wow - this is a long thread!

here's a tip -

do what you feel is right! i personally hate tipping the pizza delivery guy because they add a 1.50 delivery fee into it & the guy makes a rack-load. My current roommate delivers food - makes about 100 bucks a night on a full shift - his company delivers food from about 30 or so restaurants in Arlington, VA, and they charge a 5.00 delivery fee & people still tip him on top of that! That shocks the hell out of me.

I personally prefer not to tip above 10-15% but if the service is good, then I'll give 20 or if there are a lot of us eating & it's good service or if there are separate checks, I'll give 20-25% (especially when the server brings free drinks or doesn't charge for them). But I really hate the "A gratuity of 18% will be added to the bill automatically for parties of 6 or more" that's at some places. It makes me give only an 18% tip when it could have been more & it just annoys me. I have been a waiter at several restaurants & I've gotten the 25 cent tips before (worked the "geriatric" AM shift at Friendly's on the weekends in highschool) & i've also gotten the 20.00 tips on a 60.00 dinner. But I do think that the expected 20% is too much if the service is mediocre - if a waiter doesn't like what he/she makes, get a new job there isn't anyone holding you back. As far as housekeepers go, if they really do a good job of cleaning, then yeah, maybe 2/day is fine - but if all they are doing is picking up my towels (which some chains don't do any more to save water) & emptying my trash, then no tip - if i've left a room in an utter mess (which i don't do - i've worked in a hotel so i have more respect than that) then maybe i would leave a few bucks - but for a stay that's less than a week with standard service, no tips...