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A minister of the Presbyterian Church once told me that he tips based on if he had had a Coke instead of a martini and a hamburger instead of a steak. His logic: it takes no more effort to deliver a Coke and a hamburger ($14) than a martini and a steak ($50). His tip--$3 instead of $10. This is a big savings and I guess it is one more reason to read to read the Bible? |
Gekko, that vignette about Le Cirque explains it all. Thanks for helping us understand where your point of view is based.
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My pleasure. Superior, personal, extraordinary service deserves, no, it <i>demands</i> recognition.
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ok travelbug. Perhaps you can give your opinion by not putting words in other posters mouths and calling other posters opinions 'ridiculous'.
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to happytrailsto you:
Seems this minister has decided to tip "down", rather than "up", i.e., tips on the price of the hamburger/coke meal, even if he's gotten the martini/steak meal. Why not tip "up" to the amount of a martini/steak meal even if he had gotten the hamburger/Coke meal? I agree it's probably the same amount of work for the server, but if that's his justification, why tip the lower amount? Seems a cheap cop-out to me. Don't think this is handled in the Bible. |
"Do unto others ..."
And certainly "tis better to give than to receive." |
I know I'm taking my life in my hands to wade in here -- but I've never agreed with the concept of hotel tipping <u>as it is currently used</u>- by business to supplement low employee salaries. Prices on hotel rooms (especially in NY) skyrocket every year. What exactly can I expect to be <u>included</u> in the price of my room? It is my understanding that the price is high in part because the room comes with "service".
Here are my questions: -why tip the doorman who nearly tackles me to jump into the street and whistle for the taxi already stationed at the end of the block, when I could easily have hailed the taxi myself and would if allowed? (Pouring rain, difficult to find a taxi, late at night -- yes.) -why tip the bellman who wasn't around to help me unload from the taxi, or negotiate the hotels front steps -- but shows up to "store" my luggage while I spend five minutes to check in at the front desk? (At that point I'll just roll it to my room without help.) -why tip bellman number one for taking the luggage and then tip bellman number two who shows up at my room to deliver the luggage an hour later? (This always feels like a scam to me.) -why tip the taxi driver who never utters a word, doesn't open a door, or lifts a piece of luggage, talks on his cell and drives me five blocks? (to and from airport with luggage, yes.) -why do I tip a doorman for opening the hotel door? (Isn't this something done more in serviced buildings where a doorman actually takes in packages, etc.?) -why do I tip the housekeeper when hotel "greening" urges me to only change the sheets and towels if I really must during my stay? (What exactly can one expect to be included in a $500-$600++ per night hotel room stay?) -why tip someone to bring me a bucket of ice when I could easily get it myself if only the hotel would give me access to the ice machine? -why tip for room service delivery when the bill clearly states that the hotel has already added on a hefty "delivery fee" AND an "18% gratuity"? Yet there is always another line for "tip'. Personally I'd rather see people paid a decent wage, do a respectful job and not be nickle and dimed to death. The argument for not just increasing wages is that prices would become too high, yet you are saying that these tips are practically mandatory. What's the difference? |
Bugswife..dohlice said ridiculous, not me.
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TC I agree with you 100%. You can not turn around these days without having to tip someone. I was told thta tips came from
To Insure Prompt Service |
Wouldn't that be
To Ensure Prompt Service??? In which case, it would be a TEP. One insures a car, home or life to protect against loss - not service. If we must begin to insure our service related experiences, that's a sad day. The debate about tipping is so old and tired. People all over the place have their various ideas about tipping. I am a good tipper, however, I don't subscribe to the mindset that the majority of a servers income is made through tips. I understand that is the fact, but that doesn't make me tip any more or less because I feel obligated to help someone make their rent. If less than minimum wage + tips isn't cutting it for someone, then it sounds like a change of career might be in order. I think a reasonably good server can make a decent living even at a mid-range establishment. As the one poster said above, however, he/she chooses to work in the service industry because it's a more enjoyable experience. More power to them. Success shouldn't be measured only on how much $$$ you make, but equally (or more) on how much you enjoy your life. Was supposed to be $.02 worth...maybe up to $.05 or $.07 by now. Nuff sed |
In my (WEBSTER'S)dictionary insure means: to make certain.
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yay, TC!
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Google "tipping wikipedia" for an excellent article on this topict. It includes the following:
<i>Tipping is considered by some to be a social obligation in restaurants having traditional table service. Many consider tipping to be an added reward if the service is good/excellent. Unfortunately, many servers have lost sight of the fact that a tip is a gratuity that needs to be earned. It is not "a given". The customary tip for a restaurant meal in the United States has traditionally ranged from 10 to 15 percent of the total bill (before tax) for "good" to "superior" service, respectively. A recent trend has developed, with restaurant establishments themselves recommending 15-20 percent of the total bill (after tax), which means you would also be tipping on the amount of the tax. However according to Tipping.org, a discussion based tipping website, this is not the standard. Note that many chat sites on tipping include advocates for 20% or greater tipping on the total bill, including alcohol and tax. They typically describe those tipping under 20% as "cheap", or say they should stay home if they "can't afford" to eat out.</i> |
This is my last post on the subject. ...The wine steward and the captain are tipped on their work their tip should not be left for the wait staff.
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I can honestly say that there have been numerous times that I have chosen to tip a particular server 30% or even more. This is how I feel about service professionals, and this is in no way saying others have to do the same:
I feel that when I am going out to a restaurant, it's because I would like to be "waited on" and if someone provides me with great service, I am more than willing to tip them for that service. For me, it's a way to thank them and let them know that they exceeded my expectataions. I don't think any server actually expects to get that large of a tip, but I'm sure it's gladly appriciated. I think all too often we forget about the people who are actually giving us great customer service. |
Yay TC!
I can and do appreciate good service but it is so hard to find these days! For instance, last week, during Tropical Storm Barry, I had the misfortune of having a pediatrician appointment for my 2 month old son that morning. I thought for a few minutes about rescheduling - but you know how difficult that is to do in this city! I wouldn't get another appointment for weeks! So I packed up my baby, put the rain shield on his stroller and braved the street in front of my apartment building to hail a cab. After 4 cabs passed me by, one finally stopped. This cabbie watched as I struggled in the pouring rain to put my baby in the back seat, juggle the duffle bag and umbrella and fold my stroller and then put it myself in his trunk while he chatted on his cell phone. When we got to the doctor's office 10 blocks away just a few minutes later, I asked him to please help me get the stroller from the trunk and he said no, I can't I don't have an umbrella. . I said you can borrow mine. And he said sorrry Ma'am I don't want to get wet. (He was still on the phone and annoyed that I interrupted him). So I went to the trunk, and as Murphy's Law would have it, the trunk was stuck. He pushed the button about 6 times to open it and it would not open. I asked him to get out to help me and he just ignored me and kept pushing the trunk release. Finally it popped open. I took my baby and all of my things and walked away - leaving the trunk and passenger side door open. Oh, and no tip from me! A New Yorker all my life, I used to love cabbies, but more and more, this is my experience with them - and rising fares to boot. |
<i>"I feel that when I am going out to a restaurant, it's because I would like to be "waited on"</i>
I hear you Kmar, but some of us eat out a lot and not just for a big, special night out. We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner out because we're on the road working. We're not all on a big expense account either. Tips alone on a 5 day trip for hotel staff, restaurant staffs, taxi drivers, and airport staff add up to a bundle of cash. |
Well, thanks for attempting to throw me under the bus. I did not call anyone ridiculous. I meant that it would be ridiculous for a tourist to come here under the impression that they should tip someone 30%. I have tipped "ridiculously" myself but I would not want people to be under the impression that this is the norm.
Do the servers share tips with the bartenders? Because it certainly takes more effort to make a martini than pour a Coke. Does he slip an extra buck to the bartender on the way out? :) And good for you Gia. That must have felt sooo good. Did you wait to see him get out and close the trunk? |
"Do the servers share tips with the bartenders?"
Yes, in most places a server either has to give a percentage of your sales to the bartender or tip the BT at his/her own discretion. |
LOL :D
No. I would have if it wasn't pouring rain and if I wasn't trying to get my baby inside as quickly as possible. But it still felt good just walking away without a word and imagining him having to stop his chat and get out of his nice dry cab. |
Wow, so it's possible that one server gets better treatment from the bartender because they tip better than the others? There's so much we don't know about the behind the scenes! I worked in a very busy supermarket in high school and it was like going to battle every day. But I always thought - at least I don't have to bring them food. It really seems like the hardest job to me.
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Dohlice, not only the bartender, but also the bus person, food runner and sometimes host/hostess and kitchen staff get a piece of the server's tips. They usually each get 1-3% of the servers sales or 10-15% of their tips (depending on the particular restaurant's rules). And yes, a lot of the time they give preferential treatment to the servers who tip them better.
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"In my (WEBSTER'S)dictionary insure means: to make certain" while the Wester's Online Dictionary defines it as, "to make certain especially by taking necessary measures and precautions" (second definition). As tipping is done post-service, it could hardly be classified as a precaution.
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$2.00 or $5.00 a day for housekeeping The dollar amt is up to you and your budget. Just remember to tip this often overlooked service and doing it on a daily basis insures that the person who is cleaning on that day gets the benefit. They work hard for a meager amount of money. People remember to tip the person who is hailing a cab (lots of work!) and ignore the person who is cleaning your toilet. Sorry for the soapbox but I have a softspot for them.
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"Do the servers share tips with the bartenders?"
Yes they do. In most restaurants a server has to share his/her tips not only with the bartenders but with the busboys and the cooks (called tip out). Some servers choose to tip over the required amount (usually 3 to 6 percent of daily sales). Depending on where you work your daily sales could be $2000. That is potentially $60 of their money going to people whose hourly wages are more than theirs. Remember this when you order TO GO and do not leave a tip, which should be between 5 and 10 percent, as a server has to tip out on that as well. Which means anytime a server takes a to go order and that person doesn’t tip at all money is coming out of that severs pocket. 20 percent is the norm. A good way to figure 20 percent on a check is to move the decimal point of the total over one place to the right and double it. Serving can be hard (it’s how I put myself through college) and the only reason most people do it is because the hours are flexible and the pay can be good. Thankfully there are people out there who will tip 30 percent or more if they receive excellent service (even in casual dining!). I've had people tip me well over 30 percent (even 100 percent) of the meal cost. As much as I agree that restaurants should pay their workers a living wage (in my home state minimum wage for a server is $3.15 per hour) it is kind of unrealistic. After all of the overhead costs, restaurants do not bring in much profit. Also there would be a vast shortage of servers. Serving is a physically (and mentally) demanding job. You wouldn’t believe some of the stories one can tell about terrible customers (and managers, and busboys, and cooks, and if you are a female the rampant sexual harassment). If the restaurants I used to work in decided to do away with tips and told servers they would be paid $8 dollars an hour, you can bet every single one of us would have quit. The only reason most people put up with serving is the potential to make a good amount of money. Some nights (if its slow) you might walk out of there with not much more than your $3.15 an hour, some nights you might have made $30 an hour. I would personally never leave a restaurant without having tipped something. You never know when someone is having a bad night. If you can see that it is crazy in a restaurant expect to wait a little longer for your food to arrive. And remember, as I once said to a customer who left me a dollar after having to wait 10 minutes extra for their food to come out, “Thank you! Another 799 tables like you and I will be able to pay my rent”. |
I will be in NYC in a few days and I have (yet) one more doubt about tipping. If I pay with a credit card in a restaurant, how must I tip? With cash? In my country tips are always voluntary and lower, so we always leave cash for the tip, but with a 20% of the bill... well, I am not sure.
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Filloa,
99% of the time, there will be a line on the receipt that will allow you to write in the tip and manually add it up. You keep the carbon of the receipt, the restaurant keeps the original. It's up to you to calculate the tip yourself. One caveat - most restaurants won't automatically add a gratuity if you are dining in a small party. If they do add it in to the total, it should be broken out as a separate line item, along with the percent (usually 15-20%). |
Oh, many thanks. I figured out that there had to be a way to pay the tip with credit card, but didn't know how.
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