As far as restaurants, I look at it as the price goes to the restaurant to pay for the food/atmosphere and the tip goes to the server to cover the service. My standard is 20% but I usually stick to the 15-25% range. Although I would love to live somewhere that tips are all included in the menu price.

Only once have I not left a tip at a sit down restaurant. But lets be honest, when its a restaurant that you need reservations to get in, a certain level of service/attentiveness is expected, especially when the place isn’t full like that night. Waiting 15min after being seated for the server to show up, 10min to come back with the drinks (beer and wine, not like they had to use the blender or anything), having emply glasses sitting on the table for more than 15min trying to get their attention for a refill, another 15min from finishing the food to get their attention for a dessert menu, then almost half an hour between between bringing dessert to showing up with the check. And all the while paying extra attention to the table right next to us but never even looking over to see if we needed anything. That level of service completely ruined what was meant to be a nice night out at a fancy restaurant and deserves no tip.

why not transit drivers ..they can help save you money by giving you bus travel info that will save money on a cab.

Also tell you how to get to common tourist places and what to see there.

The bus route in front of you hotel the driver can help you find a drug, grocery and 7-11 stores.

they are a great source of information for the city you are visiting

However I am not going to tip a housekeeper at a hotel. I am paying for someone to clean the room as part of what I am paying for the room. I am not going to pay a tip a furniture delivery guy since I am paying to have my things delivered.

I am not going to give special “tips” for the holidays, though I love giving gifts to those I have a personal relationship with (I would assume that maid and nanny would be included under that).

My hairdresser is independent, so she sets her own rates. She used to work for a corporate retailer, which happened to have a salon inside their stores, but split off on her own when they changed their brand affiliation. (She took almost all of us with her. She’s that good…)

@Paw,

I think that my hairdresser would feel the same way if I told her I could no longer afford the tip. I don’t think I would feel badly about not tipping in that circumstance.

My mom also goes to Great Clips, and she really likes it!

I’m not saying teachers don’t deserve a thoughtful gift at the holidays or at the end of the school year, but I do find the distinction interesting. Currently I’m moving from giving Christmas gifts to workers at my kids’ Parent’s Day Out program to giving tokens to my son’s preschool teacher.

I’m already thinking about it, and I realize that with the daycare workers, I was more inclined to just give money or a gift card to a grocery store. But to the teacher with a child development degree who is presumably making more money, I lean towards giving a very different kind of gift. It’s not a bonus but a token of regard for the work they do.

Anyway, interesting distinction in my mind.

P.S. to lawyers and accountants – don’t leave confidential information about your clients lying around… YOUR janitors might not be as ethical as we are.

Anyway, in Paris we had a great time at a bar, and I drunkenly demanded to tip the bar tender, having had just done the same job myself for the first time. He returned the gesture with shots of the most lovely tasting liquor ever. Then, once in a train station the smallest denomination I had on me was a 2-euro coin, I gave it to the lady who cleaned the toilet stall after every use — I’ve never used a public toilet with such service before — she followed me out of the bathroom to thank me.

They have to keep a certain % of their fleet wheelchair accessible, operate 24hrs a day, cannot refuse short trips – or cherry pick the profitable ones. I learned this when listening to a news story about a limo company in Portland that offered gorupons, but then got fined for doing so because it priced his company lower than the local cabbies; and his company did not have any of these mandated restrictions. Private auto service cannot price lower than the cabbies.

Cool, I found the story:
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/19/155305029/its-taxis-vs-limos-in-laid-back-portland

Every once in a while there will be a mom & pop looking espresso bar, it may not be staffed by coffee nerds, but I’ll tip there.

20% is my standard for dining out especially in metropolitian areas where the COL is higher. I’ve even tipped close to 25% at places where I’m a regular or if the service was particularly exceptional.

I can’t get too carried away though because I simply don’t have the money to let myself carry away… so for most of these, I just do it on my own.

IMHO, I think people deserve equal pay for equal work. I have taught students who were financially supporting themselves or their families. Why did they deserve less than someone else doing the exact same job with the same level of experience?

If we had not actually made 8% in tips, we had to claim all of it. If the total of wage + tips per hour did not reach federal minimum wage (at the time, around $4.25/hour), then the employer was required to make it up. Of course, if the customer paid with a credit card, 100% of the tips were claimed automatically via the POS system, and we didn’t have to factor that in. I stopped waiting tables in the mid 90′s so I have no idea what the norm is now…

At one place we like, they recently enacted a “two drink refill” on our favorite drink – but for us they keep the cup full the whole meal. So while yes, people will remember you, it doesn’t have to be through money. Instead, we send them what business we can, we come regularly to eat there, and we are polite and patient while there.