Tipping your slot attendant....

**Jasminebed** · 28th April 2010, 01:54 AM

I live in Ontario Jeannie, and the casino slot attendants are paid above minimum wage, have benefits and full-time hours if they want them. Shift work, sure, that's part of it, and if you won't take the night shift, then you might not get the hours. These are considered good jobs.

I always tip cabbies...most of the drivers either work 6-12 hours shifts a week to make a living, or they are retired people with a pension and drive part-time to supplement their income, as well as more and more husband and wife owner teams.

I tip my hairdresser. I usually get cut at a discount chain, and these are recent graduates that do make minimum wage. Tipping hairdressers has been customary for a very long time. These hairdressers do not get many tips, and always act a little surprised to get one.

I tip bell hops and valet parkers, albeit not lavishly.

But it galls me to purchase a book and find a tip jar at the cashier! I realize they make minimum wage and probably have no benefits, but chances are you didn't even serve me.

But I say thank you a lot to those who deal with the public. The cashier who is not snarky with me about my coupons gets complimented for a job well done. I always make sure that I tip for the free meals on the buy-one get one deals.

If I have terrible i.e. rude, not just slow or sloppy service in a restaurant, I make sure I inform management, just so you know why you did not get a tip. If my meal was terrible, that is not necessarily the server's fault. I inform management of that too.

If I know a restaurant's policy is to pocket all the tips and pay their servers more than minimum wage with a signed contract saying that all tips belong to the restaurant, I do not tip. I do not tip the bar owner on their shift.

And really, if someone thinks I'm a jerk because I don't tip lavishly, and I don't tip in clothing stores where no one helped me find a size, or got off their personal call to ring me up with that damn cup with TIPS pasted on it.

And I don't get lap dances. I understand that tipping is appreciated by workers in that industry as well.

If I have change in my pocket, I usually contribute to street musicians. That's not a tip, since they are offering a free service that brightens my day and enhances my city. You require a licence for our city, and I might not hit everyone on any given day, but they are regulars, and I am a regular contributor. And when I have no money, I stop a moment to listen and show they are appreciated, or give a smile or a bit of applause.

**ksech** · 28th April 2010, 01:59 AM

Just something to think about...
In my little corner of the world, waitresses are paid an hourly wage of $4.65/hr ( when I started waitressing the minimum wage for waitresses was .75/hr). According to the IRS we have to claim a minimum of 9% of our gross sales (the IRS has been trying to get this percentage raised to 16% for years). What this means is this...
You come in my restaurant, eat, drink, have some dessert...
Bill comes to $15.00 ( and this is actually a high dollar amount for the restaurant I work in). I am required to pay tax of $1.35 whether or not I receive a tip. So, technically speaking, if a lot of customers feel they don't need to tip I'm screwed. We don't pool tips, the owner feels ( and I can vouch for this from years of experience) you will get a few who will work their butts off and then a few who will standby doing as little as possible, knowing they will receive a portion of YOUR tip.
Okay, rant over....
And sorry for the derail!

**Jeannie** · 28th April 2010, 07:10 PM

the servers thing amazes me.... 2 bucks an hour? and then praying you get tips?

i could get full-time as a slot attendant here with full benefits etc but i'm not keen on the shift work....due mainly to the fact our casino rotates the shifts and i have 2 small kids so it really messes with childcare. my husband is a cook in the casino kitchen so his benefits cover me and the kids and his shifts are easier to work around.... I make 13.71/hr plus tips pooled and pd bi-weekly avg 2.50/hr in tips (min wage is 10.00/hr i think). the casino i worked at in AB I made just above min wage (which was 8.00/hr at the time, i made 8.25/hr) and pooled tips daily

my other job is a video store and i'm surprised at the number of times i have been tipped (we do not have a tip jar, they are not expected, not even sure if they are really allowed)

**silcnlayc** · 28th April 2010, 08:27 PM

Jeannie: the servers thing amazes me.... 2 bucks an hour? and then praying you get tips?

Yep, I can vouch for that...I waited tables and mad about $1.64 an hour plus tips then moved upt to bartending at $5 an hour plus tips...here in the USA this is the norm so if you visit, remember these waitresses/waiters/bartenders depend on tips a lot. I also got tokeep my tips or split them with the backup bartender if the worked with me..

Now I work for free pretty much doing computer repairs...all my friends drive me crazy with needing help on their computers but I never charge...one week I had over 8 computers and 3 laptops sitting in my office waiting to be worked on..

Shees, maybe I will go back to bartending.. (just kidding)

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**silcnlayc** · 28th April 2010, 08:29 PM

Jeannie: the servers thing amazes me.... 2 bucks an hour? and then praying you get tips?

Yep, I can vouch for that...I waited tables many years ago and made about $1.64 an hour plus tips then moved up to bartending at $5 an hour plus tips...here in the USA this is the norm so if you visit, remember these waitresses/waiters/bartenders depend on tips a lot. I also got to keep my tips or split them with the backup bartender if they worked with me..

Now I work for free pretty much doing computer repairs...all my friends drive me crazy with needing help on their computers but I never charge...one week I had over 8 computers and 3 laptops sitting in my office waiting to be worked on..

Sheesh, maybe I will go back to bartending.. at least I got tipped for my work..

(just kidding about going back to bartending not the friends/computers)

.

**vegetagirl2008** · 29th April 2010, 06:36 AM

I am a big tipper if I feel I am getting the grandest of service I will definitely give you a tip..I look it like this they work just as hard as I do..

**osulle** · 29th April 2010, 07:37 AM

Hi, I always tip. If the service is very good then I will tip over 15-20% (for restaurants). If the service is really bad I tip just the 15% and if the same establishment gives me bad service on another visit then I will still give the 15% but I will never go back.

I really understand the people in the service industry rely on tips however if a server/bartender etc gives really bad service and ruins a patrons outing then they really should not expect much of a tip. I tip based on the service I recieve and nothing else so if the food is terrible and the service is good then I will give a good tip. I think that system is fair and works for me.