Tipping Etiquette

Someone has provided a service for you and they did a great job. How do you show your appreciation and through that appreciation, encourage that person to continue to provide their fantastic service at an excellent level? Or vice versa, how do you show your disappointment in the service level provided and motivate a poor service provider to step up their game?

In the United States, your gratitude is usually expressed in the form of a tip (aka cold, hard cash, universally liked and accepted). Etiquette tips-wise seems like a simple enough concept, but, what is proper tipping etiquette? How do you know how much to tip? How do you tip? Who do you tip? Are there special circumstances when you tip more or less than you normally do (for example, what are the rules on holiday tipping)? What do you do if you think the service provider does not deserve a tip? What should you, as a service provider, expect in a tip?

It would be so great if there was a guide to tipping somewhere that answered all of these questions and more in one handy location, wouldn’t it?

You are in luck! This section on tipping etiquette covers everything you will need to know from tipping hairdressers and bartender tipping to tipping postmen and cruise tipping (and even includes a tip chart!). Our tipping guide will help you in any situation. And, if we have not covered something you would like more information on, please let us know!