Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Tips....

What a tough subject. I've worked in several areas of the service industry and only received tips in two of them, as a service station attendant, and my current part time job as a chauffeur/party bus driver. Oh yeah, I also got a few tips as a lettercarrier at Christmas.

I worked at a full service gas station and was the oldest attendant there. I had just divorced and I needed extra cash and a friend was in need of an employee. I was the only attendnat that regularly received tips for good service. I think the reason for that was a combination of my attitude as well as my level of service. Every car that came on the lot got their windows cleaned, even if they were just stopping at the counter to pick up smokes or pop etc. The kids I worked with thought I was nuts until they saw the money in my pocket from tips. As to tipping an attendant, if I pump my own, forget it, if I'm in my cage and it's done for me, if the attendant does the windows and checks the oil without being asked to, I don't have a problem with tipping.

My job as a chauffuer is something else entirely. Tips are pretty much an expected thing. My employer tries to get it included with the c-card payment and will suggest an appropriate ammount for those that don't want to have it included with their payment. On most occaisions I get more than the suggested amount. (That's just because I'm such a nice guy... ) Now I work for a company that pre-books all it's jobs, we don't sit at the airport or a hotel waiting for a fare. The party bus is the way to make extra money though as tips are based on the total bill. the bus I currently drive is being booked for three hour minimums at $240/hour as an introductory price, it will jump up over $300/hour after it gets completely set up for parties, (Club lights on the ceiling, smoke machine [for outside effects only], led's, ground effect lighting, etc...) Now, do I expect tips, no, do I appreciate them, you bet. A couple of weeks ago, I got a $360 tip from a bunch of Catholic highschool girls for taking them for a drive on their graduation day...

It's because of this job that I will probably be getting that new bike sooner than later... now if I can only find the time to go riding... Do I tip cabbies etc, you bet, but only if they drive safe and get me to where I'm going on time.

I have a VIP 20% discount card for Denny's, I got it, again because I'm such a nice guy. When I get the 20% off my meal, I give it right to the server, it's a win win for them...


Sorry for writing a novel...

gas stations, if you are pumping your own at full service pricing (up here its usually a few cents a litre more to get full serve. I wouldnt tip, why should they get a tip (which denotes good service) if they havent done anything? itd be like me going to a resteraunt, cooking my own meal, eating and then washing my own dishes and then tipping them.....

I will allways tip at a resteraunt (as long as I didnt have to wait an obscene amount of time for my food, and even then, if it wasnt due to some outstanding factor beyond the servers control) 15%. bartenders, it depends on a few factors 1- bartenders hotness, cayotte ugly style hot bartenders will get more....but that also depends on factor 2

2- how drunk I am.....

3- drink prices - the local ummmmmm exotic entertainment bar charges me 5.50 a beer...... I wont be too generous with the tip..... the sports bar charges 2 bucks..... I have a bit more in the pocket, I'll share the wealth.

CNF2002 wrote:This is the thing that drives me nuts about tipping. People expect tips just for doing what they are required. If the service offers something specific, I expect to get it. If the guy does extra, he gets a tip. Thats what you get paid for...if you dont get paid enough, talk to your manager, don't expect the customers to pay your salary.

If you just do your job, the tasks that are advertised, I dont need to pay extra. I already paid, and that pay needs to go to your salary...if you don't get your 'fair cut' thats not my problem.

+1

At a restaurant, if the only time I see a waitress is ordering my food and subsequently at the end of a meal when I have to hunt her down because i've been sitting at my table full of dirty dishes for 20 minutes. NO TIP.

But if she is at my table once and a whie refilling drinks and clearing plates and inquiring as to how the meal is going. TIP

I've never heard of tipping gas attendants. Even in NJ, where full service is required, all the attendant does is plug in the gas pump, walk away for a few minutes, come back, take it out, and take your money for the gas. It's not even real full service (just in name). I've never seen one who expected a tip either.

Full service, man I haven't even heard of that in years. I think they charge you more for it, so I wouldn't tip em.

Full service gas is mandatory in NJ & possibly Oregon as well.

The only people I tip are.

Waitressess & waiters
Bartenders
Cab drivers
Hair Dressers
Strippers

I'm sure there are other jobs where tipping is considered customary, but I can't think of them right now.

I used to work in food services during high school & college. What I remember about the tips waitresses had to claim went something like this. (it may have changed and may be different in other states)

Waitresses could claim as little in tips for W-2 reporting as they felt like. However, at the end of the year the restuarants gross food sales were tallied up. As a whole the wait staff had to claim at least 8% of that total as tips. If the wait staff didn't meet the 8% the remaining amount was allocated to the wait staff and reported on the W-2 wage statements of said wait staff.

I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's messed up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government gives it to them on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bull***t I got two words for that: learn to freaking' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big freaking suprise.

I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.

I had too

Loonette wrote: There used to be a group that would once in awhile come to the restaurant where I worked, and instead of a tip, they would leave a business card. The card would explain why they weren't tipping (because they didn't agree with the practice), and that if I, their waitress, wanted fair pay, then I should work at reforming the tipping system. Well that's a nice kick in the arse!! So use up my services and time, don't pay me a tip, explain why, and leave me with all the work. And the little card claimed that it was to better my life as a waitress. NOT COOL!

That little nugget you just shared got my attention. I've seen this happen in Conn as well. They are trying to justify themselves for not tipping. When really all they are is cheapskates. IF they were really interested in the waitstaff's pay they would be lobbying for change's in the practice themselves.

As far as I'm concerned, If you don't give atleast over 10% tip to a waiter/waitress and the person did a reasonable job, you are being a jerk. They only get 2.15 an hour, which is one of the reasons I stopped being a waiter myself. You can work very hard and still not get what you deserve because of people being cheap. The people that left me little tips were very stereotypical. I'm not going to give examples because it would start a race war. Not to mention being a waiter/waitress is usually a thankless job.

Edit: btw Shark, you sound like a giant @sshole from that post.

The "full service" stations around me just pump your gas, nothing else. I don't tip them.

If they did a bunch of other stuff I probably would.