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Proper tipping etiquette is still a trait rarely found in modern men yet, when perfected, it can actually become quite enjoyable. It’s a selfless act of giving to others based on the level of service you’ve received. A lot of these people get a pitiful wage and the tips they get go a long way to supplement their income. Make them happy and you’ll be looked after. Annoy them and you’d be best advised to eat your meal with caution!
Tipping like a Gentleman
Tipping really is an art form and when you’re giving your tip you want to be as discrete and gentlemanly as possible. Hand over the tip with your palm facing down and shake hands with the person you are tipping, simultaneously placing the money in their hand. What you want to avoid doing is waving the money around and making a big deal of it. You’ll look like an idiot for starts and if that isn’t enough, you’re going to make the person receiving the tip feel uncomfortable because, believe it or not, you’re coming across like a condescending jerk. You’re not throwing a treat for Fido here.
So how do you figure out how much to tip? Well the truth is there are no tipping rules per se, however there are guidelines which suggest how much is appropriate to give. Let’s investigate.
The restaurant waiter/waitress
This is the one that causes most debate because there is no hard and fast rule. It is also made even more difficult by waiting staff who have lost sight of the fact that a tip is a gratuity and is not actually required. As a guideline though, I’d say you can safely use the following without a disgruntled waiter spitting in your salad:
- Self-serve/Buffet restaurant – 10-12%. If the service was fantastic, you could up this to 15%.
- Local restaurant – 15%. Again, you could up this by a few percent if the server worked particularly hard or went out of their way to help you.
- A 4-star restaurant – You’ll want to tip the maitre d’ as you’re being seated, particularly if you’re a regular and he/she goes out of their way to reserve you a table or get a table when the restaurant is busy. The standard tip here is anywhere from $20-100. For the service of the meal itself I’d recommend a tip of around 20-22%. Don’t forget to tip the wine steward (a few dollars per bottle of wine) and/or the coat check attendant ($1 for a couple of coats).
Taxi driver
Unless you want to annoy the Travis Bickle-esque taxi driver by stiffing him on a tip you’d better go ahead and give 15% of the fare.
Hair salon
You want to make sure your hair looks as good as possible and tipping will ensure that your hair stylist gives a polished cut. They’ll also be more likely to look after you next time you visit too (I’ve been given a free colour before simply for tipping well). An acceptable amount is somewhere in the region of 10-15% of the cost.
Hotel staff
There are a number of staff members at the hotel that can make your stay very pleasant or a living nightmare depending on how you tip them. Here’s who you should tip and how much to give them:
- Chambermaid - $5 per night you stay. That is, if you want clean sheets, towels and plenty of toilet roll.
- Room service waiter – Again this is the standard 15%.
- Bellhop - If you let the bellhop carry your bags up to your room and show you around said room without giving them a tip then you’re going to hell. Tip them around $10-15 for their efforts.
The casino
If you’re going for a night out at the casino, you better be prepared to tip. Of course if you’re a professional gambler (or just extremely lucky) you’ll be able to tip from your winnings.
- Blackjack dealer – $5 chip (or more) per session. It’s also common place in casinos for the players to place a small side bet for the dealers. You can agree the amount with other players but a $1 chip is usually sufficient.
- Craps dealer – Those craps dealers love the action as much as you. It’s common to place up to a 10% side bet for the dealer.
- Poker dealer – $5 per session. Winners usually tip at least $10 and sometimes as much as 10% on bigger wins.
- Drink waitresses – $1 chip per drink.
Parking attendant
You don’t want some juvenile attendant ruining your prized Bentley Continental because you didn’t tip the lad, do you? On second thoughts, why would you let a juvenile attendant park your prized Bentley Continental unless you’re asking for trouble?
You should tip, at the very least $1 ($5 if they help with your luggage) but I would tip a little extra to get a better level of service. Perhaps $10-15 to make sure they don’t take it for a joy-ride ? la Ferris Bueller. Oh, that reminds me, always check the mileage of the car before handing it over to a parking attendant!
But what if I don’t want to give a tip?
There are some occasions where you feel unjustified to give out a tip, but let me tell you why you should.
- The food was terrible. If the food was terrible, then complain to the manager (you might get a discount on the bill) but don’t take away the tip from the waiting staff because you’re punishing them for someone else’s mistake. Chances are they worked very hard for you and to not reward them would be unfavourable.
- The service was below par. If the service was below par then you should tip at a lower rate than normal. Usually, I’d speak to the waiter I’m tipping and politely explain the reasons for the lower tip. Just make sure you’ve eaten all your food before you tell them!
- You are a stingy and grumpy old man. So you don’t want to tip. Why not? You’re rewarding someone for doing good work. How would you feel if your boss decided to not give you the pay raise you’ve been asking for or taking your bonus away from you just because he felt like it? As the old saying goes, “Treat other people the way you expect to be treated yourself.”
Oh and for those of you wondering how to deal with people who flat out ask you for a tip. I like to go with the following:
Yeah, I’ve got a tip for you. Never eat yellow snow.
What’s your etiquette for tipping? Is it more or less than I’ve suggested? Also, if you’ve got a great tipping story from a restaurant for example, let us know in the comments.
March 17th, 2008 at 4:30 am
You know when I read all this I just wanna laugh. Tip the maid, tip the driver, tip your brother’s dog….15%, 22%, 37%…people talk about this as if this is just a statistic and money is printed off their inkjet.
What should really be stopped is this kind of bullshit writings “educating” people not only you essentially HAVE TO tip, but how to tip to make the receiver really “comfortable”. When was the last time I got that kind of thoughtfulness in my damn office?!
What is the real take home for an average guy with a $75,000 job? Less than 100 bucks a day!
I hope everyone in the tipped industry feel satisfied with their tip, I really do. Just remember, your satisfaction is not guaranteed, just like everyone else. But again, I can’t spit in your dish or make your bar experience like hell. What a strong arguement!
March 17th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Well. I’m from Brazil and we don’t have the cultire of tipping around here. When you go to restaurants, the tip of 10% already comes written in the bill.
I’ve lived in the US for some time and I got into really weird situations, from having to tip people for taking pics I didn’t want to, on Hollywood Blvd, to not having the vaguest idea I had to tip the barber.
Back in Brazil, I tip some people that aren’t used to get tipped, and they do feel good and treat me better when I come back.
My father isn’t used to tip at all, and we’ve had some very embarassing moments in restaurants in other countries.
The nature of tipping is really something worth of discussion. Why some jobs are tippable as an obligation and others (like McDonald’s) just aren’t. I like to tip because I do enjoy recognizing people’s effort. But when it is a convention/obligation I think it does lose a little of this meaning.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:06 am
No tips. Raise prices or salaries and let the free market judge the set point. Ironically, tips keep salaries low, and service low. Poor service does not come from lack of tips, it comes from lack of motivation and professionalism on the part of the employee. Likewise good service comes from good motivation and professionalism.
March 17th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
If the point of tipping is to reward good service or “To Insure Prompt Service” why would I tip bad service? That makes no sense. Also, aside from the bus boy picking up my plates, why would I tip at a self-service facility? I went into a pizza place and the guy asked me for a tip for putting the pizza in a box and taking my money!
March 17th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Here’s my problem with “tipping” as a culture. Read some of the comments here from people in the industry who expect tips. Several of them have said “didn’t leave a good tip, so I don’t care what kind of service they receive”. What a terrible attitude. If you feel this way, please get out of the service industry. A tip shouldn’t be a bribe. Do your job to the best of your ability, and provide the best service you can, regardless of tip, and I guarantee you’ll see your tips increase.
On a different note – my grandfather showed me how to tip like a gentleman. A waitress once provided terrible service… my grandfather gave her a 30% tip. She approached him as he was leaving and asked why he gave her such a good tip, since she knew she had not provided good service, and he responded – “I figured you must be having a bad day – I was hoping to make it a little better”.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Tipping with a handshake? You’re not Michael Corleone. Don’t be an asshole just hand it to them.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
The handshake tip is a total douche move. People who pop their collars do the handshake tip.
Come on, it’s a business transaction, no need for shame, just hand it over with a simple “thank you” like a normal person. If you’re shamed by the act of receiving a tip, you shouldn’t be working in a service industry. It rarely comes up for me anyway because I debit almost everything, but if I have to deal in cash I would be utterly embarrassed to do the handshake thing. Who am I, Paulie Walnuts?
We’ll tip 20% by default if the service is good, and adjust from there.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:15 am
But I’m a Jew
March 18th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
15% is a wonderful number for the local restaurants. I’m a waitress in ND and I make $3.92/hour. There is no way I could ever afford to keep that job if it wasn’t for tips! I say, if you can’t afford to tip your server, don’t go to a place where a tip is expected. There is also a wide variety of stereotypes when it comes to tipping, so I’ll list them here so you can help break them (or be appreciated for who you are):
-Old people don’t tip. (Here’s a quarter! Don’t spend it all in one place!)
-Middle- and high school kids don’t tip.
-College men tip better than college women. (Maybe that’s because I’m a college female…)
-Native Americans don’t tip.
-Canadians don’t tip.
-Regulars tip REALLY well.
-The very best tippers are middle age, middle class, white couples.
-You can’t call drunk people. They’ll either leave $20 for an $8 check or nothing.
-People undertip when they’re part of a big party (6 or more people). I got a table of 17 once who left me $17. Sure, $17 is a lot and there were 17 of them, but trying to please all of them at once and trying to get out 17 drinks all at the same time and then 17 meals all at the same time is not easy, plus I had other tables to worry about. We don’t have automatic gratuity for big parties, so please be generous when you’re part of a ‘big top.’
Sometimes I just can’t call it at all. I have never had any other job than waiting tables, so I kind of know what I’m doing and I try to give everyone the same speedy service with (no joke) a smile. The other night I had a table of nine leave me $5, a table of six leave me $1 (the cooks said I should punch the customers), and a table of two guys leave me $12. I do depend on my tips, so anything is appreciated, but I’d almost rather get nothing than $1 from a six-top. It’s insulting.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I think some people just don’t get it.
Yes, tipping is optional, but at some level it should be mandatory. I don’t buy the line that “Oh, when I go into a restaurant, the amount of my bill should cover all services and fees”, or, “My boss never gives me a bonus for doing my job or extra work”.
Those are just BS excuses for either being cheap or having no understanding of economics. Your wages are much higher than the wait staff – You get fully paid for doing your job. The reason restaurants pay employees so little is twofold:
1) to give the wait staff have some incentive to provide good service, and
2) you have a way to reward or punish the servers accordingly.
Yes, tipping is optional, but you need to be fair in that your bill would be higher if the restaurants paid at least minimum wage. By not tipping, you simply show that you are cheap and are taking advantage of a free market economic situation where tipping is the vehicle to provide your input on the service.
Restaurant tipping should follow these guidelines:
? small tip (0-10%) = very bad service
? medium tip (15%) = average service
? Good tip (20%) = very good service
? High tip (> 20%) = Waiter really went out of the way
If you do not plan on tipping, I think you should alert the waiter when you sit down so they can treat you accordingly (give you the service that someone getting paid $2 an hour would provide).
I have never worked in a industry where tips are expected, but I understand these people work hard and deserve to be treated fairly.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I have no problem with tipping when I feel it is deserved, that’s just the culture in North America and the lower wage certain professions receive is a reflection of that.
Here is my problem though: my father is a TERRIBLE tipper – I’ve seen him leave 17 cents on a 20-dollar tab. My question is, what should I do if this happens at a place where I thought the service was great, I really believed that a good tip was earned, and I am likely to frequent this place again? Am I tarred with my father’s “stingy tipper” brush? Do I sneak extra money to the waitstaff (who my father is never nice to)?
It’s not an easy situation because he gets angry if I suggest that I leave the tip because he knows very well it’s because I don’t think he tips enough and takes it as criticism. I don’t want to seem rude or ungrateful to him for those times he offers to take me to lunch, and I don’t think turning him down is the answer either – he is my father and I do want to see him, after all. I don’t want to be rude to him or to the people serving us, but it seems like I often have to choose.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I am a waitress. 20% is the standard. My income in based on the tips I receive because my base rate of pay is ONLY $2.13 an hour! Try making a living off of that. Seriously. I am not doing my job because I want to, it is because I have to pay for school and my bills and my rent somehow. Always remember that we generally work really hard for that little extra something. Telling me I did a good job isn’t a tip.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I don’t feel tipping should be based on the price of food. It should be based on the level of work involved in serving the food. It is not any more or less difficult to server a $60 steak then it is to server a $20 steak.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Sir H – I feel sorry for everyone who has ever known you.
And to everyone else, if you don’t want to tip, you SHOULD go to a fast food drive through.
If you have never waited tables or worked in the service industry, I feel sorry for you. You have missed some of life’s greatest lessons regarding humanity. Me taking the time to explain why you should tip someone who is doing you a service – any service – is time better spent elsewhere. Those who do not tip, or who leave an inappropriate tip, would never get it anyway. We hope you all get hit by trains.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:51 am
What about bathroom attendants? Why are they always black? I know how to wash my hands and use my own soap/paper towel thank you!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:03 am
I was a waitress for 2 years and now a bartender for the past 2, and reading this was extremely interesting. Like a few others who have worked in the industry, I agree that, as long as the service wasn’t terrible, tip around 20%-if not more. To those however that feel as though they shouldn’t have to compensate for the feable $2.13 an hour that we get paid, especially since in their field they arent allowed to get tips, let me just say this…
yes we should all be getting paid by our employers more, however the comparison between your patients/boss/whomever and customers at a restaurant is no where near the same. The majority of those that go to a restaurant treat us like crap, plain and simple. I have had more snotty comments, leud gestures and remarks made at me. If that doesn’t justify an amazing tip, i don’t know what does. When your clients start treating you like an animal and grab your ass, then let me know…
March 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I have been a server/bartender on and off for the last 6 years. I have an university degree and a “real” job 9-5 during the week. I suppliment my income by serving on evenings and weekends. I don’t suppliment it by the sub-minimum-wage wage that I get, I get it from the tips.
I am not full of my self, but I am one of the better servers you can get (for my level of restaurant, at least) I know the menu, wine list, preperation times, ingridients (in order to answer your questions and provide you with service). I can read people and vary my style accordingly. I know that business people require a different type of service than a family of 6, or a table of elderly people (not being descriminatory).
Serving is not easy, and not everyone is suited for it. You will get good service from me because I have been surprised enough times to know that you can’t tell a good tipper from a bad one until they actually pay, so I assume that you are a good tipper until you fuck it up and give me a shitty tip. And guess what, I don’t care. While you were leaving me $5 on $100, the couple next to you left me $20 on their $60 bill. Do you think you are making a point when you leave a bad tip? You’re not, you’re just coming off looking like an ass. And to the servers who give bad service to make a point about bad tipping? You’re not. You’re just coming off looking like an incompetent ass.
If you don’t want to tip your server, then get take out. That way you are just paying for the food and you don’t have to worry about the server’s wage.
This thread is about people who want to know how much to tip. They have already accepted that tipping is a norm and would like to show apreciation for a job well done. This is not a discussion on whether people should tip or not. If you don’t want to tip…don’t. I don’t want to hear any justifications or any socio-political commentary about wages. Just pay your bill and go. I have money to make.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I am an Australian who will be travelling to the U.S. later in the year for the first time and thought that I would do the right thing and do a bit of research. I understand, that unlike here, you expect tips because the wages are so shithouse. However after reading various blogs and articles I have come to the conclusion that I’m rooted either way, because the people who are supposed to set the rules, i.e. YOU, cant even agree what those rules are! So how are people who are not used to the tipping culture, i.e. ME, supposed to do the right thing?
Honestly, you need to sort ya shit out! If I tip one bloke 15% then thats fine. If I tip the next bloke at the next place the same I’m a tight arse, and If I go back there again they will make my dinning experience decidedly crap. Also seeing that the tips are often divided up among the various staff how do you tip accordingly? The wait staff might have been fantastic but the food tasted like shit. If I tip according to the food then the waiter thinks I’m an arsehole and might even try to embarass me by making a comment on my tip, yet if I tip according to the wait staff then I am rewarding a chef whose taste buds are located in his arse. And before you customer haters get any ideas I spent 10 years working in, and running bars, so I do understand how hard you work and how annoying the public can be. Any suggestions are more than welcome.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
If you tip like the above suggestions your a chump not a gentleman. Tips are for doing more than than the job requires. If I order food and you bring food that does not get you a tip.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:12 am
For those who do not know, in many states, restaurants are allowed to pay their servers 40 percent of the minimum wage as they are expected to receive tips. Yes! You are expected to make up for that. Do not punish the server for this! If not for tipping you would have to pay more for your food regardless of the service you receive. Be glad that you have some power to control the level of service you receive.
If you can’t tell by my tone, I work in foodservice and, yes, I make great money for the time spent. I am a professional of many years. If I receive a bad tip, it is rarely deserved. If you receive good service and don’t want to appear a chump: tip! If you can’t spare the extra, go to McDonalds!
March 31st, 2008 at 8:30 am
Get back in your box, houdini. If you are in the U.S. you would do well to learn that in many states (http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/tipped.htm), tipped employees are paid far less than minimum wage. Yes, this puts the onus on you to make up the difference, but, this also gives you more power. If the restaurant owner had to pay his servers a livable wage, you would have to pay much more for your food regardless of the service. Tipping provides the incentive for better service. If you want to see and example of the level of service provided by wage-earners, try McDonalds! If you want great service, try tipping in advance! It’s worked for me. You want to be a cheapskate, you’ll get what you deserve.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Join a union and MAKE your employer pay a decent living wage.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I’d like to add some tips for tipping pizza delivery drivers.
First of all, tipping cash instead of adding it onto a credit card receipt is always preferable. I never add tips on to a credit charge…it takes all the humanity out of tipping.
Second, if you are tipping cash, have it ready.
Third, if you are paying by check or credit card but wish to tip in cash and find that you only have a large bill, ask the driver to break it for you. He’ll have plenty of change on him. Do not give him a handful of coins.
To people from other countries: Yes, in the US, you must tip. People who work in the frontlines of the service industry make unbelievably low wages and almost never have health insurance. So tip well, at least 15 percent.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Well, the reason why I found this webpage is that I?m going on my first trip to the US in a few weeks and wanted to learn a bit about the idea of tipping.
Tipping is very uncommon in my country of Denmark, it happens at nice restaurants and perhaps for a taxi ride, where you round up to a reasonable amount. Usually a standard surcharge of 12,5 % is added to the bill, which is certainly easier.
I have no problem with tipping 15-20 % to people who are paid very little, nor would I know how to distinguise between good/very good service during my but looking at the practice of tipping from the “outside” it does seem like a strange custom. The cost of the service/goods is just moved from the employer to the customer i.e. if the meal does not cost $ 20 but actually 24 $ because of the practically mandatory tip then why not charge $ 24 dollars for the meal and let the paycheck of the employee reflect the higher income?
Also since Im going to the US on business, I just wonder how im going to explain the tips to my accountant, but that just me perhaps.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:27 am
As a server (and I have been for quite some time), I wholeheartedly agree with the statement that servers should be payed a decent wage. We work hard and in most cases are attententive to the every need of the guest. Working in Times Square, giving directions and points of interest and my opinions of broadway shows is a MUST. However, it is NOT RIGHT to take your frustrations of the tipping custom out on the SERVER! I understand that you think our pay should be included in the price of your plate, but it isn’t. stiffing us, in many cases leads to us having to pay to serve your table. Case and point: If the bill for two people to eat comes out to $100 and the guest leaves nothing, the server is still responsible for paying the bartender, the busser and the food runner, which leaves us short about five bucks. I understand that people feel that servers should get another job if unhappy, but then who’s going to bring your sorry asses food when nobody wants to do it? huh? People really need to take time and think about their actions, because others are getting hurt.
I make it a point to tip 20% as a base. It may considered a little obsessive, but I know that the guy standing in front of me is working his ass off, and I’d like to make his night a little more pleasant. Great service will result in a 25-30% tip… They deserve it.
Note: If servers were given a steady wage, they’d be less inclined to pay attention to your needs, because they’d still get the same paycheck. The tipping custom ensures that the server brings his A game every night, and that means that you get great service and good time. Remember that!
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I’ve been a waitress for 24 years and I’ve heard every imaginable viewpoint on tipping. A little history might be helpful. It dates back to biblical times with Jesus’ disciples who were put in charge of food distribution. These biblical food distributors were being compensated little or nothing for the service they were providing, prompting the christian leaders to make it known to the people that they needed to fairly compensate these biblical food servants. When restaurants were initially established it was commonly known that in order for restaurants to keep a well staffed restaurant and keep your food costs low, it was necessary to pass along costs to the consumers. You could either pay $50 for your $8 dollar steak, therefore allowing the owner to pay their employees a decent wage, or you could pay $10 for your $8 steak and leave a few bucks for your server. Throughout history people have opted for leaving a few bucks rather than pay a ridiculous amount of money for a meal. Restaurants are very hard businesses to maintain financially and people don’t seem to realize how demanding it is to keep costs low while still giving great service. I have read the many comments stating that tipped employees should find other jobs. Well if everyone took that advice there would be no one to serve you when you want to have an enjoyable meal out with family, friends, co-workers, and associates. I don’t want my service from someone who is making a decent wage whether they give me good service or not. I know tipping gives a server an extra incentive to give you the most enjoyable service they possibly can. Quite frankly I would not want a server to give me the service I generally receive from someone who is making a decent wage whether I’m satisfied or not. I do agree, though, that the tipping phenomena is getting out of hand. I have read all the comments and quite frankly some of the people that are receiving tips is really ridiculous. I try to be very savvy about different industries and their pay scales. I will tip a hair stylist because I’m aware that they have styling booth rentals and receive basically a small wage or flat commission. They have to purchase their own styling products. I will tip the pizza delivery guy because I know they are receiving a ridiculously small gas allowance and have to pay extra insurance for using their vehicles for business. They could require the owners to pay for this, but once again that would mean your $20 pizza is now $50. I don’t tip the guy who changes my oil, I don’t tip the movers (if they are with a reputable moving company). I don’t tip the grocery bagger, police officer, UPS man, and video store clerk. Why you might ask? Because the above mentioned people make a decent wage for their profession and most receive various benefits,(health insurance, paid leave, 401k, and various bonuses, etc… The restaurant owner cannot afford to staff (per shift), 4 cooks, 12 waitresses, hostess, manager, busboys, and dishwasher and pay a decent wage let alone fringe benefits, if a consumer wants to be able to afford to dine out. As I stated it could be done, but no one except the extremely wealthy would be able to dine out. Lastly, I’m appalled at all the posts (presumably from tipped employees)which state that the standard gratuity is 20 percent or more. I have heard it stated that the standard back in the day was 10 percent and slowly moved to 15 percent and now were at 20 percent or more. I’ve been in this profession over 20 years and it has always been 15 to 20 percent. The percentage does not need to increase because as prices go up the 15 to 20 percent will be more as well. I don’t need to gouge my customers with some ridiculous notion that they have to shell out 25 to 50 percent of their tab. Food for thought!
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
As lengthy as my post was I still forgot to mention some very important points. I have heard that some people think us waitstaff make $300 a night. I WISH! It is a common phenomena in the food service industry that servers are notorious for over-inflating their income. I have lived in the south for the majority of my career, so I am speaking from that standpoint (I am told that New York and other northern cities make considerably more). But seriously $300 a night! That would mean this server is selling at least $3500 worth of food and drink a night. Believe me with a 4 table section, with each table sitting for at least an hour, this is virtually impossible. Servers over-inflate their income because we are generally looked upon as uneducated losers. So many servers will tell you they make much more than they actually do, to make themselves look better. I’ve seen it time and time again. Another thing is that people think we are getting away with hundreds and thousands of dollars in under-reporting tips to the IRS. Maybe at one time, but with the advent of credit cards and check debit cards we have to report 100 percent of these tips because it is well documented. I might get away with not reporting $3 to $5 per shift because 95 percent of my tips are on credit slips and I still have to report 8 percent of my cash sales. Lastly I’ve heard in the posts that you should not have to tip 15 to 20 percent in high scale restaurants because the prices are over-inflated and why should this server make more than the average diner server. There is a huge difference in service from a small time diner and high end restaurant. I’ve done both and quite frankly I prefer being a diner server than a high scale server. In high end service I am required to take classes and the amount of energy I put into your service is tantamount to doing everything short of kissing your a… I still make a decent income in a small diner and as I get older I don’t feel like jumping through hoops anymore to receive an income. To each their own. I put alot of effort in understanding other industries and I would never make such uneducated, stupid remarks about something I know nothing about, as I have heard in these posts.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I follow the tipping rules, but I find that service is generally much better in countries without a tradition of tipping and especially in countries where they refuse to take a tip. Overall it is a very poor way to motivate workers. People work better when they earn enough money and work in a good work environment. This is what the employer should provide. The tipping system just plays on peoples vices, and the tip is just an anticipated part of the fee rather than a justified reward. It is basically lowering people to a system where they are treated like animals that perform for pety treats.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
About other contractors tips?
At year end my paper delivery guy send me a season greetings card with his return address. I tip, then he will no longer throw the paper as far as he can bellow my car
When I hire a contractor for Yard work, he will usually send out a few Mexican workers left to handle the job in 100 degrees more temp. I give plenty of water and ice and I tip, they seem to like it while I am not sure I will hire them again.
When the contractor I hire is performing the job himself, I may offer drinks but no tip then.
If I Hire myself a guy for a job, I will provide the negotiated fare rounded to the higher end, not deducting breaks and will offer shadow food and water. Again not sure I will ever hire again the guy, it just feel like I would like to be treated the same.
Last time I gave a 20$ tip to the clerk at a small hotel (where I spent 3 nights) reception desk for great information he was not only surprised and happy, he also said that if I come another time, he will give me an upgrade. I was just happy to please him, not expecting any favor. But the place is LOVELY and I may very well return. The guy who came to pick me up in the big limo to my next stop was as you can think an old friend of him. So guess what. Tip people no matter what and in appropriate amount in an non-offensive way. You will get the pleasure to please and may be increase the overall level of service for anyone and may be yourself too. When in Europe countries where service is included in the bill, I will still leave a tip, not 20% but a reasonable tip enough to at least buy a drink. It is always appreciated and people remind you.
Even in countries where tips are not the norm, I will in some occasions round-up the bill (keep the change) In these situations I think people like it even more because it is not expected. Of course if it would be looked at as an insult i would not, but even though, there may be ways. i.e. If you are going to use this person service quite a lot, make friend with, share a meal or drink, pay for it and well, you have got a friend in the business
I never get any tip myself for my work however it happen that I can get treated with a free lunch or drink and I appreciate it as a mark of consideration and recognition for job well done. This comes as a pleasant surprise.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
It is me again,
Just to make sure I set expectations right.
I would not spend time and paying for lunch and drinks only to “Get a friend in the business”. Actually I would do that with people I find nice, meaning they can be my friend because something click if you know what I mean. This will “Accidentally” get you a friend in the business or outside the business.
I have friends who are minimum wage workers and I have friends who are very rich. They are friends, that’s all. The point is that regardless of being very rich or minimum wage, people simply like attention. You buy a drink the billionaire or the 20K/year guy, they like it the same…
August 8th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Great list ~ I’ve always wondered what the standard tipping for grocery delivery would be ~
September 10th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I USED TO HIDE FROM GUYS LIKE YOU IN THE SALON! THE STUPID YOUNG SHAMPOOERS WOULD OOH AND AHHH OVER THE GUYS THAT CAME IN. GIVE ME A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN GETTING HER REGULAR PERM AND COLOR. FIRST YOU DID NOT (AS USUAL FOR A MAN!) EVEN MENTION TIPPING THE SHAMPOOER. SECONDLY YOU NEVER EVER TIP A STYLIST ACCORDING TO THE PRICE OF THE CUT. YOU TIP ACCORDING TO YOUR FINISHED RESULTS. THERE ARE MANY YOUNG STYLISTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCED BUT WORKING UP TO A TOP SALON. THEY MAY ONLY COST $15. BUCKS BUT GIVE YOU THE PERFECT CUT AND YOU LOVE IT. DOES THAT DESERVE A CHEAP $1.50 OR $2.25 TIP? THEN YOU WILL HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK US OUT AND WOUNDER WHY WE LAUGH IN YOUR FACE!
September 12th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
The entire tipping culture is stupid. Restaurants should just pay their workers fair wages, instead of their workers begging for tips. If you go to many countries in Europe, their staff is paid fairly so there is no tip required. When we were in Switzerland we asked what a fair tip was, and the host told us, that we should only tip if we thought the food/service was exceptional, but he said it is not required.
October 11th, 2008 at 2:08 am
The mindset of some of you people is astonishing! Do you all realize that restaurant servers get paid around $1.50 – $3.00 per hour, which is negligible after claiming the tips that you made (every paycheck I have received is $0 since becoming a server). for those of you who think that you would save money if you weren’t supposed to tip are so wrong, they would just increase the price of food at the restaurant. If you think it is absurd to tip 15% then you cannot afford to eat out, and please don’t, you are wasting your servers time. Most people don’t realize that servers have to tip out the food runners, bussers, the bar, sometimes the kitchen staff. To reiterate, if you can’t tip at least 15%, that is a bare minimum, then you cannot afford to eat out.
October 11th, 2008 at 2:08 am
The mindset of some of you people is astonishing! Do you all realize that restaurant servers get paid around $1.50 – $3.00 per hour, which is negligible after claiming the tips that you made (every paycheck I have received is $0 since becoming a server). for those of you who think that you would save money if you weren?t supposed to tip are so wrong, they would just increase the price of food at the restaurant. If you think it is absurd to tip 15% then you cannot afford to eat out, and please don?t, you are wasting your servers time. Most people don?t realize that servers have to tip out the food runners, bussers, the bar, sometimes the kitchen staff. To reiterate, if you can?t tip at least 15%, that is a bare minimum, then you cannot afford to eat out.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Don’t forget to tip your library workers, your local cops, Subway worker, mailman, city workers, newspaper boy…. People shouldn’t have to depend on tips. And to the bartender who wants a 20% for pouring a glass of wine or mixing a highball. Screw you.
April 4th, 2009 at 6:53 am
a lot of Those who think the tip is just something that should be paid by The rest-aware forget one Thing.” if your servers were paid like McDonalds, you would get McDonalds service everywhere the tip you offer to you serve, helps to weed out copy servers As Managers, we Ty to make sue he get w of people who can’t heck it, or not hire them to start, but when one slip through, their income shall be Their Judge. . ’so if you consistently tip appropriately based on the sense alone, you will dictate the type of Service You receive at you local restaurants.
April 4th, 2009 at 6:55 am
meant to write “crappy” servers, not Copy serves. getting used to waning on a new tablet… sorry
April 4th, 2009 at 7:47 am
As a part time pizza guy, I would love it if my place bumped delivery from 2.50 to 5.50 or 6.00 and not get tipped. Everyone who does not tip should thank everyone who does because now that non tipped pays less for their order. If tips never happened you could say goodbye to delivery service for example. Most drivers get either little pay( 6.00 bucks/hr or so) or very little( 2.00/hr or less) so we are dependant on tips unless all delivery customers pay more upfront.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I have learned to always tip generously to your the bartenders that you see often, it pays off. Trust me.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Indeed – tipping your regular bartender is essential. They will remember you quickly and will repay your generosity in lots of ways.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:31 am
It’s easy to say don’t leave a tip until you do the back breaking work and realize $.25 isn’t enough. I once worked with guy who’s policy was “If it makes noise, it ain’t a tip”. I agree with Mari’s assessment of tippers. Only to add, in order of best to worst: gay guys are the best tippers, (always leave a tip of 20%+), straight men(between 10-15%), gay women(10-15%), straight women are the worst(0-5%). I don’t know what it is with women but they don’t feel like they have to pay anything more than the price of the drink. Tip people and be thankful they are there serving you!! There is a lot behind the scenes going on. Like jerko said, why should I pay someone to put a pizza in a box? What you didn’t see was all the work that went into that. Don’t be so stupid about it just to save a buck.
August 29th, 2009 at 12:11 am
I think the whole % thing is just plain dumb. Tip the person what you think they deserve, or what you think would make them happy, like what you would want if you were in their shoes, not some black and white number that’s predetermined. The point of a tip is to reward someone for doing a good job, not to follow protocol.
Oh, and I completely agree with Imperator: why the hell do people tip waiters in restaurants and stuff, and not servers at say McDonalds… if the person at McDonalds goes out of their way to make your day a good one, then they deserve a thank you more than a miserable waiter at a restaurant who doesn’t care about their job.
I always tip when i feel the person (at any store, not just a fancy restaurant) has done a little something extra then just running through the motions of the job, in order to try and give you a positive experience or feeling. A smile goes a long way. Just give the person what you think they earned.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
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November 26th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I agree with “itsgoodtobeking” but unlike most people here, I’ve actually worked a service industry job and I have to say that not getting tipped sucked. Why? Well let’s see:
First of all, you had to tip out busers and bartenders at my establishment so there goes 3% of the night’s sales.
Secondly, I had to finance the customers’ use of credit cards as a form of payment so there for 1% of my sales for the night to pay for the credit card sales.
Thridly, in a Tex/mex establishment, the gentry are hardly required to live up to affluent establishment tipping standards so the usual pay out was somewhere around 10%, if they were feeling gratuitous.
Lastly, all day shifts on Saturdays and Sunday brought in the $100 bill credit card customers (those who pay with $100 bills b/c they just got payed or those that can) or the more religious who leave the fake $100 bill as a tip with Jesus saying that a real tip is Jesus.
The latter, I couldn’t stand and refused to wait on. I flately refused because anyone who waited on them was basically working for free (or in some circles, paying for them to dine at their establishment b/c of the credit card fees, busser and bartender fees associated with the waiter’s sales).
I cannot contemplate a society of people unwilling to pay for services rendered but it’s certainly come close several times for me.
December 7th, 2009 at 4:03 am
I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Pay everyone a living wage and abolish tipping.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:10 pm
i would like to point out a service that everyone uses at one point or another but very very few people ever tip for, a tow truck, they drive out to aid you make sure your safe and get you out of some very unsafe situations, yes sure most people see a tow truck driver as someone who’ll stiff you with a huge bill if they get a chance but its not the case with most of them, but the next time you dont wanna tip yer tow truck driver just remember there the ones standing on the highway with cars flyin bye em just because you never learned how to change a tire
January 6th, 2010 at 1:56 am
Being British I find the whole tipping culture in the US to be strange. I have several American friends who work in the service industry and they do advise me that living off the minimum wage is almost impossible and so they need the tips to make ends meet. I agree with this but the responsibility for ensuring a fair wage should rest with the employer and not the customer.
Over here tips cant be used towards our minimum wage which is aprox $9 although it varies depending on your age bracket. As a result any tips received are a bonus and not a necessity. I also take exception to the part on this article where it advises you to tip less if the service was bad. If the service is bad don’t tip at all. Vote with your feet.
Having said that without a doubt the service levels in the U.S and a lot higher than in the UK. Probably because if they wern’t then the service staff wouldn’t be able to afford to pay their rent due to the poor labour protection and minimum wage laws over there.