S/O Tipping | Imamother

amother

Azure

Tue, Oct 16 2018, 8:49 am

I think this is a cultural thing, I never understood the concept of tipping. I am originally from the US but live in Israel and here no one tips.
Why should I pay $12 for a manicure and tip another $4 on top of that? Why does that make any sense?
I do understand tipping for physical labor like delivering and schlepping my groceries even though that's not done here, but it makes sense.
I was shocked the first (and only) time I got a waxing in the US - it was a fortune plus extra for the tip?
Again, I think it's cultural but trying to understand the reasoning behind it.
Thanks.

watergirl

Tue, Oct 16 2018, 8:56 am

In the states, there is minimum wage. But certain service jobs have a much lower min wage for some reason, and depend on tips. So the person made maybe $3 on the manicure even though you paid $15. And restaurant wait staff makes about $5/hour I believe.

amother

Beige

Tue, Oct 16 2018, 9:56 am

I don't get mandatory tipping but if I don't...
Tipping started as a way to show appreciation for a job well done. "To Insure Promptness"- in other words, I tip if it was done well. But I have been places with horrible service (I am not picky but if we have to ask multiple times for someone to bring us our check, get us water, take our orders.... It was the whole night where we were running around to try to get a waiter....) that doesn't deserve a tip. But it was automatically added and we therefore never went back.

watergirl

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 9:41 am

amother wrote:

I also hate this NEW trend of adding 18% onto restaurant bill for tipping. Suppose I only want to give less? unfortunately, most restaurants are doing it.

You never have to pay their added tip. Cross out the amount and tip what you want.

33055

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 12:42 pm

amother wrote:

That's not true. Tip started out as theive's slang to share.

SixOfWands

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 12:56 pm

In the US, service industry workers are allowed to be compensated by a combination of cash payments from their employers, and tips. So your server may be paid only 1/2 to 2/3 of minimum wage, and get the rest from her tips. Same for your manicurist, waxer, etc.

You've just got to consider it a part of the cost. If your pedicure is advertised at $20, you know that its going to cost you $24.

It would be nearly impossible to change the entire tipping culture here, so just live with it.

amother

Smokey

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 1:04 pm

I did not grow up frum. Not kosher restaurants never ever added a manditory gratuity except sometimes for very large parties. I learned that 10% gratuity for breakfast and 15% gratuity for lunch and dinner were standard amounts (no idea why breakfast should be less) but that it was okay to give more or less based on quality of service.
Then I became religious and find that kosher restaurants (at least in FL where I live) automatically charge you an 18% tip! (And this is going back over 20 years). And almost always for far worse service.
I hate it. There is no incentive for waiters to be polite or helpful and they often are not.
And I also hate the game of calling it a tip when it's being forced on me. This is not a "thank you" for good service. This is an obligation for crummy service.
I have no idea if the non-kosher restaurants now follow this model as well, but somehow I doubt it.
As far as salon services.... I understand that just because I pay $15 for a mani doesn't mean the lady who did my nails got $15. So I am happy to tip her $3 (20%) for the service, which is typically 30 minutes of work. What I am less comfortable with is getting waxed in multiple areas of my body, being charged about $120 for what takes less than 30 minutes of work and now being expected to also tip 20% ($24) on top of the $120. That feels like highway robbery.

33055

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 1:05 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

You can always have a beauty salon owner service you, then you don't have to tip.

Taxi drivers and delivery guys are always surprised when I tip in Monsey.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 1:26 pm

Squishy wrote:

Re-read what I wrote. I assume nothing.

you can't always have the beauty salon owner service you. The beauty salon owner may not be (1) a person (2) if a person, a licensed technician.

But you are correct - I made a mistake. You didn't assume anything.

zaq

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:10 pm

amother wrote:

(3) Present and available in the salon at the time you are. Some people own more than one salon and can be in only one at any given moment.

33055

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:14 pm

amother wrote:

1) Even if the beauty salon is an entity, someone owns that entity.

2) Find a salon that has a licensed technician as an owner to avoid tipping.

It is not always the easiest because the owners lie and say they aren't the owner. Often you can see who owns by looking it up. Or you can just go to a salon that admits the owner is there.

dancingqueen

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:14 pm

zaq wrote:

(3) Present and available in the salon at the time you are. Some people own more than one salon and can be in only one at any given moment.

And the owner is often a master stylist and costs more money so you don’t really save anything.

zaq

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:25 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

It would be nearly impossible to change the entire tipping culture here, so just live with it.

I disagree. All we would need to change the culture would be to pass a nationwide minimum wage law for the service sector that matches the minimum wage for all other businesses. IOW do away with the service sector’s exemption from the standard minimum wage and let the consumer get used to higher prices without tipping.

Those working in the service sector should have the right to be able to rely on making a certain wage irrespective of whether or not customers are feeling magnanimous that day. The tipping system is demeaning and leaves the door wide open for abuse.

SixOfWands

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:28 pm

Squishy wrote:

The salon industry is a murky area to begin with. Some salons employ their staff. Others rent out chairs. I guess some are combinations. So even if Mary doesn't own the salon, she might be a freelancer, and it would therefore not be necessary to tip her. But how on earth would you know that.

SixOfWands

Wed, Oct 17 2018, 2:30 pm

zaq wrote:

A lot of servers make a whole lot more than minimum wage.

And would that not also raise employer paid taxes?

And there would still be people who tip. And people who would expect to be tipped.