When do you tip and how much?

Question

In restaraunts I know the standard is 10-20%, but what about bartendenders -- how much do you tip for a drink?

Do you tip people at "free" bars such as a wedding? What about places like Chipotle or Cofee Shops -- do you put a tip in their tip jar?

Should delivery people be tipped? What about curbside carryout food runners? How much do you give a bellhop?

Who else gets tipped and how much?

What about flower delivery people or UPS or FedEx are you supposed to tip them?

Answer 1

Personally I think tipping is a way for greedy business owners to get away from paying a living wage. In most states the business owner can stipulate that the servers make so much in tips and there fore I only have to pay say $2.30 an hour, bc they will make the rest up in tips. Not really fair. As for me I start every server out at 20%. Then they can move up the % or move down the % depending on the service I get.

Answer 2

Tipping etiquette has changed ALOT over the past 25 years or so. Places like Chipotle that have tip jars today are commonplace but 20-25 years ago such tip jars were considered tacky. I still don't put money in them unless the service is truly excellent. But if I'm standing in line and getting my order to go and you're being paid minimum wage, why should I tip you? By comparison, a waiter or waitress doesn't make minimum wage AND they have to really provide a service. Their jobs are FAR more stressful and demanding then someone behind the counter at Chipotle's.

This applies to bartenders too. I usually tip $1 for one drink but if I have several then before leaving I give the bartender 15% of the total bill, as I would a waiter or waitress.

Since I waited tables in college, I ALWAYS tip at least 10% in restaurants - even for mediocre service - because I know how hard that job can be and anyone can have a bad day.

I usually tip the pizza guy $1-$2 depending on the size of the delivery. But if I'm carrying the food out myself, what's the tip for?

Bellhops and chambermaids get tipped so that if you need help in the middle of the night you will get excellent service because you've shown your appreciation for a thankless job. I usually tip 5%-10% of the cost of one night's stay.

Others I like to tip are movers. If you just brought my bed and dresser up three flights of stairs without scratching them, I'm more than happy to show my appreciation with a $10-$20 tip.

Just a note for all who may read this: If your waitress is pregnant, touching her belly is VERY rude. Keep your hands to yourself, please.

Answer 3

I think a tip is required for any service that is provided for you.

Restaurants: Tip your waitress at least 20%. With inflation and gas prices 15% is not acceptable any more. (No matter how small your bill is a tip under $3 is insulting)

Bartenders: $1 a drink if you are not sitting at the bar and 20% of your total bill if you are running a tab.

"Free Bars:" $1 a drink. Even though they are free drinks you don't have to go up as often if your bartender "takes care of you" because of your generous tip.

Hairdressers, Manicurists, Massage Therapists: 20%

Carryout: $2 for a small order $4 for a big order

Curbside: $3 for a small order $5 for a big order

Tip Jars: About a dollar or your change from a dollar... depending how big your order is.

Pizza or all other door delivery: Tip well! 20% or more. They know where you live!

Regularly go to the same establishment and you will see the benefit of tipping well. Free drinks, dinners, discounts and coupons. People in the service industry remember those who tip well and those who don't.

Answer 4

I've read in etiquette books that everyone should be tipped, including people that work at like Mcdonalds. I find that to be a bit too far. I would tip servers at restaurants 20%, one dollar per drink for the bartender, one dollar per drink at weddings, and at coffee shops you just tip to your own discretion. If you want to then tip. Delivery people can be tipped but they don't expect it. But like pizza delivery should be tipped at least 3 dollars. Carryout food runner you could tip like a dollar, but I dont think anything more is necessary. A bellhop should get a 3-5 dollar tip. Then like a Valet service should get a 5 dollar tip. Then I always tip the person who cuts my hair. I can usually get mine cut for like 13 dollars and I just hand her a 20 and say keep the rest. Most people only give like 2 or 3 dollars though. Unless you're getting something huge done like braids or hair coloring, then you tip generously, like over 15 dollars. Depends on how long they worked on you. I do have a general rule at restaurants for myself. If the bill is under 10 dollars I leave a 5 dollar tip. So the smallest tip I ever leave is 5 dollars and the most I've tipped is like 38% when the bill was over 50. I know being a server is rough, I thought it was anyway. I dont know who else to tip.

Answer 5

I learned from Rachel Ray that if something's free or discounted, tip as if you paid full price. For example, my honey and I got a free breakfast at the hotel where we spent the weekend. Had the breakfast not been comped, the price would have been about $22 for both. We tipped 10% of the $22 ($2), since the breakfast was actually self-serve buffet-style, and the only thing the "waitress" did was bring me a bottle of ketchup. When we pay full price, it's between 15-20%. We never had "bad" service, so there was never an instance when we didn't tip.

At free bars, I don't worry about the math. Me and the girls tip $1 per drink ordered each time we go back. (And if the bartender is a hot guy, I give about 2 bucks towards the end of the night! hehe)

Answer 6

I tip waitresses 20%. I put a dollar or two in the tip jar at bars and coffee shops. I don't tip at weddings. I tip delivery people a little something. I tip curbside food runners like a waitress. Bellhops get a couple dollars. Usually I avoid bellhops because I will only have one small bag and say to them 'No Thanks'.

Answer 7

Bars- $1.00 depending on how you fell they should be tipped. And how much you drink.
Coffee shops same as bartenders, You can put in tip jar or hand it to the server personnally. If their is more than I peoson working counter they probably split the tips at the end of shift or end of day.
Delivery people should be tipped 10 - 20 percent of purchase. They have to pay for their ouw gas usually. Pizza Delivery companies charge a delivery charge bit the driver only gets a certain amount for each delivary. So they depend on their tips to pay for gas, maintenance, and miscellanious stuff.
Pretty much alot of people depend on tips. I just depends on how you apply when , where you give such tips.

Answer 8

I tip even at free bars (since you are still getting the service), at least $1. I only tip at restaurants with tip jars if the service is great, which it sometimes is. I always tip servers who do tableside service in restaurants 10-20% depending on the level of service.

I tip delivery people at least $2 (more in bad weather), and bellhops depending on how much luggage I have ($1 per bag).

Answer 9

We always tip! Not once have we not. My mom was a waitress when I was younger and I know how important those tips were to her.. so as a courtesy.. we tip generously!

We tip the pizza delivery guy, we tip the waiter.. and we've often handed the bus boys a tip since they don't get a cut of the tip from the waitress.

Only on ONE occasion was I so disappointed by the service of our waiter, that I left him a PENNY.. I hope he knew the meaning behind that.

Answer 10

I tend to tip delivery people when the weather is bad (I used to deliver pizza, so I know how it feels). I suppose that if the guy at the curb-site carryout had to run out in the pouring rain to deliver your food to you, he probably deserves a dollar for his hardship -- otherwise, he already got paid by his employer to deliver.

Ideally, you tip someone if they gave you really good service; you do not tip them if they gave only adequate service or below (they do get paid by their employer to serve you, you know). I don't mean to be cheap, but if you try to tip everyone who helped you, it starts to gets ridiculous -- you quickly run out of change.