In the past few days I have been hyper aware of how people interact. Not in any kind of scientific, anthropological way, but in a way that has led me to determine that people have simply forgotten their manners.
I blame the age we live in. My generation is in this terrible pickle where we have been afforded every possible luxury and we're still not happy.
My smartphone won't let me play Words With Friends on my Mediterranean cruise.
My designer bag that carries my designer wallet and my designer sunglasses and my unlimited credit card is too heavy.
My diamond-encrusted toilet seat is too shiny.
 |
| I found this photo after I wrote that sentence. I'm really happy this exists. If only to prove my point. |
My sister's best friend definitely thinks that she is maybe going to get engaged sometime this week! I really need to have my phone with me.
Or something like that.
So let's set some standards together. I'll write a post every week about one of the many, many confusing etiquette rules and then we can talk about it. And if you come across any situation that needs to have a standard of etiquette you'll let me know and we'll make one. Cool? Cool.
Tipping:
Matt and I went to Chicago this weekend. We paid a lot of people to make and serve us food. We both really like food.
That also means that we tipped a lot of people. Tipping is a no brainer: DO IT. Not only that, tip well. 20% should be the standard. Being a good tipper creates good karma. If you go into a situation knowing that you'll tip well if your server does a good job, your server will do a good job. And then everyone's happy.
If your server really does do a bad job, make it 15%. If they do a truly abominable job, don't just fester knowing that you received bad service. Someone else has probably received bad service too. Talk to a manager. The manager has way more sway than your passive aggressive attempt to make a point by stiffing your server on their tip.
Here's where I get confused - the valet.
Yes, I paid to get my car valet parked at a hotel because there are certain instances in my life when I am wholly in favor of paying for convenience rather than stressing myself out and paying a few bucks less.
But how much to do you tip the valet guy? And which one?
The 20% rule seems a bit excessive, especially since I will forever have that scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off in my mind when the valet joyrides around Chicago for the day in Cameron's dad's car, but I'm not gonna stiff the guy either.
In a state of proper-manners-induced panic on Sunday, I charged the valet fee to my credit card and added a tip on the receipt, hoping that it would at least get separated evenly among all of the valet guys that way.
I then went to my car, threw my suitcase in the trunk, and hopped into the driver's seat while a valet held the door open for me. As I was saying, "Thanks very much have a nice evening," I realized that this man holding my door open was probably expecting me to slip him some dolla billz.
He shut the door and disappeared before I could say, "I tipped, I swear!"
Do you think the door-holding friend gets a cut of the tip that I added on my credit card charge? Or did I totally stiff him from his perspective?
Let's make the world a happier, more mannerly place, shall we?
Here's one I've been wondering: I go to Dominoes to get pizza every once in a while, I drive to the store down the street and use my debit card. There is a tip line on the receipt to sign. Do you think Dominoes is above like McDonalds in terms of tipping?
ReplyDeletePicking up your own pizza is interesting since it's not like they're packaging it differently than they would if they delivered. Sometimes I pick up sushi takeout and then I tip because it's way more work for them to prep it for me to pick up than for me to sit in at the restaurant. I'd say you're okay not tipping at Domino's when you pick up the pizza yourself.
ReplyDelete