To tip... Or not to tip???

Ceratinly NOT!

Why should I subsidise poor wages?

Okay, a lot of good points here, but one thing hasn't been mentioned, and it's one of the most important things to do: Communicate! Here's what I mean:

People have repeatedly said that tipping is supposed to reflect your satisfaction with the service. But servers won't necessarily know why you tipped well or poorly, because some people are stingy, and some are generous (we've seen some of both in these answers). If the waitress gets a 20% tip, is that because she did a good job, or just because the guy was taking a girl on a date and wanted to impress her?

So here's what I do. If I get decent service, I'll tip 10-15%. (15% is standard, but for service that had nothing particularly good about it, I don't feel bad tipping only 10%.) If I felt that the server did something I disliked, and it was their fault - bringing the check really soon, even though it isn't crowded, for example - I'll tip below 10%. Then I'll write a polite, friendly note and leave it in the check with my tip. "Thanks for the service. I'd appreciate it next time if you would wait for us to ask for the check before bringing it."

Of course, if the server does something really well, the same applies. I'll tip above 20%, and leave a note thanking them for doing whatever it was.

Y'see, people say money talks, and maybe it does. But it sure doesn't speak very clearly. If you leave a small tip, the waitress might just think you're cheap, and next time you come, there's no way you'll get good service. If you leave a polite note, though, there's a possibility you'll get an improvement next time. And you definitely will if you leave a good tip with a note thanking them for something good.

One last suggestion: If you plan on being a regular customer, you should probably tip a little better than you would otherwise, because it'll get you better service when they recognize you. And DEFINITELY be good about leaving friendly notes in this case.

If you are eating somewhere where a server is taking care of you then YES! I'm saying this not just because I'm a waitress but because a lot of people do not realize we only make about $2.33 an hour which is not even minimum wage, we are suppose to get the rest of our money from tips. There is nothing worse then taking care of a table, maybe going out of your way to do extra special things for them and then seeing they left you hardly a fair tip. It makes servers feel like they just wasted their time. We are there to make a living and when we make hardly enough money that night to cover the cost of gas for driving to work it is really upsetting. Now the question is what is a fair tip? 20% of the bill is generally what is expected by servers, but 15% is okay. Don't be one of those tables that thinks $5 is a fair tip regardless of the bill, it's actually rather shitty if your bill is over $30. Granted I get that there are bad servers out there and they deserve to be tipped poorly for a bad job, but if you have a nice server, that takes care of you, tip them. Also if you recieve bad food don't take it out on the server, they didn't cook it. Keep in mind too, don't go out and spend $100 on a dinner and then not be able to have money left to tip make sure you can leave a decent tip for the service and food you get servers work hard! Okay so bottom line TIP servers its how we make a living.

I don't know why but we have gotten away from the meaning of what a tip is. A tip(s) is To Insure Proper Service aka t.i.p.s. What used to be done and should be is that you ask the waitress or waiter to break a $5, $10, $20, etc. into ones. The money is to be laid out prior to the meal and shown almost as "bait" to insure proper service. If you are not satisfied durring the course of the meal, you begin to take $1 at a time to reflect that. You are not however supposed to replace dollars if the service picks up, that is their job. Unfortunately, businesses have circumvented the minimum wage laws stating that the minimal wage they provide(usually $2.50-$3.00 is compensated with the tips that they make to average minimum wage or more.

I have three rules for tipping: 1 - A greeting with a smile, 2 - Good timeous service, 3 - Remembering to bring the items i don’t get billed for, like a glass of water.

I always tip so it depends on how many of the 3 rules you neglected, get all 3 and you get a great tip. Get only 2 and its the standard 10%, get only 1 and its a poor tip. Don’t get a single rule and you really shouldn’t be in the service industry!

I always tip because I'm a server... my friends and family say I over tip. It's a servers job to serve and they usually get paid minimum wage to do their job, and that's where the tipping comes in. On the same note, they shouldn't just expect it and should work for their tip. If you have horrible service, don't tip as high as you would if you got exceptional service.

Yes most definately. Because if you dont tip then the person that served you has to pay for you to eat there because a server tips out on all the food that she rings it - generally 3-5%. Tip your server well! 15% is alright.

On a side note.. 2.13 an hour is minimum wage? What the heck. Minimum wage is 8 here!

of course I do. I used to wait tables, and unless service is abominable, and I can assure myself that it is the waitperson's fault, I always tip at least 20%. If the service is really bad, I tip about 10%, and if it's middling and I'm feeling cheap, I tip about 15%.

That is, at a sit-down restaurant.

At coffee shops, I almost always tip a dollar for a cup of coffee, (plus the change, sometimes). And only occasionally for other counter service, almost never for take-out.

Coming from a server, I ALWAYS tip. Sure, it stands for To Insure Prompt Service, and that isn't always the case; however, there are many factors in a restaurant that the average diner does not always see. I know I've always done my best to provide the best service, since paying for my college education depended on it. However, you can't help it if you are actually trying to do your job, and unforseen accidents happen here and there. Be courteous; always tip at least 15%.

I tip better than my husband, I usually tip 12% -15%. 15 if the service was great. 12 if it was normal. If we had the kids with us, and the service was normal and they made a mess, I might tip more. If the service was bad, no refills when needed forgot item, got items wrong, etc.... It wil be 8-10, then there are the bad day, where they got items wrong, forgot something, didn't refill, we had to ask for our check.. finished out food, and waited, and waited for our waiter to happen by to ask for the check, then waited to give them the credit card, then they disappear for ten more minuits before we can sign it adding a soloid 30 minuits to our dine time after the meal ... they will get 5%....

Tipping is a gift, not a right. Most servers make close to minimum wage, so they do appreciate the generosity of clients. I generally tip about 15% for normal service, 20 for good service, and none if the service was really rotten. A lot depends on the server, their cordiality, their helpfulness. If they take care of you, you can enjoy the meal. So there you have my idea.