Don't Forget the Tip

                                            Don’t Forget the Tip
           A tip is a tip and cannot, by definition, be mandatory. Tipping is not quite obligatory in North America. Therefore, the experience of being served is completely in control of the server. Adding a tip to a bill takes the discretion out of the equation. The most prominent reason for tipping appears to be more of a guilt issue than a gratitude issue. We know that tipping, at least in the United States, is expected, and if we don't tip, we stand the chance of angering the server.

The tip depends on how much the server is paid and how involved the service was. However, because the servers are often paid fairly low wages, it is the customary practice. A server is defined as any employee whose duties relate solely to the serving of food and/or beverages to customers seated at tables or booths, and who customarily receives tips. Servers receive tips, which goes toward their yearly salary, and can be taken only during the time for which they are actually serving customers at tables or booths, or performing closely related duties. The servers’ duties include taking food and beverage orders from customers, filling the condiment containers at the tables or booths, and preparing itemized checks and processing payments.

 I believe tips should not be automatically added to your bill because servers will not care about how good of service they do, and you may want to tip more or less than 15%.

Having the tip added onto the bill no matter how good or bad the service, would be absurd. The definition of a tip is gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; gratuity. From that description, I believe it’s your decision on how much to tip the server. To help make the decision you can ask yourself these questions. How attentive the server was to your needs? Whether the food was hot and fresh from the kitchen (or not)? How quickly your empty dishes were taken away? How quickly it took to get your check and have your payment processed?