Should we tip on the entire bill or just the before-tax amount ?
Tipping myth :
What should you tip when you got bad service ?
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Figure Out Your
Dining Tip
What do you normally tip at restaurants ?
2 % |
Less that |
15 % |
15 % |
15 % |
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76 % |
20 % |
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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