Tipping standards vary and should be based on personal judgment. Exceptional service may warrant a higher tip, while leaving a small tip can express dissatisfaction. It’s important to communicate reasons for not tipping and determine the cause of any issues before deciding on a tip.
In general, you shouldn’t tip the waiter only when you are extremely dissatisfied with the service. While the standard is to tip 15% of your total bill for good service at lunch and 20% of your total bill for good service at dinner, these are highly subjective. In other words, your advice should depend on what you think is appropriate, not what societal standards might be.
Sometimes, restaurants can deliver exceptional service and servers should be compensated accordingly. If a server goes out of her way to correct an issue or provides exemplary service in other ways, a 20% tip could add even more, depending on your tipping style.
In some cases, to really send a message, it can be helpful to leave some sort of tip, even if it’s tempting not to leave it at all. Those who decide not to tip may be sending a mixed signal in some ways. For example, many restaurants allow a tip to be left on a credit card, and the waiter may not see the tip until the end of the night, long after you’ve left and forgotten about you. In other cases, if you decide not to tip the waiter, he may think it was simply an oversight.
To truly send a message that is almost universally understood by waitstaff, leaving a small tip, such as 1 US cent, if in the US, is a good way to express your displeasure with the service. This sends the unmistakable signal that, yes, you meant to tip, but a tip of any substantial value was not warranted.
For those who really want to offer some constructive criticism, giving reasons for not tipping might be a good idea. This way, even if you decide not to tip your waiter money, you can leave service tips in a very literal way. Of course, this could be redundant and, in most cases, the waiter will know where things went wrong. It could be her fault, and he or she was having a bad day, or it could be the kitchen’s fault.
In general, if there’s a problem with the service and you can’t figure out who’s responsible, it’s always good to ask what the problem is. It could be the kitchen, the waiter, or something beyond anyone’s control. Determining what the problem is before deciding on a tip is always a good idea. This way, you ensure that the wrong person does not get punished.
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