Car Wash tipping

[Norm201]

When you go through a car wash, the kind that at the exits kids with towels are there to dry off excess water, do your normally tip or just drive off? And is it expected?

[Cobra348]

Car wash I use has a couple guys doing the heavy dirt removal before going into the wash itself. Yeah - I tip ... based on the amount of crud they (and not me) will be dealing with as well as the cost of what I'm getting.

[Corvair]

I can't remember paying to wash a car except for the do it you self kind back in the '80's. I haven't washed my car this year yet. I don't plan on it until May.

[jcr557]

I respectfully dont agree with any of your answers. Its not a matter about being cheap. Most of those people don't get paid hourly and if they do, its below minimun wage. I usually tip between $1 - $10 on a car wash depending what package I go with and how I see they treat my car, especially if I plan on going back. It doesn't matter if its my Fiesta or any of my other cars or relatives cars. It has only happened once where I drove off without tipping due to the person who dried my car was very careless and did not know how to drive stick shift. I know it wasn't his fault but he should have asked for help from someone else at least before "trying".

With that said, it is very rare for me to take my car to a car wash for someone else to wash/dry it for me. Usually its done at home and/or at a self car wash.

[Norm201]

I've got mixed feeling about this. I don't like tipping in general but its an American thing and I comply. In Europe I understand its in poor taste to tip in restaurants and is only done by wealthy people and only if the service is exceptional. For a car wash I don't think tipping is necessary but I do understand that those kids work hard for minimum pay.

I've worked in several places at different times where tipping is expected. If I received tips great, but I never expected them and never felt slighted if I did not get them. Most of my coworkers resented none or poor tips. I don't get it. For myself I would rather pay a higher up front cost of product or service knowing full well that the servers will get proper compensation without "begging" for my charity or insincerity of good work done.

Another thing that I kind of wonder about in an odd kind of way. If I'm given a carwash or restaurant gift card, I'm now obligated to spend money I would not have spent otherwise. I don't really resent it so much as saying gee I'm being given a gift that requires me paying for it in some way or fashion. What's that about? LOL

[jcr557]

Think about it this way. If you were the owner of the car wash, would you rather have a sign that says $6.00 car wash every day or a sign that says $20.00 car wash every day includes tips or employee pay? In a owners point of view if you charge those 20 per car wash, you'll get some people to come in and get the full service done and most likely the people that go there have money to spend. However not everyone has money or is rich so the $6.00 sign will attract more people. Yes in a way your losing the $14 per wash, however you will gain more customers which leads to more cars being washed which leads to a higher income. Regardless if you pay $6 or $20, people are still going to tip even if its not required. Keep in mind the owner does not make money off the tips. It is not obligated but it is the right thing to do.

As far as restaurants, I know people that take in a good amount of money just in tips since they're hourly rate ranges between $2.00 - $4.00 to start out. I understand if you get a gift card for a restaurant and you feel as if you don't want to take the extra step and tip since it was a gift, but if you were the server, wouldn't you think a tip would be appreciated? Also, at a restaurant the way the server acts/treats you is highly going to influence my tipping range. The right percentage is 15% but if I get horrible service, I will not tip that amount and the other way around, if I get excelent service and the server is nice, then they might be getting a little extra. When you pay your bill, your paying for the meal, not for the service which was provided by your server, unless otherwise noted on the receipt.

[Norm201]

^^^^^ And of course you are absolutely correct on all counts.


The one thing that does irk me however are those establishment that REQUIRE a tip. It's mandatory. They don't get my business.

[Fiesta fan mouse]

Originally Posted by Norm201

I've got mixed feeling about this. I don't like tipping in general but its an American thing and I comply. In Europe I understand its in poor taste to tip in restaurants and is only done by wealthy people and only if the service is exceptional. LOL

Sorry, but this is plain wrong!!! Don't spread such uninformed hear-say stuff. I'm from Europe (Germany) and you do tipp there as well. i can't think of any european country where they don't tipp... Weighters earn a little more than in the US but still it's a very low salary and they highly appreciate the tipp. Give around 10% of the bill as a tip and you can come back to the restaurant and will be treated nicely. You also tipp taxi drivers, hair dressers and you might even tipp in a car wash...

[telero]

Originally Posted by Norm201

The one thing that does irk me however are those establishment that REQUIRE a tip. It's mandatory. They don't get my business.

The only times I've really seen required tips is at a restaurant when you have a large party, usually 8 or more. The thing I seem to notice with those places is that when you do go in with 8 or more, the waiter already knows that they are getting a tip, so they don't really try to earn it. More often than not it seems that they do a poor job because of it.

[Audrey]

Originally Posted by jcr557

I respectfully dont agree with any of your answers. Its not a matter about being cheap. Most of those people don't get paid hourly and if they do, its below minimun wage.

That depends on your state. In Oregon all people must be paid at least minimum wage. Employers are not allowed any reduction due to expected tip earners. This means tips are tips and not pay, as it should be.

I don't tip baristas (I've worked as one) or car washers. The products are marked up and the work isn't hard. I pay the price listed and deserve good service or I'll just go elsewhere.