Tipping the Delivery Guy (with an MU twist)

[mu_hilltopper]

My son just bought a pair of fancy schmancy Jordan 4s at a sneaker shop in Miami. When he put my credit card in, he was promoted to add a tip akin to at a cafe. It caught me off guard, but the salesperson was awesome, my son loved talking shoes with him, so he tipped him.

And here comes the next problem with "tipping."   I like the story, and it's great that your salesperson was super. 

But when you added that tip, how much of that does the employee see .. or are you just giving the business owner some extra profit?

[warriorchick]

So you agree, it's a tactic to transfer the cost of labor from the companies to consumers?

The consumers are always paying the cost of labor, whether it is in tips or increased menu prices.

Most servers I know would never want tips to be eliminated. Restaurant owners would never pay them what they are making in tips.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

So you agree, it's a tactic to transfer the cost of labor from the companies to consumers?

Companies are the ones profiting off their employees. Be generous and reward it, especially when it's good.

You realize that the total cost of a meal wouldn't change much in a no-tip system right?

[Scoop Snoop]

Just as soon as we begin tipping the clerks at the supermarket checkout, we should then begin tipping when we order anything online. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I've never said to ban tipping or go to a no tip society. I said don't allow companies to pay less so tipping becomes truly about rewarding exceptional service and less about I have to do this because otherwise this person is essentially not getting paid for their work.

[muwarrior69]

So you agree, it's a tactic to transfer the cost of labor from the companies to consumers?

Companies are the ones profiting off their employees. Be generous and reward it, especially when it's good.

My room mate and I asked our Head resident at Schroeder if it would be OK to tip the cleaning staff at Christmas.  He thought it was a great idea and the entire 8th floor gave the two maids that changed the beds and the custodian that cleaned the toilets and showers 100$ each. The money was appreciated, but the true gift was that they knew they were valued by all of us.

[Hards Alumni]

If we're talking tipping at a restaurant, yes I agree.

But percentages when we're talking delivery (Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc...) is silly.  When I was in NYC, I would tip according to weather, distance, etc...  Especially since many of those delivery people were on bikes or what not.  In the burbs, its more distance based.

But the idea that you would tip a delivery driver $5-10 on couple pizzas or sandwiches that is $50 but you should tip them $100 cause you got $500 worth of sushi is stupid to me.

Also, again people tipping a dollar or two, much less stiffing the driver, are garbage, but the idea that you should be getting a fat tip just cause its a nice house is also BS, IMO.  People with means have the ability to tip more, and if they do, thats great.  But its stupid to shame someone for "only" tipping $20 cause they have a nice house in a wealthy area. 

But I'm also all for higher restaurant prices/server salaries and no tipping as well.

Yep, nailed it.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't know about others, but prior to the advent of Ubers I had stopped standard tipping in cabs for awhile.  Terrible, if not shady, service.  Games to rise up fares or avoid having a customer pay with card, etc.... The capper was a cabbie, circa 2010, give my friend and I a $13 ride from Lincoln Park to Lakeview one night.  My friend asked for change on $20 and the driver was aghast and then became irate and called him a cheap piece of crap...for not just giving him the $20 and calling it a day.  This is the night after another friend was swore at and chased from a cab for insisting on using a credit card cause he didn't have $30 in cash.  I still would tip a few dollars on good rides, and still do elsewhere when I take a decent cab.  But it was in no way the expectation like tipping at a restaurant.

I took a cab from Midtown to LGA with my wife a decade or so ago, and when we arrived the cab driver told us his credit card machine didn't work.  The far was $48 and he got exactly $48 from me since it was all the cash I had on hand.  I guess that scam backfired on him.

[Scoop Snoop]

My room mate and I asked our Head resident at Schroeder if it would be OK to tip the cleaning staff at Christmas.  He thought it was a great idea and the entire 8th floor gave the two maids that changed the beds and the custodian that cleaned the toilets and showers 100$ each. The money was appreciated, but the true gift was that they knew they were valued by all of us.

I don't remember the amount we came up with on my floor in Shroeder, but we did the same thing. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

[Jay Bee]

I flushed almost every time in the community John. That was enough.

[JWags85]

I don't disagree that the system is broken, but I think most people criticizing it from a "greed" standpoint (this board excluded) don't realize how little most restaurants make.  It's not like greedy pharma companies making huge profits from overpricing drugs, the idea of the average restaurant owners living high off the hog cause they are passing labor costs to the customer is just not rooted in reality.   Could it all be changed?  Sure.  But it's a process and as many said, many good servers, especially in higher end places, won't like it.  I think it would actually pretty non consequential in terms of the bottom line for restaurants, though the initial risk would be higher.

On a related note, while I've spoke about my preference for European tipping culture, the arrogance and stubbornness of Europeans toward American restaurant/tipping culture is so f-ing obnoxious.  There is a mentality of "pay your employees a fair living wage like we do in Europe, I won't support such an unfair system (nose HIGH in the air).  Like they are proving some morality point sticking it to the man in the US when all it does is screw over their server. I've met and dealt with numerous Europeans, who are otherwise decent people, who have this dumb ass mindset.  Much less the pontificating and posturing online in any sort of tipping discussion or debate.  Also, spare me the "we weren't aware" nonsense from them.  It's 2023, the internet is at everyone's fingertips, if you have the means to vacation in the US, you're not some barely scraping by naive citizen.  It's a unique cultural quirk of one of the largest and most influential countries in the world, spare me the convenient ignorance.

[lawdog77]

My room mate and I asked our Head resident at Schroeder if it would be OK to tip the cleaning staff at Christmas.  He thought it was a great idea and the entire 8th floor gave the two maids that changed the beds and the custodian that cleaned the toilets and showers 100$ each. The money was appreciated, but the true gift was that they knew they were valued by all of us.

I am out of the loop. When did dorms get  maids?

[ATL MU Warrior]

I am out of the loop. When did dorms get  maids?

1935

[lawdog77]

1935

Ha! I guess I walked right into that one.

[21Jumpstreet]

And here comes the next problem with "tipping."   I like the story, and it's great that your salesperson was super. 

But when you added that tip, how much of that does the employee see .. or are you just giving the business owner some extra profit?

Excellent question, and one we specifically asked. He said it went directly to him, so we tipped on the card. If he said it went to the business or he only got a percentage, I would have either not tipped or given him straight cash homie.

[21Jumpstreet]

You realize that the total cost of a meal wouldn't change much in a no-tip system right?

Literally speaking, yes, the total cost of the meal wouldn't change. However, the price of the meal would have to go up 3x and more in order to shoulder the extra costs of labor.

[4everwarriors]

Ur healthcare professional oughta be tipped as well, hey?

[lawdog77]

Ur healthcare professional oughta be tipped as well, hey?

I have heard dentists enjoy just the tip

[cheebs09]

Ur healthcare professional oughta be tipped as well, hey?

Why tip someone for a job I'm capable of doing myself? I can deliver food, I can drive a taxi, I can and do cut my own hair. I did, however, tip my urologist. Because I am unable to pulverize my own kidney stones.

[swoopem]

My room mate and I asked our Head resident at Schroeder if it would be OK to tip the cleaning staff at Christmas.  He thought it was a great idea and the entire 8th floor gave the two maids that changed the beds and the custodian that cleaned the toilets and showers 100$ each. The money was appreciated, but the true gift was that they knew they were valued by all of us.

Maids that changed the beds??? Also, if this was in 60s and the entire floor threw in $100 each, they walked away rich a fuk

[warriorchick]

Ur healthcare professional oughta be tipped as well, hey?

It's not funny. I know of at least 2 dermatologist's offices that have a tip line on their credit card receipts for medspa procedures that are performed by RNs.

It's out of control.

[warriorchick]

Maids that changed the beds??? Also, if this was in 60s and the entire floor threw in $100 each, they walked away rich a fuk

That's only a buck or two per kid.

[swoopem]

That's only a buck or two per kid.

I read it as every kid threw in $100

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Ur healthcare professional oughta be tipped as well, hey?

My wife says in the old communist days of Poland, you had to tip the doctor a bottle of vodka if you didn't want to wait weeks to be seen for your ailment.

[tower912]

I can see tipping the hygienist.  They do all the work.