Tips ~ Gratuities & Graft.......

[blastfrompast]

Tipping is performance and meal based.

I will tip ok for a m'eh tasting meal if the service was exceptional..BUT I will make it quite clear to management that the meal sucked, but compliment the server's abilities to make a shitty meal an enjoyable "experience".

Now bring me good food, and excellent service and I will tip in the 20-25% range easy..

My bartender at a local spot knows I smoke, and he enjoys his pot so he gets a couple g's in an empty ciggie pack for his tip when I stop by for 1-2 beers. I ask him to throw my "empty pack" out... This ensures great service, even when busy

 

[Harry Gypsna]

Here in the UK, I will tip or not depending on the level of service I get. If I were somewhere like the States where employers expect customers to pay the wages of the staff then I would tip a basic amount, and then increase the tip or not, again depending on the level of service.
If an employer claims he would have to put up prices in order to pay his staff a proper wage, then so be it. If the customer is having to make up the workers pay with a tip, then the food is being sold at an artificially reduced price anyway.


My Dad (Died today, fuck you cancer) was always a big tipper. He was a truck driver and would often get coffee at small roadside cafes in France and Spain, and he would think nothing about leaving twice the cost of his coffee as a tip, always let Taxi drivers keep the change, always bought a drink/gave the cash equivalent to the barmaid in the pub. A myth about Yorkshiremen is that we are Scotsmen with all the generosity squeezed out of us. Well not my Dad.

 

[Stoner4Life]

So sorry to hear about your dad's passing Harry, your dad's generosity left a lot of smiles and good will in his tracks. A man losing his father is supposedly the worst pain, deepest loss he'll experience, I know it was true in mine. I pray your pain passes quickly bro.

 

[Harry Gypsna]

So sorry to hear about your dad's passing Harry, your dad's generosity left a lot of smiles and good will in his tracks. A man losing his father is supposedly the worst pain, deepest loss he'll experience, I know it was true in mine. I pray your pain passes quickly bro.

Thanks mate. TBH, I'm glad it's over and he's not suffering anymore. The man I knew has already been gone (not counting the odd good moment here and there) for a couple of weeks now. It's my Gran who I worry about most right now, he was her firstborn and had lived back with her(when he was home from work) since my parents split in 91. We had been shielding her from the truth. Up until last week, she still thought he would have chemo and be back to work in a few months.
In the end, at 32 years old, I feel privileged to have had him around for this long. He lost his own dad when he was 12, and plenty of kids don't get a dad who is a dedicated provider like he was.

 

[Stoner4Life]

Here's a few tales of graft/bribery in my life, the first two locations were visited by me repeatedly over the years where I quickly learned that a few ($20+) well placed bucks went a very long way.


My 1st opportunity to play the game was back in the mid/late '70s when I was the one picking up our incoming overseas shipments @ various JFK Freight hangars. Not only did the paperwork need to be checked & cleared before docking your truck but the contents had to be cleared by US Customs. You would submit your paperwork through a window and literally wait for 2.5 (if you were lucky) to 4 hours before they'd assign you a dock, then you'd wait some more.

I hated waiting while other drivers liked being on the clock & their asses simultaneously, one day I decided to see how much time $20 could save me. It was plenty, the freight guys were also willing to push my paperwork through the accounting side as long as I had certified funds for tariff fees. Some days I'd walk in and be assigned a dock space w/in a half hour.

@ VARIG Airlines (Brazil) there were 2 blue-eyed Brazilian/German twin brothers that ran the behind the scenes show, it cost me $40 to affect the same results when picking up there, we imported a lot of goods from Brazil.

=============================


Dangerfield's Comedy Club
1st Ave @ 61st St NYC

I'd come walking up with my date after parking the car or exiting a cab, the line would literally be around the block but I already had a $20 folded up & palmed. I'd approach the doorman/bouncer and mention my reservation as I'd pass the bucks, he'd usher us in immediately to a chorus of "Hey I saw that!" playing to our backs.

It wasn't over yet though, as he let us in he'd give the maitre d a signal to seat us & yeah, fork over another $20. Believe me, we weren't gonna get a seat simply by tipping the doorman. We were always seated up front where the table minimum for two @ Dangerfields was $29.00, this was the early '80s & so about the cost of 4 drinks which we were going to have anyways. Add in an extra drink or two & a tip to the waitress and it was about $100 for the show but the experience could hardly be better.

Believe me, chicks really dig being walked in ahead of everyone else waiting. That line was always about 150-200 people long, folks in the middle and through to the end would be waiting for the late show. Dangerfield's always ran two shows on the weekends.


=============================


Story #3 has me cutting line one more time & at many locations while doing some trucking. At various food shows in the NY/NJ/CT area I was hired to drop off & pick up goods for the New York State Food Merchants Association. The docks at each and every convention center are run by the Teamsters, I did not have a Teamsters card & worked for a known independent trucker, not good when waiting for assigned dock space to make your pick-up.

My truck or van would be in a long line waiting, I'd have my helper get behind the wheel & I'd run ahead to the dock boss, he couldn't see my truck & the lack of Teamsters logos etc. I'd tell him a quick joke and slip him a $20 w/a promise of some frozen food goods I was always entitled to take @ shows end, NYSFMA kept my freezer full.

By the time my guy backed in the truck I'd have a case of goods ready for the bossman and everything else ready to go for loading, I got a sideways glance or two when they'd realize I was an independent they moved way up in line but w/beer money & food in hand the dock boss never said a thing.


=============================

I can't be sure if anyone else has ever offered a bride or graft to maneuver themselves ahead of me, it was so easy for me to do I just have to figure that I was passed over similarly.

 

[dagnabit]

Did homie seriously try to go all mousepad madman on me?
LMMFAO.
Perfecr example of the regressed mentality. ..

 

[Eighths-n-Aces]

i always tip well.

anyone who has ever worked in the food service industry understands why .

i try to make up for the customer who is an absolute pric about everything and then stiffs you.

 

[-~Wind Walker~-]

Not just tipping

Not just tipping

I usually tip over 20% for good service. $3.00 minumum on small bills. I like to bullshit with and make the bus drivers, servers / bar tenders laugh. Treating people, dare I say LIKE PEOPLE is very rewarding to me. SAVED MY ASS one time! Many servers realize I'm a good shit (will tip well) and reward me with excellent service or comp me with beverages, extra food, accidentally forget to charge me for dessert, etc. And guess what? Anything that isn't charged to me about 50% of the cost of that item goes to the tip!

It is funny, when servers screw up and I am patient, joke around with them, make 'em smile...I get rewarded with samples of beer, food, information, etc.

Terrible blatently bad service is dealt with accordingly though.

S4L, great thread!

-~WW~-

 

[Mr.Fastcast]

Even if the food is lousy,I will give a great tip on the persons charm alone.

 

[Stoner4Life]

cheap assed Mr. Pink.......

cheap assed Mr. Pink.......


world's smallest violin playing the
sad melody for his waitresses needs.

another story of straight up graft:

mid '70s & I'm alone in my dads warehouse, we sold leather handbags, import/export. a fire marshal walks off the elevator and rings the buzzer for access from the locked hallway. I let him in and he explains to me that he's here to get a few handbags for X-Mas presents, he needs 3 he says.

I show him 3 nice bags and he said "I'll take them." I realized then that he wasn't going to pay for them, nor was he going to inspect/summons for any violations, ever. I called my dad after the marshal left & he asked if I'd offered up some cheaper bags but I didn't know the gig until it happened.

btw, we were a non-fire risk floor, no machinery w/hi draw, no smoking allowed & we always crushed/compacted our cardboard garbage safely. our exits were always unlocked and free of debris.

subsequent years I didn't offer our A-line stuff to him.......

 

[supermanlives]

depends on how hot the waitress is

 

[longearedfriend]

apparently in france they charge tip on the bills (15% if I am not mistaken)

I always tip. If I wouldn't, I would be ashamed of myself and I wouldn't be able to look the person in the eyes.

I very rarely order food, would have to be having drinks with some buddies to be ordering or it has to be a special event for me to be out eating somewhere. I don't have a lot of money so for me that is a luxury. It's nice every now and then, so that's why I don't mind giving a decent tip. Some people order food every day...

I deliver food every now and then (I am usually doing cash register and telephone) but when they need me to go out I go, and I used to deliver a lot (for the two biggest chinese restaurants in town, pizza, etc)
Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you get less then a dollar, sometimes a dollar, sometimes you get 2, sometimes you get 5, sometimes you get 10. Sometimes you get a free sex show and sex offers.

 

[Treetroit City]

Recently:

50 on a 185 dinner.
5 on two beers.
7 on a 13 lunch.

When moneys coming in, money is going out. Love to over tip.

And feed the homeless a couple times a month. Get a dozen gyros and hit Detroit and find some hungry souls.

Keeps me lucky I believe.

 

[longearedfriend]

If service was really bad, if you don't tip.. then the person might think that you simply forgot. If you leave a penny or two, then the person will know you didn't forget him or her.

Also, one time a guy gave me a nice little tip, couple of bucks, and then he put a penny there too. I didn't understand. He said when the service is really good, you leave an extra penny to let the person know.

 

[benzo]

having worked in the food service for a few years, and my fiancée working as a server the last 6 years, we always tip.. good or bad. we know how it is, some people just have bad days.

25% if they are AWESOME... 20% if they are ok.. and even 15% when they suck.

15% to shitty servers shocks them more than no tip..

 

[Treetroit City]

Funny story here.

My 13 dollar lunch was for my wife and I both.

She ordered a burger, well done. Always orders well done, she doesn't want any pink or red meat it that thing, none!

Her burger comes and it's medium well at best. More like medium, lots of pink.

We send it back and waitress asks if she wants it extra well done? WTF?

No, just well done.

Long story short, They bring new burger and tell us they will comp the burger since it wasn't right.

As the waitress drops off the bill she says, "yeah next time you come in just ask for extra well done".

I tell her at that point that that is akin to being extra pregnant. You either are or you're not "well done".

After that she tried to take the check twice before I had put any payment in it. First time I said I haven't looked.

Second time she said "I saw you look at it". Yeah I looked WTF?

7 on a 13...

 

[longearedfriend]

I don't understand the end of your story. 7 $ you gave her ? or you we're charged 7 $ out of 13 $ ?

Why did she try to take the check twice before you have put any payment in ?

One place I eat often, they serve steak that is marinated and that's why the inside is a bit pink even though it's well-done on the inside.

 

[Treetroit City]

The check was 13 dollars.

I tipped 7 dollars even though the experience was not great. That was my point I think. The customer service was excellent and for that the server got a good tip.

Could have easily went the other way where I would have not been so inclined to tip.

Service is all about that!

 

[Stoner4Life]

European diners.......

European diners.......



btw, I tease/talk about cheap assed Mr Pink above, he was in the states. That is NOT a reflection of how I see any of you european members responding here. I understand the tipping culture is completely different there, tips can range from rounding up your change to the next $/£/€ amount or to leaving just an extra $1 or $2.

fine restaurants may add in the tip or service charge already depending on where you are, in a lot of cases big tips are frowned upon and seen as tacky.

 

[Stoner4Life]

ooops

wrong thread