Reply to Has Tipping Gotten Out of Hand?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Honestly I used to be all agitated about tipping but then I thought, you know what? This hourly worker probably needs the extra $2-$5 a lot more than I do.  I am fortunate to live the life I have and giving an extra $2 to the guy who hails the cab is not going to break the bank. [/quote]

Exactly.  At restaurants, I tip 20% standard and up to 25% for awesome service.  For terrible service, I don't go below 15%.  The difference to me is just a few dollars, but when they see the check they'll think "Sweet! 20%!" instead of "Ugh, only 15% again."  I only waitressed one summer in college and I still remember this feeling... especially when obviously wealthy people would leave a tiny tip.

On the other hand, I only tip $1-2 on takeout (out of guilt) because what service area you even tipping for?  [/quote]

This is exactly what I do.  Move the decimal point, multiply by 2, and round up.  One caveat - my minimum restaurant tip is $5.  When I go out to breakfast, and spend $15.00, I don't tip $3 - that seems insulting.

[b]It also drives me nuts when people (typically very well-paid colleagues) remove the tax before tipping.  I know it's "proper" but it's so damn cheap. [/b] On a $100 tab, the tax is $10 in DC.  20% of that is $2.  You're saving yourself $2 on a $100 tab, at the most (and the people who do this typically are NOT generous tippers in the first place, so it's more like $1.70).  On a $500 dinner at Cityzen, by removing the tip you're saving yourself $10.  That's absurd.

That said, I typically don't tip at random coffee shops.  I do throw in my change at the place I go every day.  It calculates out to an astonishing $140 or so per year ($.60 per day, $3 per week), but I get better service (nothing like jumping a long line of tourists and suburbanites on the weekend!), I like the staff, and I can afford it.  [/quote]

My father taught me to tip on the pre-tax amount. He waited on tables while supporting himself through college  and has always tipped at least 20%, even for bad service.   Your colleagues are not being cheap; they are being correct.  Save your ire for those who tip below 15% or nitpick on the service or quality of food in order to justify a tip below 15%.

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