Tipping Etiquette

Tips is actually an acronym - To Insure Prompt Service

Over the past two decades our country has become service-oriented, and that is especially true now that we have this huge recession. Because many people who lost their jobs have had to take on lower paying service jobs, tipping is more important than it has ever been.

Since I once worked at one of those low-pay service jobs where customers expected good service, while I depended on tips as the major source of my income, I thought it would be appropriate to review tipping protocol this week.

The necessity for tipping is misunderstood by many people. Some are offended that they are expected to give a gratuity to someone who is obviously paid to do their job. The fact that the job usually requires a low level of skill and knowledge only exacerbates the dilemma.

Did you know that most people who wait on you at restaurants, carry or check your bags at transportation terminal entrances, make up your room at hotels and motels, or do any of the menial tasks that we demand and expect while away from home are paid far less than minimum wage? The almost universal hourly wage when I worked as a waiter and later as a skycap was $2.17 per hour. I doubt that it is any different today.

Could you support yourself much less a family on $2.17 an hour? I certainly couldn’t.

When I worked as a waiter—I was a teenager at the time—I developed a routine of always writing down the order in the same sequence around the table so that the food would be delivered to the right person when it was served. I also tried to always return to the table a few minutes after serving the food to make certain that everything was okay. I memorized the specials of the day, and always knew which desserts were still available so that I could make suggestions. As a result, I got pretty good tips.

As a skycap I always made it a point to use the customer’s name—last name with a title—at least twice during the check in. I thanked the customer by name for using the service, gave directions to the gate and made sure that he or she knew that it wasn’t necessary to go through the ticket line inside. Again, I received good tips.

Soliciting tips is considered very bad form, although there are subtle and not-so-subtle ways of asking for them. A tip jar on the counter is one of the poorer methods, but it does work, providing your employer will allow it.. The envelope or note left in a hotel room with a maid’s name on it is another cute way of suggesting without actually soliciting tips.

I don’t mind telling you that I had my own unique means of getting tips. If I saw that no tip was forthcoming, I would thank the customer and add, “I’m sorry if it wasn’t a rewarding experience for you.” Solicitation? I think not, since I truly was sorry about it, but more often than not, the hint produced the gratuity.

The next question is, “How much should I tip?” Well, that depends on what the tip is for and whether or not there is a bill to be paid. If there is a bill, fifteen percent is the minimum amount to tip, but up to twenty percent is appropriate for really good service. I don’t agree with those who say that the fancier the establishment, the higher the tip percentage should be. The bill will obviously be higher at fancy restaurants and such, so the tip will also be higher even at fifteen percent. In some of those establishments, you can check the menu for the notice that says. “For large parties a gratuity of (*) percent will be added to the bill.” Whatever that amount is will provide you a good guide for what your tip should be. However, as you’ll discover in the next paragraph, it is only a guide, not a fast rule.

Next, should the tip be based on the total bill, including tax, or should the base amount be used? Since taxes vary widely, I prefer to tip on the base amount. And I always check to be certain a tip wasn’t already included on the bill. That is sometimes the case, especially if you are one of those large parties. The tip in that case is often figured at eighteen percent of the base, since there are usually two servers for the table. There is a little leeway when only one server is waiting on a smaller party of 5 or less.

The minimum tip for restaurant service should be one dollar. That would be the right amount for beverage only service where refills are free. Therefore, if I only order coffee, and I sit for half-an-hour and get two refills, even though the coffee only cost me $1.25, I really got the equivalent of $3.75 worth, so a dollar is a reasonable tip.

Most of us carry some type of cell phone these days. Even the least sophisticated ones, the “throw-away” phones, have some form of calculator in their “tools” menu. There are usually two calculators, the second being a tip calculator. It makes it very easy to determine the proper tip, merely by inputting the bill amount and a tip percentage in the blanks. It will give you the correct tip amount at the bottom of the screen.

When there is no direct bill for the service, hotel porters, maids, skycaps, etc., tips should be commensurate with the service. If the person gives extremely good service, the tip should be up to a dollar per bag for porters. Maids should be tipped $3-5 per night during your stay, and the tip should be given daily if you are on an extended stay at the hotel. There are usually several maids and the same one won’t be servicing your room every day. Five dollars would be the minimum tip for room service too, but if the server is one who uncovers the dish and makes sure your order is correct and prepared to your satisfaction, then a ten or twenty dollar tip is appropriate, especially in fancier hotels.

If you receive poor service from any of the above ‘servants’, then I think it sends a better message to leave a token tip that shows your disdain for that poor service. You don’t have to make a scene, but the person will know what you meant by the small gratuity. Maybe they will make an effort to improve, too.

One more caution: In some countries, such as Japan and Iceland, tipping is not expected and might be interpreted as a sign of poor taste. Be certain to check out the customs of any foreign countries regarding tipping to avoid embarrassing and humiliating situations.