Americans have been cutting back on their expenses, and holiday tipping is no exception. Holiday tipping—yearly bonuses that people give to their hairdressers, personal trainers, and such—went down in 2008, and experts expect it to decrease further this holiday season.
Consumer Reports conducted a survey on holiday tipping, and 26 percent of regular tippers reported that they will give small tips this year, according to
CNBC.
CNBC talked to several etiquette coaches, who had some interesting advice regarding holiday tipping:
- Everyone knows the economy sucks, so you shouldn't feel bad about giving a small tip. However, your hairdresser or whoever might resent a super-small tip that you deliver in a new pair of Jimmy Choos. Basically: Choose a tip that fits your lifestyle.
- If you have a couple of friends that all use the same personal trainer, etc., a more expensive group gift might be the way to go. That way, you can give something nice without much cost to the individual.
- And, the rule of thumb for holiday tipping: Tip the price of a single service. So, if your hairdresser charges $40 per haircut, that should be your tip. In a perfect world.
That being said, I think a lot of people consider holiday tipping an obsolete practice—I tend to picture a checkbook-wielding June Cleaver, doling our her holding presents in grainy black and white.
What do you think of holiday tipping? Has the recession changed your tipping plans?Image Source
Comments (9)
Having been a waitress at 3 different restaurants since I was 16, I can say people have tipped me less at holiday time than any other time of the year. I just tip the same way all year round. I guess I consider holiday tipping obsolete too. I'll tip 15% for bad service, 20% for good service, and 25% for great service, like I do all year round.
I hate figuring out tipping. Especially when it's required. Ideally tipping would be truly an extra thing.
Mmmm.. I've always tipped 10% for lunch and 15% for dinner. It hasn't changed much, only because I don't eat out as much anymore.
20% all the time unless it's bad then less No one lives off a waitress/bartendar salary - it's from tips. 15% for cheap lunch is cool.
Best way I figure out tip is just take the first two numbers and double it. so if a bill is $85.00
85 + 85 = 17.00 - 17 bucks tip. always around 20%. 100 bucks....double 10 and 20 bucks is the tip
@MsKittyCatty@xanga - i've been serving for 4 years at the same restaurant, and esp on Mother's Day, Father's Day and Valentine's Day, i get the WORST TIPS.
I always tip at least 18%. I work as a hostess, (which means I only get tips on about 2% of the take out orders I complete, assemble, and pay out) and I can't tell you how ridiculously excited I get when I get tips. I made $16 in tips yesterday.... that's two free hours of work! So, I know how much tips help. In a perfect world, yes, tips would be just an extra thing, but since our economy sucks, and minimum wage is low, we should support the people that serve us food.
I always tip my wait staff 20%, but I confess I haven't tipped the mailman or anything like that since living on my own. I don't have a regular hairdresser or trainer or anything, and I don't actually KNOW my mailman, so I don't know even what to think of tipping him. I guess I'm pretty indifferent to holiday tipping. It seems weird to just hand someone an extra $20 just for doing their job when it happens to be the holiday season...
Yeah, I'm not changing my tipping habits just because it's "the holidays." That way, I don't have to figure anything extra out like when should this "holiday" tipping start? Black Friday? The day before Thanksgiving? Haven't we extended the holiday season enough? Next thing you know, the holidays will be kicking off at the beginning of November! No, thank you. Just because someone is nice this time of year doesn't negate the fact that they've been a complete jerk the rest of it.
I'll tip the people a little extra, at the Chinese Restaurant, if I go there on Christmas...they are ALWAYS there, like 24/7, and work way harder than anyone else, so they deserve it. I almost always tip better than 15%, unless the service is abysmal. I actually tip more, at cheap restaurants, because I know that the people there work longer/worse hours, and get so little, in the way of tips, that it's ridiculous. Example: if I go to Steak n Shake and spend $10 on my meal, that is $1.50 tip. However, that waitress worked just as hard to serve, as did a waitress at a restaurant where I have an $80 bill. Should the waitress at the nice place, make 8 times as much? So, if I have an $80 bill, I will probably only leave 15%, because 15% of $80 is a great tip! Also, these restaurants are full of high rollers who show off with huge tips, so the wait staff makes good money (my friend, who tends bar at a nicer restaurant, makes over $60k a year!). However, back at Steak n Shake, I am going to leave at least a $4 tip, even though that is 40%.