Tipping

[ClutchFork]

I usually self checkout at the supermarket. I always pump my own fuel; don't recall visiting a state that did not have self serve. Haven't taken a train in ages, if ever. Took a taxi once in the 1990s and I did tip the guy. But no I don't have to tip every low paid worker out there and I don't have to be consistent on tipping across all types of services. If I thought the people who work at some place (food or otherwise) didn't like me, or if the service was poor, I would go somewhere else.

The only reason I asked was because I wanted to see if you were genuinely tipping because you're just a nice guy helping out people in low-paying jobs. Or if it really had something to do with a fear of getting a booger in your burger.

I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

These people gave me good service, so I tip. If it is not typical to tip the guy who assembles your sandwich at Subway, so be it. I'm just saying that when you tip regularly at the same place, they will tend to have more regard for you, take a little extra care in preparing your food, etc. The booger in the burger is generally reserved for the jerk customer, except in situations like in the video you posted. I really never had a fear that anyone was going to booger my burger or anything like that. Further, you can't do anything about the food service worker who doesn't bother to wash his hands after using the toilet.

Not sure why you keep latching on to fear as my motivation. Merriam-Webster online says that fear is

an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.

I have never felt that with regard to having someone prepare my food.

Now if I go back to my original post on this topic, I can see that I overstated the case:

The tipped staff will be less likely to skimp on your future orders and it will help avoid unknown additions to your food, such as the food service worker who might spit in your food if he doesn't like you.

As has been discussed, the additions to your food primarily happen if you are a jerk to the food service workers. Tipping probably won't make a difference in that case, or if they just plain don't like you no matter how nice you may be.

[Shadow]

Not sure why you keep latching on to fear as my motivation.

Simple answer: Because you said this:

Actually, I think it is a good idea to tip on carry out. The tipped staff will be less likely to skimp on your future orders and it will help avoid unknown additions to your food, such as the food service worker who might spit in your food if he doesn't like you.

You're the one who mentioned that tipping for takeout is a good idea to avoid "additions" to your food. Sounds to me like your tipping for takeout is motivated by fear.

Furthermore, I asked you if you ever tip supermarket cashiers, gas station attendants, and the ticket guy on a train. But instead of answering yes or no, you avoided the question by telling me that you usually do the self-checkout at the supermarket, you don't ever get gas without pumping it yourself, and you don't remember ever taking a train. Okay, terrific. I get it. But since you usually do self-checkout at the supermarket, that means that you sometimes do use the services of the cashier. So again I'll ask--do you tip the cashier at the supermarket on the rare occasion when you're not at the self-checkout line? If your answer is no, then why not? Is a cashier somehow less deserving of a tip compared to the takeout guy? Or is it because the cashier can't spit in your food?

That's the whole point right there. You mentioned that you tip food service workers because you don't want any additions in your food, but when I ask about other low-wage workers, you refuse to say if you tip them or not. And if you don't, then why not? So tell me, what is it about food service workers that makes you want to tip them when you pick up your takeout food?

[ClutchFork]

You're the one who mentioned that tipping for takeout is a good idea to avoid "additions" to your food. Sounds to me like your tipping for takeout is motivated by fear.

And I noted in my last post that I probably overstated my case. And while it does not look like tipping would prevent the food additions (that kind of person is not likely to respond to kindness anyway), it still is a good idea as I stated before because they are likely to take extra care in preparing your food. That is not fear. No I never tip a cashier at a grocery, nor the packer, and it's the packer who ought to be tipped, but I don't care to tip someone who puts groceries in a major disarray in the bags, which is why I prefer self checkout, so I can pack the way I like it to be packed. I did tip at one grocery where the packer wheeled the cart out to the car one time, can't remember why they did that. And I knew I would never see the taxi driver again, but tipped him anyway. So yes, I think it is smart to tip food service workers where it can influence them to do a good job with your food (if someone is just handing you a bag that was packed in the back room it would make no difference) in the same way that I think it is smart to be pleasant in dealing with them and not verbally abuse them. You can call if fear if you want, but I never feel apprehension walking into a food service establishment even if I don't tip.

[Shadow]

Okay...no problem. It's really not a big deal. I think you were taking the word "fear" too literally though.... I mean, you even went so far as to look up the definition and post the result. Fear can also be defined as "anxious concern", which would be a better fit for my intended purposes. Either way, I'll just drop it at this point because it's going nowhere anyway

[ClutchFork]

Okay...no problem. It's really not a big deal. I think you were taking the word "fear" too literally though.... I mean, you even went so far as to look up the definition and post the result. Fear can also be defined as "anxious concern", which would be a better fit for my intended purposes. Either way, I'll just drop it at this point because it's going nowhere anyway

Okie dokie.

[six]

I thought it was customary to tip taxi drivers...

There was this one time, I took a cab in San Francisco. I tipped the driver by paying him a $10 when the fare was only around $6 (a nearly 70% tip), and told him to keep the change. However, I didn't hand him the $10, I sort of just dropped it into the front seat through the partition. I didn't really mean to do that, and I felt really bad. Once I realized what I had done, he'd driven away, so I didn't get a chance to apologize. I think he thought I was rude

[theholycow]

^I've done things like that. I don't remember what they were, but I know that awkward regret.

[ClutchFork]

I thought it was customary to tip taxi drivers...

There was this one time, I took a cab in San Francisco. I tipped the driver by paying him a $10 when the fare was only around $6 (a nearly 70% tip), and told him to keep the change. However, I didn't hand him the $10, I sort of just dropped it into the front seat through the partition. I didn't really mean to do that, and I felt really bad. Once I realized what I had done, he'd driven away, so I didn't get a chance to apologize. I think he thought I was rude

I must be naive. If I were a cabbie and someone gave me a 70% tip, I would not be offended. Actually would be worried that he didn't understand the fare and overpaid.

[AHTOXA]

Why would someone spit in my food? That has to be really provoked and I highly doubt I would ever provoke that.

[Shadow]

I thought it was customary to tip taxi drivers...

It is....most people do tip taxi drivers. However, I'm not sure how much of a tip is customary. Maybe it's a percentage of the total fare?

[potownrob]

Agreed. In retrospect I realize that today I should not have tipped at all, because the whole vibe was that I inconvenienced him by being there and him having to bring me food.

he might've just been having a bad day (as usual??) but, either way, sounds like he doesn't belong in that job.

At the end, I wasn't even asked if I was finished or wanted another beer, I was just brought a check. Nothing says 'get out, hurry' more than that.

that happened to me at red robin (glorified burger joint) - waitress brought me my check without even offering to refill my drink or fries. the manager could be seen hustling the kitchen staff to get things cleaned up and she told someone to lock the door 10 minutes before closing. even though i determined that it probably wasn't the waitress' fault, i docked her tip, since i was deprived of my free refills and was rushed out, and ultimately she didn't give me much service.

On a tangent - has anyone ever worked in an industry where your income was based on tips? Have you experienced your coworkers having a self of entitlement to receive a tip? I think that's basically what's going on with many sub-par workers in the service industry.

i worked at pizza hut, which is essentially a bootleg restaurant. we made like 3.50 or some nonsense and so depended on tips. it was just a summer job for me (between school years in college), but (don't laugh too hard now) there were career waiters there who did things to get bigger tips or otherwise make more money, and they were not happy if they didn't get the tips they expected. i don't remember much of the bitching and moaning you hear about these days, but the tips were a big part of their pay. most of the career waiters were fired from relatively better restaurants (e.g. olive garden??) for doing bad things and/or not showing up on time. most were probably on drugs, along with most of the kitchen staff and probably half of the managers. one of the veteran servers ran a scheme where he'd run one tab for two tables who got the same thing and pocket the cash from one of the tables.

[theholycow]

At the end, I wasn't even asked if I was finished or wanted another beer, I was just brought a check. Nothing says 'get out, hurry' more than that.

that happened to me at red robin (glorified burger joint) - waitress brought me my check without even offering to refill my drink or fries. the manager could be seen hustling the kitchen staff to get things cleaned up and she told someone to lock the door 10 minutes before closing. even though i determined that it probably wasn't the waitress' fault, i docked her tip, since i was deprived of my free refills and was rushed out, and ultimately she didn't give me much service.

One of my biggest annoyances is when I'm sitting there, itching to leave, and they won't bring me the bill. It's as if I have nothing better to do than sit at a table in a restaurant hearing all the noise of the other patrons and such. It's like the restaurant version of rev-hang.

When everyone at my table appears to be done, I'd prefer they come right over with the bill, ask if there's anything else we want, offer dessert (if applicable), and if we say no then hand over the bill. Most of the time I already have my cash or plastic out and I could glance at the bill, see that the price is as expected, and hand it right back. However, I know that it would occasionally waste time to print and bring a bill to a table that turns out not to be finished, so it would be acceptable for them to come right over without it and if we say no then go print it and bring it.

Even if they hand me the bill without asking if I want something else I won't be afraid to say "Actually I'd like another beer."

[AHTOXA]

Well, I don't like either extreme, whether it be sitting there waiting for the check or sitting there and not getting the check. There are a few local places that I like, which have very attentive wait staff and they are always there at the right time bringing me another beer or what not. Those are the places I love and where I tip really well. Not only do the waitresses come up at all the right times, they also don't come up at all the wrong times. You know some waiters will come up right after you got your food? I know they are supposed to make sure I got everything, but I can't tell you anything anyway because my mouth is stuffed with my burger. Then you have to make some apologetic gestures or nod in acceptance.

[theholycow]

Once my food is in front of me, my mouth is full until my plate is empty...there's no such thing as a good time to ask me if it's right. There's no need to feel awkward, just give them the thumbs up, works every time.

[AHTOXA]

I'm sure I've used the thumbs up before, but more often I use the "another beer sign". It's basically the 'aloha' sign with your pinky and thumb that you hold vertically while imitating a drinking gesture by moving it toward your mouth.