I recently went on a lunch outing with a colleague and had a not so nice server and I decided to not tip her the proverbial 20%... in fact, after the use of coupons, I think we short changed her quite a bit. Same goes for a pedicure I got the other day from the local neighborhood Asian nail parlour. I just decided she was not as good as my usual lady and I did not need to feel guilted into giving her the same amount. I know what people say - you should tip 20% as a starting point but to them I say, no way! 20% is not the starting point for me - it is not a guarantee. I think 10% is the starting point. While I used to be generous with my tipping especially since my husband influenced me a lot after I met him, lately, I think you need to do something good and be pretty dern good to get that. In this economy, why should I tip someone who gave bad or mediocre service. I once got a really bad arm wax and felt guilted into tipping 20% - not anymore! I am taking a stand against tipping bad service. Granted, there are times when the service is just that good...
For example, when we go to a restaurant with the kids and they are messy, of course, we may owe the guy or gal a little more than 20%, but I go to a buffet lunch with my work colleague and I am not going to leave more than a dollar. Why would I? What did they bring me? I had to get up and go get my food. I am not tipping you a lot just because you brought me a glass of water. Another time I think someone goes above and beyond is with the service- bringing out things on the side, special requests, and keeping my water or soda glass filled without me asking. I think that is nice. I remember one server bringing out nice things for my daughter to keep her occupied and her tummy full - that deserved 20% or more.
In this economy and with us going out to eat a lot more than usual, I have to watch how much I tip not just at restaurants but at service places- hair, nails, and the like. I think in the end it depends on what service you got and how the person did - 20% is not a guarantee. You have to earn it! You want a tip? In this economy? You need to go above and beyond. We all do.
