Who to tip and How much?

I know your suppose to tip waitresses and waiters 15% of the bill, but who else are you suppose to tip and how much is recommended?? (Im thinking hairdresser, bellhop etc).

Tip anyone who does you a personal service. So hairdressers always, waiters and waitresses, bellhops, bar tenders - you could even tip your florist if you wanted. I always tip waiters/waitresses on the high end -around 20% unless they're awful, because they only make about $3 an hour. Everyone else you tip will probably at least be making minimum wage. The norm is 15-20%, higher if they do very well, around 10% if they do very poorly. But even when people aren't that great, I still like to tip at least 15%.

Hope that helps!

Another suggestion I heard for tipping servers is 20% (for good service) and, if you're drinking, $1/drink in addition. 

I thought bellhops or bag handlers it was $1-2/bag as opposed to percentage?

Also, tip in cash whenever possible.  SOmetimes these folks have to wait to get their money if you put the tip on a credit card.  It's not even an etiquette thing so much as a nice thing to do.

I usually do like a buck a drink for bartenders, a buck a bag for bellhops, two to three bucks for a taxi, 20% for servers, 10% for stylists (mainly cause I go to an expensive salon and I'm still paying for school - thinking of paying a 15 dollar tip makes me sad.)

Ahh, the great tip debate ...  :-)

I'm a compulsive overtipper when it comes to servers, probably due to the fact that I was a waitress for many years.  I only tip percentages when the bill starts nearing $50.  I say that because I almost never leave less than $10 for a server, regardless of the bill.  But that's just me.

I usually tip bellhops about $1-$2 per bag, depending on how heavy they are.  I tip skycaps at least $5 per bag because I want them to be happy and send my bags where I'm going, heh (of course, now that the airlines are charging insane checked bag fees, I'll do my best to only have 1 checked bag from now on). 

I usually tip my hairdresser $20.  The girl who waxes my eyebrows gets $5, and my pedicurist gets $10-15. 

Waiters/Waitress - 15-20%

Bartender - 20-25%

Hair Dresser - 20% (if not your personal hair dresser) and 30% (if you only go to her - plus a present at Christmas)

Bell Hop - $1-2 a bag

When I used to get my nails done, I'd do $5 for 25$ worth of service.

But that's just my amounts above. I like the dollar a drink with bartenders, unless they're really friendly and you like their conversation, though. It makes more sense than a flat percentage.

And when in doubt I always tip high because I hated waitressing. =(

I never know what to tip the taxi driver. Is there a standard % for that? I end up taking long cab rides home when I go out because my apt is pretty far from where I like to go out...

Also, what do you tip the takeout delivery guy?

I usually give the delivery guy a few bucks.  This is mostly because they already charge a delivery fee and I usually only order out for myself so the bill is usually between $15-25.

However, I once had this delivery guy yell at me for not knowing he was at the door and coming to let him in (I lived on the 3rd floor of an apt. building and had left him my buzzer number).  He then told me my food was cold and it was my own damn fault.  Needless to say, he received nothing!

Taxi drivers are harder for me to figure out.  It depends really, I had this nice guy who made pleasant conversation so he received $5 on $20 cab ride.  However I also had a rude driver who talked on his cell phone the entire time and didn't even acknowledge me, he got less.

the pizza driver, Hmmm lets see they use their own car, their own gas, and they do not receive the delivery fee. call around and ask. a buddy of mine delivers part time for extra spending money.  No one pays their car insurance but them.  They have to drive (10 miles in one direction sometimes and get stiffed).  They make minimum wage.  Remember getting food delivered to your house is a bigger luxury than going out to eat.  Because we are too darn lazy to go get it ourselves, so for pete's sake tip the drive 20%. ya bunch of lazy asses.  lol.

The pizza delivery guy always gets a decent tip from me, because if I'm having it delivered it's because it's nasty out or I'm exhausted and I truly appreciate the personal service. I also know they are paying for their own gas and insurance and making minimum wage. Come on people, the pizza delivery guy really needs your tips. They always smile so big when you give them a decent tip. The smile on their face when they realize you appreciate them is worth the money.

OMG this reminds me of the time I misheard the delivery guy at the door (he had a thick accent) and ended up giving him like a $0.30 tip. After I saw the receipt on the side of the pizza box I was so mortified I nearly called the pizza place to apologize!

I actually order pizza again only a few days later just so I could give him a double tip to make up for it (good thing we always had the same guy).

I always tip big for delivery, those guys put up with alot of crap, not to mention crazy traffic!

Actually, the national average for tipping had been adjusted to 18%. ;)

I tip anyone who is in the service industry and has given me personal service.  Delivery people, manicurists, hair dressers, massage therapists, bell hops, bartenders, etc. 

I worked in a restaurant forever, so I too suffer from the over-tipping syndrome.  But I believe in tipping karma.  It comes back to you, so you better leave more.  If you are receiving services from these types of people and do not tip well, you are undercutting their salary.  Most do not make enough to live without tips.

That said, if the service is horrible, so should the tip be.  And some, like delivery drivers or bell hops, should make do on a dollar or a few dollars.

So where i live no one tips except maybe at a restaurant. It's just not the done thing, but then, our wages are done differently and people don't have to rely on tips to get by.

My dad taught me a quick and fast way to guage the tip. Take the tax on the bill, and then times it by two. If there are more than two people in your party, then times it by how many people were in your party. It works out pretty well.

But, when I was in Japan, you didn't tip ANYBODY! It was concidered an insult! They were like " it's my job, so why are you giving me extra money for doing what I'm suppose to do anyway?" It was very weird for me.

Servers and such I always do the 15% - 20%.

The pizza delivery guy = I generally round up the ticket and add on the rounded up price of gas per gallon.  So if the bill comes to 32.75, I would give a total 37.00.  I know that the restaurant tacks on 1.75 for delivery charge, but sometimes that driver does not see that.  Even if he did, it would not be the full amount.  Nor would he get it that night.  He would have to wait for his normal paycheck.  Given the cost of insurance, wear and tear on the car (tires), and the price of gas, I still think that the delivery guys are still getting the short end of the stick.  There are some people that don't even tip.  Just think of the times that there is a snow storm and nobody want do go out.  A lot of pizzas are ordered and some of the drivers are slipping and sliding trying to get your pizza pie to you.  Some of these guys are even robbed when they get out of their cars to deliver at a bogus address.

Needless to say, I have high respect for delivery guys who are doing this service for me.

Thanks everyone for all the discussion and tips. I really didnt think that this thread would spark so much debate!

LIFEIZSWEET, where are you from?? Im actually from Canada and all workers here recieve minimum wage, so tipping doesnt make up most of workers salaries, its just a courteous thing to do!

I'm in the Uk, we don;t tip much.

Service industries yes, waiters and waitresses etc, pizza delivery guys no, they don't use their own cars etc over here.

Bar staff and such just at xmas, if they are exceptionally good you just offer them a drink.

Hairdressers usually.

Bell boys / luggage carriers not generally.

 

 

i have always wondered about this.

i live in australia and i have  NEVER given anyone a tip.its just not expected. thats why if i ever went to america i would have absolutly no idea. what if you dont tip at all? do  you just look really rude?

Yes... you look extremely rude.

It's weird being back in the US for a few weeks. I'm so used to not tipping in Korea. The only person I tip is my hairdresser because I have such a hard time finding someone I trust and he did hair in London for several years so I figured he was accustomed to it. I asked him just to make sure I wasn't offending him though... and he gladly accepted.

I tip servers according to the service. If they're at least mediocre, I tip 20%. My hair stylist gets $10-20 depending on my money at that time and how well I like my hair.

Side note, if you tip on your credit card or debit card the bank or credit card provider get a percentage of the tip.

I always tip in cashand I over tip good service or my favourite waitress.

Tip anyone who gives you a personal service?  Well hell, I'm going to demand a tip from every patient I stick, 'cause I'm personally taking their blood to ensure they're a-okay.