should chistians always tip generously, regardless of quality of service? please provide scriptural support.
tipping
Discussion in '2003 Archive' started by timothy 1769, Jul 26, 2003.
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As for Scripture, I can't think of anything off the top of my head relating directly to tipping. However, generosity is mentioned in many places (Mark 12: 42-44, Matt. 15: 32, etc). Christ was always giving and sharing and we should follow that example. latterrain77 -
HI,
Whether a christian should be a good tipper or not I'm not sure,however let me give an example of what a generous tip did to an undeserving waitress.
I pastor who has since passed on,was once in a resturant in a town he was passing through.The waitress was rude,slow and give just poor service.At the end of his meal he left a 50 dollar tip and started to leave.When the waitress saw this she ran to catch him to ask him why after such poor service.He said you must be having some real problems in your life to be giving such poor care to your customers.She broke down and told of her worries which he was able to help her with.He was also able to lead her to the LORD before he left.
So in this case a generous tip was what it took to help win this lady. ER -
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Part of a waitress salary is her tips. I understand that. But part of reasonable expectation on the part of the customer is good service.
I give a reasonable tip for reasonable service, and a better tip for better service.
And if I have a problem, I talk it over with the gal myself BEFORE going to her boss or cashier with a complaint. -
I never tip based on the quality of service I receive.
In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I think it is a sacrifice of praise to give thanks for something that is less than expected or when we get less than our monies worth. It's the will of God. The World cannot comprehend this truth.
That doesn't mean I can't say something helpful, but it should be for their sakes and not to punish. That's what Love is all about, that's the kind of Grace I have received.
We gave bad service to a demanding God and we deserved death because of it. But thanks be to Jesus Christ... We were given eternal life instead. We did not deserve nor earn it. I want to treat my neighbors like that if I can.
Dave -
I worked as a waitress through my first years in college. I worked hard and appreciated the tips I got. I expected that if my service was poor or unfriendly that my tips would be low. But I must say also that it was really hard to work so hard that I literally limped home at night and have someone who could have cared less get tipped as much or more than I did just because of someone's 'compassion.'
Anecdotes aside, tipping is basically, in America, payment for service given. No service, no payment. Good service, good payment. I don't know how it is for most waitresses now (it's been a long time!), but I worked for minimum wage (90 cents an hour then), one meal 'on the house', and any tips I earned. I was also expected to share a percentage of my tips with the bus boy if I was pleased with his work at my tables. We also shared part of our tips with the cook(s).
In return for sharing my tips, I got excellent service for my tables from both bussing and cooking staff.
I remember one Friday night going home with what we used to call 'shin splints' -- my legs so swollen and sore I couldn't walk until Monday.
Do NOT encourage poor waitressing by tipping well. What that is basically telling the person is "I don't care what kind of service I get, I just don't want you to think badly of me."
I was a good waitress. In those days I could take home (after sharing my tips) about fifty dollars a night. My rent was $90 a month for the apartment I was in, so that gives you a pretty good idea of how wealthy I felt! But I worked hard for that money, and really appreciated that I was appreciated.
The ox earns its keep. So does the waiter or waitress. Tipping well for good service keeps that waiter or waitress at that restaurant, and that insures your good service the next time around, too. Waitresses and waiters who cannot earn enough on tips will leave and seek other jobs. Most of the time that is exactly what should happen. People who don't work well with people shouldn't be serving people in a public capacity. -
I've been a waiter too.
I remember flubbing up orders, or being so busy that I forgot well timed refils etc.
Sometimes I would get a good tip when I deserved no tip at all.
I must say that it was encouraging to know that there were such kinds of people in the World.
Dave. -
I don't know...Being a Christian is so much a part of who I am, I don't know if I do things because I'm a Christian or because I was raised a certain way.
I always tip more than the "expected" or "standard" rate for service that is what I expect. I tip even more if the server is especially helpful and/or especially personable. I tip less if the service is bad, and I say something to them if the service is really awful.
I kind of have a practice of not punishing without explanation. I have never stiffed a server on a tip, but have been with someone who was paying who did. And I thought less of the person I was with for it. Especially when they don't say something. To me this is like backhanding a child without telling them what they did. It's abusive and wrong and solves nothing.
There is nothing worse than working really hard and not being appreciated for it. I can relate...I'm a wife and mother.
I've worked with the public before...and for every nice person, there are a handful of self centered mean spirited people that don't see you as human. So I will never under tip or stiff a food server. I already appreciate that they are serving me a warm meal that I didn't have to make myself or that I have to clean up after. And whether this has to do with my faith or not...I couldn't really tell you. I would hope that it was just common consideration. -
I find Helen's comments insightful. I really do want to reward the server for excellent service, and I try to tip accordingly. But what Helen said about not encouraging bad service by giving larger tips for such service makes a lot of sense.
If we all tipped the same percentage regardless of service, then what incentive would the wait staff have to provide that extra attention we desire? -
i've recently begun tipping well regardless of the quality of the service mainly because of these verses:
Matthew 5
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. -
At any other job if you didn't do the job well, you couldn't expect to keep the job. Why then should a food server be rewarded for doing a bad job? What indeed is the incentive to do a good job if you can do a bad job and get paid as well as someone who busts their behind trying to do a good job?
I think the problem lies within the practice of tipping to begin with. If restaurants would pay a person according to their work ethic and performance then maybe service would be better gages according to the quality of the restaurant than personal perception or mood of either the server or the patron (or both). -
I can't beieve we're using the Bible to support why and how we tip. But hey, whatever works for the individual is fine with me.
I tip like Dr Bob: Good service, good tip. Bad service, bad tip. -
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You think that only waiters or waitresses can discuss tipping?
In today's society people don't even say please or thank you when you buy anything from where they work. Is that okay? Should you pay 90% more than what something would cost if you cooked and served it yourself and get a bad attitude for your hard earned money?!
Good grief...thanks for that post. It makes me look at food servers in a whole new light. -
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Matthew 5
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. -
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