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Your philosophy on tipping?

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I believe full time servers in Australia earn between $400-$500 a week; I think the minimum wage is $370 a week (maybe less for juniors). That's probably twice what you guys earn.

We don't tip here as a rule. Some people, if they recieve absolutely *excellent* service, and have had too many bottles of wine, might leave a tip but it's not expected or even really necessary.

No offense but the tipping system is absolutely ridiculous. Outdated, demeaning and redundant. There should be some kind of uprising.
 
Strawberry_lovemuffin said:
I believe full time servers in Australia earn between $400-$600 a week full time; I think the minimum wage is $370 a week. That's probably twice what you guys earn.

We don't tip here as a rule. Some people, if they recieve absolutely *excellent* service, and have had too many bottles of wine, might leave a tip but it's not expected or even really necessary.

No offense but the tipping system is absolutely ridiculous. Outdated, demeaning and redundant. There should be some kind of uprising.
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agreed, sorry I tried to say something similar, but just couldn't really put it into the proper words.


but thankyou :)
 
I haven't read the whole thread, but I'll add my thoughts. Keep in mind that I have worked as a barista/in a cafe, which although is not the same as waitressing, did still provide me and the other workers with tips (via a communal tip jar).

Even in that setting, I found that tips made a substantial difference, adding significantly to my wages. I also worked hard and I appreicated when customers noticed and rewarded me/my store.

Thus, my philosophy on tipping is such:

Excellent service: 20+ %

Decent to very good service: 20%

Poor to fair service: 12-15%

Bad service: a pittance

Terrible service: nothing, and a note expressing my displeasure and what was done wrong

This I feel rewards those who do their job well, and punishes (and hopefully sends a message) to those who do their job poorly.

Note: I do NOT blame/punish the server for things beyond their control - ex, the food is bad.
 
I tip in Australia if people deserve it.

bar workers/waiters etc are all very paid well here, i resent the growing expectation in the industry that you have to give a tip, and they'll give you very average-poor treatment.

Overseas it's a different matter. I'm aware in America, for example, that the wages are substantially lower than those in Australia, so i am happy to tip.
Moreover, i've always received fantastic service over there.
 
I live in America where waiters are paid almost nothing without tips. I always tip 20% at least. If I ordered something that was only six bucks I may tip 50%+. Philosophy: Been there done that, all of my friends have waited tables before, too. Hard fucking job, so I don't mind playing Santa even if they drop my food or fuck up my order. Who knows what those people's lives are like? They could be not doing a good job because they have four kids and an abusive husband at age 19. Or if they are doing a good job, great! As long as I can afford to, those waiters and waitresses are definitely going to get the hook up from me. And they'll definitely never get a bitchy, finnicky attitude.
 
I feel this is an endless cycle...

You win some, you lose some...

Some people are stupid and others are nice...

Oh well.
 
I post on another board and someone made a thread about tipping your piercer. Now, i always assumed that the money i paid for the piercing would pay the piercers salary. i dont see why there is the need to tip everybody. it all seems a bit ridiculous. if they did something wonderful/exceptional then i can understand a tip. if they did their job the way it should be done, i dont see why my gratitude isnt enough. they get a salary to do their work, just like i do.

i just hope all service positions dont end up like wait staff, because i think the practice of having to tip someone just because they depend on it isnt the way things should be.
 
I'm a pizza girl in Australia and I earn a steady wage of about $AU10 an hour. Tips are a perk, not an expectation. Before I was a driver, I didn't tip my deliverer's... it was their job to bring the food to my table, and all I was obligated to do was smile at them and thank them nicely. Which I did.

Now that I'm a driver, I'd say about 5% of my customers tip, and I get about 6 deliveries a day. Tips are RARE. They usually fall under the "keep the (5c, 15c) change.". But they can be the difference between a good night and a bad night, seriously. If I have had some really horrid customers that night who claim to have ordered things that aren't on the receipt, someone else can balance it out by tipping me as little as 50c. It's not the actual tip that counts, so much as the thought that someone appreciates the poor little pizza girl. It's the difference between coming home with something to show for your work, instead of coming home with only an empty fuel tank.

I don't 'expect' tips for small orders, say under $AU25 where all the person wants is a couple of pizzas, a drink, some garlic bread. They're entitled to having their dinner brought to them every once in a while. But the other night, I carried 10 pizzas into a building by myself at once, and had to go back to the car to fetch more drinks than I could carry. The order came to almost $AU100, and the woman who made it counted the change down to the nearest 5c. Maybe it makes me a whinger, but I just thought that was incredibly petty. If you're going to go so far as to order a hundred dollars worth of pizza, an extra dollar doesn't make much difference at all.

So, if I ever order pizza again (doubtful :p ), I'll tip my driver a dollar for their troubles. Just because I've been there, and I know how it is, and I know how happy it makes me when someone does something for me that they don't 'have' to.
 
roshy said:
So, if I ever order pizza again (doubtful :p ), I'll tip my driver a dollar for their troubles. Just because I've been there, and I know how it is, and I know how happy it makes me when someone does something for me that they don't 'have' to.
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how dont they 'have' to? it's their job, isn't it?
 
I mean they (the customers) don't have to tip, because it's not ingrained in our culture as much. Tipping isn't an obligation like it seems to be in the US. The customer is well within their social right to take exact change and still expect a smile.

Tthe drivers certainly have to do their jobs or they get fired. I just think a happy driver is a more productive driver. :)
 
I try to be a good tipper just because white people constantly say black people don't tip...it's so frustrating always feeling like I need to please you damn people.
 
I wouldn't say black people don't tip.

I would say it's about 80/20 in favor of NOT tipping though. Just enough to keep me on my toes... just in case.
 
I am not going to argue with ... to tip or not to tip.. I am a waiter in the U.S. so most know my stand.... I did come back into this thread though because I wanted to comment on michaels post...

Sorry too lazy to quote it right now but he talked how he hates it when a server asks if they need change??

I 100% agree with that.. Even being a waiter I will allways say I will be right back with your change.... If the bill is $24.95 and you know they thre $30.00 in thier and thier change would be a nickel... I would STILL tell them I will be back with it because most people arent stupid.... When saying you will be right back with the change.. they are most likley going to say keep the change... Your problem is already solved before starting a new one like making the customer feel uneasy......

It's not so hard as a server to say I will be right back with your change and it should be done... I can't tell you how many times our rest has had guest complaints over servers who ask thier tables if they need change.......


okay /end another rant :)
 
chrissie said:
I post on another board and someone made a thread about tipping your piercer. Now, i always assumed that the money i paid for the piercing would pay the piercers salary. i dont see why there is the need to tip everybody.
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when i got my frenum i tipped the dude ten bucks, because i figured anyone that handled my schlong deserved it.

:)
 
perhaps i'm a sucker

but, i also tipped my piercer.

maybe it's kinda like tipping your hairstylist. *guessing* most hairstylists rent a booth, and i'm assuming that they're not putting that $25 for your haircut into their pocket. so, maybe it's kinda the same way for a piercer. *shrug* or maybe i just got worked. heh heh. i also tip the lady who folds my laundry at the laundromat when i'm too lazy to do it myself. =)

in addition- i first started working at a grocery store and some other customer service jobs. it wasn't until i started waiting tables and bartending that i've started being a LOT nicer to people waiting on me. now, don't get me wrong, my mother didn't raise me as a heathen, but i've usually barely said too much (i'm a touch shy anyway). now, when i have to talk to a telephone operator when paying a bill, or when i called fema, or when i go through the line at the grocery store, i make it a point to always say "hi", "thank you", and "have a nice day" (especially to the lady who makes my subs at publix!! mmmm).

btw, i love "real simple" (the magazine), and the issue i use as a my mouse pad just happens to have the low-down on tipping (who, what, when, where...). perhaps it's b/c i use so few of these services it seems a little tip crazy to me-
*hairstylist- 15%
*salon asst.- $2-$5
*massage therapist- 10%-20%
*cashier for take-out- 10%
*dog groomer- $5-%15
*furniture delivery- $5-$10 per person
*ups/fedex- none
*hotel maid service- $2-$5 a night
*emergency roadside service- $5-$20

anyway....i guess that just gives you a clue.
 
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