To tip or not to tip?

Church on Tuesday

Redneck Reject71 wrote: »

Is people now so tight as to show a little appreciation by tipping to someone who performs a service to them so they can continue to live a easier life as to not have to do it themselves? It's shameful how society has gone. Bash my post all you want but it doesn't change the fact of how entitled people have become.

Lot's of folk simply don't have the money to be tipping anyone.

Most normal people are appreciative of the service they get and for me that was always enough.

I tip waiting staff if I can because they often get treated like **** and if there's a euro difference with the taxi driver I'd let him have it if he was sound or went out of his way to get me to where I need to be.

tuisginideach

I tip hairdresser, taxi driver (if a pleasant person) and restaurant staff. Would always give postman and beautician a decent tip at Christmas.

Butterface

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

I was in a comedy club in NYC about 10 years ago. 2 rounds of drinks came to 37 dollars. I paid the bill with a hundred - 20 mins later no change had come back.
Tracked down the server and asked where my change was. They got all smart and said something to the effect of "if you're mean enough to want change, you have to ask for it". 63 dollar tip on a 37 dollar bill!

Similar thing happened to me and the OH in Paris in a pretty ****ty square-front cafe where they served us a sub-par croque monsieur each and barely tolerated our presence. Gave them 50e note for a bill of just over 20e... the waiter never came back with our change.

As we were leaving I went up to the bar and asked for my change.. the waiter in question left us standing there for about 10 minutes before coming back and throwing the change down on the counter. No words of apology, instead he spoke French to another waiter, clearly giving out about our scabbiness!

oceanman

as a rule I never tip waiting staff....not because im mean but because it simply encourages employers to pay crap wages.

Snails pace

Never heard anyone tip the lorry driver of an oil lorry. If it was a day like today I'd offer him tea. I'd give a twenty to the post man on Christmas and a few euros of a tip for food if the service was good.

lulu1

If I have a few euro change I might tip the hairdresser or the taxi driver but I wouldn't go out of my way looking for it. They are all getting paid a wage .
Years ago when working in a factory they used to lift a collection at christmas for the man who swept the floor who at the time was earning more than us

Sinister Kid

Sebastian Dangerfield wrote: »

Whats the accepted etiquette for say a furniture delivery!

I work in a furniture shop, according to our delivery guys tipping for regular deliveries is hit & miss; But If they go above an beyond for a customer, like helping them move furniture to another room or if they are delivering heavy items up to the top floor, people are more inclined tip.

Pawwed Rig

Snails pace wrote: »

Never heard anyone tip the lorry driver of an oil lorry. If it was a day like today I'd offer him tea. I'd give a twenty to the post man on Christmas and a few euros of a tip for food if the service was good.

Screw the postman. All he brings us is bills these days. Can't remember the last time I got anything in the post that was welcome in the house.
In fairness they are on a decent wage as are taxi drivers (If they want to be) so don't understand tipping them. I remember the bin collectors used to call to the house at Xmas cap in hand looking for cash!!!

Jurgen Klopp

I don't tip as it's not the US and the only people I've met who tip are elderly who lived in the US for decades or young people who watch too much American television

We have a minimum wage for a reason and what's more business here loved tippers as they were forcing employees to hand them over in the back

It's a different story if they go out of their way to do something that's not part of their job for example a young cashier's carrying some shopping or bag of coal to a car for someone from the shop etc

wally1990

theguzman wrote: »

Waitors and Waitresses earn minimum so they are not that hard up anyway. I paid for a meal in restaurant in Dublin last week and the waitress presented me the cardreader with the screen to insert my tip open on it before, I added €2 and then paid it with my meal. I thought it was very cheeky effectively asking for a tip.

That would make me so awkward

Nevin Parsnipp

lulu1 wrote: »

If I have a few euro change I might tip the hairdresser or the taxi driver but I wouldn't go out of my way looking for it. They are all getting paid a wage .
Years ago when working in a factory they used to lift a collection at christmas for the man who swept the floor who at the time was earning more than us

"lift a collection" ??? Jesus that's a new one ....down Munster way maybe ??

looksee

So all the tippers out there, do you tip the supermarket checkout person? The person who comes to read the electric meter? The bus driver on your daily commute? If not, why not?

Pauliedragon

Why is this always a big deal in newspapers, online etc? If you want to tip then tip, if you don't want to then don't. Your life wont change either way. The internet wont alter your conscience. Make your own life decisions people.

Nevin Parsnipp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrwQ9G4epys

This explains it all

theguzman

wally1990 wrote: »

That would make me so awkward

It made me so awkward too, and I just put down €2 as I was half shocked and she there standing over me like.

Rufeo

I always have loads of change on me. I always end up paying the exact price.

No way in Ireland would I tip. And especially if someone asked me to tip them. I mean if you got really good service you could give them an extra 5-10 euros.

But to the oil man. Haha. That.... Is generous

nocoverart

oceanman wrote: »

as a rule I never tip waiting staff....not because im mean but because it simply encourages employers to pay crap wages.

Yes, that’s a good one. I’ll tell myself that the next I don’t feel like tipping 😁

looksee

We went to a restaurant in the US, we had arrived that day and while I was aware that tipping was a 'thing' I had not fully taken on board the details. So we had a very average meal in a mostly empty very average restaurant, got the bill, added on a fairly random tip - probably around 10 or 15% and went to leave. We were ambushed at the door by an indignant waitress who wanted to know if her service was not satisfactory and if so, what was the problem. We were a bit bemused by this attack but offered a bit more, assured her the service was fine (it was average) and left. It felt very strange and, while I get the 'when in Rome' stuff, I would hate to encourage an environment like that here.

murpho999

tuisginideach wrote: »

I tip hairdresser, taxi driver (if a pleasant person) and restaurant staff. Would always give postman and beautician a decent tip at Christmas.

This seems to be the norm for many people and I don't get it.
Why tip a hairdresser but beautician only at Christmas? What's the difference?

Why tip a hairdresser and not a supermarket till operator or any retail shop assistant?
Why tip a taxi driver but not a bus or train driver?
Why tip food delivery people for food you have paid for and paid extra for delivery?
Why not tip plumbers, postmen, electricians, mechanics etc who all provide you with a service?

It's ridiculous and people need to realise that uniike the US that people earn good money here and do not depend on tips.

Atlantic Dawn

looksee wrote: »

We went to a restaurant in the US, we had arrived that day and while I was aware that tipping was a 'thing' I had not fully taken on board the details. So we had a very average meal in a mostly empty very average restaurant, got the bill, added on a fairly random tip - probably around 10 or 15% and went to leave. We were ambushed at the door by an indignant waitress who wanted to know if her service was not satisfactory and if so, what was the problem. We were a bit bemused by this attack but offered a bit more, assured her the service was fine (it was average) and left. It felt very strange and, while I get the 'when in Rome' stuff, I would hate to encourage an environment like that here.

The US situation is like employers taking on slaves and asking the public to pay their salary, it's a complete joke of a system.

tuisginideach

murpho999 wrote: »

This seems to be the norm for many people and I don't get it.
Why tip a hairdresser but beautician only at Christmas? What's the difference?

Why tip a hairdresser and not a supermarket till operator or any retail shop assistant?
Why tip a taxi driver but not a bus or train driver?
Why tip food delivery people for food you have paid for and paid extra for delivery?
Why not tip plumbers, postmen, electricians, mechanics etc who all provide you with a service?

It's ridiculous and people need to realise that uniike the US that people earn good money here and do not depend on tips.

My Christmas tip to the beautician covers all the times I have been there in the year - no point in looking for coins/fiver with newly painted nails etc!

Presumably a public bus or train driver isn't allowed take tips? When organising minibuses /coaches for group lifts, I would always build in a tip for the drivers.

I very very rarely get food delivered to the door but if I did I would definitely tip the delivery person.

I do tip the postman - at Christmas. I am not going to run out to catch him every morning/2nd morning to tip him for delivering 1 piece of junk mail, but at Christmas I tip him to show my appreciation of the work he does in miserable conditions and of the cop-on he shows regarding whther to deliver my post/drop to neighbour/leave at house/hold til next day etc.

When the bin-collections were done by the council, my parents always tipped the binmen - it would be the same men week after week and they'd knock on the door to remind you re the bin if it wasn't out, or take extra bags that wouldn't fit in the bin. I don't get that personal service these days. I did offer the current collectors a 6-pack of beer one Christmas time but they declined so I have never offered again.

Tell the wife to catch herself on, this isn’t America and people do get wages here.

Bob24

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The US situation is like employers taking on slaves and asking the public to pay their salary, it's a complete joke of a system.

Plus in a properly developed country, paying people directly in cash with no invoice for that payment is considered tax evasion.

I was always of the opinion that the “showing appreciation” sugarcoating to justify the US tipping “culture” was just a way for some employers to both avoid the responsibly to provide decent employment conditions as you said and also to evade the taxman.

It it was genuinely about showing appreciation it wouldn’t be considered mandatory to give 10% to a waiter even when the service is bad - it would be 0 for bad to Ok service, and a range of a few dollars to show recognition for good to outstanding service.

Having said that, as another poster said, when in Rome do as the Romans do. But even then it is hard to tell and in some situations even the locals aren’t sure when and how much to give ...

I once boarded a cruise ship in the US and the usual process is that you leave suitcases somewhere before boarding the ship and they load all suitcases into large containers to bring them on board. As I’ve done in any other country before I left my suitcase there for a guy to grab it and place it into the container literally 2 meters away before proceeding further. And yes, he started to show his hand mumblIng “tip, tip, tip” and sounding very annoyed. It hadn’t even came across to me that you would tip for this and frankly I had no idea how much to give (I could honestly have put the suitcase in the container myself without any additional effort had he not been standing in the middle). Now, I was then told by an American passenger that those guys are on special contracts for 2 dollars an hour which don’t have to meet minimal wage, and that it is understood they are relying on tips. Of course I don’t want to be rude or to get service from slave workers which can’t put food on the table so knowing this I am tipping; but quite frankly what I find rude and inhuman in this situation is for American society and the port authority to put me and the guy in that awkward situation rather than just paying him an actual wage (and of course including the cost of his wage in what the port authority is charging the cruise line which would be reflected in passenger fares).

So as others said ... please don’t start tipping for everything and to turn ireland into the US (unless you find it OK for service workers to be paid less than peanuts by their employers, which is what excess tipping eventually leads to).

Oranage2

Bob24 wrote: »

Plus in a properly developed country, paying people directly in cash with no invoice for that payment is considered tax evasion.

I was always of the opinion that the “showing appreciation” sugarcoating to justify the US tipping “culture” was just a way for some employers to both avoid the responsibly to provide decent employment conditions as you said and also dodge the taxman.

It it was genuinely about showing appreciation it wouldn’t be considered mandatory to give 10% to a waiter even when the service is bad - it would be 0 for bad to Ok service, and a range of a few dollars to show recognition for good to outstanding service.

Having said that, as another poster said, when in Rome do as the Romans do. But even then it is hard to tell and in some situations even the locals aren’t sure when and how much to give ...

I once boarded a cruise ship in the US and the usual process is that you leave suitcases somewhere before boarding the ship and they load all suitcases into large containers to bring them on board. As I’ve done in any other country before I left my suitcase there for a guy to grab it and place it into the container literally 2 meters away before proceeding further. And yes, he started to show his hand mumblIng “tip, tip, tip” and sounding very annoyed. It hadn’t even came across to me that you would tip for this and frankly I had no idea how much to give (I could honestly have put the suitcase in the container myself without any additional effort had he not been standing in the middle). Now, I was then told by an American passenger that those guys are on special contracts for 2 dollars an hour which don’t have to meet minimal wage, and that it is understood they are relying on tips. Of course I don’t want to be rude or to get service from slave workers which can’t put food on the table so knowing this I am tipping; but quite frankly what I find rude and inhuman in this situation is for American society and the port authority to put me and the guy in that awkward situation rather than just paying him an actual wage (and of course including the cost of his wage in what the port authority is charging the cruise line which would be reflected in passenger fares).

So as others said ... please don’t start tipping for everything and to turn ireland into the US (unless you find it OK for service workers to be paid less than peanuts by their employers, which is what excess tipping eventually leads to).

Similar happened to me in the states, went to the bar and ordered two bottles of beers, the barman opened the fridge beside him, no need to even take a step, opened the beers, handed them to me and said 10 dollars, I paid and as I was walking away he say 'really appreciate that', I was gobsmacked that he actually wanted a tip for that.

I tip no one for anything, saves any confusion. Tipping people who are paid to do a job, an idiotic concept.

ForestFire

Tip the oil man... No

Tip for Food delivery.... Maybe, but never use this service as I would normally collect.

Taxi... No

Tip for cafes, most resterauts at daytime... No

Tips for an evening sit down 3 course meal... Yes

Only other tip I can think of is the postman at christmas, but that's because we get a lot of deliveries, amazon, pet food, throughout the year and it is well looked after.

If a waitress came after me to complain about a tip, I would say service has suddenly taken a downturn and request my original tip back....

o1s1n

Oranage2 wrote: »

Similar happened to me in the states, went to the bar and ordered two bottles of beers, the barman opened the fridge beside him, no need to even take a step, opened the beers, handed them to me and said 10 dollars, I paid and as I was walking away he say 'really appreciate that', I was gobsmacked that he actually wanted a tip for that.

Meant to tip a dollar per drink, it's absolutely ridiculous.

Seamai

No, I wouldn't tip an oil delivery man, I think people need to be careful throwing their money around, it creates expectations down the road.
The first time I was in New York I ordered two bottles of beer in a bar, handed the barman a $20 bill and was handed back 10 singles and some small change and told "you'll be needing those for tips" I was shocked at his brass neck and drank by beer and left without leaving a tip.

Away With The Fairies

I don't tip, we're not like America, people get paid here. I do get my hair cut in a hairdressing college and I save so much by having a student cut my hair, I will tip the student for cutting my hair though because with the haircut and tip, it's still cheaper than going to a regular hairdresser.

suicide_circus

sometimes the tip is all it takes