Queercents

In this series on tipping we’ve covered everything from the tip on outrageously expensive wine to the hair splitting minutia of tipping on tax. I learned that you’re supposed to tip in hotels. And perhaps most importantly we laid to rest the tired stereotype that lesbians are worse tippers (unless they’re in a bar). However there are still some loose ends that need addressing.

Exotic Dancers

Just like servers they are professionals who live off of tips. If you’re going to enjoy the show it’s only polite to bring some singles. Having a lot of money in hand ensures prompt “attention”.

When I was studying to be a sex researcher I taught to have respect for people who worked in “the industry” and not to exploit or objectify anyone. I found myself at a male strip bar when I had no cash and decided the only courteous thing to do was not look in the direction of the entertainers. Ironically this drew more attention than just sitting there and I got rubbed on by one of the dancers– as I protested that I was unable to compensate them. He didn’t seem to mind.

Hair Dressers

Read the rest of this entry »

Tipping at hotels was a surprising thing to research for this series. I travel quite a bit both domestically and abroad and always thought I knew the ins and outs of the business. Obviously you tip the bellman if he takes the bags to your room and leave something for the room service if it isn’t included. But I learned that some people also consider it customary to tip the concierge, maids and doormen as well.

I don’t have any problem managing my luggage so I’ve never tipped for bellman service, but I always thought a couple bucks was standard. Well it turns out I may be way off base. Tipping.org lists a standard tip for the bellman around somewhere between $5 and $10. Much higher than I would have thought, but a dollar tip doesn’t go very far anymore apparently. Some other sites put the figure around a dollar per bag, but bump it up if he actually prepares your room and shows you amenities.

Read the rest of this entry »

We had about ninety responses to the QC Tipping Survey in the last week. Of those who identified themselves by gender and orientation, we had 39% lesbian, 33% gay men, 21% straight women and two guys who were comfortable with their masculinity. The full results are visible here and my deeper analysis follows below.

Tipping Practices

Adequate restaurant service was worth 15%. Good service earned 20%, occasionally more while poor service knocked it down to 10%. But the polls were pretty split on how to handle a bad service situation. The next two big groups paid 15% or something less than 10%.

About half of you don’t tip the barista at Starbucks, which makes me feel much less guilty. Those that do, favor either a fixed dollar amount or less than 10% which I assume might be the change. Lesbians were the most generous with their coffee shop tipping but by contrast, they were 10% more likely than gay men not to tip the bartender. But the majority of everybody male or female tipped the bartender a fixed dollar amount.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have always tipped on the total bill and it wasn’t till starting this series that I learned that there are people who don’t. Of all the things people say you’re not supposed to tip on this loophole made the most convincing argument.

First off, a little restaurant economics, and Vixen, feel free to correct me. A servers’ income is taxed on her sales, which is assumed to be 8% after tip outs. The sales tax is also based off the same items the servers are taxed on. In essence that line item is not a sale and therefore not income. From an accounting perspective, there is no obligation that one should have to tip on this amount.

But as the Straight Dope response so aptly illustrates, people get a little touchy when you talk about reducing a tip:

“The bottom line is: The cost-less-tax thing is a [BLEEP] argument so you can be a cheapskate. You’re talking about an extra quarter or buck or whatever. It’s a small difference for you. You’re the patron at the restaurant, you can afford the price of the meal. The waiter or waitress works on a crummy salary and depends on tips to earn a living. So, big deal, you save a buck and the waiter feels hurt and undertipped and gets paid less. Sorry, bud, but that’s about as cheap as it gets.”

Read the rest of this entry »

As part of my ongoing investigation into tipping customs, I’m putting together a survey. Please take a moment to fill it out– it’s quick and easy!

Click Here to take survey

I’ll publish the results in an upcoming post. If there’s anything else you’d like covered, please drop a note in the comments. Thanks!

The reasons for tipping in restaurants are pretty straightforward—servers make their living entirely on tips. But what about people who are otherwise paid a standard wage? Is the mere act of doing something for another person eligible for a gratuity?

To help answer this, let’s examine something else very near and dear to my heart: Blogging. You might see a tenuous comparison at best, but bear in mind—a great many blogs are written in coffee shops. Considering the amount of time that goes into researching, writing and publishing posts, should bloggers be compensated by their readers? Or at least given gift cards for additional lattes?

Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite things about dining abroad and in high end restaurants is the fact that service is often included. It’s a refreshing change of pace to reach the end of a fine meal, hand over a credit card and be done without having to bother with math. Sure, I work with spreadsheets and write for a personal finance blog in my spare time, but seriously there are times I just don’t want to deal with figuring out payments. But is it really practical to do away with gratuity? Lets look at the pros and cons.

Pros

It would neatly alleviate any question of how much to tip on alcohol, tax, desserts, freebies etc. Interviews with restaurant owners and employees regularly show that the disbursement of tips vary wildly between establishments and opinions on what is proper even more so. Etiquette books like to think they provide some standards but tipping is a custom, not a law, and only enforceable insofar as it is commonly understood. If instead of adding gratuity, a restaurant just added 20% (or whatever upfront, there would be no confusion… And no post-dinner sticker shock when the bill arrived.

Second it would relieve waiters and the IRS of the nightmare of accounting for unrecorded cash transactions and ensure taxes were paid appropriately. If you’re a server with poor sales you’ll be taxed accordingly, as will servers who make bank. Not to accuse all service professionals of taking their cash under the table, but those who do create a problem that ultimately impacts their fellow taxpayers.

Read the rest of this entry »

My friends and I enjoyed a very fine bottle of Bordeaux on a half-priced wine night at a local four-star establishment. To make the most of the discount we went for something in the $600 range. However, we were given an even more expensive vintage because the sommelier insisted it was drinking better. At the end of the meal, we were presented with the bill and the issue of gratuity came up for hushed discussion.

There’s an argument either way about what to tip on items discounted by the restaurant, but for the sake of this post let’s just assume that it was an even $600. Normally we’d tip 20% on the full price of an item, but $120 in addition to a $300 dinner seemed a bit… disproportionate. On items where the cost can rise astronomically beyond the price of the food, where do you draw the line for good service? Or is there a line?

When I started this series, it was my hope to research and present some of the more arcane rules of tipping etiquette. I am very unhappy to report that there do not seem to be any rules; only vague cultural mores and confusion. Not even so-called authorities can seem to agree on whether there’s a cap or not. Not that they ever acknowledge differing opinions exist. Reading the various message boards, one quickly finds that this issue tends to spark a lot of heated responses and the two basic attitudes seem to go as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

I try to get along well with everyone. While I may disagree with another’s opinions or find their behaviors distasteful, I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t be civil. But there is one person for whom I have an unabashed dislike. And as fate would have it she was working at the takeout counter when I went to pick up an order at a local restaurant.

To call the situation awkward is an understatement. But we managed to play our respective roles of “customer” and “server” and she rung up my order. Of course I later checked my Amex to ensure no additional charges had been pushed through, and fortunately my food was not poisoned. But I digress. She presented me with the bill and above the signature line was the tip.

My total was $11.34. But first… a little background is in order.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all found ourselves in situations where we were unsure of what to tip or whether it was proper to do so at all. While a number of establishments are beginning to eschew tips in favor included gratuity, an even greater number of new “fast casual” restaurant concepts are emerging that leave us with uncertain expectations. And depending on who you ask, the expectations of what’s proper can vary immensely.

Tip jars are a ubiquitous feature of almost every coffee shop and lunch counter. We tip the barista but not the fast food employee—even though we’re just getting coffee at each place. If it’s such an inconsistent and confusing system, why do 80% of Americans support the practice? Read the rest of this entry »