Not to bring up a post that has already made it past page two territory but I just found 2 very informative articles on CNN that I would like to share.....
The first one is....
Tipping not optional
In many instances, tips are not to reward a job well done.
June 5, 2003: 9:45 AM EDT
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money Senior Staff Writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Most people, if asked, will tell you a tip is meant to reward good service. But a lot of those same people will tip the same amount no matter what kind of service they get.
I know I have. As steamed as I can be when service is poor, I almost never can work up the gumption to stiff someone on the tip or to leave a miserly amount.
Why is that? Apparently, because as Americans we're neurotic, guilt-prone, and we don't want to be thought of as cheap or ignorant. At least those are some of the reasons that Cornell professor Michael Lynn has found in his 20 years of research on tipping behavior.
"The major reason people tip," said Lynn, "is to avoid social disapproval."
So much for rewarding good service.
In fact, Lynn, found that how customers rate service has a very small effect on the amount they choose to tip in restaurants. About 4 percent of the variability in tip size is due to their rating of the service provider, his research revealed. That's the same level of variability that the sun has on tip size. (Folks tend to tip more on sunny days.)
It also has been argued, Lynn said, that our willingness to tip regardless of service reflects a sense that the customer is in a better position financially than the server and wishes to avoid incurring the server's envy. A tip, then, is "a payment to reduce that envy," Lynn said.
It's also a way for the equality-minded to feel less guilty about being served. Looking across cultures, he has found that tips tend to be higher in countries where there is greater neuroticism about and intolerance of ambiguous situations.
Tip as incentive?
Psychosocial theories aside, though, there's another we reason tip. It's part of the cost of being served. If you think tipping is truly optional at restaurants, hair salons and hotels, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
Tipping is expected. It's part of your bill, except that you need to do the math. (Personally I wish restaurant owners would pay table servers a living wage so they wouldn't rely so heavily on my tips for income. But then, the argument goes, owners would raise menu prices and lower-income families couldn't afford to eat out.)
Tipping experts recommend you tip a waiter or waitress 15 percent for adequate service, 20 percent for very good service and not less than 10 percent for very bad service. Why 10 percent for a bad time? Think of the busboys, the bartender and the hostess. In a lot of restaurants, a waitress pays out a percentage of her tips to others who help her serve you. By punishing her, you're punishing them.
You might think of the waitress, too. It's possible, just possible, the poor service you received was not really her fault. Maybe the kitchen was backed up or she was given too many tables to cover.
If you want to help cure bad service, rather than skip the tip, speak to the manager about the server's behavior or about what was wrong with your dinner, Lynn said.
So, what about that stupid tip jar?
I am not a fan of filling coffers at the coffee counter. When someone's serving me something that I could get myself but for the counter (and the line) between us, I don't consider it a convenience worth paying extra for.
Tipping experts agree with me on this one. There's no need to leave anything in the tip jar -- it's completely optional. If you're so moved to drop some change in, go crazy. If not, enjoy a guilt-free day.
here is the link for above article
Tipping Not Optional
The second one is called
How Much To Tip
If you ask 10 people how much to tip in a given situation, you'll get several answers and a slew of hot-headed opinions about the "right" thing to do.
To help start your next debate, here's a quick guide to customary gratuities for various services. The guide is provided by the Emily Post Institute. Those with passionate views about how much to tip the pizza-delivery guy, please see the information in the footnote provided by two other sources.
RESTAURANTS/BARS
Waiter/waitress: 15% of bill (excl. tax) for adequate service; 20% for very good service; no less than 10% for poor service
Headwaiter/captain: often gets a cut of table server's tip; so tip your server extra to reward captain, or tip captain separately
Sommelier, or wine steward: 15% of cost of the bottle
Bartender: 15% to 20% of the tab, with a minimum of 50 cents per soft drink, $1 per alcoholic drink
Coatroom attendant: $1 per coat
Parking valet or garage attendant: $2 to bring your car to you
Washroom attendant: 50 cents to $1
DAILY LIFE
Taxi driver: Varies depending on locality. Assume 15% will be enough; an extra $1 to $2 for help with bags.
Food delivery person:* 10% of the bill (excl. tax), at least $1 for bills up to $10. Should tip 15%-20% for a difficult delivery.
Grocery loader: Check with store policy if tips are accepted. If so, $1 for bringing bags to car; $1.50 to $3 if you have more than 3 bags.
Barber: 15% to 20%, minimum $1, for a haircut. For other services (shampoo, shave or manicure) tip $1 to $2 to service provider.
Hairdresser: 15% to 20%. (It is now acceptable to tip owner, unless he or she says otherwise.)
Shampoo person: $2
Manicurist: 15%
Spa service (e.g., massage): 15% to 20%. If service is provided by owner, no tip.
Staff at coffee/food retailers with tip jars: No tip required. It's completely optional.
Handyman: No tip
Gas attendant: No tip
* Mike Lynn, associate professor of consumer behavior at the Cornell Hotel School suggests tipping pizza delivery folk a minimum of $2 per pizza. His reasoning: Food delivery can be dangerous if delivering to crime-ridden neighborhoods or driving in bad weather, etc. The Web site
www.tipthepizzaguy.com suggests the following: 15% for normal service, with a $2 minimum; 20% for excellent service; 10% or less for poor service; at least 10% for orders of $50 or more. Don't assume a delivery charge, if there is one, goes to the pizza deliverer. Ask the person who takes your order.
TRAVEL
Skycap at airport: $1 per bag if you check-in curbside; $2 per bag if skycap takes bags to check-in counter.
Hotel doorman: $1 per bag for help with luggage; $1 per person for hailing a cab
Hotel bellhop: $1 per bag for bringing luggage to your room (but a $2 minimum if you have just one bag)
Hotel housekeeper: $2 to $5* per night
Hotel concierge: $5 for getting you tickets or reservations ($10-plus if they're hard to get). No tip required when you ask for directions.
Cruise: Varies. Ask cruise line about customary gratuities
Link Found Here
How Much To Tip
