Proper Tipping Etiquette

When dining out, one should understand the importance of proper tipping etiquette. Educating yourself on the minimum requirements and what today's standard are will ensure you are tipping the staff properly.

For many years, 15 percent was the normal percentage to tip. This percentage is on the brink of becoming obsolete since the cost of living has increased, especially in the last 10 years .

Many servers respect an 18-20 percent tip, but do not demand one.

Servers receive a minimum hourly wage that is lower than the minimum wage that the general public receives, less than $4 an hour. Servers rely on their tips as the main source of income since this hourly wage is so low. A paycheck for a server, in most cases, is non-existent since servers are required to claim their tips to the government in which taxes are taken out of their hourly wage.

Proper tipping etiquette is extremely important. The general public who has never been in the service industry may not be aware that there is a tipping out policy established within this industry, Take this scenario for instance: You are dining out with your significant other at a restaurant. At the end of the meal you have paid your check and you are getting ready to leave the tip. The full amount of the tip may not end up in the server's pocket. If you purchased alcohol and there was a bartender on duty, the bartender is then tipped out. Was there a busser who removed your plates, filled your water glasses, brought your bread or wrapped your food? That individual is also tipped out. Did an employee other than your server, known as a back-waiter, bring you your entrees? He or she is also tipped out by the server. A sommelier may be required to be tipped out by the server, although in many cases the sommelier is tipped personally by the customer on the price of the bottle, typically 15-20 percent of the price of the bottle before tax.

Tipping out is typically performed in this fashion:

Bussers/Back-waiters: 10-15 percent of the servers total tips or sales at the end of the shift.

Bartender: 5-10 percent of the severs total tips or liquor sales at the end of the shift.

Host/Hostess: In some restaurants servers are required to tip out, but is not always practiced in most restaurants

Sommelier: Generally tipped out by the server, sommelier will receive 10-15 percent the price of the bottle. In some cases the sommelier is tipped personally by the customer.

If you come to a restaurant with a group of 6 or more people, you should expect a gratuity to be added to your check. It is your responsibility to make of note of this automatic gratuity. Many diners expect their server to inform them of this convenience, but is looked down on in the service industry to have a server tell you that they have included what you should be properly tipping them. To protect yourself from double tipping a server you should look closely at the check or ask the server if a gratuity has been added when the check is presented. Many people will at times ask the server to add a percentage to the check, even if they are not dining with a large group, to save them the trouble of figuring out what they should leave for a tip.

Even though tipping is not required, it is a social norm that should be practiced by every person dining out. The tip should be on the total amount of the check and not the sub-total, especially if you have purchased a pricey bottle of wine. Proper tipping etiquette also requires that comped food, wine, discounts and coupons should also be factored in when determining the amount of the tipped. If your check has dropped from $100 down to $50 then you should be tipping on the $100.

Having an understanding of proper tipping etiquette and where your tip goes the end of the night will have you considering just how important it is to honor a job well done.