Is tipping a requirement, or optional, or just expected.?

Question

I was always taught that you tip people that have provided you with personal service, but have not charged you a seperate labor fee.

For example:
We are supposed to tip a waiter, hair stylist, cab driver, hotel porter, and these type of people that provide a service without charging a seperate labor charge.

We are NOT supposed to tip the auto mechanic, the handyman, the appliance repair person, the shoe repairer.

I recently watched a movie with Anthony Hopkins and he is riding in a cab that drives him to the motel. The cab driver was rude throughout the ride.
When it came to paying for the fare, Anthony though the fare was a bit steep, but that is what was on the meter, so thats what he paid.
The cab driver became angry and demanded that he pay at least 10% percent more as a tip. A tip is expected the cab driver says.

Why is it wrong to not leave a tip at all if you have bad service?
I realize that some people never tip and I think that is wrong.

Answer 1

Tipping is not required it is optional however the person providing service is expecting a tip. I do not think you should stiff a person so I always tip however I leave only 15% if service was poor but I leave a lot more if the service was good. Plus I always make sure in addition to the tip I tell the manager {if the setting allows} if the service was bad or very good as I find that too many complain but not enough say when service is good. As far as handyman, mechanic, and the like I usually give a yearly gift near the start of the new year because not all celebrate religious holidays.

Answer 2

Tipping has become expected. This is why waitress minimum wage is $2.50. It is expected that the lack will be made up in tips. I think this is wrong, because a tip was originally meant as a way to thank someone for high quality service. It has become so expected as to become a requirement in some places. There are restaraunts where a fifteen percent tip will be billed to you regardless. Many pizza delivery places do this, as well. This probably resulted from people not knowing when to tip. I worked in a lower class restaraunt in high school, and made waitstaff wages, but nobody knew we expected tips. I meet many people now who don't realise you're supposed to tip a bartender, a tour guide, or a hairdresser. As a general rule, I tip if I felt that the service was acceptable, and tip well if it was very good. If the service was actually bad, I will not tip at all. I will occasionally give a mercy tip- a generous tip to someone who is dealing well with a very bad situation. I've never had anyone complain about my tipping yet, though. Most people seem surprised to get a tip at all, unless they're a waitperson.

Answer 3

Giving someone a tip has become like a requirement, so many people tip regardless of how they were treated or served. I believe that a tip should be biased on how well your service was. And why do only waitresses, cab drivers, doormen and other service persons like that demand to receive a tip when people working at shopping malls, grocery stores, buss drivers, street sweepers, and garbage men don`t get tips at all? They preform just as valuable a service as any of the others, and the people working at the mall most likely get minimum wadge, so don`t say that waitresses need the tips more because they get paid less, there are many low paying service jobs that you will never get a tip for, even if your doing a fantastic job. The reason is simple if you don`t see them you don`t feel bad about them working a menial job therefor they wont ever get a tip. Just like most people don`t go out and look for homeless people to give money to, the ones that get the most $$$ are the ones who ask, and are seen with signs.

Answer 4

At restaurants, I always make a point to tip anyone who waits on me, but sometimes a compliment is better than spare change. Instead of making a statement by not leaving a tip for bad service, I encourage the waiters and waitresses who ARE really great at what they do by telling them so. If I have the time, I'll also bring it to the attention of the manager on duty, and perhaps it will result in a raise for that person.

If I encounter bad service at a particular restaurant, I may not go there again but I still leave a small tip. Not a rude tip like two cents, but a small enough tip to where they get the picture. I think it's pretty messed up to not leave something on the table. I did get fed eventually, after all.

Answer 5

Waiters,hair stylists,porters, and cab drivers work on a small wage and the tip supplements their income. Now in the case of the cab driver,if you were rude,then no I'm not leaving you a tip. I was at a hotel once and saw a group of airline stewardesses getting off a van. The driver was struggling with what appeared to be more than 40 peices of luggage. Then all of them started arguing on whose turn was it to tip the driver a dollar.
For waiters/waitresses,it's always best to over tip in the morning. The breakfast rush is usually the busiest time of the day.
For a hairstylist,three dollars is good for a regular cut. But for a certain hair style,it depends on how good a job was done.

Answer 6

You ask an excellent question. Certainly I would agree that tipping is expected, especially in a restaurant. But I would also suggest that it is more of an option than a requirement. If you were pleased with the service, you should tip. If you're not pleased, was it really, for example, the server's fault? Was he or she given too many tables to service? Did someone miss a shift and your server have to help out elsewhere? On the other hand, if you see your server chatting it up with other servers, and you have been needing a refill for quite a while, you certainly have the right to decrease the amount you were planning to tip or perhaps give nothing at all if things were just terrible.

Answer 7

I tip according to the quality of service. 20% is the norm from what I read. I do not tip a sullen wait person. If service is excellent and the waiter friendly and smiles when they bring my food I will tip more. The same with cab drivers. If anyone is rude I do not tip.

Answer 8

i tip cab drivers. they are like waiters really, and the cab company is like the restaurant. the drivers don't get the full amount of the fare.

bad service definitely affects how i tip. i usually over tip with good service and undertip when the waiter (or whoever) sucks.

Answer 9

A tip is always expected, but never recommended.

A tip is given based upon the service received.

If you receive crap-shoot service, then you're not expected to compensate the person who supplied the service any further.

I always make a point to inform the management of any person who fails to provide proper service of the reasons I did not leave them a tip, for their own quality control.

How do you know what you're doing wrong if you're never told, you know?

Answer 10

I asked this question, but in reference to dining out.

Here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Asl4h4WfBb6vqiqsDbEl9Ovsy6IX?qid=20060703000219AAxmCwq

Alot of very good answers!

Personally I think if tips are indeed "Expected" and almost "Required" they should not be called "Tips" but "Service Fee" or something similar. So that people DON'T think they have an option. It would eliminate alot of confusion, just by changing the word from Tip to Service Charge or Labor Fee.