How Much Should You Tip?

Tipping has always been a last thought when people go out to eat, have something like pizza or chinese food delivered, or receiving some other service where it is customary to leave or give a tip. It shouldn't be, as I said, it's customary...and in some cases, mandatory. While I don't like leaving a "mandatory" tip, I do expect to leave a tip that is suited for the service that I receieved. Since most people only experience these situations where food is involved, this is where I will focus my advice.



In a resturant, for example, you sit down, a waiter or waitress (or more politically correct...a server) will greet you, take your order, serve you, and bring you your bill at the end. Sound about right? Usually there's more to it, but that's the gist of it. Now, this server, in case you didn't know, only gets paid about $2.13 per hour for the work (s)he does, the rest depends on you and also how (s)he performs for you. If your server does a good job and you are sastisfied with him/her, how much do you leave? A couple bucks? Wrong. 10% of the total bill? Only if your bill is like $200 should that be the case. "But I thought 10% was the customary amount?" you say? It was...about 15 years ago. And about 5-10 years ago it was 15%. I'm starting to scare you know aren't I? 20% but no less than $2 is what you should leave. I say no less than $2 because you might just go in for a small meal or snack and not manage to break the $10 mark. Now if the server is medeocre...15%, not so good but trying...10% but let him/her know you appreciated the effort (nicely, please) Bad service...well, nothing, and get your meal for free! Now remember....tipping applies to the server, and the server only! Not the food, not the cook, not the host/hostess, not the manager...the server. This also works for the bartender, too.



Wanting pizza delivered tonight? Sounds good, but how much do you tip the driver? All (s)he does is drive the pizza to you and there's always a delivery charge, right? Nope, and the delivery charge is used to pay the driver his/her base wage... if you didn't have it, you would have to get it, get it?. A driver is different from a server in a few ways: 1.) The driver makes more on the bottom then the server (minimum wage as opposed to $2.13, but has a LOT more side work to do) 2.) The driver doesn't spend 45 minutes to an hour with you, but you don't have to leave your house. 3.) The driver has to use his/her own gas and put extra mileage and abuse on his/her own vehicle to bring you your dinner...and the pizza shop doesn't pay for the service to the vehicle. Now with that in mind, I ask again, how much should you tip? Do you use the same tipping scale as above? You could, but I wouldn't. A delivery driver is hoping to average AT LEAST a dollar per mile that is driven in a night. Even then, they might not drive far every night, but run back and forth from the store to a mile way. And I'm sure that you're not wanting to tip $10 if you live 5 miles away either, (10 mile round trip). So here's the easy way...stick to the 20% rule as above but this time no less then the cost of a gallon of gas. That's fair, especially since you didn't have to go anywhere, anyway.



So remember, if you go to the resturant: 20% but no less than $2. Have it delivered: 20% but no less than the cost of a gallon of gas. You're not going to work for minimum wage or less, are you? They shouldn't have to either. Don't be a cheapskate! Think about it...the tip's not gonna break you, it's the meal that usually does that. So if you can afford to go out or order in, you can afford to leave a decent tip. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's only a few extra dollars, anyway.