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A tip, or a sum of money given to someone for their services, can be difficult to understand. When should you tip someone? How much money is considered respectful to give as a tip? 

Tip jars used to read, “Tips–never expected but always accepted.” However, now they would be more likely to read “always expected.” Tips used to be a way to thank a worker based on how well the service was performed, but that is rarely the case anymore. In some scenarios, such as restaurant waiters, workers are paid less than minimum wage, as it is assumed that they will make enough money from tips to make up for that deficit. Therefore, when customers eat out at a restaurant, they feel obligated to give a large tip to their server. Tips are no longer given out of gratitude, instead they are given to help a waiter or waitress make enough money to afford a living. It is important to understand how much one should tip and when it is appropriate to do so. 

Ideally, waiters would be paid more and people would feel obligated to give a large tip. However that is not the case, so it is appropriate to tip about 20%, although some scenarios call for a smaller portion and others should be given more. 

How Much Should We Tip?

Tips are typically based on the cost of a service. The generally accepted amount to tip a waiter or waitress is 20% of the meal. However, it is also important to consider the quality of their service, the size of your party, and how many times they were asked to return to the kitchen for an additional service. 

For other services, such as cashiers at a drive-thru, it is not really necessary to tip. These workers are not providing a service to you other than ringing up your meal, and there is typically an option to tip when paying for the actual meal. If you feel the cashier was exceptionally friendly or provided additional assistance, then it would be polite to tip them a small amount, depending on what the service was. 

Many restaurants, cabs, and even stores now have automated amounts for tips. When checking out, these locations have buttons on their touch screens that might read: 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%. This makes it very simple for customers to easily tip for a service without calculations. Again, standard tipping is about 20%, but if service was exceptional, it is nice to tip more.

Who Should Be Tipped?

It is polite to tip waiters or waitresses, Uber or cab drivers and people who deliver foods or goods, especially if they help install or set up the goods. Tipping cashiers or workers who take orders at a drive-thru is nice but not necessary, as they are not doing more than ringing up what you purchased. 

Around the holidays, it is important to tip people that perform regular services for you. This might mean the babysitter, hair stylist, mail carrier, dog walker, personal trainer or housecleaner. The tip should be equivalent to the amount of one service or a week’s worth of services, depending on the person. For example, a babysitter should receive the equivalent of one service, and your dog walker should receive what they might earn in one week. 

It is important to show gratitude to those who perform services for us. While the standard tip amount has increased over the years, it holds the purpose of expressing appreciation toward the person who helped us.