Tipping people who make more money than you.

[Roxas1359]

If I had a good waiter/waitress, who was nice and polite then I'll tip him, I don't care if he makes more than me, since in most cases they usually do. I tip based on what the tax of the meal was, and if I really enjoyed the waiter/waitress then I'll tip them a bit more. I also tip for haircuts as well when I find it to have been done very well. That's just who I am really.

 

[Ragnar47183]

Speaking as someone who owns a business who does service for commercial restaurant industries, I can tell you for the state of Georgia, all tipped based jobs are paid a base hourly rate of $2.13 an hour. If the employee doesn't make minimum wage with the combination of their tips and hourly pay, the employer has to cover the difference.

Georgias minimum pay is $5.12 an hour but is considered obsolete and the federal minimum rate of $7.25 takes effect.

No employees legally can make less than minimum wage and they cant legally make less than what they worked.

Do not feel bad by not tipping anyone as their employer will make up the difference. Although I am sure an employee wont last very long if their tips dont make up the difference very often as it will be considered that they are not doing a good job.

Just as a side note, I pay my employees between 9-10 an hour for a basic labor job. Mostly because all of our work is done overnight so its really hard to keep good employees.

As another side note, if you believe the minimum wage should be increased you should understand that prices will be raised across the board to make up the difference. Unfortunately not everyone can make tons of money and I would rather not have to artificially raise my prices for my customers to make up for the price difference a minimum wage increase would cause.

I am also a big advocator for people to completely understand the pay and conditions of the job they are getting before starting work there. Please please please ask questions so it is 100% clear BEFORE you start working what your pay rate is and what it entails. There are also a lot of bad business' out there that will try to bend you over so take a second to educate yourself on your rights. I can't tell you how many times I have hired someone and wasted time on training only for them to quit 3 weeks later because they had a misunderstanding on their pay wasting thousands of dollars for me.

 

[Ragnar47183]

I dont get this obsession with tipping in America

I don't get why people outside America are so annoyed about it. Give a waiter or waitress $2 or $3 on a $20 meal isn't that much

People keep telling me the standard for tipping in US restaurants now is 20%, not 10%-15%. I get that waitresses are not paid min wage in the expectation of being tipped. So I always tip in a restaurant. but I totally understand why it annoys people. When I go to a restaurant with 4-5 other people you are talking like $60 even a cheap place. Now you are paying a waitress like $12 for the 10 minutes or so they actually spend helping you specifically. Thats almost 2 hours wages for me. Seems a lot of money for the time worked regardless of how nice the person is.

I certainly don't like tipping elsewhere. cabs, hotels, coffee shops where you are picking up your own order, these people are paid full wages right? Considering I only make min wage I never feel that there work deserves a tip. I mean doing your job correctly is what you are paid for to begin with.

The employers HAVE to make up the difference in pay if the employees wages dont equal minimum wage. For Georgia that is $7.25 which is the federal line.

So if a waitress only makes the equivalent of $5.66 an hour for that pay period, the employers has to pay the $1.59 difference.

Not tipping is fine, just let the person who is serving you that you don't plan to tip.
If there is a situation where you're not normally expected to tip (not sure about tour guides, never taken one), then it's pretty much up to you. Sometimes you don't have much money, some times it was crap service, sometimes they make more money then you apparently, what ever your reason as long as you didn't go into the situation knowing you were expected to tip then you're set.

Oh and all those who live outside of America and aren't used to tipping just Google tipping etiquette, it's not an unsolvable enigma, it's just a few weird cultural quarks that work for us.

Now if you're visiting and suddenly found yourself becoming a social justice warrior and want to fight against the blight that is tipping then grow a par of balls and let your waitress or bellhop know you don't plan to tip them before they provide the service, then you don't come off as an cheap ass and you get to save your dollar or what ever you planned to tip them.

Sure you'll get shitty service, but you've taken one for the team in the on-going battle against tipping.

Edit: Holy shit, do you guys really not understand whats expected with tipping? It took me less then a minute to find the answer on Google. Your grandparents broke Hitler's encription device and you can't even figure out that you're expected to tip 15% after a good meal? For fucks sake.

I strongly advise you NOT to tell the person you dont plan on tipping. Especially in the food service industry. They will take it very seriously and you should expect some questionable food if you do that. I have seen this happen in multiple places.

The people serving you are making minimum wage and (For a lot of them) dont really care about their jobs. I would not suggest getting on their bad side before they serve you.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

I get why it happens. I even made a comment explaining why the cultures have different views. perhaps I shouldve worded it better and said I dont understand why this culture is accepted in america.

Im not criticising the employees or the customers. Its the business owners who promote this culture and the customers and staff are the ones who bear the burdon. Yes it may only be $2 or $3 dollars but I dont understand why its almost to the point of being mandatory and people accept it.

What confuses me is that you're using words like "burden" and "accepted". I've never seen it as a big deal. It just encourages people to provide better service and to tip so you can get good service. Like someone already said, usually employers have to make up the difference if it's a slow day. I worked with a girl at college who would rather work as a waitress during the summers cause she could wait so many tables in an hour that her tips added up to about $20 an hour. That more than she could have made if the tip was included in the meal and she just earned minimum wage

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

People keep telling me the standard for tipping in US restaurants now is 20%, not 10%-15%. I get that waitresses are not paid min wage in the expectation of being tipped. So I always tip in a restaurant. but I totally understand why it annoys people. When I go to a restaurant with 4-5 other people you are talking like $60 even a cheap place. Now you are paying a waitress like $12 for the 10 minutes or so they actually spend helping you specifically. Thats almost 2 hours wages for me. Seems a lot of money for the time worked regardless of how nice the person is.

You'd spend $60 on a 10 minute meal for 5 people? I know the cost of living here in Cincinnati is cheap but damn, I could easily feed 4 or 5 people at a sit down restaurant for $30 or $40. And usually those kind of meals aren't fast food for me and I might be hanging around the restaurant for an hour or so. If I did have meal like you described, I certainly wouldn't be tipping more than $10. At a point, it's more about how much time you spent at the table than the cost of the meal

I certainly don't like tipping elsewhere. cabs, hotels, coffee shops where you are picking up your own order, these people are paid full wages right? Considering I only make min wage I never feel that there work deserves a tip. I mean doing your job correctly is what you are paid for to begin with.

This I can understand. For me it depends on how personal the service is. Coffee shops? No. The person who cuts my hair? Yes

 

[shemoanscazrex3]

I don't think anything is wrong with tipping and I think its nice to give your fellow man a little more because of their service but to give a sob story and ask for a tip is a bit rude to me

 

[NiPah]

Not tipping is fine, just let the person who is serving you that you don't plan to tip.
If there is a situation where you're not normally expected to tip (not sure about tour guides, never taken one), then it's pretty much up to you. Sometimes you don't have much money, some times it was crap service, sometimes they make more money then you apparently, what ever your reason as long as you didn't go into the situation knowing you were expected to tip then you're set.

Oh and all those who live outside of America and aren't used to tipping just Google tipping etiquette, it's not an unsolvable enigma, it's just a few weird cultural quarks that work for us.

Now if you're visiting and suddenly found yourself becoming a social justice warrior and want to fight against the blight that is tipping then grow a par of balls and let your waitress or bellhop know you don't plan to tip them before they provide the service, then you don't come off as an cheap ass and you get to save your dollar or what ever you planned to tip them.

Sure you'll get shitty service, but you've taken one for the team in the on-going battle against tipping.

Edit: Holy shit, do you guys really not understand whats expected with tipping? It took me less then a minute to find the answer on Google. Your grandparents broke Hitler's encription device and you can't even figure out that you're expected to tip 15% after a good meal? For fucks sake.

I strongly advise you NOT to tell the person you dont plan on tipping. Especially in the food service industry. They will take it very seriously and you should expect some questionable food if you do that. I have seen this happen in multiple places.

The people serving you are making minimum wage and (For a lot of them) dont really care about their jobs. I would not suggest getting on their bad side before they serve you.

Either tell them you're not tipping or tip, pulling a bullshit stunt like accepting service when you know you're expected to tip with the full intention of not tipping is a bullshit disingenuous move. Sure you'll get shit service and some spit in your food, but you saved a buck and fought the good fight against tipping.
You can't have your cake and eat it too, be a man about not tipping.

 

[drummond13]

I dont get this obsession with tipping in America

I don't get why people outside America are so annoyed about it. Give a waiter or waitress $2 or $3 on a $20 meal isn't that much

People keep telling me the standard for tipping in US restaurants now is 20%, not 10%-15%. I get that waitresses are not paid min wage in the expectation of being tipped. So I always tip in a restaurant. but I totally understand why it annoys people. When I go to a restaurant with 4-5 other people you are talking like $60 even a cheap place. Now you are paying a waitress like $12 for the 10 minutes or so they actually spend helping you specifically. Thats almost 2 hours wages for me. Seems a lot of money for the time worked regardless of how nice the person is.

I certainly don't like tipping elsewhere. cabs, hotels, coffee shops where you are picking up your own order, these people are paid full wages right? Considering I only make min wage I never feel that there work deserves a tip. I mean doing your job correctly is what you are paid for to begin with.

It depends on the restaurant, but in many places that $12 doesn't always go just to the waitress, unless it's a diner or something. Sometimes they have to share that tip with multiple other people at the restaurant. Just saying.

 

[Somebloke]

I am certainly not comfortable putting myself in a position to judge and put a price on another human being, in what ultimately amounts to little more than a: "Myeh, Here's a little something for you, peasant", nor would I be comfortable accepting such alms - some might even take the offer as an affront.

There should not need to be any "service going beyond the ordinary", with the "ordinary" being sub-par: If an employer is not paying their service personel properly in the first place, to deliver proper service, maybe just to give their apparent prices the shine of a competetive edge, then I can but think the worse of the employer.


I do understand that sources of a sense of pride is a habitual thing, though, and seen differently in different cultures -- I'd better stay well away from the states, or any ingrained and intended: "respecting the integrity" of the waitress, would definitely be interpreted as: "disrespecting her efforts"...

 

[Ragnar47183]

Not tipping is fine, just let the person who is serving you that you don't plan to tip.
If there is a situation where you're not normally expected to tip (not sure about tour guides, never taken one), then it's pretty much up to you. Sometimes you don't have much money, some times it was crap service, sometimes they make more money then you apparently, what ever your reason as long as you didn't go into the situation knowing you were expected to tip then you're set.

Oh and all those who live outside of America and aren't used to tipping just Google tipping etiquette, it's not an unsolvable enigma, it's just a few weird cultural quarks that work for us.

Now if you're visiting and suddenly found yourself becoming a social justice warrior and want to fight against the blight that is tipping then grow a par of balls and let your waitress or bellhop know you don't plan to tip them before they provide the service, then you don't come off as an cheap ass and you get to save your dollar or what ever you planned to tip them.

Sure you'll get shitty service, but you've taken one for the team in the on-going battle against tipping.

Edit: Holy shit, do you guys really not understand whats expected with tipping? It took me less then a minute to find the answer on Google. Your grandparents broke Hitler's encription device and you can't even figure out that you're expected to tip 15% after a good meal? For fucks sake.

I strongly advise you NOT to tell the person you dont plan on tipping. Especially in the food service industry. They will take it very seriously and you should expect some questionable food if you do that. I have seen this happen in multiple places.

The people serving you are making minimum wage and (For a lot of them) dont really care about their jobs. I would not suggest getting on their bad side before they serve you.

Either tell them you're not tipping or tip, pulling a bullshit stunt like accepting service when you know you're expected to tip with the full intention of not tipping is a bullshit disingenuous move. Sure you'll get shit service and some spit in your food, but you saved a buck and fought the good fight against tipping.
You can't have your cake and eat it too, be a man about not tipping.

Wow... Just no.

Not tipping someone isn't a "bullshit stunt" or wrong in any sense of the word. Customers are not obligated to tip in any industry and to think otherwise is ludicrous. Tipping someone is a bonus for good service above and beyond the standard. When the person serving me has shown some effort, I will tip them. In fact, even though I rarely find someone worth tipping, when I do, the tip is often double what the check was. So before insulting someone try understanding more sides than your own.

The employee will get compensated for their work by their employer if their wages do not meet the minimum wage for either the state or the federal standard. They loose nothing by you not tipping them. If they happen to be good at their job then they should find no problems getting tips. If they are crap at their job and do the minimum to get by then they should not be given a tip. This not only motivates the employee to give a better service, but allows the employer to find out if their employees are doing well in the eyes of their customers. The way the current system works, in America, they can't tell because for some reason we have been beaten to believe that tips are mandatory.

Furthermore, when I enter a transaction with a business I do not pay for the service. You order the finished product and it is up to the business how that product gets to you. They hire a company to deliver the food to them, hire someone to cook the food, hire someone to serve that food, and take care of all of the little details that go along with that process. In fact I would much rather tip the cook who makes my food as opposed to the pair of hands that brings it out to me. On more than one occasion I have asked for the cook to come out so I can tip them while at the same time not leaving a tip for whoever served me.

I would suggest, if you ever get the opportunity, to save up a bit to visit a place such as the Ritz Carolton for diner one night so you can see what service is supposed to look like. The servers there get an average of at least 30 bucks a table in tips (if its just one person at the table) but there is a reason for that.

In fact I can have my cake, eat it, and not tip for it if I so choose.

 

[Ragnar47183]

I dont get this obsession with tipping in America. In the UK we dont really bother with it.

It's become a bit of an institution really. See it allows employers in the service industry to pay less than minimum wage. OF course the benefit to the employee is that wages below a certain amount are tax exempt (no income tax) and can allow you to still make use of government assistance.

SO they work for less and make up the difference in tips and everyone wins.. except the customer. WHo basically is paying an unlisted surcharge. In short you more or less have to add 10% to what you order if you plan on ordering.

See Americans, out in the rest of the world the idea of Tipping is a little different. You don't get a tip for doing you job you get a tip for doing your job exceptionally. Meaning, tips are earned, not an entitlement. That's how I was raised and That's my stand.

If I'm not smiling when I receive that bill, you ain't getting a tip.

I agree you with but have to correct the first part.

Tips are considered a taxable income and must be reported. The only time your income is tax exempt is if you make less than a certain amount in a year (dependent on state.) For Georgia I believe this amount is $5,600 but im not 100% sure on that.

Since tips do count as a taxable income they will be considered when you apply for any kind of government assistance program.

Also the average 'expected' tip now-a-days is 15-20%. 10% would be considered low.

 

[wulfy42]

I am in general, an over-tipper. I error on the side of tipping to much. I aim for about 20% for meals, and usually tip an extra $20 for a massage (only $10 for the $25 foot massages though).

When eating alone (lunches usually), I'll generally just round up to the nearest $5, so $15 for something around $10, and $20 if it gets over 15 (in generally it's usually 10-11$ or 15-16$ depending on the restraunt.

I don't tip for buffets, I rarely tip for to go orders (only when extra work has been done etc....then usually just a dollar or 2).

I did not realize until recently that waiters did not actually get minimum wage AND tips....which I think is very wrong. They should get paid a flat wage by the company...and then any tips are theirs as well. I saw a TV show where one restraunt was actually TAKING the waiters tips!! I would never eat at that restraunt again.

If it's a large bill (over $200) due to lots of people, I usually stick to a 15% tip instead. I generally feel like if I'm tipping $30+ it's more then fair.

I have...recently, come to realize that I have been spending quite a bit on tipping.....and would like to see a change in how tipping works....giving a fair wage to everyone, and not requiring individuals to tip anymore. Until that happens though, I feel it is our responsibility to make sure the servers etc are being paid for their efforts.

 

[Lieju]

I don't think whether they make more money than you means they shouldn't get paid. Tips are an expected part of their wage, yes?

I dont get this obsession with tipping in America

I don't get why people outside America are so annoyed about it. Give a waiter or waitress $2 or $3 on a $20 meal isn't that much

It's not that, personally.
First of all I'd prefer all the expenses being obvious immediately.

Secondly, tipping culture depends on the country, you need to know how much giving money is ecpected in different jobs.

Thirdly, I feel awkward evaluating people's work like that.
'You were an okay waitress, not as good as the one last week, so you get less'.

I like in Finland, though and we have no tipping culture so it's not like I'm used to it.
(I have travelled though.)

 

[Boris Goodenough]

I still feel bad for calculating a wrong tip for a waiter in New Orleans in 2005 This is what tip shaming culture has come to...

 

[Colour Scientist]

I don't think anything is wrong with tipping and I think its nice to give your fellow man a little more because of their service but to give a sob story and ask for a tip is a bit rude to me

Yeah, actually.
Putting out an envelope and telling people how much you earn with little prospect of promotion to get them to tip you seems a bit unprofessional. That wouldn't be acceptable in retail or in a restaurant.

I tip in restaurants, it's not really a big thing over here but if I'm going out for a meal in a restaurant, chances are I have some disposable income and I can spare an extra few euro for the person serving me, especially if they've been really friendly and attentive.

 

[Ragnar47183]

I am in general, an over-tipper. I error on the side of tipping to much. I aim for about 20% for meals, and usually tip an extra $20 for a massage (only $10 for the $25 foot massages though).

When eating alone (lunches usually), I'll generally just round up to the nearest $5, so $15 for something around $10, and $20 if it gets over 15 (in generally it's usually 10-11$ or 15-16$ depending on the restraunt.

I don't tip for buffets, I rarely tip for to go orders (only when extra work has been done etc....then usually just a dollar or 2).

I did not realize until recently that waiters did not actually get minimum wage AND tips....which I think is very wrong. They should get paid a flat wage by the company...and then any tips are theirs as well. I saw a TV show where one restraunt was actually TAKING the waiters tips!! I would never eat at that restraunt again.

If it's a large bill (over $200) due to lots of people, I usually stick to a 15% tip instead. I generally feel like if I'm tipping $30+ it's more then fair.

I have...recently, come to realize that I have been spending quite a bit on tipping.....and would like to see a change in how tipping works....giving a fair wage to everyone, and not requiring individuals to tip anymore. Until that happens though, I feel it is our responsibility to make sure the servers etc are being paid for their efforts.

Again just wanted to inform you that they do get paid minimum wage if their combined tips and hourly rate do not meet the federal/state minimum wage laws. (whichever is higher)

The restaurant you are talking about would still have to pay their employees minimum wage for the hours they worked and is entirely acceptable to have a policy to not accept tips. However if you mean that they dont tell the customers they dont accept tips and taking it for the business then that is (I think) a form of fraud and I am sure legal action will be taken against them soon enough.

Minimum wage is considered to be a fair wage rate so you dont have to worry about people getting paid. You dont have to feel responsible for paying their wages. I would suggest still giving large tips, but only when the service you receive is exceptional. (whatever that means by your terms.) In a basic sit down restaurant (Something like Ihop or Applebees) I would give a $1 tip every time the server came to check on me/refill my drink (not counting when they have to to bring out my food or take my order). I also had a friend who would ask at the end of service how much of a tip they think they should get and base it off of that. Thats a little more direct than I want to be though.

I have found that guideline often weeds out the poor service while rewarding excellent service. Hope that helps.

 

[CarlsonAndPeeters]

Having lived in the US for most of my life, tipping is very normal for me. I lived in London for a few months and just looked up tipping etiquette so I knew what was up; not a difficult transition, though I can imagine it would be slightly weirder the other way around. Really its just a cultural thing, and while some may want to buck the system like Steve Buscemi in Reservoir Dogs, its not a big deal.

But I think a lot of people are missing OP's original question: how should you tip people who make more money than you? And I think the answer is pretty simple: the same as you would tip anyone else. Say a plumber comes to fix something at your house; he may make more money than you, but you're still going to pay him his full fee. Similarly, tipping isn't charity; it's paying someone for a service they provided you. People can, and will, argue back and forth about whether tipping makes sense or not, but in the US, where tipping is normal, the difference between your salary and the salary of the person you are tipping should not effect the money you feel they've earned from you for services rendered.

 

[Bertylicious]

I'm a cheap bastard who loathes parting with money for any reason so I'm not a big fan of tipping, however I have friends who earn a fat wedges for whom tipping 20% on a £50 bill is an inconsequential act. They look down on people who don't, the same way you or I might look down on someone who fails to say "thank you" when their server brings their meal.

Also if you frequent a particular restaurant or bar then tipping can be a nice way of fostering good relations with the staff.

Ultimately, however, I've always felt that the transactional nature of "fostering good relations" via gifts is rather insincere, irrespective of the earning levels of the individuals concerned.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

Similarly, tipping isn't charity; it's paying someone for a service they provided you.

No, it's not. That is what the employer is already doing.