How Much Does One Tip the Launch Driver?

[boatpoker]

My son worked his way through university by working as a waiter in higher end restaurants. $400 per night in tips was average + minimum wage ($11/hr at the time I think).

I don't like tipping. I especially don't like mandatory tipping. If you want to earn more money get a job that pays more.
I knew a bar where a well endowed waitress drove a Ferrari.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

My son worked his way through university by working as a waiter in higher end restaurants. $400 per night in tips was average + minimum wage ($11/hr at the time I think).

I don't like tipping. I especially don't like mandatory tipping. If you want to earn more money get a job that pays more.
I knew a bar where a well endowed waitress drove a Ferrari.

I bet your son liked it though!

Similar thing, a roommate in college was a bar tender, he too usually brought home hundreds in tips per night. He stuffed it all in a safety deposit box...upon graduation he counted $20,000 out of that box!

[hellosailor]

It is mainly a US thing, and then varying by the occupation. Some prominent restaurant groups have tried a "no tips" policy, combined with higher wages and either a surcharge or simply tucking the difference into their prices, as well as paying the back staff (cooks, etc.) more to put them on a par with the front staff. About the only common result has been a lot of argument and disagreement--from everyone. Customers, workers, trade groups, no one has come out with a real answer as to what is "fair" much less "best".

boatpoker, if it is mandatory, that's a service fee--not tipping. Yes, that's gone to court in the US as well.

We are seeing a surge in home delivery of groceries in the US now, after some 10-25 years of startups trying to do that with varying success. Amazon Prime Now quietly inserts a "suggested" tip for every order that supposedly goes to the actual picker/delivery person. But they do say "suggested" and you can easily adjust that.

InstaCart (who serve many companies) adds a tip, but apparently their tip is a weasel job. The "tip" is to support InstaCart itself, not the folks filling the orders!

Having grown up with the system I can certainly understand what is expected under it, but when I see a tip jar for something like...a counter clerk pouring my coffee? Someone handing me a slice of pizza? It simply has gone absurd in the US in the last ten years. Folks deserve a living wage, and too many weasels have used tipping as an excuse to screw their staff, for too long.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

It is mainly a US thing, and then varying by the occupation. Some prominent restaurant groups have tried a "no tips" policy, combined with higher wages and either a surcharge or simply tucking the difference into their prices, as well as paying the back staff (cooks, etc.) more to put them on a par with the front staff. About the only common result has been a lot of argument and disagreement--from everyone. Customers, workers, trade groups, no one has come out with a real answer as to what is "fair" much less "best".

boatpoker, if it is mandatory, that's a service fee--not tipping. Yes, that's gone to court in the US as well.

We are seeing a surge in home delivery of groceries in the US now, after some 10-25 years of startups trying to do that with varying success. Amazon Prime Now quietly inserts a "suggested" tip for every order that supposedly goes to the actual picker/delivery person. But they do say "suggested" and you can easily adjust that.

InstaCart (who serve many companies) adds a tip, but apparently their tip is a weasel job. The "tip" is to support InstaCart itself, not the folks filling the orders!

Having grown up with the system I can certainly understand what is expected under it, but when I see a tip jar for something like...a counter clerk pouring my coffee? Someone handing me a slice of pizza? It simply has gone absurd in the US in the last ten years. Folks deserve a living wage, and too many weasels have used tipping as an excuse to screw their staff, for too long.

Its not uncommon in Central America for resturants to add a service charge...which goes straight into the pocket of the owner. So, if tipping, I always tip in cash directly & discetely to the staff.