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Tipping Etiquette: Is 20 Per Cent The New Norm At Restaurants? (PHOTOS, POLL)

The Huffington Post Canada     First Posted: 01/17/12 02:59 PM ET   Updated: 01/17/12 03:03 PM ET

We've all experienced this quandary: we swipe our credit card after stepping out of that salon chair and debate whether to leave a tip... or not. And then, once we walk away, we wonder if we've tipped too much or too little for the new 'do we're sporting.

Yes, tipping has become an anxiety-riddled activity. Thanks to credit and debit card machines programmed to specific denominations, the feeling of guilt may overwhelm some who choose not to leave a little somethin'-somethin' for their favourite barista or fabulous masseuse. And it seems many Canadians don't really understand proper tipping etiquette.

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Part of the problem is there's a lot of confusion out there -- especially, it appears, in big cities like Toronto. Common practice has been to tip 15 per cent for service at restaurants, but now, some places across town, are implementing a minimum 20 per cent tip at the end of their bills. And if restaurateurs -- not personal choice -- begin to dictate how much we tip, where does that leave us in the grand scheme of things?

Some people believe if you're at a salon and get your hair cut by the owner, you should forgo the tip. But etiquette experts say tips should be anywhere between 15 and 20 per cent, and never below $5 -- no matter what the person's position is at the salon.

When it comes to hotel services, 15 per cent is usually welcomed, with $1 or $2 given for each bag handled by the bellhop. For takeout, don't feel obligated to tip, and tip jars at coffee shops are usually there for regulars to drop in some change.

And experts suggest even when not completely satisfied with the service you've received, it's polite to leave at least 10 per cent.

So we want to know: when do you think you should tip and when shouldn't you? And if you don't mind being deemed a notoriously bad tipper, can you just forgo the tip? We've come up with some ideas below. And let us know your thoughts on Twitter.

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Robbi Bitner
0 Fans
06:27 PM on 04/03/2013
Who the heck are the so-called "experts" who suggest leaving a tip even for poor service? If I wanted lackluster service I could just stay home and serve my own meals, right? 10% for average service, 15% for above average service, and 20%+ for exceptional service, and all on the pre-tax amount, since that's an extra 5-15% added on to the bill.
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IronicRenaissanceMan
0 Fans
05:13 PM on 04/02/2013
Tipping isn't about etiquette...it's about service. Largely unknown now with untrained, young and ignorant servers.
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uusqrd
1 Fans
07:14 PM on 01/19/2012
I don't mind leaving 20% but I do resent that the % option on the debit machines takes the % of total (including tax) - why should we be tipping on tax?????
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ontariogirl
Peace!
762 Fans
07:12 PM on 01/19/2012
If the service is bad so is the tip. I think 15% is a good tip if the service is good. This is in North America. While away it depends on the place and the people. In some poor countries we have bought food for people in need.
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Bumpers car
Fish till you die
58 Fans
05:29 PM on 01/19/2012
And in New Brunswick, Canada the government wanted to lower the hourly rate for service industry staff because they recieve tips. They are paid crap wages now because the owners/employers count on us subsidising their employee's pay packages with our tips and I am not going to bail them out of their lousey atrtitude by adhering to fixed amounts dictated by the industry. You want a tip out of me? Earn it but it won't be any 20% unless you work your butt off and really, really impress me and I don't tip for poor service. I also never put the tip on my access card or credit card as then the house deducts the service charges and tax on it from the employee. You want decent wages and benifits? Unionize and fight for it like many others have because these guys will always treat you like third class workers until you do.
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Bigg Bird
0 Fans
11:16 PM on 09/11/2012
They don`t want to unionized because they bittch and complain but in secret they make good money, there are alot of dumb people tipping 20% or even 30%. I have a friend that works at swiss chalet and she makes more then me and i was shocked. I never tip and im glad i dont!

She makes 3 times more, minmum wage in canada is 10 she makes 8 or 9 an hour then her tips bringing her hourly rate to about 30 dollars an hour, but she does not claim it on her taxes! If everyone would stop tipping, maybe the companies will step up! if you keep tipping your just feeding in to the problem of society to to put the problem on the customers, i spend too much money to treat my self out 1 time a week 15 dollars a plate or 20. I cannot afford to feed the server too, its not my job, thats your employers job, i pay for the service i am putting money into your company so you have a job! Only the cooks should be tipped!
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furby8
162 Fans
10:39 AM on 01/19/2012
15% was considered a decent tip a decade ago. My pay hasn't gone up 5% in the past ten years so my tips won't be going up either. I'll trip 15% for service that exceeds expectation, 10% for service that meets expectations, and 0% for lousy service. Why thank someone for giving you poor service? IMO, tips subsidies employers who underpay for the work performed.

And that caption on the hairdressing slide irks me. If I don't tip my hairdresser 15 or 20%, I shouldn't expect good service at the next visit? Really? I change mechanics at every visit, I don't see a problem with changing hairdressers too.
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billdfalls
5 Fans
01:33 AM on 01/19/2012
I'd only tip more than 15% if the service was exceptional. 10% for below average & 15% for good service. In most cases those %'s are after our greedy governments sales taxes.
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Eternityinanhour
56 Fans
12:07 AM on 01/19/2012
Utter bull-crap. I don't care what they think is the norm, and I don't care if you were a waiter once, so you tip everywhere. A tip is by definition an additional reward for exceptional service. There's no such thing as "mandatory" tip, and there's no guarantee that you will receive a tip from me if you are terrible at your job.

So no, I won't tip the cab driver unless he helps me carry my many heavy bags to my door, and I routinely adjust my restaurant tips based on the quality of service (yes, even if it means leaving no tip at all, like that time I had to wait for 2 hours for my dinner). This tipping situation is like how those new-age people who are forever terrified of upsetting children would give awards like MVP to every child instead of rewarding the one child who did deserve the accolade.

Since when did demanding people WORKING for their just rewards become so terrible, so unfashionable that we would reward abysmal work? Why are we encouraging this overly rampant sense of self-entitlement through societal pressure? Why can't we just let tips be the rewards they are meant to be?
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LittleSanityLeft
105 Fans
09:33 PM on 01/19/2012
You may believe that, but the fact is many of these folks rely on the tips to live. Hairdressers and the like, probably not, but food delivery certainly does and they have much more personal overhead then these hairdressers/bartenders/waiters do. They use their own car more often then not, which means gas and maintenance. They have to use their own cell phone seeing as they often have to call back to the restaurant or to the place they're meant to deliver to, which also costs them money. Chances are these guys have two jobs just to stay afloat. If the pizza guy comes to my door he routinely gets 20% or more.
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Eternityinanhour
56 Fans
10:57 PM on 01/19/2012
People don't rely on the tips to live, they rely on the tips to keep the lifestyles they have.

As for the food delivery people - don't restaurants and whatnot compensate them for the fuel and maintenance? And if not, then why don't they get another job instead? One that will pay them enough?
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Evilwon
0 Fans
10:57 PM on 01/18/2012
Only in north Ameriaca do the owners expect the customer to pay half the employees salary. If bartenders were paid $20/hour like in Europe or Australia then tipping would not be required at all. I work as a bartender and rely on my tips in order to afford to eat each month because my paycheques just cover my rent. I work as hard as anyone else with a full time job but am treated as a second class citizen by the banks or government. I can not get a morgage because my tips are not counted as income, only my cheque stubs and hourly rate are included in the calculations. I have to claim my tips on my income tax but if I need to go on EI, only my hourly rate is considered as income even though I pay taxes on my tips. I would rather be paid a fair rate per hour and not receive tips at all.
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Mike vdB
Get involved, always question, don't just exist.
106 Fans
03:11 PM on 01/22/2012
No disrepect but you choose to work as a bartender do you not? The tips happen to be the lure of the job and unless you work in non-popular establishment, the tips tend to be pretty good. Owners need to be able to run a business and if you feel you should be paid more then it is your boss that you should be taking to. Most likely the boss would replace you because there is always someone else ready to take your place. The same could be said for the other way around because you can go to another place that gives you more money or you can make more tips. It is a two way street.
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Brian Gorrell
Is this the 1950's or what?
838 Fans
 
10:17 PM on 01/18/2012
I tip like crazy.
I was a waiter once.
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Duncan Anderson
3 Fans
07:22 PM on 01/18/2012
A standard 20% tip is INSANE to say the least. A tip is based on the level of service, the courtesy of the staff and the quality of the experience or food. Tip as much as you feel comfortable with given these tough economic times. There are lots of people who can barely afford to go out to eat and pay the asking price little alone be expected to lease a 20% tip.
I say Hog Wash to 20% being the NEW NORM for tips.
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Jack Assman
3 Fans
07:12 PM on 01/18/2012
How do people come up with what percentage we should pay for tips. You think our boss will give us a 20% raise for a superb job we did for the company?! GET REAL! If you walk into a really fancy restaurant and all the guest drive a mercedes or own million dollar homes maybe yes, but for most of us I think it's just telling us to cook at home or go some else and dine. If you want to make an extra 20% find another job that pays you that much more. In my point of view 10-15 should be the norm...15%for excellent service.
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myles61
1 Fans
06:47 PM on 01/18/2012
I am fed up of tipping. I think everyone should have a salary ... point. If I go into a store, I expect great service. If someone comes to my store, they should expect great service. Salaries for waiters, hairdressers etc, should be standardized according to their job profile and experience .... stop.
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Gail005
2 Fans
05:01 PM on 01/18/2012
I give generous tips. Especially in poor countries. I disagree with someone telling me i must or should leave a certain percentage.
I give nothing or very little if the service was bad at a restaurant. why should I leave 10 percent if there were problems?? that sends the wrong message to the server. It's like saying there was no problem.
15 percent at hotels??! are you kidding me??? to the maids?!
I think tips should not be based on a percentage of the bill. If your table buys expensive dinners and a bunch of drinks, your bill can be so much more than a table with people who didn't drink alcohol and ordered cheaper items on the menu. but the waiter could have spent the same amount of time serving each table. My opinion is that a tip could be more based on how much time the employee spent serving me and how good the service was.
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glove49
0 Fans
04:34 PM on 01/18/2012
i believe in tipping as well as I was raised by a single mom and her tips were bigger than her waitress salary. She was also excellent at her job and it showed in her tips. I will not go anywhere i am made to pay the 20%, it is my choice I what i leave and that is based on the service i receive. Although I always leave a tip, it totally depends on the service I receive.
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