S/O- advice on tipping & where to draw the line

[plain jane]

I could really use some IRL advice on tipping. I've done a few google searches and frankly, I have to admit I'm shocked at how many services are listed as tip-worthy. Not only that, but how MUCH I'm expected to tip over and above the fee I am already paying.

 

I guess I grew up in the dark ages and have lead a "sheltered" life in this regard. My google search came up with the following:

 

appliance delivery: $20/person (Yikes! I already paid the store $50/appliance to have them delivered) All these people are doing are dropping them in my garage.

 

movers: $50/head person $30/ea for rest (I'm not even GOING to say how much the movers cost!)

 

roofers: $50/head person $30/ea for the rest (again HOW much are we already paying the roofers??!!)

 

Ok. Sorry. Clearly I lived in the dark ages. I can't believe how much this stuff all costs. And what's the point of paying for a service if you're only going to pay more above and beyond?? I should negotiate the tip into the original price. If my movers quoted me x, I should have agreed to x - tip. :tongue_smilie:

 

How do you all deal with all these extra costs and "hidden" expectations. I figured paying $150 to the store for my appliances was more than enough. Had I known I'd be paying another $40, I'd have picked them up myself. Yeesh.

[Alenee]

We tipped our moving men when we moved in here last August. Each was given $20. These guys were AWESOME which is why we did it. Had they been merely adequate, I doubt we would've tipped them. Otherwise, we've only tipped servers and hair dressers. Oh and we tip our coffee girls because they know our drinks and have it ready for us when we drive up to the window. I *think* that's it. I personally can't stand all this hype about tipping everybody and their brother. I've *never* even thought about tipping any other kind of service person. It's the one's who get paid minimum wage and still try to do an excellent job that earn my tips.

[RoughCollie]

I never heard of tipping the roofers.

 

I tip appliance delivery people if they also install the appliance (like a dishwasher).

 

I tip the pizza guy, waiters/waitresses, my hairdresser, and the dog groomer. The reason I tip the groomer (who is an employee, not the owner) is that he does a great job on my dog and I think he probably doesn't make a whole lot of money.

 

When we moved 13 years ago, DH tipped the movers. They did a great, careful job, and it took them all day and into the night (until past 10 p.m.) to do it. They even set up our bed for us, which is a big deal when you've got 3 babies to take care of along with moving.

 

I don't tip anyone else, that I can recall.

 

RC

[Amy in NH]

Um. NO.

 

We pay a tip for the server at a restaurant, the delivery driver if we order pizza (which we don't), and round up the bill for the hairdresser. But that's it. I know you're supposed to leave a tip in your room for should be cleaning staff when you stay in a hotel, but I never do.

 

We are charged a lot of money for the other services you mentioned, and the companies should be paying their employees a living wage.

[LG Gone Wild]

other than that, no way. It's too costly. I have to watch my pocket just like roofers and what not.

[HRAAB]

We tip waitresses/waiters in restaurants. We would tip pizza delivery if we ever had pizza delivered.

 

I have never tipped an appliance delivery person. I wouldn't tip a roofer - we are pricing re-roofing right now. $$$$$$ I tip the gal that cuts my hair.

 

That's it. Tipping just gets out of control in my opinion. I cannot afford it.

 

Probably a good thing we don't buy many appliances. We just replaced our 30 year old range last Christmas.

 

Janet

[Tammy]

is....people EXPECT it now. It is no longer a showing of gratitude.

 

Tammy

[Shenan]

I could really use some IRL advice on tipping. I've done a few google searches and frankly, I have to admit I'm shocked at how many services are listed as tip-worthy. Not only that, but how MUCH I'm expected to tip over and above the fee I am already paying.

 

I guess I grew up in the dark ages and have lead a "sheltered" life in this regard. My google search came up with the following:

 

appliance delivery: $20/person (Yikes! I already paid the store $50/appliance to have them delivered) All these people are doing are dropping them in my garage.

 

movers: $50/head person $30/ea for rest (I'm not even GOING to say how much the movers cost!)

 

roofers: $50/head person $30/ea for the rest (again HOW much are we already paying the roofers??!!)

 

Ok. Sorry. Clearly I lived in the dark ages. I can't believe how much this stuff all costs. And what's the point of paying for a service if you're only going to pay more above and beyond?? I should negotiate the tip into the original price. If my movers quoted me x, I should have agreed to x - tip. :tongue_smilie:

 

How do you all deal with all these extra costs and "hidden" expectations. I figured paying $150 to the store for my appliances was more than enough. Had I known I'd be paying another $40, I'd have picked them up myself. Yeesh.

 

 

These companies/retailers pay a certain hourly/per job wage to the workers. What you are paying for when you purchase something or need repair is the amount that it cost the company to purchase said item, supplies required for the job, cover their overhead (electric, gas, rent, etc.), all the middlemen (companies/deliveries) in between who work to get those items to their store/company PLUS a mark-up charge so the company can make a profit from the job. Most of these companies do not offer 'bonuses' to the delivery drivers or repairman for doing the required-in their job title- job.

 

HOWEVER, some companies (i.e. roofers/installers) will charge a certain amount of $$$ per hour for their workers in their contracts that you agree/sign to pay for said job. For instance, dh's (dh is a commercial HVAC superintendant) company charges something like $400 per hour for dh services. BUT dh barely makes a tenth of that!!! This is all part of the companies profit/mark-up for said job. It only filters down to a minimal 'normal going rate' wage to the physical worker himself.

 

This is why people shop around for the better deals. The company will make less of a profit but the worker/delivery man is still getting his per hour/per job wage....

 

Tipping, IMHO, should be based on your own personal feelings of the job the worker has completed for you. If you feel the worker has gone above and beyond the call of his 'normal required job title', then by all means tip him and let him know how you appreciate that. If not...don't tip him...

 

Now, we did not tip our roofers, because the roofer who did the job was in business for himself.. He didn't have any overhead. What he charged for his workers (which was a better than average wage for roofers) went to his workers.

 

If in doubt as to what the workers/repairmen make...ask??? It may seem rude to you... but you will find that many are more than happy to discuss what little pay they make and how their company treats the employee's who really make the profits for the company...Then you would be better able to understand whether you feel compelled to tip or not...It may also explain why you never see the same repairman twice.:glare:.. I would caution you against tipping the guy who complains about his company the second he walks through your door. Those guys have the wrong attitude about their job in the first place and are basically never happy at any company they work for. Those guys never get tipped at our house.

 

HTH,

Shenan

[plain jane]

These companies/retailers pay a certain hourly/per job wage to the workers. What you are paying for when you purchase something or need repair is the amount that it cost the company to purchase said item, supplies required for the job, cover their overhead (electric, gas, rent, etc.), all the middlemen (companies/deliveries) in between who work to get those items to their store/company PLUS a mark-up charge so the company can make a profit from the job. Most of these companies do not offer 'bonuses' to the delivery drivers or repairman for doing the required-in their job title- job.

 

HOWEVER, some companies (i.e. roofers/installers) will charge a certain amount of $$$ per hour for their workers in their contracts that you agree/sign to pay for said job. For instance, dh's (dh is a commercial HVAC superintendant) company charges something like $400 per hour for dh services. BUT dh barely makes a tenth of that!!! This is all part of the companies profit/mark-up for said job. It only filters down to a minimal 'normal going rate' wage to the physical worker himself.

 

This is why people shop around for the better deals. The company will make less of a profit but the worker/delivery man is still getting his per hour/per job wage....

 

Tipping, IMHO, should be based on your own personal feelings of the job the worker has completed for you. If you feel the worker has gone above and beyond the call of his 'normal required job title', then by all means tip him and let him know how you appreciate that. If not...don't tip him...

 

Now, we did not tip our roofers, because the roofer who did the job was in business for himself.. He didn't have any overhead. What he charged for his workers (which was a better than average wage for roofers) went to his workers.

 

If in doubt as to what the workers/repairmen make...ask??? It may seem rude to you... but you will find that many are more than happy to discuss what little pay they make and how their company treats the employee's who really make the profits for the company...Then you would be better able to understand whether you feel compelled to tip or not...It may also explain why you never see the same repairman twice.:glare:.. I would caution you against tipping the guy who complains about his company the second he walks through your door. Those guys have the wrong attitude about their job in the first place and are basically never happy at any company they work for. Those guys never get tipped at our house.

 

HTH,

Shenan

 

Thanks for posting. I understand this, I really do. I guess it's just frustrating as a consumer who is in need of these services. It feels like there is no end to the $$ I have to spend.:glare: I have a bottom line too and dh's wages aren't paid to him so I can supplement the wages of others.

 

I find that tipping in this nature is such a "hidden" cost. I assumed that a person works for a company because they agreed to work for the wage offered. I am paying that company for a service and it shouldn't be my responsibility if that worker is displeased with his wage. Or, if tipping is the "norm" for that industry, like it is in a restaurant, then maybe it should be noted on the bill. Heck, almost everyone's dh on this board could go around and grumble about how little they get paid in comparison to what their employer makes but we don't all expect to be tipped by the general public to compensate for that, do we? What ever happened to people doing their job well (and taking pride in what they do) because that is their responsibility as an adult? Why do I feel like I'm tipping someone for a job well done when really a good job should simply be expected, shouldn't it? I didn't hire movers expecting that they would throw my furniture around? Why should I tip them because the don't?? What has become of our society?

 

Argh. Sorry. Thanks for letting me vent. :D

[Nestof3]

I only tip waitresses/waiters -- they made $2.13 when I was waiting tables. I never understood the tipping of people earning a regular wage.

[Caroline]

I am one of those crazy people who tip all sorts of people. Hairdressers, waitstaff, pizza delivery, roofers, tree cutting down people, yard worker people, hotel cleaning staff, flower delivery people, carpet installers... You name them, I tip them. I am just so happy that there are people out there in the world who do those things for me. You certainly don't have to tip everyone. But because I tipped the guy who worked on my fridge, when he came back to install the new part, he fixed my garbage disposal at no cost. I tipped him for that, too. I tip well, so my hairdresser is willing to work late every once in a while to fit me in. I like to do it, but I don't think that means everyone has to.

[Shenan]

Thanks for posting. I understand this, I really do. I guess it's just frustrating as a consumer who is in need of these services. It feels like there is no end to the $$ I have to spend.:glare: I have a bottom line too and dh's wages aren't paid to him so I can supplement the wages of others.

 

I find that tipping in this nature is such a "hidden" cost. I assumed that a person works for a company because they agreed to work for the wage offered. I am paying that company for a service and it shouldn't be my responsibility if that worker is displeased with his wage. Or, if tipping is the "norm" for that industry, like it is in a restaurant, then maybe it should be noted on the bill. Heck, almost everyone's dh on this board could go around and grumble about how little they get paid in comparison to what their employer makes but we don't all expect to be tipped by the general public to compensate for that, do we?

 

Argh. Sorry. Thanks for letting me vent. :D

 

I am with you on the frustration and bottom line wages.. This is why we only tip those who we feel went above and beyond. These guys who go to customers homes can tell who makes the $$$ and who is just like them, barely putting food on the table...Which is why they don't expect a tip. Some of the repairmen's horror stories are usually about the homes who are $$$$. Those customers are usually more picky about certain things, i.e. calling and complaining when repairman stepped off the carpet they were suppose to stay on while moving a 400 pound plus appliance by himself, or the dishwasher is still too noisy for them after repairman fixed it, etc. etc. Someone complained about dh once because he ruined their flowers that were planted directly next to the AC unit he had to work on. What was he suppose to do? Dig them up and set them aside to protect them. (Something not required in his job title but the complaint is now on record. However, if he had decided to help save this persons precious flowers I would hope they would have tipped him for going above and beyond.):tongue_smilie:. Most repairmen enjoy working for the guy who truly appreciates what they are doing for them. I couldn't tell you how grateful (6 kids and no washer is like living a nightmare) I was to our washing machine repairman (and no he didn't get tipped because he didn't do anything to go above and beyond). He was happy that I was happy, if you know what I mean....:)

 

You are right, a person agrees to work for a company for the wages stated. And you shouldn't be tipping him because he earns such a low wage (low wages are a norm for the blue collar industry) but you should tip him because he is doing a service that is above and beyond what is job requires of him. In other words don't expect to pay a 'hidden' cost because he makes a low wage, expect to pay the hidden cost IF you believe he/she went above and beyond. Like most thankless jobs it is nice to know SOMEONE appreciated the work they did....;) (the boss sure isn't going to tell him) Whether the appreciation is verbal or monetary. However, monetary is always a nice added bonus, especially when most companies/retailers idea of a Christmas bonus is $25 or $50. If you can't afford to tip (as in most of our cases) be sure to express your gratitude and maybe even go the extra length to call the company he works for and compliment the employee for his above and beyond duties (as long as the above and beyond won't get him fired, some companies will fire an employee for some things customers request, i.e. discounts, spare parts, etc.) Many compliments on record could push the employee closer to a promotion which usually comes with a raise...;)

 

Bear with me as I tell you this short story.......

I had a food delivery driver once at christmas EXPECT a tip from me. First of all, this was his first time to our house, he was not our normal delivery man. Our normal delivery guy never EXPECTED a tip and was more customer service oriented than this guy was and the delivery company for whom he works for actually frowns on tipping their drivers. I couldn't believe his audacity to EXPECT it!!!! I politely informed him that I was not going to tip him because he was not my normal delivery guy and second because the service they had been providing lately was terrible and that I knew they could do better. He left in a little huff and I later found out (from our normal delivery guy) that he has always been an unhappy employee, you know the ones I spoke about earlier...Wrong attitude about there job and never happy....

 

Just my 2 cents.....

[Mom to Aly]

I'm from NYC, and I used to tip everybody--there you do. When I first moved to VA, the movers (whom I tipped) dirtied our brand new white sofas (pre-kids) and I tipped the people who came out to clean them. They didn't realize until they'd gotten to their truck, and they came RUNNING back, full speed, and HUGGED me, so I sort of got the idea that wasn't the norm here.

 

I've come to realize, the norm is, waitstaff, hairdressers (10%-20% as you like from what a friend who is a hair dresser has told me), food delivery (10% is the norm for that, especially if there is a delivery fee), and anything that is manual labor that you feel like doing (not delivery of furniture, etc.). My xh and I owned a moving company for 7 years (long story) and our movers were tipped anywhere from $2 each to $100 each--some people who loved them seemed to have no idea to tip, others were over generous. Moving is a business where you normally tip, and average would be $10-$20 unless they were there forever, and that is if you are really happy with their services.

 

Otherwise, I tip if someone does something above and beyond for me, life if the lawn guy (oh, how I wish I had one!!) decides to trim a bush for me, something I would normally have to pay extra for, but he doesn't charge me for, you know? Oh, and I have to say, the luggage thing does get me. They grab your bag, run off with it, drop it at the airline 10 ft away and you have to pay them? At the airport, I mean! That one makes me mad!!!

[Shenan]

I am one of those crazy people who tip all sorts of people. Hairdressers, waitstaff, pizza delivery, roofers, tree cutting down people, yard worker people, hotel cleaning staff, flower delivery people, carpet installers... You name them, I tip them. I am just so happy that there are people out there in the world who do those things for me. You certainly don't have to tip everyone. But because I tipped the guy who worked on my fridge, when he came back to install the new part, he fixed my garbage disposal at no cost. I tipped him for that, too. I tip well, so my hairdresser is willing to work late every once in a while to fit me in. I like to do it, but I don't think that means everyone has to.

 

:iagree:

 

They are more willing to go above and beyond the call of their job requirements when they know someone truly 'appreciates' what they are doing for them. Whether the appreciation is verbal or monetary. People and repairmen like positive feedback!!!!

[Joanne]

I spent age 11 - 25 in the food service industry. I'm still amazed - and aghast - at the people who do not know that wait staff is paid at below minimum wage, lawfully!

 

 

 

 

appliance delivery: $20/person (Yikes! I already paid the store $50/appliance to have them delivered) All these people are doing are dropping them in my garage.

 

movers: $50/head person $30/ea for rest (I'm not even GOING to say how much the movers cost!)

 

roofers: $50/head person $30/ea for the rest (again HOW much are we already paying the roofers??!!)

 

With the exception of the roofers, you are paying the company the employs the workers. What percentage of that arrangement makes it to the workers you have contact with is much smaller.

 

I tip whenever I can. Indeed, I would choose not to hire or engage a service if I could not also provide a tip.

[gardenschooler]

 

 

 

I guess I grew up in the dark ages and have lead a "sheltered" life in this regard.

 

 

 

 

I guess I have, too. It would never occur to me to tip a mover or an appliance repairman or deliveryman. I don't know if I'm for it or against it, I just had no idea you were even supposed to tip them, or that anyone did.

[gardenschooler]

I am one of those crazy people who tip all sorts of people. Hairdressers, waitstaff, pizza delivery, roofers, tree cutting down people, yard worker people, hotel cleaning staff, flower delivery people, carpet installers... You name them, I tip them. I am just so happy that there are people out there in the world who do those things for me. You certainly don't have to tip everyone. But because I tipped the guy who worked on my fridge, when he came back to install the new part, he fixed my garbage disposal at no cost. I tipped him for that, too. I tip well, so my hairdresser is willing to work late every once in a while to fit me in. I like to do it, but I don't think that means everyone has to.

 

I don't think it's crazy - most of those you listed I think everyone knows to tip. I'm just confused about the roofers, lawn service people, carpet installers, and the like. I have never heard of tipping for those services!

 

On the other hand, I always tip the others you listed. I guess I just never thought about services provided at my home being something you'd tip, although most of that has been with individuals who work for themselves, so at least in my faux pas I have the consolation that they probably weren't expecting it.

 

:confused:

[Frankie]

I just tipped my movers. My dad passed away and it was easier for me to hire a mover for the stuff I wanted than for DH to take off work and drive two days, or for me to pull a U-Haul. It was a small load, so I tipped the loaders $20 each.

 

The guy who delievered our stuff was fantastic -- friendly, careful, kind and considerate. I handed him $50 and he refused it. We had a little bantering back and forth and he finally accepted $20. In that case, I really wanted to tip him because he went above and beyond -- delivered my stuff on July 4th, alone. He was strong.

 

We don't purchase much that requires tipping. 20% at restaurants, unless the service stinks -- then we only give 15. I cut DH and DS's hair (against my wishes!!!) and so I only have to tip when I get my hair cut, usually 15%. DH delivers appliances and stuff himself, so I've never had to tip -- but I would.

 

I wouldn't tip roofers because here they make good money. We have a couple friends in that field.

 

I do tip at motels when I am doing extended stays. I usually leave only $5 for the cleaning staff.

 

I *always* tip the poor kids who load my groceries. I only give $2, but they appreciate it so much because no one ever tips them. I figure they can buy a soda on their break.

 

Now, if only I got tipped for doing a great job on the homeschooling, cleaning, paying the bills on time, getting the laundry done, grocery shopping, cooking -- my pay is miserable. lol I guess a great family makes up for that, though. :tongue_smilie: