Valets-Oklahomans are Cheap!!! Give a tip!!!!

[SoonerDave]

I remember reading an article in the newspaper about two years ago or thereabouts that was written by some student who was working part-time as a waitress and griping about, well, everything in her job from the kind of work she was doing to the (lack of) tips she received.

While she had a chance to make a case for the service industry folks, the tone of the story made her sound like a petulant, spoiled little girl who had no clue she was in a service business, that people were there to have dinner, not to subsidize her schooling or worry about her homework load. I had *zero* sympathy for her. I'd have hated for her to be my waitress. I've met too many people who did the same thing and worked their rear end off and not complain a bit. Heck, I worked as a busboy at Chi Chi's in 1983 on the southside and I worked my tail off, knew I was working to make others supper pleasant...and I was tipped handsomely for it, too...but that's another story.

In fact, now that I think about it, I think the article was about how she spat in someone's food, and was glad she did it, they deserved it, something like that, or how most people DESERVE to have their food spat in....something that just leaves you incredulous...

I think she was jbtulsa77's niece.

[alan]

wow.

yeah. these winners reflect really poorly on the entire service industry.

luckily it is very easy to distinguish between a talented, hard-working professional and a spoiled brat.

[westsidesooner]

Umm..... Try hospitals? I know there is one at Saints Anthony and at the OU Physician building/parking garage. That's a lot of people and I am sure they are getting nice tips.

This might have been mentioned already, I admit I just scanned the thread. I havent really followed it from start to present. There is a valet service at Baptist Integris....at least at the medical towers. About two years ago they reconfigured the parking lot there elimintating dozens of free parking spaces to make room for the valet parked cars. It was tough to get a parking spot before they did that. Now some days its almost impossible. A lot of older people use the valet there....I dont know how well they tip though.

My earlier post made me look like a tipping prude since I said I never use valet parking. My tipping policy is easy. I frequent the establisments that give me good service and tip well. I tend to go to the same businesses all the time so I build a rapport with the waiter, haircutter, sacker, or whomever serves me. When it comes to Valet sevice. 1. I dont want to have someone snooping around in my car. 2. I dont like giving up my keys. 3. I worry about my car when I dont know where it is. aahhhh. and 4. Especially in Bricktown, I like to walk.......and it certainly helps when you plan on eating lots of italian food to walk.

[alan]

When it comes to Valet sevice. 1. I dont want to have someone snooping around in my car. 2. I dont like giving up my keys. 3. I worry about my car when I dont know where it is. aahhhh. and 4. Especially in Bricktown, I like to walk.......and it certainly helps when you plan on eating lots of italian food to walk.

with 700+ square miles of oklahoma city, i think oklahomans are used to free parking. just not something we are used to paying for. paid parking is the norm in cities that are much more vertical and not so horizontal.

i'll walk a half mile to avoid paying $5 for parking. i'm weird like that.

[IanMcDermid]

Just wanted to add some thoughts in here quickly. Just a background I've worked in the service industry since age 15 and valet for 2 years.
1: the med-valet system is a bit of a racket. The hosp. pays set amount for each car parked by valets. The valet service then pays med-valet typically $7hr and instructs patients to either not tip or not encouraged.
2: well the valet gets tipped every once and awhile anyway so he/she starts to get used to the idea and expects a tip. It can turn greedy for some at that point. But not for all.

Hotels and other venues is a completely different story 2.13-5/hr wages there...and well you're there for LUXURY. NOT because you are sick/crippled/injured. Tip accordingly but people should budget and prepare in cash singles that hotel trips will run you about %5 in tipping. OR...self park, carry your own bags, get your own food, drive yourself to that cher concert at the staples center. It's a service that's not included in your room rate. Hotels offer these services at no charge to make that bill you sign when you leave more attractive. It's just a few bucks, the only time a valet deserves a fiver is when he's gingered your baby auto up to the drive and opens all the doors, moves the car seat back to it's original position, offers to remove your ladies jacket and place it in the backseat, and has also let you know that you need to fill up before you drive home! He's doing all these things to earn those extra couple of dollars. Hand the 2 bucks to the zitty kid who just hands your keys and walks away.

And yes to the original post, you can't ask a valet to give up his money spot right by the door and not expect to pay a premium, those are VIP.
Word of wisdom: some valets ARE thieves, some are professionals, be discerning. Lock up or take your valuables with you. When I was valet at the renaissance I was the concierge, the valet, the doorman, the bellman, and the guy who could drive you in your own car to the concert and park it back up for you after. I made a TON of money but I worked extremely hard and provided that premium service that really makes the difference in a leisure experience. I admit when I detailed someones car or went out to someones car to get their curling iron and take it up to the room and only got a buck I was burned. But i never complained, service industry people have to realize it's hit and miss, some people ARE just cheap, but it has nothing to do with oklahoma.

Where restaurants and bars are concerned; yes they are making 2.13-5 an hour; yes their job is to provide your service; yes they are working so hard to EARN your tips. Remind yourself that the fault your steak is underdone is not the servers!

What I think a lot of people don't see is the work that goes in before and after shifts, cleaning, prepping, sweeping, mopping, clothing tables, scraping that soup you spilled off the carpets, scraping out old candles and lighting new ones 40 times over, cleaning the bar top to bottom and capping all the booze so you don't drink fruit flies. Cutting fruit, mixing juices, skewering olives, stocking beers. These are all duties done under the cover of the "closed" sign at 2.13/hr to earn your tips. The 5 hours they earn tips spreads out of the 10 hours they worked prepping and cleaning. And thats before tip-out the water/bread guy, the chips&dip girl, the dishwasher, the food runners, the bar tenders. I feel like I'm on a ramble but understanding is key. The beauty of a well run bar/restaurant is that from your seat everything is cool and perfect and smooth. But the fact is there's controlled CHAOS happening in the back to get it done and get it done fast & right.

I'm not telling anyone what I think they should tip or what I tip, rather, notice premium service and tip accordingly. Really make a differentiation when the bill comes, the subtotal line is for the room/food/drink/product you have bought, the tip line is for the service you have received, it's not a tax, but a second purchase. there's always a to-go option =)

[alan]

Very well said!

[IanMcDermid]

OH! and I thought I would add...I've been to plenty of countries where the service isn't tipped...and it sucks! their service is terrible! I've actually had a waitress in a steakhouse tell me I ordered fish when she brought fish instead of lamb! Then tried to charge me for a plate of lamb when I asked if I could have the lamb instead....I ate the fish with malice. It was however begrudgingly delicious.

That aside the service quality of the service industry really does improve with tipping. I don't think I've truly appreciated good service until I've had universally bad service

[Thunder]

Crest Discount Foods - Home of Rock Bottom Prices

They have a tradition or a custom, whichever is the word, that anyone having a birthday will have a few dollars pinned to their shirt. Most customers know what that is.

I am not sure how that started, but I think it may have been an idea to encourage customers to tip toward the birthday person. I have never done this, but my birthday is coming up in October. I do not think I would do this, but they seem to keep track of birthdays, so they will probably put a few dollars pinned on my shirt.

[PennyQuilts]

OH! and I thought I would add...I've been to plenty of countries where the service isn't tipped...and it sucks! their service is terrible! I've actually had a waitress in a steakhouse tell me I ordered fish when she brought fish instead of lamb! Then tried to charge me for a plate of lamb when I asked if I could have the lamb instead....I ate the fish with malice. It was however begrudgingly delicious.

That aside the service quality of the service industry really does improve with tipping. I don't think I've truly appreciated good service until I've had universally bad service

My kids love NYC. They live there. They grew up in OKC and think it is backwards. Two of the three were waitstaff for years in OKC. That being said, they will be the first to tell you that service in NYC sucks dishwater. People know how to tip in NYC. It makes no difference. Service sucks.