Do you ask for change when tipping with a big bill?

[Deleted member 4212]

I'm in a situation where I'm going to have to tip a valet in a few hours and I only have $20 bills. I never use cash and didn't think ahead so I don't have any smaller bills. I was in a situation where I had to use a valet and didn't have another option when parking. Obviously I'm not super happy about having strangers in my car during COVID and I already paid a big fee to park the car overnight.

From what I can see, my options are:

1) Give the valet a $20 and just forget about it.
2) Give the valet the $20 and ask for some change back. If he can't do that for whatever reasons, I have no back up plan.
3) Walk to a corner store and break the $20 by buying a drink or something, then walk back and retrieve my car.
4) Don't tip the valet, or write down a bible verse on a piece of paper and give him that and say "This is eternal treasure worth more than anything money can buy."

What would you do? I lived most of my adult life in a non-tipping country and am not comfortable with tipping and never know what to do.

 

[kamineko]

I get change beforehand

#3

 

[Walter White Walker]

Break the $20.

 

[Krakatoa]

Option 1.

 

[Lord Fanny]

Nah, not really. I'm not an asshole.

 

[Bane]

I break the bill.

 

[Soriku]

There isn't an ATM?

 

[Huey]

I'd break the bill for sure.

Nah, not really. I'm not an asshole.

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Did you read the OP? Not sure what this has to do with it, not everybody can afford to be tipping people 20 bucks, especially for valet service.

 

[Joni]

As I don't live in the US, I usually state just give me back 'X' where X is a round amount that makes it easier for the person to give back, and includes a tip for them.

 

[Deleted member 4212]

There isn't an ATM?

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Do ATMs give anything other than $20 bills? I never use cash.

 

[Deleted member 34169]

There isn't an ATM?

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Most ATMs by me only give 20s and rarely if ever give anything other than 20s for small amounts.

 

[El_TigroX]

If it's a hotel... have the concierge break the bill for you at the front desk.

Option 1 and 3 are your best bets, but it's not really great universe karma to give someone what would be a tip and then ask for change back.

 

[Deleted member 34169]

I'd go with 1 or 3.

 

[Alucrid]

Do ATMs give anything other than $20 bills? I never use cash.

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yeah you can easily take out 5 or 10 from an atm

 

[Freakzilla]

Break the 20. I'm not tipping the valet 20 bucks...

 

[HardRojo]

Option 3.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

Break the $20.

 

[HardTimesFamilyPride]

As I don't live in the US, I usually state just give me back 'X' where X is a round amount that makes it easier for the person to give back, and includes a tip for them.

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I live in the US and if I have to break a bill for a tip I do this as well. Like hand 'em the $20 and just ask them to give you $15 or something (I don't live in a place with valet services so I have no idea what an acceptable tip amount would be).

 

[Shining Star]

You dont have to tip if you cant or dont want to, dont worry about it.

 

[EVIL]

Option 1, pretty sure that 20 will mean much more to him than it will to you.

but if you really feel shit about giving someone a 20 dollar tip, go break it.

 

[Lord Fanny]

Did you read the OP? Not sure what this has to do with it, not everybody can afford to be tipping people 20 bucks, especially for valet service.

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Yea? Did you? No where in it does it say they couldn't afford to do it, just that's all the cash they had on them in the moment.

 

[Goldenroad]

I have no problem asking for change. If the Delivery dude comes and it's $21 for the pizza, he's not getting a $19 tip. I'll just hand him the $40 and be like, "Give me $15 back (or $10 back if it was great service)". They carry change. Though for the most part I rarely ever carry cash anymore, so I'll just leave the tip on the machine.

 

[Laserbeam]

I'd probably just tip 20 and be done with it to be honest.

Unless there's a store riiiiiight nearby then I might go get some change.

 

[Deleted member 29293]

Yea? Did you? No where in it does it say they couldn't afford to do it, just that's all the cash they had on them in the moment.

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Which automatically would make them an asshole for not tipping 20$? What a stupid post.

 

[III-V]

Is this about asking to break a loose bill? Because of course no one expects you to leave a $20 on a beer.

It is fine to ask for change but you need to read the room.

Is it busy? A. No
Would this really inconvenience anyone? A. No
Are you going to be overly specific and a nag? No

Otherwise, ok to ask.

edit: yes it is fine to ask. Dude has stacks of cash in his pockets.

 

[MrCibb]

I'd go get change from elsewhere. If I couldn't/didn't, I'd take the loss of money as just a punishment for not thinking ahead of time and an accidental good deed. Not a big deal.

 

[Bjomesphat]

I have no problem asking for change. If the Delivery dude comes and it's $21 for the pizza, he's not getting a $19 tip. I'll just hand him the $40 and be like, "Give me $15 back (or $10 back if it was great service)". They carry change. Though for the most part I rarely ever carry cash anymore, so I'll just leave the tip on the machine.

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I think the problem here is he's probably not paying the valet person for the parking fee.

 

[N64Controller]

I have no problem asking for change. If the Delivery dude comes and it's $21 for the pizza, he's not getting a $19 tip. I'll just hand him the $40 and be like, "Give me $15 back (or $10 back if it was great service)". They carry change. Though for the most part I rarely ever carry cash anymore, so I'll just leave the tip on the machine.

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I don't think it's the same situation. Valet service comes win the price of the parking so you most likely pay it somewhere else but just tip the valet. Straight up giving a 20$ to someone for tip and asking for change is, in my view, lame.

I'd do the same in your situation with the pizza delivery guy, but I wouldn't ask for change if the only money exchange in that situation was tipping. Do Valets even carry cash?

 

[Lord Fanny]

Which automatically would make them an asshole for not tipping 20$? What a stupid post.

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If you are not only staying at a hotel with full valet parking but participating in that valet parking, it's pretty asshole-ish to me to worry about losing a $20 to someone who probably isn't making much and is relying heavily on tips. But yeah, that's me, I believe if you have a little extra cash it's okay to help someone out even if a small amount.

 

[Huey]

Yea? Did you? No where in it does it say they couldn't afford to do it, just that's all the cash they had on them in the moment.

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So they're an asshole? K cool

 

[AndyD]

Get change elsewhere (inside the venue/restaurant/hotel, they are often more than happy to do it if you say it's to tip the valets) and if not possible, ask the valet to break a 20. They know it's so you can tip them.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

Option 1, pretty sure that 20 will mean much more to him than it will to you.

but if you really feel shit about giving someone a 20 dollar tip, go break it.

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You don't know the OP's financial situation and it's pretty rude to try to make them feel shitty if they can't afford $20 (not everyone can.)

 

[Goldenroad]

I don't think it's the same situation. Valet service comes win the price of the parking so you most likely pay it somewhere else but just tip the valet. Straight up giving a 20$ to someone for tip and asking for change is, in my view, lame.

I'd do the same in your situation with the pizza delivery guy, but I wouldn't ask for change if the only money exchange in that situation was tipping. Do Valets even carry cash?

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I get what you're saying in that particular situation, but the OP thread title is worded more open ended. As a general rule of thumb, if you're tipping someone, chances are other people have too, which means that have money to give you back change. Having said that, yeah, if I were wealthy enough that I were using a valet service, I guess I'd feel comfortable tipping $20.

 

[echoshifting]

You can break the bill or give them a 20 and make their day. Don't ask a valet for change. Think about the next part of that interaction. Everyone comes out of it feeling crappy.

 

[Lord Fanny]

So they're an asshole? K cool

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I mean, that's fine if you want to target that. But probably should have went there instead of trying to pretend you actually read the OP as a cheap and weak gotcha.

 

[Curufinwe]

Before Covid I would always try to tip in cash at restaurants because I assumed the server would prefer that. Now I don't carry nearly as much cash so I have to tip on my credit card.

I never use valet service, but if you could expect the valet to have cash on them and that he or she would only be expecting a $10 tip, then asking for change might not be terribly awkward.

 

[shnurgleton]

At a restaurant I'll just pay with card and write the tip in if I don't have the right cash denominations

if a situation like a valet... I'll get the right cash beforehand. these sorts of tipping situations I find incredibly awkward and I hate it

 

[bananab]

It's totally normal to do the "can I have 15 back" thing in most scenarios, but in this one I would try to break it ahead of time because valets don't have a cash register so there's no guarantee they have any cash on them at all. He might have just started his shift or had bad luck with tips so far.

 

[Huey]

I mean, that's fine if you want to target that. But probably should have went there instead of trying to pretend you actually read the OP as a cheap and weak gotcha.

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I was calling you out for calling someone an asshole when you have no knowledge of their financial situation, it wasn't a "gotcha." You shitposted, congrats - I'm sure it's not your first.

 

[Deleted member 4212]

I'll add the detail that I already paid $58 for overnight parking. I'd feel better about a $20 tip if I hadn't already been bled for parking ahead of time.

It looks like there's a convenience store 2 blocks away so I'll buy a pack of gum or something.

 

[louiedog]

Tipping as an expectation for every interaction is so dumb. Imagine if the valet's employer just paid them an appropriate wage instead. The whole idea of the service industry and providing conveniences is out the window when we have to jump through a bunch of hoops and get advice like this to participate.

 

[Lord Fanny]

I was calling you out for calling someone an asshole when you have no knowledge of their financial situation, it wasn't a "gotcha." You shitposted, congrats - I'm sure it's not your first.

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I mean, I actually explained my reasoning above and tbh I think the actual reasoning behind what I said was obvious without detail if you actually read the OP, which you obviously didn't, and apparently didn't read anything else since you're not even attempting to reply to anything else I said. But yeah, keep on keeping on, you're not fooling anyone.

 

[RecRoulette]

If I know I'm going to do something where I need to tip I'll get the money beforehand.

It's not like these situations sneak up on you

OP, if you have a few hours, go break the damn bill lmao

 

[Lord Fanny]

I'll add the detail that I already paid $58 for overnight parking. I'd feel better about a $20 tip if I hadn't already been bled for parking ahead of time.

It looks like there's a convenience store 2 blocks away so I'll buy a pack of gum or something.

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I can understand this more, but tbh, I'd still just throw the guy or gal a bone.

 

[Deleted member 4212]

I can understand this more, but tbh, I'd still just throw the guy or gal a bone.

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I'm doing $10.

 

[GK86]

I would absolutely ask for change.

 

[HardTimesFamilyPride]

It's totally normal to do the "can I have 15 back" thing in most scenarios, but in this one I would try to break it ahead of time because valets don't have a cash register so there's no guarantee they have any cash on them at all. He might have just started his shift or had bad luck with tips so far.

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This is a big consideration. The parking itself is already paid for, there's no telling if the valet has access to change unless they have bills from past tips they can use. Depending on the event I think it'd be fine to tell the valet "hey as soon as I can go in and break some big bills I'm gonna tip you" but who knows how long that valet will be there?

It looks like there's a convenience store 2 blocks away so I'll buy a pack of gum or something.

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Works too lol

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

I'll add the detail that I already paid $58 for overnight parking. I'd feel better about a $20 tip if I hadn't already been bled for parking ahead of time.

It looks like there's a convenience store 2 blocks away so I'll buy a pack of gum or something.

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This is what I would do.

 

[ZackieChan]

I have no problem asking for change. If the Delivery dude comes and it's $21 for the pizza, he's not getting a $19 tip. I'll just hand him the $40 and be like, "Give me $15 back (or $10 back if it was great service)". They carry change. Though for the most part I rarely ever carry cash anymore, so I'll just leave the tip on the machine.

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This. Valets are like other humans, they realize $20 is a big tip for normal people. If they don't, then they don't deserve a $20 tip. Just ask them to break it.

 

[CHC]

I have tipped $20 once or twice during COVID when I had no change here and the delivery guy wasn't prepared for a cash order. It's either that or nothing and I can't do nothing, it's too cruel. Working during the pandemic fucking sucks and at the end 20 bucks is not a fortune, I'm not doing it every day or for every delivery.