Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Shawnm on May 21, 2007, 09:44:25 am
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Next week we are getting are new hot tub. I will be home to help the two guy's out that will be installing the new tub & taking the old tub away. With the lifting with the old one & putting the new tub down. Do you tip the guy's/kid's that will be setting the tub up or no & how much if yes. Any help would be great
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Many times, the guys that fix them deliver them. They remember the ones that tip them. If I was tipping them, give them enough to buy lunch or a case of beer.
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I gave my delivery supervisor a $25 Chili's Restaurant
gift certificate.
He then proceeded to give me his direct cell phone
number and said if there was ever a problem to
just give him a call.
Tipping is a personal choice, but I often choose
to do it because it can make the people you need
remember you from "Joe Blow".
(http://www.qdi.com/images/CHGiftCard.gif)
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I tipped the muscle who delivered the tub and wrangled it into position by giving each of the three of them a $20.00 bill. I did not tip the sales manager and the owner of the dealership who came out once the tub was in position to hook it up, install the SpAudio and cover lift. I felt they were directly benefiting from the sale of the tub by the commission and/or ownership interest in the business.
Any thoughts on whether I did it right?
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The 2 guys that delivered mine left from 200 miles away at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning bringing with them a forklift to position the tub on my 8' deck and had it set up and running in 2 hrs without a scratch. I tipped'em a C note.
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I gave my delivery supervisor a $25 Chili's Restaurant
gift certificate.
He then proceeded to give me his direct cell phone
number and said if there was ever a problem to
just give him a call.
Tipping is a personal choice, but I often choose
to do it because it can make the people you need
remember you from "Joe Blow".
I agree and start by offering them something to drink before they even get started (coke, coffee, etc.). This way they'll feel they're providing a service to a respectful customer and may even surmise that a tip might be in the offering (I'm not suggesting you make any promise or even hint) and will probably take even better care if they see you as one of the nice customers up front.
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If you tip a guy that brings a pizza, then you have to tip someojne bringing a 900 pound tub. Even more is he will be servicing it. I'd say $75 to $100 would be right.
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The clowns that delivered mine was a contractor, they couldn't figure out how to put the steps together, they put the lifter on wrong, drilled a hole in the cover, and tried to sell me a $200 chemical kit. No-tip.
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If you tip a guy that brings a pizza, then you have to tip someojne bringing a 900 pound tub. Even more is he will be servicing it. I'd say $75 to $100 would be right.
You tipped your spa delivery guy a $100?
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I have a company policy, we cannot accept tips. We charge a fee for a service and expect to be paid for that service but nothing more. A cool glass of water on a hot day is nice though.
Why would you tip someone for doing their job?
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I'm about to buy a spa and will tip the guy (unless he drops it) $75 to $100. I'm spending $10,000. Why would I not recognize the guys who are delivering and installing it? Maybe if they are just dropping it off, i will give them less.
As far as doing their job. I tip wauters, barbers, pizze delivery men, cab drivers, guys that deliver furniture etc. Why not these people?
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I'm about to buy a spa and will tip the guy (unless he drops it) $75 to $100. I'm spending $10,000. Why would I not recognize the guys who are delivering and installing it? Maybe if they are just dropping it off, i will give them less.
As far as doing their job. I tip wauters, barbers, pizze delivery men, cab drivers, guys that deliver furniture etc. Why not these people?
I'm more along the lines of what gary posted. These guys are getting paid to do their job. If they did exceptional work, above and beyond then I would tip them.
Do you tip the UPS guys? Bus Drivers? Cops? janitors?
Some jobs are dependent on tips, (bar tenders, waitresses, pizza delivery, strippers, black jack dealers and priests.) and I tip. Other jobs are not tip dependent, and I do not tip unless somethint extraoirdinary occured.
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Being a former installer & service tech tips were always a welcomed bonus but as a personal choice I would refuse the tip & only excepted on persisitence from the customer. Customers who wanted to tip or offer coffe, etc will always stand out and usually get priority treatment when it comes to schedules but every customer tip or not should still get a high level of service when it comes time. Now as a store owner my policy for my staff is to refuse a tip and not expect a tip but if it is put in your hand I dont have a problem.
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I'm more along the lines of what gary posted. These guys are getting paid to do their job. If they did exceptional work, above and beyond then I would tip them.
Do you tip the UPS guys? Bus Drivers? Cops? janitors?
Some jobs are dependent on tips, (bar tenders, waitresses, pizza delivery, strippers, black jack dealers and priests.) and I tip. Other jobs are not tip dependent, and I do not tip unless somethint extraoirdinary occured.
Unless I receive poor service I obviously will tip a cab driver, waitress, pizza guy every time because a tip is customary and their hourly pay is adjusted for the assumed tip. It is true that there is no expectation of a tip to spa delivery person so they are paid with the idea that there is no tip. However, if you feel they have treated your spa with care then I think a tip is great (maybe not necessary but I'd feel good about showing the appreciation).
Some delivery/service people who aren't tipped regularly won't feel right about receiving cash. Though it really amounts to the same thing the idea of a gift card or a few movies tickets is really a smoother way to give it and makes it easier for someone to receive, especially if tips are the exception and not the norm for the receiver.
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I gave a tow truck operator a free pass to a nudie bar. He was estatic.
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Customers who wanted to tip or offer coffe, etc will always stand out and usually get priority treatment when it comes to schedules but every customer tip or not should still get a high level of service when it comes time.
Bingo, before the spa comes off the truck I'd be out there offering coffee, donuts/cookies and soda to the delivery guys. IMO that will definitely help assure that they treat your spa with more care. Its up to each individual regarding post delivery tips but if you're after good care for the spa, show some appreciation beforehand, especially if your spa is the last one of the day or the last one before they go to lunch so you can lessen the chance of getting the "let's get this over with so I can go eat" attitude.
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Didn't tip mine...they were in and out in 1/2 hour....never thought of it... :-?
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spatech
I agree......I always try to make contractors
"feel at home" and offer them soft drinks and/or water
before and during the work at hand.
But gosh I feel kind of cheap now...that I only gave the
guy a $25 Chilis...but he did seem very appreciative and
said it wasn't necessary but I insisted.
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I gave a tow truck operator a free pass to a nudie bar. He was estatic.
Got any more? If I do not have to pay to get in I will have more money for tits, I mean tips. ;D
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I ordered my guys a pizza and offered them soda, tea, or water.
For those of you saying why should you tip someone for doing their job, you tell me, if you were in their shoes and recieved a little extra something, would you be more likely to do a better job then and on future service calls opposed to someone that treated you like a peasant? Man, and I thought I was a tighta$$. >:(
P.s- I work in the contruction biz and I can tell you straight up that the people who come by the house during construction with food and beverages get a better built house. When my own house was being built, I stopped by once or twice a week to drop off goodies. I recieved all kinds of extras. Show some apreciation for the working man!
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It was a nasty, cold, rainy day when my tub was delivered. I kept the rec room patio entrance open so they could come in and warm up and get out of the rain. Also kept a pot of hot tea (their request) there for them. They were very patient while a futzed around with moving the tub back and forth until I had it where I wanted it. That why I gave them the tips at the end.
The event has been memorialized in digital Kodachrome for the ages:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/richs10/HotTubDamage2123.jpg)
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/richs10/HotTubDamage2125.jpg)
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q37/richs10/HotTubDamage2128.jpg)
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Tipping delivery people or service techs should not be expected, and service should be the same to those who choose to tip as it is to those who
either chose to not tip, or those whom it didn't even occurr to.
I had a tech here this morning fixing my dishwasher. It was repairs due to a factory recall. I didn't tip that guy.
Tomorrow I have someone coming out to put a replacement head in one of my sprinklers and to change the aim on another.
I don't expect to have to tip that person either.
I expect their employers to pay them a living wage.
I do tip where customary.
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Bingo, before the spa comes off the truck I'd be out there offering coffee, donuts/cookies and soda to the delivery guys. IMO that will definitely help assure that they treat your spa with more care. Its up to each individual regarding post delivery tips but if you're after good care for the spa, show some appreciation beforehand, especially if your spa is the last one of the day or the last one before they go to lunch so you can lessen the chance of getting the "let's get this over with so I can go eat" attitude.
That is why I get so frustrated, you are paying for a service why should you have to offer those things to insure good service.
I agree with being courteous in offering a drink or to come in and cool off or warm up, but to give the person donuts so he will take extra care not to drop your spa is BS!
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That is why I get so frustrated, you are paying for a service why should you have to offer those things to insure good service.
I agree with being courteous in offering a drink or to come in and cool off or warm up, but to give the person donuts so he will take extra care not to drop your spa is BS!
It shouldn't be necessary but if I'm the customer I'm only getting ONE spa delivered I want to do my all to make sure it's done as well as possible.
Plus, I know what delivering spas in like and dealing with customers that range from being really cool to being total A-holes so I'd want to show some apprectiation for a job well done (assuming that was the case) so I know I would tip but I also wouldn't look down on anyone who didn't tip (it's not like stiffing a waitress).
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I will say that being courteous and offering stuff does not always ensure a quality job.
Last year I scheduled a company to come and replace the furnace in my parents house b4 for they arrived I had brought coffee donuts & muffins as it was an all day job.Explained to my father when they show up offer it and stay out of the way. I showed up later that night to see the job they had done, needless to say I was displeased with the job. They didnt set down runners to protect the carpet which was filthy there was concrete all over the floor from drilling through the wall and instead of parging the outside concrete they globbed about 2 tubes of silicone around the intakes. The owner of the company is a personal friend and I ended up screaming at him for the sad display of workmanship, he came over had a look and was embarrassed he dropped money off the install paid for a steam cleaning and finished everything off properly.
It will always depend on the people you have working for you
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OK thank you everyone for there in-put. I think I'll tip the two kid's like $25 each & get them some donuts & muffins/coffee & tea. If they come in the PM maybe pizza and soda or hamburg's & a beer. But I will wait until the job is over
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I'm more along the lines of what gary posted. These guys are getting paid to do their job. If they did exceptional work, above and beyond then I would tip them.
Do you tip the UPS guys? Bus Drivers? Cops? janitors?
Some jobs are dependent on tips, (bar tenders, waitresses, pizza delivery, strippers, black jack dealers and priests.) and I tip. Other jobs are not tip dependent, and I do not tip unless somethint extraoirdinary occured.
Why do we tip waitresses? Because it's understood that they are underpaid and it's OUR JOB to supliment their income by tipping... I disagree with that concept but I'm a very good tipper IF the service is very good. If it's lousy, I don't tip as I don't believe it is their God given right to receive a tip either.
These delivery guys are paid poorly also so why is the thinking any different?
In any scenario, if someone goes above and beyond in service, I tend to recognize by tip or by gift certificate.
Steve
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"Tipping delivery people or service techs should not be expected"
It's not....thats why it will "set you apart".
Is tipping or anything for that matter 100% effective"....lol......well probably not.
It's a "piece of the puzzle" in certain situations.
"and service should be the same to those who choose to tip as it is to
those who either chose to not tip, or those whom it didn't even occurr to"
Yes, but thats not reality.
Again 2EachHisOwn!
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I always LOVE this type thread, because it lets me get on my soapbox. TIP, TIP, TIP, it's all us Americans seem to know. Let's see now:
We tip the waitress, even if she has an attitude, because my wife "used to be a waitress" and SHE knows how HARD a job it is.
But, when the Police Officer gets to our house in only a few minutes after we press the panic button by accident, do we tip him or her?
We tip the cab driver who - these days - does little more than show up and drive, usually not even getting out of the cab.
But, when the DOT roadside assistance person changes our tire or brings us gas when we're stuck, do we tip him or her?
So NOW we should tip the guys that deliver the hot tub.
Do we tip the people working at the car dealer that prep our brand new $30,000 mini-van before handing us the keys?
I'm SO over the "culture" of "tipping" and I'm a guy that tips good service at 20%. It's ridiculous how far the "tipping" attitude has spread and, once again, Americans get viewed as the "rich snobs who think they can buy anything."
Do you know what "T-I-P" stands for? It means "To Insure Promptness" and it started in the 1700s at taverns as a way to get service when you walked in the door. Yep, that's right, you "tipped" BEFORE you got served.
Sure, I'll tip for service, especially if my beer's always full, I don't need to look for the waitress and she had a GOOD attitude.
But I'll be damned if I'm going to tip a dime for the delivery of the $10,000 spa that I'll be making payments on for the next 5 years. Maybe the finance company will tip ME if I send the check in early each month? RIGHT.....
Cold drinks, food, a chair and even my help for the delivery guys, NO PROBLEM.
Money? HECK NO....
:-X
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Cold drinks, food, a chair and even my help for the delivery guys, NO PROBLEM
So you do tip. :)
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re: "So NOW we should tip the guys that deliver the hot tub"
No not if you don't want to.....
Just like when you were dating you didn't "have to"
buy the pretty girl's dinner or flowers.....
Of course you didn't have to...it wasn't required...
but many do favors to "gain favor".
We do it all the time in our business.....
and it makes a huge difference not just
with customers but even with vendors
that should be giving us stuff!
But hey....when we need that vendor in a pinch
who ya think jumps ahead of their other customers?
However thats whats great....it's all up to you.
But you are living in LA LA LAND if you don't think the guy
that delivered my tub and I gave a Chili's Gift Certificate is
not going to give me favoable attention when a tipper vs
non-tipper both need him back out at our house. It's
not the whole piece of the puzzle, but it is a piece.
When I was a paper-boy way back when....you think
I didn't remember who tipped me?...Of course I did!
And when it was raining guess whose paper got
placed on their porch so it wouldn't get wet back
in 1973?
Someone on here already has said that they
do a better job at the construction site when they
get "beenies".
Sure....it's not written in the rule book
Sure it's not supposed to work that way
But...hello?....Tips/Bribery have worked for centuries.
To be denial about their effectiveness because they don't
work 100% time seems rather silly to me.
But again....2EachHisOwn.
;)
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Giving someone a glass of water or soda on a hot day isn't the same as tipping. It's just being courteous.
I'm squarely with Drewstar on this one.
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There is a basic difference between police services and hot tub deliverymen or waiters. One is a basic, necessary service and the nother a luxury.
Waiters are paid almost nothing and are reliant on tips. Don't know about people who deliver hot tubs.
My feeling is that if I can afford to buy an extreme luxury like a $10,000 hot tub, I can afford to show my gratitude to the men who are bringing it to me and setting it up. Why should I all of a sudden cut corners on their backs? Of course, it is dependant on them doing a good job. Not saying I'm right or wrong, just my feeling.
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But I'll be damned if I'm going to tip a dime for the delivery of the $10,000 spa that I'll be making payments on for the next 5 years. Maybe the finance company will tip ME if I send the check in early each month? RIGHT.....
:-X
That was a good one :) I agree, I am dropping some major bucks on my spa already, included with that price SHOULD be courteous, professional delivery. I treat any service guy nicely but unless something extraordinary happens, I wont tip someone. I had a guy build my garden shed, didnt tip, someone grade my yard when I built my house, nope, no tip. I did have an AWESOME 22 yr old girl deliver firewood from her Daddys farm last winter...I would have loved to slip her something...but not monetary :)
I will say this...my dealer told me 4-6 weeks for delivery and its been the longest 5 weeks and a day so far...I WOULD TIP just to get the thing here and my wife to quit asking about it :)
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I delivered a hot tub about eight years ago on christmas eve. The customer (Mike) gave each of us $40! Now, to say that that went unnoticed is crazy! Sure I remember a lot of customers, but what I don't remember is exactly where they live, the day I delivered the tub, or their first and last names. Did we do anything different than we do for any customer, maybe not, but even after all these years I still haven't forgotten. Some people absolutely against tipping, are probably the same ones that want same day service etc.... Like my grandmother used to say "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" Just my 2 cents
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Waiters are paid almost nothing and are reliant on tips. Don't know about people who deliver hot tubs.
It's not that I don't agree with your post but...
There are MANY jobs that pay crappy. Why is it that it's acceptable that we as consumers subsidize staff where the owners of these food establishments get off paying their staff less, knowing the consumer will "split the cost"? It’s only because it has become acceptable and the "norm" right? Who's to say that every delivery person shouldn't be treated the same and WHO MAKES THESE RULES? ;) How is it that other people in the service sector can't have their income affected this way even though their pay sucks too? Hmmmmmm
For the record, most delivery guys make very little money.
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You wanna know what really makes me sick? All those TIP JARS that are in just about every other place I go anymore. Starbucks...tip jar...fast food estblashments, tip jar....convenience store...tip jar....bakery...tip jar.....
Who started that trend?
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You wanna know what really makes me sick? All those TIP JARS that are in just about every other place I go anymore. Starbucks...tip jar...fast food estblashments, tip jar....convenience store...tip jar....bakery...tip jar.....
Who started that trend?
NO SH*T!!!! >:(
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Maybe what TICKS me off is that the use of "tipping" by employers is just another way to pass costs on to consumers, while at the same time increasing their margin.
When the factory truck arrives at the spa store and the driver (along with a helper?) unloads the new spas on a lift using a dolly and moves them to the door, I wonder if the store owner tips them?
Maybe a spa store carries one brand of spa that always fills orders in 4 weeks, vs. another brand that only gives them a couple spas every 6 months. Do you think the store owner should tip the rep of the "good" supplier?
Why don't UPS and FedEx drivers get tipped?
Why does the "tip" always fall on the consumer? "Works ONLY for tips" is just another way to say "you should feel guilty, PAY our employees MORE!"
SORRY, but that's not MY responsibility.
My advice to readers on this thread is to LOOK for a spa store that is more motivated by KEEPING your business instead of TAKING your money. Any store that EXPECTS or even SUGGESTS that you tip their delivery crew after you just spent $10K on a spa will attempt to nickle and dime you to death as long as you own that spa. You WON'T get any special treatment and they probably WON'T be there when you really need them. If they are, they WILL charge you out the backside for it...
Don't take me wrong, I'm not angry about this issue. I'm just trying to get a point across. I'd respect what everyone else wants to do with tipping so I won't bust on anyone for it.
BUT, in my experience, the benefit is limited in this application...
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The last time I had a problem with my spa I left an envelope with a description of the problem and some cash--$40. I was at work and my wife had plans to be away that day when the technician was scheduled. The technician showed up a few hours late and my wife ended up coming home while he was making the repair.
When my wife went out to see how things were going she said the technician was insulted and gave the money back to her. He told her that he has never taken a tip before. She had no idea that I was going to leave money for him. I've never seen the $40 since............
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re: "Why don't UPS and FedEx drivers get tipped?"
Sometimes they do.....our FedEx Ground guy is
named "Song" and we have tipped him, not always but just enough
to make sure we are always "towards the front of the line".
And because of the tips we now have Song's personal
cell number.
Sometimes when we need something picked up quicker like because
we just want big bulky boxes out of our reception area or because we
want slightly quicker service we don't call Fed Ex and get at the end of
the ground dispatch pickup schedule which can be a day or two....
We just call Song directly.......and guess who is at our door that same
morning as opposed to maybe 24 hours later?
;)
(http://www.vendor.bedbath.com/fedex/images/Welcome-Graphic.gif)
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It's not that I don't agree with your post but...
There are MANY jobs that pay crappy. Why is it that it's acceptable that we as consumers subsidize staff where the owners of these food establishments get off paying their staff less, knowing the consumer will "split the cost"? It’s only because it has become acceptable and the "norm" right? Who's to say that every delivery person shouldn't be treated the same and WHO MAKES THESE RULES? ;) How is it that other people in the service sector can't have their income affected this way even though their pay sucks too? Hmmmmmm
There is no other industry that pays like the food industry that I know of. Wait staff gets paid far below the minimum wage. Where else can they do this? Not only is it acceptabe and the norm but allowed by the government. The system is set up different than almost any other as is the way it is priced. The alternative would be to charge more for the product and pay the staff a regular wage. I would bet that most waiters would prefer the current system. In a half decent establishment they have the opportunity to earn very good money. Tipping your waiter is much different than tipping the hostess for a good table.
FWIW, I tipped my delivery guys after the job was done...not a large amount but something to say thanks for a nice job done, have yourself a coffee or lunch on me.
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I don't tip my Fedex drover, but I give him $75 for Christmas, and offer him coffee and cookies. SAme for the mailman.
I don't give tips to the people at Starbucks who squirt cofdfee in a cup for me, because then I would walk around all day long tipping everyone I come into contact with..
But, to me, some things are different. Delivering a very heavy, expensive hot tub is worth a very small gesture, a way of saying thank you for your effort.
When I moved and the 8 guys did a great job and didn't break grandma's vase, I gave them each about 25 or 30 bucks. A way of saying thank you.
I tip my barber as a way of saying thanks for not slicing my ear off.
Why all the built up anger here? To me, I want to thank the people performoing a service for me. has nothing to do withe bosses screwing the workers by making me pay them. A lot bigger things to get mad about.
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That was a good one :)
I will say this...my dealer told me 4-6 weeks for delivery and its been the longest 5 weeks and a day so far...I WOULD TIP just to get the thing here and my wife to quit asking about it :)
My wife is doing the same thing. When is the tub comeing. I would to Tip just to get it here.
[u]Here is one more thing the two kid's /Guy's who are going to be installing my tub are the store owners Son's [/u]
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I don't tip my Fedex drover, but I give him $75 for Christmas, and offer him coffee and cookies. SAme for the mailman.
I don't give tips to the people at Starbucks who squirt cofdfee in a cup for me, because then I would walk around all day long tipping everyone I come into contact with..
But, to me, some things are different. Delivering a very heavy, expensive hot tub is worth a very small gesture, a way of saying thank you for your effort.
When I moved and the 8 guys did a great job and didn't break grandma's vase, I gave them each about 25 or 30 bucks. A way of saying thank you.
I tip my barber as a way of saying thanks for not slicing my ear off.
Why all the built up anger here? To me, I want to thank the people performoing a service for me. has nothing to do withe bosses screwing the workers by making me pay them. A lot bigger things to get mad about.
Nobody is getting MAD as this is just a discussion between adults.
I believe the point is that it's the NORM to tip waitresses or waitors but it get's grey from there. If you think that restaurant owners pay their staff a lousy wage because it's such an easy job, you are wrong. They pay them lousy because they know they can and that we'll supliment their staffs income by tipping!
Tony; My understanding of minimum wage is that no one can make below that standard. Am I not correct in that? Is that not why it's called a "minimum wage"? :-?
Steve
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I agree, they pay as little as possible because of this custom that we the consumer make up the difference. All Im saying is that I want to exprfess my appreciation to the deliverymen, I don't consider whether they make a lot or a little. I don't think it is my obigation and if they do a lousyy job, I won't tip them.
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How about this...WE took friends to a restaurant that we heard was really good. When we got there, we saw that it was Seafood Buffet night...at $26.50 a clip. that included kids. The dinner (remember this was a buffet, so the waitress only provided drinks, all were water) came to about $225.00 and the watress wrote herself an 18% tip. She did nothing, the food bar was the pits (fake crab meat in the crab cakes etc.) and they didn't even keep it stocked. She screwed up the one dinner ordered off the menu because the kitchen couldn't find the parmesian cheese... :o
I went off on my husband because he just paid and said nothing. So lousy service, one person without a meal and a buffet...(she didnt' even pick up the dirty dishes) and she can write herself a tip. That stinks! >:(
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Our delivery guys don't expect tips, but maybe a couple of times/month a customer will be gracious enough to offer them a monetary tip or a case of beer. Ronnie, our service tech, gets a little pie from time to time from grateful housewives who bake alone all day.
I like to tip when I get great service at a restaurant, many times 100%. It often brightens someone's day and I like to make people feel good, it makes me feel good in return. Life's too short and demeaning enough without quibbling over a few dollars.
Quickest way, though, to lessen a tip from me is to ask if I want any change back?! Poor, poor etiquette and something you just don't do.
Term
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How about this...WE took friends to a restaurant that we heard was really good. When we got there, we saw that it was Seafood Buffet night...at $26.50 a clip. that included kids. The dinner (remember this was a buffet, so the waitress only provided drinks, all were water) came to about $225.00 and the watress wrote herself an 18% tip. She did nothing, the food bar was the pits (fake crab meat in the crab cakes etc.) and they didn't even keep it stocked. She screwed up the one dinner ordered off the menu because the kitchen couldn't find the parmesian cheese... :o
I went off on my husband because he just paid and said nothing. So lousy service, one person without a meal and a buffet...(she didnt' even pick up the dirty dishes) and she can write herself a tip. That stinks! >:(
I TOTALLY agree my dear! I've never seen that with a buffet style dinner but the assumption is that they can provide any level of service they desire and still get a decent tip. We should retain the right to tip based on OUR level of service that WE felt we received!!
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I ended up tipping yesterday when they delivered. To be honest I hadn't really thought about it until I read this thread. I wasn't as kind as some of you. I did my usual offering of water or soda. All three declined until the tub was placed. By this time I was sweating just watching them. At this point they asked for the water.
After all was done and my demo was over I handed the main guy a $20 in front of one other the others and I told them to go have a drink on me. He didn't hesitate, but was extremely thankful. I am glad I did it.
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I ended up tipping yesterday when they delivered. To be honest I hadn't really thought about it until I read this thread. I wasn't as kind as some of you. I did my usual offering of water or soda. All three declined until the tub was placed. By this time I was sweating just watching them. At this point they asked for the water.
After all was done and my demo was over I handed the main guy a $20 in front of one other the others and I told them to go have a drink on me. He didn't hesitate, but was extremely thankful. I am glad I did it.
Perfect.
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I ended up tipping yesterday when they delivered. To be honest I hadn't really thought about it until I read this thread. I wasn't as kind as some of you. I did my usual offering of water or soda. All three declined until the tub was placed. By this time I was sweating just watching them. At this point they asked for the water.
After all was done and my demo was over I handed the main guy a $20 in front of one other the others and I told them to go have a drink on me. He didn't hesitate, but was extremely thankful. I am glad I did it.
Good for you and for those who do CHOOSE to offer a tip I think that amount is certainly appropriate. Of course no tip is also an acceptable practice since this is TOTALLY at the customer's discretion but good for you and good luck with your new spa.
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I usually just have the wife show some leg.
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I usually just have the wife show some leg.
... so that's how you have access to those free tickets you give away?!
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Our delivery guys don't expect tips, but maybe a couple of times/month a customer will be gracious enough to offer them a monetary tip or a case of beer.
Now see, THAT's cool - especially the beer part. I had a buddy who had a buddy that owned a crane. He craned my tub over the roof of my new house and into my patio for a case of Corona.
That waitress doing 18% at the buffet is just another example why I have issues with tipping. I end up getting my own food, walking back and forth and consider myself "lucky" if my drink gets filled. I guess that's worth about a $40 tip in that case.
Think about how much "tipping" REALLY costs. Let's say you have a family of 4 that goes out once a week, maybe to Applebees. Mom and Dad have a $25 bill each, the kids $15 each. That comes to $80. Add tax at 15% and it comes to $92. So, an 18% tip is $16.56. Doing that once a week for a year comes to almost $900, not including the cost of the food. And THAT's just one tip weekly.
Yeah, I'm probably dragging this out more than it needs to be but the "tipping" topic is hot on another forum I post to about SCUBA diving. You wouldn't BELIEVE what the argument about tipping is over there... :P
See ya'll....
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Think about how much "tipping" REALLY costs. Let's say you have a family of 4 that goes out once a week, maybe to Applebees. Mom and Dad have a $25 bill each, the kids $15 each. That comes to $80. Add tax at 15% and it comes to $92. So, an 18% tip is $16.56. Doing that once a week for a year comes to almost $900, not including the cost of the food. And THAT's just one tip weekly.
Tipping a waitress is different. Tips are a standard part of a waitress' compensation. IF tipping waitresses were to somehow outlawed you would save NO money; waitresses would no longer work for $7/hr +tips (or whatever they make) but would instead would command a higher $/hr to make up for the loss. The restaurant owner would then build that extra expense into the price and you'd be right back to about the same final amount except now you wouldn't have the discretion to vary part of the bill based on service.
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I usually just have the wife show some leg.
Damn, I am gonna try that! The 2 sales reps at the store were ogling my wife as it was...she is pretty cute if I do say so myself. :)
Maybe it will help my tub get here faster! Its been 5 weeks and 2 days and my wife is getting anxious! I'll have her put on a skimpy outfit and go to the store and pout about it...it always works on me...lol
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Federal minimum wage for servers is 2.13 an hour. In some states the rate is a little higher. Colorado just raised it to $3.83 an hour, but obviously no one is paying rent or buying groceries with that. It barely even covers the taxes. Also, a lot of people don't realize that servers have to share their tips with the bartender and busboy, and sometimes even the hostess.
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I usually just have the wife show some leg.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/ecac2ee7.jpg)
:D
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Federal minimum wage for servers is 2.13 an hour. In some states the rate is a little higher. Colorado just raised it to $3.83 an hour, but obviously no one is paying rent or buying groceries with that. It barely even covers the taxes. Also, a lot of people don't realize that servers have to share their tips with the bartender and busboy, and sometimes even the hostess.
Oregon does not have a separate scale for waiters/waitress, those servers are making just as much as any other minimum wage job and Oregon minimum is $7.50hr. Fox news did a story on this a few days ago and the high lighted Oregon.
So if more states changed to this would you still tip servers?
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(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w136/windsurfdog/ecac2ee7.jpg)
:D
>:(
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Sorry, drewbuddy...I couldn't resist!
(Notice: No bathing suits were harmed during the making of that picture...well not harmed MUCH anyways... ::))
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Okay, I am a newbie here, but I want to put in my 2 cents if I may. I have been a blackjack dealer for 11 years almost. First in a Tribal Casino in Minnesota, and now I am the Gaming Manager for Charitable Gaming in North Dakota. I do still deal as well. I can pay my dealers well below minimum wage, however, if they don't make enough tips to equal minimum wage by the end of the pay period, I have to pay them enough to make sure with their salary and their tips it equals minimum wage. I have many opinions on tipping, as I come from a field were tipping was my bread and butter. First of all, as for waitresses, if I get good service and refills on my pop or she notices my cocktail is getting low and brings me another, I tip very well. I agree, I hate when they ask me if I want the change back. I don't feel you should "ask" for a tip, which in my opinion that is what asking if you want change back is doing. I also take into consideration how busy the restaurant or bar that I am in is. If she/he is the only person on staff, and I feel they are really trying to accomodate all the customers as best they can, they still deserve a tip. I don't believe that fancy restaurants should be able to add on the 15 or 20% gratuity on checks for parties of 8 or more. I am an over-tipper to say the least, and if I get good service, I will tip much more than 20%, sometimes 50% or 100%, because I do know what it is like to work for tips. So if I get less than good service, I will tip, but much less than the stereotypical norm. I think I should always get great customer service if I am patronizing a place as a paying customer. As for the delivery driver tomorrow who delivers my spa and sets it up, I paid extra for delivery and set up, so I don't think I will tip them, I will offer them pop or water or whatever, but not money. I don't think I am being cheap, but that is what I paid extra for. Lastly, for any of you gamblers out there playing on the blackjack tables, I have some advice. As a dealer who worked in a tribal casino for 4 years, they are getting to pool their tips, and they couldn't care less what you are tipping, because their coworkers can carry their backs if they are in a bad mood, so the service might not be quite as good as in the smaller charitable casinos in your local bars and taverns. The dealers working for charity deserve to get tipped when you are winning. They deserve it highly, this is why... when you work in a "real" casino, the customers are there to gamble and might drink... when you work in "charitable" casinos, the customers are there to drink, and might gamble. We have to deal with drunk adults, and if you have ever been sober and in a bar with drunk people, you know how annoying it can be. Plus, most of those dealers are working for $3.00 per hour. The good news is this, the house matches your tip bet if you win, and if you lose, the dealer loses the tip bet as well, so really, it is a nice gester to let the dealer play with you. I don't believe in mandatory tipping, I believe in tipping exceptionally, when I am given exceptional customer service to those who are in the tipping industries.
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Restaurants can add an automatic tip to their check, but the customer is in no way obligated to pay it. They can ignore it an tip whatever they feel is appropriate.
I don't like that practice either.
I live near Mystic Lake Casino, the largest and most prosperous casino between Vegas and Atlantic City, or so it's said. Not sure if they pay their dealers the same way you describe, but if they do, it's pathetic. That place rakes in an ungodly amount of money, and if they aren't sharing it equitably with their employees, shame on them. Each tribal member gets upwards of a $1,000,000 per year in the profit sharing alone.
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Although federal minimum wage for servers is 2.13 per hour (here in MA it is a little higher), if the wage plus tips do not equal regular minimum wage, the establishment has to make up the difference.
I don't offer beer or other alcohol as a gratuity anymore because you never know what a person's personal situation is.
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Hey Brewman, I used to work at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. I am from Detroit Lakes originally, now I live in Mayville, North Dakota. One reason they get so much every year is that they are a very very small tribe at Mystic Lake. I have been to Mystic Lake, we go to Valley Fair every year. I love the cities!
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I don't go to Charity casinos but I don't tip when I win in Vegas - the house odds are against me when I start so there's an expectation that I'll lose in the long run. With what the casinos make they should pay their people an appropriate wage. If I win it's not because of anything the dealer did, they can't change the outcome of a hand of blackjack (unless they show me their hole card but that's not going to happen) - it's math and my own knowledge of what to do, plain and simple. Having said that, I will tip a dealer at the end of a session if they are curtious, smile on occassion and fast.
As to the hot tub delivery guy - I don't know yet, mine's supposed to be here the end of next week and I know the owner does some of the deliveries himself. I may tip the service guy that helps with the delivery and I do like the idea of a case of beer.
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Hey Brewman, I used to work at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. I am from Detroit Lakes originally, now I live in Mayville, North Dakota. One reason they get so much every year is that they are a very very small tribe at Mystic Lake. I have been to Mystic Lake, we go to Valley Fair every year. I love the cities!
I think the current membership list is somewhere around 200 members, so they're possibly paying our somewhere around $200,000,000 per year just in profit sharing payments to the members of the tribe. They also pay out millions more in grants to other, less prosperous tribes in the state. They've made quite an impressive empire out of the humble little bingo hall they started out with. More power to them, but boy I hope they pay their help better than a couple bucks an hour.