How to Tip in a Restaurant

If you are unsure of how much to tip the next time you dine out in a restaurant, whether the service you received was wonderful or horrible, follow these steps and you will know exactly what percentage to leave.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Understand that the standard tip range is from 15 to 20%. Good service should be awarded a 20% tip. Rude, lazy, or bad service should not. In any case, serving is hard work and tipping is part of the dining experience.

2. Determine if your needs were met. Were your beverages kept filled? Did you have to ask for anything or were your needs met ahead of expectations?

3. Did the server go out of his way to tend to your needs or were you left feeling like an intruder? Unless provoked, there is no reason for a server to be rude. Tip less if your server made you feel bad for sitting at a table in his section.

4. One thing to consider is how long you occupied the table. Waiters are given a station with a designated number of tables. Should you sit to relax at the table long after your meal is finished and the restaurant appears busy, you are taking money out of your servers pocket by not allowing him to turn the table. Tip accordingly.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't punish the server for acts out of his control. He didn't cook your steak or mix your margarita. Their server is the middleman and should be tipped according to his ability to mitigate problems.