I think tips should not be "givens." They should only be expected when someone has given service that goes above and beyond what is expected. If this was the case, imagine how the quality of service would go up in so many areas.

However, I feel like I am obligated to tip in certain areas or I am the worst person ever so I always tip when I eat out, unless I have horrible service which I have had once or twice. I also tip my hairdresser as well as a cab driver, esp. if he helps me load/unload items.

I think tipping a housecleaner or nanny/sitter is nice if he or she does exceptional work for you. It's a nice token of appreciation that you value what they do for your family.

What really galls me these days is the number of times I get a receipt with tip percentages handily calculated for you, where they apply the percentage to the after-tax total rather than the pretax one. So if I tip 20% of the pretax total, it appears that I am only tipping 17-18% or so. If the point of a tip is to send a message about how pleased you were with the service, that message gets muddled when incorrect calculations show up on your receipt.

I don't tip counter staff except when ordering food at a restaurant to go, I will tip 2-3$ - I never tip starbucks, coffee shop, etc.

When I was a teenager I bussed tables- I feel like if the starbucks counter staff wants a tip, they need to do that. I also waited tables. At lunch, I had to serve someone for an hour to make 2.50$ in tips off their burger and iced tea - I don't think people are as entitled to tips today as they think they are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people are tipping UPS drivers, yes- it has gotten out of hand. How does that work, anyway? Order Ho-hos and batteries from Amazon via Prime just so you can hide behind the curtains two days later and ambush the delivery guy? Leave an envelope on your welcome mat with a note that says,"if you're wearing brown polyester shorts then this is for you"?

Who orders ho hos? You are lazy pp. And probably fat if you have ho hos delivered.

I've never eaten a goddamn hoho, idiot.

Anonymous wrote:When people are tipping UPS drivers, yes- it has gotten out of hand. How does that work, anyway? Order Ho-hos and batteries from Amazon via Prime just so you can hide behind the curtains two days later and ambush the delivery guy? Leave an envelope on your welcome mat with a note that says,"if you're wearing brown polyester shorts then this is for you"?

Who orders ho hos? You are lazy pp. And probably fat if you have ho hos delivered.

When people are tipping UPS drivers, yes- it has gotten out of hand. How does that work, anyway? Order Ho-hos and batteries from Amazon via Prime just so you can hide behind the curtains two days later and ambush the delivery guy? Leave an envelope on your welcome mat with a note that says,"if you're wearing brown polyester shorts then this is for you"?

Anonymous wrote: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.

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?

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.

Anonymous wrote:It pisses me off the tipping at restaurants is basically required. The establishment should be paying their wage not the patrons. A tip is a reward for excellent service, and you so very rarely get that these days! Yet I have to give my waiter/waitress an extra $5+ for....barely doing their job? Its ridiculous.

I agree with this.

And it's so hard to know who expects a tip and who doesn't, too, when you start getting into "do I tip for take-out?" and that kind of thing.

I always tip a couple bucks for takeout orders. Someone had to cook it and put it together!

I don't usually tip at coffee shops.

Usually do tip my cleaning people.

It pisses me off the tipping at restaurants is basically required. The establishment should be paying their wage not the patrons. A tip is a reward for excellent service, and you so very rarely get that these days! Yet I have to give my waiter/waitress an extra $5+ for....barely doing their job? Its ridiculous.

I tip $ 1 every day to the person who sells me my coffee or soda. I tip when I do carry out. I tip when a buy snacks from a kiosk. I tip because I am fortunate by the grace of God, and I want to be generous to others.

Anonymous wrote:I tip on takeout at small family places where the person who hands me my food is likely to have been the one packing it, but not on takeout from big chains.

I've worked at big chain restaurants, and the its always been the servers who had to rotate on take-out duty. No one ever wanted to be on take-out duty because customers think they dont' have to tip.

OP here. Thanks everyone for responding! I am going to try...TRY...to cut back on tipping so much .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell them here's a tip, find a better paying job. I'm not about to provide for someone else's lifestyle. No one tips me at my job.

But you do get paid at your job! Servers $2.77 an hour unless you leave a tip.Others make at least minimum and don't always need to be tipped.So servers are going to find a better paying job and who is going to serve you or make your drink?
For the OP, stay home, pick up your own food and how often do you get your furniture delivered.You definitely over-tip, but that's on you.

I am not sue ethos is accurate. A waitress hourly salary may initially state $3.00 an hour, however if after tips, the waitress hourly wage has not amounted to the minimum wage allotment, the employer is required by law to pay the waitress the minimum wage and not the $3.00

OP, yes you are over tipping and yes tipping has gotten out of control. At some restaurants, at the bottom of the bill, the suggested amounts for tips have been computed as high as 30%.