Tipping

I would like to climb on top of my soap box and talk about tipping.

In my own humble opinion, I think our society has gotten way too carried away with tipping. I think there are instances where it is blatantly rude not to tip, and then instances where its kind of rude for you to expect me to tip. I refuse to go around giving away money to every person I encounter just because I can afford it.

The obvious situations where you should leave a tip are servers at restaurants who only make $2-$3/hour. Even when the service is bad I will leave a minimal tip. However, if the service is good, I leave an awesome tip. I've been known to leave 25-30% if you do your job right! Then, there are delivery guys. Those guys usually don't make much per hour and have to extend an effort to get your food/items to you in tact and on time while balancing not getting a speeding ticket, keeping the tank full (or tires pumped if it's a bicycle), and putting wear and tear on their own vehicles. They deserve a tip.

Then there are the grayer areas where we tip because society says we should, but I don't ever really feel good about it. For instance, the hair salon... I just paid you anywhere from $30-$100 to do my hair, and then I have to tip you because you did your job right? These days I tip my hair stylist because I've been going to her for years, she knows exactly what I like, and she knows me and I love her to death. But, before I just did it out of obligation. Those people charge a lot of money for a haircut/style/color and expecting to be tipped on top of that just seems greedy. I realize they are providing a service, but I am paying for that service when I fork over $50 for my haircut, am I not?

The nail salon is a particularly sore spot for me recently. I went in to a place that I've never been before last week for a quick paint job on my toes. Not a pedicure, just some paint. It took the girl 5 minutes, literally, and it costs me $10. No biggie. When the receptionist was checking me out, she asked me if I would like to leave a tip on the card. Sure, $2. I mean, that's 20% and the girl had to extend practically no effort. The woman looked at me like I was a bug and said "Just $2?"... Yes, JUST $2 on the 5 minute paint job your technician just gave me, despite the fact that I am paying you $10 for that service. I was so irritated I thought about leaving nothing, but it wasn't the same girl checking me out so it wouldn't have been fair to the girl that painted my nails.

I guess what bugs me the most is, where do we draw the line on tipping? If your company is providing a service, and I come to your business and pay for that service, why should I have to pay extra just because you did your job correctly? Food establishments aren't really offering a service, they sell a product (the food), the service is a bonus so I tip their underpaid help. Will we one day have to start tipping our nurses, dentists, and grocery store cashiers and baggers? Who gets to say what services we tip for and which ones we don't? I personally draw the line at tipping people who went above and beyond what I paid them to do. If you just did your job correctly then congratulations, your boss will probably let you keep your job and you will continue to get a paycheck for doing so!

Today I went into one of those restaurants that's semi-fast food. You order your food at the counter, get your own drink and utensils, and then someone will run the food to your table when its ready. If I want a refill, I get it myself. However, when I paid for my food the girl handed me the credit card slip with a place to sign my name and leave a tip. I didn't leave one and then I felt guilty, and like I was being judged as cheap. This bothers me because I tip well where tipping is due, but is it really due to someone who makes minimum wage and does their job correctly? I know minimum wage isnt much, but its what our government has determined as enough to get by, and we all had to start somewhere, right?