tipping. Do you tip?

[GoktimusPrime]

Rarely -- only if the service is exceptional.
And who can forget that old Pizza Hut ad with Dougie...
"Do I get a tip?"
"Yeah... work hard, be kind to your mother."

[Tober]

If a taxi driver gets me where I want to go with no screwing around I'll tip around $5. Fancy restaurants around 10% unless service is sub-standard. Local take-away places I regularly go to I let them keep the $1 or so change.

[Bartrim]

This reminds me of the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs

[LordCyrusOmega]

This reminds me of the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs

Me too. Mister Pink makes a good point.

[UltraMarginal]

I tip if I get good service in a restaurant, or it's a restaurant I go to regularly, I'll do the keep the change bit.
BUT, there is no need to tip in Australia, our customer service industry is farily well paid, and have fairly good conditions.
If I don't get good service I do not tip.

A taxi, might get a tip if he's quick, pleasant and doesn't go the long way. I have been close to underpaying a taxi on occasion when a trip cost a lot more than it should have, because he took an odd route.

In America, as mentioned by others, their customer service industry is paid a very basic wage. the system is intended to promote good service, if you don't get good service you still don't have to tip.
The idea is it gives staff incentive to give good service so that they then get a tip, if they are always very good, they can make a tidy living off tips. so if I do get good service in the states I do give a tip. 10 - 15 % as is recommended.

in Australia my tip amount is often the loose change of the purchase, in the case of a taxi, I'll throw a dollar or 3 into the deal if I decide to give a tip. In the case of a Pizza delivery, if it was fast and courteous, they get a couple dollars change, but like also mentioned, if they don't even lok like getting chnge out, they aren't getting a tip.

it's a complex place in my head

[jaydisc]

A couple things to note with tipping in America:

1. Hospitality workers get paid below minimum wage.
In 1995 or so, I waited tables. At that time, minimum wage was about $5.20. My colleagues and I got $2.30 per hour. This is legal and just how it is. Regardless, we still netted $100 on a good night, so naturally, we didn't mind.

2. Hospitality workers are taxed based on the expectation of a gratuity.
That's right. Whether you tip them the standard 15% or not, their income is taxed as if you did.

Since none of these points are true in Australia, I see no need to tip here. I did a bit when I first moved here over a decade ago, but I don't any more, unless they really go out of their way to make our exchange pleasurable, which in all my hindsight Australian memories, can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

As to the system's effectiveness, from the opinion of a dual citizen, Australian service does not compare to that in America. I'm sure that's subjective, but I can't recall anyone with suitable experience disagreeing with me on that point. I remember being in New Zealand about 5 years ago and being told that they were considering implementing a tipping system there due to how badly perceived the service was, at the very least from a tourist perspective. Did that ever happen?

Lastly, a major pet peeve of mine, regardless of location, are businesses without table service that have the nerve to put out a tip jar.

[LordCyrusOmega]

$2.30 an hour? Thats 6c less an hour I got during my first year apprenticship

[Bartrim]

I remember when I was on my traineeship I was on $8.08 an hour for a 38hr week. Then I would D.J on friday night for $60 an hour and make more in one night then I did in a week.

[ITZTRU]

Lastly, a major pet peeve of mine, regardless of location, are businesses without table service that have the nerve to put out a tip jar.

definitely in agreement with this statement.

Imagine walking into McDonald's and seeing a tip jar for every register...

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't think "customer service" is a word that exists in the Chinese language (or if it did, it must be archaic ). Japan on the other hand has the best customer service I've ever encountered -- but the Japanese don't tip and they don't accept tips either. They just take pride in their work and it's an honour to serve. One time I made a purchase at a bookstore in Japan, and the change was like 1 or 2 Yen... so I told the clerk to keep the change. He kept trying to give my change back to me but I insisted that he keep it. He asked me why he should keep it and I told him that I didn't want it. He then said that the money didn't belong to him and thus he had no right to keep it. I then said that I was giving this money to him as a gift, and thus it was his to keep - and then walked out of the store before he could continue the argument. When I was about half way down the road from the store I turned around to see the clerk running after me so he could return my change. He repeatedly bowed to me and apologised profusely for taking my money before returning to his store.

So umm... never tip or ask a clerk to keep change in Japan. They find it bizarre and it makes them feel bad cos they feel like they're robbing you! In my experience Japan and China are on the two extreme opposites of the customer service spectrum.