Friday, September 12, 2008

Tipping

I think tipping is an important portion of society. It is a way of spreading the wealth completely outside the taxation system. I would like to think of myself as a big tipper. I preferred to give big tips, especially at places that I frequented a lot. But I just read an article (found on the yahoo homepage) that shocked me.

The Article

In all the situations it listed I either tipped close to double what they suggested or nothing at all. It says you should tip your piercer 10%? Does that include the proprietor of an establishment? Or 3 bucks to the shuttle guy at an airport? Why the hell would you tip at an airport? you are never going to see him again. No love lost there.

Perhaps because I am a big tipper I am especially happy I live in a no tip country. Its great. My favourite thing is there is no finagling over the cheque at the end of the night. If there are five people and the bill is 15000; that's 3000 each. So simple. Having cheap friends sucks. I can think of a similar situation back home and know I would throw in $50+ and when we counted up the pile we would still be short and I have to put in more and at the end you have a total of 180 bucks, a 30 dollar tip and I had put in $60 and so offered the entire tip or (more likely than not) the one other person at the table that has a similar mindset to me also puts in $60 and everyone else is paying less than their total. Bastards.
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14 comments:

amyloujacobs said...

So you don't tip in Japan???
but everyone in Canada tips the Japanese woman at the massage parlor......

12 September 2008 at 13:35
\ said...

Its country by country but I guess Canada and America are the biggest for tipping. People love when we go on vacation and don't know the local customs. Then I guess in poor countries?

12 September 2008 at 21:06
Unknown said...

Sir,

I must respectfully disagree with you on this topic. As an off-duty waiter in a pub once explained to me, the purpose of "T.I.P.S." are "To Insure [sic] Prompt Service."

It is not a given freebie that should be expected by servers. It is there to give servers economic incentive to give exemplary service to all clients.

Here, in Canada, as you know, our benchmark is 15%. This is a benchmark. With all due respect to wait staff, if you give me unduly slow service for non-kitchen related things, or you can't at least fake a smile when you approach my table, don't expect more than 5-10%.

The system is there because it works. If you automatically tip 15% ALL the time, what incentive do they have to do their job well? The 15% is accessible to them, it doesn't take Einstein to promptly fetch drinks, be friendly, and promptly get my bill. An idiot can do that. If you can't, you are a super idiot and deserve the reduced wage!

I don't want to appear cheap - I often tip more than 15%. As someone with extensive retail and client service experience I realise how little effort it takes to make people feel good about the service or product they are getting. It's not brain surgery, it's easy.

Tipping, therefore, is an incentive program and should be treated as such. I have only once not left a tip, and it was mainly because the waiter insulted me to the point where I almost left with the full entree on the table. If you do this, you deserve the $7/hour because you are an idiot and that's exactly how society rewards idiots. I don't give a shit how your day was, you don't give a shit how my day was, so put on a smile and get me my Gin and Tonic!

Sincerely,

Noah

13 September 2008 at 02:30
\ said...

So 15% is only a bench mark. I can agree with that if someone is willing to give more and less equally frequently. If you consider only the negative side 15% is no longer your benchmark but instead your maximum.
Remember in Canada they are paid less than minimum wage and must tip out to everyone else working there. They could end up with very little money if people think of 15% is the maximum.
I also think that you need to consider how often you go to a place. The more often you frequent a locale, the higher the tip must be. At a local breakfast joint you could be giving $10 total on a $5 but know your food will be warm when it comes and your coffee will always be full. It takes a few weeks but a good hostess keeps track of those things and will tell your server.

13 September 2008 at 08:32
j-rem said...

as you talked about how the people that skimp on the bill are free riding, did you think that the waiters/bartenders are free riders themselves?..

its not like they declare their full income for tax purposes. im no angel, i didnt file for taxes until 21.

i dont like free riders, but i accept their existence. what i dont like more is paying fucking taxes.

one idea, is that do you think if tips were taxed, that we'd, as a population, tip more?

13 September 2008 at 09:39
\ said...

Tips are taxed. But the government assumes how many tips you make based on the type of place you are working. The obviously low ball it but if say someone never made tips they would be over taxed and underpaid.

13 September 2008 at 17:57
j-rem said...

i disagree, if they never made tips, they would likely never pay any tax given the make less than minimum wage as it is.

again - do you think if we knew that there was a system to perfectly monitor tips to ensure taxation - would we tend to tip more?

14 September 2008 at 05:47
\ said...

I would likely tip less. Frankly what the point if 40% is getting raked away by the government, of what is left the guy hs to give 10% to the bartender who never sees you, 10% to the buss boy, 10% to the cooks, 10% to the hostess.
Your 20% tip is down to 7% anyways. Why bother?

14 September 2008 at 11:10
j-rem said...

so basically charity has to be specific.

17 September 2008 at 11:18
\ said...

The most important aspect of a charity for me is efficiency.
ex: the red cross gets about 90 cents out of every dollar donation to the needy.
Those Sally Struthers christian children charities are like 40 cents because of all the management and commercial time, etc.
I'd rather donate money to a good charity I don't fully agree with than a bad charity whose principals are similar to mine.

18 September 2008 at 08:20
George Ratcliff said...

I am much like you in that I tip generously. I was looking at the other posts and saw where Noah stated that T.I.P.S. = To insure prompt service. If that were the case wouldn't we tip up front? I have also experienced the cheapness of friends. I had one friend that didn't even realize tax was not part of the price until he was about 18. I said he was my friend,,,not necessarily smart. Now imagine being in a group with him when the bill is being passed around. I always pondered the difficulty of spliting a bill 4 or 5 ways on a computer. Why can't most restaurants do it?? Here in San Diego, CA an 18% gratuity is added to parties over 6 or 8 (depending on the restaurant). What would the other poster Noah say about this??

23 September 2008 at 12:52
George Ratcliff said...

I am much like you in that I tip generously. I was looking at the other posts and saw where Noah stated that T.I.P.S. = To insure prompt service. If that were the case wouldn't we tip up front? I have also experienced the cheapness of friends. I had one friend that didn't even realize tax was not part of the price until he was about 18. I said he was my friend,,,not necessarily smart. Now imagine being in a group with him when the bill is being passed around. I always pondered the difficulty of spliting a bill 4 or 5 ways on a computer. Why can't most restaurants do it?? Here in San Diego, CA an 18% gratuity is added to parties over 6 or 8 (depending on the restaurant). What would the other poster Noah say about this??

23 September 2008 at 12:53
George Ratcliff said...

I am much like you in that I tip generously. I was looking at the other posts and saw where Noah stated that T.I.P.S. = To insure prompt service. If that were the case wouldn't we tip up front? I have also experienced the cheapness of friends. I had one friend that didn't even realize tax was not part of the price until he was about 18. I said he was my friend,,,not necessarily smart. Now imagine being in a group with him when the bill is being passed around. I always pondered the difficulty of spliting a bill 4 or 5 ways on a computer. Why can't most restaurants do it?? Here in San Diego, CA an 18% gratuity is added to parties over 6 or 8 (depending on the restaurant). What would the other poster Noah say about this??

23 September 2008 at 12:53
\ said...

I don't like standard tips like that. 18% is a more than reasonable average tip. I think an average night of service with an average looking waitress merits 18%.

15 October 2008 at 09:56

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