Tips in the vanilla world

[Smoothie]

Tips on cam sites are a frequent topic here of course, but I’m curious about everyone’s tipping habits in the vanilla world.

What do you typically tip for service in restaurants. Does it vary, or do you stick to the same % every time?

And what about other types of service (home or auto repairs, deliveries, Uber/cab rides, takeout orders, etc)? And do you ever give special occasion tips, like leaving a gift card for the mail carrier or a teacher during the holidays?

For me: I tip 20-25% at sit-down restaurants. I never withhold tips or lower the percentage, even for terrible service. If I pick up my own takeout I only tip like 15%, because I’d feel bad if I didn’t, but they also didn’t have to serve me at a table or drive the food to me. I never leave gifts or tips for the mail carrier (mostly because I just never think of it).

Ubers, I’ve been tipping $5 but I’m unsure if that’s a fair or unfair amount. The last time I hired a moving truck, I tipped the three movers $20 each for a single truck, 3-hour job. But I always wonder if I’m under-tipping (or overtipping for that matter). Other than at restaurants, I’m not sure what the standard is.

 

[Wuggie]

It 100% depends on the country I'm in if I tip or not and how much..

but where I live myself, I tip so it fits with what I paid and don't need change back if I pay in cash, if I pay by card, it more depends on the service I get, the thing is, here servers at restaurants etc, do not make their living on the tips they get, but the restaurants pay them well enough to make a living, which means their living pay is already calculated into whatever you pay at a restaurant.. same goes for taxis etc ofc

 

[Ozzie_]

Yep, Australia here, and tipping is not a thing. Even the most basic unskilled workers get well over $20 an hour (From July 1 this year, minimum wage here is $23.23/ hour). No-one is needing tips to survive.

Maybe if I got outstanding service I might tip, but I doubt it. It is just not apart of our culture. Servers or bar staff etc, are employed and paid by the business I am patronising, not by me, so there is no need for me to pay extra for their work.

 

[rockin_rod]

Yep, Australia here, and tipping is not a thing. Even the most basic unskilled workers get well over $20 an hour (From July 1 this year, minimum wage here is $23.23/ hour). No-one is needing tips to survive.

Maybe if I got outstanding service I might tip, but I doubt it. It is just not apart of our culture. Servers or bar staff etc, are employed and paid by the business I am patronising, not by me, so there is no need for me to pay extra for their work.

I'm in Aus and I tip when eating out, usually 10-15% or a bit more if they are standout (or look like they're having a shitty shift).
Less easy to define in other situations, with cab/taxi rides I usually round up the payment to the nearest bank note denomination, tradespeople really depends on the job.
I will say that I personally found tipping became harder during the pandemic when businesses here switched to card payments only, I always used to tip in cash but having to add it onto the card payment became an issue, and I wonder if the house takes the tips without passing them on to individuals that earned them (or at least hope they share out the tip totals amongst everyone involved).

 

[Sashacurves]

I'm in Aus and I tip when eating out, usually 10-15% or a bit more if they are standout (or look like they're having a shitty shift).
Less easy to define in other situations, with cab/taxi rides I usually round up the payment to the nearest bank note denomination, tradespeople really depends on the job.
I will say that I personally found tipping became harder during the pandemic when businesses here switched to card payments only, I always used to tip in cash but having to add it onto the card payment became an issue, and I wonder if the house takes the tips without passing them on to individuals that earned them (or at least hope they share out the tip totals amongst everyone involved).

We're the same over here in the UK. Not expected but it's considered polite to tip 10% on meals so that's what I do. Minimum wage is £8/hr-ish so no one "needs" tips to survive but in this economy, anyone on £30,000/year or less is struggling right now so I'm not gonna be stingey over a few extra quid.

A lot of restaurants have recently started to add it to the bill and you'd have to request to have it removed if you didn't wanna pay it which I'm not sure how I feel about. I guess it reminds people to tip but also feels a bit pushy and makes you feel like you're making a scene if you've had bad service and don't wanna tip.

 

[MarieElise]

I tip 20-25% everywhere I go where they will accept it. If the service was really bad I’ll give nothing, but that happened to me maybe twice my whole life. In this economy I’d probably tip 15% for awful service.

I’m a person who gets angry that at Starbucks I can’t add a tip on with my card. Some places where I regularly interact w someone but tipping isn’t allowed I send a Christmas card with $50 or $100 in it. So like the person who puts my grocery order together, post person, hairdresser etc etc But I have all great service folks around me. I like trying to get to know them and their lives. School teachers etc I get gift cards and class gifts. They are terribly underpaid! It’s awful!

Before inflation I was a 15% girl. But now I’m a 20-25% girl, even for pick up take n bake pizzas. Fuck the corporations, and corporate greed. I’m all about the workers themselves. The shit people have to go through just to take a few days off for a cold, or even a family funeral is fucking ridiculous! No wonder shingles in young people is on the rise!

 

[Dan Epstein]

It's Tel Aviv, so 12-15 is the norm range, unless you're French. French people usually don't tip anywhere (Some are aware, but the majority are not).

 

[Smoothie]

here servers at restaurants etc, do not make their living on the tips they get, but the restaurants pay them well enough to make a living, which means their living pay is already calculated into whatever you pay at a restaurant.. same goes for taxis etc ofc

I wish it was like that here. I think it’s bullshit for a restaurant to be allowed to underpay staff because they’re expected to earn tips as well. The tip should be extra, and the employee should earn a living wage from their employer without any bearing on whether they make additional tips.

 

[THE MOLLIE MARIE]

Someone has to actively go out of their way delivering poor service for me to consider taking action by tipping less over it. I can't remember a time I've felt the need to do so. I can remember what it was like to make next to nothing in a customer-facing position, or to have a rough day, or to pick up someone else's slack without compensation. What you outlined is pretty much how I go.

 

[Lilly_____]

Tipping is absolutely not a thing here except for restaurants where 10% is expected. When you tip people outside that industry it might be seen as weird or people might not understand. I do tip sometimes though if I get very good service, but people get weird about it, especially if you go over R$10, in the sense some refuse it or just don't know how to react, and I just want to avoid the awkwardness.

The cleaning lady who's a long time friend is someone I'll pay 50% extra for every visit because the fee is so shamefully low when converted to dollars I just feel bad paying just her fee. Some months I can do that, some months I can't, but I try to. But it's something you have to do silently or they'll straight up refuse getting it.

 

[NotYou]

Obviously, England/UK is the same as Australia in terms of people getting a specific set wage and not relying on tips to survive, so it's not a thing I do.
You have certain apps for example that will ask if you want to give a tip and if so, how much. I am in an awkward location where I live, but I always give specific instructions to get to me. If the delivery driver (usually for food lol) actually reads my notes and comes straight to me (it's really not difficult I promise, if you read the instructions - I say "Once you turn down into [name of road] do NOT make any other turns, go STRAIGHT to the end, and there is my house". VERY easy), yet everyone turns into these other places, so I made it a rule for me if they do that and can't find me, I give them no tip.


In the vanilla world for us it really is just up to us if we want to, and is by far not judged if we don't leave one.

 

[Vixxen81]

Obviously, England/UK is the same as Australia in terms of people getting a specific set wage and not relying on tips to survive, so it's not a thing I do.
You have certain apps for example that will ask if you want to give a tip and if so, how much. I am in an awkward location where I live, but I always give specific instructions to get to me. If the delivery driver (usually for food lol) actually reads my notes and comes straight to me (it's really not difficult I promise, if you read the instructions - I say "Once you turn down into [name of road] do NOT make any other turns, go STRAIGHT to the end, and there is my house". VERY easy), yet everyone turns into these other places, so I made it a rule for me if they do that and can't find me, I give them no tip.


In the vanilla world for us it really is just up to us if we want to, and is by far not judged if we don't leave one.

Have you ever asked any of those delivery people if the instructions were truncated in some way? Maybe the model of their phone, or their GPS told them something they trusted. It's not unheard of for people to screw with delivery drivers in the instructions portion of an order system. For a while, Domino's had a special instructions section and people were requesting dick pics be drawn on the inside of the box and delivered to a friend so they completely removed it. That's an anecdote, you can clearly leave those instructions in your own anecdote.

 

[Sashacurves]

Have you ever asked any of those delivery people if the instructions were truncated in some way? Maybe the model of their phone, or their GPS told them something they trusted. It's not unheard of for people to screw with delivery drivers in the instructions portion of an order system. For a while, Domino's had a special instructions section and people were requesting dick pics be drawn on the inside of the box and delivered to a friend so they completely removed it. That's an anecdote, you can clearly leave those instructions in your own anecdote.

A lot of delivery drivers here in the UK, especially food delivery like Ubereats and Deliveroo etc barely speak any English. I think for a lot of them, it's a case of not being able to read the additional instructions so they just type the post code into the satnav and go wherever it takes them.

It's mad frustrating but unless they arrive angry and yelling at me for "writing down the wrong address" (which has happened a couple of times) I don't hold it against them. I've been a delivery driver and I speak perfect English but sometimes you get things wrong, it happens.

 

[deltaepsilon]

I've been a delivery driver

gobsmacked

 

[Sashacurves]

gobsmacked

Lol are you being sarcastic?

 

[deltaepsilon]

Lol are you being sarcastic?

no, its why I read this forum, I suppose I have a very dry experiences in life compared to most, I've had difficult times and thought about uber driving and delivery driving for about 10 seconds then chickened out. Let me rephrase from gobsmacked to wow.

 

[D_A_X]

I tip everyone....20% usually, or more if the service is exceptional (22-30%) I tip at restaurants, take out, for beauty services (hair dresser, shampoo person, the lady that brings me coffee), movers, car washers, basically anyone doing something for me, I tip. Because if I can't do it myself for one reason or another , I fully appreciate the person that can.

I'm all too aware that salaries for people in service almost always suck, and a lot of times they have to take abuse from others just so they can earn their income. I have compassion for the server on her feet all day, the people working in terrible weather......I'm not patting myself on the back, it's just that I see tipping as an opportunity to be generous and pay it forward. I consider that it's supplemental income to the person receiving my tip.

When you tip you're directly helping a person support themselves and their family......If I am unsure of the tipping protocol for a particular service, I ask.

I'm in the U.S.

 

[Sashacurves]

no, its why I read this forum, I supose I have a very dry experiences in life compared to most, I've had difficult times and thought about uber driivng and delviery driving for about 10 seconds then chickened out. Let me rephrase from gobsmacked to wow.

Fair enough. I've probably got a more diverse CV than most. I've always done any and all jobs that came my way and delivery driving was a great gig when I was a student! You'll be even more gobsmacked that I also spent a year chasing chimpanzees and other primates around the rainforests of Africa for PhD research

 

[AmberCutie]

What do you typically tip for service in restaurants. Does it vary, or do you stick to the same % every time?

My standard would be close to 20%, but we've been known to tip 50% or more for a server we really enjoyed or went above and beyond. I actually dislike going out to eat with other people who want to pay, because I fear they do not tip as generously as I'd prefer. I'm weird like that.

There have been very few times that I've left no tip or left under 10%, but it's when they've been rude or we were ignored/waited way too long for help.

Food places where we order at the counter and do the rest yourself, sometimes I add a couple bucks on the credit card receipt. Depends on the mood that day I guess.

And what about other types of service (home or auto repairs, deliveries, Uber/cab rides, takeout orders, etc)? And do you ever give special occasion tips, like leaving a gift card for the mail carrier or a teacher during the holidays?

Item deliveries where they don't just leave it on the porch, I like to at least offer water/drink and sometimes at least $10-20 bucks. Example: we got a bed delivery recently where they had to set it up for us, take our old mattress, and take all the cardboard/packaging. They also offered to move our other new mattress in for us so we didn't have to struggle with it on our own. They got cold bottles of water and $30 (and I probably would have offered more but they were much later than they were supposed to be, getting your bed installed at nearly 10pm is a little inconvenient lol.)

Doordash/food delivery usually 10-20% depending on how far/difficult the order was to pick up. If I am desperate to get the order confirmed fast, I make sure to enter a good amount as I know they see it ahead of time and can choose to accept or deny the order.

We get Instacart grocery orders frequently. Those are always at LEAST 20%, because those folks are actually shopping for us, and I feel they deserve the appreciation of a good tip beyond the small amount they get directly from Instacart. If they go out of their way sometimes I add more after the delivery (it's another thing they see the amount before they accept the order, so I make sure it looks worth their time. Once I accidentally entered $2 instead of $20 and didn't realize it til I went to check why our order had not been confirmed nearly an hour later. OOPS! I canceled the order, redid it with the proper $ and it was accepted/delivered within 20 mins. Lesson learned!)

I realize that getting food and grocery deliveries are a privilege and am grateful that they exist so that if I am feeling socially anxious or have been enjoying adult beverages, I have the option of getting takeout or ingredients without having to go out. (The one bright side of the COVID shutdowns was all the new delivery options that sprouted up in our area.)

Other stuff that I'd pretty much always tip for: haircuts/salon, beauty treatments/nails, Uber/Lyft rides. And a once a year appreciation bonus to cleaning lady and lawn maintenance dude.

 

[MarieElise]

Do you guys tip if you are doing grab and go groceries? I get grab and go a lot. It’s like curbside. I want to tip the person but I’m scared they would be forced to refuse, so I was planning on a holiday card with a larger amount of cash dropped on them last second, and speeding off before they can open their mouth. I honestly wish they’d add a spot for card tips on the bill like a restaurant. Because like Amber said this person is personally picking out my foods for me. A lot of work. And they have the power to chose the bigger broccoli crown or the smaller one, if you know what I mean.

On that note my partner tried to drop our preschool paraeducator a big tip at the end of Summer school. She wouldn’t/ couldn’t accept. But she did accept some brand new books for the classroom. I honestly wish tipping was more widespread. I get so pissed at Starbucks.

As far as the house taking it I only worked one place ever where they did that, and it was written into like a 20 page legal document you had to sign at hire. They tried to take 3.5 percent of every tip. Of course if it were cash they expected “gentleman’s honor” on what the 3.5% was I tip the kitchen staff, bartenders and hosts out myself. Based on who’s working well with me, and not dishing up more than just the food, if you know what I mean but I was always mindful to be good to them. I don’t want the house taking money from me that we all know, is never going to go to where it’s supposed to anyway. Not a fan of that at all.

 

[Vixxen81]

Guess I'll be that person...

I can't afford to tip anyone for anything, so I do everything on my own. I cook, I clean, I pick up my own groceries (mostly because I'm super anal about fruits and veggie choices and I want the smaller package of ground beef).

That said, if I could it's a baseline 20%. More if I can. I once tipped a Waffle House waitress $100 cash because her coworkers were being absolute dogshit assholes to her and it was Christmas time. She was doing her best, she was born with Downs. No way was I letting that be the most significant memory of that day. Never saw her again but I'll never forget her.

 

[Smoothie]

My standard would be close to 20%, but we've been known to tip 50% or more for a server we really enjoyed or went above and beyond. I actually dislike going out to eat with other people who want to pay, because I fear they do not tip as generously as I'd prefer. I'm weird like that.

There have been very few times that I've left no tip or left under 10%, but it's when they've been rude or we were ignored/waited way too long for help.

Food places where we order at the counter and do the rest yourself, sometimes I add a couple bucks on the credit card receipt. Depends on the mood that day I guess.

Item deliveries where they don't just leave it on the porch, I like to at least offer water/drink and sometimes at least $10-20 bucks. Example: we got a bed delivery recently where they had to set it up for us, take our old mattress, and take all the cardboard/packaging. They also offered to move our other new mattress in for us so we didn't have to struggle with it on our own. They got cold bottles of water and $30 (and I probably would have offered more but they were much later than they were supposed to be, getting your bed installed at nearly 10pm is a little inconvenient lol.)

Doordash/food delivery usually 10-20% depending on how far/difficult the order was to pick up. If I am desperate to get the order confirmed fast, I make sure to enter a good amount as I know they see it ahead of time and can choose to accept or deny the order.

We get Instacart grocery orders frequently. Those are always at LEAST 20%, because those folks are actually shopping for us, and I feel they deserve the appreciation of a good tip beyond the small amount they get directly from Instacart. If they go out of their way sometimes I add more after the delivery (it's another thing they see the amount before they accept the order, so I make sure it looks worth their time. Once I accidentally entered $2 instead of $20 and didn't realize it til I went to check why our order had not been confirmed nearly an hour later. OOPS! I canceled the order, redid it with the proper $ and it was accepted/delivered within 20 mins. Lesson learned!)

I realize that getting food and grocery deliveries are a privilege and am grateful that they exist so that if I am feeling socially anxious or have been enjoying adult beverages, I have the option of getting takeout or ingredients without having to go out. (The one bright side of the COVID shutdowns was all the new delivery options that sprouted up in our area.)

Other stuff that I'd pretty much always tip for: haircuts/salon, beauty treatments/nails, Uber/Lyft rides. And a once a year appreciation bonus to cleaning lady and lawn maintenance dude.

This is very similar to my tipping habits.

I don’t get groceries delivered, but I agree, that’s A LOT of work to do for a person and it warrants a healthy tip. (I dislike grocery shopping, so that’s probably influencing my opinion that it’s a huge pain in the ass… haha). Same with furniture delivery and assembly, and movers. I offer them drinks as well as a good tip.

When ordering at the counter, like at a carry out restaurant, I am conflicted about tipping. I do add a tip when the touch screen offers me the option. But I have heard that it’s a way for store owners to make customers supplement their workers’ pay so they can get away with subpar wages. I know they don’t ALL do that, but it still crosses my mind every transaction. I still don’t deny them a tip because I don’t want to leave the workers hanging, but I also feel like I’m helping enable their boss to pay unreasonably low hourly wages.