Las Vegans Treat Delivery People To A Smile And A Good Tip

The holidays are quickly approaching. With that in mind, it’s heartwarming to see a new study which shows that Las Vegans are nice to delivery people. In fact, we live in one of the top three kindest cities towards delivery people.

The study shows that delivery people are more likely to encounter kind customers in Las Vegas. Now that the holidays are nearing, you’re more likely to be getting more package deliveries at your front door. All in all, more people shop online than ever before. But when a delivery person comes to a front door in Las Vegas, 73% say they always smile. Furthermore, 51% say they always make eye contact. That’s according to a new study by RegionalFoundationRepair.com.

Additionally, the study reveals that one in five Las Vegans leave refreshments at the front door for package delivery people. More of us should do that, I think.

Although package delivery people do not wait around for a tip, it’s always proper to generously tip a food delivery person. Likewise, 37% of Las Vegans say they always tip at least 20% to someone delivering food to their home. Moreover, 49% of Southern Nevada residents say they tip more generously during the holiday season.

So, which cities are nicer towards delivery people than Las Vegas? Per the report, it’s Louisville, Kentucky at #1 and Nashville, Tennessee at #2. Rounding out the top five are Portland, Oregon (#4) and Denver, Colorado (#5).

The state of Nevada did not perform as well as Las Vegas in this study. Overall, we are still respectable when it comes to being kind to delivery people. Generally, 66% of Nevada residents say they always give a big smile to a delivery person. Furthermore, 46% of those responding say they always make eye contact.

In addition, 44% of Nevadans say they always tip at least 20% to those bringing food. Moreover, 46% of Silver State residents say they tip more generously around the holidays.

Overall, our city and state appear to be nicer than most. However, we can always be kinder. After all, it’s hard work making all those deliveries.

Tipping has gotten out of control - even in Las Vegas, which is considered a tipping city.

If you feel like you’re being asked to tip just about everywhere you go these days, you are not alone. In addition to those traditional establishments and businesses — restaurants, barber shops, Uber and Lyft — customers are being prompted to tip everywhere, from convenience store counters to self-checkout kiosks at airports. And it's gotten out of hand.

Las Vegas is the land of tipping. Servers, bartenders dealers, valet, bell desk, concierge - it's non-stop!

Etiquette experts Like Thomas Farley — who is known as Mister Manners — are calling it “tipflation.” Farley says that people are really feeling imposed upon. We’re  through very inflationary times. Everything is very expensive. And on top of that, you’re being asked every time you turn around, ‘How much would you like to tip?’

So put your wallet away, and take notice of these five people and scenarios that don’t require a tip.

As a blanket rule, you don’t need to tip anyone who earns a salary or performs a trade. That means you don’t have to tip doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers or cable techs. Not only would it not be expected, it would be highly unorthodox and very awkward.  Plus, in certain situations, it could be seen as attempting to get some sort of favor or that it might be some sort of a bribe.

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As a rule, anyone working at a counter is earning a wage, while those delivering food, either to your table or to your home, rely on tips as a major part of their income. Tipping people who work behind a counter, such as a barista or a cashier, is not a requirement as far as etiquette experts are concerned — even if that tablet suggests otherwise.  But when they turn that device around, it’s this glaring thing, and people feel shamed into tipping,  That’s not to say a tip for a counter worker is out of the question, and isn't a nice gesture.  If you frequent the place regularly, and they have your order memorized, then go for it!

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If you go to an event with an open bar, the bar staff may or may not put out a tip jar. But s a rule of thumb,  the host of that event has likely already taken care of the tip. It would be included in what they’ve had to pay for the venue or bartending service. This means you’re not obligated to tip, too. It is, of course, appreciated  and may help get you better service throughout the night.  Now, if they give you a heavier pour., a buck or two isn’t much to ask.

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You don’t have to tip twice for the same service. Like the your nail girl, who you tipped, but had to pay at the counter, and were prompted to tip again. Sorry, but that's just the business trying to get more money out of you! The situation is a little trickier in cities that have implemented minimum wage requirements for tipped workers, such as restaurant servers. Some restaurants in these cities will apply a 20% service charge to your bill before giving you with the option to tip. In those situations, it's ok to discreetly ask your server where the fee is going. If it goes to the servers, bussers and so forth, you don't have to tip again. If the money goes to the house, you’ll want to leave a tip for the server who took care of you. From an etiquette standpoint, we still tip the servers who are bringing us our food,  but you don't have to do 20% on top of 20%!

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You’re never obligated to tip someone for poor service or if you’ve had a rude interaction with them. In the case of a one-on-one service, such as a haircut, this is pretty cut and dried. In fact, if they ruined your hair, they don’t deserve a tip, and you probably need a refund. In the case of a restaurant, it gets a little trickier. Use a sliding scale for restaurant tipping, with 20% as the standard, and more if a server goes above and beyond. Even with bad service, you shouldn’t go lower than 10%, because often the server is not at fault. If the food took too long to come out, that’s a kitchen issue. If it wasn’t made properly, that’s a kitchen issue. A bad interaction with a server, you may not tip much, but be sure to bring it up with management. That way they’ll know you weren’t just a jerk.

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Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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