The Itty Bitty Guide to Tipping

By Stacie Krajchir and Carrie Rosten

Take the confusion and awkwardness out of tipping with this all-in-one guide—includes insider advice from waiters, hairdressers, and more.

What’s the appropriate tip for service in a four-star restaurant? And what if the service is less than stellar? Do you tip the maids at a hotel you’ve stayed in for a week? What if the hotel is in Japan?

The Itty Bitty Guide to Tipping clears up the confusion with straightforward guidance on who, how much, and when (or when not) to tip. From cab to casino, skycap to sommelier, barista to bellhop, all the tipping challenges are covered. The Going Abroad section covers tipping etiquette in foreign countries, and a special chapter even offers insights on tipping at tattoo parlors, strip clubs, and more. Also included is insider advice from waiters, hairdressers, and others—as well as a handy tip conversion table so anyone can tip with confidence and savvy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781452153025

Stacie Krajchir

Stacie Krajchir is a television producer who lives in Venice Beach, California.

Book preview

001

dining out

Whether you’re dining in style at a five-star restaurant or grabbing a burger and beer at your local bar, tipping will be part of your dining experience. For the restaurant staff, your tip is a direct and vital report card for their overall level of service. But how much should you tip, when, and to whom? Read on for a list of the people you will encounter and profiles of the services they provide, together with the lowdown on exactly how much to tip. The tipping chart on pages 24 to 25 provides a quick reference.

the players

When dining out, you have a team working directly to serve you. The fancier the restaurant, the more people there are who will expect a tip. The primary tip (often the only tip) goes to the server, who in turn, at the end of each shift, tips out the bus person, the bartender, and in some places the host. The server is required to pay taxes on the tips that are left over after he or she has tipped out.

The restaurant’s tipping-out policies aside, some establishments require servers to declare 15 percent of their total gross sales whether they are tipped 15 percent or not. Restaurants often adhere to this practice to protect themselves in the event of an audit. When restaurants employ a large number of people, servers must often tip out more than 25 percent of their gross tips to the members of their team. The following is a list of everyone on the team, the services you can expect from them, and a few guidelines to observe.

SERVER : 15%–20%

The server’s basic duties include answering questions about the menu; taking your order; delivering your food and drink promptly; and bringing necessities such as condiments, napkins, and an extra plate to the table in a courteous manner. Your server should check back to see if everything is all right or if you need anything else and should present the bill in a timely fashion at the end of your meal. The server should never disappear for long; he or she should stay nearby in case you need another drink or the check.

If these services are performed well, a tip of at least 15 percent is justified. Always tip your server at the end of the meal when you are paying the bill. Tip on the total amount before tax. When paying cash, take the tip from the change you receive and leave it on the table. If you feel you have received exceptional service, it’s nice to hand the tip to your server directly and say thank you. When paying by credit card, fill in the tip amount on the credit slip and leave it on the table. If you have a server who provides you with especially attentive or helpful service such as assisting with elderly guests, accommodating special food requests, or helping you get your children seated and settled in, tip him or her extra.

itty bitty insider’s advice

Sure it’s great when someone tips big, but I’d prefer they left 15 percent and said, ‘Thank you,’ and ‘Have a nice day,’ than to leave a large tip and act like I’m not human. Appreciation can be conveyed in more ways than just money. —Joao,