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A Little Help Please

comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
edited August 2005 in General Banter
Hello all,

I have decided to write a book on how people tip in the world. I was wondering if you all could help me start my research. Please tell me how much you tip in different situations. Please tell me what you tip in cases where the service is good.



1. Delivery-Food

2. Restraunt

3. Delivery-Non Food


Thanks. Gassho

Comments

  • edited August 2005
    OK here goes. Please bare in mind that in the UK the tipping is TOTALLY different to the States so I'm not being stingy, it's just the way it goes here !

    1: Delivery of food = couple of £s

    2: Restuarant = 10% if service is good, a little extra if it's exceptional

    3: Delivery, non food = no tip
  • edited August 2005
    Frizzer wrote:
    OK here goes. Please bare in mind that in the UK the tipping is TOTALLY different to the States so I'm not being stingy, it's just the way it goes here !

    1: Delivery of food = couple of £s

    2: Restuarant = 10% if service is good, a little extra if it's exceptional

    3: Delivery, non food = no tip

    I second that.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited August 2005
    Delivery food, I almost always tip exactly $2. If the order is big, and the driver has to make multiple trips or carry heavy items (like if I'm having a party and I have 8 pizzas delivered), I tip up to $5

    Restaurant, unless the waitstaff sucks, I tip 20% and usually round up to make it an even number. If the staff is helpful but unfriendly, 10%. If they suck, I'll give a nominal tip, maybe 50c or something, almost more as a reminder that their service was noticed.

    Delivery, non food? I have no idea, I didn't even know you were supposed to tip :-/
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Thank you for all the replies so far. Being a delivery driver I tend to tip a little more. In my town people are really cheap. I am lucky to get anything at all. Otherwise they give me the loose change up to the next dollar. The average tip in the US for delivery is around 3.00 dollars. Here I average about 0.40 cents. Very sad. I have started giving them the change back. They tell me to keep it and I reply, "It's really not worth keeping is it?". At restraunts I at least tip 2.00 dollars per person providing the service is acceptable. Good service gets a little more. When my bed was delivered I tipped the guys 20 dollars to split. They worked very hard to get it up the stairs.



    What most people do not realize is that in my job I use my own car. Pizza Hut gives me 0.65 cents for each delivery. My gas is about 1.00 dollar per delivery. I already lose money. If my car breaks down I am responsible to fix it. And on top of that I have to miss work while fixing it. Double whammy. At this point if my car breaks down I will have to quit my job. I couldn't afford to fix it at all.


    The prices of pizza have gone up at my work. The reason is because drivers keep quitting and they have to rehire and retrain which costs money. The reason why drivers quit is because they can't afford the job. Plus my manager isn't the best person to work for. She is old and always in a bad mood. So here they are quitting and here the customers are not tipping. Then they wonder why pizza costs so much. Of course Pizza Hut doesn't pass that money along to the employees.

    Does all this seem wrong to anyone else?
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I never order delivery food. Sorry no help there! When I eat at a restaurant, I tip the waitstaff more if they are allowed personal tips. Most resaurants here do not allow personal tips, it all goes into a collection. I normally tip 10%, 20% if the service is great. 20% if I can give it to my waiter. Hope that makes sense...
  • edited August 2005
    Do you also tip the cop who pulls dead people from twisted metal that used to be cars? Do you tip him when he faces an armed psycho as everyone else runs in the opposite direction? Do you tip the firefighter who crawls into a fire-engulfed house to save a child? Do you tip the person who is clinging to a power pole to restore electricity to your home during a violent storm? How about the people picking vegetables for below minimum wage? How about the guy collecting pop bottles for gas money?

    If you don’t tip these folks, then why should you tip a person who is hired to bring you food that you paid for?
  • edited August 2005
    Comic,
    For Food Delivery ( Pizza and such) I tip the same way as if I was going to a resturant. 20 %. But Here in my county all the delivery places have started charging a delivery fee. In which the drivers very seldom see. ( I think this is wrong, If your going to charge extra for the delivery because of gas, the drivers should get it).As for Delivery of Non foods. I usually haul things home myself. And for food I pick up, I still tip, All be it only about 10%.
  • edited August 2005
    Bushido.. Humm.. Those are som good points. And I do know quite a few police officers in my county and town. They how ever do get special perks.. The Store I work at has a special for Police, Firefighters, and Military. We give an automatic 20% off. and usually discount their purchases even farther. We also support the Local Police Association by being members and helping out when we can.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Bushido wrote:
    Do you also tip the cop who pulls dead people from twisted metal that used to be cars? Do you tip him when he faces an armed psycho as everyone else runs in the opposite direction? Do you tip the firefighter who crawls into a fire-engulfed house to save a child? Do you tip the person who is clinging to a power pole to restore electricity to your home during a violent storm? How about the people picking vegetables for below minimum wage? How about the guy collecting pop bottles for gas money?

    If you don’t tip these folks, then why should you tip a person who is hired to bring you food that you paid for?



    As I recall those people are not allowed to accept tips. What is your problem? What a dick.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited August 2005
    okay, let's not resort to personal insults.

    At any rate, bushido, you have to understand that in the US, because culturally we tip, many states have laws that allow employers to pay their service workers far less than minimum wage. For example, here in michigan, it is expected that waitresses/waiters will be tipped, so employers are allowed to pay them a mere $2.15 an hour (or something like that - I don't know the exact figure). Obviously this is not a living wage, so tips are required to make a living.

    Like comic, I also used to deliver pizzas, and my employer paid minimum wage plus .25 per delivery. As comic said, there are many costs incurred in delivering pizzas, notably gas and car repairs. Minimum wage + .25 per delivery do not cover it, so tips are required.

    If we stopped tipping, perhaps people would be forced to demand higher wages, but I think we all know how well that sort of thing would work.

    Bushido, my father was a police officer, and it was his job to do those things and put his life on the line. he was compensated appropriately, as are firefighters and others. As for the manual laborers, I agree with you, but all we can do is protest at the grocery store. If you don't like the wages that laborers make, do not support their employers - buy organic, or organize a protest. Become politically active. Become involved. I don't think venting your frustrations on comic the pizza delivery guy is going to solve anything.
  • edited August 2005
    As I recall those people are not allowed to accept tips. What is your problem? What a dick.

    Nice talk.

    No "problem." Just asking why food servers should get money beyond their salary for doing what they got hired for.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited August 2005
    I just explained why. It is a mix of cultural conditioning and standard business practice. If the state law says "Hey, foodservice employers: You are allowed to pay your employees half of what everyone else makes, because hey they get tips!", of course you will be hard pressed to find a way out of that rut.

    What do you suggest, Bushido? Not tipping traditionally tipped employees? Or tipping every single laborer you come across? Neither is fruitful practice, so I choose to tip people who rely on it to survive. The middle path, my friend. You can easily see how straying from it causes negativity on both sides of the argument.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Bushido wrote:
    Nice talk.

    No "problem." Just asking why food servers should get money beyond their salary for doing what they got hired for.



    Ok I will explain it to you. You see police officers start out at around 30,000 dollars per year with benefits. When they retire they get pensions and all sorts of benefits.


    Now let's look at what food service people get. They get minimum wage. The reason for this is because people tip them. That way they can get enough money to live on. If they were paid more the business would raise the prices to cover the extra pay. That would fall onto the customer. Either way the customer pays. Make sense? Then after working a lifetime at this job they retire with no pension and no benefits. The only thing they get is social security. Now on that 6,000 dollars a year they made all their life that doesn't amount to much. The only way they make retirement money is if they invest into something.


    Now let's look at the low paid ILLEGAL ALIEN working in the fields. Well first off they are not here legally. They work here just long enough and learn just enough English to get a green card and then take a job away from an American because they will work cheaper.

    So let's be fair to the police and other government workers. They should get a tip when they actually do something that helps the community. And everytime they are rude to a driver they should be docked. Oh and they can only make minimum wage and no benifits. Well ok let them have the benefits. They put their lives on the line. Of course the food server could be killed by a stray bullet from a cop shooting another innocent man.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited August 2005
    I have had my fair sure of being rude. I often say something harshly which I then later regret. It is the human condition that makes us rash, and the Buddha did his best to teach us ways to overcome this limitation. It wasn't so long ago in the "Comparing the teachings of Jesus and Buddha? Jesus is still the way?" thread that I showed my lack of self control. It certainly helped to show me how I often forget some of the simpler teachings the Buddha gave. I have found that some of his words are helpful to read when I act in a way that is 'unskillful' to put it nicely. If I may I would like to share these with you about samma vaca -- right speech

    "Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless & unfaulted by knowledgeable people. Which five?

    "It is spoken at the right time. It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially. It is spoken with a mind of good-will."

    ~ AN V.198

    Speak only the speech
    that neither torments self
    nor does harm to others.
    That speech is truly well spoken.

    Speak only endearing speech,
    speech that is welcomed.
    Speech when it brings no evil
    to others is pleasant.

    ~Sn III.3

    I have been trying my best to remember these words recently and I thought they might be helpful here. As for the question: I tip around $1.00-2.00 for pizza delivery, 16-20% at resturants, and I never get non-food deliveries so I am unsure as to how much I would tip.

    I also believe that there are many people who do difficult and important jobs, but I cannot afford to tip them all. I do what I can. I try to tip those that live off of tips because I know that they are using this money to feed their family. Police are 'paid' by me since their salaries come out of my checks in the form of taxes, and they are paid well in most cases. If one wants to 'tip' a police officer that's fine, but I do not see that they depend on 'tips' whereas others do. I focus my tips on those that need them to survive. My friend Marcie is a police officer and she makes more money than I ever have. She also gets out of DUI's because she is a police officer as well as other 'perks'. I feel that police officers get their fair share of special treatment. ;)
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited August 2005
    heh... the last time I tried to tip a police officer, he arrested me for trying to bribe him out of a speeding ticket :lol:

    (i'm kidding, of course... just trying to lighten the mood :p)
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited August 2005
    :lol:
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Brian wrote:
    heh... the last time I tried to tip a police officer, he arrested me for trying to bribe him out of a speeding ticket :lol:

    (i'm kidding, of course... just trying to lighten the mood :p)
    I have big boobies. I don't need to bribe them! :cheer:
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Wow. I never thought my research thread would go this way.
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    We all rock at getting off topic, LOL! Looks like it is just you and me Jason.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I pity the fool that don't tip!!!!!!!!!!
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I used to work behind a bar, and also as a waiter. I loved it when people tipped. All our tips would go in a communal jar and at the end of the year it would be split up. We would all get a couple of hundred each. :)
    I pity the fool that dont get tipped!
  • edited August 2005
    I used to work in a pub as well and I'd very rarely get tipped. :(
    Mind you, I was pretty useless and used to spill beer all over the place so that probably explains it ! Plus I haven't got big boobies!!! :D
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Boobies = bonuses.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Big fat guys have boobies and no one seems ot like that.
  • edited August 2005
    Big fat guys have boobies and no one seems ot like that.

    Ha ha ha!! That reminds me of Meat Loaf in "Fight Club" !!
  • edited August 2005
    emmak wrote:
    I have big boobies. I don't need to bribe them! :cheer:

    Hahahahahaha! That's so funny! I am glad you lightened up the mood! And I am a cute blonde female....I don't need to bribe them either! (Kidding, of course!)

    Anyways.....I was a server all through my college years, so I tend to tip food servers good. But only if they are actually GOOD. I tip about 20% when I eat at a restaurant and I tip delivery drivers (but we maybe get food delivered once a year!) about $3-$4. I guess I have never really tipped non-food people before! Or do you mean like someone handling your luggage for you at the airport or something? I have a husband for that!! :)
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I did a trip once that was 1300 kms. 13 hour drive. I did it in 10 and a half. I sat on about 145kmh most of the way, so when I got pulled over in my non airconditioned ute, drenched in sweat in a white singlet, the young police officer just gave me a warning!! Bwahahaa! I was 55kmh over the speed limit.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Well post a pic in the pic thread. :winkc:
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Don't know how.... ;)
  • edited August 2005
    I tip taxi drivers if they are genuinely interested in talking to me and/or have particularly good driving skills.

    I quote Mr. Pink:

    "This tipping automatically - it's for the f***ing birds!"
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Are you serious, emmak?
  • angulimalaangulimala Veteran
    edited August 2005
    hi,
    thank god i never tip a cop though it could make you a lot easier when you break rules (usually the traffic), so if you want to be a road hog , make sure u bring a lot of cash.
    Some years ago we dont have to tip for any services in restaurant or other places, but now some people tip for the service,in the restaurant the tip is about 10 cent to a quarter ( US dollar)
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Comic I am serious. I have no scanner, only know how to operate big SLR Pentax non digital thing. That is why I have no avatar. I simply cannot master this whole teck - mologie thing, LOL!
    BTW I am about to TRY to set up MSN. Wish me luck.
    I pity the fool who is a dumbass!
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Tipping is a strange subject.

    Because, in a particular society, there may be a custom of tipping, employers are encouraged to pay their staff less, particularly in the restaurant trade.

    As a method of remunerating service rendered, it is remarkably feudal and (to some) patronising.

    The habit, in some restaurants in the UK and France, of adding a percentage to the bill for 'service' I find deeply offensive and always remove it. Having worked in bars and restaurants, I am all-too-aware how often the tronc system just swells the owners' coffers.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Tipping is a strange subject.

    Because, in a particular society, there may be a custom of tipping, employers are encouraged to pay their staff less, particularly in the restaurant trade.

    As a method of remunerating service rendered, it is remarkably feudal and (to some) patronising.

    The habit, in some restaurants in the UK and France, of adding a percentage to the bill for 'service' I find deeply offensive and always remove it. Having worked in bars and restaurants, I am all-too-aware how often the tronc system just swells the owners' coffers.


    So what you are saying is that it sucks. I agree. It would be better if service employees just got paid a decent wage.
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited August 2005
    That would solve a lot of problems.
  • edited August 2005
    Bushido wrote:
    Do you also tip the cop who pulls dead people from twisted metal that used to be cars? Do you tip him when he faces an armed psycho as everyone else runs in the opposite direction? Do you tip the firefighter who crawls into a fire-engulfed house to save a child? Do you tip the person who is clinging to a power pole to restore electricity to your home during a violent storm? How about the people picking vegetables for below minimum wage? How about the guy collecting pop bottles for gas money?

    If you don’t tip these folks, then why should you tip a person who is hired to bring you food that you paid for?

    I tip because here in the U.S. many food workers don't even get minimum wage from their bosses. They make a small hourly rate and are expected to make up the difference with tips. Cops, on the other hand, make a better salary. And I would tip the people picking veggies, but it's not like I know any personally.

    However, there is a good reason to tip food service people. Tips insure prompt service - not to mention that a good tip is a decent insurance against people spitting in your food. It's awful that it happens, but bad tippers beware. Of course, we should all expect good service, just as we all expect a firefighter to put out a fire, but hey, what can we do.

    Personally, I like tipping. It's my way of rating the service and I like rewarding outstanding service. 15% is standard, 20% for above average, 10% or a couple dollars for bad service, 2 pennies for really bad service, and $10 for awesome service (when dining as a couple). We've only had 2 waitresses that got $10 from my husband and I, though.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Well said DK. I have been thinking about this subject some more. The thing that people like Bushido forget is that you are paying for your food but not paying for service. When you go to Burger King or Mcdonalds and you have to throw away your own trash and you get your own drinks. Then you look at a restraunt where they bring you everything, give you a friendly atmosphere, and wait on you. This is of course providing they are doing their job.


    Now look at delivery. You pick up a pizza you don't tip. You sit at home on your butt watching TV and someone brings you dinner then you should tip. It is a service. Just like a convienence store where you pay more money for the convienenve. You go to the grocery store and pay more but it's more of a hassle.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I want to thank everyone again for helping me with my research.
  • edited August 2005
    Hi to Everyone!

    I just got back in town and I saw this thread. Wow! There are some really intense replies to this thread! Anyway, I usually tip the person that delivers my pizza at the very least 10% of the total bill. 15% to 20% if they deliver my pizza with a pleasant attitude and friendly service. A waitperson will usually get the same thing from me for the same reasons. However, I did not know that I was supposed to tip persons that deliver anything to me that is non-food. :scratch: That's why I like it here---I learn something new everyday! LOL!

    Adiana :smilec: :smilec:
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I always ask myself what these people might make. Then I ask myself if it is something I would want ot do myself. Then I usually say no and pay for the service. They always remember you if you tip and if you don't. The other day I asked the guy at the movie theatre about tips and he said he wasn't allowed to take them. It's a shame because I was going to give him a tip. He was very helpful.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Here is a neat site with different jobs and what is the average tip.



    http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php
  • edited August 2005
    Thanks for that link Jason. :uphand:
    Tracy (my wife) and I are going to New York with some friends in October so that'll save us from any tipping induced embarrassment !
    When we got married 3 years ago we went to Vegas and San Francisco for our honeymoon and the whole tipping thing was just too confusing ! I'm sure we ended up tipping the wrong people and not tipping those that we should as it's just so different to what we do here in the UK!!

    Cheers, Adrian.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Just tip everyone. LOL
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