Nice Planet 2011

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Here's a question I'm not sure about.

I go to a Chinese place and get something for pickup (not like a lunch special, an actual meal for pickup.) Do I need to tip?

If I'm going in somewhere to only pick up something at a counter, I don't tip. As far as I'm concerned that's no different than getting a burger at Wendy's or burrito at Chipotle, and you don't tip at those places.

[Almington]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Question: What do people tip in a buffet setting, where the waiter/waitress really only brings you a drink and the check and just leaves you alone to stuff yourself the rest of the time? I always feel like I tip too much in those situations.

I'd tip the cost of my drink if they kept my drink reasonably full over the course of my meal, in my mind it no different than tipping at a bar if you get a non-alcoholic drink (because you were stuck being the DD for the group) it shows that you appreciate the effort and time that they put in.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

I'd tip the cost of my drink if they kept my drink reasonably full over the course of my meal, in my mind it no different than tipping at a bar if you get a non-alcoholic drink (because you were stuck being the DD for the group) it shows that you appreciate the effort and time that they put in.

Ok, that is usually about what I do, about 2 bucks for a chinese buffet kind of setting where they are filling my drink.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

But at least now you have some spiffy anecdotes about bullying people on a message board about their tipping practices, so you have that going for you...

There really, truly is such a thing as horrible service. Just as a generous tip sends a message of appreciation, a low tip sends a message of dissatisfaction. Now, if a particular person is habitually tipping 5%, what are the odds that he just happens to get crappy service *all* the time vs. the odds that he's just a jerk looking for any possible excuse? Pretty clear to me.

Let me ask all of you people who feel a moral imperative to stiff a working class person for failing to provide the level of service you think you're entitled to: what do you do when your doctor makes you wait 45 minutes because "we're running late today?" Do you refuse to pay for the office visit? Demand a free visit in the future? Get a new doctor? Complain? What? I'm guessing nothing. The distinction, of course, is that you have the power to stiff the working class person by withholding your gratuity, accompanied by harrumphing about how you hope "she gets the message" and improves her service, especially to you. In the case of the doctor, you don't have the power or the stones.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

But at least now you have some spiffy anecdotes about bullying people on a message board about their tipping practices, so you have that going for you...

There really, truly is such a thing as horrible service. Just as a generous tip sends a message of appreciation, a low tip sends a message of dissatisfaction. Now, if a particular person is habitually tipping 5%, what are the odds that he just happens to get crappy service *all* the time vs. the odds that he's just a jerk looking for any possible excuse? Pretty clear to me.

Well, the answer to your hypothetical would depend on whether he customarily ate in the same establishment. Word would quickly get around about your lousy tipper in that case, to be sure. Generally, if you are a regular customer, my experience has been that you get better service, assuming you're not the "flaming sword of retribution" for lousy service.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

If I sucked at my job, I wouldn't expect to get paid.

[aygwm2]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Let me ask all of you people who feel a moral imperative to stiff a working class person for failing to provide the level of service you think you're entitled to: what do you do when your doctor makes you wait 45 minutes because "we're running late today?" Do you refuse to pay for the office visit? Demand a free visit in the future? Get a new doctor? Complain? What? I'm guessing nothing. The distinction, of course, is that you have the power to stiff the working class person by withholding your gratuity, accompanied by harrumphing about how you hope "she gets the message" and improves her service, especially to you. In the case of the doctor, you don't have the power or the stones.

Well said!

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

If I sucked at my job, I wouldn't expect to get paid.

Somebody who "sucks" at their job would be fired so the question of gratuity withholding wouldn't come up. Especially since all of you experts on what constitutes bad service and what to do about it have uniformly rejected my suggestion of mentioning the bad service to management. You wish to be judge and jury and to impose your punishment without consulting or informing anyone else. Except when you brag about it later. And recount your bravery in pushing a working person around,.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Somebody who "sucks" at their job would be fired so the question of gratuity withholding wouldn't come up. Especially since all of you experts on what constitutes bad service and what to do about it have uniformly rejected my suggestion of mentioning the bad service to management. You wish to be judge and jury and to impose your punishment without consulting or informing anyone else. Except when you brag about it later. And recount your bravery in pushing a working person around,.

Since you're directing this at me, I want to remind you, I never told any story about giving a ****ty tip, I never bragged about anything. But continue to act like you always do, we all expect it of you, and really, I don't think you even get under anyone's skin anymore because it is just so **** predictable.

[Foxton]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Since you're directing this at me, I want to remind you, I never told any story about giving a ****ty tip, I never bragged about anything. But continue to act like you always do, we all expect it of you, and really, I don't think you even get under anyone's skin anymore because it is just so **** predictable.

He seems particularly riled up over low level functionaries not receiving extra money. Hopefully he didn't lose out on too many tips in order to share his hard earned wisdom.

[Almington]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Let me ask all of you people who feel a moral imperative to stiff a working class person for failing to provide the level of service you think you're entitled to: what do you do when your doctor makes you wait 45 minutes because "we're running late today?" Do you refuse to pay for the office visit? Demand a free visit in the future? Get a new doctor? Complain? What? I'm guessing nothing. The distinction, of course, is that you have the power to stiff the working class person by withholding your gratuity, accompanied by harrumphing about how you hope "she gets the message" and improves her service, especially to you. In the case of the doctor, you don't have the power or the stones.

People tend to have an ongoing relationship with many professionals. How often have I been going to that doctor? How often have I been made to wait? Would I keep going back to anyone who always kept me waiting for an appointment? Not unless I had some very strong reason for doing so. When I've been given a window by my cable company and they have missed the window I have called and complained and they have given me a statement credit. I've had regular servers who have had "off" days and I gave them the same tip I always do when I would not have for someone I had not have had before, but the regular has earned that leeway, just like the lawyer, doctor, dentist or accountant or any other professional who I have been seeing for years.

I have a obligation to pay for the meal that I ordered even if it turns out that I don't really like it. A tip is optional and is given as additional compensation for services rendered.

[UncleRay]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

It's been a snowy day (finally). So we went into town after supper to meet some friends for a few beers. Mrs. UR ordered some chocolates for dessert and, after trying some of the sesame one, wondered aloud if it had peanuts. I said, no, we were told it was sesame. When I ate the other half I realized why she asked the question - it tasted like peanuts. So I tried to discretely find the server after a few minutes not wanting to get my wife wound up. The server wasn't sure, the bartender she asked wasn't sure, the boxes apparently weren't fully labeled, but she offered to look it up online. She found the chocolatier, and the particular chocolate in question. No peanuts mentioned. Since I hadn't gone into anaphylactic shock by the time we decided it was time to go, she got a fat tip. Pio will now probably pontificate that I pi55ed my money away thanking her for doing a job she was expected to do anyway.

[Almington]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

It's been a snowy day (finally). So we went into town after supper to meet some friends for a few beers. Mrs. UR ordered some chocolates for dessert and, after trying some of the sesame one, wondered aloud if it had peanuts. I said, no, we were told it was sesame. When I ate the other half I realized why she asked the question - it tasted like peanuts. So I tried to discretely find the server after a few minutes not wanting to get my wife wound up. The server wasn't sure, the bartender she asked wasn't sure, the boxes apparently weren't fully labeled, but she offered to look it up online. She found the chocolatier, and the particular chocolate in question. No peanuts mentioned. Since I hadn't gone into anaphylactic shock by the time we decided it was time to go, she got a fat tip. Pio will now probably pontificate that I pi55ed my money away thanking her for doing a job she was expected to do anyway.

You have that backwards, even if she had sent you into anaphylactic shock because she didn't read the box carefully enough you'd still be obligated to leave at least a 25% tip because she was just doing her job and if you didn't leave a tip you'd just be power tripping by stiffing a poor working class girl.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

You have that backwards, even if she had sent you into anaphylactic shock because she didn't read the box carefully enough you'd still be obligated to leave at least a 25% tip because she was just doing her job and if you didn't leave a tip you'd just be power tripping by stiffing a poor working class girl.

Even if you're being hauled off in an ambulance because you can't breath, because your throat has swelled shut, be sure to tip 20%, lest you be considered an ******* that is trying to show up a working class lady, just so you can brag to your friends on the internet years later.

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet 2011

Since you're directing this at me, I want to remind you, I never told any story about giving a ****ty tip, I never bragged about anything. But continue to act like you always do, we all expect it of you, and really, I don't think you even get under anyone's skin anymore because it is just so **** predictable.

I'd say the evidence indicates I got under YOUR skin. And you respond with name calling. Brilliant. "We all expect it of you?" Really? Who's "we all?" Such comprehensive childishness. I was speaking in the collective. Thus "you" referred to the cluster of posters on this subject. You're in that cluster. But I did not attribute to you the telling of a war story of bravery in the face of an incompetent waitress. Or am I being "so **** predictable" again?