Tipping is not the name of a town in China.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

If a tip is based on the continual assement of variables and being busy, I suggest it become usual and customary to tip MD's and RN's and not the postman.

Regarding MD/RN's. My wife has a significant, chronic disability and spends more time in the doctors office than you could believe. She is highly dependent on carefully cultivated relationships with her caregivers. One of they ways she helped establish the relationship was doing small things like bringing cookies, saying thank-you and remembering names. Tipping would not be socially acceptable, but this is. Not just the docs, but even the office assistants.

As a result, when she get sick and needs help, the response is fast and she gets to bypass most of the gatekeepers most patients have to contend with. I consider this the same as some of the boat crew I deal with. They know I dive solo and don't hassle me. If I have a late breaking business trip and call, they make room for me. I don't bake cookies for them (that would be weird) but I am no stranger to the tip jar. Sometimes being nice pays off.

 

[faster7581]

if people some people are really bitching about tipping, and saying that the shop should pay the DM's, then they will just charge more for the two tank dive... $89 2 tank dive plus $10 tip or they charge you $99 and pay the DM.. same thing... would that make you happier??

 

[conchrandy]

if people some people are really bitching about tipping, and saying that the shop should pay the DM's, then they will just charge more for the two tank dive... $89 2 tank dive plus $10 tip or they charge you $99 and pay the DM.. same thing... would that make you happier??

The free market will always prevail. The $80 with tanks will become $70 without. There's no magic here; the shop must turn a profit, the crew has to pay their rent.

 

[Reck Diver]

Actually yes. Make it simple, if the tip is expected, why not just include it. Who doesn't that benefit?

---------- Post added April 8th, 2012 at 06:14 PM ----------

Regarding MD/RN's. My wife has a significant, chronic disability and spends more time in the doctors office than you could believe. She is highly dependent on carefully cultivated relationships with her caregivers. One of they ways she helped establish the relationship was doing small things like bringing cookies, saying thank-you and remembering names. Tipping would not be socially acceptable, but this is. Not just the docs, but even the office assistants.

As a result, when she get sick and needs help, the response is fast and she gets to bypass most of the gatekeepers most patients have to contend with. I consider this the same as some of the boat crew I deal with. They know I dive solo and don't hassle me. If I have a late breaking business trip and call, they make room for me. I don't bake cookies for them (that would be weird) but I am no stranger to the tip jar. Sometimes being nice pays off.

It's very nice that your wife does this. I know her care givers appreciate the thought. I would suggest though, that this type of gratitude is not comparable to tipping. Tipping (in the situation discussed here) is not seen as a gracious effort, but more like an expected fee.

 

[Willar]

Just a reminder, paying by credit or debit card transfers about 3-5% of your payment or tip to the BANK. Paying or tipping in CASH ensures the receiving party enjoys the full amount of your funds. As a (non-dive) business owner, it drives me nuts to lose 3-5% of my sales to the bank. Cash is GREATLY appreciated by all involved (except the banks) and is easily shared or passed along to others within the economic system.

 

[Reck Diver]

Just a reminder, paying by credit or debit card transfers about 3-5% of your payment or tip to the BANK. Paying or tipping in CASH ensures the receiving party enjoys the full amount of your funds. As a (non-dive) business owner, it drives me nuts to lose 3-5% of my sales to the bank. Cash is GREATLY appreciated by all involved (except the banks) and is easily shared or passed along to others within the economic system.

Come on now.... No one has to accept credit cards. You could go back to accepting checks, and setting up credit with individual customers, and the bad debt that goes along with that. Or, cash only. I know a few very establishments that are cash only.

Credit cards make very easy for your customers to spend money with your business. Don't make the bank out to be the bad guy.

 

[theduckguru]

Tipping on Dive Trips: Part I: Undercurrent 05/2008

http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/TippingOnDiveTrips200806.shtml

http://wikitravel.org/en/Tipping

I think the moral of the story is tipping remains a personal decision. Quit looking for direction and tip what you feel is appropriate.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Just a reminder, paying by credit or debit card transfers about 3-5% of your payment or tip to the BANK. Paying or tipping in CASH ensures the receiving party enjoys the full amount of your funds. As a (non-dive) business owner, it drives me nuts to lose 3-5% of my sales to the bank. Cash is GREATLY appreciated by all involved (except the banks) and is easily shared or passed along to others within the economic system.

Let's be honest. When you tip cash, 100% goes into the pockets of those who earn it and taxes are rarely deducted.

When you tip on the CC, not only do 3-5% go to the bank, but the business owner by law must withhold taxes before passing the remainder to the guys/gals who earned it. They get stuck paying 30-40% taxes (fed, state, social security x 2, etc...). Their meager paycheck gets whacked royally.

 

[Reck Diver]

Let's be honest. When you tip cash, 100% goes into the pockets of those who earn it and taxes are rarely deducted.

When you tip on the CC, not only do 3-5% go to the bank, but the business owner by law must withhold taxes before passing the remainder to the guys/gals who earned it. They get stuck paying 30-40% taxes (fed, state, social security x 2, etc...). Their meager paycheck gets whacked royally.

If their paycheck is "meager" than will get withheld taxes back, or they can adjust the number of exemptions on a W4. As far as social security, well they should be paying in to that any way.

As 4/15 approaches and I am about to write that check, the evade taxes reason doesn't help them earn my sympathy.

 

[jpdunc]

I also find significant variations in service levels in different locales. In Cozumel, the divemasters usually transfer the gear between dives and try very hard to find the interesting "critters" during the dives. We just returned from Grand Cayman and the divemasters there essentially make sure your air is on as you enter the water and take your fins upon return. They lead the group if you wish, but don't make a big effort to find anything special. They do allow much more independence as long as your computer stays in the no decompression mode.

Both approaches work fine for me. My wife and I are perfectly capable of switching our gear between dives and in looking for the good stuff underwater. I do, however, tip more in Cozumel than in Grand Cayman because of the difference in service levels. The GC dive operator has a tip jar in the office--not on the boats--and all captains and divemasters share each week's tips depending on how many times they were on the respective boats.e very low key about tipping--probably because they are much better paid than the Cozumel DM's.