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February 26, 2006
On Tipping
What services today are deserving of a tip? This is a question that comes up in my mind often. In my mind a tip is a gratuity paid to someone who does their job exceptionally well, not just does their job. Now, I always tip wait staff at restaurants, they work hard and tips are considered into their wages. Its a job that someone with little or no formal education can do, and if done well, can make a decent living at. So I get that. I tip the person cutting my hair because I'm picky about my hair and if it's not just right I won't get out of the chair. Besides, I always get my hair cut at the same place, usually by the same person, and she's friendly and easy to talk to and does a fantastic job, so I express my gratitude monitarily.
But does the person at Starbucks deserve a tip for ringing up my order or for making my drink. I don't often, if hardly ever, order anything more complicated than a double Americano which is just espresso and water. Should I give a tip? By drawing the espresso aren't they just doing what they're supposed to do? What about buffets? The "wait staff" their are what we call bussers at other restaurants, and we don't tip bussers. Should we tip them? There's tip jars everywhere now. At the yogurt place, at the place I get my oil changed, at the butchers counter, everywhere. Do all these things deserve a tip? Aren't these people just doing what they were hired to do? I work really hard, I'm on my feat 12-14 hours in stretch attempting to keep a positive attitude with some of the most undeserving people on the planet answering calls that range from "nurse, can you get me a blanket?" to "nurse, I think my arm fell off". I've had every fluid that the human body can produce spashed, projected, or thrown at me. I've been punched, kicked, bit, spit on, yelled at, and insulted. I don't get tipped! Maybe I should start asking for tips.
My wife just called me from the airport in San Antonio where she took a weekend trip. Apparently after checking her luggage and getting her checked in the person performing the service informed her that he accepts gratuities. She didn't have any cash and so couldn't tip him, besides, she said, he was rude and slow. After checking in she had some time and so went to the shop in the terminal to find something to read and was again approached by the same person who asked if she had found any change for his tip. She again told him no and he left. The friend my wife was traveling with informed a manager about this and the person was reprimanded. What gall! I can't even imagine someone asking for a gratuity, let alone following me and hounding me for one. Especially after poor service. Luckily my wife has more patience than I because I would have been less than friendly.
While on my recent trip to Mexico tipping is expected for EVERYTHING. There are even people in the public restrooms who hand you paper towels and they expect a tip for it. I can get my own towel, thanks. The cabbies won't move until you tip them in advance. I'm sorry, but why should I tip you if I don't know how well you're going to drive. You could drop me off in the ghetto to be robbed and killed for all I know, and you want me to tip for that? I'll walk. Is that the direction we're heading?
For me tipping is a monitary gratuity paid to someone who provides a difficult service to me with exceptional quality. I refuse to tip someone for simply doing what they are already making a standard wage for, especially if that job requires little to no training, is simple, and is done only to normal standards. Maybe I'm wrong. If I'm off base let me know. "What's it going to be, Mr. Pink?"
Posted by at February 26, 2006 05:06 PM
Comments
I agree. Someone I know well, though I wont go into detail who, gave me a lecture one day after sitting down at the buffet for lunch. He asked how much I was planning on leaving for a tip and after feeling a neuron pop I answered that I had no intention of leaving one. Its a buffet!!! The girl showed us to our table and pointed in the general direction of the food and we never saw her again. I'm going to tip that? He lectured me about how he always leaves a tip in situations such as this and therefore I should too because the "waitress" is going to assume that the tip is from both of us and therefore we should both throw in. I solved the delima. I tracked down the chick and made it very clear that she was going to get a tip from my lunch company but not from me and that I just wanted to clear up any future confusion. She grinned and said she has never gotten a tip before for just sitting someone at a table.
As a sort of a PS if someone followed me around asking about their tip they would eventually get the tip of my shoe in their genitilia.
AUTHOR'S RESPONSE
Well, that's what I was eluding to as well, though without so much color.
Posted by: Cris at February 26, 2006 08:22 PM
My wife insists we leave a %20 tip regardless of service. Since I get the bill, figure the percentage and have no math skill whatsoever the servor gets what they deserve. Not an arbitrary amount.
AUTHOR'S REPLY
Sounds reasonable to me.
Posted by: Ron Acevedo at February 27, 2006 06:54 PM