Appropriate tip?

[jon-nyc]

Were they separate checks? IOW, was he able to figure out that’s what you were doing?

Seems fine to me.

[LuFins Dad]

@jon-nyc said in Appropriate tip?:

Were they separate checks? IOW, was he able to figure out that’s what you were doing?

Seems fine to me.

Nope, one check. Rough numbers - $50 for the ToGo, $8 for the beer. Tip $6.60.

And let me be blunt, the tips for the bartenders seems to be getting too high. 20% for pouring a beer was great back in the day when you got some attention, quick service, and a little light conversation. Now you get a quick poor and they disappear for 15 minutes.

[George K]

Slight derail...

When it comes to Doordash and similar outfits, I find it interesting that the tip is based on the amount of the purchase.

If the Dasher delivers $100 of food from a restaurant that's a mile away, a 20% tip would be $20.

But if the bill is $30 from a restaurant a mile away, 20% is $6.

What should I do? The drive, the effort, etc are the same. The driver has nothing to do with the kitchen.

[Rich]

In a restaurant if my wife and I order $12 hamburgers vs the $30 salmon, there’s no extra effort either.

I suppose it’s different tho if in a situation where there isn’t actual service…the way there used to be and pretend there still is at restaurants.

[George K]

@Rich said in Appropriate tip?:

In a restaurant if my wife and I order $12 hamburgers vs the $30 salmon, there’s no extra effort either.

I agree. But in a restaurant, supposedly, part of the tip goes to the kitchen and other staff.

Not with DoorDash.

[Axtremus]

The right solution is to eliminate tipping entirely. Business operators pay their staff and contractors fairly, and price their goods and services accordingly. Consumers choose what they buy and whom to buy from at the prices advertised, no need to tip or guess who will get what portions of the tip.

[George K]

@Axtremus said in Appropriate tip?:

The right solution is to eliminate tipping entirely.

Agreed

Business operators pay their staff and contractors fairly, and price their goods and services accordingly. Consumers choose what they buy and whom to buy from at the prices advertised, no need to tip or guess who will get what portions of the tip.

The problem is, how are you going to implement that. Had it always been a policy/way of work, it's simple. But the system is so engrained that I can't see it changing without some serious change.

If restaurant and other services said, "We do not accept tips. However, our prices are higher to compensate our staff for that policy," Would that work?

[LuFins Dad]

@George-K said in Appropriate tip?:

@Axtremus said in Appropriate tip?:

The right solution is to eliminate tipping entirely.

Agreed

Business operators pay their staff and contractors fairly, and price their goods and services accordingly. Consumers choose what they buy and whom to buy from at the prices advertised, no need to tip or guess who will get what portions of the tip.

The problem is, how are you going to implement that. Had it always been a policy/way of work, it's simple. But the system is so engrained that I can't see it changing without some serious change.

If restaurant and other services said, "We do not accept tips. However, our prices are higher to compensate our staff for that policy," Would that work?

I guarantee you that servers would ultimately be making less per hour, service would suffer, and the restaurants would do less business.

[George K]

@LuFins-Dad said in Appropriate tip?:

I guarantee you that servers would ultimately be making less per hour, service would suffer, and the restaurants would do less business.

Not saying you're wrong, at all. But in other countries, that's not the case.

So, how do you (excuse the expression) transition?

[Mik]

Why bother? Tipping works just fine here. I see no particular benefit in trying to change this longstanding practice.

I just follow Doordash’s recommendation. It’s usually about 12-15%. I’ll exceed it if it’s a longer drive, but I find it works better if you stay to no more than 2 or 3 miles radius.

For takeout that I pick up I usually do 15-20% depending on the place and complexity of the order.

[George K]

@Mik said in Appropriate tip?:

For takeout that I pick up I usually do 15-20% depending on the place and complexity of the order.

You exceed that for sit-down/dine-in I assume?

[Mik]

I usually start at 20% for good service and it can go up from there. It can also go down for seriously poor service, but you have to work at it for me to go there.

[Doctor Phibes]

At the risk of further irritating Aqua, I don't mind the tipping for food, where I mostly understand the system. It's the other ones, like getting your haircut (do I tip the person I think probably owns the establishment?).

The one that puzzled me was the house movers. I think they charged us over $2K, and we ended up tipping a couple of hundred, but I'm still not sure whether we were supposed to, and how much.

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Appropriate tip?:

the house movers.

Last time we moved, I tipped a bit when they showed up and topped it off at the end for a job well-done.

[Doctor Phibes]

I was in the UK last month, and bought a meal. When I came to pay, I was mortified to find out I couldn't tip the server as I didn't have cash, and his card system wouldn't allow it. He didn't really seem that bothered. The same thing happened with the taxi.

I know, I know, Britain isn't exactly world-renowned for level of service, but at decent places it's actually typically fine.

[taiwan_girl]

No surprise. I agree with @Axtremus @George-K

I agree - it has to be a culture change of some sort. People have accepted tipping starting at 10%, then up to 15%, then 18%, now 20+%....

No reason is cant go the other way.

And again, I am not a believer that service will suffer. Everybody in someway is in the service industry. Pay them a decent salary.