You know that receipt with the 1% tip and the handwritten “get a real job” note? Well, in a case of too-funny-to-be-true, it’s apparently a hoax. [More]
tips
Store Pits Iron Man Vs. Batman In Battle To Bring In More Tips
By 1.4.12
If you’re looking to give people a reason to drop a dime (or preferably a dollar) in that tip jar, how about turning the whole process into a popularity contest that taps into your customers’ inner comic book fan boy/girl? [More]
Survey: We Tip The People That Clean Our Houses, But Not The Ones Who Collect Our Garbage
By 12.13.11
For a lot of people in various facets of the service industry, this time of year means that some customers will brighten up your holidays with a gift or a tip to show their appreciation. But new numbers from our surveying siblings at Consumer Reports break down which particular people get the most end-of-year love. [More]
3 Tips On Holiday Tipping
By 11.30.11
Now is the time of year when some people choose to add to the holiday cheer by leaving a little extra something out for the folks — doormen, mail carriers, garbage collectors — who make their lives easier during the other 49 weeks of the year. And if you’re going to hand out tips during the holiday season, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re doing it properly. [More]
This $10 Tip Is Not The Best Way To Show Your Gratitude To Your Server
By 11.21.11
For a waiter who depends on tips to earn more than minimum wage, a $10 tip can be a welcome sight. But not in this instance. [More]
5 Things You Can Do To Avoid Return Line Drama
By 11.15.11
If you’re the type of person who would almost rather donate something than deal with the stress of returning it, our expert shopping companions at Consumer Reports have put together 5 steps that you can take to make the process a bit more manageable. Some are obvious, but you only have to read our tipline for a day to realize that obvious strategies are often the most frequently overlooked. [More]
Someone At This Dave & Buster's Needs To Learn How To Count
By 10.28.11
Steve has no problem with the mandatory 18% tip included in the bill for parties of eight or larger at Dave & Buster’s. He does, however, have a problem with getting charged 18% for mediocre service for a dinner party of seven, not eight. Maybe most diners are having too much fun to notice that there isn’t an invisible eighth guest at their tables. [More]
Are San Francisco Restaurants Actually Pushing To Make 25% The Standard Tip?
By 10.14.11
Earlier this week, a writer for the San Jose Mercury News posted a story claiming that wait staff and high-end restaurants in San Francisco are behind a move to make 25% tips standard across the city. But is this actually true or just hype? [More]
Amazing Waiter Pours Nearly A Dozen Cups Of Tea One-Handed
By 9.13.11
No question about it, this guy deserves at least a 20% tip. [More]
Telling A Diner She Looks Pregnant Is Not A Good Way To Get Tips
By 9.8.11
Here’s a tip for everyone, but especially those in the food service field: Even if you’re pretty certain that a female customer is pregnant, you might want to not mention it, lest you end up stiffed on a tip and the recipient of an angry note. [More]
Harm Yourself With These 5 Dangerous But Useful Cleaning Products
By 7.12.11
Chlorine gas was used for chemical warfare during World War I. You can make it easily in your own home by accidentally combining chlorine and ammonia in a misguided effort to boost cleaning power. Aren’t you clever? [More]
To Avoid Airport Security Hassle, Don't Flinch From Eye Contact
By 6.7.11
As someone who travels red eyes coast to coast for weeks for business meetings, Jeanniey knows a thing or two about getting through security with the least friction. She tells NYT that one thing she discovered, the hard way, was that you don’t want to dodge from eye contact with the security workers. [More]
How Should Wait Staff Handle Rude Customers?
By 5.15.11
Anyone who’s worked on a wait staff looks at their dining out experiences in a totally different way than the uninitiated. Understanding the pressures and perspective of servers can give you a deeper understanding of how to handle disappointments. For starters, you realize that customers have just as significant a role as servers in making it a pleasant dining experience. That’s what I’m told, at least. Full disclosure: My food industry working experience is restricted to one hellish day working at a student union Chick-fil-A. [More]
Hawaiian Restaurant Adds Surcharge For Customers Who Don't Speak English
By 2.4.11
Fed up with being stiffed on tips by foreigners, a restaurant in Hawaii has added on a mandatory 15% gratuity for customers who don’t speak English. [More]
Angry Restaurant Workers Secretly Tape Bosses
By 1.28.11
Some employees at a famous restaurant NYC’s Central Park got so fed up with the way they were being treated by their bosses that they took matters into their own hands and began secretly tape-recording workplace conversations. [More]
NY Regulates Tipping For First Time
By 1.3.11
The New York Department of Labor has issued rules on what until now has walked a gray line between custom and law: the tip. [More]
This Dunkin' Donuts Tip Cup Has Trust Issues
By 12.14.10
The workers at this Dunkin’ Donuts hope that you’ll be happy enough with their service that you’ll leave a tip. But doesn’t trust you not to run off with the tip jar. [More]
What You Have To Tip People Who Work For You So They Don't Think You're A Jerk
By 12.2.10
If you’re a mailman, you’ll probably look just a little more kindly upon those who slip you $10 gift cards during the holidays, and may be willing to work just a little bit harder to keep them happy throughout the year. So think of holiday tipping as a way to buy goodwill that lasts year round and you’ll find yourself more motivated to tip appropriately. [More]
