Tipping the IT guys

[Tempestuous]

I was looking for the season premier dates for tv shows for a friend & I stumbled across this in a blog....I thought of a couple of you guys.

You tip the pizza man, you don’t tip the Fed Ex driver. You tip the bartender at the pub, and you don’t tip the McDonald’s clerk; but you do tip the barrista at Starbuck’s. The United States has ritualistic levels of tip etiquette, which admittedly don’t exist other places in the world but, the question remains; Why don’t we tip our IT service people?

You know just as well as we do, you couldn’t function without your computer. You’d find yourself on the floor in a fetal position, crying and sulking if your PC were to decide to go AWOL at any particular moment. And, much like a herion user out for another fix, you’d wipe your tears and head to the nearest coffee shop with pay access machines to obsessively check your email. We understand, we’d do much the same thing ourselves. If your computer is that important to the fluid function of your day-to-day life, why wouldn’t you slip the IT guy a little extra to make sure you get top priority next time you pick up the phone and scream Mayday?

Perhaps it’s something in the way we view our IT guys. Nerdy, socially inept, awkward in ways your high school science teacher could have never achieved. Maybe it’s time we took a fresh look at the value our IT service men and women make life a little easier; And, even if we don’t offer them a tip.. maybe a hug wouldn’t be so bad?

[Asshat]

Couldn't function at work or home? If you are repairing my "work station" you can take it up with my boss. (grin)

If you are repairing my home computer, you are too late. I already traded an outboard motor, a fishing reel and an old pair of boots to a savvy friend for a rebuilt one.

Perhaps the tipping answer lays in the fact that there are a whole bunch of IT folks out there ready, willing and able to work for outboard motors and fishing reels. :)

[dk]

Tip the almightyforumgo?

Let me know when you guys' arcade addiction gets that bad. :D

[Boost]

Tip the almightyforumgo?

Let me know when you guys' arcade addiction gets that bad. :D

It's that bad dk, it's that bad. So here's a tip, never trust a monk sex counselor!

[DoctorP]

Why don’t we tip our IT service people?

You know just as well as we do, you couldn’t function without your computer. You’d find yourself on the floor in a fetal position, crying and sulking if your PC were to decide to go AWOL at any particular moment. And, much like a herion user out for another fix, you’d wipe your tears and head to the nearest coffee shop with pay access machines to obsessively check your email. We understand, we’d do much the same thing ourselves. If your computer is that important to the fluid function of your day-to-day life, why wouldn’t you slip the IT guy a little extra to make sure you get top priority next time you pick up the phone and scream Mayday?




I wouldn't tip the IT guy because he's making enough money already by charging $20-$40/hr just to look at the same blue screen I described on the phone! To me tips are usually given to people in strenuous lower paying jobs. Taxi drivers, waitresses, doormen, bellhops, etc...not a guy sitting in the A/C pushing keys on a keyboard pretending to be busy while the whole time he really knows what the problem is!

[dk]

I wouldn't tip the IT guy because he's making enough money already by charging $20-$40/hr just to look at the same blue screen I described on the phone! To me tips are usually given to people in strenuous lower paying jobs. Taxi drivers, waitresses, doormen, bellhops, etc...not a guy sitting in the A/C pushing keys on a keyboard pretending to be busy while the whole time he really knows what the problem is!
I'll tell you a secret. The whole time, I don't know what the problem is.

But then again, people are thinking IT Guy = Computer Repairman. IT is a big world. Programming, networking, IT, system development, system administration, etc. In my field (programming), it generally takes me 10x as long to track down what the actual problem is than to fix it. I've spent two days tracking a problem down to a one line of code solution on several occasions.

IT Guy is not equal to computer repairman. If anything, computer repairman is equal to the cable guy. Information technology is a little bigger than slapping in a new hard drive.

[DoctorP]

I think the term IT guy as it was used in the original thread was meant to mean computer repairman, that is why I replied as such.

[dk]

I think the term IT guy as it was used in the original thread was meant to mean computer repairman, that is why I replied as such.
Ah, ok then, I guess I just hate the term. It cheapens the work the rest of the IT people do.

I mean, if IT guy = computer repair, I was an IT guy at the age of 14 or 15.

I guess, it'd be like calling a doctor a nurse.

I really don't know how to say it any nicer. One skill set you can pick up without barely any training at all.

And screw certifications.

[DoctorP]

I guess, it'd be like calling a doctor a nurse.

I really don't know how to say it any nicer. One skill set you can pick up without barely any training at all.

And screw certifications.

I'll just call you nurse dk from now on then!:D

[dk]

I'll just call you nurse dk from now on then!:D
lol I won't be paying you that six pack. :p

[Tempestuous]

I wouldn't tip the IT guy because he's making enough money already by charging $20-$40/hr just to look at the same blue screen I described on the phone! To me tips are usually given to people in strenuous lower paying jobs. Taxi drivers, waitresses, doormen, bellhops, etc...not a guy sitting in the A/C pushing keys on a keyboard pretending to be busy while the whole time he really knows what the problem is!


I agree that tipping is something I feel is reserved for lower waged jobs where they depend on the tips for the majority of their pay.
With that in mind.....I think I am going to stop tipping the coffee shop workers, as they get paid minimum wage around these parts just like the guy working at the auto-parts store or department store.


I would wager that blog was written by one of those computer repair guys hoping to get the habit started to start tipping them. *smile*
As mentioned someone making $200+ an hr (Boost knows such a person) doesn't need a freaking TIP! Shoot he makes enough to tip me for the call in. :)

[dk]

I think I was a little overly harsh in my last post. I'm not saying that all computer repair staff are non-professionals. There is positively an art to computer repair. I just don't see how it fits into "information technology" as much as, say, networking or database development / management.

IT is a big world though, and I can't even scratch the surface of several skillsets and technologies involved. I should probably try to play a little nicer.

And I've met a few computer repair guys were are really, REALLY good at what they do. They've got their art down pat and I don't mean any disrespect to them. But most of these guys are at a level of intelligence where they're also doing networking, system administration, etc. Where computer repair is a tiny part of their overall responsibilities.

I hope I'm making sense and not pissing too many people / anyone off.

[Norobizaka]

I used to work in IT for a company here in Okinawa. I wasn't making anywhere close to $20-$40. In fact, I was making so little I had to leave that job.

[dk]

I used to work in IT for a company here in Okinawa. I wasn't making anywhere close to $20-$40. In fact, I was making so little I had to leave that job.
Okinawa is rough. Most local businesses can't pay their IT people what they deserve.

[imporicer]

Why would you tip a IT guy when they are already ripping you off from their outrageous fees?

Its like would you tip a hooker, juicy loosey, mamasan?

[dk]

I used to work in IT for a company here in Okinawa. I wasn't making anywhere close to $20-$40. In fact, I was making so little I had to leave that job.

Why would you tip a IT guy when they are already ripping you off from their outrageous fees?
LOL :first:

[coldnoodles]

Why would you tip a IT guy when they are already ripping you off from their outrageous fees?

Its like would you tip a hooker, juicy loosey, mamasan? :first:

Damn that was my quote,