No... I DO NOT want to add a tip!

[middy]

I, for one, would like to notify everyone that I will now be accepting tips for making TDPRI posts. PM to send the cash.

Here’s a 25% tip

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I just find it strange that the richest country in the world has to reduce its workers to begging for their wages.

That's all I have to say.

 

[brookdalebill]

I sometimes feel like a tipping machine.
I do tip, and try to do it generously, IF and only if I feel it’s deserved.
I have “haunts”, restaurants that I return to because I get the food and service I want.
Though I can’t remember the last time I “stiffed” servers, I will if anything is sub-standard.
I do empathize with people working hard in service industries.

 

[tomasz]

The US hast developed truly a strange problem with tipping... Over here we usually expect to see the final price on things, if you see a price for an item, I expect taxes to be included. If I choose a service, I expect the price including all necessary costs, so I can make my decision.

I have no problem with tipping, but I would usually tip humans, for being helpful and friendly, and doing that extra mile, so you have a good service and a nice experience. Definitely not tipping for automated services, or such where you do everything yourself. Shall I tip for stepping into your business? Well how about the other way around?

 

[Trenchant63]

I tried this at my lesson today after being inspired by this thread. Hearing about all this tipping nowadays, I figured it’s time I wet my beak. As the guitar lesson was wrapping up for the young lad as he was packing up, I looked at his dad and said “Well?” with my hand out. “You have a great week!” he replied and went to shake my hand which I pulled away. I told him tips are expected for a good lesson and that this one had been great. I also told him his miserly attitude is part of the reason I have to work a day job in order for me to able to teach. (now yelling at him). He immediately left and his son is now a former student. Geez.. thanks a lot!!!

 

[wangdaning]

Glad to be living somewhere where tips are actually frowned upon.

 

[teletail]

And I don’t want to round up to donate money to any cause.

 

[Wrighty]

As the rabbi said to the very grateful young couple wanting to pay him for their infant son's circumcision...

"Ahh, I just take tips!"

.

Mate of mine was a Jewish surgeon. One day, a bit hungover, he slipped and got the sack.

 

[sloppychops]

Best way to avoid the irritation of mandatory tipping is to simply not dine out.

I can't even remember the last time I went to a restaurant. I think it was my son's birthday 2 years ago. The place was so obnoxiously loud that we ended up getting styrofoam to-go containers about half way through and left.

Going out to eat has become too expensive for me, and I don't care to sit in a crowded, noisy place to eat.

And since no one's posted it yet, here's Mr. Pink on tipping:

 

[AquariumRock]

The Starbucks drive through I go to recently added a card reader that they hold out to you. So instead of just taking your card and swiping it, you plug your card in, and the little screen asks you how much of a tip you’d like to leave, $1, $2, other amount, or none.

At first it felt really awkward pressing none. My wife used to be a barista and she said tips are common and appreciated but I just can’t get on it. What if they screw up the order? I don’t know if they’ve performed a tippable service until after I’ve left. It’s not like you’re directly rewarding a waiter with cash. You’re throwing a little extra into a pot that gets divided among all the employees, even the idiots. (Specifically my wife worked for Starbucks and this is indeed how they did it.)

It’s just gratuitous. I started paying cash because I wanted to avoid that card reader until I realized I’m actually an adult man in a free country. I just put my card in and press no tip. I’m in the right and I almost want someone to be snarky about it. It’s ridiculous.

It’s like how Walmart et all have just outsourced some of their labor costs to everybody through food stamps. They pay their workers like crap, they go on state assistance, so instead of the Walton family paying their employees grocery bill (through wages) now the state (ie: tax payers) do. Instead of Starbucks or every other massively successful business paying their employees, through wages, they’re just inviting their employees to try and shake down customers for side payments. I know it’s not any individual employee’s fault, it’s just so obnoxious.

I think if it gets to where I can’t go into a guitar store without the salesman coughing and holding out his hand, I might just keel over.

 

[Wrighty]

The bizarre tradition of tipping is a relic of the Jim Crow era. Business owners rely on it to augment their income.

Just as Wal Mart relies on tax payer funded public assistance to augment their income.

It really is an embarrasing part of our society. Sadly, there are too many folks who seem to be brainwashed into thinking that this is the only way.
Obviously, they're incorrect.

Most of the rest of the world doesn't participate in this nonsense.

Tipping was never really an issue in the UK but, as in other situations, we seem to heading toward US cultures. I first noticed it when we went on a cruise with an American cruise company. We hadn’t really considered tipping etiquette but, when we saw a ‘pay your tips up front’ option, we took it. Onboard we realised that we’re given money to a whole load of crew whose services we hadn’t used and our surly, rather incompetent, cabin cleaner. Talking to a couple experienced in cruising they advised that we should reward those that we had had good service from on the last day. We’ve done that ever since. Most of the crew you come face to face with are from abroad, Philippines etc., and work bloody hard and separated from their families, in order to make a better lives for themselves. Their wages aren’t brilliant and if I can help a hard working Dad to buy his kid a decent coat, I have no problem. I may be a bit off the mark but would sooner throw away a few quid summing up employee’s situation wrongly than deprive the ones where I got it right.

 

[sloppychops]

The Starbucks drive through I go to recently added a card reader that they hold out to you. So instead of just taking your card and swiping it, you plug your card in, and the little screen asks you how much of a tip you’d like to leave, $1, $2, other amount, or none.

At first it felt really awkward pressing none. My wife used to be a barista and she said tips are common and appreciated but I just can’t get on it. What if they screw up the order? I don’t know if they’ve performed a tippable service until after I’ve left. It’s not like you’re directly rewarding a waiter with cash. You’re throwing a little extra into a pot that gets divided among all the employees, even the idiots. (Specifically my wife worked for Starbucks and this is indeed how they did it.)

It’s just gratuitous. I started paying cash because I wanted to avoid that card reader until I realized I’m actually an adult man in a free country. I just put my card in and press no tip. I’m in the right and I almost want someone to be snarky about it. It’s ridiculous.

It’s like how Walmart et all have just outsourced some of their labor costs to everybody through food stamps. They pay their workers like crap, they go on state assistance, so instead of the Walton family paying their employees grocery bill (through wages) now the state (ie: tax payers) do. Instead of Starbucks or every other massively successful business paying their employees, through wages, they’re just inviting their employees to try and shake down customers for side payments. I know it’s not any individual employee’s fault, it’s just so obnoxious.

I think if it gets to where I can’t go into a guitar store without the salesman coughing and holding out his hand, I might just keel over.

Why are you even patronizing Starbucks? By doing so, you're implicitly condoning their card reader tipping scheme.

I've boycotted Starbucks for years now. I'd rather get a coffee at a Kwik Trip store than give Starbucks my business.

 

[Wrighty]

The Starbucks drive through I go to recently added a card reader that they hold out to you. So instead of just taking your card and swiping it, you plug your card in, and the little screen asks you how much of a tip you’d like to leave, $1, $2, other amount, or none.

At first it felt really awkward pressing none. My wife used to be a barista and she said tips are common and appreciated but I just can’t get on it. What if they screw up the order? I don’t know if they’ve performed a tippable service until after I’ve left. It’s not like you’re directly rewarding a waiter with cash. You’re throwing a little extra into a pot that gets divided among all the employees, even the idiots. (Specifically my wife worked for Starbucks and this is indeed how they did it.)

It’s just gratuitous. I started paying cash because I wanted to avoid that card reader until I realized I’m actually an adult man in a free country. I just put my card in and press no tip. I’m in the right and I almost want someone to be snarky about it. It’s ridiculous.

It’s like how Walmart et all have just outsourced some of their labor costs to everybody through food stamps. They pay their workers like crap, they go on state assistance, so instead of the Walton family paying their employees grocery bill (through wages) now the state (ie: tax payers) do. Instead of Starbucks or every other massively successful business paying their employees, through wages, they’re just inviting their employees to try and shake down customers for side payments. I know it’s not any individual employee’s fault, it’s just so obnoxious.

I think if it gets to where I can’t go into a guitar store without the salesman coughing and holding out his hand, I might just keel over.

My local garage’s reader has a touch and go card machine. Up comes the total with a ‘donate £x to charity’ YES. NO. icon. I go ‘NO’. There have been several scams 99% traced back to that place. Not saying this is another but, if I want to donate to charity I’ll choose the charity and do it direct.

 

[AquariumRock]

Why are you even patronizing Starbucks? By doing so, you're implicitly condoning their card reader tipping scheme.

I've boycotted Starbucks for years now. I'd rather get a coffee at a Kwik Trip store than give Starbucks my business.

I probably should. I get espresso, so it’s not like I can get it at our local gas station. But I could have bought an espresso machine for home several times over by what I’ve spent at Starbucks in the past year.

 

[rcole_sooner]

I can't see why tipping would ever be discouraged ('cept cow tipping maybe ). I can see why some don't want to, fine their choice. We always tip restaurants/bars and such, but that is just our choice.

 

[CharlieO]

I usually tip the workers at mom and pops places a couple of bucks, not so much the corporate fast food places.
the thing you need to watch out for these days are the added "fees" for whatever they want to call them at restaurants. I've seen "fees" for 2-3% on restaurant tabs.
I've never seen tip requests on retail but you can be sure the "tips" aren't going to the workers.

Gotta pay attention these days.....

And yet, the corporate fast food workers are just as underpaid as the employees at the “mom and pop” place, and don’t usually have an opportunity to collect a tip. Something is wrong about this.

I tip in CASH and make sure that the server actually receives it. If they choose to take the money and add it to the pooled tips to be shared with others, that is up to them.

I don’t usually tip for carry out food service. I did during the recent times when we did not have the option of indoor restaurant seating, and the servers didn’t have the opportunity to provide table service.

I worked in retail for several years in my high school and college days. I never received a tip then, and I don’t feel a reason to tip at retail stores today.

 

[CharlieO]

I've been in joints where the band is getting paid for a 4 hr gig and they have a tip jar set up on the stage. What a crock.

If you are a working musician, you probably should be able to figure out that those band members are being UNDERPAID for that four hour gig. As a former booking agent, I am well aware that most musicians who are playing today are earning the same money or less than they were paid 40 years ago. In places where there is no cover charge and I know for certain that the band can’t possibly be paid enough, I ALWAYS tip $5 or more and my wife does the same. And I make sure to be quite visible to the rest of the audience when I do it, to plant the idea that they should be doing the same.

I also will use my judgement when there is a cover charge. If I know or have a good idea that the band is taking the door receipts and the place is packed, I might not tip. If the place is not crowded, I’ll toss some money in the tip jar. This rule does not apply, however, if the band stinks. They’re just taking a gig away from musicians who deserve it.

 

[radtz]

I have a serious question here. My dog groomer is sole proprietor of her grooming business. Am I supposed to tip her? She charges what she wants and I pay it?

She doesn't ask for a tip, but neither does the dude who cuts my hair but I tip him. He does not own the business.

 

[Tele-beeb]

Holy crap! This is getting more ridiculous every day.

First let me state, I am NOT El Cheapo when it comes to tipping, my wife and I both spent time in the Restaurant business, and if anything, we tend to over-tip... especially for great service.

Everywhere I go now, has a box to tick, when you finish your ATM transaction.. Would you like to leave a tip?
For a Sub sandwich? No.. not so much.

My meltdown point for this nonsense, just peaked this morning.

I was ordering some custom fit T-shirts online.. Get to the checkout:

How much gratuity would you like to add? 5% 10% 20% OTHER


Uhh... none, GTFO.... order canceled.

I love it when the waitress ‘helps’ me select the proper tip… meh… I can handle that… none.

 

[Tele-beeb]

I also love this one… “Will you be needing any change?”
I’m… yes, I’m at a buffet, I served myself… the only thing I didn’t do is charge myself!