Tipping Question (mrstjohnson)

A good hairdresser is hard to find!  I'd get her a gift certificate for the holiday season.  I tip or give gift cert.'s to the garbage collectors and the UPS guy.  These people work so hard in all weather and they really appreciate being remembered!  Even a small $5 or $10 gift cert. says "Thanks".

 Good topic!

What about massage therapists?  I mean, they set their wages.... If I'm already spending $65 do I need to tip on top of that?  

My DH used to go to a massage therapist once a week for his back pain.  The guy worked out of his house.  My DH didn't tip but we got him a small gift for Christmas that year.  He really helped his back a lot! 

I do NOT mind tipping at all, but one thing DH does irritates me: tipping at the coffee drive through.  It's not that he tips, it's the AMOUNT. He typically leaves .75 or 1.00 for a 3.00 drink!  Now, if he were spending this INSIDE a business, I could see it, but the server isn't running back and forth, cleaning a table or anything--just making a drink (takes about one minute) and handing it out the window.  DH doesn't ask for anything special, so it's not like he's being a pain.

DON'T EVEN get me started on how overpriced these coffees are! I HATE coffee and cna't imagine wasting 3.00 on ONE cup when you could make GALLONS of the stuff at hoem for less.

In California, servers make minimum wage, which is $8. I still tip a lot. I figure an extra few dollars usually makes a big difference to them, and it just doesn't to me. And I'm flat broke most of the time, but if I have money to go out to eat, I have money to leave a few extra bucks for the server. I probably average 25-40%. But I don't go to pricy restaurants, I'm talking IHOP or Red Robin with, you know, like $18 checks, lol. I'd probably leave a $7 on an $18 check. The difference between $21 and $25 is just not big for me, but the difference to the server between a tip of 15% and almost 40% is BIG. I also would probably never leave a tip of less than $5 at a sit-down restaurant. So if I was by myself, and the check was $10 or something, I'd still leave 5 bucks.. I just don't see any reason to leave less.

I think the least I would ever leave, even if the service wasn't great, is 20%.

Tip jars..totally depends on where I am. Somewhere like Coldstone where they actually DO something for me, I'd leave a tip.. plus they sing if they get a tip, LOL. Starbucks I'll probably only leave a tip if I order something special. Somewhere like 7-11 or McDonald's? Bite me. :-P

Maxs Mom

My hair stylist has her own salon

Most servers in full service restaurants make terrible hourly wages (from $2.50 an hour to about $4) however they are taxed at minimum wage.  Tips make up a major portion of their pay.  Yes I was a server from HS days and off an on up through grad school as necessary.  I am also originally from NY and 15% is minimum tip - has been all my life and I am old LOL  I am not going to stiff a server unless they were crap.

I tip well in restaurants for good service and I probably average about 20% unless the service wasn't what I expected.  If I eat a little shop and the bill is low I tend to tip much more than 20% because their time is still worth something.

Now the tip jars at Starbucks etc., no I don't tip there.  i suppose if the service was exceptional but I can't imagine how that works.  Hairdresser yes if I get a massage no - I don't tip my Dr or physical therapist either LOL and that is the sort of massage I get.

I tip our mail person because we have rural route collection and she has to deal with all our prepaid packages etc and we tip the newspaper kid - those two at Christmas

I lived in the UK for nearly 7 yrs and they tip terrible and the service is poor. Service in other European countries varied but the tipping was very low.

kpwlee

Maxs Mom

My hair stylist has her own salon

The 'old' rule of thumb was that you do NOT tip the owner.  IN fact I was told along the way it is an insult (how that works I'm not sure) I'd probably give her a Christmas gift/gc/or bonus but not tip regularly.

My stylist owns his own salon, 2 actually, yet I've always tipped him. I knew the rule, but just always felt funny not tipping him. I know that owning the salons hasn't brought him great wealth and since I've been going to him for over 10 yrs, I'd feel funny stopping now.

When we go to my aunt we tip her, but she undercharges family already.  She has a small salon type room in her basement and her own salon.  She charges my brother and husband about $12 or tries to tell them not to pay, but my mom says to give her $20.

cakana

I knew the rule, but just always felt funny not tipping him.

I leave 20% at all restaurants, hair cuts, etc. When people are terrible I go to 15%. If some one goes above and beyond I tip higher, and if they are the best ever, I will leave as much as I can afford to go without. I think I got this from my grandfather who use to tip 100%+ at places where the wait staff was excellent, and I always loved how it made the wait staff feel to get that surprise wow perk. Having waited tables myself, I think I also appreciate that it is the worst job on the planet and one I would never want to do again in a million years, so I really love when people make an effort to do the job well. The only exception is a business owner, who I would not tip per some etiquette rule my mother taught me.

Lisa, I want to know where the McDonald's was you went to that had a tip jar.  That's nuts.  I can't believe the franchisee or McD's corporate even allows that.

sharismom

  Lisa, I want to know where the McDonald's was you went to that had a tip jar.  That's nuts.  I can't believe the franchisee or McD's corporate even allows that. 

Actually at work in the Ren Cen...

Back in the old days when I could go out for lunch and park upon return... I had a friend we lunched with regularly she REFUSED to tip at restaurants. Which of course made us all look bad because 3 people tipping would be low for 4 eaters. Anyway she argued that she was in customer service and didn't get tips, and it was not her fault they got paid minimum wage. We tried so hard to explain to her that they DON'T get minimum wage with out your tip. She wouldn't pay. So we stopped going to restaurants when she was with us, only fast food joints. Her husband was also pissed she behaved this way. Unbelievable. 

I always tip. If my service is BAD and I mean bad, I make sure my tip reflects that. I never do not leave a tip, I don't want the bad server thinking "I forgot". No you didn't deserve it. That happens so rarely though. 

I do not leave in tip jars.