To Tip or Not to Tip - That is the Question

When do you tip, how much do you tip and who do you tip? Do you tip if you get bad service or bad food? Well here is the latest lowdown on tipping. Whether or not your dinner took forever to arrive at your table, or if the order was wrong, or it was burned or undercooked, don't take it out on the server. A tip is mandatory in a restaurant even if the service is poor. Servers, on the average, make half of their income from tips. Sometimes those who don't tip can hurt other members of the restaurant staff as in many restaurants, the tips are pooled and divided among the employees. I worked in just such a place. Customers should always tip 15 to 20% when they eat out at a sit-down, full-service restaurant. There is a group, FairTip.org that wants to ensure that servers are compensated appropriately by requiring 20%. Make it a human transaction , not just a business transaction, tell them thank you and look at them when you give them the tip. Nearly everyone who waits on you no matter where it is, is making at least 42% of their wage from tips and some as much as 81%. Puts it in a different light, doesn't it?