Not me.

Nope. In fact, all my elite statuses are currently comped.

QL

I agree that tipping has gotten out of hand, and the only jobs that should consistently be tipped (except for extraordinarily bad service) are waiters/waitresses and barkeeps.

However, I still tip for maid service. When I worked at hotels in college, the maids made sub-minimal wage (granted this was in the 1970s, so maybe things have changed). But I saw the sh*t they had to clean up, both literally and figuratively. While it isn't me and probably isn't you that makes the most mess, it's an exceptionally lousy job (the cleanest people at home can be the biggest slobs while travelling, esp at vacation hotels). It's my way of thanking them for a generally thankless job.

As for the other jobs mentioned above, I only tip when the service is above and beyond the norm. And I tell them that too! I think it is important for the service person to know WHY you are tipping them, and that it is not just a refex. I will hand the concierge a tip and say 'I appreciate your tracking down those theater tickets for me' (or whatever). It reinforces to them the specific services they can/should do to warrant a tip.


------------------
Da DOK

I recently found out that all counter staff at McDonalds in UK are paid only £4.50 an hour barely the minimum wage. I am sure it will be the same in US at all fast food outlets. I usually receive better service in these places than most swank restaurants. Is there a case for tipping these underpaid providing good service staff?

4.50 pounds per hour is more than McDonald's employees are paid in Canada, so far as I know. Of course the cost of living is higher also. What do waiters in the UK make as a base wage?

Do they seat you, deliver your food, refresh your drink, and bring you your change?

If not, how is that any different from counter personnel in a hardware store, for example?

Yesterday I had a bad tipping experience.

My wife and I had dinner with two of our friends at a local restaurant. When the check came the waiter had added a 20% tip (20% of the pre tax amount). Not only did we find it strange that he automatically added the tip, also the amount was surprising.
Upon asking the waiter why he added a tip to our check he said that it is customary in the US to add a tip for groups. IMO and IME that is bull****: adding tips is usually only done for groups six or more.
Upon our next question why he added 20% tip based on the pre tax amount, he said that he hadn't: he claimed he added 15% of the amount including taxes. When asked why he based his tip on the amount including taxes he again said that that was customary.
Not only was he lying (the tip was more than 15% of the amount including taxes), IMO and IME tips should be based on the pre tax amount.
When he found out we didn't appreciate his actions he quickly disappeared to come back with a check with no tips added.

I know that it is common to add (suggested) tips to checks in tourist areas (like Miami) and for groups six or larger and I have no problem with that at all.
The restaurant was is Stamford, CT not exactly a tourist hot spot (but a very nice place to live). Between the four of us we have literally had thousands of dining and tipping experiences in the US, but none of us ever had a tip added to a four person dinner, and certainly not 20%.

Only reason we could come up with why he added the tip was that none of us four has English as their first language, and he might have heard us speak foreign languages (Cantonese, French and Dutch to be exact). All of us work and live in the area, and have done so for several years and are perfectly able to communicate in English (like we did with the waiter).

The waiter must have assumed that we were tourists and decided to add a tip to the check. I would have had no problem at all if the guy had been a little subtler about, like by adding a line "tip not included" to the check.
His narrow minded conclusion that we were tourists about to stiff him, and his action to try to cheat us for some extra bucks followed by lying to us, left a very nasty taste in my mouth.
We left a 15% tip (of pre tax amount), IMO more than what he deserved (but I wasn't paying http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif), especially considering that service was mediocre at best.

If the guy had been subtler and if he had provided better service he would have earned a better tip and probably some return business. Needless to say we're not going to eat at this place again.

Trying to cheat or squeeze some extra bucks out of your customers (presumed tourists) instead of working for your money by providing good service is pathetic IMO.

My normal restaurant tipping guidelines are: basic 15%, increased to max 25% for good to very good service. 10% only for bad service. I usually end up tipping about 18%.

Let me say that Brian, who started this discussion, seems to be a kind person, and I would not stop him from tipping as he likes. I am sure that he brings a lot of joy to waiters and others he meets.

I tip because it is the custom, and short of bad service or extremely good service, I leave a 'standard' tip, approximately. I do not tip owners or families in small restaurants because they control the prices, and anyway it is not the custom.

In the end however, tipping is voluntary, and if this is not satisfactory, then the prices of meals etc., ought to be adjusted to include whatever extra is required. I cannot be expected to know whether or not a waiter is receiving a 'living' wage or whatever, and I am not interested in knowing. I go to a restaurant to have a meal and I expect that the restaurant pays its employees, and I expect that if they don't pay enough, they won't have employees. Any tips I give, I expect are extra. If the prices are too high, or the service is bad, I don't go there any more, I go to somewhere else, and there are many restaurants available.

I don't eat at restaurants or use services as a social service to others, I do it because I enjoy it, and if by chance what I do pleases others, or fulfils a social purpose, so much the better, but in the end, I'm just a customer.

The fast food wages depends upon the area. I often talk to the franchise owners when I "dine" out at fast food places for breakfast. In many parts of the country it's very hard to get workers. The pay can be about $10 per hour plus benefits.

One Quizno's owner I talked to starts with minimum wage, but has no problems keeping employees because of the atmosphere. He has college students who leave for more money and then come back because the workers have a family feeling (he doesn't just scream at them). If things are slow he lets them do their homework.

That is a pretty narrow-minded attitude -- put the blinders on and look at only what you want to look at. The fact of the matter is, in the great majority, waiters do not make a living wage and tips are expected to make up the difference. Now, most people are aware of it, whether they choose to do something about it is another thing.

I wish it wasn't the case, so I could tip just on the merits of service. But in the US it isn't, and to choose to ignore it doesn't do any one any good, except themselves. I think if people were to try waiting tables for a week, and getting stiffed because the patron 'thinks they should get a living wage' -- they might be more sympathetic.

------------------
Da DOK

I thinking tipping is a bit out of hand these days -- as is evidenced by this thread.

One example -- We stayed at a nice hotel in Santa Monica two weeks ago and decided to stay in. We ordered one pizza from a popular chain delivered. I had calculated to give him about $1.50 -- because to me that is fair for a pizza. We gave him $20 and had to ask him for change. First, he totally got an attitude over our asking for change (he seemed to feel that $4 was a better tip for him) and second, it turned out to be the worst pizza we've ever had http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/frown.gif He is just delivering it....not cooking it or waiting our table... Why did he have such an attitude?

My other question is about tipping housekeeping... One one hand, we try to tip deserving people. On the other hand, I feel that by paying for my room, the least I am entitled to is a clean one. We are neat, make no requests and hardly even use the hotel amenities. Why should I really tip housekeeping? Isn't the cost of my room being cleaned built into the $80-$300 per night they are charging me for it? Again, we don't want to not tip deserving people....but that is how I feel (at this point) about housekeepers.

An on goes the discussions http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

"Look at only what [he] wants to look at" Of course! He is the customer at a restaurant. He wants to pay for food and drink and expects it to be served competently. He is not concerned with the money problems of the staff. Customers are the only reason service employees are paid anything at all.

I think Rover articulated a completely sensible position. Waiters make the wage they make. Tips of 15% are currently so standard in the US as to be commonplace. If service is bad, of course they deserve less. This should drive the people in and out of the business as appropriate to their service skills.

Tipping is however on its way out in the US, just as it has already departed most sectors in Europe. Thank goodness. Let's pay people a wage (whatever is legal and that is negotiated) and be done with the waitstaff lobby's griping and this constant nickel-and-diming of customers.

How so? I haven't seen any indication of this.

I was watching a television show the other day...I won't mention the name of it for fear it may incriminate me...but they were talking about tipping. And no, it wasn't Jerry Springer http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

I was amazed at the number of people who are starting to object to it. As an Australian who spends a lot of time in America, tipping is something I have mixed feelings about, but I do it because it is a custom, however I am inclined to leave only the standard tip.

My husband is American and even he was surpised at the number of people on this show who were starting to say..hey..where is it going to end. They were especially objecting to tip jars at take out places.

So I agree..perhaps it is on the way out. Or maybe people are starting to be more selective about who they tip.

IMHO, it is indeed. Now if I make an unusual mess, I'll tip housekeeping for their extra trouble, but I see no point otherwise, nor have I seen a convincing reason put forth why I should.