I'm extremely picky when it comes to tips.

My wife and I spent some time in Germany earlier in the year, and it was wonderful to know that the servers all made a decent wage, and the ONLY tipping rule was, if they gave good service, they get a tip. Also, that whole "we add the tax into the price already" was just wonderful - so easy to split meals!

I truly wish that US restaurants could be more like those in Germany. In my opinion, restaurant working conditions in the US are despicable. There is NO reason I should feel OBLIGATED to leave a tip for someone who provided poor or mediocre service. My wife, however, spent a few years in the restaurant biz as a teenager, and as such, SHE controls restaurant tips. I'm not even allowed to use the tip to round off the bill to the nearest dollar because "wait staff hate when you do that, because then at the end of the night, they have a huge pocket full of change." Yes, dear!

My basic rule of thumb is that they have to actually do something for me - I never feel obligated just because I see a tip jar. Wait staff almost always are tipped, unless the service is poor, then they get nothing, because making $2.15/hour should be MORE of an incentive to be nice! I do make exceptions when it isn't the wait staff's fault (slow kitchen).

Other than that, take-out delivery gets tips, usually a few bucks, and whoever cuts my hair gets a few bucks. That's about it.

And a side note: to me, it's irritating when your table is supposed to have a certain server, but other servers end up working your table throughout the night just because they're there... One time, our assigned waiter brought us our drinks, and then we didn't see him again until he brought the bill - another waitress working the other side of the restaurant brought the food and refills just because she walked by. So, I tracked her down and tipped her personally, because the waiter had done nothing to deserve it.

I'm a Brit so I rarely tip for anything. I usually leave 10% in a restaurant, I tipped the removals men about 10% for my recent house move and I think I once put change in a tip jar but thats it.

Tipping is just not part of the culture in the same way, it actually almost feels kind of rude to tip.

My general rule: If you do an outstanding job or exceptional favour for me, I tip.

I tip normally 15-20% in restaurants, only if they do an average or good job. If they were truly heinous waitresses and waiters, I am loathe to tip even 5-10%, because just tipping them ANYTHING to enforce a "tipping rule" is in my mind, silly, only because then they'll still get cash at the end of the shift from patrons, and think they're doing "okay" when they're godawful. But I've rarely run across awful waitstaff, so I've thankfully never had to really do this.

My hairdresser, and anything to do with hair and body, gets a 15% tip. I rarely go to the same hairdresser as I trave l00% of the time, but I still tip. I've also never been to a spa, so...

I don't tip at fastfood places, and it irks me every single time someone tips at a coffee place (like a Tim Hortons or Dunkin Donuts), because when *I* worked in a crappy chinese fastfood place, NO one tipped us, and we did the SAME job if not worse than what the Timmies' girls used to get. I understand tipping a bit at Starbucks, but normally if I have change left over, then I throw it in the jar. If I don't, I tend not to leave anything, because I simply just don't have any cash on me.

Bellhops, maids, and anyone associated with the hotel, for exceptional service and going out of their way to do something specifically for me, I tip $1-$2. But if you just do your job,.... I don't tip.

We really do have to draw a line somewhere though, this tipping thing is getting out of hand. I feel like every time I leave the house, I have to account for almost $10 in tips alone just for daily routines (I travel a lot).

I try and just do everything myself, like open my own door, carry my own luggage, wash my own car, bring my own tea to work, etc.

Last pet peeve: I hate it when the cashier asks you - Would you like to leave a tip? And how much? Is nothing private and sacred nowadays? Why can't I write the amount down myself and sign the slip? I never go back to places that ask me that. I think that's just rude.

While keeping in mind that I don't go out, much, because of the expense:

In Connecticut, the state sales tax is 6%. When I receive a service, I base my tip on triple the tax, or 18%. That number goes up or down, depending on the service. While I generally tip about 20%, my lowest tip (about 20 years back, when I was in high school) was coupons to another restaurant; I tipped 35-ish per cent when I admired a waitress's bracelet and she insisted on giving it to me. (We were regular customers, because the food and service were great, but that's really going above "serving" - wouldn't you say?) When we include takeout, we tip on the served food pre-tax amount, and round up to the next dollar; we don't tip on the total bill with takeout because all the waitress is doing for the takeout is bringing a bag. (While I'm not nuts about Denny's, it's the only place my father will go. The waitresses share their tips with the bus boys, who don't get tipped, so we will "round up" there, as well.) I've been told that, for horrid service, it's better to leave a quarter than to leave nothing, because "nothing" could be an oversight, while small change is obvious; I left a quarter for a particularly rude and careless waitress. She, however, was the exception. Former waitresses have scolded me for tipping 15%, but I'm not responsible for the local standard. I do keep in mind that I could never wait tables, since I'm clumsy and I also have very little patience. I respect anyone who can accomplish something that I cannot.

When I bookmarked the United States Department of Labor's Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, my bookmark read:

Because tipping in restaurants isn't customary in Europe, Europeans are often surprised at the percentage that we leave as gratuities. In the United States, "at restaurants, a 15% tip is standard for waiters; up to 20% may be expected at more expensive establishments. Good service is expected, and it is sometimes acceptable for a tip lower than 10% to be applied for ordinary or unsatisfactory service." Fodor's - Tipping Guides The salary of wait staff in the United States often starts at HALF the Federally mandated minimum wage, because the tip, which is supposed to be claimed as income, makes up part of the salary. Lots of customers don't like this, and complain to the poor wait staff and to the restaurants. This is MISDIRECTED; if you don't like it, complain to the U.S. Department of Labor. The proof is on this page.

My 20% pre-tax gratuity also applies to hairdressers and my mechanic. They're performing a service. Since the gentleman who usually works on my car is my neighbor, I know what he gets paid, and it's not a lot when you take into consideration the schooling he needed to do his job. Sometimes, the owner himself works on my car. I have an idea of the owner's property taxes since the building is in the city in which I live, and taxes are ridiculous; I'll tip the owner even though one isn't "supposed to." I've also given him money to get pizza and drinks for the shop when doing so would be about 15% of my pre-tax bill (tune up and oil change with new belts, for example).

The coffee shop I usually go to has a No Tipping sign.

My massage therapist (for chronic pain) isn't covered by my insurance, so she charges me as little as possible. I've brought her breakfast when she's seen me first thing on a Saturday morning, and I just got her three books we discussed during my last session. (Used, they came to about 20% of the service.)

When I tried to leave a tip at a post office branch several years ago, I was told that they weren't allowed to accept gratuities. At the holidays, I get cookies for my mailman at home and chocolates for the mail lady who delivers to my office, and I get a mixture of cookies [and a box of tea for the woman who doesn't like sweets] for the staff at the local post office. I'm in there several times a week with work and personal mail. Their service is incredible, no matter how harried they are. (Fights have broken out in there during the holidays!) They deserve to have the bad customers countered by the grateful customers.

I truly believe that the best tip is work-of-mouth. If I'd take time to write to an owner because of bad service, I try to do the same for good service. Because I don't think that my bank tellers can accept cash, I wrote to the head of the bank to praise exceptional service. I've written to restaurants and airlines. I have blogged about my massage therapist (who will give a discount to anyone who's referred by me). I've used online "lifestyle guides" that accept customers' reviews to praise my pharmacy, mechanic, and nail salon, as well as having personally referred people to those places.

For those times I'm not allowed to tip - my primary doctor, or someone who's supposed to get a report to me at work - I send a thank-you card (as my parents taught me three decades ago), and I use my own postage for the professional thanks, as well as for the personal notes. It's sad how seldom we're thanked for doing our jobs, and it never fails to amaze me how genuinely grateful people are for being thanked.

Bottom line: I want the people who help me to feel appreciated, and I hope that they do.

20% at restaurants/cafes/etc, unless my experience was utterly horrific (which has happened probably three times in my adult life). Three bucks for cab drivers, a couple of dollars for a couple of beers, and as generous as I can be for the teams of car washer guys. Those are my hard and fast rules, everything else will vary.

At a sit down restaurant, I generally start at 20% and work from there based on service. For good service, I usually won't leave less than $2 or $3 (so I just might leave a 50% tip for just dessert).

At bars, it's generally a dollar a drink for draughts or cocktails. If I order two Bud Light bottles, I'll probably only give a dollar (but I'll be back for something better). If the bartender knows how to make a Sidecar or an Old Fashioned, that's worth extra.

Another thing I'll do for good service is not put the tip on my credit card, if I can spare the cash. Part of me thinks that some of the tip will be eaten up by credit car transaction costs, but also I know that money now is better than money later. It's not much, but it's something.

Starbucks? Chipotle? Sorry. Whereas, as Will Chen noted, waitstaff generally provide service for 30+ minutes, baristas should only be spending about 5. If you leave $0.50 to $1 for a barista (who may make more than a waiter/waitress), that's over a 10% tip for around 1/6th the time commitment of a server! That being said, if I had some unique request (both of the examples are happy to take them), that's another story. Although, Bonnie, above, made a good point equating baristas' and bartenders' training and jobs, so I suppose I'm going to have a crisis of conscience!

I worked with several female delivery drivers, but there are certainly more males. I think the main factor is females don't feel as safe going to random strangers houses. Those of us who spoke on the phone to customers tried not to give away that their delivery person would be a "she" in advance if we had to refer to them for some reason. (Usual reason would be if they called back and asked how long it would be, often even when it wasn't late but some people get impatient... we would avoid saying "SHE left here x minutes ago and should be there any minute.")

20% at restaurants. Nothing at delis, coffee shops, fast food places and other non sit-down places. $2-$5 for cabs depending on the length of trip (distance) and the expedience of the route taken and ninja driving skills of the cabbie. $1 per drink at bars, $2 for fancy/pain in the ass to make drinks. Doormen? $0.00. There are at least 5 doormen in my building whose services I never use. Although they are all very nice, I'm not tipping anyone to say good morning to me every day. They are bumbling and flustered most of the time. Grocery delivery guy $4-$5. Other food delivery (take-out) 10-15%.

At restaurants I tip, on average 15%, more for great service, sometimes less for indifferent service,and never less than one dollar. If I eat a cheap breakfast for $4.75 my waitperson has worked just as hard (especially if they are keeping my water and coffee filled) as if I'd had a more expensive meal. Anything less than $1 seems insulting.

I agree with Bloggrrl. I usually pay 20% to servers because their wages are so low, since they take into account tipping and all that. I've tipped up to fifty percent for excellent service (though it was a cheap place; I am not a high roller!).

Tipping for much else is obnoxious-- none of the other people mentioned work for three bucks an hour. Delivery people get paid $10-12 per hour in my area. I've paid $40 for a pedicure. My boyfriend makes me lattes in the morning, so I don't go to Starbucks or anything, but seriously, it's not much more difficult than slapping a sandwich once you get the hang of it. Besides, Starbucks' wages start higher than McDonald's does.

Why should I be tipping all of these people? Maybe its my own inexperience with jobs like this (my early jobs were not tipped) but what makes them tippable over, say, fast food, who also takes my order and assembles food? The UPS guy, who also delivers things to my door?

I do nonetheless (using 15% as a baseline, to be pertient to the question), because I'm supposed to, but still. It definitely seems like it's to make up for the lack of a living wage. Wish I got tipped to make a living wage, but alas, I don't work in service.

In restaurants we will always start at 15% for fair service and work up or down from there depending on our experience, but never more than 20%. If we order wine by the bottle in fine restaurants, I absolutely will not tip on the wine. Our club includes service on the check but we will usually leave the server $1 per person because they don't see much of the tip anfter it gets divvied up.

They have a hefty enough mark up already. The guy who cuts my hair gets $5 and he tells me that he gives something to the shampoo girl. I'll give the shoeshine guy about $2, the pizza delivery person $1 and nothing if I carry out. Tip jars might get the coins if I enjoyed the conversation with the cashier but the Starbucks kids generally don't get anything.

I always tip at least 15% percent at restaurants only because I am supposed to, and then I feel very resentful that an industry has taken what used to be a nice gesture of gratitude and generosity and turned it into a guilt-tripped system. I particularly dislike places that add 18% gratuity automatically, which brings me to my next gripe, which is that the % seems to be rising all the time. In some places the expected tip is now 20%. I love rounding up my tips for excellent service, because it saves on the math hassle.

I don't begrudge giving people a decent wage, but I do resent having the opportunity to be generous taken away from me. I would rather have the restaurants just PAY their people an appropriate amount, and scale up their prices accordingly. By leaving the salary of their employees up to the discretion/whims of the consumer, they're giving us, in effect, a sliding scale of prices that John Wanamaker fought so hard against in the early Nineteenth Century.

I don't tip in other places where a tip jar seems suspiciously akin to begging.

@ bars its cheaper to open a tab instead of tip a buck each drink.... if your in college.....

also Never tip for takeout, they dont expect it. I worked a counter... I got tipped one time @ papa Johns....

Mechanic? you kidding?!!? every mechanic place ive ever been i get ripped off anyway.

I avoid tipping; never more than 1-2 dollars unless the food is amazing.... or the place is empty and i got at least 1 refil (prefer i was never empty.... they should be watching, its their dang job)

yes ive worked for tips several times too; And I understand service. But I've never expected a 5 dollar tip, but they sure are appreciated......

Best tip ever was on a 80 dollar pizza order... 20 dollar tip. (not to mention that we had already added gratuity.)

Also if they add gratuity, I NEVER tip. that pisses me off when they do that.

I grew up in a very rural area and am going to college in a small city, so there's a lot of tipping situations I've never really been in.

I normally leave a few dollars on the table of eat-in restaurants; between two and four, depending on how many dollar bills I have on hand. The type of meal I eat at such places costs about $10, so that makes the tip between 20 and 40%. I try to be generous, but I'm not exactly rich, myself. I think that, once I have more money, I'll tip extremely well.

I usually put coins I get in my change in a tip jar, if I pay cash. I'll sometimes throw in a dollar or two if I order something complex and I have the cash on-hand.

One thing I found that if you find a reliable mechanic who will build some kind of relationship with you. They tend to appreciate small illustrations of gratitude. My mechanic would take the time to explain what needed to be done and what could wait. Explain what I didn't understand, give me no tax if you pay cash deal, and let me bring my own parts (sometimes).

In return I would bring a dozen donuts or bagels, or some energy drinks or soda, whatever I saw him/her drinking. I think these tend to go further than a tip.

Trembler

I used to be a waitress, so I generally tip 20% at restaurants, unless the service is pretty bad. It doesn't take too much to keep me happy.

I tip my hairdresser 20% also. She does a great job, and she's pretty inexpensive for our area.

I usually tip the pizza guy 15%.

I hate tip jars. I hardly ever put any money in, unless the person does something exceptional.

And you can add me to the "prefer to give gift cards" category for giving around the holidays.

This is a great discussion!

On meals, my basic tip is 2x the tax, then adjust that depending on how good/bad the service was, how much the staff amused me, and how good the food was.
At bars and such, I'll usually tip a buck-per-beer, unless im in there all the time, and the bartenders are really nice with buybacks and just generally cool people.
The thing I can never remember how to tip is delevery people. but the only time I have to interact with them is when im the one stuck making the orders when im stuck ordering for all my friends, but we usually get alot of stuff, so unless someone has to break a big bill, the driver gets most(if not all) of the change.

20% standard for restaurants if they did a good job. sometimes more if we don't order much and hang out for a while.
I always tip my hairdresser if they did a good job, but one time I had one tell me that they'd appreciate a cash tip cause the federal government takes taxes out of the tip on the credit card. needless to say, i didn't tip at all. NEVER TIP if someone asks you for it.
At the Starbucks I go to they don't accept tips, but if I'm at a local coffee house and they prepare something for me (like a toasted bagel or a sandwich) I'll throw down a few dollars in appreciation.
We also tip the guy who mows our yard, especially if it's been a while since we called him and the grass is high, or we didn't have a chance to pick up all the dog mess. Then it's always $5-10 extra.
My main rule is that tip jars in no way require a tip. Most people don't need to be tipped, but if someone does a great job for you, or you have them do something terrible, you should definately show some appreciation.

... when i don't leave a tip?

Here are my own personal guidelines for tipping; a simple rule, but it makes so much sense. you ready?

I will leave as much a tip as i think the service i received was worth.

The way i see it, mandatory tipping is stupid. why should i feel obligated to tip a server/waitress/whatever that was rude, uncouth, and messed up my order? Don't get me wrong. i do tip. if i think that someone deserves it, then a tip is in order.

Most people frown upon me for this, but the way i see it, if the restaurant I'm dining in has a service charge anyway, then why should i leave a tip for lousy service?

on the other hand, i remember, about two years ago, i was out with a few friends, in a Macaroni's, somewhere near Kansas city, i forget where exactly. mediocre food, bad wine, and it would not have been a noteworthy evening, if not for our server, Charlie.

Charlie was one of the most enthusiastic servers i have ever encountered in all my years of dining out. He was on point, courteous, funny, and was all around a pleasure to be served by. he gave us the kind of service that people usually wish and hope for. my bill came up to $25 that night. I gave him 60 and told him to keep the change. my friends looked at me like i was crazy, but i knew he deserved it.

But Charlie was an extreme. on regular nights out, i usually leave anywhere from 20%-30% for good service, up to 50% for great. at bars, i never open a tab, but i do make sure to order from the same bartender, and usually pass him a tenner at the end of the night. street performers get a dollar.

as for tip jars, if it's a nice coffee house, and i order something complex (usually a caramel latte with a triple shot of espresso and splash of mint and raspberry), then I'll leave a buck in the tip jar. nothing if they mess it up. usually people toss spare change in there, but i prefer to toss that in my own little tip jar that's on top of my dresser.

fast food never gets a tip. take-out the same way. I'll pass a buck to the delivery guy. but that's about it.

i also do something that most people don't do. i tip the chef, if i truly enjoyed to food. this has happened few times in my life. we were in a place called... now that i think about it, i cant really remember the name of the place. it was in a tucked away little corner in the University of the Philippines, and i had tasted some of the best home made baked zitti al pesto that i had ever had in my life. Erie. that was the name of the place. i called the chef out, praised him for his fine work and slipped him $10 (the peso equivalent of that anyway), while i shook his hand.

Now that I'm done explaining (quite in length, now that i look on it) my tipping rules, tell me, am i so unreasonable?

Hm... I also am a pain in the ass orderer. Dressing on the side, no cheese, etc.. I come from a family of pickiness (my dad sits at a seat he doesn't like - we WILL be moving, Little things waiters do tick him off etc). I have always felt sympathy for those who deal with his antics - leading me to become a better tiper. If my order is as asked, I always leave at least 15%. If they go above and beyond >20% tip.
I have worked on the weekends at a local bakery and we have a tip jar - which i may never understand. Although I appreciate receiving them, I do not expect them. I get paid a salary, and I see no reason to give me more money for simply putting your bread/donut/etc in a bag. I follow the same guidlines when I go out to get coffee, or anything that requires little service - I don't bother. At Dunkin, they usually get my order wrong anyways!!
I do tip when I get my car washed or my haircut. I feel bad for the washers, they get paid dirt wages. At the haircutter's I generally feel so clueless I leave a decent one. Even if the do is not what I like.

Fast food? I never tip. I use the similar theories from my bakery job in regards to this.

i tip based on sevice. usualy 15% for regular service and more if you can impress me. if the service is bad i might leave some pocket change on the table and point it out to them that is their tip

At an business establishment a person has to do AT LEAST these two things before meriting a tip:

1) physically come to me to take my order

2) then bring the item to me.

If I have to stand in a line, or talk into a speaker, that is not reason for tipping.

Bars, I'll tip for the first drink. But if the bartender shows more loyalty towards the bar and not me (regarding the fill), then I say ask your employer for the next tips.

@Chris:

Mechanic? No tip. They make 30-70+ bucks an hour. Granted, they've got to be a contortionist to do the job, but that's why their pay is so high.

I don't know where you bring YOUR car, but my mechanic earns less than $20/hr. I know the exact dollar figure, but you wouldn't believe it; I didn't when he told me. But, hey, the economy is bad and he's got a baby, and the garage is close to home so he can see his child on lunch.

@Bonnie

very often when a person is hired at a coffeehouse, they have to undergo training (or already have had to) that is sometimes as intensive as bartenders.

I've been trained as a bartender (work I can no longer do). I had no idea that the training was THAT intense. Thank you; I will keep it in mind!

I'm generally an easy customer (coffee, room for milk, and where's the sweet n low? - that's it) but I've tipped 30% for a fancy drink because it's not much more than the actual price.

----

A recent tip (if you'll pardon the pun) in The Consumerist suggested that, if you're going to leave a cash tip, you write CASH or TABLE on the tip line so that an unscrupulous server can't write in a second tip. I usually tip cash so that the manager doesn't know what my server received, or so that, in a place that shares tips, my server can peel off the extra s/he earned for exceptional service before throwing the tip into the jar. (why should poor servers earn tips off the better servers? I've never understood that...)

I've heard of people who've stacked singles on the table and added or subtracted based on performance. I've always thought that that was tacky - the servers are people, and it's a mean game.

I forgot: In Connecticut, "services" are taxed. Tattoos, the service section of a car repair bill, an "escort" - all taxable.

I also tip the computer repair person. My computer is my lifeline, especially when I'm in too much pain to go out. I've got my kids' pictures and my expensive software. Where I go, the person at intake is often an idiot, but the techs phone regularly about status (my computer has a name - it's like another kid and, hey, if I name my car...) and go above and beyond every time. I'll give a low percentage before the tech starts, for dinner, and match it in cash after I get my computer back. (The last time, they felt bad that the previously repaired part broke again - two years out of warranty - that they cut the price in HALF. i tipped based on the original price and I was still about $80 ahead of the original quote, sans its original tax and tip.) It can be low - I do about 10% because, again, my budget is TIGHT. I also send a thank-you card. They are so often thanked, and so seldom tipped, that $5 on a $100 bill amazes them.

Does anyone else remember Oprah saying that health care professionals expect tips? I hope that isn't really true of any but the ones who wrote to her, because I can't afford 15% on a $2K bill.

Bringing someone a coffee or a cold drink (weather depending) is sometimes more appreciated than cash, for a tip for service. It costs less than most percentages of work, and the service people are SO grateful. I'll bring a drink for a cashier where I regularly go, and will offer the mailman a cold water in hot weather. That's not really a tip, but it's gratitude for good service.

As a general rule, I tip for exceptional service and/or if I want to be remembered well.

Examples:
If a server is great, I'll tip 20%+. Average gets double the tax, which works out to 16.5%. My husband is more generous than I am, however, and he is usually the one who pays.

The guy who cuts my hair gets a generous tip because I want him to be happy to see me and give me a great cut (plus he's a friend of my brother-in-law).

I usually don't do tip jars unless I happen to pay in cash (rarely) and the change is minimal. I will tip in a jar if I get extra help of some kind.

The paper deliverer has yet to get a tip from me - I just find the envelope included at holiday time to be distasteful, but that's probably b/c our paper regularly didn't arrive at all. We've had really good delivery the last six months or so and if it keeps up til the end of the year, I'd consider giving $5 or so (especially since it was $29 for the Thurs-Sun subscription).

As an American living in Australia (and soon to be on my way back to the States) nothing ticks me off more than having to tip for horrible service.

The 'tipping culture' here is much the same as in the Europe. They include it in the price at restaurants, which is fine, except when the service is poor or you get someone with a major attitude.

The minimum wage is $17 per hour and add that on top of 'auto-magic' tips, plus the fact that they don't hire many servers because of the higher wages and you get a lot of workers with attitudes and non-existent work ethics.

When I am in the States, I tip 15-20%, unless the service is poor - at which time the only thing they get from me is a piece of my mind.

At a major steakhouse in the US we had a waitress that interrupted guests, had a nasty demeanor and was absent for most of the dinner. She had the nerve to pencil in a 'suggested' 25% tip because we 10 people in our party. I gave her less than 10% (we did have a larger party, and she didn't screw up any orders) and wrote her and her manager a note of disgust with reasons why she didn't earn even the 10% minimum of gratitude from me.

I will always tip over that if I receive exceptional service. My hairdresser always gets 30%. But that level of gratuity must be earned. The tipping system is supposed to be an incentive, not an automatic right. My feeling is that if you don't want to work for tips, than perhaps you should find a different field to work in.

A lot of people don't realize it, but servers and bartenders make below minimum wage. This is legal because their tip is supposed to make up the difference (although I remember many a times when the restaurant I worked in as a college student was dead, and I made below minimum wage).

My rule of thumb is if you aren't in a profession where your salary is below minimum wage (servers and bartenders) then I don't tip you unless you have done some sort of extraordinary customer service related thing for me.

Maybe because I`m young I haven`t really got service worth tipping. At places where the service is nice, the tip is usually already included in sky-high prices. Plus, around here tipping isn`t usually even expected. However, I would consider tipping for sure if I got extraordinarily good service somewhere.

I'm totally with the idea that people making wage don't require a tip on top (Starbucks, coffee, subway, etc).
When it comes to restuarants, I'm usually at 15%, although I'd like to leave a little less when it comes to bad service, but it's rare that I ever do. Outstanding of course comes to 18 or 20%. I actually have worked as a waitress, and I always wondered why people tip so high for bartenders. I mean if all they do is open a beer, how does that warrant a dollar? (Or a 33% tip on a three dollar beer).

There are only two times I tip.

1.) Waiters/Waitresses - I know that in my state they make less than minimum wage (although if they do not end up making minimum with tips, the employer has to make up the difference). How much I tip them depends on how attentive they are with keeping my husband's pop full (we usually go to places with free refills). He drinks maybe three glasses, so she at least has to visit the table two times before the bill. If he is without drink for a while, the waitress gets 10%. If she keeps the drink full, she gets 20%. If she goes above and beyond that (one time when my husband and I had a salad and my son didn't have anything, she noticed that my son grabbed for my cucumbers so she came back with a little container of cucumbers for my son) they get 30%. There has been one time where I tipped one dollar to a waitress because she gave us an appetizer of salsa and chips when we sat down but neglected to give us anything to drink for ten minutes. The salsa was hot salsa. Not good.

2.) Pizza delivery drivers - They normally do not make much more than minimum wage in my neck of the woods. They have to use their own car and pay for their own gas. I end up tipping the IRS mileage rate times the miles to my house and then add on $1.00 extra. I've also had the experience of delivering pizzas myself for a while, and tips helped out a lot.

Check out the numerous tipping etiquette webs sites out there, and vertually all of them say you don't tip at fast food type places - INCLUDING Starbucks. You've got to deal with the fact that some jobs just aren't tipped. Fast food restaurant workers who are paid minimum wage are included in the group. It is a low-skill, low-paid job. To get paid more, you need to find a different job, not lobby for tips. Tipping in a restaurant is for people who deliver food to your table and keep your drink refilled. They don't do that at Starbucks, just like they don't do it at McDonalds. If you want to make more than minimum wage, you need education or training to work somewhere else. Spare us the "Barista" title. If you work at Starbucks, you basically either take orders and run the cash register, prepare the drinks, or clean the tables. You don't wait tables. All of those job functions fit minimum wage and are not tipped at any other restaurant. It is no different than a cafeteria or fast food restaurant. If you keep pushing for more tips at Starbucks, what will happen is that the position will get reclassified, and your minimum wage will go down. No one should tip at fast food restaurants, including Starbucks. Lets draw the line !

I think I am a failry generous tipper when eating out - as long as the service is as expect. I always tip 20%, and if the service I recieved was good to excellent I will tip 25-30% of my bill. If the service is not so good to horrible, that generally results in a 0-15% tip and a dicussion with the manager.

I would like to know what nail technicians generally make beyond the tips they recieve. I usually spend about an hour with my nail technician and if she makes less than minumum wage then the $5 tip I give her really needs to be increased!

Other than what has generally been considered the professions that recieve tips, I do not tip.

PLEASE, If you do not have enough cash to leave a good server the proper tip, PUT IT ON THE CARD!!! And something else to consider: if your food is not what you had hoped for, blame the kitchen, not the wait staff. It is not fair to deduct from the server's tip because of a mistake made by the cook. The cook still gets HIS regular pay!!!!!

I and several of my friends are servers just trying to make it thorough school and make ends meet. I am appalled by some of the things I have read on here. It baffles me that some people feel like they shouldn't have to tip or only leave a measly 10% because it wasn't their choice to get a job that pays $2.13 an hour. We are paid $2.13 an hour for a reason. You are supposed to tip! In this day and age even 15% is an insult. 20% is the new 15%. If you don't want to pay it then don't go out and expect someone to serve you! The truth is, servers can make great money when people actually acknowledge that hey, this is my job and I'd like to pay rent! Serving is a stressful, high energy job. If I wanted to sit around on my ass for minimum wage as a result of poor tippers I would work at Wal-Mart, God knows they treat their employees like crap...