I live in a small town and generally go to a sit down restaurant once or twice a week.

I start with a figure of 12 percent. Every time a server refills my pop or checks with the kitchen about cross contamination for a serious allergy or provides a reasonable item of service (for example asks if I need more sauce or wasabi), I add one percent to that figure.

So lets say a server brings me two refills on the pop and another wasabi, they get 15%.

It's usually a smaller place, servers often sit down and have a little chat. The manager often comes by and inquires about the quality of the meal. I don't mind that. There are lots of times a cute waitress will come by and strike up a conversation, not for a bigger tip, but because I'm a regular and generally am polite and friendly.

What I remember is that about 15 years ago, a businessman who owned two very successful restaurants opened an 'ultralounge'. You were expected to tip heavily. That was because there was a dance floor and because they offered bottle service and table service. I could order a bottle of wine and at the end if the night expected a very massive tip.

The problem with the bar was (for example Lady Gaga performed there) that people got tired if the atmosphere real quick. So writers who were pulling in 25 to 50% tips on mixed drinks and much more on wine, were actually making 2.35 plus tips in an hour. So as the bar approached a slow failure, the staff were making only a few dollars, people were making ten dollars for four hour shifts.

The bar tried to bring in big name shows, drink specials, even free dance lessons. But the staff suffered and people no longer wanted to work for a few dollars an hour.

Does a service charge mean employees make a living wage, not usually. I delivered pizza for a while and made far less than minimum wage, despite a note on the bill that you should tip for good service. So while some nights I'd make 60 dollars a shift, I was making less than the cost of gas. They should have put a note on the bill that the owner expected you to work all day long, and that we were only paid to do deliveries- despite working for free in the restaurant all day.

Is it right to tip? It depends o the legal parameters. With pizza, I was a 'contractor', so the boss could skirt labour laws. But if the employee receives a proper wage, I would only tip for really good service.

I have a family member who was a waitress in a cafe. One day there were some boys who came in, had several beer and tipped her 100 bucks. But they weren't tipping for good service, they tipped because one of them vomited all over the table I probably would have given her a big tip there too.

In my local culture tipping isn't often expected, people assume that waiters and delivery services make a decent wage and that the food bill reflects this.

So yeah, I tip waitresses or waiters. Do j tip 25%, no. When I delivered pizza, some people would say that they were paying for the pizza and that I should get more money as a wage.

I can see both sides.

C.