I found out that I may be wrong in always not tipping when its take out.
Here is a (kind of long) list of tipping etiquette: (
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Tipping Etiquette
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Gratuitous Tips on Tipping
Not knowing the proper tip or gratuity for a service can be very unsettling. The rest of your party might not know it, but inside you may feel highly stressed as you walk up to the coat check or curbside check-in. The challenge is not everyday situations, but when you are taken out of your normal environment. For example, if you travel only occasionally, hotel tipping etiquette can be a real mystery.
Let FindaLink.net help take the mystery out of tipping etiquette. This brief guide covers most tipping opportunities. If you find yourself in a situation not covered, please use our feedback page to get your questions answered. You may also post your question at our Tipping Etiquette Discussion Forums.
Have mercy!
Have you had a hard day traveling or at work? Do you feel a little grumpy? Were you sharp with someone?
Well, guess what! People in service industries don't always have great days either. Show them a little mercy and assume the best about them. Maybe your waiter is a little absent-minded because his mother is sick in the hospital.
Instead of skipping the tip, talk to the manager about poor service.
Pre-tax or post-tax?
This is a common question. Tips may be calculated pre-tax, but many people just use the total bill.
At the airport
The first opportunity to tip during travel is usually upon arriving at the airport or train station. Here are some tipping guidelines:
Porter - $1 per bag or more if the bags are heavy.
Skycap - $1 per bag or more if the bags are heavy. $1-$2 extra for curbside check-in is optional.
Tip $1 if the doorman hails you a cab. If he also carries your bags, tip the same $1 per bag noted above.
Ground transportation
Taxi, limo or van driver - 15% of the total fare. No less than $1.
Driver of courtesy shuttle - $2 per traveler. More if driver helps with bags.
At the hotel
Before you arrive at a nicer hotel or resort, inquire as to whether gratuities are included in the price of the room. Some hotels are now charging a daily fee that covers all tipping for hotel services. If there is not a daily fee, these rates are appropriate:
Valet or parking attendant - $1-2 is appropriate for parking or returning the car. It is not necessary to tip for parking, but always for returning the car.
Doorman - If he hails you a cab, $1-2. If he helps you with your bags in or out of the car, $0.50-1 a bag. Use $1-2 per bag if he carries them all the way to the room.
Bellman - When he helps you with your bags, tip $1-2 per bag. Give him the tip when he shows you your room. If he just carries the bags to the front desk and then disappears, save it for the person who carries the bags to your room. Upon checkout, tip a bellman who helps with your bags. Tip more for additional services.
Concierge - $5-10 for help with hard-to-get dinner reservations or theater tickets. Tipping is optional for just plain advice. Tipping can be done at the end of the trip or at the time of service, just keep is straight so that you are fair.
Room Service - If gratuity is included, add nothing or $1. Otherwise add 15-20% to the total charge.
Delivery of special items - If you request extra pillows or an iron, tip $1 per item received, minimum $2.
Maid service - $1-3 per day. Tip daily because there might be a different maid each day. Leave the tip on your pillow. Err on the side of being generous, and tip on the last day also.
Swimming pool or gym attendant - Nothing, unless you require special services such as extra seating or inflating pool toys.
Hotel staff - Nothing to replace a light bulb, fix the air conditioning, etc.
Tour guides
Check ahead. If the tip is not already included, give 10-15% of the tour price. No less than $1-2 for a half-day tour, $3-4 for a full-day tour, and $5-10 for a week-long tour. This is a per-person rate. Tip private tour guides more.
Cruise ships
Many cruise ships have a no-tipping policy. Find out in advance. If you are supposed to tip, find out if it is done at the end of the trip or at the time of service. Oftentimes, at the end of the cruise you are provided envelopes with suggested tip amounts. If you are supposed to tip, budget about $20 per day.
Waiter - $3 per day per person.
Cabin steward - $3 per day per person.
Bus boy - $1.5 per day per person.
maitre d' - Not necessary unless special services provided.
Bar steward - Usually, 15% is automatically added to bill.
Restaurants or bars
If you get awful service, talk to the manager. The manager cannot correct the situation if he doesn't know about it. Skipping the tip will not accomplish anything, and the next poor customer who gets that server will get the same service you did.
If you are buying the meal and someone offers to get the tip, tell them they can buy next time, and you pay the whole thing. This prevents any uneasiness about them seeing the amount of the bill or worrying that they will be stingy on the tip.
Food server - 15-20%
Cocktail server - 15-20%
Bartender - 15-20%. If at the bar before a meal, settle up with the bartender before you go to your table.
Wine steward - 10% of wine bill
Busboys - Nothing, unless he did something extra special like cleaning up a huge mess. Then give him $1-2.
Maitre d' - Nothing, unless he gets you a special table or the restaurant is full and you had no reservation. Then give $5-10 or more.
Coat check - $1
Restroom attendant - $1
Separate checks - If you want separate checks, ask the server to go ahead and add 18% gratuity to each check.
Musician in lounge - $1-5
Musician that visits table - $2-3 if you make a special request. Optional if he just stops by and plays.
Takeout - If you get good service, in other words, the waiter gets and packages the food, then tip $1-2.
Drive through - Nothing.
Self-service restaurant or buffet - Nothing unless there is some service. Tip 10% if the server delivers all or part of your meal or keeps your drinks refilled.
When breakfast is included in the price of the hotel room - Estimate the value of the meal by looking at a menu. If there is no breakfast menu, consider the quality of the hotel and the price of an evening meal, then make your best estimate. Your tip should be 15-20% of your estimate.
Double time
If you hold a table for two servings, make sure that you tip double. In other words, if you spend enough time at a table that a waiter could have typically gotten two parties seated and served, then compensate him for his time by tipping him twice. I like to ease his mind by telling him this about half-way through.
Barbers, salons, spas
Barber - $2-3
Hair Stylist - 10-20%
Color specialist - 10-20%
Shampoo - $1-2
Manicure or Facial- 15%
Massage therapist - No tip if at doctor's office. 10-15% otherwise.
Electrologist - Nothing.
Salon or spa package - Determine in advance whether a service charge is included. If none is included, then 10-20% split among the service providers. You can ask for it to be divided, pay each person at the time of service, or leave it in envelopes available at the front desk.
Owner who provides any of the above services - Follow the rules above.
Country club
At many country clubs, tips are included in your monthly bill. It is worthwhile to look it up.
Shoe shine - $2 per pair.
Small errands - $5. What's a small errand? Running to the store, sending a fax, calling a cab.
Large errands - $10-20. For concierge-type services of ordering flowers, obtaining hard-to-get theater tickets, etc.
Weddings
Many contracted services for weddings include tips in the final bill. Make sure you read your contract carefully so that you are not double tipping. As always, if you receive service above and beyond what you expected, extra tipping is recommended.
Civil ceremony officials - $50 - $75, more if travel involved
Minister, priest, rabbi - Minimum of $100, more if travel involved. Give the gratuity to the best man who will in turn give it to the officiant following the ceremony.
Coat check - 50 cents per guest.
Limo driver - 15% of the total fare. Make sure the tip is not included already in the bill.
Florists - Only necessary when service is beyond expectations, up to 15%
Photographers - Only necessary when service is beyond expectations, up to 15%
Bakers - Only necessary when service is beyond expectations, up to 15%
Reception Musicians - Only necessary when service is beyond expectations, up to 15%
Wedding organist, musician or soloist - First check whether or not the gratuity is included in the rental of the church. If not, $50 per person or $75 per person for close friends.
Tipping Movers
There are many things to consider in a move. A professional mover is going to be careful to protect your floors, walls, doorways, and belongings. That said, it is unlikely that your move will go perfectly, whether you are moving yourself or paying someone else to do it. Something will get broken. The question that matters is were they being careless, or was it a genuine accident? Every time I have moved furniture myself, I have caused more damage to my home than movers ever had. I take this into consideration when I look at accidents.
Tipping occurs at the completion of the job. Consider providing lunch if the move extends over lunch, and always provide beverages for the movers.
One mover - limited move - 1-10 items and nothing over 20 pounds - $10-20
One mover - difficult move - The degree of difficulty changes based upon stairs, narrow passages, small elevators, large or heavy items, appliances, etc. - $20-50.
Multiple movers - Basically tip each mover the same as above, but lower it by $5-10 for each mover. Feel free to pool the tip and give it to the supervisor for distribution, but don't lower the amount because you combined it. The problem with combining the tip is that you cannot reward people based upon their individual performances.
Car Shipping - There is not much information available about tipping the truck drivers. $20-25 is probably appropriate.
Emergency roadside service
Consider the level of danger. Tip an additional amount if it is roadside service versus in a parking lot.
Towing service - $5 - $20 depending upon circumstances and your desparation.
Jump start - $3 - $5
Tire change - $4 - $5
Locked out of car - $5 - $10
Miscellaneous services
Personal shopper at department store - Nothing.
Bagger at grocery store - Check in advance to see if the store has a no tipping policy. If it doesn't, then $1-3 for the bagger and $1-5 for the person who loads your car.
Makeover specialist at department store - Nothing unless you used over 15 minutes of her time and then bought nothing.
Open bar at receptions - $1 each visit to the bar.
Shoeshine - $1-2.
Furniture or appliance deliveries - $5-10 per person. If the delivery is huge, then $20 per person.
Flower deliveries - $2-5 for normal deliveries and $5-10 for large ones.
Pizza deliveries - 15%, but not less than $2
Clown at children's party - $15-25 depending upon the quality of the work and the heat level of the day.
Contractors - $50 for the foreman, $30 per worker.
Auto mechanic - Not necessary. If you insist, tip about $10-20 for bills up to $500, and $50 for bills over $500.
Charter pilot - It is not necessary to tip pilots unless they provide extra services. Then it is whatever you deem appropriate for the service.
Christmas Tipping Etiquette
Christmas is a great time of year to remember those people who serve you regularly. Since it only occurs once a year, Christmas tipping can be a source of holiday stress, but it need not be so. I recommend a gift or a tasteful Christmas card with a tip inside. Delivery should occur in the month of December prior to Christmas day.
Maid - one week's pay
Mail carrier - $10-20
Apartment building superintendent - $20-100
Doorman/concierge - $50-100 or more, depending upon building
Shampoo - $10
Manicurist/pedicurist - $15 or more
Hairdresser/stylist - $15 or more
Massage therapist - $15 or more
Newspaper delivery boy - Daily - $25 - 50, weekend - $10
Regular overnight delivery person - $10-30
Teacher - Thoughtful gift
Garbage collector(s) - $15-20 each
Baby sitter - two-to-three night's pay, plus maybe a gift
Full-time nanny - one week's pay
Day care service - $25-70 plus a gift
Parking attendants - $10-20 each
Personal trainer - $60-75
Country Club - I believe in tipping at Christmas regardless of the club's tipping policy. I recommend a minimum of $50 for your waiters, locker-room personnel, front-desk employees, and golf professionals. For head waiters or special service, make it $100.
