Question: How Much Do You Tip? Basic Tipping Rules & Guidelines
A Man Walks Into A Bar...
A man should know his way around basic tipping etiquette, but the rules can get complex - especially when you travel. Certain axioms apply when it comes to tipping, and here are some basic guidelines we’ve compiled for you. More importantly, we want to know for this week’s question: what rules do you use when it comes to tipping?
Waiter, Server, Delivery: 15% + Round Up The Change
Whether you’ve worked in a restaurant or not, you’re living in a recession and you’ve probably done a good job of watching your expenses. Why should tipping be different? Stick with 15% per post-tax dollar as a generous and fair amount. Round up the cents to the nearest dollar (if you’re OCD) and consider it a bonus. Adjust accordingly for large alcohol purchases (you don’t need to tip 15% on that single $50 bottle of wine). If the server goes above and beyond the call of duty (think bottomless drinks), then take it to 20%. If you can tell a server is not busy and still makes you do the work, take it down to 10% per pre-tax dollar. Don’t stiff. Add 5%-10% if you’re using a gift certificate for a majority of the meal’s cost.
Concierge: $10+ per request
This depends entirely on the competency and complexity of your request. Restaurant recommendations are not the same as front-row seats, and most concierges you encounter these days are nothing like the ones depicted in the movies. Simple, offhand recommendations don’t necessarily require a tip, but if they call and get you a table ready and waiting, then the ball is in your court.
If a concierge hands you a business card and says it’ll get you to the front of the line (club, bar, concert), you should expect that. If it doesn’t then the concierge has done nothing more than make you look like an ass. If the ropes are pulled back and doors opened, you might suddenly find yourself a rockstar, even if for a moment. Cue positive impression with coworker or female companion. This automatically qualifies a generous tip.
Some choose to tip per request, but it’s more memorable to tip a good concierge (especially if you know you’ll be staying there again) a single lump sum at the end of the stay.
Housekeeper: $3-$5 per day
Housekeepers have a dirty job. If you’re the man you think you are, then you know taking care of people with the worst jobs is always sound advice. Use this opportunity to make someone’s day and tip properly. Count up $3-$5 per day and give it to the front desk in an envelope. If you’re in a mass franchise hotel (Super 8, La Quinta, etc), then leave it on the nightstand notepad with a simple jot saying “thanks.” Recognition is often all people need to make their day.
Bellhop/Porter/Valet: $1-$2 for taxi/directions, $2 per bag, $5 per car
This valet is carrying your bags. Enough said. The bellhop is hailing you a cab. Enough said. The Valet is driving your cherished new car. Enough said.
Room Service: $5
There’s a moment of awkwardness when the room service attendant rolls in a cart. He’s required to offer a display of the spread you’ve just ordered, often after a depraved night out, sultry morning with your girl, or taxing night of late-breaking deadlines. At this very moment, that person is not living the life you are. Be a gentleman about it and make sure you hand this person a few bucks, a thanks, and a nod.
Spa Therapist or Masseuse: 15%
I don’t personally use spas when I go to hotels, but I know people that do. Often hotels will spare you the awkwardness of tipping a spa or massage therapist by including gratuities in the bill (usually a practice I find annoying, but not here). Make it 20% if you get one at a Las Vegas casino while player poker, but it’s still seen as an act of douchebaggery unless you’re paying for everyone’s buy-ins.
Taxi or Car Service: 15%
The person paying for the ride or fare is always responsible for the tip. If you feel obliged, just pick up the next ride. It all works out in the wash. Just make sure you tip the driver appropriately. That means use exact change whenever possible (don’t use coins).
Barber or Stylist: 20%-25%
Your barber or stylist is responsible for the way your hair looks, a direct reflection on your style and outward appearance. If you’ve got a regular barber or stylist then you probably have a simple rapport and routine for your hair (e.g. 4 guard on the side, a little off the top…). Make an impression with the person that finally gets your hair the way you like it. If your hair costs $20 to get cut, give them $25 and commend them on their work. Leave a lasting impression every time and you’ll never deal with the hassle of excusing your chop top do.
Bartender: $1 per beer, $2 per drink, $5+ for a good chat
Most guys have bars they like, but not necessarily a bar they’re a regular at. If you’re on the road constantly, then you’re not vested with a hotel bartender, but if it’s slow and you happen to strike up a half-way decent conversation, you at least owe the bartender a fiver for the conversation alone + tips. If she is painfully attractive or even just pleasantly so, then you’re entirely at your own sober or not-so-sober discretion. As for your more frequented haunts, stick with something called the One/Two/Change rule: $1 per beer, $2 for two beers, etc. Always leave the coin change (typically quarters) unless there’s no green to go with it.
Still craving more tip knowledge? Visit Tip20.com, Frugal Dad, and Tipping.org for more.
Question:
How much do you tip? What rules do you use when it comes to tipping
good tips on tipping; any thoughts on what the standard is for a trip to the barber?
I worked in the hospitality industry for a lot of years so I tend to skew higher on tipping. Especially if I've received good service or I just like the person.
Restaurant dining makes up the bulk of my tipping opportunities and, like Patrick, I've got plenty of experience in hospitality. I like to do 18-20% plus round up the change (as I am, in fact, an OCD fiend). You've got to be pretty terrible for me to go below 15%.
The thing I really appreciate about The Dean's perspective here is that tipping really is an opportunity to make someone's day. That extra few bucks may not mean much to mean, but can be a big thing to someone doing a less than glamorous job. That, and don't be a jerk.
I agree, I tend to tip around 20%, but I have a large varience in my tips. If they manage to do something to turn my evening ugly I am not only going to stiff them, but I am going to follow it up with a talk to the manager to make sure they know what they did wrong. In my opinion, the service industry has taken a bad turn and people think they deserve the tip despite the service. Those people are wrong…
I was serving lunch at a restaurant when a group of senior citizen women came in. They all ordered small sandwiches and water with an iced tea or two thrown in.
After they all paid their separate checks, I opened one of the check holders (is there an actual name for those?) and found that one lady had left me a nice $0.90 tip on her $6.00 check.
Yes, her math was spot-on, but really? Less than a dollar? Would it have hurt that much to part with that extra dime?
My point is this: When you're tipping, think about percentages, but only for the purpose of figuring out if you're tipping too little. Use common sense.
And never tip less than a dollar under any circumstances. Got that Old Style Light for a quarter? Guess what? You'll be tipping 400% today.
I believe they're simply called \”Check Presenters\”. And agreed, never under a dollar.
Senior citizens seem to sometimes adhere to an amendment on standard social principles. One that I fully plan on utilizing when I become of age. It basically translates to: \”I'm old, so it doesn't matter what I do.\”
I believe they're simply called \”Check Presenters\”. And agreed, never under a dollar.
Senior citizens seem to sometimes adhere to an amendment on standard social principles. One that I fully plan on utilizing when I become of age. It basically translates to: \”I'm old, so it doesn't matter what I do.\”
Where can I find this $0.25 OSL? Tell me, for I shall go there post haste.
Definitely a good guide to go by. Interestingly enough, there's always quite a debate about pre vs post tax tipping. I've always been taught to to go by 15% pre-tax and adjust accordingly for poor or exceptional service.
I'm definitely not afraid of leaving someone a crappy tip for bad service either at a restaurant either. I hate the idea that some people in the service industry think they're entitled to tips. I understand there's many variables regarding speed of service, but that doesn't mean you stop being polite either. They don't call it gratuity for nothing. ex: like the lady who once told my table "Don't forget the tip goes here" while pointing at the receipt and speaking in a slow deep southern accent thinking we didn't understand any English…. or the idiot who once asked me if I've ever had steak before.
Growing up my family owned 3 resturants and some hotels so I seem to tip on the high end if the service is good. 20% is norm for waitstaff. But lately I have started doing what my grandfather used to do. He would carry monopoly money with him and if he got bad service he would leave around 5-10 % plus the rest in play money. He would write on the play money "would of been real if the service was better"
God I miss him…
J
I even saw him walk in back to get his own iced tea at the Brodmoor in Colorado Springs one time after the waiter kept walking by the table. Nobody stopped him as he walked around back there checking things out
Good article. I've always tipped based on pre-tax amount at restaurants and more liberally at bars (probably directly related to how much I've consumed). The room service thing is where I have trouble. The past few times I've gotten room service, the bill has had a 20% service charge/gratuity added in already. Out of guilt, I begrudgingly add in a buck or two but always wonder why….
I'm not a big fan of included gratuities. I understand the need for them, especially in relation to large parties, but come on… I can take care of my own tip and make a determination on the worth of the service that I was given.
If you frequent an establishment - tipping well will help you get better service, seated faster, sometimes comps….
Tip well for good service and tip low for poor service. Save the money for tipping the good folks out there…
Tipping has always been a touchy subject for me. The speech Steve Buscemi delivers in Reservoir Dogs makes a ton of sense in my book. Why is it we've established tipping norms for some individuals in society, while others who perform equally mundane tasks are treated differently?
I had several jobs in the service industry in high school so my issue isn't out of lack of empathy. I remember what it was like getting screwed from cheap tippers. For me though, the notion of an expected tip goes against the whole purpose of the practice in the first place. It's exactly like bonuses on wall street.
The moment something becomes a given as opposed to a carrot offered for exceptional performance is the moment you can kiss motivation good bye. If someone does a great job, tip them accordingly and vice versa if their performance is poor.
I guess it's a reflection of how cheap/uncaring our society is that we have to have unspoken rules about tipping all manner of people, just to insure cheap people have some form of guilty back stop to reflect on every time they think about being stingy. If you are a good person, conscious of the struggles of others, your gut should tell you what works.
The rules mentioned by Eric should serve as guide posts for that kind of thinking.
Some great tips and points here!
Thats why I love Japan! Perfection att no extra cost… A tip is an insult!
Any tips on tipping in foreign countries? I recently tipped the cab driver on a business trip to Taipei and got a quizzical look. I actually prefer the idea of people actually getting paid what they’re worth and doing their work earnestly or getting fired. There is no excuse for substandard service and appreciation should come from your boss, not the customer. I guess the idea behind tipping is that not everyone gets paid fairly and some room is left for merit based motivation. While I’ve tipped more than 20% when I got exceptional service, I’ve also left with no tip when the service added nothing to my expectations, or worse, made my evening less pleasant.