MONEY SAVER
Tipping Points
You may have some strong opinions about tips, like if they should be taxed or whether they’re out of control. But what do waiters, drivers and others who live on tips want to tell you about them? Here’s what some had to say.
1. Tour Guide
“Some tour companies will tell you that the tip is included. But that’s not always accurate. There are too many instances where we don’t get anything, and it’s depressing given how much work and thought goes into our preparation.”
—James Carr, president, Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, D.C.
2. Food Delivery Driver
“The tip is displayed up front, and that’s a big [factor in] whether or not drivers end up taking an order, because the base amount you get from DoorDash is not enough. Customers complain about the fees, but they don’t go to the driver.”
—Anonymous, St. Augustine, Florida
3. Hotel Housekeeper
“Leave your tip every day. I may clean your room for two or three days in a row, but if you wait until checkout to tip and I’m not working that day, someone else gets the tip. Put it on the bed, or put it in an envelope and write ‘Housekeeping’ on it. But leave it in the room rather than taking it to the front desk.” —Maria Mata, W Hotel, San Francisco
4. Mover
“If you can’t afford a tip, good reviews on websites such as Yelp, Google and Facebook are much appreciated. And although most movers just want to focus on getting the job done, offering food or drinks is always appreciated.” —Vojin Popovic, Piece of Cake Moving and Storage, New York City
5. Nail Salon Technician
“Generally, about half a nail tech’s income comes from tips. The technician usually receives only a percentage of the price of the service; the rest is paid back to the business. But the tip amount is 100 percent the nail tech’s.” —Rasheedah “Rah” Muhammad, “Confessions of a Nail Tech” blogger, Indian Land, South Carolina
6. Server
“In most places, your tip doesn’t go just to the server. Your server might have to pay 10 percent of their alcohol sales to the bartender and 10 percent of their total tips to the bussers. Many times, servers break even or lose money to tables that don’t tip after ordering alcohol.” —Anonymous, Lynchburg, Virginia
7. Rideshare Driver
“About 10 to 12 percent of all passengers tip. It’s very low. But it all depends on the nature of the person. People who depend on tips—bartenders, strippers, housekeepers—always tip.” —Sergio Avedian, senior contributor, The Rideshare Guy, Los Angeles