Tipping- Part XLV

[lazypucker]

I have seen the reverse psychology used by the service provider to coax a tip out of me once.

I had a home delivery for a sofa set, after everything is said and done, the guy pulled out a clipboard and asked me to sign the paperwork. On one side of the clipboard there was the delivery slip, and on the other side there was a pretty big stack of $10 and $20 bills (like 15-20 bills) clipped on. I knew that was a trick done by the delivery guys to make customers feel guilty, like saying everyone is tipping us and you better do it too.... So I very reluctantly pulled out a $20 to give the guy. What happened to delivery included with the purchase?

[SeeBass]

tip or not tip is your biz/opinion

But I didnt realize there was that many economists on here that are able to tell me who makes plenty so they dont need more.

For a bunch of guys make over 100,000 bones a year it sure is nice to see them still in touch with the little guy.

[FireGilbert]

I am just bitter that when I worked close to minimum wage jobs pumping gas at Chevron and loading cars at Rona I was lucky to receive a few dollars in tips a month, yet now I'm hearing stories of people throwing tips around all willy nilly to freaking plumbers, wedding planners and tattoo artists.

[Muta]

I've always wondered why a bartender would deserve a tip if you order a tallboy (literally a can) and all they do is open the can for you. That process took all of 2 seconds and expended no effort.

Why exactly should I tip for that? Oh, right, because it's an alcoholic drink. Like that somehow makes a difference.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

Don't forget to tip your lawyer!

A lawyer at a big Vancouver law firm I worked at received a Maserati from her client for winning a big case.

My clients in the Okanagan gave me baskets of fruit.

[CaramonLS]

I'm not even sure why we tip servers any significant amount here in Canada. The whole 15-20% rule is really a product of what goes on in the US, where servers in many states are making $2.10-$2.50 per hour server minimum wage.

I don't see any reason to tip more than 4-5% at the very most after the $15 minimum wage comes into effect.

[CliffFletcher]

I just don't understand why the default tip percentage has gone up. In my adult life I've seen it go from 10-15 per cent to 15-20 per cent. I've always tipped 15 per cent, which was generous at one time, but it now considered kind of cheap. No idea why.

[AltaGuy]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I just don't understand why the default tip percentage has gone up. In my adult life I've seen it go from 10-15 per cent to 15-20 per cent. I've always tipped 15 per cent, which was generous at one time, but it now considered kind of cheap. No idea why.

Having worked in the service industry for a long time, even I have no idea why the percentage went up. I was surprised as anyone when 20% became the de facto norm.

[Jason14h]

Cause the 1% has increased their wealth at a faster rate then the employees receiving a tip! Think of it like a tax! Which has gone up over those years as well!

[Two Fivenagame]

Tipping story:

I was DJing a wedding at a local restaurant. One of the guests wanted me to play a few of his requests so he hands me a wad of cash. I was expecting something like $5 but it turned out to be $50, and the songs he requested were really good so I was going to play them anyway.

FFW to the end of the night. It was something like 3am and I was starving. The venue manager did his usual check in with me to see how I was doing (i.e when are you stopping). I assumed the kitchen was closed by then so I asked him if he knew of late night pizza joint or something where I could get some late grub. So he looked me in the eye and said "No one leaves my restaurant hungry" and disappears into the kitchen. Soon after he returns with a large bowl of complex-looking pasta - you know when a pasta has all kinds of veg and herbs in it. Now I don't know if I was just really hungry or if it was just really well made, but that dish was out of this world. I must have crushed that pasta in 3 bites.

I finished up, packed up everything, and went into the kitchen to find the guy who had to re-open his station at 3:00am and cook something for some a-hole DJ. I handed him that $50.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Cause the 1% has increased their wealth at a faster rate then the employees receiving a tip! Think of it like a tax! Which has gone up over those years as well!

Do you know how percentages work? Meals and drinks get more expensive, which means the percentage of the tip does not need to increase for servers to get more money.

What really pisses me off is the machines calculate the percentage tip based on the post tax amount. Not to bad in Alberta, but your 15% tip over 17% when their is a 15% HST.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Muta

I've always wondered why a bartender would deserve a tip if you order a tallboy (literally a can) and all they do is open the can for you. That process took all of 2 seconds and expended no effort.

Why exactly should I tip for that? Oh, right, because it's an alcoholic drink. Like that somehow makes a difference.

I've noticed at the Dome this year that they don't have jugs or cups for tips. I recall there always being some sort of container to drop some change into for the bartender but there hasn't been anything this year.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I've noticed at the Dome this year that they don't have jugs or cups for tips. I recall there always being some sort of container to drop some change into for the bartender but there hasn't been anything this year.

This is sort of what I was getting at, I never tip someone if I've waited in line to get a beer at the counter. All you did was your job.

I will tip the Beer Guys because they're bringing beer to me, and ergo have provided a service but if I have to go and get it myself and all you did was pour it because you are legally and contractually obligated to, I am not giving you one thin dime more than the price.

You dont like it? You're going to spit in my next beer? Theres dozens of other beer places just like you, I can go anywhere. Petition the Alberta Government to repeal the laws and I'll pour the beer myself.

[lazypucker]

The beer at the Dome is "strategically" priced at like $8.75, $9.25 or such so that most people won't ask for change when they give them a $10 for a beer or $20 for 2.

The food stands at the Dome do the same "strategic pricing" as well.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

The beer at the Dome is "strategically" priced at like $8.75, $9.25 or such so that most people won't ask for change when they give them a $10 for a beer or $20 for 2.

The food stands at the Dome do the same "strategic pricing" as well.

The strategy for beer pricing at the Dome is to raise the price of beer fifty cents every second season. You can pretty much set your watch to it. Same thing with the food.

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by driveway

...

The notion we've bought into that somehow a customer should be able to withhold payment for services rendered because they were slightly dissatisfied with the service is absolutely ridiculous. If something apocalyptically bad happens (like the time I watched our chef serve bacon to the table of Muslims) then obviously everything should be free. But choosing to not pay for services because your water glass wasn't refilled three times and it took ten minutes to get the dessert menu? Anyone who does this should be kicked in the genitals by a juvenile moose.

...

no one is withholding payment for services rendered. A tip is for going above and beyond, you are not entitled to it. Why is it that servers are in such desperate need of your tips for a living wage, there are plenty of other min wage jobs out there with no tips. If they can't live on the wage of a server then get a new job. I'm talking post min wage raise times here, not historically or in the states where they only make $2-$3/hour.

I used to tip 20+% regularly everywhere, I've now lowered to 15% as the wages have increased, soon to drop to 10% and lower once the full $15/hour kicks in.

[Weitz]

I ordered pizza last night and there was a $5.00 delivery charge.

I didn't tip the delivery guy and he was furious. I just laughed and closed the door.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Good point. I've even started seeing that pop up on debit machines in Sydney even though there is no tipping here.

I'm always like you are making at least $17.70 per hour plus 25% on Saturdays, 50% on Sundays and 150% on public holidays, there is no chance you are ever getting a tip.

I'm going to Melbourne for Christmas this Weekend. What is the convention there? I've been a few times before but never thought to ask before.

[MoneyGuy]

My wife's sister used to be married to a chiropractor and his patients loved him. Sadly, he's not in the family anymore (damn you, sister-in-law) so the free adjustments at family gatherings are gone. Anyway, one of his patients built him a house for materials as kind of a tip.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Swarly

no one is withholding payment for services rendered. A tip is for going above and beyond, you are not entitled to it. Why is it that servers are in such desperate need of your tips for a living wage, there are plenty of other min wage jobs out there with no tips. If they can't live on the wage of a server then get a new job. I'm talking post min wage raise times here, not historically or in the states where they only make $2-$3/hour.

I used to tip 20+% regularly everywhere, I've now lowered to 15% as the wages have increased, soon to drop to 10% and lower once the full $15/hour kicks in.

It wasn't long ago that tips did in fact get servers to a living wage because there was a server minimum wage which was below the general minimum. I think that most of Canada still has a servers wage which is $1 or $2 per hour lower than minimum wage.