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I'm saying this as someone who was a server and made great money just from tips alone: this whole tipping thing is crazy. The problem with it is that by not tipping a lot of service industry workers, they get underpaid, but if you tip them you perpetuate this issue of employers paying them a terrible wage because the tips make up the difference or beyond. It's ridiculous.
It's hard to change this attitude too, because many consumers feel the quality of service they receive should be proportionate to the tip paid out. It makes sense in theory, but in a restaurant, the server is just one person in a long line of staff who are giving you the service. Think about the cook, the bussers, host, dishwashers, etc. Often the tip isn't divided to other staff. And what if your server sucked while everyone else was really working? You will probably tip according to the work of the server, so the other staff suffer - if they even see any of the tip at all.
It's complicated. It would be best if everyone was just paid fairly from the top to begin with. I've noticed tipping seems to be the norm in mostly North America, while other countries, if they do tip, the emphasis is a fraction.
Most cab drivers end up working for their tips after the cost of the vehicle and fuel. Personally I think it's just cheap to not give a cab driver 10% of the fare plus $1-2 for each bag they handle. As far as opening the door, they are a cab driver, not a limo driver.
I also tip any park and fly shuttle person who helps me with my bag. If I'm on a day or overnight trip and only have my cross body I don't tip them unless they do something special, like drop me off first (out of order) if I'm really late.
LMT's who work for medical offices shouldn't be tipped--they are paid quite well. LMT's who work for spas are only paid about half as much as it is expected clients will tip--typically 15- 20% of the service. Same with aestheticians, hair stylists, and nail techs.
At fast food places with a tip jar on the counter, I usually toss in the change. It's split between the entire crew at the end of the day, and I figure anyone working in fast food could use the extra few bucks a day they get more than I'll ever miss the 34 cents I tossed in the jar.
Room service delivers your food just like a server in a restaurant would, and deserves a tip. In addition to bringing you the food, they set up the tray, make sure all the required condiments (salt, pepper, mustard, mayo, jelly, etc.) are on it, make sure your order is correct before it leaves the kitchen, and in some cases, call you a few minutes after they've delivered to make sure everything is OK. They definitely deserve a 10% tip. The service charge doesn't go to them, it goes to the house.
I don't tip a doorman every time they open a door. When I worked in a doorman building in NYC, my company gave the doormen a tip at Christmas time every year. Same with the building super. If they do something special such as help with packages or something, I will tip them.
I typically travel light and don't need luggage assistance, but when I do I tip bell services for their assistance, $1-2 per bag depending on how big or heavy they are. They make their living on those tips.
I tip the valet $2-5 for parking and retrieving my car, when the car is returned safely but not on drop-off unless they do something really special.
As far as the restroom attendant--would you really want to spend eight hours cleaning and servicing a public restroom? I frequent a bar where the same restroom attendant has been working for over eight years. I don't tip each time I use the ladies room--every couple of visits I'll put a dollar in her jar. Every year at Christmas time I hand her $20 as well.
I top bartenders and servers standard 20% of the check, including tax. If the service is great I add some. If it's lacking I'll speak to the manager long before the check arrives. If it doesn't improve, I'll reduce the tip. I have only once in my life stiffed a server--the service was abysmal. I also don't blame the shortfalls of the kitchen on the server. If the meat isn't cooked properly, if the soup is too salty, if the cake is dry, that's not the servers fault.
Yesterday I had to get my eyeglasses adjusted. It's part of the service for me buying my glasses there that they offer free adjustments for life. I spent $500.00 for them which was about 3 years ago.
I was stunned that there was a tip jar at the persons desk who made the adjustment.
That is way out of hand. I would have gladly done my share and paid an extra $10.00 for the glasses if they would pay their employees a living wage.
Just wonder what's next? Could bank tellers and all cashiers at the grocery store be far behind?
Yesterday I had to get my eyeglasses adjusted. It's part of the service for me buying my glasses there that they offer free adjustments for life. I spent $500.00 for them which was about 3 years ago.
I was stunned that there was a tip jar at the persons desk who made the adjustment.
That is way out of hand. I would have gladly done my share and paid an extra $10.00 for the glasses if they would pay their employees a living wage.
Just wonder what's next? Could bank tellers and all cashiers at the grocery store be far behind?
When I travel I do not eat out that often, maybe a few times is all. Then I just tip the standard 20%, unless it was horrible service then less.
I usually go to local farmers markets or grocery stores to pick up some food for where I am, because I'm usually not around cities when I go on vacation.
At the University of Utah Hospital (Salt Lake City), they have a complimentary parking valet - quite helpful as my wife was using a portable wheelchair & the parking valet helped me pull it out of the back of the SUV. I attempted to tip him, and he told me none of the valets accept tips. Upon departure, I tried to tip a different parking valet who retrieved my car, and he also refused a tip.
If we simply did what other nations do, and paid our service employees a livable wage this wouldn't be an issue and tips would simply be a bonus rather than an expected gift as the sole source of your income. When I was a waiter, in college, I made $2.13 an hour. If I had a weekend night of poor tips from people who sat in my section way too long that could be the difference between making $40 and making $150. Luckily I'm great with a budget, but many of my coworkers were not. They struggled, because $2.13 an hour doesn't pay for anything and a bad night or string of bad nights, could mean a missed bill or no groceries, for some.
The issue isn't with service employees being greedy, but rather with a federal minimum wage that doesn't allow the basic necessities of life and then on top of that exceptions that allow you to pay over $5/hr less than minimum wage to tipped employees.
When I learned that tipping is not obligatory or even expected in European restaurants (the servers are salaried employees with benefits, unlike in North America), I just couldn't get used to the idea of leaving pocket change for tips... the guilt! It just felt so .... wrong, somehow.
The servers in places like France are well-trained professionals, and the whole restaurant culture is very different... I would say vastly superior to what we get in North America for our money. Pay the servers well in the first place, and train them better, it's worth every penny.
Anyone that complains about tipping has an issue with money.
It also has to do with lack of empathy. They fail to realize folks in those jobs depend on tips to survive because the pay is incredibly low.
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