I always tip unless I get horrific service. I ALWAYS tip my hairdresser. Believe me, it helps me get out the door quicker.



I also try to get the same service person, that way I always get good service.

I personally tip according to service. Not saying that you need to cater to my every whim, but if a waiter/tress gives me good, courteous service, then they will receive the 20% (sometimes more). Less than courteous services deserves less than 20% (if anything) IMO.

I do tip my nail lady (and anyone else that may work on me). So for example, if Lady A does my nails and and Lady B does my pedicure, then I tip each of them seperately (and accordingly).

I too, tip according to service. Which means that if you come by and check on me, don't let my glass get empty before refilling it, and I don't have to ask for things more than once, then I will tip you well.

I only tip at Sonic (like $1-2) if they roller-skate my order to my car. Yes, some of them still skate out to your car! It's so cool!

As for hair/nail stylists, I always tip 15% and give a little extra if they worked me in on a crowded schedule. And I always give gifts at Christmas.

Now for the ones with kids, does anyone give their child's teacher(s) gifts? I usually do at Christmas and at the end of the year and I also donate snacks and books and supplies from time to time.

Ummmm hell no, I can barely scrape up enough money to eat out. IF the server is fine I *might* leave them a quarter. Otherwise, I just leave behind a pocket sized new testament book.

CCCCCCCCCTFU!!!!

Working in the restaurant industry previously, I know how hard servers work. I try to tip 20% so I won't look niggardly .

Now see......

Why not say cheap?

I always tip at least 15% at restaurants. The quality of service will warrant greater amounts. Even if the service is piss poor, I still give 15% and take it as a lesson learned. I prefer not to be in the company of those that do not tip or take tips from the table. There are other settings to hang for those type of people. I always tip my hairdresser. As for delivery people, tip cups, Sonic, etc, if the service is good, they get to keep the change. Most African-Americans that I hang with tip very well. I can actually see where a survey may show differently on AfAm as a whole or even from a particular area. After all, stereotypes have to stem from somewhere.

My stories, from both sides...
 

Well, my first (and most embarassing) tipping experience was when my senior class after graduation rehearsals went to Bob Evans for breakfast. I was always broke and/or cash strapped in high school. Well, anyway I had $5 with me for breakfast and I barely had enough to pay for the meal. My tip to the server: a dime.

After that, I resolved to tip better and I have kept my word to this day.

As a rule, at restaurants I always pay a minimum of 10% in tips, and 15% on average. 15% represents average, decent service, 10% represents "a'ight" service (read: not impressive, but not piss poor either). One time myself and some frat bruhs was at a restaurant where this server IMHO gave us some rather mediocre service and several of us, myself included, was tempted to leave this server little or no tip, but an older bruh (read: crossed in '89) said, "Naw, frats. Alpha Phi Omegas ain't cheap". So we dug deep in our pockets and came up with some cash, and from the volume of cash I saw on the table, I know this server got a least a 20% tip despite her below par service.

I also tip 10% on take-out service at sit-down restaurants, which I do all too often. I don't know what the protocol is for tipping under those circumstances, but IMHO I think 10% is reasonable (Emily Post, Jr., where ya' at?).

Anything over 15% represents a server doing ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) service for me. Once I tipped a server 40-45% because I had a food stain on my good shirt and I went to the restroom to clean it off. She observed what I was trying to do and took the initiative to give me a glass of club soda to help clean off the stain (which did work, btw). So in gratitude, I hooked the sista up with a generous tip for extra personal service.

Now I was a night auditor (read: 3rd shift desk clerk) at a hotel for about a year while I was in college and I got some of the best tips during that shift (drunk guests will hook you up every time). I also looked forward to driving the hotel shuttle van for that reason--and I love driving to begin with. I know my uniform jacket had at one time $500-600 in CASH in the inside pocket. I was hustlin' like Ralph the Doorman on The Jeffersons.

My most memorable tip came from comedian Don Rickles as I helped put his luggage on his limo bus. He said to me when I was done (and he hooked a brotha' up, btw), "You're a good man, [Rain Man]". I didn't even care about the tip. I just loved what I did on my job.

In short, always strive to give great service, and while you might not always get a great tip immediately, you will make up for it later on.

To the cheapskate tippers: Do better.

Oh crap, I mean 15%, I only tip 20% if the service was really good.

I have no problem tipping well if the service deserves it. There have been situations though where no tip was deserved and that's exactly what they got. If it's someone I go to on a regular basis, I might not tip everytime. Instead, I give a really good tip every couple of times.

I waited tables at night, during the summer after I graduated from high school. I was never upset when people didn't tip, due to my personal philosophy regarding tipping. I don't believe that tips should be expected. TO ME, tips are a gesture of thanks for going above what is expected. A salary should be paid by the employer, not the clientele.

Yes, I know others think differently, and look at the way I see things as just being cheap. But I don't care.

I have had the misfortune twice now of being in the company of folk who don't tip.

The first time I was with five other ladies. Since some other people ran out of money to cover the check, the server received a smaller tip than she expected and questioned us. She advised us not to come back to that establishment, which I haven't.

The second time I went to a restaurant in NYC with my cousin. Since he claims to never tip, I made sure to leave a generous tip for our server. Before we left, however, my cousin took the bills ($9) off the table and left him only the change! I could have died.

That was rude of the server. How she gonna tell someone else what to do with their money. Hmph, she lucky she received a tip at all with that attitude.

As for me, on a norm, I try to to tip 10-20%. I tend to round off to the nearest dollar because I refuse to get out change to give an exact tip percentage.

I have been to a few restaurants where at the bottom of the receipt, they print out the gratuity for you at various rates (10%-15%-20%).

I guess they didn't want a lack of math skills to prevent people from tipping. LOL