That same argument can apply to a restaurant. So you're saying you should tip the same amount for $20 meal as a $200 meal? I worked as a server for a long time and I can tell you it takes a lot of experience and being a good worker to get a job at a nicer restaurant.
That said I do tip based on a percentage however there is some logic to the argument that A guide for one week Desert sheep hunt may not deserve 10 times as big tip as a week guide for elk.
That said many places now (ocean fishing trip I was just on) say flat out 18%, some even make it mandatory.
Just was on a hunt with buddy and we discussed this at length a week ago so funny this thread is here.
I have only been on 3 guided hunting trips, 2 were last week. Been on a few charter fishing trips.
Also again I was a server so I will always tip a lot.
I give 15-20%. Am in a position to do so. 15% assumes guide is prepared and gives good effort. If cooks, I give them each $100 or a bit more. If horse wranglers, etc, $100. I have only had a couple of guides that made the hunt a drag and none wasted the trip. Like it or not, tips are how those guys and gals make a chunk of their money.
I have had hunts last a few hours and some for a week. The length of the hunt nor the harvest opportunity does not drive the tip. If a hunt lasts one day, the guide is not able to then book a hunter for the next few days.
If a hunter was on a tight budget, I could not see planning on a tip of less than 10% and would tell the guide wish it could be more. Just do not say that as you play on your $600 iPhone and smoke on your $8000 a year cigarettes while driving up in your $50,000 truck and step out wearing matching Sitka gear toting a $2000 spotting scope,
And give cash. Guides have knives etc.
My 2 cents.
OTOH, a hunter from Texas who was a watermelon farmer tipped me with a watermelon after I guided him to a giant OTC 5 point bull.
Tips should be an expression of gratitude for service above and beyond what would be expected to be normal for the circumstance. Using the restaurant analogy; if i go to a restaurant, I would expect to be able to order and eat whatever is on the menu. I would also expect my server to bring it to my table. I would expect the cook to prepare it in an industry standard fashion.
Anything above that standard is where extra appreciation get's expressed monetarily.
Tips should be earned, not just expected.
OTOH, we shouldn't go looking for excuses to be cheap or stingy. If you can afford to eat out or go on guided hunts, you likely can afford to reward good service.
Davebw. you're in the ballpark. Anything is appreciated.
If you guys are such great hunters, my question is, "Why do you have to hire a guide or outfitter in the first place????????
I figure my guide works for a business owner, i'm not in love with the culture of tipping, but it is what it is and i think guides are often paid by their employers at a level that anticipates clients will be tipping. So if i plan to hunt with this outfit again in the future, id like to be in an acceptable/customary range for my tip, and also offer a big thank you.
Is this the prevalent attitude in the guide industry?
If you came to my shop for repair work and I busted my tail getting you going again and did a great job, you would leave me a minimum fifteen percent tip?? If you didn't tip, you'd also be good with me "gar holing" you on the next job"??
I always tip hotel staff and restaurant servers (with cash and generously). And on the two guided hunts that I've done, I also tipped above your suggested percent.
BUT to my mind tips should be earned , not automatically expected.
Then it becomes " everybody gets a ribbon". With little incentive to excell.
But...if he packed that whole sucker out for you, give him everything you own and your wife.
A good, professional guide, will be plenty happy with $300 if that is all the hunter can afford and IF THE HUNTER IS ONE THE GUIDE WAS HAPPY GUIDING. Those caps are because that is a big caveat.
If the hunter was a whining, complaining, miserbale s.o.b. and felt cheated because he didn't get a shot, then the guide will label him as a tightwad if he gets a low tip. I have had, on two occassions, a guide actually refuse to take a tip because he felt I worked as hard as he did and did not immediately know more about his business than he.
Bottom line, be a good hunter and the guide will be happy with whatever you can afford. Let the fat cats take up the slack.
if a hunter offers me big money to get him a buck with X-number points, I consider than an insult and treat him accordingly. He isn't a hunter, he is a killer. Just my opinion.
She gets home and says we had 61 tourist today and I split $54 dollars in tips with the other wrangler...WTF.. Big sign says Wranglers work for tips but some people just slip away after the ride. I wouldn't tip my dentist or my electrician, ETC. because that kind of service isn't dependent on tips but if you can't tip in a tip dependent business ....STAY HOME !!
I now make $110 a day after taxes. I work roughly 75-80 hours a week running chainsaws, logging equipment, and cruising timber. I am working as hard or harder than any guide alive. Can I get a tip because you wiped your Butt on the toilet paper my pulpwood provides? Or, because I provided quite possibly the material for your hardwood floors or printer paper? I mean I'm working in a service industry busting my rump trying to simply survive now. It sounds as if I should expect checks in the mail this week because of the choices I have made and, the cards life has dealt me. PM me for my address.
A lot of these guides get free room and board, gas reimbursement, etc... . Waiters and cooks don't. A $200 plus a day job with no costs ain't bad money. Better than that and you are doing real well. To tip or not is your choice. Guiding hunters isn't the food service industry nor, should it be compared as the same. Call me cheap if you want. There are some waiters out there that will highly disagree with you if you do.
If the Lord has blessed you it is wise to share that with others. However, I'll leave it to the individual to decide if and, how much to do so. Because with the costs of hunts today, it isn't required. God Bless
Now how many guides are doing that job because there is nothing else. Again, I'd venture, not many. Most do it for the lifestyle and most have other regular jobs. Most do it as a choice. A few do it for the bragging rights and to be able to pre-face every sentence with "...when I was guiding....".
And I'm glad that a few have told me to "stay home if you're not going to automatically give me the "gift" I expect". Not the kind of person I'd want to hunt with anyway.
Entitlement just puts me off. So I will just stay home or DIY.
It's fine if folks have a philosophical disagreement against tipping or think they shouldn't tip because they don't get tips in their industry. They should however respectfully adopt an equally rigid position against patronizing businesses in industries where they are unwilling to recognize and follow the accepted and understood compensation structure.
The guides I have hunted/spoken with generally understand that their hunters come from all walks of life and that tipping a standard % or $ isn't in the cards for everyone.
THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THE TIPPING DEBATE IS NOBODY IS OBLIGATED TO DO ANYTHING THEY ARE NOT 100% COMFORTABLE WITH. WHATEVER YOU DO IS WHAT YOU ARE HAPPY DOING.
God Bless men
Many hunting guides do so for the enjoyment of it, not because it maximizes their income - it's not their "highest and best use" for those who are fluent in real estate jargon. For many, it is also not their primary means of income - it is in essence a hobby job, one in which they can proxy hunt and get paid for it.
But if you want to hold onto your theory, you need only to look at the impact the oils sands had on the industry over the past decade. Lots of western Canadian outfitter lost long-time guides to the patch because of the wage differential was just too much to ignore.
The Canadian Government list the average salaries of oil field workers range from $2900/week to $4850/week in 2015. Well into 6 figures at the lowest pay. Up to nearly a quarter of a million a year for the highest pay. So, yes money and economics was the determining factor for these people.
I'm not saying they are getting rich. I'm not saying they shouldn't be tipped. I'm just saying that demanding a hunting guide be tipped cannot be economically justified. It is a choice. Not a criteria.
LBshooter, you are exactly right. While guides no doubt do it because they like doing it, they aren't doing it for free. Or, on a whim that they get wealthy clients in camp. They are doing it because the money, along with the job is something they are willing to accept.
In the past threads concerning this topic, prices of $150-$200 a day have been quoted as normal pay for a elk guide. Some even higher. That is good money when your room and board is covered. Throw in mileage and gas reimbursement of roughly .55/mile based on the government allotment, if your own vehicle is being used, that is down right really good compensation alone. Throw in a tax free tip of 10%-20% and they are making in comparison to a $80,000-$90,000 a year salary, on their weekly pay.
In reality, the only problem with it is doesn't last all year. So, the guides do something different in the off season. And, I imagine it is for less money on the hour because they line right back up and do the guiding thing again next year too. Even though the money is "pitiful". As Matt said above, when the compensation becomes too great to over rule the hobby job, they will mostly not do it.
God Bless men
I decided a long time ago to do 10% total of the actual hunt cost. I do base it on performance not success.
Anyone who is not happy with the amount I give them is free to give it back!!!
I think that the philosophy of tipping has really got turned around. A tip should always be voluntary, for work that is above and beyond what would normally be expected. The whole reason for tips is to thank someone for going out of their way to do an exceptional job for someone. That is what makes the server want to do an above average job for the client. You could have just an average guide that is expecting the tip but does nothing to deserve it except his normal job.
The problem is that in today’s society, tipping is just expected no matter what kind of service you get. It is even figured into the salary of the employees. Now tell me how this kind of mentality is going to produce employees that strive to do a better job than another employee so that they will see/deserve a tip. The thing that ticks me off more than anything is a restaurant that you pay before you get your food and there is a tip column on the bill. Now how are you supposed to determine the tip amount if you haven’t got the service yet? This is the case where a tip is just expected.
Even if the tip is voluntary, it is still expected and if you don’t tip, you are seen as being cheap, not making a statement of how crappy your service was. I wish employers would not figure the tip into the employee’s salary, and if and only if they deserve a tip, they can increase their salary.
Perhaps that will explain just my take on tipping the owner. I never wanted the client to feel I expected to be tipped when he had paid me a few thousand up front. Fishing is the hardest guiding in the world although usually the least physical. You cannot get over 18-feet away from the client. So, different rules apllied for me. :)
Because then their hunt would cost more than others and they might not book as many hunts. It would be nice to simply pad prices when we need some more money but the free market doesn't work that way does it?
Just like the outfitter that is an owner/operator. Maybe he HASN'T built anything "extra" into the hunt cost, because he is trying to keep overall hunt cost down. You would prob know when you booked it if it was a "good deal" or not. He's got bills to pay, so maybe that's how he got the extra revenue.
If you think guides make too much money - go be a guide. Free market - nothing is stopping you. I happen to know we actually have a shortage of good guides in Canada and I get offered many guiding jobs every year. As a full time guide you can expect to be away from family for 1/2 the year and have seasonal unemplyment so build that into your financials.
A suggestion when you give your tip (thinking of when I have been the guide): Tell the guide what you thought of his service. It seems that the actual moment of giving the tip is this awkward moment everyone knows has to happen at some point and then you want to get it over with and get out of there. I had a couple clients pull me aside and say: "You know what Adam we had a REAL good time this week, and you worked your tail off and we just want to say thank you and here's a tip." That's the best kind of tip.
Really, I want to know what you thought of how I worked for you. If you tell me, that is a big thing. When people simple drop you some cash and take off, now you are looking at the monetary amount to see what they thought of your services, which leads it open to interpretation. Over the course of a hunt, the guide is going to know what background the client is coming from, so if the guy is a bluecollar worker who saved up for his hunt, tells the guide he did an outstanding job etc etc and gives him a reasonable amount of cash I can't see anyone being upset.
Just some thoughts I've had while reading the thread.
I like you Link. I'm not putting you down. I'm just pointing out everything you've said in this thread. So, don't get mad at me. You said it.
I'm done. I hope I haven't offended anyone by pointing out what has been said. God Bless men
Over the years my tips have increased, mostly due to having more income. I usually plan on 10-15% depending not so much on success, but more on effort. And here's why.
I'll tell a short story on my last guided hunt and you tell me what you would have done. I'm leaving out the names since the outfitter is a sponsor on the bowsite.
On the drive out, the outfitter called and said his one and only available guide was hung up (in Canada returning from his own hunt), and he wouldn't be able to pack me into camp until the guide arrived. 2 days later I was packed into camp by another wrangler/outfitter hired by my outfitter. My guide finally arrived later that afternoon almost falling off his horse from being drunk as a skunk.
Hunt day one, my guide spent half the day, 4-5 hours sleeping on the mountain side claiming his body hadn't acclimated to the altitude. (BS, sleeping off a hangover). I spent the majority of the day glassing the elk on the opposite ridge trying to come up with a game plan for day two.
Hunt day two, after another night of drinking my guide was finally on his horse almost an hour after the first hunters left camp. We headed for the ridge (against the guides wishes, not where he wanted to hunt). Upon arrival, was set-up at timber line below a herd of over 100 elk. After a couple of failed attempts of him cow calling trying to coax them down to us, he tells me he has to make a satellite phone call to his wife who was threatening to divorce his ass. I was in shock, as he scurries off to make his semi-private phone call while I'm left watching the herd amble around and thru the timber below us. At this point I was ready to get the outfitter up to camp to have it out.
Once he returned from his phone call he immediately wanted to drop into the timber to pick up the chase. I continued to stay in hunt mode during his "break" and determined the elk were simply circling thru the timber and were heading back to above treeline in another drainage cut. I immediately headed to where I thought they were going with the guide in tow claiming I was making a mistake. To wrap this up, I shot my bull 15 minutes later exactly where I said they were headed.
I did leave a tip for both him and the wrangler/cook (poor kid was pulling double duty). But not the planned amount. I scaled his drastically back, and left a larger tip for the wrangler/cook. Both did a really good job packing my elk off the mountain.
This was not anywhere close to the services I was expecting, and I'm telling this simply as a word of caution. Although I was successful in shooting a great bull, the actions and demeanor of the guide made the hunt less than enjoyable, and same to be said about the outfitter since he was obviously running his business at the bare bones to maximize profit. And simply tipping a planned percentage is not how I'll handle these situations in the future.
Good luck all... Base your tipping decisions on the services provided.
I tip $150/day even if I am hunting with the outfitter. It helps to get prime dates/locations in the future and first crack at cancellation hunts.
Comparing to wait-staff at a restaurant is not fair, that industry pays well below minimum wage and the tips are actually factored in for pay and taxes and even reported on W2. The "wage" they make essentially boils down to $0 on a pay check as it's all in taken in taxes when tips are included as they automatically are with credit card bills etc.
Guides are paid a wage, they then get tips in cash and I would imagine go unreported as nobody but the guide and hunter know about them.
I am all for tipping, and 10% seems reasonable as a guide mark, but it all varies, not all guides/hunts are equal. A typical whitetail hunt where you are escorted to stands and left on your own, vs an elk hunt where you are never apart, vs something like a remote tent hunt where the guide cooks etc EVERYTHING for you, they are all different and in my opinion all different in the tip "calculation"
Some guide/outfitters if you tip good will get you good return guides, some outfitters say don't tip, I already pay them, others say 10-15%.
Do what feels right to you, but a tip is somewhat "standard" now a days.
I'll be the cost of those three hunts are very different. it's not like all hunts cost the same and the tip is the differentiator between low end minimal work and high end full service offering.
The most economically efficient compensation structure would tie 100% of compensation back to the performance of (or utility generated by) the worker - pure performance-based compensation, no salary. At the other extreme, an all salary compensation scheme is the most economically inefficient as it does not directly tie compensation to performance and can result with good and bad workers earning the same wage.
So what you are saying is efficiency can't be justified economically? Go on.....
Try scouting and hanging 50-stands in the late summer heat. Then, moving them as food sources and deer travel changes, while the hunter is hunting. Then, go collect the hunter, blood trail and drag out his deer, skin and quarter it etc. On many days, starting at 3:45 am, we would not get to bed before 10:30.
A tip is and should be, always on a voluntary basis. I never asked for one in my life. But anyone who has ever guided on a serious, professional level and been successfull at it, certainly puts in the work, in many instances, before the client ever gets there. In some camps and at some lodges, the tips are pooled. I never much cared for that system.
I know of one outfit (Three Forks Ranch) that has gone to that system. If anyone still wants to leave a tip, it goes into a kitty that gets divided among the entire staff. They make it very clear that tipping is not necessary or expected. As they put it, they "pay the guides very, very well."
I make an exception if I have a terrible guide - then it can even go to $0. I also make an exception if I feel that a guide went above and beyond what was required. Another exception is when we get really lucky or good and manage to bag a real monster. Finally, the % for the tip goes up if the hunt is for dangerous game.
In general, you will be safe with 10%.
I tried a little experiment last night with my wife. After a good meal, I suggested that she should be compensated for her extraordinary effort.
She flatly refused my offer and then added "NO, not even just the tip!".
That is Funny!!!! Sorry for the rejection though! LOL!
I definitely think you should tip the outfitter if hr guides you. I would admit I might tip him a little less like 15% instead of 20%.
Lets rename this to a gratuity?
What I never understood is the whole model of tipping. Owners (of whatever type business) should simply bake tips into the cost of their product and pass that along to the worker (i.e. guide in this case). If the guide don't think the owner is compensating him fairly he's free to go work elsewhere. I hate this whole tipping thing altogether, be it an outfitted hunt or meal at the local cafe.
But there is a rumour that a weak spine contributed to poor penetration. :{
Been on many fantastic and some really lousy hunts. A good number guides busted their tails for me, some were aloof and condescending, a few were drunks, and still a few others seemed annoyed that they had to go through the motions. But, regardless of success or the quality of service provided, they ALL expected a tip.
I've always tipped what I thought was fair amount to my guide and any other people that provided a sizable amount of personal service on the hunt - cook, etc -- and have almost always been invited back to hunt. But think that threads like this do somewhat of a disservice, as after being in many hunting camps around the world feel that it is safe to say that the average guide is not receiving a median15-20% tip as many are suggesting -- which may leave a few guides feeling shorted by some solid clients.
In fact, tipping is mostly an American thing. My African PH friends tell me that most Europeans don't tip at all, and folks from most other areas of the world don't either.
Also, the expectation of tips often leads to shenanigans in camp. Remember one particular hunt where upon a arrival in camp a guy announced in front of everyone "I'm likely the biggest tipper in this group." Did he get favorable treatment - Yes. But, many of the other clients noticed and vowed never to return.
Do guides deserve a good tip - often, yes. But, they should always conduct themselves as hunting professionals. I love returning to hunt with a fun and good guide who has a passion for hunting, it's like spending time with an old friend.
Also, although some say the outfitters rely on guide tips to keep hunt prices down, that just looks like an excuse. The hunt prices go up considerably each year regardless.
Been on many fantastic and some really lousy hunts. A good number guides busted their tails for me, some were aloof and condescending, a few were drunks, and still a few others seemed annoyed that they had to go through the motions. But, regardless of success or the quality of service provided, they ALL expected a tip.
I've always tipped what I thought was fair amount to my guide and any other people that provided a sizable amount of personal service on the hunt - cook, etc -- and have almost always been invited back to hunt. But think that threads like this do somewhat of a disservice, as after being in many hunting camps around the world feel that it is safe to say that the average guide is not receiving a median15-20% tip as many are suggesting -- which may leave a few guides feeling shorted by some solid clients.
In fact, tipping is mostly an American thing. My African PH friends tell me that most Europeans don't tip at all, and folks from most other areas of the world don't either.
Also, the expectation of tips often leads to shenanigans in camp. Remember one particular hunt where upon a arrival in camp a guy announced in front of everyone "I'm likely the biggest tipper in this group." Did he get favorable treatment - Yes. But, many of the other clients noticed and vowed never to return.
Do guides deserve a good tip - often, yes. But, they should always conduct themselves as hunting professionals. I love returning to hunt with a fun and good guide who has a passion for hunting, it's like spending time with an old friend.
Also, although some say the outfitters rely on guide tips to keep hunt prices down, that just looks like an excuse. The hunt prices go up considerably each year regardless.
I was in one camp of a sponsor here where the guides made it very well known that one repeat client was regarded as as poor tipper and he was not treated as nicely (borderline rude at times) as the other hunters. But he did get his animals and they did the work to get them out.
What do you do when you need to move camp and then another guide takes over?
Any differences if it is a 1x1 vs 1x2 or 1x4?
What if the hunt actually only takes place over a full day or less( I am thinking of the Greenland Muskox hunt, though obviously there is fishing and sightseeing as well)?
What if you got a discounted hunt, do you still base the tip on the original price of the hunt?
10% after I've dropped $4-6,000 on a hunt???? When the guides did what they were paid to do??? They feel a tip is owed them and they expect it and will possibly never book me again if I don't tip...and my character gets called into question??? Backwards if you ask me
Calling someone an a$$hole for only tipping $50.00 is pretty A$$hole-ish in my opinion! Maybe that's all he could afford, maybe he thought the rest of the hunt sucked regardless of how big the animal was.
If I am paying a boat load of money to go on a guided hunt, I expect the guide to work his butt off to get me on an animal. He should be friendly and courteous, am the customer. That is what he is getting paid for! That being said, I am a very generous tipper, typically I will tip 20% if the service is really good. But I expect very good service for the money I am paying. I work way to hard to just give my money to someone that is just barely doing their job or not doing it at all! If someone is a jerk or has a crappy attitude or is a drunk , If possible I would be in touch with the outfitter so fast it the guide would get dizzy! 5K and up for 5-7 days is a ton of money to a lot of us!
Just my 2 cents.
Scar.
Did you ask the man why the tip was so small or if he had any issues on the hunt? Perhaps something you were not even aware of? Just Curious...
Scar.
No actually I was just reacting to your colorful and graphic assessment of the person and wondering if he could possibly have been so disenchanted with other aspects of the hunt that a trophy animal did not compensate for the other things. Probably not. He was more than likely just a cheap a**hole like you said.
It's funny........we say, and sometimes are told, that it is not the size of the animal (or even if any animal is taken or not) that should impact the experience and the tip. That is usually framed up on the downside, meaning, not scoring is no reason not to tip if all else is as expected or better.
Actually I totally subscribe to that 100%.
The principle does cut both ways though. If you buy into the filled tag (or not) does not matter and size does not matter then there is really no reason to expect a tip just because someone took a monster right?
Which way is it, because it can't be both.
My first guided/outfitted (early fall, baited)bear hunt, I hunted an extra day, and never even SAW a bear.
Not the fault of the guide or outfitter, bears were hitting baits briefly, and sporadically, as there was a lot of natural food available.
My luck just ran to always being on the wrong stand , or off the stand, when a bait was hit. The guide worked very hard to get me where I needed to be, LONGER than he was expected to.
Had I killed on, say, day 3,4, or 5, there'd have been much less work involved ...so uon packing to leave, both guide and outfitter were shocked when I came out with 10% tip (actually a bit more, I rounded up to nearest hundred) .... My take is, they put forth the effort, they get the tip. My luck, or my hunting/shooting performance, shouldn't factor.
If you don't spend half of your day on bowsite or some similar website (I am making an assumption that there are people like that), you may not know what the 'norm' is for tipping on a hunt.
If you have saved for 3 years to go on a hunt, the idea of giving a guide a $1000 for 5 days work on top of $7000 for the hunt may seem ludicrous. If you are used to tipping $5-10 for a meal, giving a $100 may seem like a lot. Don't know this for a fact, but have been in a camp where there were guys on their first hunt (as it was for me too) and they were looking at tipping $100-200 and thought that was plenty.
I don't think the outfitting/guiding industry is on par with the restaurant industry, but I do think the outfitter/guiding industry is trying to implant that idea more and more. With much success. I see a definite "entitlement mentality" that I used to not see.
I will tip a helluva lot more if one is not suggested or discussed at all than if it is.
As said above, 10% used to be the standard, now it is stated as 15-20%. Why? The hunt costs have gone up exponentially, so why should the % increase??
I think 10% as a standard to work with is fine on hunts up to about 8-10K. Then go up or down from there. Higher than that it should not be based on a percentage.
I think there is a vast difference in wilderness guides vs. whitetail guides. I am from TX and hunted whitetails for 45+ years - I personally have a hard time even accepting the concept of a "guide" for whitetails. I dang sure wouldn't tip a "guide" on a 15K whitetail hunt $3,000. Or even $1500. (Though I might for an elk or sheep guide - maybe.)
Good guides know who can afford what and who cannot. And they will use their common sense. A good hunter is way more important than how one tips if the guide is a man of any substance. And any hunter will reward effort accordingly to the extent he can if he is a man of any substance.
Bottom line: Get two men of substance together - and you will never have a problem.
Anyone that would spend 15K on a whitetail hunt must have so much money, he wouldn't miss an extra few K.
Actually I totally subscribe to that 100%.
The principle does cut both ways though. If you buy into the filled tag (or not) does not matter and size does not matter then there is really no reason to expect a tip just because someone took a monster right?
Which way is it, because it can't be both."
It absolutely can be both so long as one, like most who have posted on this thread, subscribes to the notion that a tip is understood to be a component of the compensation scheme.
From my perspective, a guide whose hunter kills a monster on day 1 or a guide who works hard to last legal hunting light on the last day of the hunt are equally worthy of a generous tip. Many people value the trip as much as the destination.
Worked my way thru school in part as a guide/ charter boat mate and really appreciated the tips ( well , not the $3 from the a......e from Birmingham when they caught three sawfish and 19 wahoo) so I hope someone will tell me if I am too cheap.
Worked my way thru school in part as a guide/ charter boat mate and really appreciated the tips ( well , not the $3 from the a......e from Birmingham when they caught three sawfish and 19 wahoo) so I hope someone will tell me if I am too cheap.
You are part of the reason threads like this get started...entitlement.
An analogy here is the local "mom and pop" restaurant. If "pop" decides he wants or needs to take your order, bring your food, and refill your drinks, then he is wait staff at that point. As a diner, you are expected to tip him 15 to 20% provided the service was good.
If he is doing great financially an can afford a fine house and a summer home that's great, but none of your concern, any more than if he's struggling to pay the rent.
Same way with the regular wait staff. If "Buzz the waiter" is a rich kid who only has a job b/c his parents insisted he experience the working world before he segues into the lifestyle of the rich and famous he still gets 15-20% if he serves well. If "Breanna" the waitress is 23 and a 7 months pregnant mom of 4 who is working two full time jobs to keep the lights on, still 15-20%. The only way either gets less is if the service sucks. If you feel sorry for " Pop" #2 or Breanna and want to gift them more than 20% well God Bless you.
If you feel you work too hard for your money to "waste" it on tipping Pop s #1 OR #2, or Buzz OR Breanna, then you need to stay home and cook or hit the drive thru.
