I've been dealing with the same shop since the 80's. Followed them through two relocations. I would guess a conservative estimate of my tips over the years is in the hundreds of dollars. All of it going to the guys (and a girl) who got their hands dirty on my behalf. Nowadays I do almost all of my own work so the tipping is usually related to outrageously great deals on select items.

I don't usually tip in cash. Usually I bring a gift or token of my appreciation. The last one was a $20 gift card from a local coffee shop after an employee handled a warranty issue which was frankly a bit outside the boundaries of a true warranty claim. I'm sure my long history with these guys had much to do with it, but the employee could have shrugged his shoulders and said "sorry man" but he didn't.

Really, I have probably spent hundreds of dollars in tips and gifts, but I've received THOUSANDS of dollars worth of free advice, service, tubes, patches, t-shirts, etc.. Thinking about it now, the list goes on and on. These days it's free loaner tools. Who does that? And what kind of ass wouldn't want to recognize it with a small sign of appreciation?

-Kedosto