I usually tip 15% for bad service at a restaurant, because I feel guilty tipping less. For good service I tip at 20% or just above. If I am at a breakfast place where my bill comes to $5, I still tip about $2 because I figure they're working hard and shouldn't be penalized just because the food they are serving is cheap. I never tip at the coffee shops in bookstores because I know they are making the same as the booksellers, and it doesn't seem fair that they should get tips and the booksellers don't.

The original tipping page!. Links for US and international.

I tend to tip 20% in restaurants (actually more than 20, since I tend to tip on the total, not the pretax total). If the service is not good, I will reduce the tip, but I will never tip less than 15%. If I feel that the service is that bad, I will speak to the manager (after giving the server the opportunity to correct the problem).

I don't tip on take out, but I will tip on delivery (especially since they are walking up three floors :) )

I tip a few dollars a day at a hotel if they do a good job, left at the end of the stay.

My issue with tipping is that it's become de rigeur as opposed to a reward for superior service. For example, why do we tip taxi drivers for getting us from point a to point b without dying? It's different with restaurants because the tip is built into their wages (which I think is stupid). I hate going to get my hair cut and tipping once for the shampoo guy and once for the hair cut, etc., etc.

I used to go to a salon where the receptionist would always ask if you wanted to tip the shampoo girl when you gave him a tip when paying for the cut, as in "and how much for Alejandra?" I once said "doesn't Charles tip her out?" and he sort of stammered and said yes. So, he was hustling for extra, which I didn't appreciate.

I kind of resent tipping, honestly (service wage employees aside). I won't cheat service people who work hard, but I hate feeling like I have to give people extra for just doing their jobs. Tipping is supposed to be because they've gone above and beyond. Of course, just because I feel this way doesn't make it optional.

I almost always end up tipping housekeepers at least partly in change because I always forget I`ll need dollars. And then half the time I don`t leave it in a clear enough place so they don`t take it. But then the inimitable BHP mentioned something and I learned from her to tip on the pillow, which seems to work since you wouldn`t be accidentally leaving money there and of course the housekeeper sees it.

That's one of the reasons that I wait until the end, so they know that it's for them since I've checked out.

I kind of resent tipping, honestly (service wage employees aside). I won't cheat service people who work hard, but I hate feeling like I have to give people extra for just doing their jobs. Tipping is supposed to be because they've gone above and beyond.

I feel the same way, Vortex.

I tip housekeepers on the day I check out. But apparently it's not universal. When I was traveling in Greece with a friend, we were on a boat between Crete and Santorini when she handed me 5 Euros and said, "Oh, yeah, you forgot this on the dresser this morning." I had to explain to her that that had been on purpose.

Stay in more all-inclusive places. Less tipping.

I tip about 10% on takeout usually--if it's a sit-down restaurant. Not if it's a regular takeout place. With taxi guys we tip for the same reason other places--most don't owntheir taxi and so on. That said, I'm not usually tipping MUCH there.

Happy Scrappy Day!