Many of us have experienced that pit-of-the-stomach feeling at a restaurant, spa, hotel, or airport when we receive a service small or large. It goes like this: Am I supposed to leave a tip? And if so, how much? No one wants to be a cheapskate, but no one wants to overpay, either. What’s the right thing to do?
When I began researching this article, I was hoping to create a definitive, fail-safe, never-go-wrong guide to tipping. Unfortunately, this is impossible; there’s a ton of variation—among etiquette experts and service providers alike—about how much to tip for even the most familiar services.
Appropriate tipping depends on a variety of factors, including where you live (tips are higher in bigger cities), how good the service is, and how difficult a person you are to serve (hey, there’s nothing wrong with being high-maintenance as long as you pay for it!). As you read through the guidelines below, tip at the high end or extra if you’ve received above-and-beyond service, you’ve been a burden, or you are a frequent customer or client. Tip at the lower end if you live in a small town and never cause a fuss.
