Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tip

Holiday Tipping for Server

MeetMegan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:10:18 -0800

What kind of holiday tip/gift should I give a server I see regularly (once a week) and regularly tip 30%? I saw my favorite server last night, and he pressed me to schedule my next meal so that he could "see me before the holidays." That reminded me that I'd like to get/give him something for the holidays. What's the protocol on this? Should I just provide him a larger tip? Is a gift appropriate? If so, how much/what kind?

This is an upscale restaurant. Two of us dine together (myself and my brother) and we regularly spend $70+ and tip very well (30%+). We see Bill about three-four times a month.

Thanks for your help!

Should I be tipping the newspaper delivery person more often?

cadge — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:08:20 -0800

Newspaper delivery tipping etiquette? Are additional tips expected outside of the holiday season? I have a Sunday newspaper subscription. Sometimes I find tip envelopes filled out with the delivery person's address (and occasionally a little note on cardstock like "Wishing you a nice holiday") in with my newspaper.

I know to tip at the holiday season, but I also get these tip envelopes at other times during the year (usually on other holidays, I think, like July 4).

Are tips for newspaper delivery expected outside of the winter holiday season?

Tipping the lawn service?

faustessa — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:03:53 -0800

How much are we expected to tip our lawn service? I've never heard of tipping a lawn service before, but then we usually do our own yard work. We hired a crew to do some clean up work, and the invoice says that if we'd like to leave a tip, not to tip individual guys but to include a tip with the total bill.

I have no idea how much is appropriate. I do know that "nothing" is definitely an option, but these guys responded quickly, gave us a great price, fit us in to their schedule right away, and they have done a great job. I'd like to recognize that, plus I'd like to grease the wheels for scheduling future work.

help out a tattoo newb!

firei — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:17:13 -0800

[TattooFilter] I'm (hopefully) getting a tattoo soon! But before I do, I have a few questions to ask regarding tipping, drawing, and weight. So, I'm hoping to get a tattoo soon. Actually, it probably won't be until the fall, but, I like to plan ahead.

Before I settle on a place (although right now I'm looking at NY Adorned), I had a few questions that I thought you guys might be able to help with. (I've seen past ask.mefis about tats, but they don't quite fit the bill.)

1) I know that you are supposed to tip your artist. However, I once read that bringing gifts (baked goods, say) is also cool/better. Is this true? Or should I just tip 20% and skip the tin of cookies?

2) Gaining weight can cause a tattoo to stretch out and look stupid. What about losing weight?

3) I have always planned on having a friend draw my tattoos. Is it acceptable to bring in their work, instead of having the tattoo artist draw it? It will not be an overly complicated design.

If it helps, the tattoo will be a one to two inch line drawing (probably not filled in, just the outline, but I haven't decided for sure) on my side (either on one of my hips or by my boobs where the bra band hits).

Where can I get my pool cue retipped in Boston?

swerve — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:53:57 -0800

Where can I get my pool cue retipped in Boston? I need a new tip put on my cue. When I played in tournaments, I either retipped it myself (with a borrowed Willard's tipper) or had it done by a pro with a lathe. I am not comfortable dropping it off at Boston Billiards or similar. I'm looking for someone who knows what he (or she) is doing. I'm in the city but can travel into the burbs if necessary. Thanks!

Neurotic

cestmoi15 — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:55:06 -0800

Tip the salon owner? I just had my eyebrows done by the salon owner. I didn't tip as she's the owner. I think that is the rule... but want to make certain as I'd like to have her do them again...

data point: NYC

How to tip for food where context clashes with protocol.

-harlequin- — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:53:48 -0800

Am I tipping correctly? I didn't grow up in the USA, so there is a lot I don't get about the tipping culture. Here's my current confusion:

My understanding is that normally, if a place is set up so that customers pay for their food before they get it, you don't tip, or you leave a tip when you leave, depending on the context / set-up of the establishment.

I'm a regular at a bar that serves food. When I buy a drink, I am served the drink, then I pay and tip. I'm fairly confident this is correct.

But when I also order food with my drink, I have to pay for both, so I am served the drink, pay and tip for the drink AND for the food, even though the food will be delivered to my table later.

But the food is not prepared or delivered by the bar staff, and after I leave, the table is not cleared by the bar staff. There are busers doing that.
(And at busy/chaotic times, this also leads me to having tipped for food that never arrives. That's not a problem - they'll fix it if I ask, but it makes the tipping seem even more senseless)

So I'm wondering if the tip for the food is supposed to be left on the table afterwards instead of at time of purchase. Or if I'm supposed to tip for the food twice?

Added issues:
-If I stop tipping for the food at time of purchase, in order to tip at the table, then it's probably going to be noticed by bar staff and misinterpreted.
-I'm tipping 20-40%, I don't want to double that just to keep everyone happy.
-The bar staff have a better demeanour. Maybe they're supposed to since they're the bar, or maybe the bus staff hates not getting tipped. I wouldn't know.
-Why don't I just ask? It's nearly impossible to be heard just to make the order, and with a queue behind me, probably unwelcome, and the answer I get probably depends on who I ask. Instead, I'd like to know if there is a wider consensus on how to tip in this situation.

thanks

Nokia is now telling me to eat less, why?

nam3d — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:28:10 -0800

My phone (Nokia 6230i) has started giving me tips (which started tonight at 00:06 on the 01/01/09). When I turn on my phone, enter my PIN number and once it's got past the obligatory Nokia splash screen it gives me this tip: Tip Of The Day: Don't Eat Too Much! and here's the photo for you (sorry for the rubbish quality). Can some explain to me what the hell is going on?

In San Francisco, do you tip your apartment manager?

Ookseer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:52:16 -0800

In San Francisco, do you tip your apartment manager? This is one of those finer points of etiquette that I was not brought up on, and surveying my local friends revealed answers from "Of course!" to "Hell no!" to "What?"

So yes or no? And if yes, how much?

To keep this from being chatfilter let's limit this to San Francisco.

Tipping etiquette by the event planner at a catered event

sarahnade — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:07:59 -0800

Who and how much should I tip at a catered dinner event that I planned? I'm planning a dinner event for two collaborating groups. It's at a local restaurant in a separate party room, and each guest gets to choose their entree selection from a choice of 3 (seafood, chicken, vegetarian). It doesn't look like the preliminary invoice I was sent includes any tip, although it does include a 19.25% service charge, along with charges for facility rental, food, drink, and set-up of the event. There will be a bar with free wine. We're also going to give a presentation.

Who should I tip, if anyone, and how much? Should I tip each individual as I see fit, or should I try to include it in the total cost of the event? I assume there will be bartenders, servers, and at least one host, who may or may not be the catering manager. The Catering Manager, by the way, has been extremely patient with me as I have never planned an event before in my life. There might also be someone to help us set up for the presentation.

If you have any personal experience (from either side of an event like this), I would love to hear it.

Here ya' go buddy

hadjiboy — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:29:19 -0800

How do you tip people without anyone else noticing? You know, the way they do it in the movies and on the soaps. It always seems so smooth, and you don't feel like a jackass for stumbling through the whole thing and making a big deal out of it.

Tripped up by tipping.

cooker girl — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:08:32 -0800

We're coming near the end of a major kitchen remodel and we'd like to show our appreciation to the foreman/carpenter by "tipping" him at the end of the job. How much? It's a HUGE remodel. Walls were taken down, floors were replaced, plumbing stacks were moved; nearly the entire first floor of our house has been revamped. We're using a "full service" company, meaning they handle all the sub-contracting (electrician, plumber, drywallers, painters) for us. It's a family owned company and they use the same subs for every job they do. We've had a foreman for the whole job and he is also our carpenter (but is not one of the owners). He has overseen all the work from the start and has had his hands in everything, including the demolition. He installed our cabinets to near perfection and even repaired some drywall work he wasn't satisfied with (he's admitted to us to being a perfectionist and it shows in his work). Everything has been done on schedule (we're actually a week ahead at this point) and there hasn't been one day of non-work without explanation. Needless to say, we're incredibly pleased with his work, his professionalism, and the job in general.

We were at the company's showroom the other day and noticed a bulletin board where several thank you letters were posted. Some of them mentioned a "token of appreciation" to go to certain members of staff and it got us thinking that we'd like to "tip" our foreman but we have absolutely no idea what would be appropriate.

Everything I've seen on tipping is fairly general and covers more than a one-time service: servers in restaurants, hair stylists, doormen, etc. The question isn't whether or not it's appropriate to "tip" him, the question is how much or what (if not money)?

Tip Jaw

Mach3avelli — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:59:17 -0800

My friend is a server at a privately-owned restaurant, and she received a big tip from a patron ($40 on a $100 bill). However, it turns out days later that the card used was stolen, and now the restaurant owners have asked for her to return the tip money. Do they have any legal ground to do so? This is in California. She didn't know the patron, nor did she know the card was a stolen item.

credit card service fee/waitstaff

andywolf — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:37:05 -0800

lawfilter: is it legal in minnesota for credit card service fees to be deducted from a waitstaff's tip? according to this it sounds like it's up in the air in MN and a few other states. i can't find anything with more clarification as to the current standing of the law or if it's being contested in court right now.

tipping at an open bar

Elsa — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:43:38 -0800

How much to tip at an open bar? A quick search turns up lots of advice, but it sounds stingy to me, and I'd like feedback from more discriminating bargoers. The Google concensus seems to be $1 for each drink from an open bar (in the U.S.). That sounds low, but I don't know what a proper tip would be: X dollars a round? X dollars a drink? the full price I would expect the drinks to cost?

Does your open-bar tip vary based on location? If it's a wedding reception in a catering hall or club, do you tip less (or more?) than at a private party in a restaurant or bar?

It's a long walk. But I will walk hard.

toaster — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:26:50 -0800

How much should I tip (if at all) for a 10-minute massage after running in a race? I saw this thread, but I was not sure if it applies.

Do Waitstaff Hate Change?

L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:41:15 -0800

I read a guideline in Modern Drunkard's mostly, but not entirely, tongue-in-cheek "Rules of Boozing," and it confused me.

39. Never tip with coins that have touched you. If your change is $1.50, you can tell the barmaid to keep the change, but once she has handed it to you, you cannot give it back. To a bartender or cocktail waitress, small change has no value.

This seems to imply that a waitress would rather have a dollar tip than a dollar-fifty tip, at least if you leave it on the table.

Those of you who have worked for tips, can this be true? Would you rather have a dollar bill than a dollar bill and two quarters? How about a dollar bill, a quarter, a dime, two nickels, and five pennies? Is six quarters for a beer a horrible tip, or is it laundry/parking money? How about two bucks in loose change? If you're speaking from experience rather than conjecture, it'd be nice to know.

Tipping on a concierge floor.

MeetMegan — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:45:09 -0800

How to tip on a "Gold" or Conceirge floor? Ok, so I am so lucky that my firm paid for me to go to an AWESOME hotel in an AWESOME city (VANCOUVER - meetup anyone?) - and not only that, but they paid to upgrade me to a "gold" floor in my hotel. It's a concierge floor.

How do I tip on this floor? Do I tip every time I talk to a concierge? When they do something special? When I leave? Grr, this is driving me nuts!

Thank you!

(Also, if tips are different in Canada from the U.S., please share.)

Paying a real estate agent I never buy through

Capri — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:23:56 -0800

I'm working with real estate agents in three cities I am considering relocating to. I will only buy through one of them, obviously. Should I tip the other two? I've asked these three agents to do a fair bit of work for me -- finding houses I would be interested in that meet my specific criteria (criteria I can't specify in the online search engines); telling me about the three cities (they're all on the other side of the country); spending a day or two with me showing me the city and several houses so that I can evaluate what a specific job offer in each city would actually buy me.

Should I give the two that I don't use a tip (for lack of a better word)? A gift certificate to a nice restaurant? How much? Should the value of the tip be related to the value of the houses I am looking at (i.e. bigger tip if I am looking at expensive houses)?

Thanks.

How do you tip a friend?

Not in my backyard — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:38:04 -0800

Holiday tipping: I want to tip my personal trainer...but there are complications. Here's the long and short of it. My personal trainer and I have become very close friends. We developed our friendship out of our training appointments. I continue to train with her weekly, but we hang out socially all the time - I have met her family, been to her daughter's birthday parties, been to her house and she's been to mine a number of times, and so on.

I know that, as my personal trainer, I give her a holiday gratuity. Last year, as this friendship was developing but before it'd gotten to the point we are at now, I gave her about $150 worth of her favorite bath supplies from L'Occitane.

This year, I am confused about what to do. She's one of my best friends, so the issue is not getting her a gift. Should I combine the "friend" gift and "personal trainer" gift into one big gift, or should I give her separate gifts? I feel so awkward about this, it's driving me nuts!

Cash Cab Tipper?

gregoryc — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:12:04 -0800

Do (can?) people tip Ben Bailey, the driver of the Cash Cab? Looking for answers from people who have been on the show (or some other authoritative source), not just personal opinions. Thanks.

How much to tip the Peapod delivery person?

Ø — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:25:50 -0800

How much to tip the Peapod delivery person? Their web site dodges the question: "Gratuities for Peapod drivers are optional and at your discretion." (isn't a gratuity by definition optional and at one's discretion?!)

So, my fellow MeFites, what would you say is typical?

Take-Out Tipping

orangeshoe — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 14:04:53 -0800

Is it mandatory to tip for takeout and, if so, how much? I typically tip 20 percent, however, I eat out a lot and wonder if this is too much.

How Much to Tip the Movers?

hackly_fracture — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 19:21:39 -0800

How much should we tip our movers? Specific details inside. NYC move, Manhattan to Queens, 1 bedroom, modest but far from spartan, 450 square feet, estimated 3 hours of work, both buildings elevator. My initial guess was $20 for each of the four movers, but I haven't ever hired movers before and don't want to be accidentailly cheap or even insulting. I have no idea how much tips make up a percentage of the income.

got junk?

peep — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 12:20:07 -0800

Have you used 1-800-got-junk, or a similar trash pick-up service? Did you tip? If so, how much/what percentage? If you work in a similar industry, what kind of tip would you expect?