QuoteIf parents would only tip me for teaching their kids I'd be more than willing to pass a percentage of that along to the people bringing me my coffee.

Then come to Asia. I've had to turn down gifts and tips many times from parents and students. Usually they just want to be nice with no strings attached - but what do you do when someone offers a $200 gift certificate for Teacher's Day? If I was Vietnamese, I'd be taking that money to the bank. As an American it just seems unethical. Sometimes, I really wish I was Vietnamese.

Cafes here in Saigon encourage people to come and spend the whole day there. If I was to play an rpg with the locals that'd probably be where we played. Obviously the economy is different than the US - here the restaurants, bars and cafes make a higher profit from drinks than food and prefer customers who stick around for more than one drink. Plus, we don't ever NEED to tip anyone here - well, except for doctors, police & judges.

Quote from: Idinsinuation;259950I know teachers are often terribly underpayed but why take your frustration out on people making below minimum wage?  Shouldn't there be some level of empathy there where you understand what it's like to be underpayed and you make sure not to be part of the problem?

You seem to be making an assumption here-I read this as "If I had more money, I'd spend more money"-not I don't tip.

Quote from: Kellri;260067Then come to Asia. I've had to turn down gifts and tips many times from parents and students. Usually they just want to be nice with no strings attached - but what do you do when someone offers a $200 gift certificate for Teacher's Day? If I was Vietnamese, I'd be taking that money to the bank. As an American it just seems unethical. Sometimes, I really wish I was Vietnamese.

When in Rome?

Quote from: Kellri;260067Then come to Asia. I've had to turn down gifts and tips many times from parents and students. Usually they just want to be nice with no strings attached - but what do you do when someone offers a $200 gift certificate for Teacher's Day? If I was Vietnamese, I'd be taking that money to the bank. As an American it just seems unethical. Sometimes, I really wish I was Vietnamese.

Cafes here in Saigon encourage people to come and spend the whole day there. If I was to play an rpg with the locals that'd probably be where we played. Obviously the economy is different than the US - here the restaurants, bars and cafes make a higher profit from drinks than food and prefer customers who stick around for more than one drink. Plus, we don't ever NEED to tip anyone here - well, except for doctors, police & judges.

Oh, I've been thinking about it.  International School teaching is definitely appealing.

Quote from: CavScout;259952Yes because tipping teachers is exactly like the customary, and expected, tips that waitresses or waiters receive.

Oh, really? It's not... my bad. :rolleyes:

No, but surely it should be.  Go on...be a pioneer.  Send me a cheque in the mail today.

Quote from: Vulgarian;260203No, but surely it should be.  Go on...be a pioneer.  Send me a cheque in the mail today.

I suppose if your salary was reduced to take this into account we could discuss it.

Quote from: CavScout;260208I suppose if your salary was reduced to take this into account we could discuss it.

Aaaah but it already is.  Just look at how much I get paid compared to other professionals with similar levels of qualification.

It's obvious that I should be getting tips.  It's just all those damned stingy parents who are holding back.

Quote from: Idinsinuation;259950On a related note, what are thoughts on tipping for carryout orders?  Do you, should you?

Did the person you're tipping provide you with any service other than handing you your food? If not, then no. That's what you're tipping folks for - being attentive, taking care of your requests, being timely with their service, etc..

Seanchai

I ran the notion of tipping teachers past the Grade 4s today. They weren't very receptive, even when I pointed out that they might get better teaching if they tipped me.

Like Mr. Pink in RESERVOIR DOGS, "I don't believe in tipping."

I do tip, but you can cut-and-paste his rant on the topic from the movie to sum up how I feel about it.

My version of tipping is usually called "keep the change."
The tip on a $7.50 bill? Whatever's left of a ten.
The tip on a $17.50 pizza delivery? Whatever's left of a twenty.
Keep the change.

Now, these aren't absolutes. I don't use "keep the change" as a guideline if the change works out to less than a dollar- I wouldn't leave them with nothing. In those cases I'd bump it up, $5 on whatever is okay, $10 is generous, $20 I'd have to be drunk and in a very generous mood.

I do not agree with the standard tipping theory that what you give the waiter should be based on what you ordered. If I order the lobster instead of the ham sandwich, it doesn't magically make the plates heavier, or his job more dangerous, he's not jumping over crocodiles and ducking poison darts to get to my table...he just brought my food over. When it comes down to that, the chef could stick his head out the door of the kitchen and yell, "number 23, you're up!" and I could go get my own damn food and save ten bucks if they'd let me.

I was out with Phindar and he left a ten dollar tip on a fairly trivial bill. I said, "Ten dollars? She just brought our food over, she didn't pull us out of a burning building!!"
But Phindar works for tips, so he's biased.

That's my thinking, though. In practice, I tip as much as I can.
We went out with Paco, one of our players. As we're leaving, Paco signs the bill. Outside the restaurant, he joyfully told us that he left her no tip, and instead signed the bill, "should've given me your phone number when I asked."
We went back in, apologized for him, and gave her a more than decent tip.
We didn't beat Paco to a pulp, but it was a very close vote.

I tip as much as I can, because I know people like Paco don't.
And I overtip breakfast waitresses, because they're serving people at the start of their day, and if your waitress is happy and gives you big smiles, then people tend to reciprocate, and that's a nice zen "pay it forward" style practice.

So I do tip.
I just don't think I should have to. I think waitstaff should unionize and demand a freaking living wage and it's between them and their employer and leave the innocent customer out of it. We didn't do anything wrong, why are we the ones getting ripped off?

But, like in RESERVOIR DOGS, I also figured out the answer. I pay for dinner. Let the other goofballs work out what the tip should be.