Tipping Points
Dear Readers, this is a topic on which we would love to hear from you! Since summer vacation and eating at random restaurants, I have become more and more attuned to the quandaries about tipping.
How much is appropriate and when and where and who? I was irritated recently when we received the meal tab which added a bottle of wine plus tax to the meal and the suggested tips printed on the bottom of the bill included ALL of these items. We tipped about 18% on the meal, 10% on the wine, and ignored their addition of the taxes.
One of the rules of thumb--i.e. etiquette--that I learned from my parents was that if the bill is less than $25 leave at least a 15% tip. If it over that, leave 18-20% depending upon special requests and service. Well, I am just not sure that is the BEST practice anymore.
Glassdoor.com, a financial site for those in the restaurant service industry, shows that the average waiter/waitress in Virginia makes--in round figures--just over $20,000/year in salary and tips. That included salary, though, according to their latest data is $2.13/hour. That amount is not a pretty picture!
So, that rule of thumb I was taught early on I have discarded. A favorite local restaurant has great sandwiches that run from $7.50 to $10.00, add a beverage and we’re up to less than $12. At 15% that’s a generous $1.80. Whee! I often leave $5.
I don’t have lots of money to spare, but I do think that a decent tip rewards service and builds connections with the staff in places often frequented. And tipping is not just for restaurants. What about your hair salon? Dear Husband’s haircut is $25 and he gives his stylist $5 or $10--whichever he may have in his pocket. He’s a nice guy.
Hotels--that’s one I read up on before we go away. A dollar or two to the doorman for hailing a cab is standard. All those suitcases and totes to your room: We do $2 for big bags and $1 for each of the others. I think this is acceptable and it’s usually $10. Cleaning staff for your room! Yes.
Hotels--that’s one I read up on before we go away. A dollar or two to the doorman for hailing a cab is standard. All those suitcases and totes to your room: We do $2 for big bags and $1 for each of the others. I think this is acceptable and it’s usually $10. Cleaning staff for your room! Yes.
It is smart to have some extra dollar bills stashed somewhere. I realized this problem during the week we were in our NYC timeshare. We only saw the same maid twice. Therefore, unlike being on a cruise, if you leave the tip only the last day, someone is getting a nice tip and several cleaners are getting nothing!
Weddings and funerals are another conundrum. Most ministers today are upfront about their honorarium--somewhere between $100 and $200 for the service. But what about the car services or limo drivers? Flowers? Wedding planner? Service staff? The musicians? Did you get a separate bill? Did it include gratuity? I guess the best advice is to read the fine print and go with your heart and your wallet.
Speaking of wallets which is where both my cash and credit cards live--several servers I know would rather have a smaller cash tip than a slightly larger one on a credit card. And I don’t blame them. After all, “a bird in the hand.…”
I found this super-duper new website playing on my friend Google (as usual)! [I think Google should pay me!!] The website is www.calculator.net/tip. One can enter an amount and the tip percentage you wish to add and voila. All done. But lots of sites and your calculator or brain can do this, right? What’s great about the site is the world map that shows you in which countries you should tip and where it is an offensive gesture. Moreover, it has a handy chart for services and the usual tip percentage. I am sharing one of the most interesting parts with you.
“Below is a map that provides some information regarding whether or not a tip is expected, or how a tip may be received in certain regions, as well as a table of typical tip amounts in the United States and Canada for different services.” (Calculator.net cited above)
Weddings and funerals are another conundrum. Most ministers today are upfront about their honorarium--somewhere between $100 and $200 for the service. But what about the car services or limo drivers? Flowers? Wedding planner? Service staff? The musicians? Did you get a separate bill? Did it include gratuity? I guess the best advice is to read the fine print and go with your heart and your wallet.
Speaking of wallets which is where both my cash and credit cards live--several servers I know would rather have a smaller cash tip than a slightly larger one on a credit card. And I don’t blame them. After all, “a bird in the hand.…”
I found this super-duper new website playing on my friend Google (as usual)! [I think Google should pay me!!] The website is www.calculator.net/tip. One can enter an amount and the tip percentage you wish to add and voila. All done. But lots of sites and your calculator or brain can do this, right? What’s great about the site is the world map that shows you in which countries you should tip and where it is an offensive gesture. Moreover, it has a handy chart for services and the usual tip percentage. I am sharing one of the most interesting parts with you.
“Below is a map that provides some information regarding whether or not a tip is expected, or how a tip may be received in certain regions, as well as a table of typical tip amounts in the United States and Canada for different services.” (Calculator.net cited above)
Thanks to this great website, I have quit rolling my eyes at Dear Husband when he tips the delivery folks, plumber, pest control, et al. In fact, we give our yardman and our usual mechanic a decent holiday tip.
I learned a few things from this research. I wish I could be more philanthropic, but dear minimum wage earners, I feel for you! Keep up the good work and, maybe, just maybe, we’ll all have a little money left over at the end of the month.
I'm glad that you and your husband err toward generosity. I tend to overtip. Maybe it is the empathy brought on by having been there.
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