hongalan

This might be a sensitive question but I'm just curious. What would others give as a tip for a $15 hand car wash? Included in the wash is vacuum of the mats and a thorough wipe of the windows both exterior and interior. Total time spent on the car is about 30 to 40 minutes. I gave $5 but based on the customary 15%, this seems excessive. It seems that $3 might be sufficient.

With my old car (1988 BMW325), I used to go through a machine wash and an attendant would wipe it down. I paid $8.95 for the wash and tipped $1.
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dinko

$2

deuce zer0

i would hand the $20 to him and leave. Five dollars really isnt that much to me. I think its a good tip but not crazy. saves having to ask for a couple bucks back and if you go there a lot, maybe he will remember you. Better service! For anyone who has worked in a tipping business, you will tip good.

revstriker

I'm sorry, but I disagree with this logic. I don't think a 25%+ tip is warranted in this situation. If this is a 30 minute job, you're talking about paying him $10 bucks per hour on top of his wages. I too have worked in a job where I was tipped, and $5 is not a lot of money to me, but that does not mean I am willing to just part with my hard earned money.

If you pay the $15 to someone else (cashier, etc), then I would tip the guy a couple of bucks ($2). If you pay the money to him, then I would not tip him at all. You are paying HIM for his service, and $15 for 30 minutes of work is more than reasonable.

dinko

Guys, to have money, you first have to start by saving.

The guy will remember you better if you wait infront of him for change instead of handing him a $20 and leaving. $5 after $5 tips here and there... that can add up. Lets say you went to that place once a week for 1 month, that's $20. Comparing a $2 to a $5 tip, that's $12 dollars...

Some people work 2 hours for $12 dollars. Gotta appreciate your money, and feed your MB some gas while your driving home from the carwash with the $12

hongalan

Thanks to all for your responses. If this were a one time occurrence then the difference between a $3 and a $5 tip is not a big deal. But on a regular basis (maybe once every week or every other week), it will add up. If this $15 were a dinner tab, I would definitely tip $2 or $3.....certainly not $5. On the other hand, a waiter doesn't wait on you continuously for 30 minutes as does the person washing your car. Yet, $10 per hour on tips plus his hourly wage is not bad for a car washer.

If I were to wash the car weekly, it would not take very long to clean it. I may decide to do it myself. $20/week on a car wash will go a long way towards gas. With the price of gas heading towards $3/gallon, we may all have to wash our own cars.

revstriker

Remember also that most wait staff in restaurants are making less than the normal minimum wage (depending upon where you live). They rely on tips. Someone working at a car wash is getting a normal hourly wage (at least, I don't believe this type of job is considered in the "tip" category), plus their tips.

A lot of the car washes around here have a 'tip box' set up just outside the door. The people doing the actual cleaning split the money in the box. They also do not see how much you put in. If I'm going to tip someone a little more because I think they did a good job, I'm less likely to do that with a tip box.

deuce zer0

me personally, i would only consider tip percentage if the dollar figure is real high. I understand how saving money works but if i was in the mood of stacking my money then i would have not even left the house, just done the job myself or left it dirty. I like giving so it really doesnt matter to me. Where i usually get stupid is with those cute little sonic girls. I like making them smile real big

Air Marshall Eldritch

I sometimes go to an automated wash which runs around $12 for full service. There are around 6 or 7 guys at the end who spend about 3 minutes wiping down any extra water. I give them a buck in the communal tipjar.
Since they don't bother to really clean my wheels (always leave brake dust streaks), I think thats enough.
From what I can tell, most patrons give nothing.

deuce zer0

Where I go they have three different sections after the wash. First they vacuum it and then dry it. After that they do the wheels, tires and the interior.