Jerry:
?What would be unfair would be to punish the server for something that is out of their control.?
I agree on this. Good tipping can sometimes be hard work and good customers will evaluate all these conditions.
Bob:
?Of course, some servers are treated with such nastiness by some customers that it's a shame they can't give "them" a penny to show how they were evaluated as a customer.?
Well said.
I do offer one additional caveat though. In a vendor-buyer relationship, the really good vendors over the long term are willing to accept some abuse from customers without dishing it out in return. Often this is more effective in winning the customer over and also results in good word of mouth for the vendor. We all know the customer is NOT always right, but the slogan ?The customer is always right? has a lot of worthwhile logic behind it.
When I was in customer service positions during my business career, I found it pretty easy to train myself to steel myself against customer abuse and not get emotionally involved. In the long run I found this went over better with the irate customer than arguing or dishing it back. It went better for me as well! :
I did not even consider what my personal rights were as for the moment I was being paid to deliver customer satisfaction.
Someday maybe I can bring this same approach to forum discussions. LOL! ;D
Interesting Bob about the new IRS approach. That must have been very hard on servers. That occupation is not usually high paying to begin with and tips in many businesses (such as charter fishing) are seldom reported. When the IRS zeros in on one type of business and demands tips be reported as income that must have a devastating effect on the employees. I know mates do not think they are cheating by taking home the cash tip and spending it without reporting it. Technically they are wrong, but common practice encourages it. I am not saying tips should be or not be reported, just being sympathetic about sudden changes in IRS policy. As Clinton would say, ?I feel their pain.?
Bob, fascinating discourse on casino crap gaming! If I ever gambled in a casino I would be tempted to the poker tables, as I loved that game back in the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately they all now seem to play Texas Holdem and I am not ?up? on that game. I would like to learn it though. 5 card stud was my favorite, with a little draw and a little 7 card or baseball.
Has anyone ever tipped RV mechanics?
I am not out to find new sources for giving away tips, but years ago I discovered tipping boat mechanics was VERY effective. I continued the practice with RV mechanics and they seem most appreciative and attentive. When I picked up my new motorhome I tipped the shop foreman, the shop scheduler, the salesman, the inside prep person and the outside prep person.
I really noticed some fast scheduling and attentiveness when I returned last week to have minor warranty items cared for.
In my two years of trailering, I usually tipped the scheduler and the mechanic. That combination got me great results.
I cannot afford 15 or 20% of a large repair bill so I max out at $25 or even $50 for superlative effort.
May I point out this is all in keeping with the theory of tipping according to the quality of service. It may sound selfish, but I tip for my own personal benefit. The intelligent ?tippee? is smart enough to realize this is a form of ?teamwork? between vendor and customer and will give me what I want so I give him/her what they want. Similar to what Bob describes in the tipping relationship between player and dealer.
Thenoseyone brings in an interesting point about tips being included on the bill. How do folks here think about that? It does eliminate servers from cheating each other and gives a good audit trail for IRS accounting. But is it fair to the customer?