RickG's group travel rules for St. John

[choochtex]

One thing I've noticed, and I address this indirectly, is that when you mix people with different spending habits and different abilities to pay there is room for conflict. Group dinners provide the biggest opportunity for conflict - I put cash on the table and head to the bar when the calculators come out.

Cheers, RickG

And, have you ever noticed that the ones who run the waitstaff around like serfs are the ones who want to leave the lowest tip? GEESH!

During the all-girl portion of our just-back-from trip to STX I got so tired of the arguments about how much tip to leave that I just wanted to eat in at the villa instead of going out. One thing that puzzled me was one's very strong opinion that there should be different percentages of tip for different meals (like no more than 15% for a dinner check and 10% for a lunch check and less than 10% for a bar bill) - can anyone shed any light on that theory? I had never heard of that scale - I just thought you tipped for good service - no matter what time of day .

BEST rule is #1 - NO WHINERS!

- Margy

OMG....this is the one reason that I quit traveling with friends on vacation.
10%..Seriously!?!?!?!? I've left bigger tips for the car hops at Sonic.
I'm probably not alone, but as someone who as bartended and worked in food service and is very fortunate to be where I am today, I get it! Good, friendly service get's 20% and a good engaging, entertaining bartender could be looking at 30-50% depending on how long I've been sitting there!!

I'm with RickG on this one, I've been known to throw down cash and walk someplace else anytime something like this comes up.

ok...enough ranting....62 days...but who's counting?
Chooch & T are counting!

[silverheels]

What burns me up the most are those people who collect all the cash from the group and and then put the bill on their credit card. I've been with a group and the man of the group always does this and it's a company card (he owns it). You know it's a write off.

[Berlingirl]

See below...this topic drives me bananas...

BTW...Rick I think your rules RULE!

[Berlingirl]

From MargyZ

[quote="]Me, too, Iowaguy - 20% for really good service and more for extremely good service. If I tip low, it's for poor service and I note the reason on the check. I'm still stumped about that scale. Similar to Rick, I usually lay down cash and head for the loo when the girls bring out the calculators and start the in-depth argument - I keep thinking all we need are some church hats and support hose and we will be the cartoon of the crazy old broads arguing over the lunch check.
_________________


Margy...in my life (and I've been around a long time) I've determined that the "cheapest undertippers" at the table are people who have never ever waited on people, being in a resturant, bar and/or generally in any way, shape or form that puts them into contact with people who really have to work for a living. Cheap people make me crazy and I have no time for them. Nothing worse than a bunch of tighta** people. [/quote]

[Margy Z]

Berlingirl – I’m with you! Now, this is really going waaaayyyyyy back: When I was little and my mom was trying to teach me about life and stuff, she taught me that if I went into Woolworth’s to the counter to have lunch (I told you this was waaayyyyy back – lol) and I only had 50 cents in my pocket and a sandwich was 40 cents and a coke was 10 cents then I needed to figure out which one I was NOT going to have because I had to always budget money for a tip into what I wanted to order. That was how things worked and the person who waited on me and brought me my food was trying to make a living.

Tipping seems to be a real hot button with a lot of people, though. Some use the excuse that they are protesting a system that is messed up and that restaurant owners should pay servers an honest wage so that they don’t have to rely on tips. I love that excuse – yeah, like you are going to change the system tomorrow by stiffing your server tonight. There are a lot of excuses but, sorry, for me, it all boils down to being cheap or selfish.

- Margy

[BillnSue]

Rick...you have it all wrapped up! THANK YOU!
BillnSue

[teefal]

I've long tipped 20%, no matter what. In my experience, even the lukewarm servers more than earn it.

If I have a real problem, I'll talk to the server about it, and if they're snarky, I'll talk to a manager if I like the place. Not to punish, but to help them manage, and for the benefit of future patrons. But I'll still give them 20%.

My goal is always to make a human connection, and when that happens, I'm always happy with the service.

[jclampet]

Teefal - You really hit this one on the money (no pun intended). My wife is a cosmetologist by trade and makes a goodly part of her earning from tips, But you will never hear her talk of the tips so much as the connections she has with "her customers". She (my wife) would never dream of going below %20 on tips because she is extremely aware of that human connection and what it means to care for poeple who are in the business of serving others.

PS: she would probably kick me in the arse if I ever went below that %20 as well...

[JT]

The tip talk has me smiling. I've always been an over-tipper. About 35 years ago i had a waitress in my regular hangout. She always remembered me because I was a good tipper. Now, that waitress, i.e. Mrs. JT, and I still are guilty of over-tipping.

Rick, I agree that your rules rule.

[NCSue]

First off - Rick G - perfect! I've passed those rules on to our group and they've all passed the rules on too. Your message is spreading!

Second - the whole tipping thing - I just don't get it. I am in the same boat - I would rather just throw a $20 down (don't care if my bill is $10) and move on! I would also just rather pay the whole bill and someone else pick it up next time, rather than spend half a freakin hour figuring out who owes the other ten cents on the bill. Let it go people! After all - don't you have a beach or painkiller to get to!??! We have a regular sports bar we frequent and all the wait staff splits the tips. There are some we like less than others - but our tip is ALWAYS 20 - 25%.