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Tipping is an American tradition. But many of us have questions about the practice. What is an acceptable amount to tip restaurant wait staff? Is it ever acceptable not to tip? Why do people tip? What happens to the tip after it is given? Read on for some noteworthy information about the ages old practice of tipping.

ACCEPTED TIPPING GUIDELINES
Accepted tipping for a waitress in the United States is 15 to 20 per cent. Most people report they tip higher amounts if the service and food is above average. Additional suggested guidelines on tipping for alcoholic drinks and the wine sommelier can be found all over the internet.

DECIDING NOT TO TIP
To tip or not to tip: that is the question. Sometimes, diners have the unsavory experience of either 1-getting less than acceptable food or 2-having poor service from wait staff. In either case, some would recommend tipping a small amount while others would not tip at all. However, Milan E. Wight who literally wrote the book on tipping called, "Tipping Guide for Gratuitous Folks", reports that even the worst of servers should receive a 10% tip.

RESEARCH ON WHY PEOPLE TIP
According to the New Yorker and James Surowiecki, Michael Lynn, a researcher from Cornell, studied the tipping habits of people. Lynn found that the way and amount that people tipped had very little to do with how they rated the quality of the service. Lynn asserts that people tip to feel more socially accepted, yes, even to be liked by the waitress.

AFTER YOU TIP: WHAT HAPPENS TO TIPS PAID TO THE WAIT STAFF
Most dining establishments have strict rules about how tips are handled. Waitresses place tips in a kitty to be split up among the cooks, the busboys, and even the hosts, in some cases. Specific percentages are allotted to each group of staff that worked during the shift. These percentages vary from restaurant to restaurant.

For example, all the busboys who worked a shift might share 8% of the total tips taken in by all the waitresses. Then, the cooks will split another percentage of the take. Even the hosts/hostesses in some businesses will share a cut. Finally, the waitresses will divide the remaining funds, usually a larger percentage than what the other staffers received.

According to the Free Entertainment website, waitresses pay 8 to 10 percent taxes on the total of what the meals they served actually cost, rather than on their actual wages. Find a Link websites says that restaurants report about 12% of their overall food and beverages receipts to the taxman.

An important point is that waitresses must pay taxes on their receipts, no matter if they receive a tip or not. Therefore, when a waitress is not tipped, she is paying those taxes out of her pocket. And most people recognize the salaries of wait staff are not enough on their own to support anyone.

SUMMARY
Most people have their own idea of tipping-when to tip, how much to tip and who to tip. Although there are really no hard and fast rules about tipping, it is helpful to have some general guidelines in mind when eating out. The reasons people tip may be connected to wanting to be liked or socially accepted. Most dining establishments have specific methods for how tips are handled and divided among various staff groups. Tipping continues to be an important part of any American restaurant's livelihood.

Learn more about this author, Rita Chaney.
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