Tips On Tipping

It's a subject no one is really sure about and almost everyone wants to know: How do you tip, when do you tip, whom do you tip and how much do you give them?

Ask any two people in a service industry and you'll get two different answers. Yes, some barbers get tips and some don't; no, most supermarket carryout people aren't tipped; sometimes, bartenders are tipped, depending on the bar and the clientele; and, yes, waitresses get tips, but the amounts vary widely according to the restaurant.

Anyone who eats in a restaurant knows by now that waiters and waitresses consider tips as part of their earnings. Most of the people who wait on tables make barely over $2 per hour as their salary, and they depend on tips for income.

Jeanne, a waitress at Bob Evans, said customers usually tip 15 to 20 percent "if you give exceedingly good service." Jodi, at B&K Root Beer Drive In, said tips are as varied as the people who give them.

"You can get someone who comes in and spends $2 and tips you a dollar, and someone who comes in and spends $11 and will tip you 50 cents," she said.

Bottom line: Waiters and waitresses usually deserve 15 to 20 percent tips if their service is good.

Bartenders make more than waitresses and don't depend on tips as much, but still appreciate a little monetary recognition.

Lena, the bartender at the Barbee Hotel Bar & Grill, said some customers don't tip at all, some regulars tip 20 percent or more, and some tip around 10 percent.

Tom, one of the bartenders at Gordy's II At The Time Out, said tips often depend on which night of the week it is, whether someone is from the area or from out of town, and how much the drink costs. For example, if a beer costs $1.75, the customer often will give the bartender $2 and tell him or her to keep the change.

Tyson, at The Frog Tavern in Syracuse, said he usually gets $1 tip for a beer or for a mixed drink. "I've seen days when I make twice as much as the girls on the floor," he said.

Bottom line: Tipping a bartender pretty much depends on where you are and what you feel like giving him or her. There are no hard and fast rules.

So what about those carry-out people at Owens and Marsh supermarkets? Are you supposed to give them tips when they take your groceries to your car?

In a word, no.

Managers of both stores said carryouts do not expect tips, and customers are not expected to tip them.

"We don't want our people to take tips because we don't want our customers to feel it's something they have to do," said Dan Boggs, Marsh manager.

Don Good, manager at Owens, said there are occasions around Christmas when customers who have gotten to know certain carryouts give them a tip, but the store does not recommend it otherwise.

Bottom line: Only tip the carryout people around Christmas, and only then if you really know and like them.

If you take a cab to the supermarket, should you tip the driver? Sure, said Dave Cesaretti, owner of Fast Cab. But the amount usually depends on the service, the promptness and how long the ride was.

What about pizza delivery people? Drivers for Domino's Pizza usually get $1 to $1.50 per pizza as a tip, said Mike Nelson, owner. "It depends on how nice the driver is, the weather, if they had a hard time finding the house."

Pizza Hut drivers said they usually get tips from about one-third of their customers, and those who do tip, give them a lump sum instead of a percentage of the bill.

Bottom line: If it's a service-type business, tips are usually accepted, with the amount depending on the level of service.

More important to many people, and more personal, is having their hair cut. Aside from the cost of the cut and styling, do you tip the barber or stylist?

The answer is yes, and the going rate appears to be a flat $1 or $2 per customer. Again, it depends on the establishment and the customers.

For example, Jim Conder, barber and owner of The Lighthouse in Syracuse, said only about 10 percent of his customers tip; approximately one-third of the patrons of Touch of Class in Warsaw tip.

Kerri Frantz, owner of the Mane Attraction in Silver Lake, said most of her customers leave $1 or $2. The barbers at Warsaw's Downtown Barber Shop get an average tip of $1 for a $9 haircut from most of their customers. And most of the customers of the Cutting Edge tip their stylists $1 or $2 per cut.

Patrons who have chemical procedures done, who spend a lot of money on personal care or who are extremely happy with their haircuts usually tip more than the average, all said.

Bottom line: If it's something as personal as getting a good haircut, and if you're planning to go back to that stylist or barber, it's wise to leave a good tip.