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GRATUITY GUIDELINES - A family of four. Two business men. An elderly couple. Three good friends. A bunch of university students. What do they all have in common? Their server. It's true - servers are some of the best multi-taskers you'll ever witness in your life, trained experts who simultaneously accommodate the needs of ten, 15, even 20 people or more in every hour on the job. Yet cruelly, serving is the only profession where the financial rewards of one's hard work rest entirely in the hands of... well, YOU.

To those in the biz, the art of tipping a server is a no-brainer. But to outsiders, the ominous gratuity mystery is one that leads to all sorts of mistakes, misinterpretations, and bad impressions. So just how much is there to know? Here, a veteran of the industry gives us her best "tips" on the who, what, why & how's of that cloudy concept called a grat'.

Tip o' the Hat
In most restaurants, the minimum wage for a server is significantly lower than that of other professions, and your tip is meant to compensate for the difference. While the exact amount of this compensation is for your discretion, standard etiquette should have you tipping at least 15-20% of your total bill. Excellent service and extra-large parties usually call for a 20% tip.

But tipping is a whole lot more than a mere payment. Serving is indeed a profession where hard work literally pays off, and where few mistakes go unnoticed. From a server's standpoint, a good tip signifies a job well done, and is taken as a compliment. And a bad tip? It's usually taken as a reflection of poor service, and, if undeserved, can be insulting and discouraging.

But what do tips say about you, the customer? Believe it or not, your gratuity is a reflection of you and a generous one indicates a sincere appreciation for the industry, respect for traditional etiquette, and good manners. A decent tip on the table is likened to you keeping your elbows off of it - it's just plain polite.

Tricky Calculations
Here's a mathematical breakdown of a hypothetical server's income:

Hourly wage: $6.95/hr
Typical duration of shift: 5 hrs
Total $ sold: $500
Total gratuities: $60
Gratuity breakdown:
Busperson: $7
Cooks: $5
Hostess: $5

Total wage /hr including tips: $15.55 (USD)

Don't Shoot the Messenger
Don't be deceived - a server's wage is hard-earned. Student servers who have graduated to other professions testify that serving is the hardest occupation they've ever had: you need the legs of an athlete, the patience of a Buddha, and

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