You're Probably Making This Big Tipping Mistake Without Knowing It
Since the pandemic, we’ve seen the rise of “tipflation”— that is, higher tip percentages becoming standard and more places than ever asking for tips. How much should I really tip? When is it acceptable not to tip? What is considered bad tipping? All of these are valid questions. You may be making tipping mistakes you don’t even realize.
We consulted Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert, author and speaker, about the most common money mistakes people make when tipping. You don’t need to tip on every transaction, but there are certain situations in which you definitely should. These simple guides will help you navigate tipping situations with grace and ease. You can avoid etiquette mistakes while also tipping smartly!
Have you been making any of these tipping etiquette mistakes? Let us know in the comments.
Confusing Surcharge With Tip
When you order food delivery, you’ll often see a delivery charge. This is not a tip but a separate fee to cover the price of delivery. None of that charge actually goes to your delivery driver, who often depends on tips for their wages. Make sure you pay both the delivery fee and tip the driver.
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Feeling Pressured by Tip Prompts
In most cases, the employee also feels awkward hovering over you as you select a tip percentage. Don’t be afraid to take an extra minute to input a custom tip at a percentage you feel comfortable with, or to click “no tip” if the service you received was minimal.
It’s also worth knowing that Square, the company behind many of the automated tipping screens, keeps a percentage of your tip, which means not everything you share is actually going to the servers.
Tipping on Top of an Auto Gratuity
When you are seated with a large party at a restaurant, it’s common for an automatic gratuity of 20% to be added to your bill. This is a built-in tip. It's designed so that large parties with complex orders can’t skip tipping at the end of the meal. If there’s an auto gratuity added to your bill, there’s no need to tip on top of it.
Tipping on Every Transaction
Tipping is always appreciated. But in many cases where the service you received is minimal, like an employee passing you a muffin from behind a counter, it isn’t necessary. In those situations, “A smile and a 'thank you' is going to go a long way,” says Gottsman.
Tipping on a Reduced Amount after a Gift Card
It’s wonderful to have a coupon or gift card to use on a massage or fancy meal. It feels like you’re treating yourself for free! But regardless of what you pay, you should always calculate the tip percentage based on what the full price of the service would have been.
For example, if you use a 50% off coupon on a $100 massage, you should tip on the $100 original price and not the $50 that you paid. That way, the server gets compensated fairly, regardless of what method you used to pay for part or all of the service.
RELATED: Best Gift Cards to Buy
Using Outdated Tipping Rates
Alongside the rise of the cost of living and inflation, there’s also been “tipflation”: an increase in the expected tip percentage. A standard tip used to be 15-18%. Today, a 20% tip is standard, and tipping at 15% will send a message that you are intentionally tipping lower because you were unhappy with your service.
Forgetting to Close Your Tab
Many places will penalize you with a fee for leaving with an open tab — and after you’ve left, they can add on a crazy tip percentage to your bill. Make sure to settle up your tab at the end of the night. Leave with your credit card in your pocket instead of behind the bar, and be confident and in control of tipping your bartenders for their service.
Skipping a Tip
It’s never comfortable when you receive bad service. However, Gottsman recommends never skipping a tip at a restaurant. It’s common that employees split the tips, so skipping it entirely can unfairly impact other hardworking staff who aren’t at fault for the service you received.
"When you skip a tip, you're also cheating other people," Gottsman says. Instead, she recommends tipping 10-15% and politely speaking with a manager, if necessary.
Tipping Housekeeping at the End of a Stay
When you’re receiving daily housekeeping at a hotel, it’s kind to tip the housekeepers keeping your room tidy. However, you should tip a few dollars every day, rather than a larger tip at the end of your stay. That’s because housekeepers can rotate every day, so you want to make sure you are tipping the person who is cleaning your room that day.
Punishing a Server When It's Not Their Fault
You ordered food an hour ago, and nothing has come to your table yet. You’re getting hangry, and you plan to express your displeasure with the tip. But the truth is, your server doesn’t control how fast food comes out of the kitchen. Don’t punish them for something beyond their control.
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