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Tipping Question

Z

zspace

Premium Subscriber
An installer once told me that customers always tipped him. He doesn‘t work for me anymore but I started to wonder why he was getting tips and I have never heard another installer mention it. Is this common practice and other installers don’t talk about it?

The best theory I have is that he was telling customers he was going above and beyond what they paid for.
 
Signarama Jockey

Signarama Jockey

New Member
I've had happy customers slip my install guys a couple of bucks here and there. Sometimes it's just friendly service and a bit of banter, followed up by the feel good conversation of "This looks great on your building, I think people are going to love it."
 
Eforcer

Eforcer

Sign Up!
It depends on the client. Here we tip everyone. Paper delivery guys, Fedex UPS especially the technicians. They will go out of the way to take care of us. This installer you had receiving tips might be for the same reason.




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B

Bengt Backhaus

New Member
I never gotten tips in money.
But it happens pretty often that if i install something in a bakery i get bread, candy from a candy store and so on.
Maybe they just see me as a an easy way of getting rid of old stuff :D
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
I wouldn't tip an installer, at least not in cash, they make a decent living, no need. Tipping culture is getting way out of hand, do you tip other professionals you hire, accountant, lawyer?
 
J

jimbug72

New Member
I get tips regularly from happy customers. I don't do or say anything special beyond just always trying to do my very best on each job, but I'm always pleasantly surprised. It's usually just $20 or so, but some times it's been $100 or better. Once a guy tipped me $150 for doing a rush job decal on his wife's car window. It was a small decal that was $75 after adding the "rush job" markup. Some times some folks are just so happy they want to share their appreciation I guess.

Back when I first started, I refused the tips because I felt like I was just doing my job and the customer had already paid a fair price for it. One day I mentioned off hand to the owner that a customer tried to tip me after an install was complete but I refused and he asked me why. I told him my reasoning and he told me that if a customer is so happy with the finished product that they want to pay me extra that I should let them. I've been accepting tips since that day.
 
N

netsol

Active Member
jimbug72 said:
I get tips regularly from happy customers. I don't do or say anything special beyond just always trying to do my very best on each job, but I'm always pleasantly surprised. It's usually just $20 or so, but some times it's been $100 or better. Once a guy tipped me $150 for doing a rush job decal on his wife's car window. It was a small decal that was $75 after adding the "rush job" markup. Some times some folks are just so happy they want to share their appreciation I guess.

Back when I first started, I refused the tips because I felt like I was just doing my job and the customer had already paid a fair price for it. One day I mentioned off hand to the owner that a customer tried to tip me after an install was complete but I refused and he asked me why. I told him my reasoning and he told me that if a customer is so happy with the finished product that they want to pay me extra that I should let them. I've been accepting tips since that day.
Click to expand...
we have 2 or 3 clients who ALWAYS tip $100 or better. no matter how simple the job

everyone is willing to stop at fred's house on the way home, whereas other clients have to wait till the next day...
 
New England Wraps

New England Wraps

New Member
zspace said:
An installer once told me that customers always tipped him. He doesn‘t work for me anymore but I started to wonder why he was getting tips and I have never heard another installer mention it. Is this common practice and other installers don’t talk about it?

The best theory I have is that he was telling customers he was going above and beyond what they paid for.
Click to expand...
I've gotten many tips. One time $100, other times $40-$60, It depends on the Client. What's the reason for this question? People are happy to give so be it.
 
Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
One time I was creating some decals (personal project) for an employee of a large customer. When they were done I over heard him ask my boss if he could tip me. He shrugged and said he didn't care, he could tip me if he wanted to. the big spender gave me $3. :roflmao:

Next time I made him some personal decals I told him to bring me lunch. I was just kidding, but he did. So my tip doubled to $6 in the form of a cheeseburger.
 
Notarealsignguy

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
Boudica said:
One time I was creating some decals (personal project) for an employee of a large customer. When they were done I over heard him ask my boss if he could tip me. He shrugged and said he didn't care, he could tip me if he wanted to. the big spender gave me $3. :roflmao:

Next time I made him some personal decals I told him to bring me lunch. I was just kidding, but he did. So my tip doubled to $6 in the form of a cheeseburger.
Click to expand...
was he from Texas?
 
H

Humble PM

Mostly tolerates architects
Strangely, I'm seldom short of Glenmorangie, even though I'd never bought a bottle.
Best tip on an exhibition production job was a couple of half cases of veuve cliquot.

One client would always ask me if I could join her for lunch, when she'd come in to sign prints for a show, or a customer, and one day I said yes, as I actually had time. A quick (dry) lunch at a local Lebanese place, which she said was very pleasant. A few years later I was at the opening of a big show she had in Mayfair, and when she heard I could make it, insisted I join her for dinner, at Claridges, which was were she always meant us to have lunch.
 
S

somcalmetim

New Member
Depends if the customer gave the tip freely...I have taken a surprise tip from a customer on a nice job but also seen an installer not so slyly suggest he could "take care" of a customer request if they "took care of him" for doing something he should have done anyway as part of his job...
 
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