Should we tip on the entire bill or just the before-tax amount?
Tipping myth:
What should you tip when you got bad service?
list
Figure Out Your
Dining Tip
What do you normally tip at restaurants?
2 % |
Less that |
15 % |
15 % |
15 % |
|
76 % |
20 % |
|
7 % |
More than 20 % |
CreditCards. com, acredit card information website, teamed up with researchers from Princeton and surveyed about 1,000 adults across the U. S. Their study indicates that the best tippers are men, Republicans, Northeasterners, and customers paying with acredit or debit card. These groups generally tip amedian of20 percent when dining at arestaurant.
The study says that women, Democrats, Southerners, and those paying in cash leave a15percent to 16 percent tip, on average.
About half of tippers in the survey tip between 16 percent and 20 percent. On the low end, one-in-five customers at dine-in restaurants don’ tleave any gratuity at all.
Why are some groups better tippers than others?
“ Generally, itall comes down to income,” Matt Schulz, senior analyst at CreditCards. com, says.“ The more money you have, the more likely you are to leave alittle extra tip on the table.”
TIPPING ETIQUETTE
Should we tip on the entire bill or just the before-tax amount?
Peter Post, great-grandson of etiquette doyenne Emily Post and managing director of The Emily Post Institute, says youdon’ t have to add in the tax. But he tipsabout 20 percent on the total“ wherever Iam. It’ s just simplicity.” However, check that a service charge hasn’ t already been included: Places catering to touristsfromcountries where tipping isn’ t the custom increasingly tack on an extrapercentage. And many foreign countries already include aservice charge on thebill, so read it closely.
4IN5
Tipping myth:
A restaurant server will receive the same amount whether you tip in cash or on acredit card.
NOTNECESSARILY. Some eateries make waiters and bartenders paythe credit-card company service fee on the gratuity( often 2-3 percent). Employers have even demanded that servers pay apercentage ofthose entire tabs, which isn’ t legal. And servers may not get credit-cardtipsthe daythey’ re given, which means await and the chancefor employers to fudgeonwhatisowed.— KITTY YANCEY
RESTAURANT CUSTOMERS SAID THEY ALWAYS LEAVE ATIP, AT18PERCENT ON AVERAGE.— CREDITCARDS. COM
What should you tip when you got bad service?
“ If it’ sreallypoor service, give10percent. Your tip will reflectthe service and management willsee that,” according to etiquette expert MelissaLeonard. This is becausesome restaurants divide tips among the staff, so not tipping could affect more than just your server.
COMPILED BY N’ DEA YANCEY-BRAGG; PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS: JOHN FLYNN / THINKSTOCK
SIT-DOWN RESTAURANTS TheEmily Post instituterecommends a pre-tax tip of 15-20 percent, and thisis pretty much the standard. Servers rely on tips becauseevenin stateswherethe minimum wage is higher than the nationalaverage, theminimum wage fortipped workers can be as low as $ 2.13. |
DELIVERY Grubhub founder and CEO Matt Maloneystrongly encourages a 10-15 percent tip. After all, delivery drivers aren’ t salaried workers, and they’ re delivering food straight to your door. |
TAKEOUT You’ re not obligatedtotip fortakeout, according to Leonard. A10 percent gratuity is recommended forextra service like curbside delivery or particularly complicatedorders. |
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TIP JARS Tip jarsare fairly ubiquitous at cafés and coffee shops, and this cancausesome confusion. Customersdon’ t have an obligationtotip, accordingtoThe EmilyPost Institute, butif you’ re aregular customerorthe barista gives you somethingextra special, atip is appreciated.
BAR A $ 1or $ 2per drink tip is recommended.
BUFFET Protocol for wait staff at abuffet is similar to that of delivery. A10percent tip, pre-tax, is considered standardbyThe Emily Post Institute.
10 SPRING 2018 WAYNE MAGAZINE