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Not knowing the proper tip or gratuity for a service can be very unsettling. The rest of your party might not know it, but inside you may feel highly stressed as you walk up to the coat check or curbside check-in. The challenge is not everyday situations, but when you are taken out of your normal environment. For example, if you travel only occasionally, hotel tipping etiquette can be a real mystery.
Let FindaLink.net help take the mystery out of tipping etiquette. This brief guide covers most tipping opportunities. If you find yourself in a situation not covered, please use our feedback page to get your questions answered. You may also post your question at our Tipping Etiquette Discussion Forums.
Remember that tipping is discretionary. If you don't think tipping is necessary in a particular circumstance, then don't tip. This is a guide for people who are planning to tip and want to know the customary amount. If you think tipping in general is stupid, then don't tip. But don't complain that the minimum wage is too low. Don't complain that the only new jobs being created are low income. And don't send me an email rant about tipping. I won't even respond. See also: email etiquette.
This is a guide. It is not implying a moral obligation to tip. That said, if you are using a service that is widely-known to be a tipped service, such as restaurants, bars, hair salons, valet parking, etc., then I believe there is a moral obligation to tip for good service. Here is why - a waiter at a restaurant provides you service with the expectation of being compensated a minimum of 15% for quality service. If you don't intend to tip, then you should tell the waiter up front so that he can decide whether or not to provide you the service.
Have you had a hard day traveling or at work? Do you feel a little grumpy? Were you sharp with someone?
Well, guess what! People in service industries don't always have great days either. Show them a little mercy and assume the best about them. Maybe your waiter is a little absent-minded because his mother is sick in the hospital.
Instead of skipping the tip, talk to the manager about poor service.
James G. Lewis
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