Monday, August 13, 2007

Tipping...


I was reading MSN articles today ( i know right? how bored I'm I?) any way, it says that the new tipping % is 20!!! It also gives these guidelines:-
Waiter/waitress
15% to 20% of pre-tax bill

Bartender
$1 to $2 per round or 15% to 20% of tab

Wine steward
15% of bottle's cost (less as price rises), clearly earmarked on bill

Room service
15% to 20% of pre-tax bill (if not already included)

Valet parking
$2 to $3 when car is returned

Taxi driver
15% plus $1 to $2 per bag

Hotel doorman
$1 to $2 to hail cab; $1 to $2 per bag for help with luggage

Hotel bellhop
$1 to $2 per bag

Hotel maid
$2 per night, paid daily, clearly marked 'Housekeeping'

Skycap
$1 to $2 per bag, $2 minimum, in addition to any fee

Hairdresser
15% to 20%

Manicurist
15% to 20%

Spa services
15% to 20%

Food delivery
10% to 15% with $2 minimum

Golf caddy
$20 or 50% of the caddy fee, whichever is greater

My issue is that I believe you should only tip for service above and beyond! why can't restaurants pay their workers minimum wage? if i am paying the hair dresser 20%, what is the other $150 for? why is the maid in the hotel paid the $2 by me? surely the hotel is responsible for that fee! if i am responsible for tips, do i have a choice to say I will order my own food from the chef and pick it up from the kitchen myself and get my own wine from the fridge--to save on the tip fee right? After all, the reason I go to the restaurant is for the food and not for someone to walk that food to my table coz i can do that myself!!! How about tipping cab drivers who 70% of the time have no clue how to get to where i want to go? shouldn't they tip me for knowing directions? c'mon now!

You can not call something a TIP if i am REQUIRED to pay it, and you have given me guidelines on how to do it.

I really think American businesses have a crazy way of doing stuff. Why aren't taxes already included in merchandize we buy? if we already know that there is a 5% sales tax on all products in Maryland... why isn't it calculated into the price before you get to the counter so that you know exactly how much something costs before you get there??? why aren't the waiters fee's calculated into the entrees?

Aren't you misrepresenting the product price if you are telling me an entree costs $30, when in actual fact I have to add $6 for the tip and $1.50 for taxes, so it's really $37.50 and not $30 correct?

I know you'll argue that they can't precalculate the amount because they don't know how much you're going to order and it's actually 20% of the final bill... blah blah blah... but how does it work in England? or even poor little Zambia?

If Tipping is the norm du jour (gosh I''m so creative!), why aren't we allowed to tip health care professionals?

3 comments:

African girl, American world said...

now you know you ain't never eva tipped anyone in Zed...LOL! Lookey here people I will tip you how much I feel....shooooo!

Manena said...

this tipping thing has gone 2 far! :)

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