"we don't have to tip the vendors, right? lol"

peachy13

This girl I'm FB friends just posted this question (to her 1,354 FB friends, mind you) and she's getting married Saturday. There have been other obnoxious posts from her regarding wedding-related polls/questions, but this one really annoyed me.

But what was worse was that so many people responded to her question replying "no." One person even said something like "definitely not, you're already paying them so you don't need to give them more money. Don't let the vendor companies trick you into thinking you have to put down even more money than you already are..." I was really relieved when someone responded by saying "YES--- definitely tip your DJ and photographer unless the tip is built into their contract (check this first), gratuity shouldn't go out the window just because you're already paying them a certain amount. The DJ can make your wedding something incredible and you should definitely tip him/her as a token of appreciation and if you have any special requests."

Let's see if she listens to that person. Based on previous idiotic questions she's asked to the FB world, and the fact that she asks them on FB, tells me there will be a few etiquette no-nos this Saturday. A mutual friend is going to her wedding and I hope to hear some interesting tales.

Too Long Didn't Read: Be nice; tip your vendors.

dcbride86

OMG that's ridiculous!  I will never understand how so many people can be so anti-tip.

 

Also - she has over 1,300 FB friends?  How could she possibly know that many people?

larrygaga

So many people hate the tipping system. I love rewarding people based on service. 

lyndausvi

Oh god.

Although based on my brother's wedding pictures I'm against tipping photographers until after you see the final product.   I'm not even a fan of my brother or SIL, but even I cried at how bad their pictures were.

RebeccaFlower

I do get annoyed with tipping sometimes though. I'm all for tipping well for a above and beyond service but I can't stand when tipping is the norm. Other than waitresses, don't expect a 25% tip on everything for a mediocre job! I had a cab driver flip his shit on me when I didn't tip. Okay, asshole... you didn't put my bags in, you drove off before my LEGS were in the cab and thankfully I didn't puke because you drove like a maniac. Sorry, nope. 

LittlePeachBlossom

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

theartistformerlyknownas

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

I agree with this. If you're the business owner, and you've set your rate, you should be content to get that rate. A tip for exceptional service is great, but shouldn't be expected.

And we didn't tip anyone the night of. I didn't want to have to worry about keeping track of cash/checks and want to see the pictures from the photographer first.

dcbride86

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

LittlePeachBlossom

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

dcbride86

RebeccaFlower said:

I do get annoyed with tipping sometimes though. I'm all for tipping well for a above and beyond service but I can't stand when tipping is the norm. Other than waitresses, don't expect a 25% tip on everything for a mediocre job! I had a cab driver flip his shit on me when I didn't tip. Okay, asshole... you didn't put my bags in, you drove off before my LEGS were in the cab and thankfully I didn't puke because you drove like a maniac. Sorry, nope. 

Often tipping is the norm because the person does not actually make a full hourly minimum wage without the tips.  When I was a waitress, I made under $3.00 per hour because my tips were expected to make up the difference between my hourly wage and the minimum wage.  The same goes for many jobs, including taxi drivers.  Actually, they usually don't make an hourly wage AT ALL - they're independent contractors and rely exclusively on fares and tips

I'm not saying you should have tipped that cab driver, I'm just explaining why it's the norm for things like cab rides.

dcbride86

LittlePeachBlossom said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

Business owners often do work for tips, though.  They can't really come up with a new business plan if the business industry is such that everyone in that business works for tips.  Nobody would hire them over another DJ or photographer if they built the tips into the contract price

lc07

LittlePeachBlossom said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

In CA wait staff make at least normal minimum wage. So you could say the same about those employees. If they're working for tips they should become business owners and set their own rates.

FTR, I'm all for tipping anybody who goes above and beyond, business owner or not.

LittlePeachBlossom

lc07 said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

In CA wait staff make at least normal minimum wage. So you could say the same about those employees. If they're working for tips they should become business owners and set their own rates.

FTR, I'm all for tipping anybody who goes above and beyond, business owner or not.

SITB

Apples and oranges. Waitstaff, cab drivers, deliver people... they are not business owners. They do not work for themselves. They work for an established company.  You can't compare this to a business owner. The photographer should already be basing their price according to the average time it takes them to complete a job inclusive of the behind-the-scenes stuff such as editing. The DJ should know how long it takes him to put a set together and the cost of any music licensing. From this, they determine their "hourly" rate and add any additional expenses incurred in providing a whole package. It they don't know how to do this without relying on an expected $100+ tip then they are really limiting themselves.

RebeccaFlower

ssautter said:

RebeccaFlower said:

I do get annoyed with tipping sometimes though. I'm all for tipping well for a above and beyond service but I can't stand when tipping is the norm. Other than waitresses, don't expect a 25% tip on everything for a mediocre job! I had a cab driver flip his shit on me when I didn't tip. Okay, asshole... you didn't put my bags in, you drove off before my LEGS were in the cab and thankfully I didn't puke because you drove like a maniac. Sorry, nope. 

Often tipping is the norm because the person does not actually make a full hourly minimum wage without the tips.  When I was a waitress, I made under $3.00 per hour because my tips were expected to make up the difference between my hourly wage and the minimum wage.  The same goes for many jobs, including taxi drivers.  Actually, they usually don't make an hourly wage AT ALL - they're independent contractors and rely exclusively on fares and tips

I'm not saying you should have tipped that cab driver, I'm just explaining why it's the norm for things like cab rides.

I get that, that's the first and only time I've ever not tipped. How many jobs are really under minimum wage though? No snark, just really don't know. 

I do this photographers, DJs and florist business owners are different. Even nail and hair techs who set their own prices. I guess my overall thing is that it shouldn't be such a large expectation. If I tipped my hairdresser 20% every time, I could no longer justify the price. 

That said, a waitress should work  for tips, not be handed it just because it's a under minimum wage job. Standard work, I give a standard tip. Super on top of everything, I tip well. Once H & I went to dinner and watched our waitress flirt with the bartender and completely ignore us. I'm sorry, no, she's doesn't deserve 20% just because. 

ETA: For the record, we did tip all of our vendors... well  

ShesSoCold

My brother told me I didn't have to tip wedding vendors because "it's not like you're ever going to see or work with them ever again". 

SMH

Edited for typo.

hellohkb

Luckily most of my vendors have the tip included in the price already so I don't have to work it out. But it's really gross when people just flat out don't tip. Rude.

dcbride86

RebeccaFlower said:

ssautter said:

RebeccaFlower said:

I do get annoyed with tipping sometimes though. I'm all for tipping well for a above and beyond service but I can't stand when tipping is the norm. Other than waitresses, don't expect a 25% tip on everything for a mediocre job! I had a cab driver flip his shit on me when I didn't tip. Okay, asshole... you didn't put my bags in, you drove off before my LEGS were in the cab and thankfully I didn't puke because you drove like a maniac. Sorry, nope. 

Often tipping is the norm because the person does not actually make a full hourly minimum wage without the tips.  When I was a waitress, I made under $3.00 per hour because my tips were expected to make up the difference between my hourly wage and the minimum wage.  The same goes for many jobs, including taxi drivers.  Actually, they usually don't make an hourly wage AT ALL - they're independent contractors and rely exclusively on fares and tips

I'm not saying you should have tipped that cab driver, I'm just explaining why it's the norm for things like cab rides.

I get that, that's the first and only time I've ever not tipped. How many jobs are really under minimum wage though? No snark, just really don't know. 

I do this photographers, DJs and florist business owners are different. Even nail and hair techs who set their own prices. I guess my overall thing is that it shouldn't be such a large expectation. If I tipped my hairdresser 20% every time, I could no longer justify the price. 

That said, a waitress should work  for tips, not be handed it just because it's a under minimum wage job. Standard work, I give a standard tip. Super on top of everything, I tip well. Once H & I went to dinner and watched our waitress flirt with the bartender and completely ignore us. I'm sorry, no, she's doesn't deserve 20% just because. 

Way more than you would think.  Employers LOVE having tipped employees because it allows them to take advantage of a "tip credit" and pay the employees less than minimum wage.  While the employee's job duties technically have to involve those which customarily receive tips, that's really not defined anywhere.

Off the top of my head, I can think of the following jobs that are paid under minimum wage because of tips: waiters/waitresses; bartenders; bussers (they're tipped out from the servers); doormen; room service employees; hotel guest room attendants/maids; cab drivers; most musicians in bars; many performers

 

I agree with you that all tipped employees need to provide satisfactory service to get a tip.  I used to wait tables, and if I think that I couldn't have possibly expected a tip for such bad service, I won't give 20+%.  However, I do always think about whether there's some other reason for the bad service (one time EVERYONE else in the restaurant called in sick, and I was stuck waiting on all the tables and ringing them up.  It was exhausting).

lc07

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

In CA wait staff make at least normal minimum wage. So you could say the same about those employees. If they're working for tips they should become business owners and set their own rates.

FTR, I'm all for tipping anybody who goes above and beyond, business owner or not.

SITB

Apples and oranges. Waitstaff, cab drivers, deliver people... they are not business owners. They do not work for themselves. They work for an established company.  You can't compare this to a business owner. The photographer should already be basing their price according to the average time it takes them to complete a job inclusive of the behind-the-scenes stuff such as editing. The DJ should know how long it takes him to put a set together and the cost of any music licensing. From this, they determine their "hourly" rate and add any additional expenses incurred in providing a whole package. It they don't know how to do this without relying on an expected $100+ tip then they are really limiting themselves.

I think you might be missing my point? My point is with your reasoning, if people don't like the money they are making they should change their business strategy. IMO, then the same thing goes for people who are employed. If they don't like the money they're making sans-tips, go become your own boss and set your wages yourself. My point is, it's not that easy to be a business owner and you make it sound like it's easy-peasy.

theartistformerlyknownas

lc07 said:

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

In CA wait staff make at least normal minimum wage. So you could say the same about those employees. If they're working for tips they should become business owners and set their own rates.

FTR, I'm all for tipping anybody who goes above and beyond, business owner or not.

SITB

Apples and oranges. Waitstaff, cab drivers, deliver people... they are not business owners. They do not work for themselves. They work for an established company.  You can't compare this to a business owner. The photographer should already be basing their price according to the average time it takes them to complete a job inclusive of the behind-the-scenes stuff such as editing. The DJ should know how long it takes him to put a set together and the cost of any music licensing. From this, they determine their "hourly" rate and add any additional expenses incurred in providing a whole package. It they don't know how to do this without relying on an expected $100+ tip then they are really limiting themselves.

I think you might be missing my point? My point is with your reasoning, if people don't like the money they are making they should change their business strategy. IMO, then the same thing goes for people who are employed. If they don't like the money they're making sans-tips, go become your own boss and set your wages yourself. My point is, it's not that easy to be a business owner and you make it sound like it's easy-peasy.

I don't think the reasoning is the same. A business owner can say "hmm nobody's tipping me and I banked on making tips. I should raise my price by $100." A waiter/ess can't say "hmm nobody's tipping me and I banked on making tips, I should raise my salary to $8/hour." They work in an industry where it's much more common knowledge that they live on tips; people should tip them. I don't think the same is true for sole proprietors of services like photography and DJing. They've set their own rate; I assume that they've set a rate that properly values the service they're giving me. It shouldn't be a rule that they get tipped just for performing to the terms of the contract that they wrote and price that they set.

LittlePeachBlossom

lolo883 said:

lc07 said:

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

In CA wait staff make at least normal minimum wage. So you could say the same about those employees. If they're working for tips they should become business owners and set their own rates.

FTR, I'm all for tipping anybody who goes above and beyond, business owner or not.

SITB

Apples and oranges. Waitstaff, cab drivers, deliver people... they are not business owners. They do not work for themselves. They work for an established company.  You can't compare this to a business owner. The photographer should already be basing their price according to the average time it takes them to complete a job inclusive of the behind-the-scenes stuff such as editing. The DJ should know how long it takes him to put a set together and the cost of any music licensing. From this, they determine their "hourly" rate and add any additional expenses incurred in providing a whole package. It they don't know how to do this without relying on an expected $100+ tip then they are really limiting themselves.

I think you might be missing my point? My point is with your reasoning, if people don't like the money they are making they should change their business strategy. IMO, then the same thing goes for people who are employed. If they don't like the money they're making sans-tips, go become your own boss and set your wages yourself. My point is, it's not that easy to be a business owner and you make it sound like it's easy-peasy.

I don't think the reasoning is the same. A business owner can say "hmm nobody's tipping me and I banked on making tips. I should raise my price by $100." A waiter/ess can't say "hmm nobody's tipping me and I banked on making tips, I should raise my salary to $8/hour." They work in an industry where it's much more common knowledge that they live on tips; people should tip them. I don't think the same is true for sole proprietors of services like photography and DJing. They've set their own rate; I assume that they've set a rate that properly values the service they're giving me. It shouldn't be a rule that they get tipped just for performing to the terms of the contract that they wrote and price that they set.

Yes, this. 

thisismynickname2

I thought tipping was the most confusing part of wedding budgeting. Our officiant and photographer are business owners, so I used Lolo's logic (and I'd read that elsewhere) that business owners aren't tipped.  

The venue (catering and everything else) included "tips" in the mandatory service charges. That's easy.

The DJ worked for a company, but considering what we paid, I can calculate that even after company overhead the guy was likely making a healthy hourly wage. Again, assuming that tipping is for jobs where tips are an assumed part of take-home pay, it didn't seem like they would be... relying... on the tips.  Unless DH tipped without my knowledge, we didn't tip the DJ.  10-20% of that amount of money is a shit-ton of money, so it didn't even make sense what would even be an appropriate tip.

So confusing. 

I wrote gushing reviews on several sites immediately after the wedding though.  

lc07

A friend of mine works as a second shooter for a wedding photographer. She makes $100/hr while shooting. I'm sure not all of them make that much money but some clearly do. It just seems nonsensical to me that she would get tipped but not the business owner. We just don't know what people are making while working, business owner or not.

I tip people where US society deems it necessary - wait staff, taxi drivers, hair and make up artists, etc. Industries aside from those like photography and DJ and cake decorator, I would still tip if the service was above and beyond although I know it's not necessary. And I would tip if they are the business owner or not because IMO it makes no sense to tip someone who is making $100/hr as an employee but not a business owner who is making IDK how much.

CrazyCatLady3

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

I disagree. They are business owners and don't work for tips. If they're working for tips, they need to come up with a better pricing strategy or business plan.

Business owners often do work for tips, though.  They can't really come up with a new business plan if the business industry is such that everyone in that business works for tips.  Nobody would hire them over another DJ or photographer if they built the tips into the contract price

But a sole proprietor DJ gets the full amount of the contract price.  A DJ company that then goes and hires other DJs to play at your wedding only pays them a fraction of the contract price.  That's why business owners don't need tips.

levioosa

All I know is that tipping at weddings is fucking confusing.  

luckya23

levioosa said:

All I know is that tipping at weddings is fucking confusing.  

And how a service charge isn't a tip...????

thisismynickname2

luckya23 said:

levioosa said:

All I know is that tipping at weddings is fucking confusing.  

And how a service charge isn't a tip...????

It might actually be. We specifically clarified with our venue manager about what the service fee was and if we had to do any extra tipping. She said no. 

anjemon

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

You must have worked in a very different hotel than I did. The hotel I worked at we almost never got tips. If it had been factored into my wages I would have been screwed. I got tipped maybe once a day. Maybe. It might have been more frequent if I had a lot of business traveler's rooms. Ironically, super clean business types were the best about tipping, but families were usually terrible and often messy.

Although I do say you should tip your maid. Especially if you're a terribly messy family. They don't get paid enough to clean up the food you smashed into the floor. 

dcbride86

CrazyCatLady3 said:

ssautter said:

Business owners often do work for tips, though.  They can't really come up with a new business plan if the business industry is such that everyone in that business works for tips.  Nobody would hire them over another DJ or photographer if they built the tips into the contract price

But a sole proprietor DJ gets the full amount of the contract price.  A DJ company that then goes and hires other DJs to play at your wedding only pays them a fraction of the contract price.  That's why business owners don't need tips.

But if standard business practice is to advertise a lower price because people tip after, no DJ would ever get hired with a price that included the tip.  People wouldn't even ask to see a contract - they would decide to go with another DJ (who did not include tip in the price)

My point is that it isn't as simple as you're making it seem.  A business owner can't really raise prices to include tips if nobody will hire a DJ at that price - the business will go under.

dcbride86

anjemon said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

You must have worked in a very different hotel than I did. The hotel I worked at we almost never got tips. If it had been factored into my wages I would have been screwed. I got tipped maybe once a day. Maybe. It might have been more frequent if I had a lot of business traveler's rooms. Ironically, super clean business types were the best about tipping, but families were usually terrible and often messy.

Although I do say you should tip your maid. Especially if you're a terribly messy family. They don't get paid enough to clean up the food you smashed into the floor. 

I've actually never worked in a hotel.  But I have been a legal intern for firms representing hotels, so I know what they paid the hotel doormen and maids, and it was significantly less than minimum wage because (allegedly) tips would make up the difference.  I'm NOT saying the tips actually DID make up the difference - that's just what the hotel said to get a tip credit and pay them less than minimum wage.

huskypuppy14

ssautter said:

anjemon said:

ssautter said:

LittlePeachBlossom said:

I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

etf spelling

Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

You must have worked in a very different hotel than I did. The hotel I worked at we almost never got tips. If it had been factored into my wages I would have been screwed. I got tipped maybe once a day. Maybe. It might have been more frequent if I had a lot of business traveler's rooms. Ironically, super clean business types were the best about tipping, but families were usually terrible and often messy.

Although I do say you should tip your maid. Especially if you're a terribly messy family. They don't get paid enough to clean up the food you smashed into the floor. 

I've actually never worked in a hotel.  But I have been a legal intern for firms representing hotels, so I know what they paid the hotel doormen and maids, and it was significantly less than minimum wage because (allegedly) tips would make up the difference.  I'm NOT saying the tips actually DID make up the difference - that's just what the hotel said to get a tip credit and pay them less than minimum wage.

I don't know what state you are in, but when I worked as a waitress in CT, if your tips didn't get you to minimum wage for that pay period, your employer had to pay the difference. That never happened with me, and is probably rare for waitresses, but it's not unheard of.

If I'm staying in a hotel for 1 night, I usually will not tip the maid. I've barely made a mess, and you have to clean the room between people. Now, if I stay more than one night and they clean my room I will tip. 

A few years ago my now husband and I went to a wedding out of town and stayed at an expensive hotel for 2 nights. Pretty much the whole hotel was wedding guests. They never cleaned our room, and my husband (then boyfriend) had to go down to the front desk to get us more towels. No sorry, obviously the maid is not getting a tip in that instance.

For my bachelorette party we were at the hotel for one night, but I tipped the maid, because there was a lot of alcohol bottles and food to clean out of our room. It wasn't messy per se, but it's still extra work.

theartistformerlyknownas

ssautter said:

CrazyCatLady3 said:

ssautter said:

Business owners often do work for tips, though.  They can't really come up with a new business plan if the business industry is such that everyone in that business works for tips.  Nobody would hire them over another DJ or photographer if they built the tips into the contract price

But a sole proprietor DJ gets the full amount of the contract price.  A DJ company that then goes and hires other DJs to play at your wedding only pays them a fraction of the contract price.  That's why business owners don't need tips.


But if standard business practice is to advertise a lower price because people tip after, no DJ would ever get hired with a price that included the tip.  People wouldn't even ask to see a contract - they would decide to go with another DJ (who did not include tip in the price)

My point is that it isn't as simple as you're making it seem.  A business owner can't really raise prices to include tips if nobody will hire a DJ at that price - the business will go under.

But if the DJ is paid enough, why do they need to be tipped as a general rule? I provide a service to my clients, but I don't get tipped. If so many people are saying "uh, I don't tip the DJ" then clearly it's not an industry with a standard practice of tipping the way food service is. Tipping is absolutely a great OPTION for these vendors but I don't buy the notion that all service providers should automatically be tipped all the time, because they don't all "work for tips."