Do You Tip?

[john todd]

i might put my bicycle in her trunk too.

[JoshEEE]

I always tip where it's expected because I spent a large part of my youth working for tips and it really sucks when someone stiffs you.

Restaurants:  At least 15%, but 20 or more for great service.  If they really went out of their way, I think it has to be at least 20%, especially if you're in a group and they still were awesome.  When they tack on that automatic 18%, if they were really great, I still chip in more.

Delivery guys:  I've been a pizza guy so I ALWAYS tip, even if they aren't fast. If you're a regular pizza orderer from that place, it'll mean everything from your house becoming known as "one that tips" (some drivers will bring your pie before other homes sometimes) and if you're a longtime regular, sometimes it even gets you better pizza.

Cabbies:  I'm not a big fan of tipping them a ton (I actually had one tell me I wasn't tipping him enough once)...but I do. The only time they get a great tip is if they drive how I ask them to (like..."go fast").

Bartenders:  Of course.  It's stupid not to if you want a good drink or fast service.

Drink girls in Vegas:  They're bringing you a free drink, you have to.

Blackjack Dealers:  Only if I'm winning though.  I guess that's wrong.

Tour Guides:  I climbed Mt. Rainier a few years ago and found out at the end that I was expected to tip the guy I had just paid 600 bucks to guide me up the mountain.  I mailed it to him, but that one shocked me.  I've decided my stance is if I got a lot of personal attention on the tour (like a van tour) I'll tip, but if I was on a bus with 40 people...nah.

Hotel maids:  I dated one in high school and she told me it's really nice when you leave a tip in the room.  The weird thing is when to leave it.  She says daily, so I always leave some out for the maid.  In Vegas, they only take it half the time (I think because everyone leaves cash in the rooms there) but in other cities, it's always taken.


Here's who I don't tip:

Skycab:  I see these guys like doormen, but I recently found out you can only use them IF you tip them.  Since Sept. 11th, they stopped saving me time (too much security), so I never accept their help anymore.

Doormen:  I almost never tip that guy at a hotel (especially the vegas ones) that opens the cab door for you. That is a retarded expectation. Unless I'm drunk.  If I actually ASK for their help (like, here...help me with my suitcase) then I'll tip them, but if they take it or something, I don't want their help and I won't pay for it.

Hotel front desk clerks:  I've heard you can get a better room if you tip them.  It's never worked, so I don't do it anymore.

Restaurant Hosts:  Again, I'm not a high roller I guess, but tipping these guys is not something I do.

Fast food workers who put a cup on the counter.  Sorry.  Unless you brought me my food, you didn't perform an extra service.  I'm not putting something in the cup just because you rang up my burger.

Starbucks employees:  Same deal as fast food.  I used to tip when I was a regular at the little mom and pop shacks, but I don't tip Starbucks counter people these days when I occasionally buy coffee.   I used to, but I stopped when I stopped being a regular because I don't see the point anymore.

Bums:  I know it's not tipping, but I'm not fond of giving out money to beggars or the "Will Work for food" guys.  I rarely do it and when I do, it's because of a special circumstance (like a really funny sign, or a genuniely needy looking person).

Strippers:  Yes, this is a funny one...but some strippers actually expect you to tip em.  Not a chance.  The only time I'll give them extra money is if I'm in that front row, and that's because a dollar bill is an incentive to bring them over my way.

Street Performers:  Only if I stop to watch the show for a few minutes.

[Darth Slothus]

Fast food workers who put a cup on the counter.  Sorry.  Unless you brought me my food, you didn't perform an extra service.  I'm not putting something in the cup just because you rang up my burger.

Yes...A real joke? Seeing that tip jar on the counter at Subway's

[JoshEEE]

Yes...A real joke? Seeing that tip jar on the counter at Subway's

True dat.  I mean, it's not like they are going to make your sandwich better for you if you tip.  The two things I really like (meat and cheese) cost extra, and I get the same amount with or without the tip.

Assembly line food prep like that isn't really above and beyond.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Strippers:  Yes, this is a funny one...but some strippers actually expect you to tip em.  Not a chance.  The only time I'll give them extra money is if I'm in that front row, and that's because a dollar bill is an incentive to bring them over my way.

I don't frequent strip clubs, in fact I haven't been in close to ten years.  Last time I went was a bachelor party, and one of the other party goers who was a "regular" at the club chastised a friend and me for having bad "ettiquitte" for just sitting back and having a few drinks and watching from a distance.  I don't need to pay a woman a buck to act like she likes me.  It was laughable.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

ESPECIALLY at Subway.  The cuts are pre-divided into serving sizes for each sandwich.  I do tip at this pizza/grinder restaurant I go to because once you get a rep, then your grinders are loaded.

[Jeff]

Me and Mr. Pink, we're a lot alike...

"I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job. "

[Phrubruh]

So what do you tip at a Koren bar-b-que? Here you have to get your food and cook it yourself! I guess drinks are the only thing they bring.

I know whenever I get crappy service, I put down on the tip line one cent. The manager sees all credit card receipts and really notices someone got bad service when they only leave one cent as a tip.

[JoshEEE]

I don't frequent strip clubs, in fact I haven't been in close to ten years.  Last time I went was a bachelor party, and one of the other party goers who was a "regular" at the club chastised a friend and me for having bad "ettiquitte" for just sitting back and having a few drinks and watching from a distance.  I don't need to pay a woman a buck to act like she likes me.  It was laughable.

My friends and I tend to go whenever we go to Vegas, so I've been quite a few times.  The dollar bills don't really bother me, because if you're sitting in that front row and you have a buck, you'll get a little bit better show for that dollar.

However, when some stripper sits down next to you to start talking and the waitress comes around to say "Would you like to buy her a drink?", I never say yes.  They all drink for free, so when you buy them one.....it's just paying them to talk to you.  That's stupid, because if you're going to pay them, it's not to talk to you.

Generally when I go I like to sit back and watch the show, and it's actually fun to say "no" to a bunch of a pretty girls all night long.  I figure over the years, I've totally made up for high school. 

I know whenever I get crappy service, I put down on the tip line one cent. The manager sees all credit card receipts and really notices someone got bad service when they only leave one cent as a tip.

I almost never do this, unless it's absolutely the server's fault.  If the food is late, but they told me why, etc, etc....I still tip.

The worst tip I ever left in my life was at one of the most expensive restaurants I've ever eaten at.  My friends and I went to the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas (we had a reservation) and weren't dressed to the nines.  They wanted to sit us by the inside, we had reserved a window table and wanted to wait for one.  They weren't busy at all, but our waitress clearly did not want to seat us on the outside table.

When they finally did....we waited forever for her to finally take our order, and when she did, we didn't see her again with coffee or water until dinner came.  She didn't have a lot of tables, she was just angry at us.  Between the three of us, we ordered 300 dollars worth of food, and she came back with the bill in the middle of dinner.  We said "We're going to want dessert too", and she disappeared after that.

We never saw her again, so the busboy had to take our order for dessert and bring our bill.  I tipped him separately, but I wrote on the check "Denny's tip for Denny's service" and left 5 bucks.