Tipping is important; waiters count on their tips to survive, or perhaps your plumber went above and beyond without charging you extra. But do you need to tip everyone you come into contact with? The short answer is no.
Sit-Down Dining
One legend says that the term tip—“to ensure promptness”—began as a box that was set on a table in an old English tavern where people tipped before the meal in order to bribe the server over to their table. Today’s standard tip is 15 to 20 percent of a restaurant check before tax is added. You can go up to 25 percent for truly outstanding service, or if you have a large, demanding group, a bunch of energetic children, etc. If you got a free meal or discount, tip as if those amounts were added to the bill.The exception to the 15 percent minimum is genuinely bad service, where the server was rude or inappropriate, ignored your requests, or was completely absent. In these cases, make the manager aware as well.
