To Insure Promptness

Tipping is a cultural norm in America. In fact, those who don't tip at a restaurant in this country are seen as abnormal. The word cheapskate might be applied with reason. I always tip about 20% of the restaurant bill because servers are typically paid with low wages and tips. Removing either is unfair to them. Besides, restaurants build the tip into the bill, meaning you pay a fair price for your meal one way or another. By using tips the serve staff will make more money than just with wages.

Tipped workers generally make about $2.13 per hour as base pay and the rest of their salary comes in the form of tips, with many having to split tips with other restaurant staff. That job is the ultimate in produce to earn. Bad servers are tipped less or not at al. Good servers make  more money than they would if employed strictly with wages. Restaurants that have tried to eliminate tipping have abandoned the practice because employees quit in disgust at their much lower take home pay.

So who tips best and worst when dining out in this country? A recent study by Credit Cards.com gives an answer. Their web site teamed up with researchers from Princeton and surveyed hundreds of adults across the U.S., and their study  says that the best tippers, who tip a medium of 20% on each restaurant bill, are 1) men 2) members of the Republican Party  who are more conservative 3) people who live in Northeast United Sates and 4) those who use credit or debit cars to pay their bill. The worst tippers, with a medium tip of 16%, were found to be 1) women 2) members of the Democratic Party who are more liberal 3) people who live in the Southern United States (restaurant costs are much lower there, so it figures their tips would be lower) and 4) those who pay their bill with cash.

The question to ask is why are some groups better tippers than others? It's probably based on income. As in every other money transaction in life, those with the most money part with the most. But most people tip at least 15% of the bill's total. The Emily Post Institute (It's watching if you are behaving, so mind your manners) recommends diners tip at least 15-20% a sit down restaurant. Fast food tipping is not expected and is rare. Surprisingly, 20% of customers at regular restaurants don't leave any tip at all. I wonder if the servers spit in their soup....I won't tell if I find out they do.