Saturday, January 7, 2012

Taking on (more) tipping etiquette

I rent an apartment which includes a bunch appliances as part of the
rent. Stuff like a washer/dryer, a microwave and a dishwasher.
Most things in the apartment are more than fine but it was pretty
obvious when we moved in that the dishwasher was on it's last legs.
The door squeaks, the cycle is about 3 hours long and after it moat of
my dishes look dirtier than before they went in there.
Anyway after complaining, my landlord graciously offered to replace it
and arranged for delivery and installation of the new one and removal
of the old one. I got a call this morning and was told to expect
delivery within a four-hour window and was happy to see two dudes show
up an hour into the window to do their work.
I immediately start to question whether this is a tippable service
being they are already walking away with a bunch of parts, some
scrap-metal and a bunch of copper wire

So I ask a couple of buddies whether I am obligated to tip and would
take the consensus as my guide

First response
"yes, unless he owns the company"

Second response
"Never. I have a hard time looking at those guys."

Third response
"Tony Romo is a homo"
(In fairness this might have been a response to something else"

So I wait for the final response to break the tie which was a
lukewarm. "I guess so" which I guess means that it is a tippable act.

Anyway, I go with the first guy's rule of tipping as i make it a point
to not tip a guy who owns the company or at the very least appears to
be in a managerial role.
Now obviously the two delivery guys are not the owners of the company
(Lowes) who sold the dishwasher, nor do they appear to be the owners
of the subcontractor who installs and removes them. So I'm out $10

But then it occurs to me since it's not my house (or my dishwasher)how
the hell did i get stuck both waiting in that four hour window and now
also the guy on the line or the ten-spot?

Buddy #1 tells me that I should look at it with a glass-half-full
optimism, I'm getting an appliance for $10, I am just waiting for
buddy #2 to suggest I drop an upper-decker in the dishwasher when I
move out

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