[Thelomen Toblerone]

That's what got me about America, everywhere I'd think I was seeing bargains, then was informed that sales tax wasnt included in the labelled price. Seriously?! How lazy is that? I dont know what the bloody tav rate is in Florida or Georgia, tell me before I go up to the till and look confused dammit!

[Shinrei]

Sales in america don't generally change the labeled price either. There will be a sign over a specific rack of clothes that says 15% off, which implies everything on that rack is 15% off the labeled price.

Big clothing chains probably price tag everything before it hits the store shelves too, and sales tax can be different from city to city, not to mention state to state. That's probably why its not on the label.

Let's take the "THE PRICE IS ON THE MENU" argument to its full extent.

Ok, Step One: Tipping is outlawed.

Two: Employer pays employee more and raises the prices on the menu in order to cover this.

Three: Customer has to pay higher price at the restaurant. Shitty service? Too bad, the price is on the menu so you can't pay less.

What this makes me realize is, those of you against tipping are against tipping because you hate having to do the math yourself. And you like to be forced to pay higher prices whether service is good or not.

Weird....

This post has been edited by The 20th: 04 October 2008 - 10:51 PM

[Osric]

Here in Holland we dont tip, you get paid what you earn and that's it. Sometimes we do, in restaurants n stuff, but never anything like 15%, just usually a euro or 2.
When I lived in england though I did get in a lot of trouble for not tipping taxi drivers and stuff.. XD I never knew untill someone told me, Im scared of english taxis now, I think they have a grudge.

This post has been edited by Osric: 04 October 2008 - 10:47 PM

[Macros]

2oth, thats ridiculous, none of us are suggesting tipping be outlawed. please remove your strawman from our presence.
We're argueing against the mandatory nature of tipping, not the act of tipping.

[Terez]

I'm pretty sure that's what he was talking about - or rather, the federal policy in the US of tipped minimum wage that allows businesses to get away with paying that.

[Zakari39]

The argument about removing tipping - that you pay for poor service then, would only work once. If I pay for a meal and the service/food is poor, I don't return....that's my power as a consumer, and the business will have to change pretty fast if enough people choose not to return there...

Adding Tax on after is lazy too - I don;t care what the VAT or State Tax is - it's nothing to do with me! Tell me what I will have to pay in total for each item listed....

You add on Tax and Service and some food is no longer as reasonable as it seems.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Again with this thread? Sigh. Tip if you are in a culture where it is expected if you are satisfied with the service, lest you look like a schmuck. if somewhere where tipping is not part of the culture, don't tip lest you look like a schmuck. Doesn't matter how you feel about it. If you're in the USA, get good service, and don't tip because you're morally against it, you will look like the worst kind of asshole. Don't be that guy.

There. Now this thread can go back to sleep for a few months.

[caladanbrood]

I used to think Shinrei made reasonable arguments. Now I see this is a giant pile of bovine residue. The light is flung in my eyes

[Vicodin&FantasyBooks]

I'm European and I usually tip in restaurants I visit regularly. It's something you do for the waitress if the service was good.

Anywhere else it's not a common practice to tip.

[RodeoRanch]

I hate tipping for a haircut.

[Terez]

I hate having to tip three different people for a haircut. I love the chick that massages your head while she washes your hair, though....

[Tapper]

Seriously, tipping three people? Why is there not a tipping pot somewhere that's then split amongst the personell? Makes things a lot easier You Americans are weird.

Tapper, old world citizen.

[Osric]

Terez, on Oct 17 2008, 05:51 AM, said:

I hate having to tip three different people for a haircut. I love the chick that massages your head while she washes your hair, though....

Agreed. XD But what do you do? Just randomly give em money? lol.. I pay for my haircut at the end when Im about to leave, nobody tips em.

[Macros]

surely you pay the barber to cut your hair, he/she/it sets a rate that is financially viable for said service.
why the tip? you asked for your golden locks to be sheared and lo, they were shorn

[Terez]

Well, in a tipping culture, it's best to do as the Romans do and all, especially when it comes to food and haircuts. Because they will remember you...

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Macros, on Oct 17 2008, 09:50 AM, said:

surely you pay the barber to cut your hair, he/she/it sets a rate that is financially viable for said service.
why the tip? you asked for your golden locks to be sheared and lo, they were shorn

As it is a tipping culture, prices are set lower in anticipation of pleased customers leaving extra. And really, it's a good system. If you get a shitty haircut, you still have to pay the listed price. But, if you're really unhappy, you now have the option of paying less by not tipping. Also, having some of their pay be based on performance encourages people to pay attention and do well.

That being said, if I went somewhere that charged 50$ for a haircut I would be less inclined to tip. No that I would go somewhere like that though. I prefer to go to the asian ladies who charge 9$ for a haircut. At that price, it's not going to kill me to drop a couple of extra bucks if she does a good job.

[Macros]

how much in $9 in real money?

My hairdresser charges me a fiver for a chop, does a consistently good job at it, she gets an obsene amount of custom because she does a consistently good (and speedy) haircut. you see what i did there? yes i put in the reward for good service, an obscene amount of custom, people know shes good, people know shes fast. her shop is always busy.

[ch'arlz]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on Oct 17 2008, 03:40 PM, said:

As it is a tipping culture, prices are set lower in anticipation of pleased customers leaving extra. And really, it's a good system. If you get a shitty haircut, you still have to pay the listed price. But, if you're really unhappy, you now have the option of paying less by not tipping. Also, having some of their pay be based on performance encourages people to pay attention and do well.

It's a crappy system, but I don't have any idea how you'd change it in the U.S. at this point. As a teenager many years ago I worked as a bus boy for a pittance and supposedly 10 percent of the waitresses's tips. If they got stiffed on a tip, I got nothing. And most often it wasn't people who were dissatisfied with the service who didn't leave a tip, it was people who apparently overspent on their meals and drinks who must have felt like they didn't have anything left.

[Mezla PigDog]

Terez, on Oct 17 2008, 04:51 AM, said:

I hate having to tip three different people for a haircut. I love the chick that massages your head while she washes your hair, though....

Pre-my personal head surgery days, the chick that massages your head used to shy away from my deformity. Now, she can't get enough of my head! Screw her if I'm going to tip! The actual stylist who had the self control to pretend that she didn't notice my alien twin, she gets at least 10% (and a muttered "hope my bizarre lumpy head didn't freak you out", she was always kind enough to lie).

[caladanbrood]

There are people who massage your head? What insanity is this?
I got a free haircut at a swanky place once, because they were training people... it was weird. Normally, I sit in a chair for 5 minutes while they run clippers over my head for a while... but this one, they tried to wash my hair and everything. Damn woman soaked the back of my tshirt because she couldn't hold the sprayer thing strait.
I didn't tip though the woman who does it cheap in the student union is quite good, and costs 4 quid, so I usually leave a fiver...