@Josephine that's hysterical!!!!!!!! I could tell him I'm giving him a shimmery tip in exchange for his shimmery tuning???
How much to tip tuner "for gas"??
- Edited
For the record bill I’ll prep a $20 bill and tip him in cash.
I have nothing but respect for tuners (even if I’m a little snarky sometimes about this one particular gentleman) and I suspect we just have a communication problem.
How much is currently paid for a US gallon of gas, if you don't mind me asking? The UK price would currently be £5.70 ($7.30??) for a US gallon. A UK gallon holds a slightly larger volume (4.5 litres) so it is £6.75 here, per gallon ($8.65).
Yes, that’s kind of an awkward situation. Before I read any of the replies, I came up with a $20 tip also. I don’t think that’s stingy since he’s already close by and it should’t take long to do.
I think $20 is good! And maybe a sweet treat if you have one available 
Wow, the US tipping culture is simply beyond me … Do people actually tip even for a regular tuning I wonder … Would it usually be « expected », even in the case this person already has had your business for a while?
Interesting - Thanks for this info twocats, but I still say wow from my perspective. (Just to be clear, I do not mean this in a derogatory way by any means, this sort of thing is unheard of over here and it just seems so strange to me, hence my surprise - sorry!)
kanadajin Yes, US tipping culture is a mess! I lived in Japan for many years, and it's so much simpler!!
So, I don't tip piano tuners (they're a business owner and set their own rates). But I tip servers at restaurants... I will tip the movers when we move etc.
For this particular visit, it's going to take him probably 5 minutes, so no charge but he asked for a tip. Which I think is a little pushy. But OTOH, you don't get what you don't ask for.
And no one should be expected to work for free. So...
Capitalism?
ShiroKuro, I see. It raises my eyebrows that he even actually asked for a tip - wow.
Interesting comparisons, as you probably know, you risk insulting a work person in Japan if you even try to tip. I am just back from France where all prices are all inclusive, even in restaurants, taxis, etc.(generally common in Europe btw) Wages are set accordingly.
Anyways, when in Rome …
ShiroKuro I don't think it's bad that he asked; if you decided to give him $5 I'd hope he'd be gracious about it. If you reached out for his advice you're asking for his time anyway, even if he didn't do the work. And in this case he'll take care of it and presumably do a good job, so you don't have to worry about it
Tipping in of itself is ok, but I find it annoying when people are offended when you tip too little.
I dislike the whole idea of tipping, partly because it's so inconsistent and partly because it can turn into a real rip-off for customers.
Inconsistent: I'm expected to tip the person who brings me my lunch but not the cashier at Walmart who spent a longer time ringing up my purchases.
Rip-off: I'm expected to give the guy at the bar who handed me my beer $1 each time he hands me another one.
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If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
I also strongly dislike tipping for anything outside of a sit-down restaurant. Moving a piano is something like $1500 - am I really expected to tip $150-$300 on top of that? If so, why not just make the price $1800?
FrankCox I dislike the whole idea of tipping,
100% agree, and its a general Australian attitude NOT to tip. If someone isn't being paid a decent wage to do a job, relying on customers to pay beyond the advertised price to make up the shortfall, it just perpetuates a culture of underpaying staff.
Why should I tip someone just to put the drink on the bar, or take my order and carry the food out? That is just the basic service I'm paying for, and which they should be paid appropriately by their employer.
Sydney Australia
Retired part-time piano technician