[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

There are good argumentss both for and against the tipping culture, but what it comes down to is if you are visiting a foreign country, you should follow local customs lest you look rude.

[Shinrei]

I'm just waiting for Terez and Macros to respond to my post....

[Shinrei]

Path-Shaper;281279 said:

I'm complaining about how its just expected on everything, you tip IF you get good service, when tipping is expected the staff won't go overboard, they'll do whats needed. I'm not miserable, I tip if they deserve it, in bulgaria I gave out plenty of tips, the staff in the bars there were so nice it was ridiculous, the staff in our hotel bar were complete dicks so I gave them fuck all, I don't give a shit if they earn a loaf of bread a year, people who work with the public are expected to carry themselves with a bit of manners.

Minimum wages is what most bar staff get here, they ain't gonna live of tips in anyshape or form, because most of them are a pack of grumpy dickheads who couldn't serve their way out of a paper bag.

Actually, I am all for Americans tipping what is deserved. If the service is bad, then the tip should reflect that. Why? Because if a server gets enough bad tips they might stop and say, maybe it's something I'm doing/not doing and get better at their job.

The whole beef with europeans tipping me 5% is I know I give excellent service (I work in a rather upscale restaurant where I'd be fired if I didn't). That's where what Mr. Luxery Yacht said comes into play.

[Shinrei]

We did post at the same time! When my post went through, yours was waiting. You must've beaten me by a second!

[Macros]

thats a bit freaky, i left the discussion for nearly a week!

5%, how much is your average bill? you have to understand comong from a culture where staff are normally paid the minimum wage at least and tips are customary 5% might be generous in their mind

[greenteam]

i live in ireland and been on hols few times to europe with my girlfriend and whenever i go ot for a meal with her and/or her family i always tip 10%. this maybe because she worked long hours in a really crap hotel but was always saying to me bout how some people were really nice and would tip her...just thought that its the right thing to do

[Obdigore]

Macros;281289 said:

thats a bit freaky, i left the discussion for nearly a week!

5%, how much is your average bill? you have to understand comong from a culture where staff are normally paid the minimum wage at least and tips are customary 5% might be generous in their mind

In the us, the tipping is generally from 10-20% depending on the service and the resteraunt.

I agree that 'gratuity' added to the bill pisses me off, however I was a waiter for a time, so I know what they are paid. I will often times tip someone who is overloaded with tables and gives me mediocre service more than I will tip someone who has barely any tables and gives me mediocre service.

I know what getting stiffed feels like, especially when you do everything and anything these chuckle-heads ask for, and then they leave you a shitty tip. That one always pisses me off.

PS - I know resteraunts where they add a 'gratuity' if the group is over 8 people, which I understand, although dislike, especially when its like 10-15%, and then you are expected to tip on top of that. Meh. I normally tip well, although I left a 1 penny tip for some freak who took 20 minutes to take my drink order (2 cherry cokes) and after another 20 minutes, hadn't brought them. I got up and walked out and left a penny on the table. There was 1 other group in the place, and they were getting excellent service.

[Macros]

I meant aren't customary.

If we're talking solely about restaurants then i normally leave a tip after a meal, most places here jar it then split the whole lot depending on hours worke,d I have a couple of friends who are chefs and I know how hsitty their job can be.
But i always got the impression tipping was considered everywhere in yankee doodle land, bars the whole lot, thats what annoys me, if i served someon two bottles of beer I wouldn't expect a tip, I wouldn't give one, if i landed the poor fellow with an order of 6 vodka, 2 gin, 3 bacardi, and then a load of mixers I'd most definately tip. Unless he was a dick.

Thats one thing I hate about drinking in england. they have all the squirty mcdonalds type mixers, they pour them in for you, as if they know how much you want.
UGH

[Ashaman]

what i find most strange is the attitude of "leaving you a shitty tip", and that the waitress gets pissed about that.
as i see it tip are a bonus not mandatory and should be considered so. if the waitress dont get payed so they can pay their bills, whell thats not my problem.... the whole idea of tipping becorse they get payed shitty money sounds like aid to me.
when i pay for a product i pay for the product, not for the dude that are working in the store/cafe/restaurant or what not. thats the employers responsibility, and it should not be handed over to the customer, to me that seems really rude and not customer friendly.
for me a tip is a "gift" or acknowledgment of good service, it does not come from "pity". if it are then its not a tip its just some thing different. (charity maybe....?)

[Giles]

thats how i see it as well, basically what people are saying is that as because waitresses and stuff get payed really low in america, people should tip lots to cover it. To me this is basically akin to having charity buckets at places, while i do feel this is necessary and do give money to charity i dont feel it should be called tipping as "tipping" is a totally different idea than that. at least to me it is

[Optimus Prime]

It's pretty simple to me.

If the hotel I work for would pay me more, sure I'd understand the "no tip" policy...but they don't. It's part of our culture here in the states, and I think it benefits both parties.

When we have someone check in to our hotel, this is what people in my position do.

1. You pull up in a car. I greet you, give you a ticket for your car which I will valet, and unload your luggage.
2. While I'm doing this, I'm giving you tons of information about the hotel and surrounding area (since most people are from other parts of our country and not familiar with the San Diego and island of Coronado).
3. You are met by one of our hosts (think front desk agent plus concierge) and escorted to the room while I finish unloading luggage and park your car.
4. A few mins later, I bring your luggage (usually at least 10 pieces because most people stay for many days) and walk you through all the room amenities PLUS more info about the hotel and surrounding area.

So imagine me as a Valet, Doorman, and Bellman all in one. Plus I'm somewhat of a tour guide. (I'm also astonishingly handsome)

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

It's only expected if you're satisfied with the service. No one will dispute your right to not tip if the service was bad.

[Shinrei]

Ashaman, baudin

Read my post on page 8 (and quoted page 9). There is a logic and a reason. It is NOT pity or charity.

[Ashaman]

well we might have to agree to disagree on that subject, what i consider tipping in my part of the world(Scandinavia), are that a tip is a "reward" for service that are bether then expected. thats what in essence a tip are, i understand that tipping have a other "place" in American culture, but for me it seems that tipping over ther have deviated abit from what in essence tipping really are, a singe of gratitude for unexpected good service.
you might call it a tip, but for me it seems like an other way of paying for the employers salarie, and thats certainly not what tipping are in my book.
But hey different lands different "rules", i can understand that, the main problem for me is that a word/concept that i am used to over her are so different in other places of the world, and it still have the same name.


For me personally, the biggest grudge i have agenst the U.S way is that it is expected.... if some one expect to get some thing exsta from me whit out really doing any thing out of the ordinary, i will get offended.

[Macros]

i'm with ashaman and baudin, expecting tipping to make up shitty wages is bad policy by the employer, that is my main problem with the tipping "culture" if the wages are bad, get a different job, if you do a fantastic job like xander suggest he does then a tip is likely to be forthcoming, but just expecting for doing your job is annoying.
A tip is for excellence, doing more than you have to to accomodate the person you are serving.

[Macros]

cross post with ash, again hes saying what I want to more eloquantly.

[caladanbrood]

Xander - I suspect though, if someone has enough money to stay at that sort of hotle/resort type place, then they have enough money to spare for a tip