Tipping the Beer Cart girl

[ejimsmith]

Originally Posted by Paradox

it just irks me when people pity the poor college girl and then try to short change others because they aren't a 19 year old blonde with a nice body.

the world.... welcome to it.

[BuckeyeNut]

......tip the cart girl, but stiff the guy who mows your grass. ...Paradox makes a valid point.

The same people who say they are great tippers are also the same people who refuse to pay anything except but the bare minimum to other service providers.   IE....lawn service companies, etc, etc.... if they raise the price by $1......they'll be shopping for a better deal. ....And don't complain to me about $3.85 per gallon gasoline!........bah humbug!!!!

[Wisguy]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

People are funny.

You need to tip like I do and for all the reasons I do . . . or you're a scumbag!!!

Over the years I've encountered quite a few people who have this ridiculous "Why should I be responsible for subsidizing the employer who won't pay fairly or pay my hard-earned money to someone who didn't work hard enough in school to get themselves a better job?" attitude.  For the same reason that people should be polite and civil to each other.  For the same reason that one doesn't buy an article of clothing for a party and return it for a full refund after wearing it just once to that event or one doesn't buy a book and, being careful not to crease the spine or pages, read it and then return it for a refund.  A decent tip isn't an absolute entitlement - lazy, rude, indifferent or otherwise inadequate service should earn a less-than-15% tip.  But if the service is decent - i.e. reasonably timely, correct and satisfactory - it should be mandatory to tip at least 15% and it is essentially stealing from the server if you leave less than that for good service.

If you cannot afford to leave a 15 percent tip for your meal, then you cannot afford to eat at the restaurant and should go to a cheaper one where you can afford an appropriate gratuity, or else stick with fast food joints that don't require a tip.

I'm not telling anyone to do what I do - I usually tip around 20% for reasonable service, more for great service and 30-50% if I'm going to be parking-up the server's table for several hours - but I am telling anyone who listens that a 15% gratuity should be considered obligatory if the service was acceptable.  For a beer cart girl or a bartender, I'll usually tip about a buck a drink.

I remember reading a Dear Abby column years ago in which some old codger complained about the disgusting commercialism that he felt ruined the pleasant meal provided by a good server and said that his custom, instead of leaving a decent tip, was to give the server a card with some religious [crap] printed on it, give them a smile, a hearty thanks, and a firm handshake.  Abby, who normally was pretty mild-mannered about anything short of spousal abuse, eviscerated the guy, calling him a cheapskate and essentially an idiot for not considering that a server absolutely depends on tips for his or her livelihood.  So let me stand slightly corrected and say that there are a few people out there who don't tip adequately who may not be outright scumbags but instead are simply horribly naive and thoughtless.  However, I bet that for every three such people who claim enlightened reasons for not tipping, two of them are full of crap and really are cheapskate scumbags.

If I made the rules, I'd change the gratuity system in this country so that people are paid a reasonable, living wage by the employer and in service industries, if the employee goes the extra mile, then he or she can earn a small, purely optional gratuity.  But the gratuity system doesn't work that way in the U.S. and we're stuck with one in which tipping a decent service provider less than 15% is shortchanging that person and should be considered unethical conduct.

[newtogolf]

Fair response, I appreciate the clarification on your use of "lazy".  Lawn care is a very competitive business, I never go with the lowest or highest price.  I've used my current guy for five years, every year his prices go up a bit but as long as he keeps the lawn and grounds looking great I'm okay with him charging a bit more.

I think people forget the loyal service providers that make their lives easier like the lawn guys, mailperson, garbage pickup.  Everyone likes to be recognized for doing a good job.  The difference is the people above are all paid regardless, the wait staff and cart girl are paid based on the assumption the customers will help pay their salary in the form of tips.  If they do a good job it's right to tip them accordingly.

Originally Posted by Paradox

look, the "lazy" comment was made in a sort of jest because its just hilarious to hear people talk about how they must tip the cart GIRL well because she's offering a service and they are essentially paying inflated prices AND tipping way more than deserved but the same people(in general, not specific) try to haggle every dollar they can out of other people who provide them a service.  Even these days, with gas as high as it is, people think its ok to ask you to mow their 1 acre lawn for 15 bucks because "you're just cutting the grass".  They don't think about the gas it took to actually get to their house, the gas the mower/trimmer use, so on and so forth.  Thats all I was saying..it just irks me when people pity the poor college girl and then try to short change others because they aren't a 19 year old blonde with a nice body.

there is no legal requirement for anyone in the green industry to make any sort of minimum wage.  Its up to the price as it was bid on between the employer(you) and the worker(me). Some crews are low-ballers who will do anything to make 10 bucks and others price accordingly to make a decent living.

Anyway, I'd enjoy working for you (and doing the extras for no cost) simply because you seem like you'd be the type to actually appreciate the work being done.

You can bet if the cart girl looked like she'd fell out of the ugly tree..guys wouldn't be so interested in tipping(no matter what will probably be said in this post when someone reads this)

[Coach1]

Very easy for me, I don't buy from the cart girl. I bring my own drink.

[sean_miller]

A person who'd choose to spend nothing contributes nothing. The cart girl spends time asking nonetheless - providing service - but no money changes hands.

[newtogolf]

Which is why she's paid a base hourly rate even if it is less than minimum wage.  She ultimately decides if her compensation of base salary and tips (when people do buy something) is acceptable.  If it's not, she has the right to find another job.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

A person who'd choose to spend nothing contributes nothing. The cart girl spends time asking nonetheless - providing service - but no money changes hands.

[JimMurphy99]

Bottom line - min $1 per drink and feel free to hand over more...

not a time to be cheap...

Originally Posted by soup

Played with some guys from work last week. One guy, who is 35 and one of the smartest people I know, stops the beer girl. He buys two waters - one for me, one for him. Cute college girl, very pleasant, chatty, good sense of humor....the two waters come to $4.70...he hands her a $5 bill.

I nearly fainted from embarassment. She got quiet pretty fast - but not in a bad way - and politely asked if he needed change. He said, "No, that's ok" without even blinking and proceeded to carry-on.

I know tipping is a touchy subject with people - but the cute beer cart girls work off their tips. I wanted to chase her down and giver her $2.

Without sounding like a dick - I would say our foursome had a combined income of about $600k and we're all in our early to mid-30s. How does a 35 year-old professional making a nice lioving blow off the beer cart girl with a $.30 tip?

Do situations like this boggle anyone elses mind? It's like all of the booksmart people were raped of common sense when they came screaming out of their mother's vagina.

You have to give the beer cart girl $1 tip per drink - no? If it was me, I'd have bought the waters (we were on the second hole), give her a $20 and tell her to keep coming around. Maybe I'm the idiot.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Which is why she's paid a base hourly rate even if it is less than minimum wage.  She ultimately decides if her compensation of base salary and tips (when people do buy something) is acceptable.  If it's not, she has the right to find another job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

A person who'd choose to spend nothing contributes nothing. The cart girl spends time asking nonetheless - providing service - but no money changes hands.

But I was told it everyone's duty to subsidize the server's wages based on the service she provides? If people know in advance they're not going to make any purchases during their round (whether it's because they don't want to tip her or any other reason), they could let the pro shop know so she doesn't waste any time during their round offering them a service (offering them beverages and other goods) they don't intend to pay for. Aren't those people the true cheapskates? The patron has the option of not spending any money. The server has the option fo find another job. If enough patrons choose to not spend money, the server's career choice will be made for her by someone else. And tipping as a percentage is misleading. 25% tip on a candy bar? That'll go a long way.

People can act all high and mighty that they're doing this person a favour by subsidizing her salary, but a lot of other patrons seem to feel that getting gouged on markup at the course is already enough of a contribution. I purchase things at my course and I also tip relatively well, but I don't feel it's my responsibility to make up for others who don't tip well or to judge somebody for making another choice.

[newtogolf]

If you feel you're being gouged on the course then don't purchase anything, it's actually really simple.  You could even tell the cart girl the reason you're not buying anything is because you refuse to pay the unreasonable prices the course charges.

I don't think i was acting high and mighty, I was explaining the economics of how cart girls and wait staff are compensated.  If restaurants and golf courses had to pay them the full minimum wage their markup on food and beverages would be even higher.  Since you tip relatively well I don't see the point of contention, no one said you have to make up the difference for non-tippers.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

People can act all high and mighty that they're doing this person a favour by subsidizing her salary, but a lot of other patrons seem to feel that getting gouged on markup at the course is already enough of a contribution. I purchase things at my course and I also tip relatively well, but I don't feel it's my responsibility to make up for others who don't tip well or to judge somebody for making another choice.

[VealCutlet]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

A person who'd choose to spend nothing contributes nothing. The cart girl spends time asking nonetheless - providing service - but no money changes hands.

This is a bit of a Straw Man argument. In what scenario would anyone tip a waitress for asking "would you like an appetizer?" if you didn't order one, or for asking if you want another Pina Colada, and you said "not now"?

However, it does seem everyone has a hand stuck out looking for a tip these days. The worst is probably ballpark food servers...who do make at least minimum wage, and expect a tip after charging $13 for a 12 oz beer.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by VealCutlet

The worst is probably ballpark food servers...who do make at least minimum wage, and expect a tip after charging $13 for a 12 oz beer.

No way, the worst is the popular new-ish yogurt places where they charge by weight.  You do all of the work yourself.  You grab the cup, fill it up, add the toppings, and the person working there - quite literally - just sits behind the register watching you, and then just reads the price off the machine after you put it on the scale.  What kind of service could they possibly do well to 'earn' their tip?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by VealCutlet

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

A person who'd choose to spend nothing contributes nothing. The cart girl spends time asking nonetheless - providing service - but no money changes hands.

This is a bit of a Straw Man argument. In what scenario would anyone tip a waitress for asking "would you like an appetizer?" if you didn't order one, or for asking if you want another Pina Colada, and you said "not now"?

However, it does seem everyone has a hand stuck out looking for a tip these days. The worst is probably ballpark food servers...who do make at least minimum wage, and expect a tip after charging $13 for a 12 oz beer.

Actually no it isn't since that post was not directed at any single poster. Who's point of view am I misrepresenting?

The irony here is your "rebuttal" is a straw man argument.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by VealCutlet

The worst is probably ballpark food servers...who do make at least minimum wage, and expect a tip after charging $13 for a 12 oz beer.

No way, the worst is the popular new-ish yogurt places where they charge by weight.  You do all of the work yourself.  You grab the cup, fill it up, add the toppings, and the person working there - quite literally - just sits behind the register watching you, and then just reads the price off the machine after you put it on the scale.  What kind of service could they possibly do well to 'earn' their tip?

I would look at that as no different from Burger King or McDonalds.... no tip required, no more than I would tip the cashier at a cafeteria.  I tip for service, and that's not a service, it's just collecting money.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by VealCutlet

This is a bit of a Straw Man argument. In what scenario would anyone tip a waitress for asking "would you like an appetizer?" if you didn't order one, or for asking if you want another Pina Colada, and you said "not now"?

Actually, you do tip for this, if you think about it.  If you're sitting in a restaurant or bar, you should reward attentive service.  Compare your tip for the server who comes around more often than necessary to the tip for a server you don't see for 30 minutes at a time.

[Coach1]

Should I tip the cart girl for simply shooting the breeze with her, even if I don't buy anything? Bottom line, I won't buy , not because of tipping bothers me, but more so the price of the drink they are serving. I can buy a 12-pack at the store, or buy three drinks from cart girl at same price.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Coach1

Should I tip the cart girl for simply shooting the breeze with her, even if I don't buy anything? Bottom line, I won't buy , not because of tipping bothers me, but more so the price of the drink they are serving. I can buy a 12-pack at the store, or buy three drinks from cart girl at same price.

So buy a cookie and tip her, or wave her on and let her go serve the paying customers.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Coach1

Should I tip the cart girl for simply shooting the breeze with her, even if I don't buy anything?

Yes.