I don't know how to deal with valet parking at hotels. How much do people tip? And do you tip them every time they get your car and put it away?

Tip a valet once, when he brings your car,a dollar is fine.

I just got to this forum for the first time since early AM and am shocked at some of these responses have totally gotten out of hand. No pun intended.

I for one enjoy Patrick's posts and he has been a very helpful person and I see no reason why people choose to
BASH him so. Patrick is a human being with opinions and feelings and if they don't agree with yours than I am sure there are other ways to disagree.

I for one believe in tipping well. I feel as if I am a secure person and consider myself a kind person. If a person performs a service for me than I will show my monitary gratitude in a way that I see fit and I don't consider myself a blue collar worker.

Tipping is the quintessential Americanism - good pay for hard work, no pay for crappy work. It's all about merit.

And I think blue collar workers tip better because chances are they have been in the service industry. I've never waited, but my family members are waiters and bartenders. While you may calculate a waiter making $100/hr at a fancy restaurant, you need to factor in that:
1. he only works 4-5 hours a day, at dinner, and probably only 3-4 days a week, when he gets scheduled

2. he splits that tip with the busboy, maitre'd, or host, floor manager, maybe the other waiters if they performed some service like fill water, deliver bread, whatever.

3. Tips are taxed at 33% - and yes, they are declared as income. No one wants to risk this, because he can get fired. It's not taken out of his paycheck, so he has to stash it away to pay in April.


So.... $100. after sharing - $70. after 33% taxes for tips - approx $45. Then the $45 is taxed as normal wages, maybe at 15%, whatever the tax bracket. So, he's pulling down maybe $35 and hour. But he's only working 25 hours a week, that's about $875 take home (if he stashed away his 33%!). Remember he doesn't have any benefits, and is on his feet all day.

It's about the same for hairdressers. They're not getting rich off of your $20, trust me.

Why should hairdressers get rich? I'm not!

We overtip out of liberal guilt.

Hairdresser - you state that you think blue-collar folks tip better because they work for their money. Why would you think that wealthy people don't work for their money? How do you think most wealthy people get wealthy and maintain their wealth?? It's usually not by sitting around all day being waited on.

Actually, Tom, if you looked at a list of millionaires in the US, you'd find that at least half inherited the money. (That's how I got mine.) So, while not all wealthy people "just sit around," many of them do.

P.S. I always tip 20%.

Just a point on taxes paid on tips. I waited tables while in college. My boss calculated my tips based the ammount of the checks I generated during my shift. He based it on a 15% tip. Thankfully, people I waited on usually left me at least that.
So Frugal Fred I paid my fair share!

I tip my hair guy because he is great at what he does, and he always squeezes me in based on my schedule. That's what consistant tipping will get you...preferential treatment. Same with my hooker!

Often a hairstylist does the hair of the wife of a rich man,therefore her "job" is running the house,hiring firing underlings,staying good looking.Therefor she may be working but not the way you are referring to a job..
Also, someone did mention that a lot of people inherit their money and business from parents, so they don't really climb the ladder, know what I mean?
Of course this is all generalizing, some people are rich and work everyday and are big tippers too! But speaking from experience, my best tippers are the ones who work for their money and appreciate others who work too...

Re: tips being expected- I was brought up believing that tipping was a gracious way of applauding good service. And I tip good service - from my hairdresser(who is also a dear friend and who, belive me, even doing clients in her folks' basement after hours ,. still barely makes enough to keep body & soul together), taxi drivers here and when traveling, hotel maids when traveling, waitpersons, the guy who delivers my Szechuan when I order in , even the gas puimp guy if I go to a full-serve gas bar. The key words here are gracious a nd good service. I have never in my life had a tip responded to with anything but a smile at least and appreciation. I won't ,however tip an employee of Canada Post or the City of Edmonton (garbage collectors) - they make more than practical nurses do in this province!!!
ja

i 100% agree with the original post.
i am so tired of tipping people to do their jobs.
i tip on average a waitress 15% for a GOOd/COURTIOUS job. i am soooo tired of hearing waitress complain that they don't make a good salary so if i don't tip then i'm the bad guy. if you don't like the job then get out, but don't stay in it and continue to whine. i find that the waitresses that whine the most are lousy waitresses. if you care courtious and good i don't know a single person who wouldn't leave you a decent tip.
my hairdresser is the owner and she keeps out a tip jar.
and tipping at a walk up counter...please!!! they poured me a coffee.
again, just you reinforce, you CHOOSE the job.

Hey poster under the name "Wealthy"- Have you read the book "The Millionaire Next Door"- it is the most comprehensive study ever done on millionaires and how they got there. Hate to tell you.. most people are millionaires because of hard work...

TTT

Patricia, you beat me to the punch about "The Millionaire Next Door." It was written by two professors of marketing who were trying to determine what types of products and services to market to the wealthy. After 20 years of research they came to an astonishing conclusion: *Eighty percent of America's millionaires are first generation rich.*

Read this book to discover the difference between having a good income and lifestyle versus accumulating wealth, and see just WHO the millionaires of this country are and why.

Marketing is all about manipulating the consumer. Examples include:
- gas prices $1.29 9 (we actually put up with that 9/10 of a cent BS to the amusement of the rest of the world)
- hidden costs (menu item + tax + tip, instead of full cost included in the menu item)
- pricing like 9.99 instead of just 10.00, to trick us into thinking it costs less
- resort and energy fees and taxes and service charges tacked on to bill instead of upfront to make it appear less

We're a bunch of suckers manipulated by marketers, and we just sit here and take it. I noticed that the USA puts up with a lot of these practices than other countries.

Just tip if you think someone is deserving of it. Period!

Lot of cheapos here. Aside from tipping waiters, you should definitely tip cab drivers and the majority of hairdressers (owners the exception).
I also tip waiters 20% unless they're bad, then only 15%, terrible 10% and under. My fiance thinks I'm stupid for tipping bad servers so much, and I can't say I disagree with her. I'm sorry I'm a sucker for the working class.
All that being said I try to go 15% at least with waiters and a lot of other fields, using this formula how do I tip bathroom attendants.

Tip those that you feel deserve a tip, and skip those that don't. Lots of people in service professions don't make a lot, and a tip lets them know they are doing a good job. Tipping well also ensures good service in the future! Some of you people need to get a life! JMHO