whoopazz Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 So, my brakes were shot and I have AAA, so rather than risk driving the POS up to the garage I had it towed for free. The tow truck driver was a good guy and did a great job. So, should I have tipped him (I thought about it but didn't)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 So, my brakes were shot and I have AAA, so rather than risk driving the POS up to the garage I had it towed for free. The tow truck driver was a good guy and did a great job. So, should I have tipped him (I thought about it but didn't)? Maybe if he gave you a handjob. Seriously, you're paying for a AAA membership, right? You don't need to tip him unless he went way beyond the call of duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 None the less, that does bring up a good question in general as it is really hard to know which people in the service industry are compensated by their employer based on the fact that they always get tipped and which don't. I know we've gone around on this but I wonder how many of us really know this. Hell, even within my industry there can be confusion. For instance, when I cater events, the servers are paid by me about as much as they would make on a normal night working the restaurant. That is built into the cost of the event. When the client pulls me aside and asks about the servers, I do make a point of saying that this is not like dining out and they are, by no means, expected to pay anything, let alone an additional 15% on top of the bill. That, in this case, it is a tip in the strictest definition. That if they were super happy and want to float everyone an extra $10 or so, that's great but they are all already getting paid a fair sum for their time. Who knows, maybe this dude made $300 driving that truck around that day so he's cool. Maybe dude doesn't make jack and really relies on tips to make it add up? Honestly, it would be nice to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 So, my brakes were shot and I have AAA, so rather than risk driving the POS up to the garage I had it towed for free. The tow truck driver was a good guy and did a great job. So, should I have tipped him (I thought about it but didn't)? I think the best response should come from a professional...so here I am. When I used my now infamous tire changing service several years ago, I asked the guy to tell me honestly what his cut was (remember this was around midnight on the side of I75. He said he pretty much got nothing for the deal so I did tip him $20. Even though we joke about it being AAA it was actually the free carside assistance that came with the Chrysler I was driving (so I didn't pay for the service like a AAA situation). He claimed they get a certain flat fee from Chrylser regardless how much work they do and it was pretty much peanuts. Plus the guy who helped me worked for the towing company from what I remember. He may have put one over on me but I tipped anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbimm Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Whether you tip a two truck driver or not is up to the individual. While they are paid hourly for the most part, it is always nice to get a little extra. When you wander outside of food and beverage, the service industry employees usually are hourly employees who are paid based on their skill level and longevity on the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Whether you tip a two truck driver or not is up to the individual. While they are paid hourly for the most part, it is always nice to get a little extra. When you wander outside of food and beverage, the service industry employees usually are hourly employees who are paid based on their skill level and longevity on the job. Agreed. It would just be nice to know with some degree of certainty which jobs truly rely on tips as a significant amount of their income. Just so you know if it's really a tip or if it is assumed that you're basically in charge of paying the guy. I mean, the silliest thing about tips in restaurants is that they're not freaking tips at all. It's a service fee, plain and simple. If anything, the "tip" is what you leave above and beyond what is widely accepted as the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I had to get Da Vette towed a few years ago and slipped him $20 because he was as gentle as a USC cheerleader on a silk sheet with a gentle fireplace burning and several candles for ambience slowly removing her.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I had to get Da Vette towed a few years ago and slipped him $20 because he was as gentle as a USC cheerleader on a silk sheet with a gentle fireplace burning and several candles for ambience slowly removing her.... Sounds like you just got back from an advanced screening of the new Star Trek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbimm Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Agreed. It would just be nice to know with some degree of certainty which jobs truly rely on tips as a significant amount of their income. Just so you know if it's really a tip or if it is assumed that you're basically in charge of paying the guy. I mean, the silliest thing about tips in restaurants is that they're not freaking tips at all. It's a service fee, plain and simple. If anything, the "tip" is what you leave above and beyond what is widely accepted as the norm. Many years ago I drove a tow truck for about a year. Tipping was not the norm but also wasn't surprised to get 2 or 3 a night. Ran an average of 10 or 12 calls a night. Never did get a tip on REPO night though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 (edited) Sounds like you just got back from an advanced screening of the new Star Trek One more month. From the sound of the early awesomeness of the reviews, they may need a tow truck to remove me from the theatre. I will tip...because I'm a good tipper. I think it was a Van Halen video that said "Right Now People are working too hard for minimum wage". Hell, some of these people don't even make minimum wage. No way could I deal with the general public and it's general suckiness on a daily basis nowadays. I'm thankful to have a cushy office job where I can shut my door all day if I need/want to and never deal with one person if I don't want to. Edited April 12, 2009 by TimC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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