how much to tip?

[KretZ]

Being in the military haircuts are a mandatory type situation, and the barber shop on base provides pretty cheap haircuts. This one occasion while I was still young and single, I over extended myself financially one month and the last week before pay day I was pretty much broke. But I really needed a haircut and I wasn't going to be able to wait another week. So I scrounged up 7.25 in singles and change (the price of a haircut at the barber on base). Normally I would tip those guys a buck, but rarely did you get the same guy to cut your hair. So it wasn't really like you had a set barber. Anyway after a quick trim, my hair was back in regs and I started to count out the money for the guy. I gave him the singles and counted out stacks of 4 quarters each and then all that was left was the last quarter to make it 7.25. So I am holding this last quarter out to him and he stops, looks at it, looks at me, slams the cash drawer shut, and smacks the quarter out of my hand. He says "I don't want that" and turns his back on me as the quarter goes flying up under the other barber chairs. I then realized he thought I was trying to tip him a quarter haha. I said, "that was the last 25 cents of the 7.25 I owed for the haircut, I wasn't trying to tip you a quarter" The whole place went silent as everyone is looking at him and me. He just looked at me. I picked up my hat and bdu shirt and as I was walked out I saw him bend down and get the quarter off the floor. He was let go not long after that for something else. But tips are a hot button issue for a lot of people, evoking a lot of anger.

 

[dave1949]

Great goodness gracious. Its just a tip. I wouldn't even think of going into a restaurant with the preconceived notion that I am going to leave without a tip just to punish someone. We rarely eat out but when we do it is something that we enjoy doing. We aren't going to dwell on the bad food or service. We just won't go back. We tip our barber, the mail person, and tip anyplace that we eat. Works out well for us. Perhaps the non-tippers have something really rewarding going on for them by not tipping. But its not the way it works out in our world.

Pretty much my approach. We hardly ever eat in restaurants, so that makes a difference I suppose. If we do eat in restaurant that isn't good, we don't go back, and not tipping the waiter isn't likely to make the restaurant any better.

I figure a well-managed place is going to have an enthusiastic staff. Staff reflects management 99% of the time. A good restaurant manager is not going to keep a poor server around, that's a losing proposition for the business.

 

[seymojo536]

It's easy for me. 20% or 2 bucks a person or $10/hr. ( if we're just taking up booth space drinking coffee). Whichever is the greatest.

 

[cmhyland]

Given a choice, I would be in the 20% baseline camp, but I don't have a choice. My wife is in the 25% baseline camp. I have noticed that many of my fellow seniors appear to be in the 10% (or less) camp.

Just curious. What do you tip your barber? My wife doesn't go with me to the barbershop, so I am on my own. My barber charges $13/cut and $12/cut for those 65 and older. I have been giving him $15 -- a 15+% tip before I turned 65, 25% since then.


Steve

I think it all depends on the Barber... I live in a bit of a rural town and I go ove rthe stateline to get my hair cut. The area I go to is depressed and the two young guys running the barber shop clearly poor. They are scratching out as basic a living as you get in this part of the country. They are two young hispanic guys that are very nice and don't speak a great deal of english. But they are working for a living, and in some cases state aid may pay more but they still work and I thank them for having some standards and self respect. The haircut is 12 bucks, and it's well done.... I give them a 20... I feel good that I supported a couple of guys struggling against the odds...

Regards,
Chris

 

[JDgreen227]

About my barber...he is a 30-ish divorced buy raising a kid and a sole owner of his shop...he prices haircuts at $11 and gives me a beard trim inclusive of the price of the haircut so I tip him $2 per haircut and and $12 during the month of December. Believe me, I get my money's worth from my $13 as a lot of times when I am there I see a guy in the chair with practically no hair and he still has to pay $11....:laughing:

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Baseline 20% and work up or down from there as appropriate...

 

[daugen]

when a loaf of bread can easily run four bucks, I think twenty for the barber including a nice tip is in line with the reality of today's inflation.

Since that's what just strikes me as a fair price for my fat but easily barbered head...
and I do feel badly for the guys with no hair at all but something around the bottom and back. Now they should be given
a "folliclely challenged lower rate"

 

[Deere Dude]

"Service" does not exist in France except in good restaurants and in the occasional small business. I have walked out of cafes and restaurants because no one has come to take my order - and I am quite patient.

fascinating. Sure saves on tips...

Well, I think the first time I got a good look at the waitress's armpit hair I'd probably not want to bother her too much...

I was at a restaurant pancake house of some sort in the Keys somewhere. The place was packed because it was over Christmas and everything else seemed closed. I patiently waited for my strawberry pancake and watching the kitchen door for my pancakes and I saw a rather large lady come out with both arms full of plates with food on so she was a hard worker. I noticed that one plate had whipped cream on it and she had her boob in the whipped cream and I kind of giggled and told my wife, "It would be my luck if that was my plate." Sure enough. She trucked on over to another table with a couple plates and then over to mine with my pancake ala boober. I didn't have the heart to complain and she still got a tip because I felt sorry for the old gal.

 

[mjarrels]

I always tip well. Wife worked food service at the golf course next door... she earned about $8.50 a hour but the tips were great, sometimes $130.00 per day. Daughters first job was in food service, she lived off tips. I'm a credit/debit card person, worst case is I need to tip and I have no cash.

mark

 

[vabiker23518]

This thread reminds me of the first time I went to NYC and took in a Yankees game...I was all of 19 and never been to the big city before. The usher wiped the folding seats for my girlfriend and I, and I said "Thank You". He held out his hand and replied "Thank You's don't pay my bills"! That was my first memorable experience with tipping and I've never forgotten it!