Every year we have the people in our lives we tip durring the holidays, our doorman, mail carrier, hair dresser, regular waiter or waitress, or any other person we depend on to make our day more comfortable. Considering cash is king, what are the guidelines for tipping? Does it vary from region to region(New York to LA)?
2006-11-28 07:07:41 · 5 answers · asked by Yisrael Chai 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Really, it's up to you whether you want to tip your hairdresser, etc or not. It's a nice gesture, but not required. Granted, your yard boy will probably work twice as well if he gets a tip, and you're less likely to get spit in your coffee if you are known to be generous.
It is not legal to give postal workers (or other gov officials) money. However, you can get them a gift or other small non-monetary item (like cookies you baked) as long as it does not exceed $20 in value.
2006-11-28 08:18:30 · answer #1 · answered by Rainy Days and Mondays 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I work in a restaurant, and here's some general pointers:
For people actually conducting the service, 20-25% of the total bill for GOOD service is appropriate. If the service isn't great, less is just fine. The servers understand when they take the job that their salary consists of tips, so undertipping for bad service is never considered rude. For the person who seats you, $5 would make a person's day where I work (the host isn't usually tipped and it's a very casual restaurant). For bartenders, $1-2 per drink is a good rule. I generally apply the 20% criteria to everyone else I tip, and many have acted as if this is above average.
Of course, if you want to tip extra during the holidays, it's always gratefully appreciated and the server will remember you the next time you're in. There are a lot of people that tip less due to finances, and when you're used to making a certain amount it really affects your holiday budget. As always, "tipping" the manager that the employee did an above average job is always a great way to give more without going broke.
2006-11-30 13:52:44 · answer #2 · answered by boomer sooner 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The guidelines are to ignore the guidelines.....seriously. Just do what you can afford. Just because someone on TV says you need to tip your mail carrier 20 bucks and your hairdresser 50 bucks, doesn't mean this is what everyone should do.
We tipped our mail carrier 10 dollars and gave her some cookies. This is what we could afford. I made a nice gift bag with some inexpensive items and a nice note for my hairdresser.
I usually leave a couple of extra dollars tip when I got to a restaurant at this time of year but I don't dine out a lot anyway so it's not extravagant.
Do what you feel comfortable doing. The point isn't the money, it's to say thank you for a year of hard work. Anyone who accepts nothing less than cash as a thank you, is a real jerk in my opinion.
We all have different finanial means. Do what feels comfortable.
2006-11-28 07:21:46 · answer #3 · answered by Jen 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I agree with Jen unless you are someone who is more concerned with impressing. I tip well all year long to hair dresser, etc. so for regulars I just do the same & also a nice bottle of wine, box of candy, cookies, etc. It's ultimately the thought & gesture that counts.
2006-11-28 07:27:33 · answer #4 · answered by COblonde 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Crazy i heard this on the radio this morning.
During the holiday season, you are supposed to tip twice as much as you usually would tip.
But that's just according to the radio.
2006-11-28 07:22:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋