[Vivienne]

Right. I would like some opinions on the following:-

What do you think of "tipping"? Should, for example, taxi drivers or hairdressers, or people who work in cafes actually be "tipped"?

I never tip. Ever. And not because I am mean (well, maybe partially), but because I think the above (and others) are already being paid by an employer, thus why do they need to be given the further cash?

If you sit and think about it, people in offices should also surely be "tipped". I have made coffee / tea for bosses in the past, yet no-one has ever tipped me.

What do you think?

[Bonanzoid]

Do you play the smallest violin in the world?

I think tipping depends on the service, obviously. I work part-time as a waiter, so it's nice to be tipped, and in some ways I wonder if I've been an arsehole to them if they don't tip, doesn't bother me too much though to be quite honest. I don't think hairdressers' deserve to be tipped, in general. Same with taxidrivers, essentially that's just paying for banter.

[Vivienne]

Do you play the smallest violin in the world?.

Excuse me?

[Console]

Some professions (like hair-dressing) are actually taxed on expected tips, so if you don't give them the tips they deserve then they are potentially loosing money.

As for me tipping, I generally add somewhere between 5% and 10%, but I don't really go to places or do things that involve tipping except for the odd restaurant.

[Bonanzoid]

Do you play the smallest violin in the world?.

Excuse me?

If you haven't seen Resevoir Dogs, ignore that comment.

[Vivienne]

As for me tipping, I generally add somewhere between 5% and 10%, but I don't really go to places or do things that involve tipping except for the odd restaurant.

Love the way you've got the percentages calculated. I wouldn't do it in a restaurant either.

[catherine]

So if a waiter or waitress gave you brilliant service for about 2 hours whilst you and 4 friends ate 2 or 3 courses and had wine served for you him/her earning about 9 pound is enough for their service?

I always tip from having meals to getting my eyebrows threaded.

[Vivienne]

Catherine, my point is people are hard working in many jobs, yet there's this automatic assumption that people who work in restaurants, e.g. are automatically entitled to tips. I think it's bizarre.

I do my own eyebrows. I used to get them waxed, and I didn't tip for that either.

[catherine]

And my point is that people serving on you are most of the time getting a seriously crap wage Viv.

[Vivienne]

Yep, a lot of people who don't get tips also get crap wages.

[foot-loose]

But certain jobs are expected to get tips.

It's part of the culture in which we live.

[catherine]

I was seating a man and put his cloak on then carried on sweeping the shop and the convo sort of went like this

Man: Do you get paid for doing all this
Me: Yeh 4 quid an hour *eye roll*
Man: Do you get a share of the tips?
Me: Nah
Man: Thats disgusting

He didn't tip my aunt and gave me two quid .

[Vivienne]

Well, foots, all I can say it's about time it was extended in some way.

[foot-loose]

I don't really agree viv, would it not make more sense for those who don't get paid much to try and get more money from their employers?

Getting tips isn't a very reliable method of getting paid. Especially not if everyone has different views on it as they do. I suppose it could work better if everyone tipped proportionally to the level of service they have received.

[MK Chris]

I agree with foot-loose; restaurants pay less because staff are expected to get tips as well. It's almost the same sort of idea as people who get commission, because it is going to be performance-related.

I do tip at restaurants, but only where the waitresses come up and take your order; if I'm at a restaurant where I order from the bar or a desk, I don't bother.

[claradooblue]

i usually tip in taxi's or resturants if the service is good. I appreciate their wages are crap, but if they come across as rude, then i generally don't tip. There should perhaps be some general accepted standard of how much to tip, but then in places where service charge is already included; i always find it presumptious and irritating.

[Yudster]

I tip in restaurants if the service has been good - I spent enough time as a waitress and then restaurant manager to know that it's important. However if the service charge is included in the bill, I always remove it from what I pay, and tip (if appropriate) separately. I will determine what service charge - if any - I pay thank you.

I don't tip hairdressers, my hairdresser earns shedloads, she doesn't need it. I don't tend to use cabs or taxis (and I also can't remember the difference between the two) and on the rare occasions I do I don't make a point of tipping, but if the fare was £9.50 I wouldn't bother to wait for the change! Get me.

[Nicola_Red]

Weirdly, there is a thread about this on my other forum at the moment too. the posters there are mostly American, and some of them have said they tip 20% across the board!

I tip in restaurants, and usually 10%, but nowhere else. except I sometimes drop some small change in the tips jar at Starbucks, cos I know the staff there and they give me great service.

[claradooblue]

There used to be this public toilet in Hove that was kept attractive and immaculate. They had a tip basket by the wash-basins. It was always full and no-one, to the best of my knowledge, ever stole it.
It does sound like a tipping utopia, but i can't think of anyone who deserves tipping more than toilet attendants.

[MK Chris]

I tip in restaurants if the service has been good

I forgot to mention that, if the service is crap, I ain't tipping.

if the service charge is included in the bill, I always remove it from what I pay, and tip (if appropriate) separately. I will determine what service charge - if any - I pay thank you.

Do they allow you to do that? I thought if it was included in the price it was mandatory and effectively by eating there, you agree to pay the price on the receipt?

I don't tend to use cabs or taxis (and I also can't remember the difference between the two) and on the rare occasions I do I don't make a point of tipping, but if the fare was £9.50 I wouldn't bother to wait for the change! Get me.

I never tip cab drivers. I think some (not all) of them got their licence by collecting tokens on the back of Corn Flakes packets (that includes driving licence and cabbing licence), but even if they're reasonable drivers, most of them round here charge over the top anyway.

No offence meant towards foot-loose by the way (he's a chauffeur anyway. There, I said it.)

[Yudster]

if the service charge is included in the bill, I always remove it from what I pay, and tip (if appropriate) separately. I will determine what service charge - if any - I pay thank you.

Do they allow you to do that? I thought if it was included in the price it was mandatory and effectively by eating there, you agree to pay the price on the receipt?
[/quote]

Possibly, or maybe thats just what the restaurants would like you to believe, I'm not sure. I always remove it though, and make it clear that I have removed it, and so far I haven't been questioned. It's not as though I am refusing to pay a service charge, I am just protesting at the imposition of a service charge. Such a thing should be discretionary. Thankfully fewer and fewer places seem to be doing it these days, at least it seems that way.

[Yudster]

Messed up that quote didn't I? Sorry.

[foot-loose]

No offence meant towards foot-loose by the way (he's a chauffeur anyway. There, I said it.)

Awww, the ping pong player managed to spell a big word. Someone get him a lollipop!

There is no rhyme nor reason to whither I get a tip or not - because I work with people from all over the world, I never know what to expect.

The Japanese, for example, will never tip the driver directly, but they will pay extra on a bill.

[Console]

No offence meant towards foot-loose by the way (he's a chauffeur anyway. There, I said it.)

Awww, the ping pong player managed to spell a big word.

There is no rhyme nor reason to whither I get a tip or not

Brilliant!

[MK Chris]

No offence meant towards foot-loose by the way (he's a chauffeur anyway. There, I said it.)

Awww, the ping pong player managed to spell a big word. Someone get him a lollipop!

Ah, come on... I referred to you by your preferred title, no fair!

There is no rhyme nor reason to whither I get a tip or not - because I work with people from all over the world, I never know what to expect.

The Japanese, for example, will never tip the driver directly, but they will pay extra on a bill.

In Mexico (tourist areas like Cancun, certainly) I think they kind of expect a bit more because most of the visitors are American.

They also find it rude to bring the bill before it's asked for, which is a tradition I rather liked. There's nothing worse than being felt rushed when you're trying to have your meal.