A specific tipping question to those in the know- my hairdresser was once an employee stylist until she purchaced the salon and is now the owner. I have always tipped her 15-20% (whatever I could afford), and feel strange about suddenly stopping my tips because she is now the owner. I don't want to look silly, tipping the obvious owner of the salon, but I don't want to insult her either! What do you think?

Shanna
It is common practice to tip anyone that does something for you in a service industry. Waitress or mover. I do not believe in a min tip. I have gone to restaurants where the waitress is to busy chatting to bring me hot food. I have gone to restaurants where the waitress is so busy she has wings on her feet and I still got hot food. Movers do more than just move your furniture. They also don't bang it up, drop it and in many cases put it where you want it. Yes, if they do a great job you not only tip them, you tip them big time. Would you like to carry that heavy stuff up and down stairs? The more physical labor the more I tip. This day and age many people have no idea how hard physical labor is. Many sit at a desk all day, they have never stood on their feet for 8 to 10 hours, never dug a ditch or picked up anything heavier than their coffee cup. Those that still do those kinds of jobs are NEVER paid enough. Tipping is just one little way we can show we appreciate the service they provide. Saying that, I expect good service. You give me lousy service I am not going to give you the min tip because someone says I should.

VERY INTERESTING, I didn't know that!

Tip her the same.

Even so ... Federal minimum wage is $5.85 per hour.

I personally don't think that's anywhere near a reasonable living wage. But that's probably another discussion!

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I agree with this 100%!! Even if the law means that restaurant owners must compensate up to minimum wage if the tips don't get it...there is no way that I could house and feed my children and myself on that.

The law does mean that, and still, I agree that no one can reasonably live on minimum wage. I think the minimum wage should be raised to at LEAST $10 per hour.

There was a time when I held 3 jobs and STILL was "in the hole" every month, living off of a high-interest credit card to make up the difference, all while in school full time. It sucked but was the ONLY way to make a way to earn a better living.

I think most consumers don't know that. Here's a direct quote from the site I linked earlier (note that the minimum wage is going up as of this summer!):

Requirements
If an employer elects to use the tip credit provision the employer must:
1) Inform each tipped employee about the tip credit allowance (including amount to be credited) before the credit is utilized.
2) Be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum wage when direct wages and the tip credit allowance are combined.
3) Allow the tipped employee to retain all tips, whether or not the employer elects to take a tip credit for tips received, except to the extent the employee participates in a valid tip pooling arrangement.
If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the minimum hourly wage of $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007; $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009; the employer must make up the difference.

The legislation posted here is very useful, and I agree that servers need to advocate for themselves. However, it isn't always realistic to assume that the servers are knowledgeable about the legislation, or that the employer cares. I worked in several restaurants in college, and I've seen employers fire servers who complained. It was easier for them to just hire new, younger servers who didn't know their rights... It's a very sad situation.

Hopefully, if the servers were unable to advocate for themselves, you were able to report them since you were aware of this illegal activity.

Also, employers are required by law to post something similar to this: http://www.laborlawcenter.com/Califo...aw-posters.asp

Every place I have ever worked (mom and pop to corporate business) has had a posting like this with minimum wage law, worker's comp info. and so on, so, the choice to not "know" one's rights seems like less of an issue than actually being willing to SPEAK UP for one's rights.

I'm feeling like a separate thread on minimum wage may be in order.

Here's a great link about minimum wage in the US, state by state. It's currently $8.00 in California, still not high enough to reflect the cost of living, at all.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#California

Sadly, most teenage servers who need the money in order to eat and pay for college are usually too scared to advocate. Would I complain now, if I was in that situation? Yes! But being that young, it's too scary.
Getting back to the tipping issue, I agree with Mandolinn. I was also taught to tip car mechanics. Does anyone else do that too?

How many people leave a tip for hotel maids?

It'd be interesting to have a poll with various service vocations and then see which ones are tipped and which are not, as well as percentages of tips given.

Good idea, Soulbliss.
I tip:
hairdressers
movers (when they do not break the furniture, and yes, that's happened)
mechanics
servers
the people who help me carry my groceries out to my car (I have a very bad back, and we have hot weather)

Put me down for 20%...for all food servers...$1-2 bucks a night for a bed made...$1-$2 per bag for bell-hop and shuttle driver...and for a lap dance...oh!