The New Rules for End-of-Year Tipping

I just received a card with 5 people listed. I park my care in an open lot so it is not as though they drive my car to me at the entrance, any ideas as to how much I tip?

Thanks,

Barbara of NY 3:17PM December 13, 2010

Tipping is now simply a way for employers to get away with not paying their employees a decent wage. They've placed that burden onto the consumers... There shouldn't be a tipping standard. Tipping shouldn't be standard... It should be a reward when more than ordinary service is provided.

For example: A waitress should be paid a regular hourly wage. Then be tipped if say your soda glasses were never empty because she was good with refills, or your special order was perfect because she double checked before bringing it out, or she made a good recommendation on what to eat.. Things like that. But nowadays you pretty much have to tip because you know she's not making hardly anything and lives on tips, therefore you feel guilty if you do not tip.

Another Example: If a postal worker brings a disabled person their mail to the door everyday instead of leaving it in the box near the curb because said postal worker knows they're disabled... That worker deserves to be tipped..

Things like this deserve tipping. I hate feeling obligated to tip even when service is poor. But i do anyway because i believe that person still deserves to be paid for their work/time, but not in form of a tip.

Also where does the logic come from according to this article that if you paid for a delivery service you're not "required" to tip..? I believe they used furniture delivery as an example? Well the last time i checked i pay a delivery fee to the store for my pizza, but i still tip the kid when he shows up. He's carrying a lot less than my 250lb sectional too.. I think the men who took extra care in not scuffing the walls, took off their shoes before entering the house, general politeness and that saved my ass from a backache deserve a tip more than an hour late pizza guy..

Cody of KS 9:35PM December 03, 2010

I take strong issue with Ms. Palmer's recommended tipping amount for hotel housekeepers. When I was a young adult- 30 years ago, I was instructed to leave a standard $2 tip. This advice was for the motels at which I stayed, where the nightly cost was never over $50.

Especially in comparison with tips suggested for other service workers, the $1-$2 dollar tipping rate for housekeeping staff in 2010 is nothing short of preposterous, unenlightened, stingy and unfair. I understand that with few exceptions, the tips recommended are for people who provide ongoing, vs. one-time service, but $1 is little more than an insult! Why does a porter (man) warrant $2-3 per bag for 20 seconds' work, while the (woman) housekeeper who spends 20 minutes performing a service we will live with for usually at least $10-24 hours? Anyone who has ever rented a room knows that a clean room can make or break the entire experience. For which experience, by the way, we may have paid anywhere from $100-300 a night! On what scale is the proposed tip amount based?

I once knew a woman whose background left her few occupational options. She could clean, however, and took her work seriously. She often spoke of her commitment to leaving everything clean, neat and sparkling- to the constant detriment of her back and her legs...for grossly inadequate compensation, no health insurance, no assured hours (no union), and other appalling work conditions.

We have come to regard the tip as a comment on the quality of the service. A $1 tip, not adjusted for inflation, amounts to chump change. When we have paid $75 a night at economy motels- let alone 3 time that and more at starred hotels, a $1 tip is comparable to the .25 cents many leave in a restaurant for abysmal service. Servers and customers alike often regard this as more insulting as no tip.

Your recommendation might have been appropriate in 1980, but in 2010, the same figures are disturbingly elitist. Please re-evaluate. BTW, I travel modestly and spend frugally...but if I've spent between $50- $100 for a clean room, I consider $5 an essential cost of service. I know it means a lot. If the room is not clean, I report it to management, and if the 2nd night's cleaner will be a different woman, she will get the tip.

Julie A. Katz of MA 11:41AM December 02, 2010

Yes they do charge people for delivering but the only people that get to see that money is the owners. Furniture delivery people work there butt off and only get paid a small amount. I know some furniture delivery guys that count on tips just to survive until pay day. So, please people tip the furniture delivery guys, they deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melissa of IL 10:19AM December 02, 2010