You Should Tip

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RedDeadFred

Illusions, Michael!
May 13, 2009
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I tip my waiter/ess every time unless they gave me really shitty service. Even if the food is bad, if the waiter was good, I'll still give them my normal 15% tip.

I will not ever tip for fast food. That is just insane to me. The people serving me aren't doing anything extra special. They are just asking me for my order, asking me for my money, and then telling me my food will be out shortly. The process of making a fast food hamburger isn't really all that challenging either. Sorry, no tips for anyone working at these places.
 

siddif

Senior Member
Aug 11, 2009
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Having worked in my college restaurant (unpaid but we got tips) and a McDonalds (which forbids tipping btw) my personal opinion is that tips should be voluntary especially when service is patchy at best rather than tight managers cutting costs by paying staff the bare minimum and making us the customer responsible for them earning a living.

If the company isn't earning enough to pay the staff then include it in the prices of the meal, if we think the waiter did an outstanding job then we tip them because they deserve it not because of guilt or that its mandatory.

When i went to the US on holiday last year not only were we stung with unmarked service tax (VAT is included in list price in UK not added at the till) but many places such as Pizza Hut added a pre-calculated tip before we even received the bill (in pen too not even printed through the machine so it could be audited or proven)

That said I am always polite to staff anytime i am out and have no problem throwing the odd tip especially if its rounding up to the closest $10 or maybe £5 when home of course it depends on how much the meal cost too so that the tip isn't un-proportionally small.
 

Zack Alklazaris

New member
Oct 6, 2011
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Its grayer than the counter... that is so gross. Is that what I fucking eat?!!!! It looks like dried up cow shit... OMG... I've been eating that.

Look it doesn't matter who it is if I have the money I tip or I just do it myself. I bag my own groceries, cook my own meals, and get my own pizzas.

I've worked in the food industry and at retail stores I know how thankless it can be.


Still never want to eat a fast food burger ever again... thanks for that.
 

Kroxile

New member
Oct 14, 2010
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I work at a McDonald's and I gotta say that 99.9999% of the time when a customer uses that bullshit "The customer is always right!" line they are being a fuckhead and trying to rip us off. Just last night I had some guy return his fish sandwich, after eating most of it, twice. He demanded a new one each time and after the second I told him no. He fed me the line and I rolled my eyes and asked for the next customer.

When I go to other restaurants I tip if the service is exceptional, but other than that... no way. My job is way harder than some waitress that has to get off her ass to deliver a pizza she didn't even cook from the oven to my table and we aren't allowed to accept tips.

Delivery drivers are a whole 'nother story, however... though I rarely get delivery.
 

speight88

New member
Sep 15, 2008
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I know this is a mainly waiter/ess tipping thing, but i offer some advice from my job as a barman in a nightclub: TIP YOUR BARMAN!

Believe me it means the next time you go to the bar and it's busy, we will be all over you trying to serve you before the rest of the drunk arseholes we usually have, in the hopes of a repeat tip, or just because you're the only person who hasn't been a complete git that night
 

Gunjester

New member
Mar 31, 2010
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newfoundsky said:
TIP DAMMIT. Tip everyone.
Do you tip? Who do you tip? Do you agree that we should tip the guys behind the counter?
Uhh, I DO tip the people behind the counter...I mean I don't go to Fast Food places often, I always give a buck or above into the little clear jars beside the register, which usually makes them smile so I assume that it's a tip jar....

Also, I'm Canadian, pretty sure in all Western countries they tip, not just US and UK.
 

Flames66

New member
Aug 22, 2009
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I have just looked up US national laws on pay for tipped employees. $2.13 per hour plus tips is the minimum wage and if the tips do not bring the total to above $7.25 per hour the employer has to make up the difference. My take on this is if I only pay the already inflated cost of the food, I am not doing anyone out of money other than the fat cat running the place who will be forced to properly pay his/her staff. Therefore, if I ever go to North America, I will feel no guilt whatsoever in not tipping.
 

DevilWithaHalo

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Mar 22, 2011
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Flames66 said:
I have just looked up US national laws on pay for tipped employees. $2.13 per hour plus tips is the minimum wage and if the tips to not bring the total to above $7.25 per hour the employer has to make up the difference. My take on this is if I only pay the already inflated cost of the food, I am not doing anyone out of money other than the fat cat running the place who will be forced to properly pay his/her staff. Therefore, if I ever go to North America, I will feel no guilt whatsoever in not tipping.
People like to conveniently forget this. Some states have stipulations that the employer pays the state minimum age *regardless* of tips; so tips are simply extra cash.

One server said I should tip her because she has to pay taxes on her tips. Well... no shit shirely; you pay extra taxes on extra wages.

No one loses any wages if you don't tip. And the argument about not being paid enough works for *any* job. And there are many jobs worse than 'waiting' that don't receive any cultural tip suggestion; like laying hot tar, or shoveling shit, or working customer service at a call center.

I still treat service people with respect. If they are really just after the cash; they just lost what I was willing to give them.

If they truly believe it's a problem; then they should take steps to correct it themselves from within the industry; not force the problem on others to... not really solve.
 

TeletubbiesGolfGun

New member
Sep 7, 2012
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omega 616 said:
newfoundsky said:
(And the UK, I think) we tip people
Not true, there is the odd occasion where some say "keep the change" but it's not in our culture.

In the UK min wage is about £6.08 an hour, which is $9.77 ... I assume that is more than your min wage, so it doesn't have to be "topped up".

I always thought it was strange that American business owners expect there employees to be payed by the customers directly. We should pay the establishment, then they pay the staff.

Then again I think America sound like the weirdest place when it comes to cash, you're charged for medical stuff, you have to work out VAT yourself, tip people ... how do you afford to buy food!?

In the uk, I can go into a shop, pick up something for 99P and pay 99P. If my meal costs £20, then I pay £20 and leave From what I have heard you pick up something for $1 and pay $1.20 or something. You to a restaurant and your meal is $20, you pay $24 for it then tip the person serving you an extra $4 or something.

I might be wrong about the VAT though.
now this might sound stupid, but what the hell is the "VAT"?

I could know what it is and not know the acronym, but i have never heard of that before.

but when i'm feeling cheap but still want food, most places I like have take out/curb side, so you just order then go there in about 15 minutes and they'll have it ready for you, and they don't expect tip, so i tend to only pay 10-15 bucks instead of 20-25 :)

just small things here and there...

or we could be non lazy bastards and just cook our own food..but that would require not being lazy, and americans don't do that.
 

Flames66

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Aug 22, 2009
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TeletubbiesGolfGun said:
now this might sound stupid, but what the hell is the "VAT"?

I could know what it is and not know the acronym, but i have never heard of that before.

but when i'm feeling cheap but still want food, most places I like have take out/curb side, so you just order then go there in about 15 minutes and they'll have it ready for you, and they don't expect tip, so i tend to only pay 10-15 bucks instead of 20-25 :)

just small things here and there...

or we could be non lazy bastards and just cook our own food..but that would require not being lazy, and americans don't do that.
VAT is "Value Added Tax", which if I have understood this thread correctly is what US peeps would call sales tax. A percentage of the cost of a product payed to the government. In the UK almost all prices include this amount so the customer does not have to think about it.

I suspect I would have problems if I ever go to the US when the price is suddenly more than the label. I would probably say something like "No, the label says $10 and I will pay no more than that for this product!"
 

TeletubbiesGolfGun

New member
Sep 7, 2012
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Flames66 said:
TeletubbiesGolfGun said:
now this might sound stupid, but what the hell is the "VAT"?

I could know what it is and not know the acronym, but i have never heard of that before.

but when i'm feeling cheap but still want food, most places I like have take out/curb side, so you just order then go there in about 15 minutes and they'll have it ready for you, and they don't expect tip, so i tend to only pay 10-15 bucks instead of 20-25 :)

just small things here and there...

or we could be non lazy bastards and just cook our own food..but that would require not being lazy, and americans don't do that.
VAT is "Value Added Tax", which if I have understood this thread correctly is what US peeps would call sales tax. A percentage of the cost of a product payed to the government. In the UK almost all prices include this amount so the customer does not have to think about it.

I suspect I would have problems if I ever go to the US when the price is suddenly more than the label. I would probably say something like "No, the label says $10 and I will pay no more than that for this product!"
oh okay, makes sense, i'm a huge supporter of the fairtax plan (lord knows if it will ever get approved in the US) so i understand.

mehh, it's just something you get used to, it's second nature for me now to buy something and already have it calculated out in my head for what i'll need. plus i buy a shit ton of stuff online anyways and the taxes are all included already. so if you do come to the US, just do lots of online ordering and you'll be fine :)
 

Yopaz

Sarcastic overlord
Jun 3, 2009
6,087
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Your workplace sounds awesome, I have to point that out before anything else.

However I don't tip. Almost everyone working a real job here makes decent money. I tip when I am in different countries where it's normal and the workers are underpaid. I wont tip a person making more than me.
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
5,879
1
43
TeletubbiesGolfGun said:
omega 616 said:
newfoundsky said:
(And the UK, I think) we tip people
Not true, there is the odd occasion where some say "keep the change" but it's not in our culture.

In the UK min wage is about £6.08 an hour, which is $9.77 ... I assume that is more than your min wage, so it doesn't have to be "topped up".

I always thought it was strange that American business owners expect there employees to be payed by the customers directly. We should pay the establishment, then they pay the staff.

Then again I think America sound like the weirdest place when it comes to cash, you're charged for medical stuff, you have to work out VAT yourself, tip people ... how do you afford to buy food!?

In the uk, I can go into a shop, pick up something for 99P and pay 99P. If my meal costs £20, then I pay £20 and leave From what I have heard you pick up something for $1 and pay $1.20 or something. You to a restaurant and your meal is $20, you pay $24 for it then tip the person serving you an extra $4 or something.

I might be wrong about the VAT though.
now this might sound stupid, but what the hell is the "VAT"?

I could know what it is and not know the acronym, but i have never heard of that before.

but when i'm feeling cheap but still want food, most places I like have take out/curb side, so you just order then go there in about 15 minutes and they'll have it ready for you, and they don't expect tip, so i tend to only pay 10-15 bucks instead of 20-25 :)

just small things here and there...

or we could be non lazy bastards and just cook our own food..but that would require not being lazy, and americans don't do that.
Stands for Value Added Tax, pretty much what it says on the tin. A percentage of the value of the product is taxed but it always included in the price ... so you pay VAT on 99% of things without knowing it.

The only products exempt from VAT are food, excluding confectionery ... so meat is VAT free but candy isn't, that's what I've heard anyway.

Sorry, just realized you have been told like 3 times now ...
 

almostgold

New member
Dec 1, 2009
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SL33TBL1ND said:
Fiad said:
Ya a lot of the time here in the US waiters are actually paid below min wage because tips are factored into their pay. So even if you work in the fanciest place ever, if you don't get tipped, you are making less than someone working at McDonalds.
Management is supposed to make up for that, however. The problem is that many waiters don't ask management for the extra cash because (illegal as it may be) they get fired for doing so.

Disclaimer: I live in Aus, so this is based on anecdotal evidence from friends in the US.
I work as a server in a restaurant (in Kentucky). I get paid $2.13 an hour, which is all taken out by taxes. So, unless I work a few hourly shifts in there, my paycheck every two weeks will be for $0. The only money we see is what we make on tips. Technically, we are supposed to make enough that we are making higher than minimum wage. On average, we all do, by a lot. (I do pretty good for a college student). But this doesn't stand true for every shift. If its a slow weekday night and I have a shitty section and I only get say, 3 tables, I might walk out with $20 for a 4 hour shift, and then I'm supposed to declare making those tips so they can be taxed as well.
 

therandombear

Elite Member
Sep 28, 2009
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41
Tip is only given if the person serving me did a excellent job and great customer service, this is for all places here, there is no mandatory tip or normal too tip, cause minimum wages are high.

I do believe the average wage here, Norway, is around 20 dollars per hour.
 

Charli

New member
Nov 23, 2008
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Some of us are making just as if not less than you are even without tips so therefore cannot afford to, please accept that this might be the case also and don't get on a high horse.

Usually I try to avoid eating at a fast food chain, Chinese food is my only weakness and I get it rarely, otherwise it's home prepared or fast cold supermarket food for me 'sir'.

On the occasion that a friend drags me out to a chain I usually order very minimal and am a pretty easy person to deal with. Like I NEVER complain, I even had to drag an indignant friend of mine out of a place when she saw my drink order was wrong, I stuffed my napkin in her face and told her to just leave it, the drink was fine, not what I ordered, but I could drink it and the place was SWAMPED. Uncomfortably so. I saw this and did not make a fuss for what looked like a very horrible evening for the staff.

So please, for every horrible case you get, realize there are customers who empathize, even if you don't notice us over the obnoxious entitled gaudy loudmouthers.


Captcha: Goody Two shoes

I'm not, really, there are other aspects of my life/day where I will blow my lid, but food is just not one I care to get angry over.
 

AnarchistFish

New member
Jul 25, 2011
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Tipping shouldn't be necessary if the employers are doing their job (well, depending on how you define their job). They exploit that culture to offload more of the cost onto the consumer and increase their profit. Seen it around, notably on cruise ships where the staff are paid fuck all and rely on large tips which are pretty much compulsory for the customer to pay.

And yeah, here in the UK tipping only really exists in restaurants.
 

AnarchistFish

New member
Jul 25, 2011
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omega 616 said:
you have to work out VAT yourself
oh this pissed me the fuck off in miami airport. had just come back from a month long trip in south america and we were in transit back to the UK. decided to get a big meal cos we hadn't exactly feasted much but throughout the whole meal I was trying to work out how much it would cost me and whether a tip would be added, and whether that would be vat'd as well. And I forgot what I'd actually bought cos it was one of those "build your own burger" things or w/e. Ended up being ok but only just. Then I forgot about the VAT thing when I tried to spend the last few coins in another shop and had to borrow some money off someone else after all.