The Matter of the Tip

TIPPING

By Chris Chaos

CNBNews.net

Nice Guy Eddie: C'mon, throw in a buck! 
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don't tip.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't tip?
Mr. Pink: Nah, I don't believe in it.
Nice Guy Eddie: You don't believe in tipping?
Mr. Blue: You know what these chicks make? They make (expletive deleted).
Mr. Pink: Don't give me that. She don't make enough money that she can quit.
Nice Guy Eddie: I don't even know a (expletive deleted) who'd have the (expletive deleted) to say that. 
Let me get this straight: you don't ever tip?
Mr. Pink: I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they 
really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping 
automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, our girl was nice.
Mr. Pink: She was okay. She wasn't anything special.
Mr. Blue: What's special? Take you in the back and (expletive deleted)?
Nice Guy Eddie: I'd go over twelve percent for that.
excerpt from Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs

Tipping, who decides what line of business/service workers gets tips? Why tip a waitress but not the person working the register at McDonald's? Who set the rate of pay of a waitress/waiter at below minimum wage? What constitutes a tip? Good service? Small talk? Accuracy of the order? How do you tip if the server and service was good but the food was bad? Should you simply tip just because you know they make only between $2-3 an hour and rely on tips to pay their bill?

Although in the United States tipping is not mandatory but in some situations it is expected. Some restaurants that serve a large number of foreign customers, tourist areas (or for larger parties) may impose a mandatory gratuities since those customers may not be familiar with US tipping policies. But this must be clearly marked in the menus. Some pizza shops or like businesses may put a tip jar out near the register so if the customer feels they have received great service they can "reward" the workers with their change.

The following is considered the going rate for the following: For waiters at sit-down restaurants, 
bartenders, barbers/hairdressers/attendants at beauty salons, taxi drivers, tour guides, and food delivery people, the tip should be calculated as a percentage of your total bill as follows: 10% usually means you aren't totally happy, 15% usually means all was good, 20% for excellent, over 20% for outstanding. 15% and over is considered "normal".
(These recommendations are based on ones provided by the Emily Post Institute, an expert on etiquette in the US)

If you experience bad or unacceptable service it is customary to tip as low as 10%. If service is bad enough to deserve only 10%, it is a good idea to let the manager know. Also, placing 2 pennies side by side on top of bills neatly placed on the table lets the server know that it is intentionally low because of bad service. If the server in some way did such an awful job so that you do not wish to leave any tip at all, still leave the 2 pennies, so that they understand that you did not just forget to tip.

But all in all if your server is doing their job, is pleasant and you can tell they are trying to assist you, by all means let that reflect in your tip. Although there can be a few people your food goes through to get to you and your table, if the food is not to your liking that may be the cooks fault, not your sever, do not take it out on them.

But one thing that I have learned from the various people that I know that work in the food industry: DO NOT MESS WITH PEOPLE THAT HANDLE YOUR FOOD.

NOTE: The author is a columnist for CNBNews.net