depeds on the service, how much we tip. really good service gets a really good tip, where as bad service will prolly get $.02. mostly cause if you leave nothing they won't know why you left nothing, you may just not be a tipper, but if you leave very little then they know they did not do well.

I agree with aleph_null. When I waitressed, you got paid $2.00/hour, which was below minimum wage then, and far below it now, because you were expected to make it up through tips. So I definitely tip when dining out, unless service is abominable, when I'll leave a small tip (5% or less)and a note explaining why.

The rules on tipping hairdressers seem to vary by area. In this area of Virginia, it's supposedly the thing to do, but you never actually see anyone (except me) do it. In NJ, my haircuts were a great deal more expensive (as was the tip), and I was shocked one time to find out that I was also supposed to tip the girl who shampooed my hair prior to the haircut. After that, I said "no shampoo" and just let the hairdresser wet my hair down with a spray bottle (easy with short hair). More detail than you may want to know about.

I know quite a few people in the US spend teenage and college years in low-paying jobs in the service industry (ie, waiting tables). Anybody want to speak on behalf of the taxi drivers or other oft-tipped people?

I do. I tip at restaurants and my hairdresser and cab drivers when I need to take a cab.

I did my time in a 'below minimum wage' job before I went to the university and I know it makes a big difference. Now, if they don't do a very good job,it may be minimal or no tip, but if the service is adequate or really good it's a modest to very good tip.

By the way, thanks LadyZekke for "tipping" us to that forum. After years in the food service industry, I can definitely relate to the stories in there. And it's interesting to look at the cheap tippers database and see how various famous and, well, "not" folks tip. Especially presidential candidates. Both are cheap.

In the US, friends have told me Horror stories from the food industry: Less than $2.00 wage AND the SOB owner steals half the tips for the 'house cut'.

I Always tip 20%. The math is easy, the kids need to live, and I either Hand it to them or leave it on the table. I will never put penny one, however, in a tip jar for the owner to steal.

Wait staff in the US are definitely underpaid... and they're also taxed on what their tips *should* be. IOW, if they did $100 in business, they should have received $15 in tips (or whatever the magic multiplier is) and are taxed on that.

I generally tip from average to well (average being around 15%). Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to figure it out mathematically (15% of 4.35? Heck, it's a buck or a round-up).

One of my important rules: if I'm going to come back, a good tip is a wise investment in my future :D

Kohlberg's first two stages of moral development: Societal Level #1 -- Preconventional Level. To act out of fear of punishment or hope for reward. :D

Whatever, the waiter's not gonna care if you tip well out of laziness or self-interest; money is money.

Well again I think everyone in the US should tip. I mean, if the service is horrible, by some freak, OK, nevermind then. But that usually rarely happens. And if it ever did to me, I'd just not leave a tip, wouldn't do the penny thing on the table, just because I feel it would only make things worse, obviously the waiter/waitress is in some distress in the first place, why make it worse?

I say this cause there is this one restaurant I go to, regularly. Well I actually stopped going every single weekend because my omelette was just not what I wanted, I mean you get four things to put on it, and I just chose cheese, but lots of it, cause the omelette is HUGE, but they got to skimping on the cheese so much it was ridiculous. But I never left a bad tip, just started going somewhere else for a few months. Well, when we went back finally after all those months, we got the "stink eye" from this one waitress LOL. She was always usually nice, although kind of a butch waitress so only so nice, hard to see a smile on this woman's face anytime LOL, but she was always a rockin waitress. And she did not give us bad service when we returned, just that stink eye LOL. It kinda makes me laugh now when we go there and she's our waitress LOL. But again, I always tip her very well no matter the stink eye. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I feel for most any workers, no matter where they are or where they are working, they are like me, working someplace dealing with people every day one way or the other, working a job that is not interesting or fun at all, just making a living. I know what that's like, and I feel for us all that have to do it. Tip? Hell yeah. If I don't have the money to tip I won't even go in the restaurant, I just can't do that to someone.

Kohlberg's first two stages of moral development: Societal Level #1 -- Preconventional Level. To act out of fear of punishment or hope for reward. :D

Whatever, the waiter's not gonna care if you tip well out of laziness or self-interest; money is money. </font>[/QUOTE]Hmmm... good point, but not exactly in line with what I meant to bring up. Let me try again... differently.

I tip in the first place because I know that wait staff get paid poorly here.

I tip nicely because if and when I ever come back here, I want the person waiting on me to be doing it because they want to, not because they have to. It's a fine distinction, but it's an important one for me.

I don't necessarily fear punishment or hope for reward... although perhaps I'm hedging against a future reward option. If I gain no benefit from this action in the future, that's fine by me. I'm content with laying the groundwork for the future, not necessarily achieving it.

Hmmm... maybe it *is* the same thing. Darn it! I hate when someone figures me out... on any level [img]smile.gif[/img]