A question about tipping....

526SadieSadie

My mother and I have been going back and forth about this one, help me out, ladies!!

She says that the DJ doesn't need to be tipped.  Her argument is that they quote you a price and you pay it, they don't need a tip, and that I wouldn't tip my florist. 
I say that they do get tipped because they basically are in control of the flow of the whole reception and they have to work really hard.  Mom says that it's their job to work hard.
I pointed out that a tip is added to our food bill at the reception and we'd be tipping our hair stylists and nail techs, so why not the people who are there all night busting their butts to make sure we are happy?

What's the verdict? Should I only tip for exceptional service?  What merits exceptional?  How much should the tip be?

ohwhynot

I plan on tipping the band, for the same reason you suggest tipping the DJ.  Are you footing the bill, or is your mom?  If she is, then I guess she decides. 

As far as what level of service warrants a tip, I guess unless there's a major screw up, I'd tip.  Our band will be about 1000 and I plan to tip $250.

danieliza1127

The basic rule of thumb is that if the person owns the business and will be getting the full proceeds of their service, you don't need to tip.  So if the DJ is his own guy, you don't have to tip him.  If he's just an employee of a DJ service, then you should tip him.  Same for the florist.

danieliza1127

Oh and tip is the normal 15-20% depending their service.

opalsky007

Dani's rule of thumb is a good one. Think about it this way: the reason you are tipping on your food bill at the reception is not for the food itself, but for the servers and other staff who make the whole event happen. They're employees of a larger catering service, so they get tipped.

ring_pop

Ditto dani. That's not to say that a tip wouldn't be appreciated if you really are happy with their service. My DJ owned his business, but we tipped him because he got our entire crowd on the dance floor doing the Thriller dance. Same with my photographer; she stayed late, and we were just very happy with her, so we tipped her.