[spazzyfry123]

Curious what the etiquette is here. As a disclaimer, I generally dislike detailing/washing vehicles. I am DIY man through and through with a level of frugality that overall has me disliking paying other people for things that I can do myself - except for washing vehicles. There's just something about it

Anyway, I have a mobile detail guy that comes by the house once in a blue moon. Typically we chat, I'll write him a check, whatever. Today I was tied up in the office and didn't get the typical opportunity, so he showed up, cleaned it up, and left. Shortly after I get a message with the invoice to pay - of which it came prepopulated with a 25% tip with no direct option to leave no tip short of "custom" + entering $0.

I've never tipped a detailer. Ever. Not that I have vast experience working with detailers, but the price has always been the price with no mention of a tip and I've given frequent repeat business. Have I been in the wrong here the whole time? I'm not trying to be Mr. Pink here by not tipping, but I feel with the amount I've already paid what's owed and it never even crossed my mind to tip until today.

[TGRKush]

I don’t think detailers should expect a tip besides what they charge cause not everyone is gonna tip. But you could if you want to show appreciation.

[Phillies8008]

No – tipping has gotten absolutely ridiculous. Does this guy own the business? It's always been traditional that the owner does not receive tips since he/she is getting all of the profits. I absolutely wouldn't tip if that's the case.

Gotta say, I'm getting really tired of being expected to tip people for simply doing their jobs. I get tipping wait staff since, no matter how stupid it is, their hourly wage is low in anticipation of tips making up the difference. Other than that, though? I'm over it.

[TboneS54]

Here's a tip: tipping is extra if you want to. Don't feel guilt about not doing it. I don't get tipped at my job, yet I help people much more than a waiter or barber or whatever. And before anyone defends that it's for low income type jobs, not all of those jobs get tips #1 and #2, in the grand scheme, we're all working class/poor, even those making $250/yr in NY/CA.

[spazzyfry123]

I agree on tipping getting wildly out of control. You said it more direct than I did Phillies8008 , but you said it effectively the way that I believe. Why am I tipping you to do your job? I've already paid, in my opinion, a handsome sum for the 30 minutes of work for a quick exterior wash.

I can't for the life of me remember where it was, but I recently had an encounter purchasing something where the iPad thing got spun around for me to "answer some questions", of which were just tip options. The LOWEST option was 25% ranging up to 75% with NO option for no tip. Not even a "custom" field for me to punch in $0 if I wanted. I looked at the cashier and told them I wouldn't have expected to tip you at all never mind be forced to provide a minimum of 25%. Told them to forget the purchase and walked out.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by TboneS54

Here's a tip: tipping is extra if you want to. Don't feel guilt about not doing it. I don't get tipped at my job, yet I help people much more than a waiter or barber or whatever. And before anyone defends that it's for low income type jobs, not all of those jobs get tips #1 and #2, in the grand scheme, we're all working class/poor, even those making $250/yr in NY/CA.

In this example of my detail today, I went the route of "custom" + $0. I don't feel guilty, I feel more confused in thinking that the bill automates to 25% which implies the obligation - for a service I wouldn't have thought was "normal" to receive tips like that of wait staff (which I also don't agree with).

[cbpip]

Restaurants, sure. Everywhere else, NADA ! Has become obsessive, they sometimes try to guilt you into it. Not !

[MassWholeBimmer]

It depends. I had my F150 detailed. (Mobile setvice). Outside was not bad, but the interior was a mess. He 2 bucket washed the outside. Paste wax exterior. Put some coat on exterior plastic. Cleaned the wheels. Vacuumed inside, shampoo carpets, cleaned all interior plastic, windows.. put a fabric preserver on my tonneau cover...basically full detail.

Two guys worked almost 3 hours. He charged $280.00. Truck looked beautiful. I felt they went over and above.
I tipped. So depends. If they did it again where it was not nearly as bad, and they charged the same for much less work... probably not.

[Phillies8008]

Let's be honest – it's really just a way for businesses to pass on more of their labor costs to me. Case in point: a couple of years ago my son got a part-time job at Coldstone Creamery (fancy, overpriced ice cream place). When he told me he took it for minimum wage, I told him he was crazy and should look somewhere else. What an idiot I am, lol – he makes bank on tips. So yeah, the owner knows that these kids will rake in tips, so he doesn't need to pay them squat, and at least half of their pay (likely more) comes straight out of his customers' pockets without affecting his bottom line in the least.

As long as we're yelling at clouds, I'm also getting very tired of the trend of businesses passing on their credit card processing fees to me. As far as I'm concerned, that's a cost of doing business that's between them and and their credit card processor. If a business finds that fee so egregious, they shouldn't accept credit cards and see how that works out.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

As long as we're yelling at clouds, I'm also getting very tired of the trend of businesses passing on their credit card processing fees to me. As far as I'm concerned, that's a cost of doing business that's between them and and their credit card processor. If a business finds that fee so egregious, they shouldn't accept credit cards and see how that works out.

Oh man, you do know how to strike my nerves

This is ANOTHER that has been driving me up the wall. I didn't mention it in my original posting, but this invoice also had a 3% "convenience fee", which let's be honest, is a masked credit card fee.

We used to see it before where stores wouldn't accept American Express due to the high fees. Now, places will take all forms of payment and directly pass the fees. Maybe they were buried in an increased price somewhere, but now they are tacked on blatantly. So much so that gas stations have installed extra price slots on their signs - one for cash and another, higher price for credit - which is miraculously ~3% higher than the cash price.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Oh man, you do know how to strike my nerves

This is ANOTHER that has been driving me up the wall. I didn't mention it in my original posting, but this invoice also had a 3% "convenience fee", which let's be honest, is a masked credit card fee.

We used to see it before where stores wouldn't accept American Express due to the high fees. Now, places will take all forms of payment and directly pass the fees. Maybe they were buried in an increased price somewhere, but now they are tacked on blatantly. So much so that gas stations have installed extra price slots on their signs - one for cash and another, higher price for credit - which is miraculously ~3% higher than the cash price.

Yeah, "convenience fee" cracks me up – I, for one, do not find them terribly convenient.

If the fee was buried in these businesses' pricing previously, funny how those prices didn't go down by 3% after they started tacking it on...

It's funny about the gas stations – I remember when I was a kid there was often different prices for cash or credit; then some time in the 80s that went away, and we only had one price for quite a while. Everything old is new again, I suppose.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Tipping is one of the most stupid concept known to man in modern era capitalist society. I only tip when the social pressure is to much to not tip and avoid to issues. So no, If I hired a detailer I would never tip them.

[M-technik-3]

Hate it when you goto a place and the electronic screen pops up about a tip. At a place where you would not normally aka a drive-thru window.

[RCKYMTN M34OI]

I'll chime in as a detail business owner and consumer here.
I feel several ways about it. I completely agree that it's aggravating when the tip screen automatically pops up at every transaction. Many industries have inappropriately adopted the prompt. Especially when it's at an order at the counter chain restaurant that involves little to no service component and the cashier is some un-invested kid just taking orders and collecting money. Unless they did an exceptional job when they interacted with me-I'm not tipping. I'd say the 2 major factors I consider is the service aspect(how much labor/effort/care was put into the job) and is it a small local business or a larger chain?? How invested is this company in my business and do they care if i come back? If all those things rate high on the scale and I had a positive experience I'm most likely tipping.
Most detailers/detail companies are extremely small and only serve local areas. There's very few that have even more than 5 employees. In my case it's just me. I am the entire company. You will only deal with 1 person from scheduling to payment and i'm also the one that performs all the work. I take note of customers that do tip and usually give them more favorable pricing to start or always go the extra mile during the service. I also don't even accept credit cards so there's no "tip screen" and it's entirely voluntary for the customer. I particularly take note when a certain job takes longer or I do extra (and I explain this to the customer) and they don't tip. I did the right thing by taking care of something as I come across it, but they don't value my time or services enough to compensate.
In all likely hood your detailer would pocket that tip and greatly appreciate it. If you know your detailer by name and have any sort of a personable relationship with him ask yourself "what would he have to do to earn a tip from you?" Are you punishing him because of all of the other places that ask for a tip that annoy you?

That being said I think the default 25% is overkill. If you feel the incentive just pick a round dollar amount that feels comfortable to you. Doesn't have to be a huge tip but it goes further than you think. You're investing in a small local business. Not giving money to a mega-corporation.

[Sand]

I take my cars to the professional detailer every year or two. At almost $450, I think it's money well spent. He and his team always made my car look like it just came out of the new car showroom.(even smelled like it) However, at $450, I don't think I need to tip. He doesn't think so either. I asked him once and he said he got paid for the service that he performed

[dudley@07726]

Originally Posted by cbpip

Restaurants, sure. Everywhere else, NADA ! Has become obsessive, they sometimes try to guilt you into it. Not !

Even take out is expecting tips. Never used to be like that.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by dudley@07726

Even take out is expecting tips. Never used to be like that.

They, along with a bunch of others, can expect whatever they want. I expect a lot of things I don't get; like, for instance, people doing the job they're paid for without expecting me to tip them for doing nothing extra.

Oh well. Life is full of disappointments.

[Emily172013]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

They, along with a bunch of others, can expect whatever they want. I expect a lot of things I don't get; like, for instance, people doing the job they're paid for without expecting me to tip them for doing nothing extra.

Oh well. Life is full of disappointments.

I've been to a couple micro breweries lately where you walk up to a counter, buy a small glass of beer for $8, give them a card, and they ask for a tip. You then go to another counter and purchase an overpriced hamburger and they expect another tip. It's getting comical.

[Randy Johnson]

I was at a mall the other day in South Miami Fl. They had a car wash stand there with a price list. I think the cheapest wash was around $20. The most expensive full on detail with wax, inside and out was $399!!!! Wow. I would hope for that price the car looked showroom new. I've always washed my own cars and only a few times have gone to a detailer. Just not worth the price in my opinion.

[c1pher]

I told mine to buy PLTR. He washes my car for free now.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by Randy Johnson

I was at a mall the other day in South Miami Fl. They had a car wash stand there with a price list. I think the cheapest wash was around $20. The most expensive full on detail with wax, inside and out was $399!!!! Wow. I would hope for that price the car looked showroom new. I've always washed my own cars and only a few times have gone to a detailer. Just not worth the price in my opinion.

Like everything, the price of detailing has risen dramatically over the last few years. I generally get my cars detailed once a year, just to get a really good, professional deep-clean, and handle it myself the rest of the year. The guy I've used for over a decade went up from $200 to $300 this last time.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

Like everything, the price of detailing has risen dramatically over the last few years. I generally get my cars detailed once a year, just to get a really good, professional deep-clean, and handle it myself the rest of the year. The guy I've used for over a decade went up from $200 to $300 this last time.

Out here in the Midwest, I pay $85 for an exterior detail and $135 for both an interior and an exterior detail. I get the exterior detail done once or twice each year and the interior detail every two or three years. Because the car is driven only occasionally, is parked in a climate-controlled garage, and has full PPF, it's fairly clean when I take it in and is always returned looking like new. I don't clean it myself anymore.