Tipping Line Handlers

[lilbabypenguin]

I found that being happy in life and walking in the door of a business with a smile on my face gets me good service 99% of the time. I think that contributes to your point about being "sized up" and profiled for what type of tipper you will be.

I've never worked in a restaurant before, but have many friends who have and still do. Among the stories that I hear them complain about never have ever been due to a bad tipper, but if someone is picky, rude, high maintenance and a bad tipper- yes they will remember that and likely still give good service next time anyway. But it's the attitude that bothers servers more than the tip. Some people tip good, some bad, and it all works out in the wash, but dealing with people who have an attitude seems to make their jobs intolerable at times.

Not that I am in any way suggesting that anyone here is nothing other than pleasant and lovely when they go into receive a meal or service of any type, just giving some food for thought. Cruisers in general are nice people I believe, what do we have to be curmudgeons about?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

- .........................

- Also look at some of the posts claiming those who just want to have the price posted up front and not don't want to be responsible for managment and payroll for the staff...they are denegrated as being cheap, tightwads, etc....

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

I've never been to a marina or restaurant in the US where prices were not clear and posted on a price list or menu. I've tipped an average amount and often not at all at marinas and never for "fast food" or take out. I remember a New York City cab driver complaining about a meager tip from me about thirty years ago, 'never saw him again.

This seems to be a non-issue at US marinas. I've yet to see anyone overtly expecting a tip at a marina or teating me poorly for not recieving a tip, but then I'm not found at marinas with large yachts or staff in white uniforms.

[lilbabypenguin]

That's good to know about the marinas Hudson Force, because honestly this thread about tipping people who grab your lines came as a shock to me, I didn't know about this. Hoping friendly cruisers will come to our aid if we need it.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by lilbabypenguin

...................................
Hoping friendly cruisers will come to our aid if we need it.

If not friendly cruisers, 'likely friendly marina staff.

[jongleur]

I've tipped an average amount

Hudson:

How do you know what an "average amount" is? There's
been all sorts of percentages and amounts thrown around
even on this thread. That's what makes it stupid. Someone
tipping 15% thinks that's an average amount when someone
else thinks 20% is an average amount. It's all stupid. Just
post the price we're to pay and we'll pay it.

This thread made me google restaurants that don't allow tips.
There's a few of them, and if I'm in a city with any, I'll
patronize them.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by jongleur

.....................................
It's all stupid. Just
post the price we're to pay and we'll pay it.

.................................

As I consider the worldwide posting of prices by service providers, the only places I haven't seen posted prices are at outdoor markets and street vendors. Tipping is always an option and I would suppot that it remain an option; therefore, the price is posted and you may pay it. I think this complaint about extortion or any type of bad treatment for not tipping is largely a myth.

[Robin3]

I like the european inrestaurants in France/Spain where there are fixed menu choices and menu prices are usually 'servis compris' (service included) so if you choose from a 100 Euro menu that is exactly what you pay, including taxes and service, not 100 + 6 more for tax and another 15 or 20 for service. You can always leave an additional small gratuity for 'service above and beyond' I remember my first visit to the USA well and just before flying home from New York going into a shop to buy a small camera that was on sale in the window at $99.99, I had just $100 of USA cash left and thought it would save losing more money on changing it back into pounds when home. But of course the price wasn't $99.99 it was more like $106.50 and a red face as the shop assistant informed me. Retail prices in europe are shown including local taxes, WYSIWYG.

ON subsequent USA visits I learned to accept the tipping at around 15% as normal and grumbled at the downtown Manhattan airport bus from Kennedy having a sign saying, fee $x 'minimum tip $X" ( I forget the amounts), I later learned to club together with a few others and take a shared limousine, more comfortable and cheaper.

Where it also rankled was stopping on a journey for a coffee, charged at say $2.50 but at least another $1 expected as a tip. It also rankles to see ' parties of 6 or more minimum gratuity applied of x%', I feel a discount for quantity of business is more appropriate than a penalty charge. Nowadays and living in the USA, I usually tip around 15% in restaurants and then round up to a whole dollar amount. As for line handlers, If we ask for help then yes we tip but I let my American wife do it as she carries cash change when I don't, but if we don't ask for help we don't tip and not on fuel docks either. The marina poop pumper boatman gets a tip occasionally depending on how many times we missed his regular weekly visits that are included 'free' with the monthly slip rental .

OH for a simple life

[Hudson Force]

As Robin points out, there is the sales tax addition that is not posted in the US and varies, not only by state, but by county or even within city limits at places. When I buy a $2 newspaper at the corner market where I am now, I automatically pull out the extra 14 cents tax.

I guess we all are most comfortable with the habits of payment that are custom among our culture. I remember sitting in a pub in New Zealand with my wife and, during conversation, we asked those around us what was thought of tipping. We shared some laughter over our brews and the consensus was that nobody cared if we adhered to our custom. The locals though it was a foolish idea and the man behind the counter said that he would have no problem with it!

Now taxes! ...that's seems to raise some anger in the US, but everyone that complains demands the services that the taxes provide!

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Now taxes! ...that's seems to raise some anger in the US, but everyone that complains demands the services that the taxes provide!

That statement's a red herring usually propagated by those who want to justify ever increasing taxes....usually not to be paid by himself. Your statement would probably have a better chance of being true if those who were using the services were also the same ones paying the taxes, but increasingly that's not the case in the US. I would much prefer that our government stay out of the business of providing all sorts of "services" and let us keep more of our money to spend as we wish.

You started it, and you're a mod...

Now back to tip or not to tip!

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

That statement's a red herring usually propagated by those who want to justify ever increasing taxes....usually not to be paid by himself. Your statement would probably have a better chance of being true if those who were using the services were also the same ones paying the taxes, but increasingly that's not the case in the US. I would much prefer that our government stay out of the business of providing all sorts of "services" and let us keep more of our money to spend as we wish.

You started it, and you're a mod...

Now back to tip or not to tip!

Good observation & thanks! I admit that I said it stirs some anger. My intent was originally just to point out that the posted price, as Robin note, does not include tax. Tipping seems to be a big enough hornet's nest!

[a64pilot]

Had some German friends come to visit right after I came back from Germany, They asked about this price not being the same on the product being what you pay at the register, I smiled and explained about taxes, then they asked why the price on the gasoline pump included the tax?

You know, I was stumped. I couldn't come up with a logical reason for that, but I do believe that if the tax is included with the price, it's an excellent way to hide the tax

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Had some German friends come to visit right after I came back from Germany, They asked about this price not being the same on the product being what you pay at the register, I smiled and explained about taxes, then they asked why the price on the gasoline pump included the tax?

You know, I was stumped. I couldn't come up with a logical reason for that, but I do believe that if the tax is included with the price, it's an excellent way to hide the tax

Taxes are one thing we have to live with but collecting them over and over again on the same item if it is subsequently sold on a few times as boats are is highway robbery! In Europe sales tax is called VAT, value added Tax and it is only paid once by the first purchaser, not every new one throughout it's lifetime. So when buying a used boat the price advertised/agreed is what you pay (AND you don't tip the previous owner or the broker on top of it either!) THE VAT amount is the same throughout each individual country not different by city but may vary slightly between separate countries.

Sorry about the thread drift but I'm a fan of WYSISWYG pricing

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Had some German friends come to visit right after I came back from Germany, They asked about this price not being the same on the product being what you pay at the register, I smiled and explained about taxes, then they asked why the price on the gasoline pump included the tax?

You know, I was stumped. I couldn't come up with a logical reason for that, but I do believe that if the tax is included with the price, it's an excellent way to hide the tax

I think you've put your finger on just the reason why gas taxes are hidden by including them in the price. Some politicians rail at oil companies outrageous profits but would look exceedingly silly doing so if the average person were being reminded at each fillup just how much the governments cut was adding to the price of each gallon. Compared with the tax man, the oil companies are pikers when it comes to making money off their products.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I think you've put your finger on just the reason why gas taxes are hidden by including them in the price. Some politicians rail at oil companies outrageous profits but would look exceedingly silly doing so if the average person were being reminded at each fillup just how much the governments cut was adding to the price of each gallon. Compared with the tax man, the oil companies are pikers when it comes to making money off their products.

Some sources state that tax in Europe contained in a gallon of fuel is about 80%

[jtsailjt]

Just to get us back in the tipping frame of mind, I was recently offered some free, unsolicited, advice on tipping....from who else but such a noted authority on tipping as my 17 year old stepdaughter! It seems that in the last few years she's become an authority on many subjects, including the finer points of tipping so I guess I should feel fortunate to be able to benefit from having this resource available to me and am willing to share my windfall of recent tipping expertise with all of you.

The first time was in mid-summer when I wasn't tipping the water taxi driver (service included with the price of our seasonally rented mooring) quite enough. I was told by this noted authority that it should always be $5 for each trip to/from the boat and that doesn't depend on whether he helped us with bags or equipment or if I were alone or had already made a round trip and tipped him $5 last time, 15 minutes ago or even if I happened to have any smaller bills in my pocket. So, for those of you have been doing it wrong, THAT'S the proper way to tip water taxi drivers, no matter how well they are paid by the marina or whether it's customary to tip in your harbor or any other circumstances.

The second time was more recently when I was taking the family out to dinner at Olive Garden (my stepsons choice) and we had to send back my entree because I found 2 long hairs in it as soon as I had taken one bite. She felt it important that I know I still should tip 20% on whatever the bill would have been if the restaurant hadn't taken the cost of my entree off the bill because it would be unfair to "punish" the waitress just because I didn't pay for or actually eat that meal because it seemed pretty much inedible to me at that point. I responded that since she was apparently the family expert on tipping that she could have responsibility for it and leave precisely whatever tip she felt was appropriate but she apparently didn't think that sounded like a very good arrangement because she just glared at me and didn't make any move to dig into her purse when the bill arrived....but that's a whole other issue!

I'm sure that over time I'll have further updates from my personal tipping expert and I'll be sure to pass them right along to all of you because I can tell from this discussion that many of you could benefit from her worldliness and wisdom almost as much as I obviously can benefit from it!