Tipping: an American love affair
by awindram
“I’ve only got a twenty. Do you have any smaller bills?” asked the wife this Saturday as we found ourselves sat on the side of I-205 while traffic sped past us.
“No. Why?”
“For the AAA man when he comes.”
“Wait, we’re meant to tip the AAA guy?”
“We’re not meant to, I just thought that we could. So do you have anything smaller?”
“Of all the things I’m worrying about at the moment,” I said casting a glance at our car’s blown tire, “tipping the AAA guy, when he finally decides to show up, is not one of them.”
“So you’ve got nothing smaller then?”
“No, no, I have not.”
Culturally Discombobulated 
First and most importantly, glad you managed the car safely with a blown tire.
And, it’s so true, Americans (myself included) err on the side of “Please take extra money.”
What started as “Let me augment your weak salary.” turned to “You did me a service, here’s something extra.” which has quickly become “You’re breathing… here’s something for your troubles.”
Again, glad you’re all safe.
Thanks Jeff, yes we got over safely which is the main thing as we’re not particularly expert drivers.
Yes, I’m never entirely sure when to tip and how much outside of restuarants. That part I’ve got sorted, but when it comes to other service industries I get confused. I have a small book on tipping that my wife bought me a few years back. It didn’t mention AAA workers.
Yes. I never quite know who I’m supposed to tip here. The other day my TV repair guy came and did his job. Trouble was, it was probably complicated by the crap “smart house” wiring we have and it took him hours. So I tipped him!
Like you, Toni, I’m never entirely sure of when to tip or when not to. Do a tip a FedEx guy? I tip the pizza deliverly guy so why not the FedEx guy? Do I only tip if he has to carry a large deliverly? If so how large does it have to be to merit a tip? USCIS really should supply s guide book for immigrants on these issues. Actually, I might write that. A guidebook written in the style of a USCIS employee.
I’m now worrying about how I’ve never tipped a Fedex guy…..it never even crossed my mind! (But surely if everyone tipped the FedEx guy, FedEx guys would be richer than Mitt Romney by now….) It took me over a year to realise that you’re supposed to tip the schoolbus driver at the end of the year, the postman and bin men at Christmas, and the kids’ ski instructors at the end of 5 days of lessons.
Frequently in the service industry, you’re at the whim of someones mood. If your server is having a crap day, many will let you know through their body language, their brusque approach to dealing with your request and their face like the back end of a bus.
Therefore, I tend to tip depending on my mood. If I’m feeling good and you’ve made my experience a pleasure, a tip’s not out of the question. On the other hand, if my outlook is not particularly genial, and you’ve merely done what you’re paid to, you might want to save that discussion about tips for another time.
I wonder if this is a universal story? Hilarious!
I think you’re making it more complicated than it is. You don’t tip AAA or Fedex or mail carriers, but if they went above and beyond, THANK them! Same for all the others you mentioned. And unthinkable as it is for a British person, you can always just ask them what they usually get. But definitely THANK them. And give them what feels comfortable to you and conveys the degree of gratitude you feel. And THANK them.
Wow, that’s quite a picture.
Aargh. We get our food shopping delivered and there is a space on the receipt for you to add a tip. I would – if I hadn’t specifically *paid* $7 already for the shopping to be delivered. But the delivery boys look so sad when they leave untipped and I have now started to dread these encounters. Still, we aren’t buying a car any time soon so the cringeing continues…