While I wait for Whomageddon to finish airing so I can download, here's a poll!

[gogmagog]

[Poll #1218262]

I'm just curious about the art of tipping; I'm well-versed in the art of restaurant tipping (having grown up with "home cooking" being various Kansas City restaurants), but I'm always unsure when it comes to those other kinds of tips how much I should give. (I usually end up going for the high side of what I think is acceptable, because I'd rather err on the generous side, but then I wonder whether I'm tipping TOO highly.)

Note that I ask for "on average"; what I mean by that is, how much would you tip for acceptable to good service in this area? Also, if any of these results don't apply, or you have other thoughts about tipping and such, post them in the comments!

Comments

[bemysty.livejournal.com]

I tip at restaurants, delivery boys and for cabs, nothing else. At restaurants, I just tip what makes for the next round sum (like 16 Euro for a 14,80 bill etc.), I always give the cab driver 7,50 Euro as it's always the same distance and it's his fault if he bollocks it up hoping for more money from me. Delivery boys go the same as restaurants, usually, because those can very well spit in my food downstairs and I'd rather have my food as the cook intended it to be =_=

I don't tip for hair cuts, as I'd have to tip myself - I used to tip 2 Euro for the 20 Euro "discount" hair cut at a local hairdresser, but those cuts always ended up looking shitty after two or three days, so I'm back to cutting my own hair.

And tipping baristas? wtf?

Then again - Germany. Better wages etc. A lot of people I know don't tip at all.

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot delivery people; probably because I never get food delivered (like, ever; the last time was when I lived in England, about 5 years ago). I imagine I'd tip about like for restaurants though.

And yeah, I imagine tipping is less important in countries with better wages, so it might happen less. Though I do remember one time I was in Germany (I don't remember where exactly...Heidelberg, I think?) and I had to use the restroom at a McDonald's, and didn't realize I had to tip the restroom attendant (because restroom attendants are something we just don't HAVE here). She glared daggers at me, but I didn't have any change, so there wasn't much I could do...still, I felt bad. D:

Also, why a female attendant in the men's restroom? I mean, really.

But yeah, in the US it's expected to tip baristas. I imagine this is in part because you're usually going to the same one, and folks are frequently in a hurry (since a lot of folks are picking up coffee on the way in to work, or grabbing a quick lunch). So if they don't like you because you're a lousy tipper, they could quite easily take it out on you by taking extra long to make your drink and therefore making you late. (Also I imagine there could be some barista equivalent to waiters spitting in your food, if you're a really lousy tipper.)

[(Anonymous)]

No, we don't waste their time or make them late, just give them decaf. >D

Actually, I've only done this once and ended up feeling terrible afterwards. My husband (who has three BA's and is working on his MPA), however, got tired of one Suit treating him like some imbecilic dropout lowlife, so for several months straight made his four-shot skim latte with decaf, then suddenly put him on regular caffeine again.

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Ahahaha, that's the kind of evil of which I TOTALLY approve. XD

[weruletheschool.livejournal.com]

Oops, that was me. WHY AM I ANONYMOUS???