I'd just add that as The Goblin and Mr. Betts indicated above, in the right environment a professional server can make far better than minimum wage. Anecdotally, the one server at the small diner my family owns averages $25 per hour in tips alone.
I tip the same for everyone and I don't use it as a form of feedback to the server.
The only time I've ever given less than my standard amount is the one time in my life I felt I didn't receive "service" at all. One time, at an IHOP at 3 am, a party of 12 thugs rolled in and literally paid a waitress not to serve us until they got their food. This was stated, loudly, in front of us.
That was the only time I've withheld a tip, and even then I felt sort of bad about it. But the amount she was coerced with more than made up for it.
Other than that, I don't do this variable tipping business. The way I see it, 20% is the money I owe for the service. Until the wonderful day when tipping is abolished, that is what I will pay.
Except that tipping is not unseemly, exploitative, and mean. That is just making something up and pretending it is real so as to downgrade something you don't like. Pretty silly.It's reinforcing the class system... The low wage earner is forced to fawn and grovel for your largess. Because the tight arsed bastard they are working for is too greedy/lazy to institute a fair system of payment.
No, it isn't enforcing a class system.
There are literally millions of people who use it as a springboard to move into other lifestyles. It is a fair system of payment.I have lived in this system with (practically) everyone around me in the system. What you state (fawn and grovel) is simply not true.
I am seeing two main positions among the handful of people opposed to tipping, in this thread. The first is that tipping is a form of "hand-out" and that tipped servers don't deserve or haven't earned those tips. Obviously false. The second is that tipping represents an immoral abuse of the working class. I'm not seeing much in the way of support for that idea, either; while minimum wage ought to be higher, it cannot be said that service workers would bring home more money if tipping was done away with. The latter position is less odious, however, because people who hold to it still see tipping as the right thing to do when it's an expected part of the worker's earnings.
Not when you come from a culture where tipping is only considered an option if service is particularly good. In Australia we have wage rates and the like that pay wait staff reasonable wages so that tipping is not a necessity. What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?Massage therapists, hair stylists, taxi drivers, etc. Each has a unique system set up (commission, rental, etc.) where their arrangement with their employer/contractor does not provide a typical salary, and where the customer is expected to directly pay a significant amount of the worker's salary. Despite what you may think, this is not at all an uncommon way of doing business in the service sector.
The major difference between some service sectors is WHEN the value of work is determined. A massage therapist tells you their prices prior to giving you a massage. That is an appropriate and effective method of ensuring the massage therapist is paid fairly.
The major difference between some service sectors is WHEN the value of work is determined. A massage therapist tells you their prices prior to giving you a massage. That is an appropriate and effective method of ensuring the massage therapist is paid fairly.Not when you come from a culture where tipping is only considered an option if service is particularly good. In Australia we have wage rates and the like that pay wait staff reasonable wages so that tipping is not a necessity. What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?Massage therapists, hair stylists, taxi drivers, etc. Each has a unique system set up (commission, rental, etc.) where their arrangement with their employer/contractor does not provide a typical salary, and where the customer is expected to directly pay a significant amount of the worker's salary. Despite what you may think, this is not at all an uncommon way of doing business in the service sector.
Massage therapists have exactly the same tip rate (15-20%) as restaurant servers do.
In addition, because a restaurant server's tip is a function of the price of the bill, and because the price on the bill is determined by the prices on the menu, that ends up being equally up-front. There is no mystery as to the rough amount of tip you will be paying, because you should be fully aware of how much your food costs (and if you can't keep track of that, you really have no business complaining about tipping being too opaque).
I actually didn't realize that you are supposed to tip barbers, since I either had my parents cut my hair when I was younger or I would just buzz it myself. So I rectified that.
I see I need to start tipping my barber then. Tho I only get my hair cut once a year.
I'd just add that as The Goblin and Mr. Betts indicated above, in the right environment a professional server can make far better than minimum wage. Anecdotally, the one server at the small diner my family owns averages $25 per hour in tips alone.
In a good, busy restaurant with "competitive" prices, that's about how much most good servers make. I know I'm not selling how important it is to tip your server when I'm giving away how much they make. Just remember that if they are making that much, they are working very, very hard.
Not when you come from a culture where tipping is only considered an option if service is particularly good. In Australia we have wage rates and the like that pay wait staff reasonable wages so that tipping is not a necessity. What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?Massage therapists, hair stylists, taxi drivers, etc. Each has a unique system set up (commission, rental, etc.) where their arrangement with their employer/contractor does not provide a typical salary, and where the customer is expected to directly pay a significant amount of the worker's salary. Despite what you may think, this is not at all an uncommon way of doing business in the service sector.
I don't really care whether it is uncommon or not. The fact that other service sectors have their own renumeration system does not make the restaurant sector's system (or the other sectors' for that matter) optimal or fair.
Does an employee hairdresser get $x per type of haircut/styling etc and then get tipped on top? Or do they get a low hourly rate and then tips on top. If it is the former the boss also determines who gets which client so potentially the boss can restrict/control the employee's takings above and beyond what they get from tips? If the latter, at least they get a certain level of renumeration even if business is slow.
Taxis - it is irrelevant whether the driver owns the licence or rents the vehicle. The fare system should be set to such a level that a driver can earn a decent wage by doing their job. At least with a waiter you can differentiate their quality of service, and determine a tip, on a range of things - speed of service, manners, providing informed comments about items on the menu etc. What does a taxi driver do to differentiate? Get you to your destination by the best route (should be a given), chat or not chat to you about how [insert posting team here] went on the weekend, or my favourite - not listening to right-wing loony radio shock jocks on the radio.
What other service sectors have a tipping based renumeration structure? And why does it appear that only low paid sectors use the system? What about lawyers, doctors, plumbers…..?
Yeah. As Doodlebug pointed out earlier, there are a lot of factors that go into getting that rate of pay, and two similarly skilled wait staff could have drastically different pay scales.
Our waitress has been waiting tables for a couple of decades, and some our customers were also patrons of the last place she worked. Those relationships make a difference. And she's very good.
(Viva la Galt!)
And why does it appear that only low paid sectors use the system?
I believe you just answered your own question.
The major difference between some service sectors is WHEN the value of work is determined. A massage therapist tells you their prices prior to giving you a massage. That is an appropriate and effective method of ensuring the massage therapist is paid fairly.Not when you come from a culture where tipping is only considered an option if service is particularly good. In Australia we have wage rates and the like that pay wait staff reasonable wages so that tipping is not a necessity. What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?Massage therapists, hair stylists, taxi drivers, etc. Each has a unique system set up (commission, rental, etc.) where their arrangement with their employer/contractor does not provide a typical salary, and where the customer is expected to directly pay a significant amount of the worker's salary. Despite what you may think, this is not at all an uncommon way of doing business in the service sector.Massage therapists have exactly the same tip rate (15-20%) as restaurant servers do.
In addition, because a restaurant server's tip is a function of the price of the bill, and because the price on the bill is determined by the prices on the menu, that ends up being equally up-front. There is no mystery as to the rough amount of tip you will be paying, because you should be fully aware of how much your food costs (and if you can't keep track of that, you really have no business complaining about tipping being too opaque).
In that case why not roll the expected tip amount into both considerations around the price of the service and what the server gets paid. Then tips can be left purely as a function of thanking/rewarding service above what is the expected standard.
If a restaurant owner can't do those simple calculations they have no business being in business.
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And why does it appear that only low paid sectors use the system?I believe you just answered your own question.
I didn't know how to put in a tag for a rhetorical question ;)
I didn't know how to put in a tag for a rhetorical question ;)And why does it appear that only low paid sectors use the system?I believe you just answered your own question.
Oops! My bad.
Sorry. Having some issues comprehending tone today.
I don't really care whether it is uncommon or not. The fact that other service sectors have their own renumeration system does not make the restaurant sector's system (or the other sectors' for that matter) optimal or fair.
No, but it does dispel the notion that tipping culture is somehow limited to the "aberrant" restaurant sector.
Does an employee hairdresser get $x per type of haircut/styling etc and then get tipped on top? Or do they get a low hourly rate and then tips on top. If it is the former the boss also determines who gets which client so potentially the boss can restrict/control the employee's takings above and beyond what they get from tips? If the latter, at least they get a certain level of renumeration even if business is slow.
You can read this description of hair stylist pay if you're curious as to how it typically works.
Taxis - it is irrelevant whether the driver owns the licence or rents the vehicle. The fare system should be set to such a level that a driver can earn a decent wage by doing their job. At least with a waiter you can differentiate their quality of service, and determine a tip, on a range of things - speed of service, manners, providing informed comments about items on the menu etc. What does a taxi driver do to differentiate? Get you to your destination by the best route (should be a given), chat or not chat to you about how [insert posting team here] went on the weekend, or my favourite - not listening to right-wing loony radio shock jocks on the radio.
Plenty of things - keeping a comfortable car, driving efficiently and safely, engaging the passengers appropriately, providing helpful tips or other information to visitors, recommending destinations, accommodating requests, handling baggage, etc.
In that case why not roll the expected tip amount into both considerations around the price of the service and what the server gets paid.
Because that's what tipping culture has evolved into. It's not like it started that way - it's the result of a decades-long cultural trend.
Yeah, but it should be up to the customer to decide whether to award the service, not the other way around.
The customers (collectively) are the ones who decided to make 15-20% the norm in the first place.
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I don't really care whether it is uncommon or not. The fact that other service sectors have their own renumeration system does not make the restaurant sector's system (or the other sectors' for that matter) optimal or fair.No, but it does dispel the notion that tipping culture is somehow limited to the "aberrant" restaurant sector.
Who is saying it is aberrant?
Does an employee hairdresser get $x per type of haircut/styling etc and then get tipped on top? Or do they get a low hourly rate and then tips on top. If it is the former the boss also determines who gets which client so potentially the boss can restrict/control the employee's takings above and beyond what they get from tips? If the latter, at least they get a certain level of renumeration even if business is slow.You can read this description of hair stylist pay if you're curious as to how it typically works.
I would expect the hairdresser's employer to pay them a reasonable wage and if the customer wants to show their appreciation by tipping then they can.
Taxis - it is irrelevant whether the driver owns the licence or rents the vehicle. The fare system should be set to such a level that a driver can earn a decent wage by doing their job. At least with a waiter you can differentiate their quality of service, and determine a tip, on a range of things - speed of service, manners, providing informed comments about items on the menu etc. What does a taxi driver do to differentiate? Get you to your destination by the best route (should be a given), chat or not chat to you about how [insert posting team here] went on the weekend, or my favourite - not listening to right-wing loony radio shock jocks on the radio.Plenty of things - keeping a comfortable car, driving efficiently and safely, engaging the passengers appropriately, providing helpful tips or other information to visitors, recommending destinations, accommodating requests, handling baggage, etc.
All things that you would expect a professional taxi driver who cares about his/her service to do irrespective of how he is renumerated. And if I have a driver who is particularly pleasant or helpful then I'll voluntarily tip them.
When I visit my accountant I expect him to keep a tidy office, do my books efficiently, engage me appropriately, provide useful accounting tips, recommend things to improve my business etc. I don't tip him though.
Why are not all service sectors equal? Sounds very Animal Farm to me ;)
Who is saying it is aberrant?
What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?
So, you.
I would expect the hairdresser's employer to pay them a reasonable wage and if the customer wants to show their appreciation by tipping then they can.
Did you read that article? Hairdressers are independent contractors. They aren't directly employed.
Again, what you expect really isn't the point. Tipping culture exists, and it's not going anywhere because most people don't see any problem with it.
All things that you would expect a professional taxi driver who cares about his/her service to do irrespective of how he is renumerated.
What the hell?
What, do you think he's going to do just those things out of the kindness of his heart? He needs money, and if he provides good quality service he expects to be tipped accordingly.
No one cares what you expect.
When I visit my accountant I expect him to keep a tidy office, do my books efficiently, engage me appropriately, provide useful accounting tips, recommend things to improve my business etc. I don't tip him though.
And that's fine. We don't really have a tipping culture surrounding accountants.
Why are not all service sectors equal? Sounds very Animal Farm to me ;)
You could write academic papers on that. The fact of the matter is that many areas in the service sector feature tipping culture, and you need to be aware of that and act accordingly.
Gallo, IIRC, hair cutters/beauticians have to pay for the space they are in vis a vis rent for an apartment. Tips there are a necessity as during a lean week or month, they may need to dip into tips to pay rent.
Vegas Baby, the land of tipping. Food service or Taxi Fair. If you need to know how it goes, I will tell you.
Personally, as my shorter comrade has alluded to a few times, I think that if one were to conclude that tipping has to go, the best time to move forward with that would be after ensuring the minimum wage ceases to suck. And maybe once the revolution comes I'll put up one of those no tips accepted signs.*
...
What is that in your pocket, comrade?!? A jelly donut?!? Up against the wall!!!
Yeah. As Doodlebug pointed out earlier, there are a lot of factors that go into getting that rate of pay, and two similarly skilled wait staff could have drastically different pay scales.
Our waitress has been waiting tables for a couple of decades, and some our customers were also patrons of the last place she worked. Those relationships make a difference. And she's very good.
(Viva la Galt!)
Ariel the Sexy Roller Derby Chick is very sexy. I'd tip her well, too. OHWFA!!!
What is that in your pocket, comrade?!? A jelly donut?!? Up against the wall!!!Personally, as my shorter comrade has alluded to a few times, I think that if one were to conclude that tipping has to go, the best time to move forward with that would be after ensuring the minimum wage ceases to suck. And maybe once the revolution comes I'll put up one of those no tips accepted signs.*
...*(Well, who am I kidding. Probably I'd be too busy being up against the wall)
Comrade, can't I get re-educated through labor now, and not shot till later? It was only a lemon donut.
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I asked Doodles that exact question, and he just shot me right then and was all, "That was your re-education."
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Who is saying it is aberrant?What other industry expects the customer to directly pay part of the staff wages rather than paying the restaurant owner the full amount and having them then pay their staff properly?So, you.
We have different views on the meaning of aberrant in this discussion.
I would expect the hairdresser's employer to pay them a reasonable wage and if the customer wants to show their appreciation by tipping then they can.Did you read that article? Hairdressers are independent contractors. They aren't directly employed.
Again, what you expect really isn't the point. Tipping culture exists, and it's not going anywhere because most people don't see any problem with it.
No, of course I didn't read it. Was I supposed to?
All things that you would expect a professional taxi driver who cares about his/her service to do irrespective of how he is renumerated.What the hell?
What, do you think he's going to do just those things out of the kindness of his heart? He needs money, and if he provides good quality service he expects to be tipped accordingly.
No one cares what you expect.
Take a chill pill Scott. In all your responses to other OTD discussions you manage to be eloquent, insightful and direct without resorting to boorishness. Somehow this thread seems to elicited a different tone of response.
As for taxi drivers, you think they only provide a good service in expectation of getting a tip, not out of a sense of pride in his work? So what about professions where tipping is not necessary? Are people not going to provide good service "out of the kindness of their hearts", no professional pride in doing as good as job as possible irrespective of whether someone is going to slip them a fiver afterwards?
When I visit my accountant I expect him to keep a tidy office, do my books efficiently, engage me appropriately, provide useful accounting tips, recommend things to improve my business etc. I don't tip him though.And that's fine. We don't really have a tipping culture surrounding accountants.
Why are not all service sectors equal? Sounds very Animal Farm to me ;)You could write academic papers on that. The fact of the matter is that many areas in the service sector feature tipping culture, and you need to be aware of that and act accordingly.
I am fully aware of the tipping culture in the US and abide by it whenever I am there. I just think it is an inequitable and inconsistent system that applies to sectors where the employees by and large have limited power (in an industrial relations sense). I know I am not going to change your mind, nor is that my intention. I will however try to refrain from using italics and bold …...
Tip zero! Be a hero!
Vegas Baby, the land of tipping. Food service or Taxi Fair. If you need to know how it goes, I will tell you.
My wife and I are going to Vegas for the second time in a few weeks. We're from the UK, so tipping here is an optional reward for good service (and then generally only in restaurants/haircut places), but we're aware of how things work in the US so we tip about 15% as standard, because that's what's expected (I think).
It's all the other "non-restaurant" tipping stuff that I don't get. Last time we were in Vegas (about 2 years ago), we got a taxi from the line outside the front of our hotel, where a guy signalled the next cab forward and opened the door for us. We later found out that apparently we were supposed to tip him. We also didn't realise that you were supposed to tip bartenders for getting you drinks, even if you went up to the bar to order and then carried them back to your table yourself.
We're (well, my wife at least) the sort of people that read travel guides and stuff to work out what the expected customs are when we're abroad, but some of this stuff doesn't make any sense. I don't agree with tipping in this fashion, I think it's an appaling way to treat employees, but I'm not so thick-headed that I don't understand why it happens, so I try to go along with it to the best of my abilities.
Bartenders, it's usually 1 to 2 dollars. You're waiter, you generally tip 10% to 15% of the cost of the meal rounded up. If a meal runs about 20 to 30 dollars then 2 to 5 dollars is a fair tip. Taxi services is 20% to 30% of the fair, but a honest taxi service will charge you any where from $8.00 to $20.00 depending on the length of the ride. The tip should be anything from $2.00 to $5.00 dollars.
Word of advise: When leaving McCarran always tell the driver to take the Tropicana and Swenson exit. If you tries to take the Airport Tunnel, you end up getting long-hauled for a higher fare (unless your booked on the south end of the Strip). It's dishonest. He'll have his tA license on the right dashboard. Snapo a picture, get his cab number and company phone number. Call them and the Taxi Authroity.
And maybe once the revolution comes I'll put up one of those no tips accepted signs.*
For what it's worth it was Russia. I read in another book, in the lone anthropology course I took, that when they opened the first McDonald's during perestroika the staffers handed out leaflets to the queued up customers explaining that when the staff smiled at them it was to express friendliness, not disdain.
I guess Russia's a weird place.
I guess Russia's a weird place.
If I didn't know better, I'd say it's almost like vodka, depression, and freezing cold aren't a match made in heaven.
Bozhe moi! More vodka!
After the Soviet Union fell, I had a comrade, "Bill," from Russia. His father had been a college lecturer and one of his areas of specialty was the origins of vodka and who invented it. Apparently, it was an academic matter of no small controversy between the Russians and the Poles.
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By God Scott
I am now reading your posts in Doctor Emmett Brown's voice. I know that's not what you said, but I saw it first and now I can't help it. :P
As to folks from non-tipping cultures who come to the US, please just follow our customs in the same fashion you expect us to follow yours. I often see people on this board complaining about how Americans see American exceptionalism everywhere, insist on doing things their way, and refuse to acknowledge differences in social practices in other nations because of it. Isn't a refusal to follow tipping customs of a country you visit on the basis of some vague notion of teaching us something just as bad?
I travel extensively. I take a vacation to another country once a year because other than gaming books I don't even use because my group disbanded, the big luxury I treat myself with is travel, and I always attempt to learn as much of the customs of a place (including tipping) as I can before I go there, just so I don't come across as some rude American. Can't we expect the same of you?
As an Irishman who frequently visits my American brethren in Boston, I have no idea how to tip right in the States. Back home, I tip 10% when the service is competent, and not at all when it's not. When in the States, I just follows my cousin's lead. I mean, who, when, and how often do you tip? Are you supposed to tip the bartender every time you get a drink? I heard that somewhere, but I didn't think bartenders were one of those poor, tip-supplemented workers. And if I get a $5 drink, I'm supposed to give a 20% tip? I don't get it. And taxi drivers? Particularly when you see them take the "scenic" route? Hairdressers? Really? Should I be tipping the cashier in the supermarket too?
The "Do as the Roman's do" thing would be great, if most people followed it. Note, I said most people, not most Americans. Living in a tourist town in Ireland, I cannot stand tourists, because most tourists are ignorant, rude, selfish and completely ignore local customs. If people should lead by example, then I'm following the example that countless tourists have set down the years by ignoring your customs.
Raising minimum wage does nothing to solve poverty. Companies just use it as an excuse to raise prices, which means that all it will do is devalue the currency.
Until that problem is solved, raising minimum wage is a losing proposition.
We have a minimum wage of €8.65 in Ireland. That's $11.8550, according to XE. We have this thing in Ireland called the Euro menu in McDonald's. Funnily, it's pretty similar to the Dollar menu, only €1 instead of $1. Strange how the minimum wage didn't cause that to increase, huh? :)
I hope you guys that object to tips don't find out about sales tax...
Is that the insane American custom where tax is only added to the price after you reach the till? Because that is, as mentioned earlier, insane. I mean, what? Why? It makes so little sense that I can discern. Why not just make the price you see, the price you pay? Which feeds back into the "tipping should be optional, and the increased pay for employees worked into the prices on the menu" point.
I thought long and hard about which thread to put this in, and I opted for this one even though it probably should go in Comrade Dingo's petition thread or the Unions Are Awesome thread.
I also know that I talked shiznit about The New Republic in another thread, but, whatever...
The Silicon Valley Labor Scandals Prove Minimum Wage Hikes Don't Cost Jobs
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As an Irishman who frequently visits my American brethren in Boston, I have no idea how to tip right in the States. Back home, I tip 10% when the service is competent, and not at all when it's not. When in the States, I just follows my cousin's lead. I mean, who, when, and how often do you tip? Are you supposed to tip the bartender every time you get a drink?
Yep, $1 per drink is about the norm. If you're at a shmancy place bump it up to $2, maybe.
And if I get a $5 drink, I'm supposed to give a 20% tip?
Well, yes, but only because that works out to $1, and $1 is the norm. Don't worry about figuring out 20% of your drink's price (impossible in many places where the drink prices aren't shown off anyway), just tip a dollar or two.
And taxi drivers? Particularly when you see them take the "scenic" route? Hairdressers? Really? Should I be tipping the cashier in the supermarket too?
Yes on taxi drivers, yes on hairdressers. No on cashiers.
We have a minimum wage of €8.65 in Ireland. That's $11.8550, according to XE. We have this thing in Ireland called the Euro menu in McDonald's. Funnily, it's pretty similar to the Dollar menu, only €1 instead of $1. Strange how the minimum wage didn't cause that to increase, huh? :)
Ironically, our Dollar Menu actually got changed to the Dollar And More Menu. So you might actually be in better shape than us in that department.
Is that the insane American custom where tax is only added to the price after you reach the till? Because that is, as mentioned earlier, insane. I mean, what? Why? It makes so little sense that I can discern. Why not just make the price you see, the price you pay? Which feeds back into the "tipping should be optional, and the increased pay for employees worked into the prices on the menu" point.
Yeah, we're not really sure about that one either, but part of it probably has to do with the way sales tax is structured, nationally. Each state has a different sales tax percentage, and companies doing business in multiple states would have to reconsider how they label their packaging. In other words, there are a handful of (minor) barriers to changing it to a price-you-see-is-what-you-pay model that are unique to how the United States works.
We have a minimum wage of €8.65 in Ireland. That's $11.8550, according to XE. We have this thing in Ireland called the Euro menu in McDonald's. Funnily, it's pretty similar to the Dollar menu, only €1 instead of $1. Strange how the minimum wage didn't cause that to increase, huh? :)
Ireland has pricing regulation that doesn't exist in the United States. True that it is only on the display of prices, but keeping companies honest there still makes a pretty hefty difference. So, that example isn't actually a valid rebuttal :P
I don't mean the above as hostile (the valid rebuttal bit is just me joking). But, in general, I find that every time someone brings up some nation that has a higher minimum wage without having an increase in prices, they have some regulation that the United States simply doesn't. Within the U.S., you can have massive price differences on the same product between two stores from the same franchise that are within one city block of each other. Sometimes the amount of variation can be as much as half a dollar on some of the smaller items. And, generally, the best deals on groceries are found in stores in the wealthier areas; the stores in poorer areas charge more.
And that's before you get into the distribution issues.
So, in general, the U.S. has a lot of dishonest pricing going on.
Edit: Just checked. Ireland also regulates utility prices. The United States doesn't. That, also, is a major factor in prices. It's also a contributing factor within the United States towards why alternative energy is not catching on in some areas; people oppose anyone around them having it because they don't have the money to invest in it themselves and can't afford electricity bills going up from the electricity companies using the alternative energy as an excuse to raise prices.
I think another influential thing, for not getting rid of tipping, is the perception of price and value.
People might be perfectly fine with paying $20 for product X or service Y and then tip $4. But they wouldn't feel the same way if they had to pay $24 for product X or service Y, but no tip. The end price is exactly the same, but the perception is different.
Yes, because the entirety of Russia is frozen over. All the time. Every year.I guess Russia's a weird place.If I didn't know better, I'd say it's almost like vodka, depression, and freezing cold aren't a match made in heaven.
True story, I was in St. Petersburg in 1993 in January and it was two days before I realized it was on a series of islands because everything was frozen and there was only about 4-5 hours of daylight per day.
I spent 4 days in Leningrad during the summer of 1988, and I went absolutely bat s**t crazy 'cause it was never dark out. Latitudinal discrepancies will wreck your head.
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I typically tip 20%, and move a bit up or down based on service. When I got a drink at the pub I used frequent, I would usually tip $5, which was typically 50% of the tab because they tended to get busy and I was holding up a spot at the bar for an hour or two sipping my drinks and reading my book.
Even if they're awful, I'll still leave them a dollar.
If I can afford to eat out, I can afford to tip the server.
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True story, I was in St. Petersburg in 1993 in January and it was two days before I realized it was on a series of islands because everything was frozen and there was only about 4-5 hours of daylight per day.Yes, because the entirety of Russia is frozen over. All the time. Every year.I guess Russia's a weird place.If I didn't know better, I'd say it's almost like vodka, depression, and freezing cold aren't a match made in heaven.
It was January, what do you expect? In moscow, during winter, you can drive a tank on the river. Without fear of it going through the ice.
Summers are really hot however. A few years back people had to bathe in public fountains to cool off.