The Swamp

I never know when tipping is expected. Have some painters in my house doing a couple of rooms. Going to cost me a fuckton, but had to be done, as skylight leak damage and burst pipe water stains had to be covered up.

So anywho, am I supposed to tip the two guys doing the work? They are very nice, despite my inability to communicate with them, and done a decent job. If so, how much?

I used to never think to tip someone who does stuff like that. But now I would typically throw them each a $20 or something like that, because of course they aren't getting the whole amount you're paying. If it were someone working for themselves who did keep all the money you're paying, I probably wouldn't tip in that case.

Agreed. If I call Gary's Plumbing and Gary comes out, no tip. If not Gary does, tip.

AB_skin_test wrote:I used to never think to tip someone who does stuff like that. But now I would typically throw them each a $20 or something like that, because of course they aren't getting the whole amount you're paying. If it were someone working for themselves who did keep all the money you're paying, I probably wouldn't tip in that case.

Where is THC to weigh in? I know the owner of the company is taking the majority of the cut. I was thinking of throwing them each a $20. What I didn't think of, is to ask to see their proof of eligibility to work in the US. I could be forced to resign a future cabinet position when President Slolz and the Lemon Party come into the White House. I call dibs on Secretary of Partying Down. And damn the internet for no longer providing unlimited Simpsons videos.

mister d wrote:Agreed. If I call Gary's Plumbing and Gary comes out, no tip. If not Gary does, tip.

The invoice said "Ed and the Boys." while Ed is not doing the work, the boys are surely part owners, right?

Well, if it said Ed & the Ninos, yes...but I bet this is Ed's layabout sons just livin' high on the hog of cheap labor!

It shouldn't be that hard to ascertain whether the workers are part of management, or not.

Separate issue - If you go to the restaurant and pick up a take-out pizza or Chinese food, etc., do you tip and if so, how much? I've heard opinions all over the map. Sometimes I feel like the cheapskate who isn't doing enough, and other times I feel like the sap who's overdoing it.

I used to tip a small amount when I picked up, but I don't now that they tack on delivery charges that don't go to the driver when I do get it delivered.

Petty, probably.

sancarlos wrote:It shouldn't be that hard to ascertain whether the workers are part of management, or not.

Separate issue - If you go to the restaurant and pick up a take-out pizza or Chinese food, etc., do you tip and if so, how much? I've heard opinions all over the map. Sometimes I feel like the cheapskate who isn't doing enough, and other times I feel like the sap who's overdoing it.

I always tip well at restaurants, probably too well when service is shitty, but I don't tip for takeout. I paid for the food, what other service am I getting? do you tip cashiers in a grocery store? They are doing a heck of a lot more than the cashier at a restaurant. In my 5 years as a grocery store cashier, I had 3 customers attempt to tip me. IIRC, we weren't allowed to accept tips. Either that, or I didn't want their damned dollar.

Last time I had a couple of rooms painted, they brought a whole bunch of people out - some painted, some spackled, etc. They sort of came and went throughout the time. So, since I can't tell who did what and there are too many of you - nobody gets a tip.

When I pick up food, no tip. However, one restaurant we like actually brings it out to the car when you go pick it up. I do tip then, but never know how much is appropriate.

When I start working at McDonalds, I'm sure as hell writing "NOT ONE OF THE KROCS" on my name tag. Thanks in advance.

sancarlos wrote:It shouldn't be that hard to ascertain whether the workers are part of management, or not.

Separate issue - If you go to the restaurant and pick up a take-out pizza or Chinese food, etc., do you tip and if so, how much? I've heard opinions all over the map. Sometimes I feel like the cheapskate who isn't doing enough, and other times I feel like the sap who's overdoing it.

Are we talking about the dollar in the tip jar? Yes, if I go there a lot and the same people generally work the counter the time, provided they are not jerks.

Ryan wrote:When I start working at McDonalds, I'm sure as hell writing "NOT ONE OF THE KROCS" on my name tag. Thanks in advance.

Since McDonald's is publicly traded, for sake of thoroughness you should lay out your entire stock portfolio to show that you do not own any shares.

Rex wrote:Since McDonald's is publicly traded, for sake of thoroughness you should lay out your entire stock portfolio to show that you do not own any shares.

Okay, but it will look amazingly like a bunch of kids placemats from McDonalds

Shirley wrote:When I pick up food, no tip.

Since tips are usually shared, you're screwing over the kitchen staff, since they do the same amount of work whether you dine in or carry-out.

P.D.X. wrote:

Shirley wrote:When I pick up food, no tip.

Since tips are usually shared, you're screwing over the kitchen staff, since they do the same amount of work whether you dine in or carry-out.

But they get paid more than drivers/servers to account for that, no?

AB_skin_test wrote:

P.D.X. wrote:

Shirley wrote:When I pick up food, no tip.

Since tips are usually shared, you're screwing over the kitchen staff, since they do the same amount of work whether you dine in or carry-out.

But they get paid more than drivers/servers to account for that, no?

Absolutely. Minimum wage for servers is appallingly low (too lazy to look), because they are expected to make their money through tips. Kitchen staff rarely gets a cut of the tips. Busboys usually get a percentage of each waitresses tips, unless the waitresses all pool their tips.

The Sybian wrote:Absolutely. Minimum wage for servers is appallingly low (too lazy to look), because they are expected to make their money through tips. Kitchen staff rarely gets a cut of the tips. Busboys usually get a percentage of each waitresses tips, unless the waitresses all pool their tips.

There's probably a lot of variation depending on restaurant type, location, etc.

But I tend to just tip because working in food service sucks.

Here's always been my rule of thumb when it comes to tipping, and I'm sure I've put it in prior incarnations: If it is a service, and the person involved can personalize said service, it is tipworthy. If you are requesting them to go out of their normal way, then it is tipworthy. If instead it simply following a simple direction, then no, it isn't tipworthy.

Obviously Tipworthy:
Waitstaff
Bartenders
Sommeliers, if they aren't condescending assholes and suggest a well-priced bottle instead of jacking up the price
Barbers / Hairdressers
Taxis
Bellhops
Doormen who get you the cab
Concierges
Cleaning staff at the hotel (at the end of the stay)
Car Wash guys
Paper Carriers
Housecleaners / Maids, so long as they don't steal your shit.
Baristas ($.50 or the rest of your change, whatever lesser for coffee, a dollar for one of those douchebag specialty drinks)
Personal Shoppers
Wedding Consiglieres
Wedding Bands
DJ when requesting a song at a club
Ecdysiasts and other Mature Entertainment (or so I've heard)
Lawnmowers/Snow shoveling, when they are under 18.
The dudes who load luggage when you got a fuckton of shit to put onto the plane.
Babysitters, as long as they got a great rack

Tipworthy, so long as they aren't the owner:
Movers
Tailors
The dudes who install your flatscreen, etc.
If they takeout brings it to your car
People who bring groceries or large purchases to your car, especially if it's fucking heavy or bulky
Anyone who brings shit to your house directly from the place your ordered it and they don't own the business.

Can Go Either Way for Tipworthyness:
Laborers for a company, especially if... there's a signficant likelhood they are not citizens. This would include painters and landscapers
The tip jar in the burritto stand, if you're fairly sure they are getting it.

Put Their Tip in the Christmas Envelope:
Mailman, so long as you're not getting steamed envelopes
The trash guys, so long as they don't leave the garbage the fuck everywhere consistently. Once in a blue moon should be acceptable. These guys pick up fucking garbage for a living

Absolutely Not Tipworthy:
Cashiers at supermarkets
Cashiers at McDonalds or shit like that
The guys pumping your gas (unless they check the oil and/or clean the windshield, thinking it's 1954)
The motherfuckers at the King of Prussia Mall Courtside Food Court, who just fucking swipe your card for payment away from the food bays, and some fucking way expect a tip, which those motherfuckers aren't getting unless something on my tray is comped. And then fucking maybe. Fuck those clowns.

Tip half on pickup because you're dealing with half the people, cooks but not servers.

The Sybian wrote:
Absolutely. Minimum wage for servers is appallingly low (too lazy to look), because they are expected to make their money through tips. Kitchen staff rarely gets a cut of the tips. Busboys usually get a percentage of each waitresses tips, unless the waitresses all pool their tips.

I was the dinner cook in a New Mexican place in ABQ. Between the university and the AFB we had a lot of officers and professors come into the place. The most expensive thing on the menu was 15$, yet for some reason patrons always tipped well. Hell, the head waiter had a masters degree, yet waited tables as he was making over 50K a year (98% of that from tips, I think servers made 3 something an hour then.)

I was always bull shit because the kitchen were the folks making the food worthy of tips. All the waiters did was bring water, some chips, maybe a beer, ask what kind of burrito and what colour chile. I was the fucker making that shit look and taste good.

One of the waiters f'd up an order and asked me to remake it on a really busy night, told I would if he tipped me out. He wouldn't and so he waited.

And on a dead night, you still made the same while they got shit.

I tipped each of them $20. Either they aren't used to getting tips, or are used to getting much bigger tips. Each of them stared at the $20 with a surprised look. Not sure which way it went, but I'm thinking they don't normally get tips.

The Sybian wrote:I tipped each of them $20. Either they aren't used to getting tips, or are used to getting much bigger tips. Each of them stared at the $20 with a surprised look. Not sure which way it went, but I'm thinking they don't normally get tips.

When in doubt, tip. $20 each in Syb's scenario is pretty standard in my opinion as long as you're talking about two or three guys. In Daves scenario above I'd probably give the head guy $60 and trust him to split it up. You'd be surprised how many people stiff people who obviously work for tips. It's a point of common conversation in Las Vegas. Ironically the cheapest fucks are Canadians. Since Europeans don't tip they pretend like they don't also. Like Americans are too fucking stupid to realize the difference.

AB_skin_test wrote:And on a dead night, you still made the same while they got shit.

One, there where very very few dead nights. Two, I'd rather have a couple nights of 40$ an hour than a week of 5.25 an hour.

So why didn't you just become a server?

mister d wrote:So why didn't you just become a server?

Boom!

Skills: Problem solving

mister d wrote:So why didn't you just become a server?

Because it was a tiny ass place and they weren't hiring servers? It was a restaurant in what was an old house, never had more than 4 servers and they had all been there for 5+ years. Wasn't going to happen.

At a restaurant, I generally, at a minimum, divide by 5 and round up to the nearest dollar. But (and the best excuse I can give myself here is that I grew up in DE) I've always done that on pre-tax total. Apparently that means I'm a bad person and all of the smiling servers at my favorite local bar probably hate me.

rass wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:34 pm At a restaurant, I generally, at a minimum, divide by 5 and round up to the nearest dollar. But (and the best excuse I can give myself here is that I grew up in DE) I've always done that on pre-tax total. Apparently that means I'm a bad person and all of the smiling servers at my favorite local bar probably hate me.

I hope that doesn't make you a bad person to tip 20%+ on pre-tax. Because that's exactly what I do.

I tip on final price after tax, typically. Unless I'm with Tommyboy in Portland, then I stiff the server and he comes in behind me and makes up for it because I got confused when we split the bill.

(SOrry tommyboy!)

rass wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:34 pm At a restaurant, I generally, at a minimum, divide by 5 and round up to the nearest dollar. But (and the best excuse I can give myself here is that I grew up in DE) I've always done that on pre-tax total. Apparently that means I'm a bad person and all of the smiling servers at my favorite local bar probably hate me.

So if the bill is $75 (here in the great state of NJ) and with tax $80, you'll leave $15? That almost looks like you're intentionally ducking the 20% minimum.

I tip 20 percent-ish post-tax, but always a minimum of $5 if it's a diner-type place. (So if I'm eating by myself and the bill is $12 I'd leave a $5 tip.)

Take bill, round to nearest 5 or 10 dollars, double first number, leave amount.

I don't know why this comes up every so often. If you're worried about tipping pre or post tax to save yourself a buck or two, eat at home. And I don't want to hear people wax poetic on how it's a stupid practice. We all know it is. Until things get better for servers nationally, tip the people that take care of you like you want them to have a living wage.

Also with Brian on the minimum. The only time I tip less than a 5 spot is if I'm just having a beer or two and then it's a buck a drink.

What's the practice on progressive places that note they pay their servers a living wage? Kick them a few bucks for the effort still or do you just go full Europe?

Here's one ... do you tip more or less on a growler fill? On one hand, a lot more work than a pint. On the other, its takeout.



(I go more.)

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:27 pm Here's one ... do you tip more or less on a growler fill? On one hand, a lot more work than a pint. On the other, its takeout.



(I go more.)

Similarly, I'll tip about $5 for a typical order at the dispensary (what I'm getting varies, but it's usually between $70 and $100).

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:27 pm Here's one ... do you tip more or less on a growler fill? On one hand, a lot more work than a pint. On the other, its takeout.



(I go more.)

I rarely just get a growler fill without being there for a bit, so normally 20% on the bill. But I've never really thought about it. The point isn't 100% how long it takes to do a job, IMO.

I'll do the same thing if I just sit at a bar on business. Maybe I'm working for a while, maybe I just want to watch the game and not have much to drink. In those instances if a bartender is checking on me, filling a water glass, or if I'm generally taking up space, I'll throw a 5 or more down for the effort. I don't think filling a growler constitutes that much more effort, especially if you're willing to be patient and let them get to it once other customers have single drinks.

Last comment is big. I offer to let them pass but they rarely do, so in my mind they're missing out on maybe 3 or 4 people while I'm filling 2. More effort, lost opportunity.

(A) fuck you and you

(B) As I tried to express, I really just didn't know. I haven't been so blindsided since this incident.


Gonna creep out servers by winking at them and giving them a thumbs up the next time I leave a couple of extra bucks on the bill to cover tax.

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:40 pm Last comment is big. I offer to let them pass but they rarely do, so in my mind they're missing out on maybe 3 or 4 people while I'm filling 2. More effort, lost opportunity.

How busy are these places you're filling a growler? I don't think I'd go at peak time to any of our growler filling places.