Golden Rule Tipping

How Much Do You  Tip?

Do you EVEN Tip" 

Okay--no guilt trip intended here.  Just a wake up call. When I got married, I discovered how much of a cheapskate I was in leaving tips and giving to charity. Really.   My wife had been a waiter and worked as a wine steward through college.  She knew how much people depend on tips.  Even when something goes wrong with the food order, hey--that maybe the cook, so don't punish the waiter.  Then I learned about the women (and they are women!) who clean up the hotels and make them work for the rest of us.  They barely make minimum wages.  Even $5 for a tip says a lot--just make sure it is recognized as a tip because they cannot take unidentified money from a room.  

A New Standard--Golden Rule Tipping

Go through a couple of weeks by envisioning yourself in the shoes of those who serve you.  What you see and experience should be your golden rule for tipping.  

I learned this lesson in a Sam’s  Club in Louisiana in sweltering heat and humility.  In other words, the weather was normal.  There was an incredible line for getting tires placed on your car.  As we approached the end of the line to get our cars, I reached my hand out with a $10 bill.  The man barked back at me:  “You were supposed to pay for the tires up front. I can’t take that now.”  All I said was:  “This is for you, for YOU.”  He was stunned, speechless—then everyone else in the line reached for their wallets.  

The golden rule for tipping is how you would like to be acknowledged—especially the unseen women who work for almost nothing to keep the hotels running.  I like to leave a tip in the Bible—sticking out from the book.  For me, I hope it sends a message of thinking about other people.  

“O great Spirit, grant that I may not judge anyone

until I have walked a mile in their moccasins.”

The following tables came from the internet  as a guide.  

	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 Hotel Maid:   $3-5 per day                                                  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