opinion on tips?!?

[Gingerbread]

I've offhandedly read and heard chatter places about tipping and different thoughts and opinions on what is appropriate, sometimes I question my choices and am wondering what others think. Am I in the norm, am I being cheap, do you work in any of these industries and how do you feel about it?

So, it seems like everywhere prompts you to leave a tip and to be honest, if the line comes up or the machine asks I feel weird not leaving something even if I don't feel like I really should have. I am also the type that would be more likely to take a survey to give kudos than to complain cause I feel like it's so often the other way around in this world.

So at restaurants I eat in at I have always tipped, usually 20% and if it's a odd bit of change I'll round up to nearest dollar. Like if 20% was 4.35, I'd likely leave 5.00, if I had VERY poor service I would maybe leave a little less but I am not a fussy customer and you would have to be horribly offensive for me to not just leave my usual 20%, and I am much quicker to leave more for great service. If you made me feel like you went even a little above & beyond I'm happy to show that with a 30%+ tip. I think that's because I also know that most servers are getting paid like, 5.00/hr or some ridiculous low amount that is a loophole to minimum wage cause they get "paid in tips" which isn't fair cause that can be a hard job and people can be mean and cheap.

Now at restaurants I don't eat in at I still often leave a tip, even if I was just picking up a to-go order. I have even tipped at places that you fill your own to-go box from the buffet LOL and sometimes I wonder if I really need to be doing that but I will at least leave a few bucks especially if it is a small local place vs a big chain place. I don't go off a % for those I just standard leave a few bucks, as a thanks for packing my order up or if it was that local serve yourself buffet to show a little extra to our small businesses. When covid happened I started leaving closer to the 20% for to-go orders just cause it was a hard time for that industry but in normal times I've felt a couple bucks for pickup was okay since you didn't really have to do much for me and my usual 20% for eat in since you had to keep my drink full and checked in on me a few times.

But lets talk about some other places. Like yesterday I went to my favorite cupcake place cause I was out that way. I bought 6 cupcakes and they were 18.-something, the little tip prompt pops up at check out and it's preloaded with the % amounts and the lowest option without declining or manually entering in something else was 3.00. Which was 20%. This person literally just took 6 cupcakes out of a case and put them in a box for me, our interaction was done in about 45 seconds. Does that really warrant a 20% tip? The same as the waiter who serves me for an hour at a restaurant? I mean, I left it and they are a local small business and make the best dang cupcakes but really...

Then on the opposite end of the spectrum I went and got my hair done today. I'm low maintenance, I get regular trims and just go to Hair Cuttery once a year for some highlights for summer, then come fall throw a box of color over it at home when it grows out. I don't even have a regular person I just schedule with whoever. I used to go to fancy, super spendy salon on the regular but it just wasn't worth it, especially since 80% of the time my hair is up in a bun. Anyway, I got full foil highlights and went ahead and had her do a trim, my total was 156.00 and I left a 15.00 tip. Now I'm feeling like maybe that wasn't enough. I mean, she did a fine job, she was pleasant, I would see her again in a year LOL but I guess because I'm already shelling out 156.00 I don't really wanna tip 20% cause then it's getting kinda pricey. I was there for about an hour and a half with maybe a 30 min just sitting and waiting time for it to process so she was messing with my head for about an hour and that's how long a server would wait on me a restaurant so I guess 20% really does seem fair it's just harder on the wallet. Although... that hairdresser is probably making a hourly wage vs the server who is only getting tips or tips + like 5.00/hr. So am I cheap for leaving just under 10% for that?!?

And don't get me started on DoorDash drivers LOL I just feel like I want to do the right thing but I also don't want to be tipping away all my money that could be going to ponies!!! LOL especially when I'm not even all that satisfied or inclined but feel obligated cause everywhere seems to ask now.

 

[JadeCade]

I’ve often been confused by the tip suggestions at places like coffee shops or bakeries. When the entire transaction takes less than five minutes? It seems silly to leave a tip. Most of the time I don’t, unless, it’s a small local business or the person was super friendly/personable.

As far as restaurants, I’ll tip at sit down places where the waiter takes your order and someone clears the table after you leave. I’m certainly not tipping at fast food joints (not that I frequent those places anyway). And the friendlier/personable/helpful servers and local businesses are going to get a higher % tip from me than a chain.

Can’t speak much for hair stylists or delivery services. My hair is lucky to get one cut per year and it’s a $30 thing with maybe a $5-10 tip?

Can we start asking for tips when we’re required to use self-checkouts? If I’m providing a service to myself, that the company (coughWalmartcough) should be providing, I think they should be paying me a tip!

 

[AzaleaArt]

I’ve always found it odd when bakeries or coffee places ask for tips. At restaurants where I sit and eat I try to do 25% cause that’s what my mom told me was the right amount when I was younger. But if I get take out I think it’s odd to tip, I was a hostess for a while at ihop and one of my jobs was to do to go orders. I didn’t make the food, just typed it in and put it in the right container, so while it was nice to get extra money I always thought it was strange when the customers gave me a tip when I gave them their order. Usually it was $5 or less but I was paid a normal amount hourly unlike a waitress so it wasn’t really necessary

 

[Cozytoyhoard]

The tipping screen is my villain origin story. AT MOST I would leave a dollar in the tip jar for a coffe/take out place/anywhere the interaction is less than 5 mins.

I hate the electronic tips. I have no idea how they split tips or if they even get them. Cash tip is more likely to got directly to them and they can declare it on their taxes how the need too. When I do tip I start at 20% and adjust up or down based on their service.

I'm also a once/twice a year hair person so I normally tip 30% then. Anything that involves being super up close with someone, like hair/nails/etc, I think deserves a little extra.

 

[Draco]

I always tip at eat-in restaurants where I've been served. I hardly tip at coffee shops or anything like that, because I am not exactly being served. But if the employee is all smiles and makes me smile, I will put my change in the tip jar.

If someone places items in my car for me that I can't do otherwise, I will give them a few bucks as thanks. If I get something delivered and carried in (furnisher for example), I make sure the delivery person gets tipped. Any time I call my superintendent for help with something outside his tasks, I tip him too a few bucks. Get my hair cut or brows waxed- they get tips.

If someone gives me a service, I make sure they're tipped for it. I don't believe bakeries/coffee shops are really services, they aren't catering to me specifically.