6 ms·

Not being from the States I really don't like tipping, I guess at least with this system it gets rid of the variables, like is tipping expected? How much is acc

by ticks 14y ago

Not being from the States I really don't like tipping, I guess at least with this system it gets rid of the variables, like is tipping expected? How much is acceptable? etc. To me, tipping is just a sign that a business isn't charging enough for the service.

rplnt 14y ago
I don't understand that system either. I tip (more) when I get some extra service. Might be a beer over the mark, hint on what food to order, or even a smile. It's my choice to tip and it should be like that.
tzaman 14y ago
Not true. I'm not from the States either (Slovenia, to be exact) and I was working as a waiter/barman back in the student days. At the end of each month I earned more from tips than salary. Why? Because I always went the extra mile to satisfy customers, entertaining them, telling them a joke, compliment, whatever. Telling jokes wasn't part of my job description but I did it anyway. And the only way for customers to let me know they enjoyed me serving them was by giving me tips. And it was an expensive lounge/club so they were charging enough for the beverages/service. I guess the same goes with taxi drivers. They don't have to chat with customers. They drive them from A to B. But most of them do. To some customers, this means a lot - and they show their gratitude with tips.
- ticks 14y ago
  I just like everything to be upfront with no hidden costs, rather than having the social pressures of paying for other people's employees. For example, would I receive a lower level of service than new customers if I returned after not tipping?
  - dpe82 14y ago
    > For example, would I receive a lower level of service than new customers if I returned after not tipping? Yes, if: 1) you had no reason not to tip 2) that person still works there 3) that person remembers you Ideally though if the person serving you is bad enough that they aren't getting tipped, they won't be there long. Waitstaff have to report their tips, so management very quickly knows who's bad and should fire them. If the person is good though and you're the lone dick who didn't tip him or her, don't expect good service from that person the next time you're there.
lunarscape 14y ago
I don't see the need to tip either as I live in a country with a decent minimum wage. I worked in a bar as a student and tips were rare. As a result I see tipping as some kind of failure by businesses. If employees are paid fairly and the service is always good why should customers tip? (Honest question)
- yummyfajitas 14y ago
  Tipping creates an incentive for service staff to do a good job. If you do a great job of keeping customers happy, you get paid more money. It's a much tighter feedback loop than "if you suck, maybe your manager eventually notices, then complains to you, then fires you."
  - lunarscape 14y ago
    I understand that perspective. However it's not something I would favor as a customer. Managers are essentially offloading their duties onto customers to keep their employees in check. It's interesting to contemplate the societal implications though. Where I worked we had a lot of tourists. US tourists, fairly or unfairly, had a reputation for being more critical and short tempered with staff. I wonder if that culture of being more responsible for staff performance creates that situation.
    - yummyfajitas 14y ago
      Well, as a US tourist, I think being short tempered is also a matter of mismatched expectations. Americans are used to receiving customer service of a quality much higher than the rest of the world. (This is true of both service staff who receive tips and others.) For that reason, they don't recognize that the surly attitude of a waitress or supermarket cashier is just a cultural difference rather than a personal affront.
  - tobias3 14y ago
    I would unconsciously give feedback for the whole experience, because I'm not able to discern who benefits from my tip, and what I'm really tipping. So the waitress gets punished for the bad food and atmosphere and the taxi driver for a horrible credit card interface.
Vadoff 14y ago
Tipping is pretty much 100% expected in the US for anything involving "personal" services such as sit-in restaurants, bars, salons, taxis, etc. Typically, around 15% is acceptable - if you want to go bare minimum, 10% would probably suffice. Any less and it would be considered rude or indicates that you were unhappy with the service.

by ticks 14y ago

rplnt 14y ago

I don't understand that system either. I tip (more) when I get some extra service. Might be a beer over the mark, hint on what food to order, or even a smile. It's my choice to tip and it should be like that.

tzaman 14y ago

Not true. I'm not from the States either (Slovenia, to be exact) and I was working as a waiter/barman back in the student days. At the end of each month I earned more from tips than salary. Why? Because I always went the extra mile to satisfy customers, entertaining them, telling them a joke, compliment, whatever. Telling jokes wasn't part of my job description but I did it anyway. And the only way for customers to let me know they enjoyed me serving them was by giving me tips. And it was an expensive lounge/club so they were charging enough for the beverages/service. I guess the same goes with taxi drivers. They don't have to chat with customers. They drive them from A to B. But most of them do. To some customers, this means a lot - and they show their gratitude with tips.

ticks 14y ago
I just like everything to be upfront with no hidden costs, rather than having the social pressures of paying for other people's employees. For example, would I receive a lower level of service than new customers if I returned after not tipping?
- dpe82 14y ago
  > For example, would I receive a lower level of service than new customers if I returned after not tipping? Yes, if: 1) you had no reason not to tip 2) that person still works there 3) that person remembers you Ideally though if the person serving you is bad enough that they aren't getting tipped, they won't be there long. Waitstaff have to report their tips, so management very quickly knows who's bad and should fire them. If the person is good though and you're the lone dick who didn't tip him or her, don't expect good service from that person the next time you're there.

lunarscape 14y ago

I don't see the need to tip either as I live in a country with a decent minimum wage. I worked in a bar as a student and tips were rare. As a result I see tipping as some kind of failure by businesses. If employees are paid fairly and the service is always good why should customers tip? (Honest question)

yummyfajitas 14y ago
Tipping creates an incentive for service staff to do a good job. If you do a great job of keeping customers happy, you get paid more money. It's a much tighter feedback loop than "if you suck, maybe your manager eventually notices, then complains to you, then fires you."
- lunarscape 14y ago
  I understand that perspective. However it's not something I would favor as a customer. Managers are essentially offloading their duties onto customers to keep their employees in check. It's interesting to contemplate the societal implications though. Where I worked we had a lot of tourists. US tourists, fairly or unfairly, had a reputation for being more critical and short tempered with staff. I wonder if that culture of being more responsible for staff performance creates that situation.
  - yummyfajitas 14y ago
    Well, as a US tourist, I think being short tempered is also a matter of mismatched expectations. Americans are used to receiving customer service of a quality much higher than the rest of the world. (This is true of both service staff who receive tips and others.) For that reason, they don't recognize that the surly attitude of a waitress or supermarket cashier is just a cultural difference rather than a personal affront.
- tobias3 14y ago
  I would unconsciously give feedback for the whole experience, because I'm not able to discern who benefits from my tip, and what I'm really tipping. So the waitress gets punished for the bad food and atmosphere and the taxi driver for a horrible credit card interface.

Vadoff 14y ago

Tipping is pretty much 100% expected in the US for anything involving "personal" services such as sit-in restaurants, bars, salons, taxis, etc. Typically, around 15% is acceptable - if you want to go bare minimum, 10% would probably suffice. Any less and it would be considered rude or indicates that you were unhappy with the service.