How do you feel about tipping?

[kork13]

If it hadn't been an automatic tip, I believe I would have given less than 18%.

That's another bothersome yet commonplace aspect of America's tipping customs... "Parties larger than 6 people will have an 18% gratuity added". In other words, you no longer even have the choice of what to tip. If a server does a poor job, they still get a full tip. Sure, you can go to the manager & insist that the automatic gratuity be removed, but it's a pain in the butt and often becomes awkward or even confrontational. On the other side, if a server is great & very attentive, their efforts tend to go unrewarded, because people see that the to is already on the bill, and don't mess with adding anything elsse

[disneysteve]

In other words, you no longer even have the choice of what to tip.

You always have the choice. I have asked for an automatic tip to be reduced. I have left extra on top of an automatic tip.

If the service is so bad that I'm reducing the tip, chances are I'm speaking to the manager anyway so it's a simple matter to get the tip reduced at the same time I'm usually getting the bill itself reduced.

[HundredK]

You always have the choice. I have asked for an automatic tip to be reduced. I have left extra on top of an automatic tip.

If the service is so bad that I'm reducing the tip, chances are I'm speaking to the manager anyway so it's a simple matter to get the tip reduced at the same time I'm usually getting the bill itself reduced.

Yes, I was once out with a group of friends where we received horrendous service and we asked that the automatic tip be removed. The manager was happy to accommodate that. Generally though, I think mandatory tips on large groups are a good thing.

[DaveInPgh]

Most of our "large party" dining situations involve my child's athletics with people I would not associate with otherwise. In those situations, unless the poor service has at least the majority of the group upset, it is better to just go with the flow.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

And tipping for every child's event. Sigh those birthday parties. Just about everything feels like there is a need to tip. Yes I do it. But I wish it were built in. I like restaurants that build it in.

[Like2Plan]

Sure, you can go to the manager & insist that the automatic gratuity be removed, but it's a pain in the butt and often becomes awkward or even confrontational.

Yes--that is exactly it. We were hosting and I felt it would have taken away even more from the experience if we had asked to talk to the manager and made a big deal about it. (In our case, our group was only 5, so it wasn't a matter of trying to keep up with a large group.)

[bigdaddybus]

Maybe its just me, but this thread just confirms to me how selfish society is today. Look at the "whats your household income thread" and you'll see the regulars are mostly high earners.
High earners + poor tippers =

[disneysteve]

Maybe its just me, but this thread just confirms to me how selfish society is today. Look at the "whats your household income thread" and you'll see the regulars are mostly high earners.
High earners + poor tippers =

Not me. 18-20% virtually always. Sometimes even more. I wouldn't want their job. Long hours on your feet, dealing with miserable, demanding customers and often slave-driving bosses, carrying very heavy trays of food and drink back and forth constantly, and earning slave wages for doing it, hoping for decent tips to make it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Maybe its just me, but this thread just confirms to me how selfish society is today. Look at the "whats your household income thread" and you'll see the regulars are mostly high earners.
High earners + poor tippers =

Actually I tip at least 20% if not more. It's gotta be really bad service for me not to tip that much. And we eat out a lot comparatively here. I would just prefer it be included personally.

But yes I think there are many people who tip less who make a good income. I am just annoyed by how much tipping there is period. Doesn't mean I don't follow all the etiquette of tipping.

BTDT and waited tables a long, long time. All through college. So yes I probably do tip better because of it. Sometimes I remember thinking I wish tip was prebuilt into the cost because some people are cheap.

[GoodSteward]

Maybe its just me, but this thread just confirms to me how selfish society is today. Look at the "whats your household income thread" and you'll see the regulars are mostly high earners.
High earners + poor tippers =

Careful, that becomes a socialist mindset. Just because someone makes more than avg income doesn't mean they are required to give more of it in any particular way. I don't think anybody in here, myself included, refuses to tip or even tips well below the norm. We tip according to our location and service provided (I've tipped 20+% before). Just because many don't like being required to tip all the time doesn't mean they don't tip or that they are selfish. If they were selfish they wouldn't tip at all, or severely undertip (just a few percent).

[Leo]

It's not the tipping I don't like. I do not agree with the current system. I do tip when we eat out, usually 10-20%.

For a barbershop, I do tip few bucks or more. For a $15 hair cut, I just give $20.

I usually don't order delivery, and if I do, I'll probably tip couple bucks or so.

Uber/Lyft, it is still a gray area if you must tip or not.

I usually don't tip on coffee shop or any tip jars.

Movers or furniture assembler, depends but usually around $5-20.

[HundredK]

There are restaurants in San Francisco (and other areas too, I'm sure) who are trying to do tip-free business models. But they're having a hard time succeeding and some have reverted back. Interesting article about it: http://sf.eater.com/2015/10/16/95578...-san-francisco

[rutgers07]

I have to bring my trash, recycling, etc. to a dump. There is often an attendant there who helps out when he is able to. Last week I saw people tipping him for helping them sort recycling and put it into the correct bin. I do not tip him for that. I don't understand the need to tip for every little service that is provided for, and heck this is one I don't even ask for. I'd be more than happy to put my own recycling into the correct bin. Admittedly, today, I had a bunch of cardboard and he helped throw some of it into the dumpster and I almost felt obligated to tip him. It was maybe 1-2 minutes of work total.

[DaveInPgh]

I have to bring my trash, recycling, etc. to a dump. There is often an attendant there who helps out when he is able to. Last week I saw people tipping him for helping them sort recycling and put it into the correct bin. I do not tip him for that. I don't understand the need to tip for every little service that is provided for, and heck this is one I don't even ask for. I'd be more than happy to put my own recycling into the correct bin. Admittedly, today, I had a bunch of cardboard and he helped throw some of it into the dumpster and I almost felt obligated to tip him. It was maybe 1-2 minutes of work total.

We have curbside pickup and the last two years in December our garbage man taped an envelope to our trash can lid with a note saying gratuity appreciated.

He didn't get anything from us

[Drake3287]

Sort of a funny tipping story. We were just in Italy and of course there is no tipping in that country although I do tend to leave a euro or two if the service/food was very good.

We were eating lunch in an outdoor restaurant in Florence and after the meal I paid the bill with my credit card and because I had no coins in my pocket, didn't leave an extra tip which of course is normal.

Just before walking away the waiter comes up to me and asks if "his service and food was not up to my satisfaction", meaning how come you didn't leave a tip! I knew I was being shaken down for a tip so I went and got change and gave it to him. The only reason I fell for it was because I felt he would have added it to our credit card bill and I'd have to deal with that down the road.

The minute I got back to our hotel I wrote a negative review on Trip Advisor explaining what had happened and with hours the owner of the restaurant private messaged me asking for more information as to what happened. The end result was that the owner completely apologized and assured me that he would deal with this particular waiter.

In the end I felt the owner had taken responsibility for the incident so I agreed to delete my negative review.