Okay, I'll admit it...I'm just cheap.

M

marilynfl

Moderator
But I simply don't understand the "tip jar" mentality any more.

I stopped at our beach-side fishmongers to pick up a fillet for dinner. The piece I selected was a 1.25 lb piece of grouper and cost $22.40.

(Ya...I know. My head is still spinning like Linda Blair's in The Exocist.)

They have a HUGE tip jar on top of the glass fishcase stuffed with one and five dollar bills. The credit card slip has PRE-TIP AMT, TIP and TOTAL AMOUNT in BOLD, 20 point font.

Now...my miserly thoughts run along these lines:

Your job as a counter person includes lifting out the fish, weighting, wrapping and ringing up the bill.

Why does that deserve a tip? Isn't that your job?

In the past month, I've seen tip jars at TAKE-OUT ONLY chinese fast food stores, a TAKE-OUT ONLY pizza joint, and our tiny beachside coffee joint that redecorated then raised the price on everything by a dollar. Including a simple cup of coffee.

I used to believe in tipping, because back in the Dark Ages, my very first job at age 16 (besides babysitting) was waitressing for $0.90/hour plus tips. So I NEVER stiff a waitress.

But this counter stuff is just bugging me.

1. Are these people earning minimum wage?

2. Or, like my first job, are they given a pitifully nominal amount and expected to compensate with tips?

3. Or...is a tip jar simply placed there in the hope that Pavlovian tip mentality will over-ride logic?

 
I'm with you Marilyn. I just ignore them. I think everyone is putting one out

because they can. I read somewhere the etiquette on this which I thought was good advice. Someone had asked about the tip jar at Starbucks. The advice was to ignore it if you stop at various Starbucks occasionally. If you frequent the same one every day and they remember you and you get good service it suggested putting something in every once in a while.

 
I agree. Tipping should be for service-oriented jobs, not everywhere there is a cash register.

At coffee places I usually drop the change in the jar. I suspect the 5's in there are a plant.

When my friends got married in their own home they hired someone's nephew as a bartender. The guy put out a tip jar and got surly when asked to put it away. This was a private party at someone's house! Nothing was being sold, and yet guests were digging in their pockets for change.

 
I've seen them at bowling alleys, too. I understand trying to get every dime

you can. But no, I don't drop money into the sauce jug with the top cut off that's tied to the drive thru window. Or the jar on the counter.

They make at least minimum wage. No, it's not a lot of money. When I waitressed I made 2.01 an hour (minimum wage was 3.35) and tips. And I was lousy, so not many tips. I left their to work as a housekeeper at a hotel. Guess what? They didn't tip us, either. Bell boys were the only ones that got tips.

 
I'm going to start sending out editing invoices with a "Gratuities not included" line. smileys/wink.gif

Actually, I think it might work on at least one author, for whom the guilt (given the crap he's put me through over the years, word-wise) would work wonders...

 
I do not tip at the counter either; but I learned the "hard" way the value. When we lost power

during the oct/nov storm for 5-6 days, our dunkin donuts was PACKED every day. The long lines were insane. I observed many neighbors literally just walk to theend of the counter and just pick up their coffee. They clearly had tipped away in the past, did not even cut the line, just walked to the sugar area. Next thing you know there was a lil exchange of coffee and $$, nothing spoken, no change exchanged. Just a simple nod and smile....

I do however, tip when there is a singer / guitarist at a restaurant that is playing. If I enjoy the music!

 
I ignore all counter top tip jars. I tip what I want to tip according to the service I got.

I do not pay attention to the 15% rule at restaurants. If the food was excellent, service good, I might give more or I give no tip, depending......

 
It's not penalizing the waiter/waitress or other that relies on tips

Its not giving in to the 'everyone deserves a tip for doing their job'.

I tip generously because I was horrible as a waitress and know how hard it is. The better the service, the better the tip.

I also will fill out comment cards or go on websites and praise an employee that goes above standard service. In today's job market I think it's important to let the employer know when they do well, not just when they tick me off.

But just because there is a tip jar, doesn't mean they get a tip. Fast food workers receive at least minimum wage. So does the girl at the grocery store. Neither gets a tip for doing their job, sorry.

 
Yes, I hope no one here would stiff a server because the kitchen made a mistake.

The cooks get paid no matter what. The server relies on tips to supplement a minimum wage. They're taxed as if they receive at least a certain percentage in tips.

In Europe the price of food usually includes a commission for the server--here it's the customer's option. It's a stupid system but please don't take it out on the server!

 
Wow...I suppose it depends on the "gratuity tax" in your state...

IF...any counter oriented retail is "taxed" a percentage on retail sales, such as any food servers in California, then...sadly, they're being taxed to handle your food because the State presumes they are being paid gratuities. The last I heard, it was 8% in CA. My mother supported us on a waitress's wages and tips, so I never stiff anyone who has provided the least measure of service. I'll leave at least 8%, usually 10% even if I'm unhappy. Make me happy, and I go 30% easily. Contentment always garners not less than 20%. Knowing there's a tax, I tip the food servers at the fast food places too...it's not fair to them otherwise. I hate that someone is taxed to do their job!!

 
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