I don't understand tipping culture...

Shock and Awe

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Sep 6, 2008
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Over 20 posts and no one has posted this, I am disappointed.


OT: It depends on the service, if a server is attentive and pleasant I tip a few dollars. If its not good, they don't get one.
 

Soviet Heavy

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Jan 22, 2010
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Bar tips are more important for me than restaurant tips. I'll tip at a restaurant if I'm a regular or if I enjoy the service. I always tip at bars though. If I'm pulling an all nighter, it's only fair that the guy who has to clean that shit up gets compensated.
 

MetalDooley

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Feb 9, 2010
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Treeinthewoods said:
Your country sounds cheap and unappreciative.
Ironic that someone who comes from a country that pays it's service staff shit wages would call my country cheap.Actually my country is not cheap at all.We pay our staff a decent wage.The minimum wage for everyone over 18 here is ?8.65 per hour(roughly $11.50)so tips aren't expected because they aren't essential for survival.As for being unappreciative.No we appreciate excellent service and if you do that you'll get tipped.Do the bare minimum however and you can forget it

Treeinthewoods said:
Of course there's no need to tip if the service is terrible but if you refuse to tip "on principle" you are, undeniably, a total dick.
I refuse to tip if someone does the bare minimum(you know what they actually get paid to do).If that makes me a total dick then so be it
 

Morsomk_v1legacy

RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA RUMBA
Jan 30, 2013
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I don't tip someone and I don't really see the reason why I should, people who are working for minimum wage aren't exactly in a desperate situation for them to need tips to live, at least in my country. The only time I ever do it is if its some small change that I do not have space for in the wallet.
 

spartan231490

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Jan 14, 2010
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It's just another way that companies are screwing us. 50 years ago, a tip was a penny, and you didn't get them very often. But as tipping became more prevalent, eventually companies just started paying their servers like $2 an hour and let tips cover the rest.
 

Compatriot Block

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Jan 28, 2009
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Why does this subject always so long to resolve itself? In America, we tip because if we don't we're not sticking it to the system, we're just punishing someone for working in a system that is legally allowed to pay them less than minimum wage. In other countries it's obviously just a bonus, but here if you stiff someone who didn't do a terrible job, all you're doing is hurting them. The manager doesn't care, because his income is not affected.

So if you aren't in America and your waiters and waitresses are paid at or above minimum wage, then by all means don't tip them. But that logic just isn't applicable to the system we have here, and refusing to tip won't change how that system works.
 

GundamSentinel

The leading man, who else?
Aug 23, 2009
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It really depends on where you're from. Where I live, people don't depend on tips to make a living (enforced minimum wage FTW!). My tips for competent service are generally just a generous rounding. Only good service gets a proper tip (screw percentages, I'll decide for myself what is reasonable).

When I'm in a foreign country and not accustomed to local tipping customs, maybe I come across as a dick, but then again, I wouldn't be if the country had proper wages legislation. I refuse to be guilted into giving tips to people just doing their jobs.
 

Mossberg Shotty

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Jan 12, 2013
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shrekfan246 said:
Your first problem might be being Australian, where the average wage is high enough that people in the service industry can actually get by on just their normal pay.

In the US, people who are in "tipping" jobs can get paid as low as $2.50 an hour, though their employers are supposed to be legally required to ensure they get the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour if their tips don't cover it.
As low as $2.13 in my case. Speaking as someone who just became a waiter, it fucking sucks, and you have no chance of survival if people aren't tipping well.

I feel a bit torn on this subject because I simultaneously despise my customers for having to rely on them, and hope they tip me well. It wouldn't be so bad if the manager wasn't there, taking his cut.

All of this in mind though, I still don't believe in tipping if the service isn't good. But no matter what, just be polite and don't be unreasonable.
 

Revnak_v1legacy

Fixed by "Monday"
Mar 28, 2010
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I tip. If it is at all an option, I tip. Service workers do a terrible job and make little for their efforts. I don't feel I need the money that badly. I would tip in other countries where it isn't expected as well.
 

Toy Master Typhus

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Oct 20, 2011
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DVS BSTrD said:
Dividing tips among the staff always seemed like bullshit to me: I tipped THIS guy because he did a job, the rest of them didn't earn it.
But But...MUH SOCIALISM!

We should everybody should be paid far amounts on, they all put in time at the restaurant and should be paid accordingly not on how well a customer likes them.
 

rokkolpo

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Aug 29, 2009
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I usually tip something.

Reasons when I do not tip:
1. The food sucked.
2. I generally did not like the person waiting(Not sure if that is how you spell it) me.
3. I am broke.

It's usually number 1.
I come from The Netherlands by the way and people only seem to tip here when they really liked the overall dining experience.
 

Vegosiux

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May 18, 2011
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Treeinthewoods said:
Your country sounds cheap and unappreciative.
Legislating a living wage for service staff so that they're not dependant on tips? Yeah. Cheap and unappreciative.

Of course there's no need to tip if the service is terrible but if you refuse to tip "on principle" you are, undeniably, a total dick.
The principle that the staff is already paid for the work they do; and exceptional service still gets tipped? If you want to tip, you're free to - but the service staff will not struggle with money any more than other people with an equivalent wage will if you don't.

So cut down on that outrage a little. Or don't, who am I to tell you what to do.
 

Vausch

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Dec 7, 2009
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When you consider that many tipping jobs only pay 3 dollars an hour (sometimes less) and the only money they get is from tips, I'd say that it's fine. I worked as a barista for a while and the owner got most of her wages from tips when she worked the windows because most of the money went to stock and the employees.

Now if a person were making decent wages hourly in a serving position, then I'd tip based purely on service. Otherwise, I tip 15% for what's expected and 20-25% if they do some things extra.
 

Mr F.

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Jul 11, 2012
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Ronald Nand said:
Does anyone else find this tipping culture strange and weird, why do we have to give a tip 5-10% of our restaurant bill every time we have a meal even if the service is okay/competent.

I get why a person would tip if they find the waitress/waiter has been really good, but why would we give a tip for okay/competent service. It just seems like serving staff being uppity and entitled. Why should serving staff expect a tip from every single customer and expect a percentage of the bill, isn't it meant to be a voluntary thing, not some compulsory charge for the consumer.

I would tip a waiter/waitress if they went out of their way to help me when something was wrong and were very friendly, but I wouldn't tip for okay/competent service.

Am I just being stingy or do other people feel this way? Also if you do follow the tipping culture could you explain why you do so?
You have a very low post count. But I will give you the benefit of the doubt.

In the states, it is assumed you will tip. Therefore, if you don't, the waitress (Or waiter) makes almost no money. Including the infamous 0 dollar paycheck. Because due to it being assumed, its factored in for tax and the like. So yeah. Its all about tipping in the states because they NEED tips to live.

In countries that have half decent employment laws (Read: The rest of the developed world. And lots of the undeveloped world.) then people like you are the norm because the waiting staff will get a real paycheck regardless. I barely tip, because I have very little money as I am a student, but if things have been exceptional I will. Waiting is hard, but at least you can live off it in the states.

Thats it.

Thread over.

Please, No more arguing. I stated both sides, explained myself. There is NOTHING TO DISCUSS. You NEED to tip in the states, you don't ANYWHERE ELSE. So if you don't in the states, you are a ****, but if you don't ANYWHERE ELSE you are a normal human being and tipping ANYWHERE ELSE makes you a generous human.
 

Amir Kondori

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Apr 11, 2013
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You tip people in the service industry because that is part of their pay. You know most restaurant workers are exempted from minimum wage laws and make less than minimum wage and the tips are supposed to get them to a livable wage right? So when you have a sit down dinner and don't tip someone for their "competent service" you've just stiffed them some of their pay?

I hate cheap bastards who don't want to tip. Also, "5-10%", Jesus what a skinflint.
 

Harlemura

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May 1, 2009
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I generally don't tip. I live in the U.K., so tipping isn't really necessary because everyone gets minimum wage and stuff. But I don't eat out very often anyway.
I usually let fast food delivery people keep the change, if that counts for anything. I'm guessing all the money just ends up going to the company though.
 
Jun 24, 2009
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I don't tip, and I never will tip. You want to get paid more? Take it up with your employer and/or the government. I'm already giving the money that contributes to paying your wage anyway, I shouldn't have to lump even more on there just because you did your job.
 

ScrabbitRabbit

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Mar 27, 2012
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Amir Kondori said:
You tip people in the service industry because that is part of their pay. You know most restaurant workers are exempted from minimum wage laws and make less than minimum wage and the tips are supposed to get them to a livable wage right? So when you have a sit down dinner and don't tip someone for their "competent service" you've just stiffed them some of their pay?

I hate cheap bastards who don't want to tip. Also, "5-10%", Jesus what a skinflint.
As has been pointed out already, this isn't the case outside the US (for the most part, anyway). I never really got what the big deal with tipping was, either, being a Brit. Back when I was serving in a restaurant, I was pretty comfortable with my pay whether I got any tips or not. Having now heard about the US' laws for the service industry, however, I feel like I understand tipping culture better.

If I ever visit the US, I'll be sure to tip but, while I'm in Britain, I'll only tip people who provide above-average service.