How much do you tip?

[Melberry24]

I think tipping is taught based where you are demographically. I live in NYC, and have traveled up and down both the east and west coasts. Tipping is pretty different in all places. Here in NYC, I find 20% is pretty standard for everyone. I tip 25% if the service is really good and/or it is a student. I have had multiple friends and family work as servers at some point in life and I used to hear horror stories about cheap and nasty customers so I sympathize. If the service is crappy (which usually just means a non-attentive server as I don't think issues with food should be taken out on them. That's a cook issue and as long as the server rectifies it, I see no reason to penalize them for it.) I double the tax (about 16%).

When I've gone to places like PA, Georgia, FL, and Virginia, I noticed most people leave between 10 and 15%. I still leave my normal amount when traveling.

But, to each their own in relation to tipping. However, I personally do not think anyone should take out the frustration of businesses not paying their servers a salary and/or more per hour, on the servers themselves. If you go out to eat and someone serves you (brings drinks, food, caters to a special order, etc.), you should leave something extra, no matter what. You can argue it till the cows come home, but it's a part of the eating out experience and has been for a while.

[Westerner]

How much you should tip in every situation: Yahoo Finance

[Leebo]

No one ever explained to me when I was little that tipping is essentially the salary of the service staff. Like... it's always explained as being just an extra nice thing to do.

I'm sure businesses love this confusion, because it means that they don't have to pay their employees almost anything and the employees are relying on the fact that customers understand that they are responsible for the salary of the employees through tips.