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Legal, pensions and money

Tipping

(24 Posts)
Granne72 Wed 10-Jun-15 21:05:01

Please help me out, I have never understood the whole tipping thing. Yes I know you tip for good service but who do you tip ? I have never been tipped in any job i have done but i potentially could be expected to tip everyone from the window cleaner to my hairdresser. In guide books to other countries we are told it is customary to tip x for the person who carries your bags and y to the taxi driver. Maybe i should buy a guidebook to Britain to see what's recommended. Unless you Gransnetters can help !!!

soontobe Wed 10-Jun-15 21:13:35

I tip my hairdresser[though not as often and not as much as I used to.
I tip a taxi driver [though rarely take taxis].
I tip in restaurants. I dont go in restauarants that often, and when I do, I am normally in a large group, so it is a joint tip from all of us.
Off the top of my head, that is it.

Bellanonna Wed 10-Jun-15 21:18:06

I don't tip window cleaner as he works for himself and I just pay him. My hairdresser comes here so I just pay her fee too. I tip taxis and waiting staff and the supermarket car wash guys as I'm sure they don't get paid much.

Ana Wed 10-Jun-15 21:27:36

I hate the whole 'tipping' thing!

It was fine when it was just supposed to top up the earnings of low-paid workers, and the bin men at Christmas when they actually came up your drive every week and hefted the bin on their shoulders.

Now it seems to me to be an outdated custom that we feel obliged to continue because we're too embarrassed not to! confused

mcem Wed 10-Jun-15 21:31:34

I tip hairdresser ( she refuses to charge for fringe trim between cuts so I think she deserves it). I round up taxi fares. Usually tip 10 % in restaurants if service is good. Tend not to tip in pubs. Don't tip window cleaner but recently insisted he should be raising his prices (gave him £6 instead of £5.50) as he has not done so in 5 years. He said he decided not to as everyone was finding things tight!
My pensions have increased over 5 years so thought I should pass on a proportion of that to a conscientious worker.

Ana Wed 10-Jun-15 21:34:37

Most hairdressers offer a free trim between cuts, it seems to be standard procedure, so I wouldn't add more to my hairdresser's tip because of that.

Tipping in restaurants - what do you do if 'service charge' is already included in the bill?

Ana Wed 10-Jun-15 21:35:15

sorry, that should have been a 'free fringe trim'!

mcem Wed 10-Jun-15 21:49:32

Certainly don't add tip if service is included!
Since I've recently changed hairstyle the idea of free fringe trims has come as a complete surprise so I'm happy to give a decent tip when having a 'proper' cut!

Granne72 Wed 10-Jun-15 22:00:52

I hate it too Ana , my tipping is completely random. It really annoys me when a service charge is included, i cross it off then leave a cash tip if i want to .

numberplease Wed 10-Jun-15 22:26:09

I rarely tip, nobody ever tipped hubby or myself for doing our jobs. We tend to tip when abroad, here usually only when out for a meal, and then not a lot.

Mishap Wed 10-Jun-15 22:51:54

In don't do it!

greatmum Sun 14-Jun-15 10:25:30

It's time this embrassing habit was/is stopped !!
And as for service charges added to bill, this is disgraceful !!
Staff do not usually get any of it!!
For all my adult life I have held the principal of tipping only when one requests service beyond their duty!
In other words specially for ones self, or party, as in causing extra effort and service to please !!
If this was made standard procedure, it would make life easier for everyone,!
But then there's the wealthy folk...who can afford to leave tips, and like doing so!
For various reasons, whether showing their ability to pay more , or perhaps just showing off !!!
It's the English way of life to have a choice.

Maggiemaybe Sun 14-Jun-15 10:49:46

I also tip in restaurants, taxis and hairdressers' only, unless I don't get decent service. 10%. If service is included I don't pay again. When abroad, I look at the guidebooks and do as the locals do.

I leave the binmen a bottle or a few cans out at Christmas, when I remember. And the paper boy/girl.

What makes you think staff don't get any of it, greatmum? In my limited experience, of my own and DC's Summer jobs, they do, either directly or shared amongst all the staff including the backroom workers. And what has "showing off" got to do with anything?

Falconbird Sun 14-Jun-15 10:51:51

I have to take a lot of taxis and I'm never too sure how much to tip the taxi driver. I usually give a pound for a shortish journey and 2 pounds for a longer one. I can't gauge from the drivers' reactions if they think this is generous or mean. confused

Maggiemaybe Sun 14-Jun-15 10:53:18

Oops! I give the paper boy/girl a tip in a Christmas card, not a few cans! grin blush

harrigran Sun 14-Jun-15 11:02:17

I don't tip the window cleaner but he does get a gift at C........ time.
I tip my hairdresser even though she comes to the house and uses my shampoo and electricity and drinks my coffee, I feel she is worth it. The restaurants I eat in usually just get the bill rounded up as service charge is included. DH always overtips especially abroad where it is unusual to add extra after the service charge.

jeanie99 Thu 18-Jun-15 02:35:37

On our first visit to the US on entering a restaurant the waiter said to us
" You guys do understand about tipping in restaurants don't you"

In the US you are expected to add 20% to the bill, I think there would be comments made if you didn't leave at least 10%. This would be expected even if the service was terrible.

I usually leave money for the cleaner if we are abroad say for 2 weeks and they have done a good job.
Only tip hairdresser if they have done what I asked.
Usually tip a taxi driver

trisher Thu 18-Jun-15 10:08:19

In the US jeannie99 waiting staff are quite often employed on a very low or even no wage. They are expected to make their money from their tips. Americans are very ready to tip generously if the service is good. We Brits are notorious for not tipping, we don't realise that one of the reasons for the low prices in resteraunts is because of the way waiting staff are employed. My niece who has lived over there for many years finds us very embarassing.
I tip my hairresser if she does what I ask.
Taxi drivers if they help out with bags, my mother and her wheelchair etc. If they sit in the driver's street and don't help they don't get a tip.
Waiting staff usualy unless they are really useless.

mrsmopp Sun 05-Jul-15 20:18:12

Went on a coach trip and everyone was tipping the driver as we all got off.
I couldn't work out why. We don't tip bus drivers. We don't tip train drivers or airline staff. They are already paid for doing the job. The whole thing about who to tip and how much is a minefield.
I've worked for 50 years and nobody has ever given me a tip. Why some jobs and not others?

janerowena Sun 05-Jul-15 20:21:13

We ask the waiters and waitresses if they receive any of the tip on the bill. If not, we ask that it be removed and we pay a tip in cash instead.

hildajenniJ Sun 05-Jul-15 21:29:55

I always tip my hairdresser. They put all monies received from tips into the charity box. They collect for a specific charity each year. As for waiting staff, window cleaner etc. I don't give tips.

TwiceAsNice Mon 06-Jul-15 07:13:03

I tip restaurant staff if service is good. Always tip my hairdresser as she is marvellous and I've been going there a long time. Give a small tip to taxi drivers but don't use taxis very often. Give a small tip to the young man who cuts my lawn as he does it beautifully. Leave a smallish tip to the chambermaid if I stay in a hotel. Don't tip anyone else but contributed to whip round for the driver when we went on a coach holiday last year.

Marelli Mon 06-Jul-15 07:19:27

We always tipped the coach driver when we were on holiday, too. He hefted large cases from the luggage area and was really helpful in lots of ways. Tour bus drivers don't just drive. smile

felice Mon 06-Jul-15 19:56:43

As a retired Chef I have never recieved a share of the tips in any establishment I have worked in, even as head Chef.
I always ask if the tips are shared out with the kitchen staff, you can usually tell by the evasive yes, that that is not the case.
I then tell them I have enjoyed the meal and would tip the person who cooked it not the person who put it on the table.
They are the ones who did all the hard work.
Bit of a bugbear of mine. Always found it very annoying to finish a 12/14 hour day and see the waiters sharing out 'their' tips at the end of the evening.