Earn It Don't Ask For It

I noticed that more often than not when my credit card is scanned, there is a line set for “tip” by either amount or percentage. Some establishments automatically add a tip to the bill presented. I can’t figure out why the request for a tip must appear on your bill or added to it? Is the company doing this for our convenience to tip if we so wish or are they doing this to keep their employees on a low salary and expect the public to subsidize those wages?

I also don’t understand the sense of entitlement that some employees have by putting out TIP jars in some establishments and expecting us to give them money thus placing us into a guilt complex if we do not tip whether or not the service was good.

“TIP” came from and as far as I know, it is actually an acronym meaning, To Insure Promptness (or To Insure Prompt Service). A TIP is something we give when they have made our experience at their establishment one to remember. Servers and bartenders have the added responsibility of making sure we are being responsible with our alcohol consumption and getting a safe ride home which again I feel is worthy of a TIP when done properly. Please notice servers do not ever ask for a TIP and if you feel that they did not earn one you DO NOT have to give them one, although I think they more often than not earn one. Back to my point, THEY EARN IT and DON’T ASK FOR IT! However, establishments will ASK FOR IT regardless, on their bill.

My point is simple, you don’t get money for nothing and just because you are asking for it does not mean you will be getting it from me. I still believe that you need to earn my TIP and simply by asking for money without doing anything more than the job you were hired to do - If the job you have is not paying you enough then find one that will.

 

I agree, Snoopy.

In fact, when one of our girls was planning her wedding, one of the Hotels sounded wonderful until we read the tiny print on the contract before signing ... a 25% tip would be added automatically to the bill. Hmm.

We went elsewhere and because the service was terrific, the servers did receive a tip of about that amount - but they earned it. Whereas it would have driven me nuts if we'd gone with the first Hotel and found the service lousy yet had to pay the 25% tip anyway.

 

i'm into , the fact that we can tip when we choose to,
or not to.
In my mind that's as it should be.

 

In the UK we are meaner at giving tips. People just do not ask. If we have had good service in a restaurant we give approx 10%, and that is quite general here. There was a time when many restaurants started to add a service charge. If this was not notified before a meal, then I always refused to pay. It is now the law that any such information MUST be displayed clearly on the menu. The prices displayed MUST also be inclusive of VAT. (Value added tax).

 

I couldn't agree more that one should be free to give a tip or not.

There's been very few times in my life when I've chosen not too - but I'd have been very miffed if it had been 'forced' and the service was dreadful!

Searching for caterers right now for our daughter's wedding next summer ... and what a shocker to find that so far nary a one doesn't have "25% gratuity" written right into the contract.

Even worse, was discovering that often the servers themselves don't receive this amount - rather, some caterers use part of this money to simply pay their wages. Ugh!

 

I think the most annoying aspect of this subject is the TIP jar placed on the counter, particularly when there is no opportunity for a service to be rendered. I have in mind for instance the tip jar near the register in a take out restaurant. You order your food, go to pick it up, pay the bill and carry it out . Where is the tip earned there? Take out delivery is obviously different by contrast.

 

Have you ever thought about saying "thank you very much", picking it up and carrying it out? :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

 

I agree with what has gone before me. If I get good service, over and above what I am entitled to get, then they get a tip - otherwise they just have the bill paid because that is the amount quoted for what I have ordered.

 

In my opinion you guys are looking at this only from a consumer prospective and there are some sever differences between the American tip system and that which occurs in the UK. Waiters and waitresses in America rely heavily on their share of tips in order to just survive because they are very poorly paid by way of hourly wage. In the UK and Ireland that is not as true.

As for the fast food takeaway such as McDonalds etc. They are often staffed by minimum wage people who work long hours and look to the small amount of money in the tip jar as a small supplement to their meager income. Tip jars get very little money and are shared by everyone working. Additionally, unlike a table service restaurant these people at the takeaways do not really expect many tips and are highly appreciative of them when they come.

So if they handle long line well and you are getting your food at a proper pace you should consider dropping some of your change in those tip jars.

 

I do understand what you're saying, BeeCeeBee, really I do, and I know some people won't 'tip' no matter how good the service is and know that some servers are paid minimum wages, especially at fast food restaurants.

But, for myself, if the food is lousy but the serve staff good, I still tip. If the food is great but the serve staff rude, I don't.
If the food is lousy and the service lousy but the wait staff is trying his or her best, I still tip.

But I honestly do resent restaurants making the assumption on my behalf that I don't mind a bit having 20-30% automatically added to my bill.

The 'tip jar' is an odd thing to me, but guess if a customer 'forgets' to add a tip on the table, it's a reminder if they go to the till to pay their bill?

 

During an orientation for a cruise, the tour rep told us they automatically add a daily tip for their employees. She also said we can go to the desk and ask them not to do that. I did just that. I think it is ridiculous to tip at a buffet and tip the chef, bus boy and others that we never see. I tip when someone goes out of their way to please me. I don't eat at places that make the tip mandatory.

 

I agree that is an excuse for the owner to underpay the worker....they should reply by leaving and let the owner be the chef.

 

When I read the subject line I thought it was about our kids borrowing money. LOL