy to calculate shortcut and works reasonably well for restaurants and wait staff.

Also, historically servers in fine dining did it for a career, which is likely a part of why the higher tip is expected and accepted.  I don’t believe there are as many career servers today, fine dining or otherwise.

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

there are a lot of possible explanations to this (nicer restaurants have more staff per person, it motivates the staff to upsell, you spend more time at a nice restaurant, etc.)

In the end, I think the tradition is there because it's an easy to calculate shortcut and works reasonably well for restaurants and wait staff.

I’ve spent 4 hours at a dive bar and 45 minutes at an upscale restaurant. I’ve had upscale restaurants push you out after an hour because of the next reservation. It’s not like I get to spend more time at an upscale restaurant. 

the 20% never made sense to me when I went to a diner for breakfast. I have met wonderful servers there and by tradition I’m suppose to tip $2-$3 dollars. It just felt like I was being cheap due to what is quoted as a good tip for good work done. 

For me, rethinking it as, how much per hour do I think is reasonable for the service I got.

Also, tipping doesn’t have a good history.

'It's the Legacy of Slavery': Here's the Troubling History Behind Tipping Practices in the U.S.

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The custom began in the years around the Civil War

Tipping should be a tradition we get rid of. 

[Double Mocha Man]

Tipping a quarter for a cheap beer is cheap.  I've seen guys do that.  It took almost as much effort as serving you a $15 shot of Laphroig.  You tip for the service and friendliness, and the bartender having to listen to your golf stories.  😀  There should be a separate charge for that one.

[chspeed]

59 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Tipping should be a tradition we get rid of.

Yeah, many people don't like it. A few years back Danny Mayer who owns the Union Square Hospitality Group and started Shake Shack tried no-tipping at his restaurants and it didn't work out. I agree that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense in many situations. I feel the same way about food delivery. Do I need to pay a delivery driver 10x more for bringing me caviar than for bringing me chicken wings? Seamless/Grubhub and those types of apps try to push a tip based on % too.

Still, it's been proven hard to change.

 

Danny Meyer’s Restaurants Will End Their No-Tipping Policy - The New York Times

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Union Square Hospitality Group, which helped lead the move away from tips, changes course as its restaurants reopen.

 

[bking]

On 12/1/2022 at 11:24 PM, dennyjones said:

I had this happen the other day where I had to take a step back and look at the credit card transaction:  There wasn't an option for no tip!   I was picking up take out and using a credit card.   The options were 25%, 20%, 15%, 10% and other.   It took me by surprise for a second.   I selected other and entered 0 but was disappointed in the business for this type of practice.   

I understood the need for tips during Covid season but this is just too much.  

I do tip 20% for all small food businesses we visit even the local donut shop.

Has anyone seen this type of transaction?

I "think" that the POS companies set that up in their apps and make it configurable. But vonsidering that the same options always appear everywhere I go (depending on POS vendor) I suspect most businesses don't bother to change those things.

Edited December 10, 2022 by bking

[ssbn611]

The tipping started around or after the Civil War story is filled with holes. Tipping was occurring in the US as early as 1840, and unrelated to slavery. At least five southern states banned tipping at one time, but it was later ruled unconstitutional. 
As for tip sharing, that is standard practice in the restaurant industry. In some restaurants all tips are pooled, while at others the servers are responsible for paying out a percentage of their tips to the table bussers and runners who assist them. That is only right and fair IMO.