If I'm investing in a gas stove, I don't want to have to use matches .

Anyway, let's not derail the topic.

Good point Jack! For the first time ever we've finally agreed on something! All the best my friend. LOL.

I never tip less than $5 if I'm not eating alone. By myself it varies from 5 to a couple bucks depending on service mostly. My wife doesnt like to tip more than a few bucks no matter how big the bill is. Last weekend our dining bill was 70+ and she left 2 bucks and some change. I threw in a 5 after she walked out first.

Sorry to hear about your gen getting ripped off.

Tipping isnt a custom, its a form of self entitlement.

It would serve you to do any amount of research on any of these topics. The degree of ignorance on American work hours, the notion that university degrees are readily attainable for every sector of society (and the actual value of such a degree), and the US welfare system is pretty staggering. More on topic, many establishments in which tipping is customary are not required to pay employees minimum wage. Tipping is what provides these workers something approaching a living wage. Beyond that, the notion that people choose minimum wage jobs is fundamentally incorrect. People are forced to take minimum wage jobs because the alternative is being unable to buy food or make rent.

This is the definition of custom, according to Merriam-Webster: "An action or way of behaving that is usual and traditional among the people in a particular group or place." Tipping might COME from self-entitlement, and it might be demonstrative of self-entitlement (both of which are debatable), but that doesn't negate the fact that it IS a custom.

Semantics aside, however, you didn't answer the question. In Japan, it is your custom to NOT tip. So, should I go to Japan and tip every time I go out to eat just because doing so is the custom in America, even if it would be insulting to the person I am tipping?

I don't tip pizza delivery guys because a delivery fee is usually included in the price in the places I order from. I would tip (10-15%) in restaurants, but 1. I'm a poor student and 2. when I go to restaurants, I'm usually not the one paying.

The whole tipping system svcks, switch to service fee and give people fair wages already.

Anyway, I never tip because my favourite pizzeria is less than 7 minutes away from me. Kinda pointless.

I always tip pretty good. And not just at restaurants either. Pretty much most services I'll try to tip. Tattoo shop, haircut, etc. As long as I feel like the job was well done then I'll tip like I usually do. Usually a percentage of the bill. Especially at a restaurant where I know the servers are only making minimum wage and they virtually live off the tips they earn.

except its not an "American" thing.. it is common in at least half of the British Commonwealth (AKA the Commonwealth of Nations), the Caribbean, I went on a road trip across Europe one year and tipping was a common thing in many of the countries i visited (Austria, Germany, France, Italy, etc..)

I don't order food for delivery. In NYC there is usually a Chinese/Pizza/Vietnamese/Japanese/Mexican/Every kind of food you can think of right around the corner.

However, If my I go out to eat (Like at a restaurant) then I tip. If the waiter/waitress was extra nice then they usually get more from me.

I do wish the wages were higher though. Just because someone gets tips doesn't mean they aren't allowed minimum wage....

Does anyone tip at drive through window. In lieu of this thread, I just did lol. I got an ice cream cone for $2 and matched that with a tip of $2 tip with the person at the window.

Tipping isn't customary in Australia, so it isn't really done at any sort of fast food joint (especially if you're buying it in-person), only perhaps at the occasional restaurant. With Fast Food delivery though I usually round up to the nearest $5 (e.g. Pizza costs $12, I pay $15).

Also guys, do keep in mind that while Julios may be a little blunt, in Japan, tipping is genuinely considered outright rude (hence the difference of opinion regarding it). While over there, I found people would outright refuse to take tips, and at first had a couple of people give me dirty looks when I offered them. As far as they were concerned, the price they charged was the price you were expected to pay. While in Australia we don't get 'offended' by tips, in the same way, we don't expect them. If I walk into McDonalds and a meal costs me $5.50, I am expected to pay $5.50. If I get a haircut for $15, I am expected to pay $15. If a movie costs me $20, I am expected to pay $20. While most people will happily take a small tip as a 'thank you', by no means are you ever expected to pay more than the listed cost of the service, and 99.99% of the time, we don't.

Little bit of cultural awareness and sensitivity on both sides could go a long way (everyone calling everyone else ignorant doesn't help).

yeah, thats how I usually tip my barber.. good guy, hes been cutting my hair for 22 years now...

In all honesty, it's usually to just avoid waiting while the delivery guy has to dig around for change. All Pizza places basically charge additional delivery fees anyway, so its less of a 'tip', more of a 'take it because I'm a lazy and impatient bugger'.

Nothing, because they get paid enough in Australia...

If its delivery I base the tip off of a few things. Politeness of the person who took the order, how long it takes to get to me and the condition of the food when it arrives. Tips are never or very rarely more than $2 and most of the time the tip is, "LOL, I'm not paying for this, you're an hour late and the food is messed up. Take it back."

Sounds like a great way to get top quality service from delivery food places.

Thread opened.

The flamebait and the argument that followed has been removed, and should be forgotten.
Some of the conversation might read a bit disjointed now, but it's better than just closing the thread.

We pick up, we don't have it delivered so... I have no idea.

I recommend a tip base around on how long it took him to get the food to you. Maybe start a 25% and decrease it slowly over time all the way down to 5%? And if you wait too long, no tip at all?

Well I think you should always leave a tip no matter what. Even if it's just $1.

I tip a minmum of 10%, when eating in a Restraunt with a Waiter, or at a Bar. I pay Five Dollars to a Delivery Person for Delivered Foods, but I will give more if the Food is Hot, fresh and delivered quickly.

If My Food that has been deivered is not satisfactory, the Restraunt will not get repeat business.

I always tip. First drink I buy at the bar I tip big like around $15 or more even if its just a beer. Then im not stuck waiting to get my order taken after that. At a restaurant always start at 15% then go up or down depending on service. I also always tip delivery guys good so they remember the address and I ALWAYS get my food fast and hot...no spit either. Usually tip the lady at the drive through coffee place $1 on a $4.50 order everyday on the way to work. Some people do seem shocked though when I tip them. Especially the younger delivery drivers.

Me and my wife will never tip below 15% when we eat out(we don't live anywhere where we can get delivery, and I don't believe in tipping for take-out, since I'm coming to get the food myself and they are just handing it to me after the cooks make it). My wife was a waitress for many years(not by choice either, only job she could get in our small town) and her non-tip wage was $2.38 an hour, so we know how rough it is for waitresses.

The largest % wise we've ever tipped was a little over 50%, on a not quite $40 total bill. We had gone to a sit-down/buffet(you had your choice) restaurant after a long day at the Washington D.C. National Zoo, and we were hot, tired, and apparently very thirsty. We ran the waitress ragged in refreshing our drinks(I think we both downed about 5 glasses of water each, and then 3 soda's each(It was like 100 degrees at the zoo that day). We knew we had run her ragged doing it, so when it was time to go, I walked up to her and handed her $20 and apologized for working her so hard on getting drinks over and over and over again. She looked pleasantly surprised, so that made our day ^^