by Brian Fleming

Created on: January 20, 2009

So there you are, sitting with your friend at your favorite restaurant, your stomach pressing on your now tight pants. Here comes the bill, $35.00. How much are you going to tip? The server was okay, but not exceptional. Remember, there are a few tips when it comes to tipping restaurant waiters and waitresses.

The first rule of thumb is that if your server was speedy and attendant to your needs, a 15% percent tip will suffice. No matter if your bill was five dollars or two hundred dollars, fifteen percent is fifteen percent, no matter how expensive your bill already is. Anything over a 15% tip, is considered a very generous tip and should be given if the service you received from your waiter was extraordinary, far surpassing that of 15% service.

When you go to most restaurants as a group of six or more, they will automatically charge an 18% gratuity to your bill.

Also, a word to the wise, if you are out on a first date with a girl you would really like to impress, a $20 percent tip is always a good idea. I know that it sounds like a lot of additional money, but it will be worth it in the long run when your date sees that you have a kind and compassionate heart.

The only circumstance in which it is okay to not leave a tip is if you received horrendous service throughout your meal. As this rarely, if ever happens, be prepared to dish out some sort of tip every time you go to a restaurant. The service should be so bad that you complain to the manager before you completely eliminate a waiter's tip.

That's not to say that you can't dock a waiter's salary if he is giving you below par service. This is a little system I use, you can modify it to your liking but it seems to work for me. Every time a waiter forgets to check up on me and my wife every once in a while, or forgets to bring my side, or doesn't choose to refill my drink when it is empty, I mentally dock a dollar off of the waiter's potential tip. This way, when the waiter receives a tip that is less than 15%, they'll still get a tip, but their service didn't deserve a standard tip.

Another quick tip, most cell phones come with a built in tip calculater, which comes in handy for those tough calculations.

So next time you go to that fancy restaurant, make sure you keep some money for the all important tip at the end of the meal. Remember, 15% is the standard. Anything below that indicates a lack of service, and anything above shows your waiter or waitress is doing an incredible job.

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