Advice on Tipping

[mjaclyn]

I'm very confused on what services to tip for. I've always tipped at restaurants, for valet and at the salon for any services there. However, today we had someone come to clean the carpet and we also had a service come to mow our lawn. DH seems to think that they should receive a tip, but I'm reluctant to do it because (the way I see it) I'm paying for my carpet to be cleaned it's just different in my mind than being at a restaurant or a salon. What do you think? Also, should I tip a service if they come to clean my house?

[Dakota Rose]

I've been called cheap :blush: so take this for what it's worth. I agree with you. I wouldn't tip the carpet cleaner, lawn mower or house keeper. Now if I hire one of these services to come in on a routine basis, I would probably give them a tip or gift at Christmas. That's what we used to do with our pool boy. Or if one of those services did something extra that I wasn't already paying for (helping me move a piece of furniture or something) I'd give 'em a tip. But, some of these companies have "no tipping" rules as well.

I'm sure someone else will come along and disagree with me, but like I said, I'm cheap. :)

[Tiggerlovr9000]

I usually tip pretty well but could not believe all the tip jars on our last trip to WDW. We went to the local mall and ate at A&W. They had a tip jar that said please and thank you. Sorry they did not get a tip from me.

[Jeff G]

To me tipping a lawn service or carpet cleaning service isn't necessary along with counter service restaurants like A&W or McDonald's.

I do mortgages for a living and see income for most trades. People who work in industries where they have a wage not dependent on tips generally don't get a tip from me. For example, people who work for lawn services make a decent income and many are also paid commissions based on obtaining new accounts. Their wages are not reduced with tips expected so I don't tip.

As for the house cleaning service, most people don't tip. If you have an individual you hire out I'm sure a Christmas & birthday gift would be a nice touch & greatly appreciated.

[RenDuran]

I tip for most services. I've worked quite a few jobs that I was tipped for, so I know how much those extra dollars mean!

I tip for lawn services, dog grooming, the guy that came to jump start my car recently....any time I want to show my appreciation. It's not like a few dollars are going to kill me!

[Ian]

Call me old school, but I really only tip for traditional service industry jobs ... hotel housekeepers, waiters/waitresses, haircuts, cab or car service drivers, etc.

I think tipping (or the expectation of tips, I guess I should say) has gotten really out of control lately.

I refuse to tip the guy at McDonald's, or the pizza place, or Starbucks ... pouring a cup of coffee or grabbing a burger off a rack and throwing it in a bag is not (IMO) worthy of a gratuity.

And it's not that I'm cheap ... I actually tip very generously (20-25% for good service). I just don't like the expansion of the "tip" into all these other places.

[NotaGeek]

Call me old school, but I really only tip for traditional service industry jobs ... hotel housekeepers, waiters/waitresses, haircuts, cab or car service drivers, etc.

I think tipping (or the expectation of tips, I guess I should say) has gotten really out of control lately.

I refuse to tip the guy at McDonald's, or the pizza place, or Starbucks ... pouring a cup of coffee or grabbing a burger off a rack and throwing it in a bag is not (IMO) worthy of a gratuity.

And it's not that I'm cheap ... I actually tip very generously (20-25% for good service). I just don't like the expansion of the "tip" into all these other places.

I totally agree. I am a very good tipper for service industry jobs. I DO NOT feel compelled to throw $1 in the tip jar at Starbuck's. They do not get the typical waiter wage ... and they don't get taxed on that income. I think Starbucks should out law that plastic cube ... their employees make hourly wages that don't equal tipping requirement IMO.

[Gooftroop5]

I have to agree with the others. No need to tip for these services. They are there to do a job you are paying them to do. It is contract price. They are already making money from you. If the lawn mowing service at the end of the year has done an exceptional job not just come & mow your yard then a tip at the end of the year would be fine but not every time they come to mow.

I am also one that tips above the customary tipping for services that warrant it. I have been known not to tip for bad service if it is the severs fault. There has been times I have gave a larger tip because the server has gone above & beyond to make up for a mishap inthe kitchen. I have thrown change into the tip jar only because I don't want to carry the change (i don't have any pockets & my hands are full) but I do not add a tip if I pick my pizza up from the pizza place but I will tip the delivery person.

[Dakota Rose]

I totally agree. I am a very good tipper for service industry jobs. I DO NOT feel compelled to throw $1 in the tip jar at Starbuck's. They do not get the typical waiter wage ... and they don't get taxed on that income. I think Starbucks should out law that plastic cube ... their employees make hourly wages that don't equal tipping requirement IMO.

Though I called myself cheap, I have to clarify. I'm cheap in that I don't tip just because there's a tip jar or someone says I should. I worked in the service industry and always felt like if someone wanted to tip me that meant they liked my service. If they didn't tip me, I knew I needed to improve. But expecting a tip is just a big no-no.

[Mickey'sGirl]

I tip in the traditional places, but I also tip anyone delivering things to my home (furniture or maybe one day a florist (hint hint!). I tip the dog groomer and the papergirl. I also tipped the two nice guys at Best Buy who helped DH and I get the new TV and associated peraphernalia into our car at 5 pm on December 23.

I do not tip at "counter" service restaurants. I do not tip our cleaning ladies (except at Christmas) and I would not tip the guy coming in to clean my air ducts or carpet.