Good to hear this issue need to pay attention and educate to some deaf people. Some of them are not aware of it.
The 101 Tip workshop will be less embarrassing to the deaf community. Often time at DPHH. My friends and I have witnessed to some deaf people don't tips well. Why the bartenders were not pleasant to the deaf customers. Sometimes they had to put a large glass jar w/ a note says "TIPS". Thunk before you order the food including the tips, if there is a lack of it. Don't order it. Learn to live and find a way to funds the tip. Don't let this type on the embarrassing situation often.
Keep in mind, the waitress, bartender, deliver work harder, earn their living is not easy. Respect them and appreciated their time to serve us.

Maybe deaf college kids are cheap or non tippers. I met a lady in town who knew some signs and I asked her how she learned. she said she was a waitress and have served many customers. We talked about tips and she said from her experience deaf people were good tippers. These were older deaf people.

Heck with some deaf people, I suggest that you stop by the Thai restaurant to take out ofer and give them some good tip and explain who you are. Next time they get a call from you they would know you're one of their regular 'good and faithful' customers. Simple as that!

It worked for me.

I agreed you 100%! Deafies
...Come On!

Many in the Deaf community are notoriously poor or cheap tippers; every time I raise the matter about tipping our waiters 15-18 percent, they *ALWAYS* raise the stink about paying them "too much", often putting me in a very embarrassing spot. UGH!

That's why I refuse to eat out with them anymore except for my husband and our close friends.

I'm Deaf and I've been eating out ever since I was a baby (back in the 1950's!), thanks to Hearing parents and Hearing grandparents who are/were devoted "foodies". They were very generous tippers, so I always tip very generously...often 20 percent for a great service.

From my experiences, my hearing parents taught me about tipping so that's where I disagree with what you said about lack of communication with hearing parents. Who taught deaf kids about tipping while living in deaf school dorm?
The way we tip in USA is really disgusting in my opinion after I learn how the tipping start historically. I mean by comparing to the rest of the world. I suggest you do research on USA tipping guide for foreign traveller and compare that with world travel tipping guide for American like us. I do understand that the wait staff here in USA depends on tips mostly as a salary, while the opposite the rest of the world just add service/tip fee to your bill. I was told that waiters and waitress in some Europe countries already have salaried job while tips are just extra. Imagine a nice salary for being a waitress in Europe without having to worry about how much tips earned each day etc.
Imagine that tipping may be insulting in Japan, may not be necessary in middle eastern/africa.
Sometimes I wonder why do we have to put up with this (US) America's way of tipping which is already a crappy thing to deal with. Let's adopt the proper way of tipping from the rest of the world and everybody will be happy. *sigh* I can be wishful sometimes.
Yes, I 've seen some deaf people tip poorly or none. Same with some minority people or some foreign people who has no understanding of how to tip in America. I used to deliver pizza in Annadale VA area inside the beltway. I have learn alot about where to avoid in order to go for the area that will tip the most.
So I don't blame the Thai place at all. Next time maybe you can suggest to meet the delivery driver at the gate instead of making the driver come to the building on campus. Or give the Thai place a nice clear map of Gally campus to start with.
There's no map signage at the gate to start with unless it's already there since I stop going there in the early 90s.

HI Ryan,

Yes, I agree with you too! Also, remember to educate international Deaf students as well! Why?

I am Deaf and American. I was raised by hearing family and they taught me to tip well. I think most Deaf students who came from deaf institutions who does not live with their parents and may not learn equiette of tipping. But not that only... international Deaf students does not tip when I was dining out with some of them. I told them that they should tip and they said why??? food is expensive and they make money from that. I told them that they depend on tip for living, not expense of food. They quite didn't understand.

Later on, I met a girl and she became my wife. My wife saw me tipping and she frequently complains that I tip too much. I asked why? Because in her country Costa Rica, she doesn't tip so I was confused. So later on I met someone from Costa Rica who knows about restaurant businesses and I asked him about tipping. He said that Costa Rica do include 10% to 20% gratituty with the bill. So most didn't think of tip at all and it is hard for international folks to understand American way of tipping.

My wife now understood that American foods do not include so we have to tip volunteerly.

I think first year international students who take orientation classes or ELI (English) should get educated about tipping to understand American system of tipping vs. their country.

It was brought up before by Geo, but the repetition is needed anyway. It’s truly an important issue. I never forget one day, like 20 years ago, when I first noticed the problem, about 200 or more Deaf people showed up for union conference at the hotel place. Make a long story short, After the workshop, I went to the bar ordered a drink, this was where the disturbance experience for me has started. Ordering the drinks was not easy for me. I was standing next to an interpreter guy, he overheard the bartenders complained about no tips. I thought, whoa, nothing new. The other conferences I attended afterward, I can see the same problems about tipping.
Often at the thugs of deaf people at the restaurants or bars, I would feel a bit of hestiate to approach the waitress afraid they would be so exhausted from no tips. LOL

Ryan C...
You are right... Gallaudet Students need to respect to any delivery foods from outside and give them tips.. Thanks for sharing to the community!!!!!

This is such an embarrasing topic; I absolutely cannot find the appropriate words to convey the depth of idiocy within our community over such a mundane thing like tipping. Those who don't tip or leaving an insulting amount give the rest of us a bad name. I have encountered this an untold number of times and each time, I make it a point to impress upon the wait staff that not all of us are this way. However, the number of deaf people who do not tip is mind-boggling that I wonder if, collectively, we can eradicate this sorry spot on our community in my lifetime.

When I worked at a restaurant 13 years ago, the waiting staff's mininum wage was $2.11 per hour. They depends heavily on tips as you mentioned.

I remember during my freshman year at Gallaudet, I ordered often from Papa's and Mama's (no longer in business now, it's on Florida Ave, that corner next to Orleans Ave) - I noticed that I always get the same delivery person so I started to tip him a bit higher than what is considered acceptable. Soon enough, he started to give me free extras such as free mozzerlla sticks or soda with my food. Also during that time, ordering food to a wrong room number and waiting in the lobby area for the deliveryperson to give up and selling food at a reduced price to anybody was a popular scam - whenever that happens to that guy I used to tip very well, he'd just come to my room and give me the food for free.

Tipping can be worth it - especially if you frequent a place and have same people there serving you. They'll appreciate it and remember you. Even if you're not a frequent patron or always get a different server everytime, it's good to tip anyway. Golden Rule and all of that.

When you don't do something like tipping, you become part of a problem and could cause something like the situation Ryan described - a Thai place refusing to deliver to Gally. Then one night you get a crabby RA because he can't get Thai food and he goes down on you hard and write you up - in effect, your action coming back and biting you in the backside ;)

Yeah. I see same thing happening among our deaf community in Rochester. And I agree with you 100%.

Hello RC,

I want to say THANK YOU for your effort to produced this VLOG about TIPS.

Because, I was shared about my experience as pizza deliver in my vlog then there are heavy discussion about tip situation in comments past in Feb.

Check out this link: http://lenois.com/?p=44

Cheers,
JON

Yes it is true; I was working for pizza company near Gallaudet campus in early 1990's.

What tip I got for one or two pizza)
MSSD: 0 to 50 cents
Gallaudet 0 to 1.75 (mostly in coins)
Georgetown U. Law dept (at Mass ave and 395) 3 tp 7
Homes outside of Gallaudet 2.00 to 5.00
Capital Hill 3 to 12 dollars
Offices (lunch) 3 to 7 dollars

I can see many deliverymen inlcude me try to avoid Gallaudet by skip that on next order.

It is very embarrass that deaf students do not pay or small tip. In my opnion, they are THELF (Stote their service) if they do not pay tip.

I paid tip between 10% to 25% of total. I remember at Indian place in Californian, my group of deaf workers pay a lot of tips there, Each time we visited Indian, they pass to our group to table without wait, waitress were very exciting to see us and bring bonus food and drinks even do better than other due to they we are paying tip (higher than normal) Even waitress show up if we need right away.

I hope that students show that they pay good tips, they will more than happy to serve Gallaudet better.

Hi Ryan,
I agree with you completely. While I was drinking a cup of chai, I was watching the guys driving the cars to the hotel (deaf conference). I noticed that every hearie paid the tip. Deaf women tended not to pay the tip. 50% of Deaf men paid the tip. I was little bit embarrased. Some of them have good jobs... and yet they did not pay the tips. It took some time for me to pay good tips. More than often I remind the deaf people not to forget the good tips. Thanks Ryan for sharing your concern with us.