davepl

Every so often I'll read in a thread, as I did here this morning, about someone tipping their GM tech for doing an oil change correctly, that sort of thing.

I have never, ever, not even once, tipped a dealership mechanic. Or a service advisor. Or anyone at a dealership, actually.

One time a small independent shop spent a ton of time diagnosing a problem with my car late on a Friday, so I swung by the next week and dropped off a nice gift bottle of Crown Royal, but that's it.

Is it normal and customary to tip a GM mechanic? I just find the whole idea weird. Or maybe I'm just out of touch.

What sayeth the forum?

Rebel Yell

Like you Dave I haven't tipped any Tech's with cash. I have bought quite a few gift cards in my time though. But even then they must do something above, and beyond.

Landru

My country dealer has an excellent Z06 wrench, he drives one himself.
Don't tip for an oil change but anything above that I slip a folded $20 bill in his shirt pocket w/ a 'Thanks, get yourself some lunch on me."

$20 bucks buys an awful lot of goodwill, in fact is IMO money well spent.
FWIW I tipped our carpenter ($100) & his son ($50) because they did such an outstanding job on our remodel.
In the future this man & son will remember my goodwill gesture, really important when/if they're busy & I need their expertise.

YMMV

rmorin1249

I don't understand why "tipping" in the US has become so prevalent. In many cases you are simply rewarding someone for "doing their job". I realize some employees, i.e. waiters and servers, rely on tips because they do not make minimum wage but employees at the local GM dealer should be making a fair wage.

dbaker

I have bought many lunches for mechs/techs at my local Chevy place.My neighbor works there & looks out for me.

A good relationship with them is worth it in the long run.

\db2

dbirdhouse1

at Titus-Will in Olympia, WA.....one superior mechanic; I have brought him food, drink and when I bought my latest (and last, retiring from teaching next year), my 2014 torch red, conv., Z51, 1lt, 7 MT about a year ago I was able to get him a couple hundred buck spif from the dealer convincing them he convinced me to buy it (had come in for an oil change and courtesy light repair on a blue C7 coupe I owned briefly).

davepl

I tip people for above-and-beyond service in some industries. Like tow truck drivers who are extra careful, that sort of thing, even though it's supposed to be "part of the job", it often isn't so I reward it at times.

The problem with a mechanic is that it's a professional occupation (I wouldn't tip my doctor, as an extreme example). And if they guy does a $5000 differential replacement are you really going to tip $20 (0.4%?)? Or should you tip 10%, at $500? How do you even come up with a number?

It just seems like there's no "right" or logical amount.

vbdenny

Tipping and taking care of your people makes your life easier.

dmaxx3500

its the Chicago way

always slip them a $20 and it greases the skids

TulsaVette

I normally don't tip people who are paid fair wage to do what they do. I do tip wait staff as the make $2... something an hour plus tips. I will also tip if I am not charged for a service, like fixing a flat and the store doesn't charge me, I'll give the guy that did it $20 for lunch and a big thank you because he was careful.

That being said, I have taken my service advisor and mechanic out for lunch, but this is more building relationships to me as I consider them friends. If you take care of the people that take care of you, be it with money or just courtesy, they will take care of you.

buckeye4

I give the techs at my dealership one of our Corvette Club patches. The dealership is our club sponsor.

Formula52

I always tip my mechanic at the Chevy dealer I go too. If it is just an oil change I usually give him a $10. If it is a bigger job under warranty or a big maintenance service I stick a $20 in his pocket and tell him to get lunch. I am on a first name basis with him (Gio) and followed him from anther Chevy dealer. He crosses his T's and dots his I's if you know what I mean. My Vette is in very good hands with him....

Now the service writer's I don't always tip. Sometimes a $10 spot if he takes me in right away and it is a warranty issue.

You would be surprised how well I am always treated at my car dealers.
This goes for my Subaru dealer too.

It goes a long way and I know my cars are being well taken care of....

Steve

ZEEEE06

What did you do if you get crappy service? Do you deduct 10% when you pay the bill?

defaria

Exactly!

Never understood this argument that somehow it's your obligation to subsidize the owner of the business so he can be allowed to pay under the minimum wage. Because if you weren't tipping then clearly the owner would either have to raise his prices or hire less help. Plus, if you do the math - if it's expected to tip as it often is in America then you're pretty much paying the same price you would pay if tipping were outlawed and the owner was able to raise his prices enough to pay a decent wage to these workers. To me, tipping for any reason other than to reward a job where the worker went above and beyond seems silly.

Ya know I work in computers and often have to do support type work. I usually go above and beyond to help in an efficient and timely manner. I have yet to receive a tip...

That said, I regularly tip (though I don't tip mechanics - hell I rarely see them).

TEXHAWK0

When I find an exceptional mechanic at a dealership, I do give them a tip to let them know I appreciate the extra care they gave my car.
Also, when I find one I like, I usually request that specific person do the work on my car.

I had one that replaced water pump and heater hoses on our Malibu, and when I got the car back it was spotless under the hood.
No antifreeze on the frame, nothing, so I went back and gave him $50.
I told him I appreciated the good work, and maybe this would buy him a taco for lunch.

When I took the Stingray in for inspection, he let me drive it to the inspection station, and put a towel across the door sill and seat so he could kneel beside the car to do a recall re-program of the air bag system.

ddelallata

My best friend's dad is a master tech at a local GMC/Cadillac dealership and when my 2017 A8 started shuddering , he got the transmission tech to have a look at my car and the problem was quickly remedied with the new triple flush procedure. This after my selling Chevy dealership claimed to have never heard of the problem .
I got my friend's dad a bottle of his favorite whiskey.

JimNeedsC7

In life you run into people who do excellent work for you and who go above and beyond the minimum that is required. I really appreciate that attitude and I like to tip people who treat me with such respect by doing more than just what had to be done. IMO the tip is for the above and beyond part, not the part of the work that their company paid them to do.

village idiot

Well, I don't have much detailed feedback because I couldn't run more than one hard lap before brake pads started to go. Tough track on brakes and 103 degree day. I'll be upgrading to race pads and cup tires soon (MPSS got greasy after a few laps too). It's really not a knock on the car- it just has so much brake power and grip that it can overwhelm the pads very quickly. Heck, the rotors were blue after less than TWO laps! That's a lot of heat.

The car is simply phenomenal. Brakes, as I've raved about before, are simply incredible. I kept stopping too quickly- I've just never had a street car stop like this before. Or course, it didn't last very long. My rotors were blue after 2 laps (pulled in to cool off). They were that dark color they turn when they get hot AF after 6 laps.

my track is definitely rough (just got sold, new owners are repaving soon) and the mag ride made it like glass. It was shocking.

There is just grip for days (before they overheat and get greasy). The grip just doesn't let go. I was constantly pulling well over 1.0G. The car was incredibly planted and predictable.

I did 2 laps, then called it a session. Sat the next session out because I tried to go out in my Miata without gas (by the time I came in, got my wallet and got gas, it wasn't worth going out). Then it drizzled a bit and cooled off a little bit. I figured this was a chance to run in the wet (never done it). By the time I got out, it stopped and the track dried up really quick from being so hot.

I gave it all I had in lap 2, which wasn't much because I didn't even have braking points set yet. About 2/3 of the way through, I felt the brakes fading and toned it back some. Despite being kinda wet and taking it easy for 1/3 of the track, I matched my C6 (on race pads) best time I easily left 4 seconds on the table between familiarity and slowing down.

I ran two more laps and did a lot of engine braking and part throttle straights just to get familiar with the car.

Overall, the ******* car is incredible. It was so much fun. Aside from being way faster than the C6, it was more fun.

The only comparison I have to my Z51 Singray is based on 3 laps (that was pretty new and had factory brake fluid so the pedal went to the floor in lap 3, as expected). Not even close. They're like different cars. Grip level isn't comparable and the car isn't worth having without mag ride.

lakemg

^^What does this have to do with tipping?

JimNeedsC7

Wrong thread I am guessing - it has happened to me while posting under the influence.