Taxi Drivers: Tip or not

irlrobins

While I was in school and college I had a part time job in a bar, and relied on tips to boost my earnings. When I'm out these days I always tip in bars or restaurants as I know how much tips are appreciated by the servers, having done it myself. In fact I'm often over generous it would seem and worse, I get embarrassed when people in my group don't tip.

But when it comes to taxi's I feel like I'm handing over enough cash as it is, without adding another couple of euro to it as a tip. But again I feel really guilty for not doing this. Occasionally I give in to this guilt and tip, or if the driver was particularly friendly I'd tip as well.

But am I in the minority? Do many people tip taxi drivers? Or are we being too American and are now tipping everyone (I tip my barber too!)

And I'm not looking to start a taxi driver bashing thread, just a discussion on tipping them or not.

monkeyfudge

I think I've only ever tipped once... And that was in the early hours of New Years morning and I managed to nab a taxi way easier than I thought I would... I had resigned myself to a long walk home, so was very appreciative of getting the taxi.

Also the driver lived out my way as well so he was making it his last fare of the night.

But in general... no... I don't think I tip too much outside of bars and restaurants.

Xavi6

If the taxi came to say 29 euro I'd give him 30 and go (unless he's a w*nker). No big deal.

gcgirl

Depends !! There should have been a 3rd option because sometimes i do tip then sometimes i don't really depends on driver!!

Overheal

Depends. One time i even skipped payment on a taxi driver for being on his mobile, and then nearly getting us into an accident as a result. I'll tip if they keep a good car drive safe etc.

Stargal

Yeah, I always tip taxi drivers. Usually I'd just round it up by a couple of euro so if it's a €13 fare then I'd give €15. I'd see it as just being polite, I guess.

irlrobins

Xavi6 wrote: »

If the taxi came to say 29 euro I'd give him 30 and go (unless he's a w*nker). No big deal.

Ah yes, I'd do this too, but I wouldn't call that a tip really.

Rb

Taxi's are a rip here, so if anything it's just a rounding up to the nearest €5.

Rabies

If its good service then yes.
Same with dining out.

I've never had a taxi that I felt deserved tips.

Whilst in America we had this death-trap of a taxi. There must have been a leak in the engine/someone spilled oil inside the car, because there was this foul stench of fumes for the 30min trip we had. The driver himself was loud and obnoxious. And we still had to pay a tip on top of the fare.

Dave!

Yeah I tip them. Tip the barber too. And the food delivery person. And lounge staff. If you want a tip, come to Dave.

meathstevie

I drive a taxi myself and of course tips are much appreciated but sometimes I feel like people don't realy know whether to tip or not. Plain and simple : you're happy with what you got : tip. You're not : don't.

What I find realy unbelievable though is people going on about taxis being expensive. You must be joking. You know what's expensive ? Paying 15 euro/person to get into a club + 2 euro for the cloakroom to avail of the privilige of paying mad prices for a drink ( 10 euro for a short + mixer is not exceptional ). If you multiply only the cover charge and cloakroom cost by four you'll probably have paid more than for a taxi journey for the same people from Dublin Airport to Drogheda.

I suppose it's all down to the fact that I'm the last one you'll come accross at the end of your night out when you're allready broke and drunk and you don't want to depart with any more hard earned money:rolleyes:

starn

No I dont tip in taxis. I dont tip in bars or restraunts either the minimum wage in this country is high enough.

prendy

i dont tip them....i dont get a tip for doing my job so why should they?????

they earn a very good wage as it is.

Hogmeister B

meathstevie wrote: »

What I find realy unbelievable though is people going on about taxis being expensive. You must be joking. You know what's expensive ? Paying 15 euro/person to get into a club + 2 euro for the cloakroom to avail of the privilige of paying mad prices for a drink ( 10 euro for a short + mixer is not exceptional ). If you multiply only the cover charge and cloakroom cost by four you'll probably have paid more than for a taxi journey for the same people from Dublin Airport to Drogheda.

I suppose it's all down to the fact that I'm the last one you'll come accross at the end of your night out when you're allready broke and drunk and you don't want to depart with any more hard earned money:rolleyes:

As a student i would never pay fifteen euros into a nightclub, nor pay for a cloakroom, and usually have my fill of booze before i get in. Taxis are expensive. On short runs, i find the additional euro per person infuriating.

Hogmeister B

prendy wrote: »

i dont tip them....i dont get a tip for doing my job so why should they?????

they earn a very good wage as it is.

Indeed.

Krieg

Yeah I think they are a rip off so no tip from me
Its not like they can spit in my drink the next time I go for service

Boggles

I find with the new meters, there are 2 type of taxi drivers. If the fair is lets say €8.13 and the taxi driver says €8, I'd give him the tenner to keep. If he says €8.13, I will wait as long as it takes until he counts out that €1.87.

What i do hate is when you step into a taxi with a couple of mates, the taxi driver spends the first 60 seconds pressing buttons, you know then that it is going to be a big one.

I have revised my tipping lately, I used tip everything. Went out for a meal some months ago, service was terrible, People have seen the Yeti more times than I saw our waitress that night, I still tipped. From then on thou, you have to make me feel special to get that 10%.

Maybe give service people a bit of incentive, if they do a good job, pay them, if they don't they pay you.

Dun laoire

Depends on the driver alright. A pleasent chatty driver will always get a tip

kenco

Totally depends on the quality of the service provided.

For Taxis I would not normally tip apart from a small round up unless I feel the driver has done anything to deserve it (e.g. consult on the route, offer to turn off the radio, etc)

Same really with meals, etc, I have no problem what so ever with not tipping if I dont feel the service warrants it. My better half differs on this but after spending a bit of time in the States and comparing the general level of service quality with that provided here there is no comparison. Tipping is expected in the States as their level of service is in general of a high standard and therefore you feel the extra is worthwhile.

Afraid to say this is not the norm here and when you do come across it then a generous tip is warranted.

Run_to_da_hills

It depends entirely on the driver. Some drivers are courtious, some go by the book and charge you every extra they can fine ie excess baggage etc, I generally dont bother tipping these guys.

Chips Lovell

meathstevie wrote: »

Plain and simple : you're happy with what you got : tip. You're not : don't.

Come off it. I pay the agreed price of the service and that now indicates that I'm unhappy with it?

meathstevie wrote: »

What I find realy unbelievable though is people going on about taxis being expensive. You must be joking. You know what's expensive ? Paying 15 euro/person to get into a club....

Citing something that is even more expensive doesn't necessarily prove that the service is cheap.

Boom_Bap

kenco wrote: »

Totally depends on the quality of the service provided.

For Taxis I would not normally tip apart from a small round up unless I feel the driver has done anything to deserve it (e.g. consult on the route, offer to turn off the radio, etc)

I would not normally tip at all. Consultation of the route, asking if you want the radio to be turned off etc are supposed to be part of the service. When you sit in a taxi and the meter is turned on it is up to the taxi driver to provide the best and most comfortable service possible to you to get you to your destination.
The problem is that we are used to a mediocre service and when we are presented with these 'additional' services from the driver, we feel priviledged and think the driver is doing an exceptional job. He is just doing his job properly and up to standard.

nice1franko

When I was in college I used to always tip them - and tip them well. Then I did a stint in McDonalds parttime. A fair few people would tip a little bit even though tipping in McD's is definitely not req'd. Anyway, taxi drivers would *always* wait for their 5p change or whatever and never tip.

So I thought: "here's me bustin me bollox for a few schillings to buy a) pints and b) taxi fare plus a tip ... and the very same fukers wouldn't give you the steam off their piss" and so ended (more-or-less*) franko's tipping of taxi drivers.

* although, if the service is good and fare happens to be a squid or two under a modulus of five, I wouldn't wait for change.

axer

irlrobins wrote: »

But am I in the minority? Do many people tip taxi drivers? Or are we being too American and are now tipping everyone (I tip my barber too!)

And I'm not looking to start a taxi driver bashing thread, just a discussion on tipping them or not.

You think taxi's are too expensive but not eating and drinking out???!!!:eek:

el tonto wrote: »

Come off it. I pay the agreed price of the service and that now indicates that I'm unhappy with it?

+1 Paying them the agreed price is what indicates you are happy with the service because if you were not then you shouldnt pay them or should only pay part.

When I get in a tax I get in for one sole purpose and that is to get from A to B safetly and in a timely manner. I could not care less if the driver tells me the secret of life or anything else. So why should I tip him/her if they do their job?

I very rarely tip unless someone has really gone out of their way and did something that benefits me and that I actually wanted. I will not pay someone extra to do their job. I will not pay extra if someone goes out of their way to do something that does not really benefit me or something I did not want or need.

How can people complain about the rip-off Ireland when not only are they paying the rip off prices but are giving an extra bit on top of that.

Down with unnecessary tippers I say!!

irlrobins

axer wrote: »

You think taxi's are too expensive but not eating and drinking out???!!!:eek:

Well a good meal that might be "expensive" often has a better value for money than a taxi. For example, a taxi driver taking me to the airport at 7am on a weekday is hardly working "unsocialable hours" in my book. But yet I'm charged the higher fare rate for that trip.

axer

irlrobins wrote: »

Well a good meal that might be "expensive" often has a better value for money than a taxi.

Value is subjective. I think both are completely overcharged for in Ireland.

irlrobins wrote: »

For example, a taxi driver taking me to the airport at 7am on a weekday is hardly working "unsocialable hours" in my book. But yet I'm charged the higher fare rate for that trip.

I agree - taxi's are overcharging for things such as that.

I think eating out is overly expensive too so I would tip neither as said above unless they give me something extra that I was not expected to get that I actually want.

I hate when people tip just for service and I hate even more when people look down on you if you do not tip (as you said you do).

Dave!

I occassionally got tips when working in a well known toy store If I brought something out to someone's car, or whatever... Made me feel good

Now I don't get tips, I just get hostility :mad:

Canaboid

Of the last 6 taxis I've used 3 of them have attempted to tip themselves using the super secret tip button (labeled extras I think) on their meters.
Just me, hailed on the street, extras button get pushed 2 or 3 times at end of trip at a euro a go. First guy got me, second and third guy had their extra charge reversed by me paying that amount under the correct fair and a suggestion of a trip to the Police station with reciept if they are unhappy.

Perhaps I'm unlucky but somehow I doubt it. Watch out for this and you may be suprised. Always ask for a printed reciept and check it.
Details of tarrifs and non-imaginary extras can be found here http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3601/dublintaxifarescg2.jpg

I tipped the 3 honest drivers.

axer

Canaboid wrote: »

I tipped the 3 honest drivers.

for not trying to rip you off?

bill_ashmount

I used to tip them before, let them have whatever change was left from a 10 or 20 note.

Now I never tip, I make a point of getting the exact change, I don't care how much groaning goes on while they look for the 5 cent they owe me. I've had too many experiences where they tried to round up the price or take longer routes etc.

Spook_ie

Overheal wrote: »

Depends. One time i even skipped payment on a taxi driver for being on his mobile, and then nearly getting us into an accident as a result. I'll tip if they keep a good car drive safe etc.

No excuses for him being on the phone, but what right did that give you to steal from the taxi driver, you should have reported him to the Gards for being on the phone but you also should have paid him...

stovelid

I 'm pro-tipping, but I don't always go out of my way to tip taxi drivers.

That said, If I pay, say 10, for an 8 euro fare, or 27 for a 30, I wouldn't wait for the change.

axer

Spook_ie wrote: »

No excuses for him being on the phone, but what right did that give you to steal from the taxi driver, you should have reported him to the Gards for being on the phone but you also should have paid him...

He was fully within his rights and 100% correct for not paying the Taxi driver for nearly causing injury and basically frightening the passenger by being negligent. I believe this would actually be covered by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services act 1980. It might also make the taxi driver think again the next time he/she decides to put his/her client at risk of injury/death.

Spook_ie

axer wrote: »

He was fully within his rights and 100% correct for not paying the Taxi driver for nearly causing injury and basically frightening the passenger by being negligent. This would actually be covered by the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services act 1980.

I wouldn't have said so. The supplier supplied a service ( taking the passenger home ) the cost of supplying the service had been agreed ( It's a taxi, the fare is metered ) the fact that there was an alleged incident on the journey does not give the right to cancel the contract without payment at the end of the transaction. Now if the poster had said to the supplier that he was disatisfied with the journey before completion, he may have been entitled to reduce the fare, but the refusal to pay the fare would have been a criminal matter.

As I said he should have paid the fare and reported the driver to the Gardai

axer

Spook_ie wrote: »

I wouldn't have said so. The supplier supplied a service ( taking the passenger home ) the cost of supplying the service had been agreed ( It's a taxi, the fare is metered ) the fact that there was an alleged incident on the journey does not give the right to cancel the contract without payment at the end of the transaction. Now if the poster had said to the supplier that he was disatisfied with the journey before completion, he may have been entitled to reduce the fare, but the refusal to pay the fare would have been a criminal matter.

As I said he should have paid the fare and reported the driver to the Gardai

One of the implied terms of the contract under s39 (b) of the sale of goods act is

that he will supply the service with due skill, care and diligence

I don't think the driver supplied the service in that manner. The passenger should have reported the driver to the Gardai, possibly the Taxi regulator (not sure if they deal with this type of thing) and refuse to pay entirely or only pay part.

kevmy

On the whole tipping thing it's completely different between here and America.

Minimum wage over there is something like $5-6 which comes out as something like €3-4 which is nothing. People in the service industry over there actually need their tips to live people here don't.

Now thats not saying that if someone here done their job really well or went out of their way to help you I wouldn't give a little extra. And I just mightn't bother getting change for some things. But if I went out and got regular service and the meal came to say €100 I wouldn't leave a €15 tip as would be customary in the States.

Additionally there is a service charge built into prices in restaurants, pubs, hotels etc. here that people forget about. So if you don't think the service was very good why pay any tip you just end up paying twice for something you didn't think was good.

PullMyFinger!

Never ever tip the fuuuckers. Ever.

My one and only ban on Boards was a rant over these shower of grasping basturds so I'll leave it at that.

Tusky

I very rarely tip. Tipping is used to show appreciation of good service in jobs that are usually underpaid. Taxi men earn enough money as it is. All they are doing is driving a car around all day.

I used to feel obliged to tip but now I always wait for all my change. I tip in restaurants & barbers for good service though.

StormWarrior

I never tip. Why should I, I pay enough for the service already. I tipped in America but only because everything was ridiculously cheap.

axer

Tusky wrote: »

I tip in restaurants & barbers for good service though.

But all they do is serve you with food and cut your hair respectively.

Ruu_Old

No tips for taxi drivers. Seems like Ireland has gone tipping mad, loads of money to throw around.

zuchum

depends on the driver and "the patented amount of change i'm waiting for vs. begrudging taxi man looks graph"..

celticwe

no way ....rip off anyway

OPENROAD

Never tip taxi drivers in Dublin,standard of taxis are still very poor in Dublin.

If in London I will either round up the fare or if the driver has taken a few short cuts I normally give a bit more i.e. fare is £8, I might give £10.

artanevilla

Depends on if they are chatty or not really.

Spook_ie

axer wrote: »

One of the implied terms of the contract under s39 (b) of the sale of goods act is I don't think the driver supplied the service in that manner. The passenger should have reported the driver to the Gardai, possibly the Taxi regulator (not sure if they deal with this type of thing) and refuse to pay entirely or only pay part.

Actualy if you look at the TRs website you ARE entitled to the following

Customer Rights
As a customer, it is your right to:

Not be charged more than the metered fare when travelling by taxi or no more than the agreed fare.
Not be charged more than the agreed fare when travelling by hackney or limousine;
Be given a printed receipt at the end of a taxi journey, and a written receipt on payment of the fare for a hackney or limousine journey;
Not be unreasonably refused service with a 30km radius of the pick up point/point of hire;
See driver licence details and fare card clearly displayed;
Direct the destination and route taken;
Be accompanied by a guide dog/mobility aid at no extra charge;
A driver who is courteous and helpful;
A driver who is neatly dressed;
A driver who knows the major routes and destinations;
Be carried in a clean and roadworthy vehicle

You are NOT actualy given the right to have a safe journey, as I said the poster should have paid the fare, complained to the Gardai ( dangerous driving ), he should not have Stolen the service

Spook_ie

axer wrote: »

I agree - taxi's are overcharging for things such as that.

So just what do you view as unsociable hours?

axer

Mr.S wrote: »

its a way of saying thanks, sure you dont HAVE to do it, your not expected to (in Ireland anyway) but meh, if they've done a good job, why not add on a few euro?

Whats wrong with the good old fashion "Thanks!"?

Spook_ie wrote: »

Actualy if you look at the TRs website you ARE entitled to the following



You are NOT actualy given the right to have a safe journey, as I said the poster should have paid the fare, complained to the Gardai ( dangerous driving ), he should not have Stolen the service

So what are you saying - that if the taxi driver drives the car whilst talking to someone on his mobile, crashes into another vehicle because of his negligence resulting in the passenger losing his legs that the Taxi driver is still entitled to bill the passenger for the journey?

I'm afraid the sale of goods act still applies to taxi journey's. Even if the act didnt apply - would you not think it is without saying (i.e. an implied condition of the oral contract) that the driver would get you to the destination safetly and would not put your life in danger? I believe any reasonable person would.

Spook_ie wrote: »

So just what do you view as unsociable hours?

I would be thinking before 7am but I am thinking that Taxis are over priced in general in Ireland just like most other things. I guess other people don't think so when they don't think they are even being charged enough so they give even more.

WECpoker

Regardless of where I am traveling I ALWAYS tip Taxi drivers (unless bad service). I tip all service providers where it is appropriate unless the service is well below standards (it has to be bad for zero tip).

I will continue until Taxi Drivers and Barbers become attached to the Upper Class and move into Mansions with my tip monies.

To be honest...I feel badly when I do not tip. I can even remember certain times when I didnt have the money to tip and told the driver how sorry I was not to have the money to tip (one was taxi from Amsterdam to airport)

magick

Oh sweet jesus not this Sh*t again

why the hell should i pay extra for a standard service?
we are already ripped off as it is here without paying extra