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SMALL TOWN BIG MOUTHS PODCAST
Navigating Tipping Culture, Service Industry Insights, and Kindness with Amber & Nikki
Have you ever wondered why tipping in the US seems complicated, or whether it's even necessary in some situations? Join us as Amber and our resident bartender, Nikki, navigate the intricate world of tipping culture, sharing insights across borders from the USA to Japan and South Korea, where tipping can be frowned upon. With firsthand tales from the service industry trenches, Nikki paints a vivid picture of the challenges faced by service workers, especially in the wake of COVID-19, where tipping practices have drastically evolved. Discover how pre-added gratuities in places like Miami can leave patrons in a tipping conundrum, and the financial tightropes walked by those reliant on tips to make ends meet.
We dive into the quirks and controversies surrounding tipping in unexpected places like fast food chains and coffee shops. Ever tried cooking a meal using AI recipes? Uncover creative alternatives to dining out as we share stories of experimental cooking triumphs, like a vodka sauce lasagna crafted with limited ingredients. Together, we engage in a lively debate on the appropriateness of tipping in situations where customers often serve themselves, challenging conventional wisdom and exploring the fairness of tipping across various service settings.
Finally, we shift gears to explore the power of kindness in the service industry. Through memorable anecdotes, we highlight the subtle art of tipping, from leaving a symbolic penny to writing heartfelt notes on receipts. It's an invitation to approach each interaction with empathy and recognize the unseen struggles of service workers. As we reflect on the transformative potential of small acts of kindness, we urge listeners to embrace positivity, turning every dining experience into a rewarding one, not just for themselves but for those who serve them as well.
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Hi, welcome back to small town big mouse. This is Amber. You're one and only, and Nikki your resident bartender.
Speaker 2:Today, we're going to be talking about something near and dear to my heart.
Speaker 1:We're going to talk about the service industry and how we tip in the USA compared to other countries. Yes, so I found some information that in Japan and South Korea it is actually sometimes seen as offensive to tip, which in the CA, in California, united.
Speaker 2:States yeah, it's offensive not to know no In in the United States it's offensive not to tip Wait a minute.
Speaker 1:What did I say? Yeah, but yeah. And here sometimes it's already added onto your bill before you even tip in. Sometimes waiters or waitresses don't even tell you that it's added and then you just go ahead and leave a tip on top of they're already 18%, right, um, cause that's, I think, about 18%. I think Miami was 20% when I went um everything, it didn't matter if you're in a large group or not. Um, they included the tip everywhere you went. Everywhere you went, tip was included. See, that's so wild, yeah, so basically, they're tipping themselves and it's not like um I, it's just like I know I'm going to get it, so I don't have to be of service to you.
Speaker 1:And that's the hardest thing with today is I want to tip somebody. Sometimes they'll even, like I've noticed on receipts it'll say, like certain amounts already on there, like you just check the box. And I'm like, well, I don't want to check the box, I want to write in what I want to write in. And sometimes it's more or less, or um, even group, group dinners, where they add on the gratuity. I'm like, well, I would have tipped you more than that, but okay, you know what I mean. I'm just signing away. I know I could probably I could add it on there yeah, um, but I'm just like I don't want to have to count. Yeah Right, no, I get it. I'm like I don't want to count. Yeah Right, no, I get it. I don't want to count Um. So what about for you, though, because you work um in an industry where you're tipped on a on a regular basis. What we hope, fingers crossed, right? So what do you see as far as um 2024 or after COVID, pre COVID? That's what I want to know.
Speaker 2:Okay, so immediately after COVID, it was really good, like it was really good Really, yeah. Immediately after, because I think people had that extra money. They felt bad that like the bar wasn't open. They felt bad for me because I wasn't working. Whatever the case may be, now it's not as much. It's definitely declining. There's definitely a whole like group of individuals who feel like they don't need to tip. Um, I'm paid to do my job, which I am. I am paid to do my job, but I'm also providing you a service and also, if you come in on a, you know, slow night and I'm talking to you, engaging with you, all the things, I'm doing those things because I work in the tipping industry.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I don't know if this is true, but I've always heard before I don't know if this is still a standard waiters waitresses wages are less than, because they do get tips with that. Is that true or do you in?
Speaker 2:certain States, it is true, in the state of California, it is not Okay. There are States, um, I think, like Arizona is one of them. Might maybe Nevada, I'm not sure, but I know because I'm on a lot of forums on Facebook too. Um, and I know for a fact Arizona was one. It was like $2 and 85 cents an hour was the wage. Holy moly, yeah.
Speaker 2:But what happens is, when these people are getting their tips and they're reporting them, it somehow has to work out to be the federal national average, which is, I think, minimum wage is like $17 an hour or whatever. Right. So if it doesn't work out to be that, then the company you work for has to make up the extra percentage that it isn't. It's probably very rare that that happens, but I'm sure it does happen. Um, when I what year was it 1990 something and red lobster had just opened and I worked at Red Lobster and I literally only worked there for two weeks because it was horrible, really, yeah, um, people were waiting in line for like two hours to get in cause. It had just opened and they were mad at the server when they got inside and they weren't leaving tips. I waited on this whole party. Yeah, I waited on this whole party their. I waited on this whole party. Their bill was like 200 and something dollars. They didn't leave a tip at all, nothing.
Speaker 1:And you guys are busting your ass and it's super busy because it is just opening and places like that.
Speaker 2:that are corporations these people cannot clock out until they um claim their I think it's like 8% of their sales or whatever. So that night I literally owed money for working.
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, that was the last day I worked there. Yeah, I wouldn't want to work.
Speaker 2:That was the last day I worked there and it was a group of I'm Armenian, but it was a group of Armenians. They came in and they ordered, like a party platter, and they ordered some of this and some of that. And I was just like, okay, and I'm I'm Armenian, so I'm like trying to, you know, work it. Yeah, but they were not having it and they were mad and they ordered a party platter which was like a special item. So the kitchen had to make this special item for them. They were mad because it was taking so long and they were magazine waited so long. I'll never forget and I was just like when the bill came, it was $217 and the guy left $217 in cash and when he pulled it out, he had a whole bunch of cash in his hand and I was just like, wow, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:I want to know what our listeners, our viewers, have to say about tipping in today's day and age. Um, for me, I think that, um, especially lately, with the cost of everything, the food prices have gone up. That means the tip goes up, which kind of sucks for me as a consumer, cause now you're paying more all the way around. Now I'm paying more all the way around, so which is all the way around, so which is going to stop people from going out?
Speaker 1:it definitely has. I feel like I don't want to go out one because everything's just too expensive and I'm like I've actually been cooking a lot more and um, I've been coming up with good recipes. Um, actually, what I've been doing here's a little cheat is um putting it in chat, gpt, chat, gpt. I'm like I only have these ingredients. Oh my god give me a recipe.
Speaker 2:You guys, anyone who doesn't have chat gpt, you need to get on it, because this is like crazy, the things that this thing can do.
Speaker 1:It's so crazy and my daughters can be super freaking picky and they have liked everything that chat GPT has told me to cook. So like I'm not mad at it, like I did it two nights in a row cause I had like different things and I'm like I know this could probably go together, but like how, yeah, and sure enough it worked. And I said in the crock pot, so even better, last night I did a vodka sauce lasagna in the crock pot with Italian sausage, super good, although Michaela said that too much cheese. Who says too much cheese?
Speaker 2:What the fuck? I don't know.
Speaker 1:She's like there's no noodles, but I'm like I, but I'm like I had enough. I had enough noodles, but anyways, that's besides the point it. You know, I, I do feel like I've been cooking more just for the simple fact of um, you know how much it costs. Hi, dad, you're, we're recording right now what's going on. Hello, hello Well.
Speaker 2:I'm going to get something myself, I know but he dialed me. We we actually had called called Amber's dad to get his input on some of this Cause. You know he's a person that goes out as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean pretty frequently they. He had um, uh, what did he? He said, okay, so he, my dad, likes to call me, we have a really good relationship. Um, he'll call me with different ideas and you like, I do try to write them down, um, but sometimes he calls me at the randomest times and I'm not like ready to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so he calls me the other day and he was like he must've been out buying lunch or something. And you know, we all know, in today's day and age everybody's paying with a card and they turn the machine around and you're ordering at the counter, so are you supposed to tip? My dad feels like if he doesn't tip they're going to spit in his food and I'm like, dad, that's not what's going to happen. It's kind of like to me. I feel like if you go through a drive-thru, are you tipping Like you go through?
Speaker 2:McDonald's, you're not shipping when, if the people do tip, who gets the tip? It's split amongst everyone that works there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's probably split among everybody. That's what I see a lot of now. I feel like a lot of tips are being split between everybody.
Speaker 2:I mean we split our tips behind the bar but we are all working equally as hard. But to me, if I did leave a tip at McDonald's or wherever, it would be because that person taking my order gave me excellent service, not because the guy back there flipping the burger came up and said hi to me. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean Right, but the chef's the one that's cooking the food, and maybe the quarter pounder with cheese was super good. What if it's not right?
Speaker 2:I mean, but that's what I'm saying. Yeah, but I'm tipping the person that I'm speaking to and now that I know that it's being distributed amongst all these people there, like it's okay. So what did you do for me? You were over there working the drive-thru. I didn't even see you.
Speaker 1:I don't, we don't tip in the drive-thru, that's just. There's not an option to do that.
Speaker 2:You pay, you roll up person is still going to be included in that tip, if it's, if it's distributed to everyone working.
Speaker 1:Well, no, this is like you know, these smaller chains not chain, they're not even chains, they're just these restaurants that you walk up to the counter, you pay, you walk up to the counter and you grab um, I'm only asking because I'm trying to figure it out Like Chipotle right. You walk in, you order your food, they make it in front of you, you. You get it. You know they're not bringing it out to you. Are you supposed to tip them?
Speaker 2:I feel like places like that I do. I also tip it like Dutch brothers, where I kind of draw the line, is like when I go to seven 11 and see, but I pay cash, but I'd been with people and they have their card and, like the dude at 7-Eleven, you use your card and it asks if you want to leave a tip and I'm like for what For what?
Speaker 2:I went over there and got my own Slurpee poured. My own Slurpee, brought it up here. All you did was rang it up, Tip me bitch, Like I just made my own drink.
Speaker 1:We might as well tip the grocery clerks too. Yeah, I mean, it's getting. The tipping to me is getting out of hand.
Speaker 2:No, it really isn't. It's unfortunate for people like me, yes, who work in an industry where tipping has been the norm for years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so like for you, I tip you better than I would another bartender. Like I'm only giving a dollar a drink, that is like, but that's still a great tip.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I guess it is, I'm, I'm telling you it's a good tip.
Speaker 1:I mean, maybe if I'm ordering like five shots for everybody, maybe I just do a few bucks or like three bucks or something.
Speaker 2:But you, I'm just like because I know, I know, but at the end of the day, even what, whatever you tip someone else, that is still a good tip, because there are plenty of people out there that do not tip at all. This is a crazy story. I worked at Perco's. I was a company trainer for them. I was friends with my manager.
Speaker 2:Her dad came in every day and had coffee. Now normally she poured his coffee. One day he came in and she wasn't there. Now, normally she poured his coffee. One day he came in and she wasn't there. She was offering an errand. So I got him his coffee, I got him. I got him his coffee, brought it out, poured it. You know he had refills. He was a businessman. When he left he didn't leave a tip and he also doesn't pay for his coffee because he's this person's daughter who runs the place.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I said something like her name was Lydia. I said Lydia, your dad doesn't tip. And she's like yeah, well, he just feels like because he goes these places every day and he's out eating, you know, three meals a day. And I said I don't care, that's, that's not my problem, because to me, if you're going out all these places, you're not tipping anyone and you're coming in and getting free coffee. I'm just like, and you're taking up a booth cause you didn't sit at the.
Speaker 2:It was a place that had like it was a breakfast place, we had a counter and booths, and you're sitting at a booth where one of my fucking customers could sit and be tipping me. So then I'm just like, okay, it's kind of the same thing Like at work, when the bouncers come early and they want to sit at the bar and have like a soda, my answer is no, take, take that outside, go stand over there. You're not sitting at the bar. And I've had people like bouncers like get mad at me and I'm like this is reserved for people that are sitting buying stuff and tipping.
Speaker 1:That's true. I mean, I feel like with the dad, especially because he is getting his coffee for free, like and it's not even his daughter serving him you would think at least a buck right, like a dollar. I feel like if I get something for free or different price or whatever, like I'm definitely giving somebody more of a tip to show that I appreciate you for taking care of me. So yeah, I don't know, I think I learned my tipping from my dad because I know he's very generous and he'll he'll pay for somebody's meal or he'll do different things. Um, but at the same time it I've also dated somebody and it was a conversation when the bill was a hundred dollars and he left $5. I was like I called my dad. I'm like what am I supposed to do? Because what did dad say?
Speaker 2:He's like tell him I'd have been like quit dating that fucker.
Speaker 1:He was like, well, you need to have a conversation, and I did. And the guy was like I tip what I feel is justifiable and I was like if you can't afford to leave 15, you shouldn't be going out to dinner, because that's I mean, I get that from my dad like, if you can't tip, don't go, that's. I feel like that too you know, I feel like it's an a hundred dollar bill and you leave five dollars. I feel like that's an $100 bill and you leave $5.
Speaker 2:I feel like that's an insult. Yeah, I mean, I'd rather you leave nothing and I feel like you and then think that you forgot. Then leave me $5 and make me feel like my service wasn't good.
Speaker 1:Now, if your shit, your service was shitty and I left you $5, then you'd probably be like well, I probably deserve that, you know what I mean. But like, if your service is good, then why not? Well, it happens all night long at the bar.
Speaker 2:You know, like these kids, they'll close out and their tab will be like $200. There was one I can specifically remember. His tab was like 180 something dollars. I took him his thing, I walked down there, he signed it. I walked back and I picked it up and it just I could not help myself. I leaned across the bar and I said was everything okay? Yeah, oh, everything was great. I'm like did someone here make you mad? No, I like you guys. I said, really, because you bought all your friends drinks, you spend $180 and not you or any of your friends left a tip. Yeah, like that's rude to me. It was. And now and he knows who he is when he comes in, I don't help him, yeah.
Speaker 1:Does he tip at all? No, oh, so he's just not a tipper.
Speaker 2:His brothers, though, come in and I love them. They all take care of me. They're super nice. This guy not only is a dick, he doesn't tip, and that's just like I find. A lot of the times these things go hand in hand.
Speaker 2:I'll be like at the register ringing someone up, or at the cat at the credit card machine closing someone out, and I get the excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. And when I turn around, can I get it? And I'm like, okay. I'm like when I turn around, I'm like I try and sweetly be like okay, here's the deal. If you're talking to my back, it's probably not your turn, and all of us are really good at making eye contact with you, so you know when it's your turn. And when you're yelling at the side of my face or my back, I'm probably not going to be apt to help you. So then it's, it's 95%. Those people don't tip, 95%. Every. It's always the people that don't consider what I'm already doing, that I'm helping someone else, that it's someone else's turn. Those are the people that usually don't tip.
Speaker 1:It's an. It's crazy, like I think. I don't remember what the circumstance was, but I remember this had to have been like. I want to say it was probably before kids, or Michaela was like a baby that I went out to eat and I left a penny. The service was that bad I wanted her to know. Do you know what a penny?
Speaker 2:means though? No, it's a well, it's. It's could mean bad, but if you leave like, let's say, you left her 20% and a penny, that means the service was excellent.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't know that I'm going to start carrying an old thing.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. But that was like when I worked in that place where the, the dad that didn't even leave me and not even one penny. He, he, um, that was a thing among waitresses Cause I was like, why did that guy leave me a tip and then plus a penny? And then one of the older ladies was like, oh, that means your service was excellent. I'm like, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:So it's like a good luck, penny. Another thing I'll do is I'm not afraid to write on receipts. Yes, I will say if you're good, I will tell you. If you're bad, if you're average, you don't get nothing. But if it's really good and somebody really puts an effort, like I, will write like keep, keep up the good job, keep smiling, whatever it is. Because we don't always want to hear the bad things, right, we want to hear the good things, things, and it's that usually is.
Speaker 2:What happens is people hear the bad things. When we were in vegas this weekend, we went to hash house, a go-go in the plaza. I've never been there, okay, that is one of my favorite places to eat. The breakfast there is out of control.
Speaker 2:That's what I've heard yeah and there's one in like san diego too, so I love the one in san diego too. So go there. Our server was amazing, probably the best service. It was the best service of the trip, for sure, and we ate at a nice steakhouse, but it was the best service I probably had in a very, very long time. Nice, yeah, and he was really good and we told him and we tipped him very well. I think we tipped him like I don't know, 30%. Yeah, it was good, it was great. The service was. He was on top of it, he took care of us. Our food came out hot, we all came out together. You know, everything happened the way it should have happened.
Speaker 1:See, and I think servers or waitresses like that are probably more recognized and they do make more money, because when you make somebody else feel good, you know what I mean they're going to want to repay you. Yes, um, and I've never worked in the service industry. My dad says I, I should have been, I still could be. He was like, why not have a side, you know and make that? Yeah, he goes, and you know, supposedly, either either presidential candidate, we're not going to have tax on those tips anymore. I'm waiting to see that. Right, we'll, we'll see what happens. But, um, I mean, I think, because I am so social, I could, I would probably be good at it, but then again I have low tolerance for bullshit.
Speaker 2:So it's a. It's a very hard, fine, thin line. I know Catch 22. It is a catch 22. And I think, like for me, I had the same. Lydia was her name, the lady whose dad was not a good tipper. I worked with her at several different places and I had her tell me one time she said you could sell ice to an Eskimo, and I said I was young, I was like 20. What does that mean? I to an Eskimo? And I said I was young, I was like 20. I go, what does that mean? And she goes, she goes.
Speaker 2:The second. We would be back in the back and I'd be mad at another server or one of the cooks and I'd be like you, fucking motherfuck. But the second I stepped out on that carpet of the restaurant. Oh my God, hi, how are you guys? Where have you been? You know she goes. You would never know she goes. Your best friend could be in the back, you know dying and you would never know that. And she's like. And that's what makes you a good server. And I feel like I am a better server than I am bartender, which is weird because I've been bartending for so very long. But I dynamics to that though. Yes, it's more one-on-one time with this table and you get more of a bet, an easier reading, and most people aren't drunk at dinner. So, and most people aren't drunk at dinner or lunch or breakfast or whatever the fuck you're serving, so it's a whole better experience for both parties. You know what I'm saying and you can get a vibe Like, if some people are cool, you can talk to them and have a conversation. If you feel like, oh, these people are fighting or they just want to be left alone, you just do the. You know the things that are required. I'm going to bring your water, I'm going to fill this, I'm going to come back and check on you, but I'm not coming over for any extra bullshit, and sometimes that makes you money too. You know we were.
Speaker 2:I was out to dinner with autumn, my daughter, my daughter, uh, tina, and her wife, autumn, and we went out to dinner and we were someplace and I saw someone I knew and the people he was with we were kind of over. Autumn was like this they were behind us, they I'm like Autumn, what's going on? She goes. I can't believe what's going on at that table over there and I was like what's going on? She goes, the people, your friend, the guy with him is being so rude to the server and I'm like what do you mean? I guess the server came over and was like can I? And he goes. You know what you can do. You can leave us alone, you can stop coming over here. And I was like, see now that just like she's doing her job Right.
Speaker 2:And how do you think you just made her right day to me? I'd have been like okay, fucker, you don't want me to come back, cool Right, I'm never coming back over there. Find another server to come wait on you, yeah.
Speaker 1:That is so rude. I don't you know, we never know what other people are going through. So I mean, maybe it was a really shitty day for him, but still, it's no excuse to treat somebody bad.
Speaker 2:You know why make someone else's day shitty, right Cause you're having a shitty day.
Speaker 1:Well, misery loves company.
Speaker 2:So I think we both like opened up our phones and printed out a little, or opened up a little something, something. Yeah, autumn's bottoms got autumn on my brain. Amber's was international versus the United States, yes, right. And so mine was tipping practices in the United States Um, it's kind of like a win to tip when not to tip. So should I start? Or you want to start ahead and start? Okay, so mine was um restaurants, it says 15 to 20% if you sit down for the of the total bill. Oh, okay. Okay, if it's a buffet, it's 10%, because that person still is coming over clearing your plates, checking on you, okay, bars, one to $2 per drink, or 15 to 20% of the tab if running a bill.
Speaker 2:Coffee shops and cafes this one was kind of like um, I consider Denny's a coffee shop. So I don't know how, I don't know if maybe this is like, cause it says optional but appreciated. So I would never like optionally tip at a coffee shop, because a coffee shop to me is like Denny's um country waffle, see, those are restaurants to me, see, and that's like a. Well, denny's is a coffee shop. Perco's was a coffee shop, that's where I worked it was a coffee shop.
Speaker 1:You sit down in restaurant. A coffee shop is like Starbucks.
Speaker 2:It says coffee shop, slash cafe Interesting. So yeah, it says optional but appreciated. 10 to 15% of you received exceptional service or have a large order. Delivery services food and grocery 10 to 20%, depending on the distance or the size of the order. Tip a bit more If the weather's bad interesting. Well, they got to carry it in the rain or wind or snow or whatever. Hair and beauty services 15 to to 20 of the total service cost. So is that what you tip when I don't go get my hair done anymore? So I like it's what would it say 15 to 20.
Speaker 2:15 to 20 of the total service cost it?
Speaker 1:I don't think so. I kind it's like really whatever I can afford.
Speaker 2:Cause hair, get it. Look, I'm not trying to be rude to hairdressers, cause we love you, but my God, your services have went up and I'm having to sit there for freaking.
Speaker 1:I feel like it takes way longer and I'm like, I feel like I'm doing the same thing Right. So like it's $50 for a haircut now and honestly, I think, too, it also depends on how much conversation we have and like what's going on, or I mean especially because lately I feel like I used to be able to get my hair done in two hours. I feel like it takes almost four hours now and that's a long. Like you know, it's a chunk of your day. Yeah, I'm like I got to go at like nine, so I'm out of there by one. Yeah, like that's my day. No, thank you, it's kind of hard to do that. So, and even this last time I went, I was like, can we just do a partial Cause I didn't want to be there as long and I was still there as long you know, okay, I got, I got more here.
Speaker 2:I got taxis and ride shares 10 to 15%. Hotel staff. So housekeeping two to $5 a night. Bellhop one to $2 a bag. The concierge you tip for special services, like if they got your reservation somewhere or did something for you. Five to $20. Reservation somewhere or did something for you. Five to $20. Valet two to $5. Movers I've never had someone. I guess I've only had my friends over and I'm just giving them beer and fucking pizza. It says 10 to 20% of the moving cost, or 20 to $50 per mover depending on the job's complexity. Okay. Personal services massage therapist, nails 15 to 20%.
Speaker 1:You know, I just went the other day and I got a massage and I was not happy with it and I still I felt like all I got was elbows, and I was. I left a $10 tip. Okay, my bill was 60. So I mean, I guess it's still decent, but that's. That's about 12%, yeah. But I'm like God damn, yeah, it wasn't even worth it. I really didn't want to leave a tip, I tipped just to get the hell away.
Speaker 2:Tour guides five to $10 per person for a half day tour. 10 to $20 for a full day tour per person. Okay, and then it goes into like when not to tip? Fast food chains, retail stores, self-checkout, automated services such as kiosks and apps, government services, medical professionals like who the fuck is tipping them, doctor, can you look at this? Oh, by the way, here's $20. Right, I mean no, what the hell? Yeah, by the way, here's $20. I mean no, yeah, gray areas which kind of are optional takeout restaurants, 10% hotels.
Speaker 2:Um, it says limited service. Like, some people tip in limited service hotels, motels, et cetera, but it's not as common as in full service hotels. This is coffee shops and counter service. Tipping isn't mandatory for counter service but many people leave a small amount like loose change or a dollar. Food trucks and casual dining tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. Obligatory, I don't know. I don't know. Tipping is a good way to acknowledge service, but it is not always required in every situation and it is a personal choice in many gray areas. But I also know, and you're going to tell me this right now it's very different in other countries.
Speaker 1:It is very different in other countries. So before I go down this list, so there was a night that I had came in and there was a couple that I had met earlier.
Speaker 1:They were from England or somewhere there, the UK or something, and they say they do tips based on the service that they provide. And so I'm like, okay, that's interesting, cause I had this conversation with them. Well then, later on they come down to the bar and I think I asked you, did they tip? And they did tip you. So I was grateful to know that they do that, and I actually have an app that I follow their little travel, but I haven't logged in.
Speaker 2:So now I'm now that we're talking about now you're going to log in and check on them and check on my friends and my new friends, cause I make them everywhere so.
Speaker 1:But in other countries it says Europe, everywhere so, but in other countries it says Europe, such as France and Germany, tipping is generally smaller as service charges are often included in the bill. A five to 10% tip is common, but rounding up the bill is also acceptable. Service staff typically earn better wages than the USA. The UK 10 to 15 tip is customary. If a service charge isn't already included in the bill. Um Japan and South Korea it's rare and can be seen as offensive.
Speaker 1:Exceptional service is expected as part of the job and chip tipping can be considered unnecessary. Um, which I mean they say. People from Japan are, you know, hardworking? Yes, so to them, that's just what they're supposed to be doing and in a job we are supposed to, any job we have, we're supposed to be good at what we're doing. Australia and New Zealand tipping is not customary but appreciated for excellent servers. Servers earn higher, higher wages and tipping is usually 10% or rounded up the bill. And Latin America Um, it says, like Mexico and Argentina, 10 to 15% is standard in restaurants. However, in Brazil, service is usually included in the bill and tipping isn't expected beyond that. So tipping in the USA tends to be more expected in larger compared to other countries where service charges are are higher wages reduce the reliance on tips.
Speaker 2:So I've never went to another country and tipped and had them look at me like I was, you know from another planet.
Speaker 1:They're actually really like oh my gosh, thank you so thankful.
Speaker 2:It's crazy. We, when we went to Bali, we got a driver who I'm still friends with. We got this driver and he drove us literally all around for $20 for the for the whole day and then on top of it we gave him like I think it was like a 20 or $40 tip and you would have thought that, like I just gave him a new house. Yeah, he was so thankful and probably why we're still friends to this day. You know what I mean. He's like come back and it's very much like that in other countries. I, you know very a lot of people and even I feel like sometimes when I'm out of town, I get a lot of people because I feel like I'm overly generous because of what I do. You know what I mean, but when the service is good, the service is good. You know what I mean. And you can't. I can't not tip someone because even when the service is bad, I still leave a tip. But am I?
Speaker 1:happy about it. No, you know, we'll see, like you know. Back to what my dad was saying, it's like do you leave the tip Cause? If you don't, then they're going to spit in your food.
Speaker 2:You know if you're walking up and count it's a gray area.
Speaker 1:So it's hard because, like drive through Dutch, I'll leave a dollar a drink, just like I would a bar.
Speaker 2:You know, sometimes they're standing out there in the hot sun, yes, taking your orders, um that's just one of those places, too, where I just want them to shut the window, like I give them the money and then like they're all, what do you have plans today? What are your plans? What are you doing? And I'm just like nothing, I just want some coffee, girl. Yeah, shut that window, right, or?
Speaker 1:it's all blowing. I don't want to tell you my whole life story. Make my fucking coffee.
Speaker 2:Okay, I gave you a tip Go away.
Speaker 1:It's like, uh, you pay her to leave, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to leave yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, cause they always ask me what are you doing today? And I'm just like nothing. I just woke up. Yeah, that's why I need the coffee.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, but yeah for the most part, I feel like we're really getting into this whole crazy like with the tipping because it is going a little overboard and people like me are losing out because of it, and that's what sucks is because everyone now is asking for a tip everywhere you go. And so I yeah, I can agree.
Speaker 2:And I will say yeah, yesterday I already told you guys about my tattoos when we went to get our tattoos. This place is like famous. It's $10 tattoos in Vegas. That's their spiel, that's their thing. People, $10 tattoos Of that's their spiel, that's their thing, people, $10 tattoos. Of course everyone's coming in and asking dumb ass questions. Right, yeah, right, there's a section that says $10 tattoos. These are the tattoos that are $10. You can get it from here to here or from here to here.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I have questions. Can I get it in color? What if I don't like that? What if I want the end of it to look like this? What if I?
Speaker 2:You know, I was asking questions and then I asked the girl. I said what's your name? She goes, and she was a chick behind the counter and I said she goes cat, and I said okay. I said cat, do you do tattoos? No, do you do piercings? No, oh cool, how long have you worked here? Long enough. That was her talking to me and I was like okay.
Speaker 2:So I just excused myself and went and sat down and got on my phone and I was like for, for everything that is going on right now. I fucking hope the tattoo artist is nicer and he was did you say anything about cat? Nope, but now I, it's a woman owned Google review. Exactly, it's a woman owned business, which was another like yes, a woman owned business. And they're doing this and they're out there like on Tik TOK with these $10 tattoos, like they're Tik TOK, famous because of their $10 tattoos. So, with people coming to Vegas from all over the world, they're going to ask dumb questions, yep, and she's probably sick of it, she probably. Then that's not the job for her, right? If, if your only job is to not do tattoos and not do piercings and you're the customer service man cat, you're just a greeter fail, girl fail.
Speaker 2:And all I was trying to do was make a conversation with her. Yeah, when people ask me how long I worked at the bar, I don't fucking long enough. I've been here 25 years and then it's like Whoa. And then then we have it's a conversation. It leads into something.
Speaker 1:She was just dry as hell, exactly.
Speaker 2:And that's. If that's who you are, hey, great. Then that shouldn't be your job. Yeah, you, they need someone with much more personality. And when we were leaving, there was another girl coming in and she seemed way more bubbly and I was like okay, maybe the other girl was late.
Speaker 1:Let's give Kat the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just done for the day. She wasn't.
Speaker 2:I already know Cause I saw her doing other things. But yeah, I get it. Maybe she was having a bad day, Devil's advocate. It seemed like that was her and that was her personality and I was like, all right.
Speaker 1:And personality and I was like all right, and then we sat down and Cody sat down next to me and I said did not like. And Cody goes no, no, did not. Oh, that's horrible. Well, is there?
Speaker 2:anything else you want to add for tipping in the service industry. I do, I do. I just want to say, when you're out and about and doing all the things that you do and living your day-to-day life anyone who's listening, please you might be going through something, your server might be going through something, If it's genuinely bad service and it's, you know, happens on more than one occasion. Or you ask for something and they don't bring it, or there's like a general attitude Okay, but right now I feel like we're all working hard anyone in the service industry and I feel like I keep hearing that there's a shortage of servers and this and that, but I don't really see that happening anywhere. But I hear that. So let's just be kinder, like to each other all the time, not just at this moment and not just when you're getting something you know serve to you. I think we really and I'm going to go off on something that doesn't have anything to do with tipping is we really need to be kinder to each other.
Speaker 1:I think people need to listen, to understand. I think people um need to think more positively, because we are all very lucky to be breathing today, and maybe today's not a great day, but tomorrow's a new day. Tomorrow's a new day to start a new adventure, or new whatever I mean. Failures make us. They make us stronger, Um, so just keep that in mind. Today is today and it will pass. If it is not a good day, if it's a great day, make tomorrow an even better day.
Speaker 1:And doing something good and nice for someone may change their whole attitude, absolutely so with that being said, I think we can Roger that because that was awesome, roger that because that was awesome, roger that.
