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I read an article recently – Tipping Point: What It Takes to Make Your Waiter Like You – written by Wall Street Journal columnist, Neal Templin. Good article. (Click article title to read.)

Templin, who once worked as a busboy, says tips have been on the rise for a while now. In the 1950’s tips were commonly 10% of the bill. They now average around 18% in the United States and are expected to go higher.

As a former waitress, after reading the article I was curious about tipping – the history and reasons. Found more than I needed to know by clicking on Wikipedia.

In their detailed article on tipping, Wikipedia says that “a tip is a payment made to certain service sector workers in addition to the advertised price of the transaction.” The percentage given is in appreciation of good service.

Hourly, waiters and waitresses in the U.S. are paid less than minimum wage. Tips are expected to make up the difference. Our culture sees tips as a way of assuring good service. But the practice varies wildly worldwide. In some countries, such as Japan, it is an insult to leave a tip since it implies workers must be paid extra to do their jobs. In others, such as Iceland, a service charge is included in the bill.

Does tipping work? As mentioned above, in my younger years I worked briefly as a waitress in a coffee shop. I learned quickly who tipped generously and who didn’t. Since I depended on tips to pay my rent, I worked hard to give the best service possible to everyone. It made a difference to me and, I think, to those I served.

How much do you tip? Click “comments” at top of article to share.

Sara