A Tipping Question

[BTExpress]

You try a place once. If you're not satisfied with the service or food, don't return. Unless you live in Langdon, N.D., you have enough eateries to move on to the next one.

If I happen to receive bad service, it's likely on visit No. 23 to a place I normally like just fine, and a place in which the following 23 visits likely will be fine, too.

But there's still that 23rd visit, though, and how to play it.

 

[Rhody31]

Tip what you want, and live with the consequences.

If I get bad service, I don't tip. If I get good service, I tip well. If I'm gambling and I'm up, and I get good service, I tip.

I admit I get sucked into the guilt sometimes when I don't tip because of bad service, but I'm doing a better job of talking myself out of it.

How do you tip when you're playing black jack? I go to the casino maybe twice a year and never know what's normal, what's too little and what's too much.
I play small stakes. Last year I was coming back from a big hole and was doing the dealer play a hand with me tip thing and those were winning too. I play like $15-25 per hand, but can never figure out the appropriate amount to tip.

 

[playthrough]

To your face, he's going to be grateful. He's also going to remember you because he knows you're a good customer who values his service. And that's what you want.
But yeah, when he talks to other waiters he's gonna say "damn right that motherforker came back to settle up." Just work trash talk. He might talk a big game to co-workers but he's truly happy with the extra cash.

This happens all the time at the golf course. Most of the time when guys say they're big tippers they aren't because the don't get what a big tip is. I'm usually double or triple the minimum. I've caught a little less than double but I'm still gracious. Sometimes guys will hand over cash and go inside the shop and put more on a credit card. If our boss is gone we don't find out til the next day, but the usual reaction is some tough-guy trash talk about how dude is lucky he did or there would have been problems.

In my caddie days, if a player said "I'll take care of you inside" (meaning on credit card/house account), that was the kiss of death 95 percent of the time. We'd see the printout the next morning of the previous day's tips and nearly all would be lousy. The real tippers carried cash. And then there were some real cheapskates who would try to give you stuff out of their bag to help prop up a terrible tip. "You want some balls?" "No sir, I have plenty. Cash is preferred."

 

[jr/shotglass]

Do workers who mention tips beforehand ("Cash is preferred") actually get tips?

 

[Rhody31]

In my caddie days, if a player said "I'll take care of you inside" (meaning on credit card/house account), that was the kiss of death 95 percent of the time. We'd see the printout the next morning of the previous day's tips and nearly all would be lousy. The real tippers carried cash. And then there were some real cheapskates who would try to give you stuff out of their bag to help prop up a terrible tip. "You want some balls?" "No sir, I have plenty. Cash is preferred."

Same rule still applies. After a round a guy says "I took care of it before the round" usually means I'm getting the minimum or barely over that. We make our money on corporate outings - where minimum tips are usually included; players are told, but most tip - and always look for the cash-books combo. If I want to try to make some extra cash I'll usually place some wagers with guys on the course. If there's a guy who you've been busting balls with all day, when he tips at the end you drop a "Is this for the front or the back?" and it usually gets a couple extra bucks.

Last year I had a player tell his cart partner to "give him some cash" and she grabbed her clutch and gave me every bill she had. On top of the money the other two gave me, it was a huge day.

Those days happen, but there are plenty of days I get paired with guys who think they're big-swinging dicks, throw huge bills at the pretty cart girls but I get hit on the low side. Last year I had a foursome that had two volunteers from our PGA Tournament that won the raffle to play the course. It's always tough when you get two twosomes who don't know each other and all four players were pretty bad. I made sure everyone had fun, played fast and I busted my ass. Wasn't expecting much. Ended up with a big day that I never saw coming.

It's a weird existence relying on tips, but you can't get worked up when you get tipped low. Just remember. The guys who tip big? You make sure you're on your A game when they're around.

 

[Rhody31]

Has anyone tipped with Venmo?
I don't have an account yet but feel like with the clientele I have, it might not be a bad idea.

 

[SnarkShark]

How do you tip when you're playing black jack? I go to the casino maybe twice a year and never know what's normal, what's too little and what's too much.
I play small stakes. Last year I was coming back from a big hole and was doing the dealer play a hand with me tip thing and those were winning too. I play like $15-25 per hand, but can never figure out the appropriate amount to tip.

Depends how much you're up, and if the dealer is being personable and entertaining.

I like tipping with a wager. During a nice run put a $5 or $10 chip in front of your chips. That "tip" is wagered for the dealer, so if you win, the dealer gets double.

 

[Batman]

How do you tip when you're playing black jack? I go to the casino maybe twice a year and never know what's normal, what's too little and what's too much.
I play small stakes. Last year I was coming back from a big hole and was doing the dealer play a hand with me tip thing and those were winning too. I play like $15-25 per hand, but can never figure out the appropriate amount to tip.

I'm a low stakes player, too. Usually park at the $5 table and bet $5 and $10 a hand.
I never tipped if I was down. To me, that was like thanking someone for kicking your ass. If I was up and having fun and got a blackjack, I'd usually throw the $2.50 chip the dealer's way or an occasional $5 chip.

 

[spikechiquet]

We go out so little that usually by the time we go back, the servers are new. So I don't feel bad doing a standard %20-ish and calling it good.
And yes, if the food sucks, we don't go back. Good service or not.

Here's my mini-dilemma: There is a local bookstore in town that hosts a weekly storybook reading. I take my son almost every Thursday morning. How often should I buy a book from the place to not feel like a jerk for going almost all the time?

 

[playthrough]

Depends how much you're up, and if the dealer is being personable and entertaining.

I like tipping with a wager. During a nice run put a $5 or $10 chip in front of your chips. That "tip" is wagered for the dealer, so if you win, the dealer gets double.

I love betting for the dealers at a hot (or even lukewarm) craps table, for camaraderie and practical purposes. Can be a complicated game (well, if you're betting everything in sight like I do) and it helps to have a dealer looking out for you.

 

[dixiehack]

We go out so little that usually by the time we go back, the servers are new. So I don't feel bad doing a standard %20-ish and calling it good.
And yes, if the food sucks, we don't go back. Good service or not.

Here's my mini-dilemma: There is a local bookstore in town that hosts a weekly storybook reading. I take my son almost every Thursday morning. How often should I buy a book from the place to not feel like a jerk for going almost all the time?

Local as in not chain? I wouldn't go buying extra books just out of guilt, but I'd give them my business when it is time to birthday or Christmas shop instead of schlepping to Barnes & Noble.

 

[The Big Ragu]

We go out so little that usually by the time we go back, the servers are new. So I don't feel bad doing a standard %20-ish and calling it good.
And yes, if the food sucks, we don't go back. Good service or not.

Here's my mini-dilemma: There is a local bookstore in town that hosts a weekly storybook reading. I take my son almost every Thursday morning. How often should I buy a book from the place to not feel like a jerk for going almost all the time?

1) That "standard 20 percent tip" is a GOOD tip. The majority of people don't tip that well. If you leave a 20 percent tip, it doesn't make you the greatest tipper on earth. ... but it does make you a good tipper. No one should feel bad about that.

2) You shouldn't buy something you don't want (or can't afford) because you go to their free events. If that was an issue for them, they don't have to do the storybook readings, or they could try to charge for it. But all things being equal, when you do need to buy a book, you probably should be giving that store your business.