[scotes]

I hadn't really seen SA's as a straight up sales job but then I came across the r/serviceadvisors subreddit. After browsing through there you might rethink your tipping strategy...

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by scotes

I hadn't really seen SA's as a straight up sales job but then I came across the r/serviceadvisors subreddit. After browsing through there you might rethink your tipping strategy...

I always lease,so the service performed at the dealer is scheduled maintenance or under warranty so the SA isn't selling me anything. At least thats how its been since our 1st BMW in '97. I stand by my original reply

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

We will have to agree to disagree about tipping. Just because someone makes a nice salary doesn't mean that one can't show their appreciation with an additional gratuity.

At the end of the day all that this means is that I have selected a different road than you to travel on.

Why not just tell them how good a job they are doing and that you appreciate them? That goes a LONG way with most people makes their day. Throwing someone $20 who makes $50+/hr might feel a bit insulting in the sense that you do not have a concept of thier salary and that you are feeling sorry for them.

[scotes]

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

I always lease,so the service performed at the dealer is scheduled maintenance or under warranty so the SA isn't selling me anything. At least thats how it's been since our 1st BMW in '97. I stand by my original reply

Well to be fair, while I've never had a problem scheduling a loaner, if I ended up with an M car as one I might rethink my stance. That said I don't think I've ever seen anything but a base 330i as loaners out here!

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Why not just tell them how good a job they are doing and that you appreciate them? That goes a LONG way with most people makes their day. Throwing someone $20 who makes $50+/hr might feel a bit insulting in the sense that you do not have a concept of thier salary and that you are feeling sorry for them.

You're overthinking things. It's a tip.
I was a union plumber for 30yrs,if I did a side job and charged the client $250 for a job I completed in an hour and the client tipped me $10 because they were pleased with the work am I really going to be insulted? More than likely it would be the customer insulted if I turned the tip down saying "well I just charged you $250/hr,take your shitty cheap ass $10 back"
I think not

[S1nner]

I always do.
Last time, he changed front rotors/pads free of charge and didn't even tell me anything.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Why not just tell them how good a job they are doing and that you appreciate them? That goes a LONG way with most people makes their day. Throwing someone $20 who makes $50+/hr might feel a bit insulting in the sense that you do not have a concept of thier salary and that you are feeling sorry for them.

There is no right or wrong in this discussion and you can show appreciation your way and I will do it my way. 😉

[No one]

Originally Posted by lexlopez

Hi!

My SA has been really nice and understanding. He even let me get my tire of choice delivered to the dealership. And had me use the loaner for almost 5 days since there was a delay in shipment. I really appreciate it. Do you guys tip your SA? Was planning to give him maybe $50 Amazon GC or cash. I dunno…

Suggestions appreciated 😊

Just fuck him. That's all it takes.

I've been to a dealer to buy engine oil to top up today. No, I don't like going there. I feel offended when they ask my phone number (like "No, I don't want to make an acquaintance. Your male tits don't attract me."), or call my name aloud (is buying anything personal?), or round the payment up to take their "tip".

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

I always use the same SA,he takes care of me and I take care of him. Perhaps thats the reason why I always get a loaner and 90% of the time its another M,which has lately been an M8C. Or perhaps not

A $50 Visa gift card and a "lunch is on me" when he went out of his way awhile back has paid off in spades for some time now

Meanwhile,my BMW-owning neighbor who uses the same local dealership gets a clapped out 3 series or X1 every single time let alone an M8C,if a loaner is even available that is

You should take care of your neighbour for him/her to take care of you rather than spoil their experience.

Originally Posted by Oldgixxer

if I did a side job and charged the client $250 for a job I completed in an hour and the client tipped me $10 because they were pleased with the work am I really going to be insulted? More than likely it would be the customer insulted if I turned the tip down saying "well I just charged you $250/hr,take your shitty cheap ass $10 back"
I think not

Don't make business personal. Just charge them more next time.

[Windshieldfarmer]

I think the occasional bottle of wine for the SA or donuts for the entire service crew seems appropriate. I don’t believe tips are necessarily appropriate but acknowledgement and tokens of appreciation are important. It’s a judgement call.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Tipping is so weird.

Yes.

It also has a…um…history…

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/o...ge-racism.html

[eluded]

Those Benjamins come in handy!

Originally Posted by S1nner

I always do.
Last time, he changed front rotors/pads free of charge and didn't even tell me anything.

[Pauldunlop13]

Originally Posted by S1nner

I always do.
Last time, he changed front rotors/pads free of charge and didn't even tell me anything.

no effin way he gave you a $1k + service for free, because you have tipped him in the past - he would get fired for doing that

it was somehow included in your lease or warranty
or a defect/recall item

you can still feel good about it though

[mjj]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

I'm not in the same line of work but I think we all can agree it's nice to be appreciated. Just yesterday one of my customers gave me a bag of Easter candy they hand made for me, they do it every year. Do I value them more? Absolutely! People like that show they value me not only as a service provider but also as a person. I already bend over backwards for all of my customers but will a little more for them and others who show they care. Just human nature.

100% agree. I believe the dollar amount is not the main driver. They value being recognized and appreciated. Bring in a $20 pizza and they will be thankful.

[heavyD^2]

If you have the means and value excellent service then I don't see the problem. Workers are usually more motivated to go the extra mile for customers that have been kind to them in the past. In my part of the world dealerships burn through employees so fast that if I tipped a one, there's a good chance at the next service that person doesn't even work there anymore.

[S1nner]

Originally Posted by Pauldunlop13

no effin way he gave you a $1k + service for free, because you have tipped him in the past - he would get fired for doing that

it was somehow included in your lease or warranty
or a defect/recall item

you can still feel good about it though

yes effin way he did that + gave me 840 as a loaner.

Yeah, it was included in a lease of my 2014 F10 lol.

def. feel good about it.

[Pauldunlop13]

Originally Posted by S1nner

yes effin way he did that + gave me 840 as a loaner.

Yeah, it was included in a lease of my 2014 F10 lol.

def. feel good about it.

haha
I knew it
I was coming off lease in Mar 2022 and I had paid for the brake service as part of the monthly amount ($12)

I got a front pad measurement taken in Dec - not ready for replacement yet
I braked like shit for the next 2 months - got them replaced in Feb - bought the car out the week later....

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by lexlopez

Hi!

My SA has been really nice and understanding. He even let me get my tire of choice delivered to the dealership. And had me use the loaner for almost 5 days since there was a delay in shipment. I really appreciate it. Do you guys tip your SA? Was planning to give him maybe $50 Amazon GC or cash. I dunno…

Suggestions appreciated ��

That's very nice of you...never done that, but I do leave some great reviews on their website. A monetary reward would be appreciated too-- I am sure of that.

[S1nner]

Originally Posted by Pauldunlop13

haha
I knew it
I was coming off lease in Mar 2022 and I had paid for the brake service as part of the monthly amount ($12)

I got a front pad measurement taken in Dec - not ready for replacement yet
I braked like shit for the next 2 months - got them replaced in Feb - bought the car out the week later....

So, do you tip?

[MadBullogna]

Unpopular opinion incoming….

The sheer differences within the thread are already apparent. TBF, ‘tipping’ tends to be heavily US-focused, (with some exceptions obviously). And those in the US have seen/felt the increased ‘pressure’ to do so in an array of professions that many never thought of pre-Covid, for right or wrong.

My worthless .02….if any ‘professional’ in a generally non-tip based industry decides to give me preferential treatment because I tip, I don’t want to do business with them. I bust my arse in my industry, (which by its nature I never see ‘clients’, let alone a tip), but I wouldn’t alter by duties, putting a tipper above a non-tipper if it was different. May be harsh, but IMO if you give any form of preferential treatment in your field towards those who tip in a non-standard tipping industry you’re in the wrong business and should be ashamed. Perhaps an ethics 101 course at a local community college could help those folks, /shrug.

Sheats gotten out of hand in the US, IMO.

[No one]

Originally Posted by S1nner

So, do you tip?

It's better to teep if you have to.

Once I had to call a plumber to fix a meter leaking on a pipe. When he did, I suggested the tap on the pipe should've been replaced as well. "No, it's best to leave it like it is!" When asked how much I owed he voiced a range. I chose to be humane and gave him the upper boundary. The next fucking day the tap on the pipe starts leaking! I spend my time to call the plumber, he comes and tells me I owe him enormous money (like he was going to split an atom with his bare hands or something) for going to the basement and closing the main tap there to facilitate the replacement. I demanded he charged me on paper this time. To make a long story short, he did it for free and I didn't have to call him again!

At BMW they want me to rank their service when receiving the key, before I've even seen the car which is nonsense! Especially if I didn't watch them work on it and have to trust them.

[Pauldunlop13]

Originally Posted by S1nner

So, do you tip?

I tip lots of service people - but not my service guy at BMW

[omasou]

Originally Posted by Hit_Apex

Agree, but it has crept into our culture and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Check this out, I was on a website recently looking to buy a part for my Jeep. It is a small company that probably uses Shopify or similar eCommerce provider who have now integrated tipping into their storefronts. It literally said "our production team works hard for you, please consider tipping them". I was so turned off I bought the part somewhere else. Many restaurants are now adding a sustainability fee to your bill and they go out of their way to inform on the menu that it does not go to staff as a tip - that is separate. They don't tell where the fee goes or why they can't just price accordingly. Huge backlash on the way. Stop it people, enough already.

Oh, the backlash already started last year...

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/01/how-...f-control.html

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/05/11851...inflation-tips

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...-tipping-point