I'm a very generous tipper for most things, and in fact, tip for services where many people don't.

BUT, I am extremely aggravated about the tip jars left out at restaurants where someone is standing behind a counter doing their job. Why should I tip someone at Dunkin' Donuts for getting me a cup of coffee? It's a huge money-making thing and it really gets on my nerves!

Whew. Can you tell this is a hot-button for me ;)

Sue

I'm curious too. They should tip ME! hahahahah!

Tip jars have become more prominent because WE tolerate them. Tips are appropriate only when service is provided (To Insure Prompt Service) but really only applied to sit down restaurants. There have been many discussions on the appropriateness and some of them have been heated.

My personal opinion is to tip when appropriate and service warrants it. I tip wait staff at sit down restaurants (provided they didn't totally screw things up). I do not tip the fast food restaurant employee for bringing my bagged meal to me nor do I tip the coffee shop employee for handing me a cup to get my own coffee.

Everyone wants something now-a-days!

I also don't see any reason to tip the kid at McDonald's or the coffee shop employee who hands me an empty cup to get my own coffee, and I don't tip them. Ff I walk up to the counter, carry my own tray, clean my own table and toss my own trash, I ain't tipping. Ditto those buffet restaurants.

I will, however, tip the coffee shop employee who makes my caramel mocha with skim milk, makes sure I have a lid for the to-go cup, smiles and talks to Bud and Makayla, and will break that giant cookie in half and put each half in separate bags so that each kid has their own. He or she has gone out of their way to make me happy and spent extra time doing it and I like to encourage good customer service, even if it's not traditional "wait staff" duties.

I don't tip my mail carrier or the school bus driver or the kid who bags my groceries. I still haven't quite figured out why I tip the woman who cuts my hair (once a year, LOL), she has a price, I pay it, so why do I pay extra?

So I do tip for exceptional service and I tip for friendliness and attitude too. On the flip side, when I get that snarling waitress who never comes back with my cup of coffee or catsup for the fries she's not getting a tip and I'll probably complain to the manager, even though I know tips are an integral part of her wages.

Annie

The tip jar is a hopeful jar...in the same category as the hat on the sidewalk in front of the Squawking sax player in the airport or the jar on the bar.
Just because it's there doesn't mean that you have to add to it.
The most offensive tip jar I have ever seen is when the hired bartender at a private party puts out a tip jar!
Are those paying for his/her services not paying enough? Won't they tip? Will putting a buck into the jar get me more Scotch in my glass....
Just because the jar is theer doesn't mean you have to contribute!
Linda C

I hear you and agree vigorously with everyone above!!

I've worked for tips - waitress, bartender, delivery -- and probably a few I've forgotten about -- and I completely agree with all of you.

The more you buy into guilt tipping, the more widespread the tip jar will become. And I suspect over time service will deteriorate in all venues do to a overdeveloped sense of entitlement.

I consider myself a generous tipper, I know that I tip for things that many people wouldn't, yet I agree with most of the above, too.

One thing to be aware of though is that if you do take-out from a restaurant, often times the people who are putting together your order, bagging, etc. are the same people - servers and bartenders - whose base pay is very low and who rely on tips. So in those cases I do tip, not as much as for someone who serves me when I'm dining there, but I do tip.

Linda C - Interesting point about the private bartender. I never thought of it that way (I'm just so happy to be drinking for free that I've never thought twice about putting a few bucks in the jar, LOL) but I think you're absolutely right.

There's a tip jar at the car wash I go to, and I usually put a dollar into it. I don't know if that's one of those areas where you're supposed to, but since there's so many people working on the car, I've never figured out whom to tip, so the tip jar is more convenient. I guess I'm one of those people that due to tipping ignorance, don't know when or where the appropriate time to tip is.

Sally

Interesting reading the responses here. I tip based on service, and truthfully, if I am serving myself I don't feel I should have to tip.

I'm glad to know that I am not the only one who thinks the tip jar is sometimes out of place!

Linda

I never put money in a tip jar. I do however enjoy the buskers who perform on the streets or subways. If they have any talent, I drop money into the hat. In Philadelphia, many of the buskers are musicians who are studying at one of the music schools or performers from clubs who need extra money to help make ends meet. It's like a free concert.

The only tip jar I feed is at a local "facility" that serves meals to clubs and for meetings. They set up a cash bar if the organizer requests. There is no "tab" no bill....you order a Scotch, she says that'll be $4.50.....and I also put a buck into the jar.
One time I hired a bartender for a party.....and she came with her oversized brandy snifter....and I told her to put that away! I don't remember what I paid her but it was more than what she made where she usually worked.

I agree with everyone. I don't tip at counter-order-and-pick-up places. But I always see money in those tip jars, some change and some bills. I wonder if the workers put money in there themselves in order to encourage others to contribute. Sort of a "see? others have tipped so you should too" kind of thing. After all, an empty tip jar is probably going to stay empty longer, huh?

I am another who considers herself a good tipper. I tip on service, and mostly get very good service so I'll tip 20%+ for that. When I get bad service, my tip is in the 5-10% range. I seldom tip nothing, but on rare occasions, if the service is REALLY bad, that's what they get.

My question: What about buffets? I mean, they bring and refill your drink and take away your dirty dish(es). But you serve yourself to the food. I usually tip $1 which falls somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 - 12%. What do y'all do?

I've always been told that 10% is standard at buffets. Personally I tip more. Why? The way I see it, at a buffet you're going to go up at least twice, likely at different times than your friends. Which means they don't just have to come to your table once or twice during your meal to check on drinks, but they have to constantly be available to bus dirty dishes. So while a regular server takes your order and delivers your meal once, the buffet folks are actually doing a lot more work.

I'm not sure I agree that they are doing more work. Yes, they are probably visiting your table more often to pick up dirty plates, but they don't have to
1. take orders
2. answer questions about the menu
3. run back & forth to the kitchen to check on orders
4. carry hot heavy plates of food on big trays

Mostly they are just sort of hanging around watching tables for drink refills & dirty plate pick up. So, in fact, there are usually fewer servers in the whole place for a buffet than there are in a normal table service restaurant. Thus they end up with more tables' tips than does a regular server.

Also, my experience with buffets is that although they bring you your check, you end up paying at the register, so that's even another task they are exempt from.

I'm not saying you shouldn't tip more than 10% if you feel they deserve it, just that I don't see buffet servers doing the same or more work as regular table service servers.

Maybe you're right, and like everything it probably depends on the individual restaurant. Sounds like your and my idea of tipping for "normal" service is the same, so I'd say 10% is customary and expected.

I agree with you 100%. I'd like to second foodonastump's:

"One thing to be aware of though is that if you do take-out from a restaurant, often times the people who are putting together your order, bagging, etc. are the same people - servers and bartenders - whose base pay is very low and who rely on tips. So in those cases I do tip, not as much as for someone who serves me when I'm dining there, but I do tip."

I've even been known to give extra on my bill if eating at the bar and I see someone who has stiffed the bartender that got the to-go order ready; I feel really strongly. It's really irritating to see someone who doesn't notice the restaurant person pulling together the napkins, plasticware, salad dressing, asking if they need condiments.... really bending over backwards. Irksome for them to leave $0 in return for staff having gone out of their way to make certain the patron didn't drive off needing items.

While we're at it... How about splitting checks? I always tip extra if the server is willing to split the check. OTOH if they refuse or make a fuss about it, I just don't go back. In fact, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants has lost my business over this particular issue.

After all, with today's computerized systems, it should be no big deal to do this. And the fact that MOST restaurants will split, and cheerfully at that, makes it all the more irksome when they won't.

One time the waiter brought (with no prompting on our part) four checks to the table where three of us were eating. One check for each of us (in case we were splitting) and one check with the total in case we weren't! Now THAT'S service. But ya gotta know, he gave us excellent service throughout the meal, and the tip reflected our appreciation.

Neither do I tip at coffee shops, fast food, or any counter-type places.

I leave a small tip at buffets. I know waitresses make less hourly when waiting tables, but what do they make working a buffet?