The Ultimate Guide to Tipping

I am the first to admit that I don't let go of money easily. I hold onto a dollar until it screams and when I do spend it I want top quality for my buck.

That being said I have no problem tipping and have taught my children from a young age why it is important to tip and how much they should generally tip.

But it can get a bit confusing. Truthfully you don't want to under tip but you also don't want to be throwing your money around. So how much should you be tipping the doorman at the hotel and what is the norm for a hairstylist?

The most important thing to know about tipping is that it is done in service industries where the people that are getting tipped depend on it even though they can't count on it. They have already figured in their tips into their take-home pay and budgets. If you are not tipping just because you want to save a buck or two you are being very unfair to the people that are serving you.

Service workers live off their tips, they are not a bonus.

But how much to tip? You can forget about generally tipping 10% across the board the average now seems to be about 15% to 20%.

Hair stylists, barbers and manicurists are tipped 15% to 20% and that is rather easy to remember. But what about doormen, maids and skycab?

The best thing for you to do is quickly research if you are unsure. If you are headed off to the airport for your second honeymoon then you should know that you generally tip the taxi driver 15% to 20% and if they are loading your bags, $2 for the first bag and $1 for each remaining bag.

The skycab usually gets $2 for the first bag and $1 for each remaining bag they take inside.

Once at your destination you will be tipping another taxi driver, the doorman would get a $1 for every bag removed (and $1 when they hail a cab for you later) the bell hop should get $2 for the first bag and $1 each remaining bag.

The concierge should be tipped $5 for making reservations for you or getting tickets but nothing for giving directions and don't forget to tip the maid $2 to $5 everyday.

But if you are going off on a cruise then once you arrive on your ship all these rules might be thrown out the window. Many cruises are tip free as everything is included. Make sure that you find out.

Tipping wait staff can bring up a lot of discussion. If you buy a very expensive bottle of wine are you still expected to tip 20% even though they are doing no more work than if you had ordered a inexpensive wine? Do you still tip 20% if the food was barely OK but the service was good? What happens if the food was amazing but your waiter had attitude?

Generally the wait staff don't keep all of their tip and part of it does get divide up between the support staff. That should be making your decision easier. Decide what was wrong with your experience and tip accordingly. As for that expensive bottle of wine, yes, still tip 20% as in many places the bartender will get his tip percentage of the alcohol ordered regardless of what the wait staff is given in tips.

But what do you do when the service you receive is truly awful? I have never not tipped but I have left minuscule tips for rude service. This hasn't happened to me in a long time and I think if it where to happen now I might want to speak to the management to alert them that they have a problem with one of their staff.

There are other times that you might want to think about giving a tip when it generally is not required. When I was working in the florist industry I had customers that tipped me if they rushed in at the last minute and needed a special order such as flowers made up for recital or performance bouquets or forgive-me flowers.

If you are traveling to foreign countries remember that every place is different. In many countries tipping is frowned upon or already included in your bill. Go on-line and research the specific places you are going and familiarize yourself with their money so you don't accidentally over or under tip.

Surprisingly the best tippers are not people that have loads of money but people that had once done that job themselves and know exactly how difficult it is and how much tips matter.

The best advise? Budget in your tipping when you travel and go out.