When I was 15 working as a bus boy, at Riverside West on front ave. during the first Super Bowl between the Pack & Chiefs, I gave room service to Mark Hatfield and his wife while they were still in bed. He said come on in and set the tray on the table. Then he asked me to bring the ticket to him and he tipped me $25.00 which was huge dough back then. My fold were staunch democrats as I was, but I didn't dislike the guy like most dem's did back then, as he was fairly moderate.
I always tip a buck a drink at my table. When bringing my own bottle of wine, I allow 20% to the server, unless there's a corkage fee, for the estimated value of the bottle of wine. My wife and I like to bring our own bottle to a little Italian restaurant in Lake Oswego that we like to frequent where there's no corkage fee.
I've met and had a 20 minute conversation with Senator Hatfield while my wife was talking to his wife. I told him he's the only Republican Senator I've ever voted for. He said something like, oh, don't worry, both my parents were Democrats. He and his wife are absolutely wonderful.
This is pretty much how I do it too. Just divide the total by five then round up to a whole dollar amount. Here's another question in regards to tipping: Non-food related service, do you tip? I'll usually leave a couple dollars where the scorecard goes on golf carts. Always $2's a night for hotel cleaning staff.
Tipping at a sit down restaurant is one thing, but now I see that damn tip line for everything. Picking up some Chinese food to go, should you tip? I see a tip or gratuity line pretty much everywhere I go now, and I don't think you should tip when you have had zero interaction with the staff and you don't know where the money is going. The part that really gets me is when I'm getting food from a food cart. Why would I tip an owner/operator???
Many times that tip request goes back into the owners pocket. Many times I will ask how my tip will be split. I hate going to places that ask for tips. Set a price and just provide good service. If I was treated good, I will come back and spend money. If not, someone else will get my business. That said, I still tip 20% for most meals. I will tip more if the place was economical. What is the difference in service when someone brings you a $100 steak or a $10 burger? I do not think it is $18. We rarely get drinks or apps too, which brings our total and tip down.
Well, also, tips are supposed to be an incentive for good service. It should not be considered as subsidizing pay. It should not be an income that's relied upon. I find it ridiculous that the company pays them a meager wage that's less than minimum wage, and we are supposed to be make up the difference as customers. That's not how it should be. If someone is a good server I am more than happy to give them a tip for providing good service. But if someone is horrible, why should I feel like I should have to support them while the owners give them a couple dollars an hour?
Man, you have a jaded view of the service industry. My employees work hard (for minimum wage and above [which is at least $12/hour in the city and rising annually until it reaches $15/hour in 2000-something) and get generously tipped. Tips certainly don't make my life any better. In fact, on top of payroll taxes, I pay taxes on the tips they get!
And that's fine, but when servers get paid less than minimum wage and tips are relied upon to subsidize their income, that's where I disagree. It is the duty of the employer to compensate the employee. It is not the duty of the customer. Most European countries do not have tipping. It should be an incentive to perform well, and in many industries that's exactly what it is, but for some reason the food industry sees it as a requirement. I have only ever not tipped once or twice in my life. Once because we placed an order, waited 45 minutes, and then found out that they forgot about us. Nothing had been made, and they weren't even really apologetic. We paid for our food and and left and have never returned. Should that server have been entitled to a tip in your opinion?
I swear that that wage thing doesn't happen in Oregon. I know what you're talking about though; it's like bar wages or something. An acquaintance that owned a bar in Portland used to complain that she couldn't pay less based on tip profit. That does seem backwards to me, as well. As to your question: I look at tips as a team effort. I usually wouldn't punish the team for one shitty player. So, I've had plenty of horrible experiences in restaurants, but I mostly just roll with it and tip 20+%. Most places share tips with the cooks and the dishwashers so I justify it that way, I guess. Unless someone was an actual asshole, I'd probably not even say anything. I also go in with that in mind however; ie I am in no way a reactionary punitive tipper, ie my tip is 20% and can only go up with really good service, but never down. Another thing. I live in the inner city and never eat at chain restaurants. I can see how one might be less inclined to tip maximum amounts at say Olive Garden versus some small neighborhood restaurant.
No. Don't tip on take out. I make it less awkward by paying cash when I can instead of writing ZERO on the tip line.
That son of a gun took our best secretary from our office in Portland, with him to DC when he was elected to the Senate. Mary Aiken was her name, and she ran off with Mark to DC! We had a office going away party for them just before they left for DC. I sort of knew it was going to happen, voted for him anyway. I think he was in the same outfit as my father in WWII.
It might not be an Oregon thing. I just know it exists in the US. I understand your point about it being a team effort, but it's hard to separate and reward an absolute shit server. If the server is garbage, what action should you take? Talk to the manager? I don't like to get people fired. It seems like a cleaner option to have them quit because they're not making good money off tips, but that would also hurt the rest of the staff.
Depends on the hotel room, but I leave a minimum of $5 for an average room. Nice rooms, such as a suite, get $10. If the staff does something extra then I leave more.
Oh, trust me, I run into a ton of jerk waitstaff. I am magically deadpan and often will ask people, "Is everything okay?" or joke or something of the sort and that works 90% of the time. We live in a world lacking professionalism and since I have four kids, one of which is a teenager, I seldom take anything personally and I'm more forgiving and more patient than most. All that being said, you're probably right. I've been conditioned all these years.
A bunch of business run their card swipes through “square” or another payment app, and when you go to pay, there will be like 3 buttons. “Tip 15%, tip 20%, tip 30%” or whatever. It’s convenient I guess, but it’s just in your face out there that if you don’t do the biggest tip you are a fucking miserly skinflint. Also I got a haircut the other day, like $28. They have one of those square tablets to process cards, their high end is 33% I believe, which I always hit, they keep me looking fresh. BUT, I also bought some matte pomade , like $25, and when he rang me up, the haircut and the product were both together on the bill. For whatever reason it bugged me, I told him I wanted to tip on the haircut but not the product. He felt what I was saying, but still kind of annoying.
