Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tip

tip the driver?

hooray — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:15:58 -0800

I'm in a car service on the way to the airport right now. I just realized I only have a twenty. The car service is paid for by an outside company. How do I tip the driver and do I even need to, or is that usually covered by the paying company?

Yet Another Tipping Question

PinkMoose — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:36:16 -0800

I usually over tip--22-25 percent. But I was confused about something that happened tonight. I went to a new bar, kind of a renovated dive, with a friend. We both ordered cocktails, I ordered a charchturie (sp) platter and he ordered a pizza. My food came right away, and both of our drinks came quickly. The bar was empty for our first drinks, but was filling up quickly. We ordered a second drink. The bar was filled with people that the bar tender seemed to know. The second drink came. No sign of pizza, it was more than an hour at this point. We remind the bartender, who is also the server twice. He finally says, five minutes, and five minutes later, the pizza comes. This would have been 90 minutes. No offer to comp the food, no apologies, but the food was really good, the drinks were strong, and I would like to go back...I tipped 4 on a 32 bill, after tax. They also split the bill in a weird manner. My friends kind of shy, so I took his lead, and didn't complain. How much should I have tipped? Should I have complained? Should I go back to complain? What's the protocol here?

What should we give our wedding officiant?

peacheater — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:14:29 -0800

Help us urgently decide what to give our officiant as a thank-you. I'm getting legally married today! Whooo! We're going to be having a big reception later with our entire families, but we need to get legally married today for practical reasons. We're doing it very simply with just us, the officiant and a couple of witnesses. The officiant is from Town Hall and has agreed to meet us anywhere in town to perform the ceremony. We're doing it outdoors near a beautiful waterfall.

So my question is, what should we give the officiant? Apparently the officiant volunteered on the phone to my fiance that while there is no fee involved for officiating the ceremony, she accepts "gifts up to a $100". My fiance is not sure whether she actually said "gifts up to a $100" or "gifts worth up to a $100". So my feeling is that we should just give her a $100 in an envelope while my fiance feels that a bottle of wine would be more appropriate. I think that the value of a bottle of wine is likely to be quite a bit less than $100 (or would seem like it was) and what if she doesn't drink? What should we do? A gift card for coffee?

This is in the Northeast US in a small college town.

Do you tip your dog walker?

Kriesa — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:51:09 -0800

I just hired a dog walker this week... and it just occurred to me today: am I supposed to be tipping? And if so, how? The weekly bill is $60; am I supposed to leave a couple of bucks a day, or could I leave $10 or $12 at the end of the week or something? Or is it more of a holiday bonus thing (in which case I feel kind of bad, because the holidays are a year away). Some days, the owner of the business will walk my dog. Is it like a salon where you're not supposed to tip the owner, just employees? Or am I totally over thinking this, and is dog walking not a tipping sort of service?

Super, you're super. Please take my money

TravellingCari — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:19:36 -0800

My Super is wonderful. I want to give her cash for (what I consider) to be going out of her way but she actively refuses it. Suggestions, especially as we're in the midst of holidays of various flavors. Thanks to MeFi help with location and packing tips, I moved in September. Love my building and my super live-in Super who really goes out of her way to take care of the building and residents. We stop to chat to her when coming or going and she does the same.

I almost never have packages delivered home because I work odd hours, but I've had to pick up a package once. I offered her a few $ and she wouldn't take it. Another time she came to snake a messy toilet for the second time in a week (and then subsequently fixed it so she wouldn't have to again). First snaking, I wasn't home. Second one, I was and again offered her $ but she adamantly refused. Due to time in and around the service industry, I know a polite refusal from an adamant one and this was definitely refusal to take. She even asked why I felt the need to give her something and I told her I'd felt she'd gone above and beyond. She said she didn't think so.

I figured this would be resolved via an envelope in the mailbox/with rent envelope under the door and I'd give her $$ that way, but no dice. Any suggestions or should I really just let this go? It's nice to be in a bldg where staff don't have their hand out - but she's so good I'd like to give her something.

If it matters: Manhattan. About 25 apartments in the building. Non doorman. She's super for a few bldgs on the block. I've never met the landlord.

Thanks

Help me be a better driver

akomom — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 10:00:53 -0800

Please help me become a better driver. Recently, I rear-ended a car while driving on a local road and it was raining at that time. This is a wake up call for me. I have to pay ~$2000 for car body repair and my insurance premium will go up. We are only lucky that nobody was hurt (my kids were in carseats and not harmed). I need tips on how to be a better driver. I have been an OK driver, not great. But I have never made big mistakes like this one. I had been listening to music and my mind was not focused on driving when this happened. The rain makes it harder to break. Maybe I am too worried, but do you have tips on not being distracted while driving, do you improve your response to traffic situation somehow? Sometimes I have to talk to my kids while driving, since they fuss a lot after a full day at preschool. Talking to them definitely distract me. My other Big issue is foggy windshield and window that makes visibility low. I know I need to turn on the defog button for windshield and turn air-conditioning on to make it colder inside. I also turn on rear window defrog by pressing the button, then it heats up the window, right? Why? what is the science behind these? What other ways to improve visibility? In the morning, I have to manually clean the two side windows to clear them up. Any other way? Thanks

Should I tip my contractor/carpenter?

waving — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:08:33 -0800

I just had a significant amount of work ($80K) done on my house due to storm damage. My insurance is paying for all of the repairs, which were significant and required that I move out of the house for six months. I got very lucky and have an amazing contractor, who hired an equally amazing carpenter who turns out to be a perfectionist and has done impeccable work. Should I tip them or buy them something to say thank you? I have a century old bungalow for which I wanted to maintain it's century old style and workmanship, I'm in love with this house. The contractor was very agreeable to work with, listened patiently and delivered on all of my requests for changes to the original construction to enhance parts of the the home while staying within budget. I have heard that many contractors will do the work as cheaply as possible, use a lot of plastic materials, Home Depot fixtures, etc. I was very involved in oversight to make sure this did not happen, it didn't. My question is, is it customary to tip a contractor and trades people who do exceptionally good work, especially when it's an insurance claim? I have offered the carpenter dinner/lunch for him and his crew during this final week of work, he said he would get back to me. Is dinner for four people (~$200) too much considering I am not a rich person but feel compelled to thank them for restoring my home so well? I'm definitely coming out of this with a more valuable house than I started with, a lot of which is due to just needing to rebuild a house that needed repairs anyway, it's not like they lost money by doing good work, and since it was such a large claim they certainly must have made decent money.

To tip or not to tip

sadtomato — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:15:08 -0800

Do we tip our caterer and her staff? If yes, how much? We are having a small dinner gathering to celebrate our elopement back in March. There wil only be 19 people including me and Mr. Sadtomato. We paid about $3000+ for the meal. We are paying for booze separately. There will be a bartender, 2 dance instructors, the chef and one server.

So do we tip in this situation? How much is appropriate. I have found conflicting advice through Google.

Help me figure out the name of this poem!

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:40:02 -0800

My girlfriend has a favorite poem that involves a cricket (or possibly grasshopper) and a bird. I believe the bird has a red belly. Can you help me find the poem (it may also be a short story). I realize I'm being vague- sorry!

How to tip gracefully when there's no money exchange?

schmoo — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:10:38 -0800

What is the least awkward way of tipping someone when you're not actually paying for anything? I am from the UK, where the tipping culture is not nearly as established as in the US. That said, I always tip at a restaurant and sometimes at other times such as the hairdressers or when taking a taxi.

However, while I'm comfortable saying 'keep the change' to the taxi driver, or simply leaving a few pounds on the bill when leaving a restaurant, I can't work out the least awkward way of tipping when we go on holiday to an all-inclusive place next month.

Even though the resort says tips are included, I still intend on tipping (for drinks, food, maid etc) as I think these people work extremely hard for very little money. So how do classy people tip, when there's not actually any exchange of money going on?!

I literally need instructions here, as I find the whole business quite awkward and embarrassing. When there's no tray to put the tip on, like there would be with your bill in a restaurant, I don't know what to do with the money! I feel like just handing the barman money after he gives us our drinks is a little awkward. Similarly with the person who brings us our luggage. I guess with meals at the restaurants at the resort we can still leave the tip on the table at the end when we leave, so I suppose it's when getting drinks at the bar and beach and the luggage people I am most clueless about tipping. It's very likely I am overthinking this, as in the UK tipping at bars is just not done (although we do sometimes say 'have one for yourself' and buy the barman a drink), but still - help me not be awkward about this! Thanks.

Laser Hair Removal Tipping Etiquette

en el aire — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:13:10 -0800

I recently purchased a living social coupon for 3 sessions of laser hair removal but am unsure of tipping etiquette for the procedure? Is it customary to tip for laser hair removal – and if so, how much? The message boards I’ve come across offer nothing but conflicting advice. If it matters, it appears to be a small office that specializes in laser hair removal and little else. Finally, this is in Westchester County, NY (right outside of NYC) so regional specific advice would be great!

Tipping and Take-Out

J. Wilson — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:34:28 -0800

Should I tip when I get take-out (and if so, how much)? How does the process work at the restaurant? I've read this question, where lots of people say "I do/don't tip because I do/don't believe in it in this situation." I'd love to know whether people tip and why when picking up food at a restaurant (and there are likely new users or people's opinions could have changed since 2006 when that question was asked), but I'd especially like to know who does the work and where the money goes.

Let's say I call up my neighborhood Thai restaurant, where people often dine in. Who answers the phone and takes my order? Who packages my order for take-out? Do the people doing the work have time for it? Who gets paid if I leave a tip on the credit card receipt?

Bonus question: is a tip something that the restaurant workers usually expect or that customers leave? I live in a city in the United States, if it makes a difference.

What sould I know about attending a live WWE taping?

ShawnStruck — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:20:37 -0800

So, a ticket to the taping of Smackdown in Newark today at the prudential center pretty much fell into my lap. I've been to a number of EVOLVE and other indy wrestling shows, but never a WWE taping. Can you give me any tips, etiquette, advice or anything I should know or keep in mind? Here is a seating chart.

http://www.prucenter.com/newWindow.asp?image=resources/images/seating_charts/500x445-wwe-seating.gif&title=WWE

I'll be in section h, row 12, seat 4.

Markdown, Google Code and notices

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:10:44 -0800

How would I create a "note", "tip" or "caution" notice box (rough examples) with the syntax provided by Markdown and Google Code? Is there a trick to make this possible?

How to Handle a Restaurant Bill SNAFU

iLoveTheRain — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:16:33 -0800

A few weeks ago I had a frustrating interaction with a waiter regarding a gift card. I am still bothered by what happened and would like some advice about it. A few weeks ago I went out for drinks and dessert at a chain restaurant for which I had two gift cards. A friend joined me, and when it came time to split the bill, we asked our waiter to put my friend's order on her credit card, and my items on my two gift cards (one had like $5 on it, the other $50). I verbally specified that the giftcard I had that only had $5 on it ended with 4505, and indicated it on the check we had been given, so that the waiter would use that first on my portion.

A few minutes later the waiter returned, said that he had decided to swipe my $50 gift card first, and that the bill was now paid for, and returned my friend's credit card to her and my gift cards with the remaining balances to me. I was so shocked that I just said okay and pretended like I had meant to treat my friend to what was ultimately a very expensive night out for me, and left without speaking to a manager about the mix up.

What should I have said to correct the improper use of my gift cards? The money was a gift from my parents and I am really bummed about the loss.

I recognize that the transaction was slightly more complicated than a normal "please split the check" request.

How much should we tip a driver in Mexico?

jayder — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:16:38 -0800

How much to tip a driver in Mexico? Two of us are getting a transfer from the Cancun airport to a resort about an hour away. The fare, round trip, for both of us, is $140 ($70 each way). How much should I tip, for each segment (airport to resort and resort to airport)? It may be a van with other people, but it seems likely that it's just going to be the two of us passengers.

Gratuity is definitely not included and we will be paying the fare in cash to the driver.

Thanks for your advice.

Tips for new parents. Have at it!

filmgeek — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:04:17 -0800

What tips/lifehacks can you think of for the upcoming parents. Don't care how small the tips are - just avoid the obvious ones. T Minus 30 days. Mrs. Filmgeek and myself are around the 5 week mark before the hospital trip.. First marriage, first kid, both of us over 35. Do we have friends with kids? Sure. And we're mining them for advice. Do we know what we're doing? Hell no.

That's where you (metafilter) come in. Parents of Metafilter - What dumb (smart) tips can you pass on to us.

How much to tip for men's haircut?

mortaddams — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:42:12 -0800

How much should I tip a hairdresser for a men's haircut in the US? $5? $10? 10%? 25%? How much money signals that you are thrilled with the cut, rather than just okay with it? Thoughts from people who have worked in barber shops and salons would be most appreciated.

Massage Questions (sorry no snarky title)

Napierzaza — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:42:10 -0800

First time massage. It's a legit massage. I'm a guy, I wonder if I should get a guy or a girl to do it? Not sure which would be more awkward really. What is the norm for this sort of thing? Also, what are the norms of tipping? I can barely tip functionally at restaurants without getting anxious. I don't even know where to begin with what to tip for a massage.

Mexico city Monday

repoman — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:20:23 -0800

A quick question regarding tipping in Mexico City. I checked into the Hilton Reforma in Mexico City and tipped the cab and the nice person that took my bags to my room. Skip to my wireless not working and I go down for a cable. Lady at a 'journey concierge' type desk escorts me to the busines center where another nice lady gives me the cable. Keep in mind that these two were very professional, very well dressed, etc. I appreciated the service, but fell short of giving them a cash tip. It would have felt awkward. I know I should know this by now but I have not traveled much in recent years and I am rusty. Thanks for any thoughts and pleased be assured that I will rectify the situation if warranted.

MTV documentary about one hit wonders from 1999?

defmute — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:21:00 -0800

Where can I find this one MTV documentary about one hit-wonders aired in 1999? I'm specifically looking for the Q-Tip (rapper) portion of this documentary where they show him living in his mom's basement. This site is the only thing I could find related to the subject. Thanks, all.

I'll probably just end up leaving a crumpled wad of 20s on the nightstand.

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:51:31 -0800

After being nickel-and-dimed to death throughout the process of buying a home in NYC, I have learned from our real estate lawyer that we will be expected-but-not-required to tip the Title Closer about $150 at the closing. Really? I mean... really? Homebuyers, what is your experience with this? I've talked to a number of people about this, and half say "Oh, yeah, you should be prepared for that" while the other half say "What? That's absurd! When I bought my house, nobody mentioned anything like that! Someone's taking you for a ride!". Googling reveals a similar split.

Yes, a couple hundred bucks is a drop in the bucket when compared to what gets thrown around in a home purchase, but a c-note is a c-note. And the feeling I'm being taken advantage of makes me feel dirty.

Anonymous 'cause my username's googlable... and at one person involved in this process has proven to be extremely sensitive to anything he might perceive as a complaint.

Bang bang

angiewriter — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:51:05 -0800

When a hairstylist offers a complimentary bang trim between haircuts, do you tip them for this? I would assume yes, but how much?

Too late to tip?

epersonae — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:49:51 -0800

Tipping: Someone sends a big pizza delivery ($100+) to a vendor for a holiday party, but forgets to add a tip when paying over the phone. The people receiving the pizza don't give a tip. The person who ordered the pizza eventually realizes that they forgot, but not until a couple of days later. Anything to do about it, or just let it go?

It's a mouthwash. It's on the tip of my tongue. And killing me.

rileyray3000 — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:48:44 -0800

Why does listerine burn the tip of my tongue? This is just one of those things I've always wondered. Whenever I use my listerine mouthwash, the tip of my tongue takes a beating. Sides? Nothing. Back? Nothing. Inside my mouth? Nothing.

Tip of my tongue? Burns like I'm licking a 9 volt.

I'm not prissy about hot tastes. I use tapatio on everything and even hot temperatures don't faze me much. But so help me, I use that green bottle and I've got 15 seconds before I start screaming.

I've used other mouthwashes (Scope, whatever the house brand is at CVS) and I've had similar effects though MUCH MUCH lighter. And still just to the tip of the tongue. I just think listerine does the best job for me...not including the burning.

So what's the explanation? Body specific listerine allergy? Something about tongue areas I should remember from elementary school? Long term damage from my youthful beatboxing years?