Do you tip?

**OllieMartin** · 11-12-2009, 11:50 AM

I have to admit I'm awful at tipping. Almost never with delivery drivers. Only occasionally in restaurants and then only if the service is 'above and beyond'. People have to exceed my expectations and that so rarely happens. Maybe I need to lower my expectations!

**SarzWix** · 11-12-2009, 11:56 AM

Only the milk-boy - the young lad who helps the milkman on his rounds at silly o'clock in the morning. I would tip the paper-boy if we had one too. Reasoning being that they earn a pittance. I know some people who tip the bin-men too

As most of them (hairdressers, bin-men, delivery drivers, postie etc.) have a higher income than me, it'd be daft for me to tip them

**scarey55** · 11-12-2009, 11:59 AM

I never used to tip our supermarket delivery driver so, if you're a meanie then so am I

I very rarely tip people, I don't think I am mean, it's just that I don't think of it. I occasionally tip at restaurants and only then, as Ollie said, if I have had especially good service.

Here, the only people who get tips at Christmas are the Pompiers and post lady but they do give me a calendar in return

**Nicos** · 11-12-2009, 12:00 PM

Not any more.
I used to tip my hairdresser- I think it's sort of expected isn't it??

and I'd round off taxi fares, and restaurant bills.
BUT- I did give Xmas gifts to the postie, milkman, binmen, hairdresser, teacher, etc etc
I don't tip over here at all- but intend to give a gift to my hairdresser and local garage ..and I'll probably leave some choccies out for the postie ( but most certainly not my Maltesers

!) and a tin of choccies for the lass who looks after the cat and chooks when we nip over to the UK.
(Oh - and I gave a gift to my physio when I was discharged.)

On the whole I'd only tip if I receive exceptional service.

**northepaul** · 11-12-2009, 12:05 PM

I never tip in this country, point of principle.
I used to tip at restaurants, hairdressers etc, but then once got such a snooty look in a restaurant for tipping acouple of quid, when they were obviously expecting more (I think its rule of thumb 10% isnt it?), that I stopped.

I think people should be paid a proper wage and not be expected to make it up on tips.

NB the only time I do actually tip is on holiday, in places where it is culturally expected.

**Brengirl** · 11-12-2009, 12:07 PM

We always tip the grocery delivery man. Just a �1 for a cup o tea. He is such a nice fellow. Nothing is too much trouble. The first time we offered him money he virtually refused to take it. He said "No thankyou Mrs. Gibbons. I get paid to do this work". However he did force himself in the end. Goes to show there are more than one way to skin a cat.

I do tip my hairdresser. I wonder why I need to be in her good books when she approaches me with the scissors.

**janeyo** · 11-12-2009, 12:15 PM

I only tip in restaurants if it's been good etc. The hairdresser gets nowt extra, she charges me enough and I make her a cupp (she comes here)
The window cleaner gets a cuppa.
The milkman got a couple of bottles of beer last year.

Taxis normally drive so slowly you want to get out and push or they drive so fast you feel they must be in a stolen car so they get nowt either!

**pdblake** · 11-12-2009, 12:28 PM

I don't tip anyone. I pay for a service and I expect it to be a good service whatever it may be. I will thank them and even recommend them, but I don't tip.

di · 11-12-2009, 12:40 PM

I usually give the milkman and the Postie a couple of cans of beer...it somehow feels far less patronising than giving a grown man a couple of quid.
I agree that they are doing a job and getting paid a salary for doing that job but it doesn't mean I shouldn't show my gratitude to them.
I don't know about tipping a delivery driver.If it was one I saw regularly then I might,but not a one off.

I actually almost had this dilema yesterday.I had to go and get our car battery replaced,the garage we use are really friendly,cheap and most importantly honest.(if they can save you a few pennies they will)...anyway,when it came time to pay I had this overwhelming feeling of should I tip?I almost said keep the change...as it was only a penny I kept my mouth shut.As I left I said Thankyou and wished them a Happy Christmas.
I think although tipping is nice,you've got to be sensible and know when to stop.

**snuffer** · 11-12-2009, 01:00 PM

I like to tip in restaurants and cafes. My middle son works in the catering industry and I know how crap the wages and how long the hours are.

Only other occasion I tip is at Christmas. Then it's for; milkman, postie, paperboy, bin men and window cleaner.

**OllieMartin** · 11-12-2009, 01:07 PM

I used to deliver fireplaces in a van as a summer job. We always found that the poorer someone was, the more they seemed to tip. People in nice big houses who ordered the marble fireplaces never gave you anything, barely even a "thank you", the people in the tiny, cupboard-sized flats with barely enough money for bread would try and force �20 into your hand.

I was watching an episode of "Bang Goes the Theory" and they were talking about psychological tests that were done on money.
One group of people was asked to count money, another group was asked to count pieces of numbered paper. As they left the session a woman would walk past and drop a pile of papers on the floor. The people who counted the paper would help her pick the paper up, those who counted the money would walk past.
Apparently this proves that people who are familiar with money or who have a lot of it become more independant and they assume you should be more independant too. There's definately some truth in it.

I felt that was appopriate.

**Two_Sheds** · 11-12-2009, 01:22 PM

I always tip my hairdresser: the cut is only �10 and she has to give half to the salon owner.

I only tip in restaurants if it was an over-and-above experience. What I'd LIKE to do is remove 10% from the bill in most cases: because the food is not even as good as what I make at home.

Postie is good as gold and knows to leave my parcels in a hidey place (even though company policy says he's not allowed to), so he gets a bottle at Xmas.

If I get good service in a shop, I tend to write a letter of thanks to Head Office or the store manager (I used to get them when I worked in retail, it's lovely)

**HeyWayne** · 11-12-2009, 01:27 PM

I tip if I feel it's appropriate, I don't if I don't.

**grannymem** · 11-12-2009, 01:28 PM

Like Snuffer, my children also worked in restaurants for miserable wages so I always aim for 10% - but also check that it is the waiting staff who have looked after us that get the tips and not the management (which often happens if you simply add the tip to the credit card.)
Chocolates or booze for the milkman etc at Christmas and a little cash for the paper 'boy' (who I think retired a few years ago!)
Hairdressers could easily wreak vengeance with the scissors so I'm happy to tip them. An occasional letter ot appreciation to the 'boss' can also bring about rewards for staff who have given extra good service (a vacation job at a call centre for one of my sons illustrated the value of customer response - Patrick really valued the feedback and small pay bonus he got as a result.)

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