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Croupier
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March 11th, 2011 at 3:37:21 AM permalink
Quote: buzzpaff

I would gladly tip Jerry Logan to GO AWAY !!



tip your Wizard. He made it happen.
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buzzpaff
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March 11th, 2011 at 7:20:28 AM permalink
One more reason the Wiz is my hero. Plus since he worked at Social Security in Woodlawn, Maryland perhaps he is also a native Baltimoron ( pun intended ) as I once was.
JimMorrison
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April 23rd, 2011 at 2:37:05 AM permalink
I've got quite a few friends that are bartenders and it always cracks me up to hear their arguments of why they should get big tips when someone hits a royal or other jackpot at their bar. I've learned to bite my tongue when they tell me how cheap some guy was guy he hit a $1000 royal and "only" tipped $20.
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EvenBob
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April 23rd, 2011 at 3:40:51 AM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

I've got quite a few friends that are bartenders and it always cracks me up to hear their arguments of why they should get big tips when someone hits a royal or other jackpot at their bar. I've learned to bite my tongue when they tell me how cheap some guy was guy he hit a $1000 royal and "only" tipped $20.



I owned a bar and was a bartender for 4 years. What you quickly learn is that your tips average out to a consistent weekly total, it really doesn't vary much. So if you have friends that are complaining, they are clueless morons. For every douche bag who doesn't tip, there is always a douche bag who does..
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
gofaster87
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April 23rd, 2011 at 5:01:29 AM permalink
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AZDuffman
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April 23rd, 2011 at 7:24:40 AM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

I've got quite a few friends that are bartenders and it always cracks me up to hear their arguments of why they should get big tips when someone hits a royal or other jackpot at their bar. I've learned to bite my tongue when they tell me how cheap some guy was guy he hit a $1000 royal and "only" tipped $20.



He should be glad he got that. His tip should be based on drink service. And I still say no tips to the person hand-paying anyways.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
FleaStiff
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April 23rd, 2011 at 8:09:59 AM permalink
I'm surprised that cashiers and hand-pay clerks expect tips. They've not done anything special for you at all.

Now a bartender who remembers your favorite drink or tips you off to "she is a hooker" or "that one has a jealous boyfriend" or something like that, yeah he gets a tip.

But if the radio in the bar happens to play your favorite song, you don't tip the bartender and if the VP machine happens to play your favorite jackpot, you don't tip the bartender. He had nothing to do with the song selection or the VP machine.
AZDuffman
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April 23rd, 2011 at 9:10:46 AM permalink
Quote: FleaStiff



Now a bartender who remembers your favorite drink or tips you off to "she is a hooker" or "that one has a jealous boyfriend" or something like that, yeah he gets a tip.



That is a bartender I would tip!
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
JimMorrison
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April 23rd, 2011 at 3:18:36 PM permalink
Quote: AZDuffman

He should be glad he got that. His tip should be based on drink service. And I still say no tips to the person hand-paying anyways.



I totally agree but so many people win a $1000 royal and tip $100, kinda makes me sick. My favorite is when they bitch about how they told a customer the machine was "hot" and it paid off and they didn't get a big tip. Mind you, these are friends of mine and I've explained a million times how video poker machines don't get hot but they just don't get it. I'll go into the bar and they'll tell me, "sit here, some guy dropped $500 into this machine it's due to hit now!" LOL
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benbakdoff
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April 23rd, 2011 at 3:38:16 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

I totally agree but so many people win a $1000 royal and tip $100, kinda makes me sick. My favorite is when they bitch about how they told a customer the machine was "hot" and it paid off and they didn't get a big tip. Mind you, these are friends of mine and I've explained a million times how video poker machines don't get hot but they just don't get it. I'll go into the bar and they'll tell me, "sit here, some guy dropped $500 into this machine it's due to hit now!" LOL



How strange that someone in the business thinks a machine could be "hot." On the other hand, if I were a slot attendant, I'd point out a "hot" machine to every player I could. Sooner or later one will hit and I would be there with my hand out. LOL
AZDuffman
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April 23rd, 2011 at 4:22:21 PM permalink
Quote: benbakdoff

How strange that someone in the business thinks a machine could be "hot." On the other hand, if I were a slot attendant, I'd point out a "hot" machine to every player I could. Sooner or later one will hit and I would be there with my hand out. LOL



The lower-level employees in the casino business (dealers, slot attendants, etc) at best seem to mimic the public preceptions in gaming. Some are even worse in the way they believe in "hot" games, seats, or machines. I have been in virtual "blood" arguments that third base play makes a differrence.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
FleaStiff
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April 23rd, 2011 at 4:52:31 PM permalink
Third base makes a difference... well, the thing to do is AGREE with them... and then sit wherever you darn well please.
Its the same thing with that dealer who was telling me to declare No Action on my Don'tCome bets unless a 6 OR 8 had rolled. I'm not going to argue with the young kid, but I'll necessarily follow his bum advice either. I think if you questioned slot players fully a third of them would believe the machines go through cycles of saving up some quarters and only later paying out some. Hot Slot Machines? Yeah, probably most believe it. You ain't never gonna change their minds, so why try?

As to tipping in a bar for a VP win... I can understand exuberance and perhaps buying the bar a drink but these are voluntary things and by no means should the bar tender come across as having his hand out. Any bartender who says that a machine is about to payoff should be asked how much he will refund the patron if it turns out he is wrong.
AZDuffman
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April 23rd, 2011 at 5:30:31 PM permalink
Quote: FleaStiff

Third base makes a difference... well, the thing to do is AGREE with them... and then sit wherever you darn well please.



Last time I just said I play BS and left it at that. Then watched the moron who said it hit a soft 19 after the dealer asked if they really wanted to do that. IN TWO SEPERATE HANDS.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
heather
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July 5th, 2011 at 10:05:33 AM permalink
Quote: Mosca

I never used to tip the housekeeping, but my wife flipped me on that. If you tip a few bucks each night, like $5, you get better service, the room gets cared for better. Not that it isn't cleaned anyhow, but there's more care.

You don't have to do it; like I said, I didn't do it for years. But now I think I get better value by tipping housekeeping.



This is true. I never tipped housekeeping until I saw it suggested in a guide book about Latin America. After reading that, I started tipping maids by leaving a few bucks on the nightstand, or giving them some change if I see them in the hall. And Mosca is exactly right; my maid service dramatically improved. I always get loads of towels and extra pillows and whatnot now.
FleaStiff
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July 5th, 2011 at 11:12:35 AM permalink
Quote: AZDuffman

Then watched the moron who said it hit a soft 19 after the dealer asked if they really wanted to do that. IN TWO SEPERATE HANDS.

Wow. I bet the dealer called out "hitting soft 19" to alert the Floor to come watch it if for no other reason than the sheer entertainment value of it.
dm
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July 7th, 2011 at 11:19:26 AM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

I've got quite a few friends that are bartenders and it always cracks me up to hear their arguments of why they should get big tips when someone hits a royal or other jackpot at their bar. I've learned to bite my tongue when they tell me how cheap some guy was guy he hit a $1000 royal and "only" tipped $20.



Did you ask them how much rebate they gave out of their own pocket to customers who just lost their a@s?
dm
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July 7th, 2011 at 11:22:30 AM permalink
Quote: FleaStiff

I'm surprised that cashiers and hand-pay clerks expect tips. They've not done anything special for you at all.

Actually they have: they've mad you sit on your butt waiting for however long to get YOUR money.

iwannaiguana
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July 7th, 2011 at 11:33:51 AM permalink
It's always a thin line of if and when to tip on big wins. I agree that tipping cashiers and hand-pay clerks shouldn't be expected. If someone actually dealt you the big win I feel like you are obligated to tip one or two percent.

A few weeks ago I was I was playing at a BJ table with a progressive side bet that was at $17,000. I asked the dealer if anyone had ever hit it. He replied, "Oh, yes a while ago there was a women who hit it when it was at $30,000. She was even kind enough to tip the dealer - $15."
MichaelBluejay
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July 7th, 2011 at 12:42:16 PM permalink
I'm in the middle on tipping. I strongly believe that low-wage service workers should be tipped, like waiters and casino dealers. But on the other hand I'm annoyed by dealers' sense of entitlement. If a dealer makes $8/hr. in wages, then they need only ~$9/hr. more in tips to reach the median income in the U.S. A dealer deserves decent compensation for their labor, but they don't deserve a bigger share of a progressive jackpot just because they were dealing the game.
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FleaStiff
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July 7th, 2011 at 1:14:53 PM permalink
Quote: MichaelBluejay

I'm in the middle on tipping. I strongly believe that low-wage service workers should be tipped, like waiters and casino dealers.


Its tomorrow at 10:15am Eastern Time: The Petrified Forest. Turner Classic Movie channel. Friday July 8th.

Please look for the sign prominently displayed in the roadside cafe: Tipping is Un-American. (A common attitude in the 1930s).

Synopsis

Alan Squire, a disillusioned and destitute intellectual, is hitch-hiking across the Arizona desert. He arrives at the desolate Black Mesa Bar-B-Q, where he meets the naively idealistic Gabby Maple, whose internal struggle reflects her mixed heritage. Half romantic French, half practical American, Gabby dreams of escaping her dull life to live in France. She is immediately attracted to Alan's lofty philosophies, but their short-lived, innocent romance is shattered by the sudden arrival of Duke Mantee and his gang. Mantee, a brutal killer heading for the Mexican border, uses the restaurant as his hide-out, holding a small group captive while he waits for his girl. Under the strain of captivity, each hostage displays his true nature. The wealthy Edith Chisholm regrets the loss of her goals in exchange for a shallow life with Mr. Chisholm. Boze Hertzlinger, a local football star who is infatuated with Gabby, finds out that brute, physical strength is no match for an outlaw's gun. Finally, Alan admits that he is living in a world of outmoded ideas and strikes a deal with Mantee. Alan will sign his life insurance over to Gabby, if Mantee agrees to shoot him. Gabby, ignorant of Alan's sacrifice, inherits his money to pursue her dream. Duke escapes to meet certain death at the hands of the authorities.
konceptum
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July 7th, 2011 at 10:43:48 PM permalink
I would like people's opinions on the following. I've seen things in writing regarding tipping chamber maids for cleaning up your room for you during your hotel visit. However, most of the time, I do not utilize any housekeeping service at all during my visit. For example, my most recent trip was three nights. I did not utilize housekeeping during any of the days (keeping my privacy sign out the whole time), nor did I ask for extra shampoo, sheets, pillows, or anything else.

In such a situation, what is a fair amount to tip, if anything at all considering that I didn't utilize the services?
thecesspit
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July 7th, 2011 at 10:59:34 PM permalink
Quote: MichaelBluejay

I'm in the middle on tipping. I strongly believe that low-wage service workers should be tipped, like waiters and casino dealers. But on the other hand I'm annoyed by dealers' sense of entitlement. If a dealer makes $8/hr. in wages, then they need only ~$9/hr. more in tips to reach the median income in the U.S. A dealer deserves decent compensation for their labor, but they don't deserve a bigger share of a progressive jackpot just because they were dealing the game.



On the poker table this is why I tip about $1 on every dealer change (half hour), regardless of my cards, pots won or lost. I've had crap from players for not tipping the dealer when I hit big (for the limits) pots. I ignore 'em, the dealers seem to realise that's how I tip.

On Blackjack/Craps I tip a bit quicker than $1 every 30 minutes. Good craps dealers probably ride my line everytime the dice change ends on a full table, and everytime I get the bones on a quieter one. I guesstimate they'd be making $15-$20 an hour if everyone at the table tipped like me. I don't worry about how anyone else tips, and if the dealer is crappy or sour, they get stiffed as I get up and go elsewhere.
"Then you can admire the real gambler, who has neither eaten, slept, thought nor lived, he has so smarted under the scourge of his martingale, so suffered on the rack of his desire for a coup at trente-et-quarante" - Honore de Balzac, 1829
SOOPOO
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July 8th, 2011 at 3:08:36 AM permalink
Quote: konceptum

I would like people's opinions on the following. I've seen things in writing regarding tipping chamber maids for cleaning up your room for you during your hotel visit. However, most of the time, I do not utilize any housekeeping service at all during my visit. For example, my most recent trip was three nights. I did not utilize housekeeping during any of the days (keeping my privacy sign out the whole time), nor did I ask for extra shampoo, sheets, pillows, or anything else.

In such a situation, what is a fair amount to tip, if anything at all considering that I didn't utilize the services?



Whatever you feel is right. You can look at it this way--- a maid has 40 rooms to service, and makes $5 per hour before tips. If you think she should make $100 per day, tip $1.50. Or you can look at it this way---- If my room is a mess and she will be working harder than average, tip $3 per day.... if she has nothing to do tip $1 per day. The bottom line is there can never be a 'correct' answer. If there was an exact answer this thread wouldn't exist.
DJTeddyBear
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July 8th, 2011 at 4:57:09 AM permalink
The maid thing, with multiple days of privacy, is a tricky question.

Obviously, you should, at the very least, tip what you ordinarily tip for a one night stay.

Then you should consider the hotel's occupancy. I.E. If the casino has vacant rooms, then your no service / privacy sign means nothing more than the maid skipping the room as if it was vacant. However, if the hotel is full, then your no service / privacy means that a guest that would use the service and tip could not stay at that hotel, costing the maid money.

Therefore, if the hotel is not busy, I'd give one daily tip, or slightly more. If the hotel is packed, I'd give slightly below the daily tip - for each day.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
FleaStiff
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July 8th, 2011 at 5:55:17 AM permalink
Quote: konceptum

In such a situation, what is a fair amount to tip, if anything at all considering that I didn't utilize the services?


Should a tip vary by the number of plates the waitress carries or how much the drinks weigh? Its a room she makes her living on tips and salary. She will get very little from you but that doesn't mean she should be stiffed. Especially if she has this list and has to keep coming back to your room and checking the door.

So I'd leave one day's tip but see if you can let them know in advance you don't want the room made up at all.

I use the bathroom and the bed and the tv. I never put anything in a drawer and so never leave anything in a drawer. I don't want mints on my pillow or the bed turned down. I'll use up some of those freebies but really won't value them. Soap is soap no matter what cutesy name it has or what perfume it has. I'm interested in the water temperature and pressure, the mattress and the tv channels for resting a bit after a buffet.

I'm not bringing hookers into the room to help soil the sheets and lift my wallet, so I don't need maid service, but that doesn't mean I'm going to totally stiff the housekeeper. If she understands English I'll tell her what day I'll be checking out and until then I won't be needing anything at all.

Obviously, this is for solo visits. When I'm with my companion, its all different. She likes those annoying mints on the pillow and all that goop in the white tubes with impossibly tight caps. (I swear the shampoo, conditioner and moisturizers all probably contain the same ingredients... mostly urea).
konceptum
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July 8th, 2011 at 1:38:50 PM permalink
Quote: SOOPOO

Whatever you feel is right.


This is my mom's methodology of tipping, and one that I follow as well. It does make me tend toward tipping on the high side, however, which my mom thinks is antithesis to this line of reasoning. When I try to explain to her that it is exactly in line with her way of thinking, she doesn't quite understand it.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Therefore, if the hotel is not busy, I'd give one daily tip, or slightly more. If the hotel is packed, I'd give slightly below the daily tip - for each day


Your line of reasoning is that I should tip if the hotel is full because it is a room that would otherwise be tipping if I'm not. I can't say that I necessarily agree with this logic. Tipping is supposed to be something rewarded for good service. But I'm not utilizing the service in any way. One could make the argument that the room was cleaned up and presentable and nice for when I checked in, and I should reward that service. I don't disagree with that. However, I could also see an argument that hotel rooms SHOULD be clean and presentable when you check in.

However, your methodology implies tipping even when it wouldn't necessarily be the thing to do. Imagine taking up a parking spot in the casino's garage. At this point, IF the valet is full, you should go tip the valet. After all, if the valet is full, they could have used the spot you just took. Even though you don't utilize their service, you are taking away a potential tip for them, and thus you should tip.

Quote: FleaStiff

Should a tip vary by the number of plates the waitress carries or how much the drinks weigh?


Actually, I think it should. Which is why a waitress should (will from me) get a larger tip for servicing a table with 4 people than a table with 1 person. Furthermore, the more I request from a waitress, the more I will tip her, as I feel the tip should reflect the service and work that she put into it. If I order a sandwich, that's one thing, and the tip will reflect it. If I order a salad, and a soup, and then a meal, and then a dessert, that's a lot more work, and the tip will reflect it.

I was playing poker the other night. I asked the waitress for a pepsi, and she brought me one. As soon as it was empty, she brought me another. And another. And another. Etc. Did I tip her well for the simple fact that I never had to ask for a pepsi? You bet. That's quality service. Later in the night, I asked for a chocolate sundae. I had seen her bring one to another table. I asked for nuts and whipped cream. The one she brought me was at least 50% bigger than the one I had seen, covered in chocolate, loaded with nuts, tons of whipped cream. Did she get a big tip for that? You bet. Should she get a bigger tip from me than from the other guy, since what she brought me was bigger than what she brought him? You bet. (I will note at this point that I am under the distinct impression that she was responsible for making the sundae. I later saw her deliver another sundae which was the same size as the first one I saw. I suppose it's technically possible that someone else made the sundae and just happened to make mine larger than the rest, but I find that slightly implausible.)

I specifically haven't mentioned whether or not I tipped the maid, simply because I'm interested in the responses to this particular question.

Quote: FleaStiff

Especially if she has this list and has to keep coming back to your room and checking the door.


I hate to sound stupid, but do they really go by a list? I was always thinking that they just went up and down the halls. If they do go by a list, that would somewhat change my line of thinking, as well as change the way I would approach housekeeping in the future.
DJTeddyBear
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July 8th, 2011 at 3:07:48 PM permalink
Quote: konceptum

Tipping is supposed to be something rewarded for good service.

I totally agree. When tipping started, that was the idea. But that is no longer the case. Tipped employees need and depend on those tips. One could argue that they didn't have to take that job, but that's a weak argument.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Therefore, if the hotel is not busy, I'd give one daily tip, or slightly more. If the hotel is packed, I'd give slightly below the daily tip - for each day

Quote: konceptum

Your line of reasoning is that I should tip if the hotel is full because it is a room that would otherwise be tipping if I'm not. I can't say that I necessarily agree with this logic.
...
But I'm not utilizing the service in any way. One could make the argument that the room was cleaned up and presentable and nice for when I checked in, and I should reward that service. I don't disagree with that. However, I could also see an argument that hotel rooms SHOULD be clean and presentable when you check in.

It can be thought of both ways. The tip for a one night stay can be thought of as either appreciation for the way the room was when you arrived, or for the work involved after you check out.

Similarly, the "at least one night's tip" in your case of having the privacy sign up the whole time applies when occupying the room when it is not filled to capacity.

Quote: konceptum

Imagine taking up a parking spot in the casino's garage. At this point, IF the valet is full, you should go tip the valet. After all, if the valet is full, they could have used the spot you just took. Even though you don't utilize their service, you are taking away a potential tip for them, and thus you should tip.

That's not the same thing. You did nothing to cause the valet to fill up. If the shared garage then fills up, that's not your problem either.

A similar analogy would be if you have a nice car, and ask the valet to place it at an angle in two spaces. Because the valet is going way beyond the normal scope of their job, a considerably bigger tip is in order - and even more if the place is packed and you are preventing them from bringing in another car.


Quote: konceptum

Which is why a waitress should (will from me) get a larger tip for servicing a table with 4 people than a table with 1 person.

Um, wouldn't the bill also be higher, making __% automatically provide the better tip?

Quote: konceptum

I hate to sound stupid, but do they really go by a list?

I may be mistaken, but I think it's a combination.

I.E. When they start their day, they go from one end to the other. But as they do so, they check the room off a list. After their first pass, they use the list, so they don't accidentally go into a room after it has already been cleaned. And they will therefore check for your privacy sign on every trip, until the end of their shift. And that point they probably have to report it to their boss, etc.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Doc
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July 8th, 2011 at 4:13:26 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Quote: konceptum

I hate to sound stupid, but do they really go by a list?

I may be mistaken, but I think it's a combination.

I.E. When they start their day, they go from one end to the other. But as they do so, they check the room off a list. After their first pass, they use the list, so they don't accidentally go into a room after it has already been cleaned. And they will therefore check for your privacy sign on every trip, until the end of their shift. And that point they probably have to report it to their boss, etc.


I am confident that most hotels use a list. Priority is given to rooms in which the guest is checking out and the room must be prepared for another guest (a topic relevant to another recent thread around here). Lower priority would be given to rooms with continuing guests. Within those priorities, the maid will typically attempt to operate in an efficient manner working sequentially down a hallway, skipping the do-not-disturb rooms but needing to double back later to get all rooms and keep to the priority. All of this can be complicated by special requests from guests. Even in a factory/shop, job sequencing can be a challenging problem to optimize, and in a hotel the maids and the housekeeping supervisor must perform a pseudo-optimization every day, if they are going to have time to complete the work satisfactorily. Just one more task burdened upon those at the bottom of the ladder.
konceptum
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July 8th, 2011 at 4:58:29 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Um, wouldn't the bill also be higher, making __% automatically provide the better tip?


Perhaps, but not necessarily. Regardless, I'm not a fan of tipping a % of the dining bill anyway.

Quote: Doc

I am confident that most hotels use a list.


So this does provide an interesting situation for me. Should I inform housekeeping at the onset of my stay that I will not require their services at any point, and to please make sure that I'm not on any list of theirs? If doing so would make their job easier, then I'd gladly do so.

During my stay, on the 2nd day, I did receive a phone call from housekeeping. I'm sure this was a courtesy call mainly intended to find out if I truly did not require any services, as they hadn't serviced my room on the 1st day and the privacy sign was still out on the 2nd day. I understand the need for the phone call. However, had I been asleep when they called, I'm sure I would have been rather upset at being woken up. My feeling is that since I had the privacy sign out, I clearly do not want housekeeping, and thus they have no reason to call me to ask. But again, I understand why they would do so.

Granted, this is the only time that I've been called by housekeeping to verify my lack of need for their services. However, if informing them from the outset that I do not need their services would guarantee that I wouldn't receive such a phone call, then I would gladly do so.
Doc
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July 8th, 2011 at 5:40:02 PM permalink
Quote: konceptum

Quote: Doc

I am confident that most hotels use a list.

So this does provide an interesting situation for me. Should I inform housekeeping at the onset of my stay that I will not require their services at any point, and to please make sure that I'm not on any list of theirs?


I have only one data point of experience to provide as comment. Back in 1985, I was part of a project team staying for two weeks at the Hyatt in New Orleans (next to the Superdome) and working nights. We would get back to our rooms about 6:00 A.M. with the strong desire to sleep most of the day. This did not fit well with the efforts of the housekeeping staff. It got to the point that daily I would call housekeeping telling them that I did not want any service prior to 3 P.M., place the do-not-disturb sign on the door, and try to get some sleep. Every day, the phone would ring -- housekeeping asking whether I wanted service. After I started disconnecting the phone, they adopted the practice of banging on my door. If I didn't answer, they would open it to the extent of the security latch and call to me. I never was able to get them to leave me alone and let me sleep, even after several conversations with hotel management.

If your experience is like mine, I don't think it will matter what you tell them.

The good part of my experience in New Orleans that trip was that we were working there at government expense for the prime Mardi Gras period -- Ash Wednesday was the middle of our second week, and we had the evenings off for all the entertainment before starting our work shifts.
DJTeddyBear
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July 8th, 2011 at 8:13:02 PM permalink
As far as konceptum's story, I'm surprised that housekeeping would call rather than leave a voice message and just light up the message light.


For Doc's story, did hotels have message lights in 1985? But Doc's issue is even more troubling, since it seems from his story, that there was an entire block of rooms involved that would have the Do Not Disturb out during the day.

Surly that would have been discussed with management, no?
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Doc
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July 8th, 2011 at 8:39:15 PM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Surly that would have been discussed with management, no?

I don't know whether the maids or the housekeeping supervisor discussed things with management, but I certainly did. Each time, I received an apology followed by a promise that there would be no more problem the following day. Repeat that day after day.

I once had a work colleague who told me, "The most difficult person to work with is the man who agrees with you and then does nothing."

Our project team staying at the Hyatt varied between three and four rooms.
SanchoPanza
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July 9th, 2011 at 8:18:36 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

did hotels have message lights in 1985?


Yes they did, even in the Dark Ages.
Nareed
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July 9th, 2011 at 10:07:23 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

For Doc's story, did hotels have message lights in 1985?



Certainly. I even recall message lights as far back as the 70s, on big, clunky, rotary dial phones.

You dialed the front desk and they relayed the message. No voice mail back then.
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
FleaStiff
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July 9th, 2011 at 11:52:42 AM permalink
Quote: konceptum

I hate to sound stupid, but do they really go by a list? I was always thinking that they just went up and down the halls. If they do go by a list, that would somewhat change my line of thinking, as well as change the way I would approach housekeeping in the future.

Whenever I've had any problem with housekeeping, the supervisor has often consulted a computer printout and on two occasions I've been shown it. Most places dispatch Housekeeping for special requests even if rooms are serviced in sequence. Also the housekeeping staff need to know about 'routine service' or 'checking out' service. So if you really just do not want anything its more efficient to tell them that and have it on their printout so they know not to bother to come back and check what the door sign shows before they go off shift.

Its Vegas, a little communication and a little spare change tends to oil things quite nicely.
hoodwich
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July 18th, 2011 at 4:35:52 PM permalink
Quick question about craps tipping -

Is it poor form to bet only $1 or $2 on the line for the dealers if you are at a $25 table. My intention would be to back it up with the odds. This just seems like a better odds play for the dealers, but I get that it could look cheap before the odds backup goes down. Thoughts?
SOOPOO
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July 18th, 2011 at 4:43:14 PM permalink
Quote: hoodwich

Quick question about craps tipping -

Is it poor form to bet only $1 or $2 on the line for the dealers if you are at a $25 table. My intention would be to back it up with the odds. This just seems like a better odds play for the dealers, but I get that it could look cheap before the odds backup goes down. Thoughts?



Good form, especially if you back their bet up with odds.
gofaster87
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July 18th, 2011 at 4:46:22 PM permalink
.....
Alan
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July 18th, 2011 at 5:13:37 PM permalink
I have to admit as a beginner, that I had no idea what or how dealers were paid(I know about the waiters/waitresses), but now that I know what I've learned here, they will be getting their fair share next time I'm at a casino. I tipped, but I don't feel like I tipped enough(or what's intended/average or whatever). I think I'll throw the tip in from the get-go, just to set some kind of mood(as in good-I hope).
DJTeddyBear
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July 18th, 2011 at 8:17:34 PM permalink
Every craps player that puts a buck on the line for the boys, will back it up with odds. So, unless you screw up and forget the odds, that buck will certainly be appreciated, even if (especially if?) it's a come out winner.

FYI: There is no stigma if you don't back it up with full odds. However, there will be ill feelings if you don't back it up with about the same multiplier as your own line bet.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
MathExtremist
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July 18th, 2011 at 9:45:51 PM permalink
I've mentioned this before, but I've started putting $1 in dealer odds on any pass/come points of 4 and 10. I've just devised a twist on that approach and now I tell the dealers "I control the bet". I had a hand recently where I had a point of 10 working, $5 flat and $10 odds + $1 for the dealers. It was a 5x table, and the house let me go 20% over that for dealer tips (so $30 on a bet of $5). I hit the 10 off-and-on three times: the first time I said "take $1, go to $2 on your odds, press my odds to $15", the second was "take $2, go to $4 on your odds, press my odds to $20" and the 3rd was "go to $5 on your odds and press mine to $25". The shooter didn't hit the 10 again, but the dealers sure did appreciate the pressed action.
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
FleaStiff
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July 19th, 2011 at 4:12:25 AM permalink
Quote: hoodwich

but I get that it could look cheap before the odds backup goes down.

It won't look cheap to the dealers and the act of tipping itself, irrespective of the amount, has a value to the dealers. Just the opportunity for them to say thank you and for other players to notice your Green Chip on the line with a White Chip next to it is something the dealers value. One person tipping will often prompt others. If you never get to make the odds bet ... its still of value to the dealers. If the bet goes down right away, its still of value to the dealers even though a loss means they get no money at all. Its still of value to them. Somebody at the table will "notice" what is going on and remember to tip the dealers as well.
poosmells
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August 3rd, 2011 at 12:51:28 PM permalink
I believe tipping is all Karma. People who tip well are often people who do well in life.
"Stupid people are Stupid and that is Stupid."
weaselman
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August 9th, 2011 at 10:39:24 AM permalink
Quote: benbakdoff

I'm with you on what will undoubtedly be an unpopular view of tipping. I've kept meticulous records of my blackjack play over the last 4 decades and my tips have been few and far between. I've logged over 600 hours of blackjack so far this year and can proudly say that I've yet to tip and it's got nothing to do with being cheap.

I've played with every dealer type imaginable from tip hustlers and whiners to the nicest human beings on earth, but they're all the same to me- they just deliver the cards.

Away from the blackjack table, I tip appropriately and even generously at times.



I am actually not a fan of tipping by any measure. I think, especially in the US, the "tipping culture" is nothing other than cheapness on the part of business owners. They don't want to include service in price, because that would scare the customers away, and they don't want to lower the price to keep the customers, because it would reduce their profits. So, they trick their customers into believing that the price is low, and then extort additional money from them in the form of tips.

Having said that, I do tip. Not "generously", but about the "customary amount". The reason for that is that in my view the blame for the shameless extortion lays with the business owner, not with the particular person, that provides the service. They are not getting compensated enough for their work, and I am expected (by the "tipping culture") to make them whole. I don't like that situation, that's just how things are. If I hated tipping a little more, than I already do, I would have to just stop using the services where I am expected to tip. But continuing to use them, and not tipping is, in my view, akin to legal stealing - in a way, I'd be getting the service for free, even though I was expected to pay for it.

The reason I am asking people, who do not tip dealers, for their reasons is not to pass judgment or to argue a point though, but rather, to find a valid in my own mind reason for myself to stop tipping them as well :) I'd love to not tip - it's expensive, pointless, and I hate the idea, but I can't just stop without feeling guilty about it.

"The dealer just delivers the cards" does not work for me, unfortunately. It is as true, and meaningful as "the waiter just delivers the food" or "the driver just drives the car". So far, I see no rational reason for tipping the latter, but refusing to tip the former.

Quote: matilda


In casinos, the dealer is an arm of the casino. He/she does not entertain me, I am not buying entertainment, I am at work.


Suppose, you run a business, that requires traveling to the customer's site sometimes.
Would you tip the driver of a cab that takes you there? Technically, you'd be at work, just like you are in the casino ...

Quote:

The dealer provides no service to me. He just takes my money or gives me money.


The cab driver just drives the car ... How is that any different?

Quote:

I think it as one business doing business with another business.


A cab company is doing business with your business. But it underpays the driver, specifically because it expects you to compensate him, same exact way a casino expects you to compensate the dealer.
I am not saying it is right, but that's just how things are. The dealer (driver) is not doing business with you. It's the casino (cab company) that is. The dealer is "an arm of the casino" as much as a waiter is "an arm of a restaurant".
I still see no difference ...
"When two people always agree one of them is unnecessary"
matilda
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August 9th, 2011 at 11:45:49 AM permalink
The difference is very simple. The dealer represents the house and the house is in the business of selling bets. I am playing against the house. I am purchasing a bet. It is no different that if I purchased a airline ticket, a dozen eggs etc. I do not tip those who sell me things and very few do. Do people tip the clerk at your local Wal-mart or 7/11? The dealer is in the purest sense a retail clerk.

I really do not think my tipping actions ought to or need to be consistent over all transactions and perhaps you are looking for a consistent something that is not there.
iwannaiguana
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August 9th, 2011 at 12:03:14 PM permalink
Quote: matilda

The difference is very simple. The dealer represents the house and the house is in the business of selling bets. I am playing against the house. I am purchasing a bet. It is no different that if I purchased a airline ticket, a dozen eggs etc. I do not tip those who sell me things and very few do. Do people tip the clerk at your local Wal-mart or 7/11? The dealer is in the purest sense a retail clerk.

I really do not think my tipping actions ought to or need to be consistent over all transactions and perhaps you are looking for a consistent something that is not there.



I'd have to agree with weaselman that your statements don't follow any real logic.

If the dealer represents the house then a cab driver represents the cab company and a waitress represents the restaurant. You still tip them.

You purchase food from a restaurant, the waitress delivers it. You purchase cards from a casino the dealer delivers them.

Food, a cab ride, a bet. They are all selling you things.

What you should be looking for is whether tips are expected and depended upon. Restaurants, cabs, and casinos offer lower priced services because tips allow them to charge less and pass the savings on to you. If everyone thought like you then prices would be eventually raised and you'd end up paying the same as if you were tipping.

I'm not saying that I'm an advocate of tipping, but your decision method on tipping seems very arbitrary.
DJTeddyBear
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August 9th, 2011 at 12:04:32 PM permalink
Matilda -

Then why do you tip a waitress?
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
boymimbo
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August 9th, 2011 at 2:33:11 PM permalink
Tipping is based on custom. There really isn't any rhyme or reason to any of it. For example, if it was customary to tip the person bagging your groceries, would you refuse? I mean the bagger could easily put your eggs in a bunch of canned goods or your meats next to your vegetables or your cleaning supplies next to your apples. I'd tip them if it was customary to do so.

No you don't tip your real estate dealer, your car salesman, your lawyer, your pilot, or your mechanic -- they are compensated well for what they do even though they provide you with a service. In a hotel, you generally don't tip the person at the front desk for getting you a great room on the top floor, but you do tip the maid for cleaning your room. Both are providing services, but one gets tipped. Movers expect tips, but the person mowing your lawn does not.

In Jersey and Oregon (and Richmond BC thank you councellor Sandberg), your gas gets pumped for you (no self-service), and they go for tips by looking at your oil or washing your windshields and some people tip, and some don't.

For me, tipping should be based on the perceived value of the work. The employer reduces salaries knowing that the person is going to receive tips as a meaningful component of their salary. There are alot of jobs that pay minimum wage that are worth more than that, so people buy into the idea of tipping in order to give them a living and meaningful wage. I don't have a problem with that.

Mind you, in my industry, there's the post-project celebration where the consultants frequently do receive gifts as a result of a successful project. They're kind of like tips and they can have some decent value but it's usually a token mememto of the project (such as a jacket).
----- You want the truth! You can't handle the truth!
DJTeddyBear
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August 9th, 2011 at 4:09:49 PM permalink
Quote: boymimbo

In Jersey and Oregon (and Richmond BC thank you councellor Sandberg), your gas gets pumped for you (no self-service), and they go for tips by looking at your oil or washing your windshields and some people tip, and some don't.

I live in New Jersey. Yeah, the no self-serve thing is great - especially when coupled with the very low gas taxes we have, and the low cost to transport the gas from refineries in our state to our gas stations.

But I can't tell you how long it's been sinceI heard a gas jockey offered to check the oil or clean the windows. Suffice to say, it's been a LONG time. Possibly before I even got a license (that was in 1976).
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
NicksGamingStuff
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August 9th, 2011 at 4:28:48 PM permalink
We drove up to Oregon 2 months ago and I went to the gas station. I started to fill up my car like I normally would and the attendant came running out saying I can't pump my own gas, it is a $5 ticket. I thought he was joking. I did tip him $3 as well as every other time I got gas in Oregon because it was such an unusual thing for me to have someone else pump my gas. I do not understand this law, does anyone know why we cant put gas in our car there?
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